The night air was a little chilly and wind softly blew my hair about as I walked home. My phone buzzed from the pocket of my new pants and checking it, I saw it was a text message.

I decisively placed the phone back in my pocket. It wasn't advisable texting and walking down these streets at night. After entering my apartment and making sure the door was properly locked, I fell back into the well worn out couch. My phone buzzed again and I brought it out to finally open the texts.

From:

I sent your number to Demi! We all have to meet and have lunch soonest!x

From:

Girl!! Where have you been??? How have you been?! We need to meet up asap! When are you free? I've missed you!!!

I stared at my phone for a while as I remembered my friends from college. Demi had been my roommate till after my second year when I decided to move in with William. Moving back to New York at the beginning of the year, I knew the chances of running into old friends were high. But I'd purposely avoided places that were possible meeting spots. I didn't want them to see the wreck and failure my life had sadly become. But hiding could only be for so long.

My phone buzzed again.

From:

How does Friday or Saturday evening sound?

To:

I have a thing Saturday evening but Friday sounds good

Seeing as William and Heather would be at the gala, I could probably leave work earlier on Friday.

To:

Here and there and yes we do need to meet up! Maybe Friday evening? I already texted Debbie. How have you been too? I've missed you too demi :)

I dropped my phone beside me on the couch and almost immediately went down memory lane.

8 years ago...

"I love the material of your two piece, your Ankara." I complimented Demi, testing the new word I learnt from her a few days ago. The crop cap sleeve top and the short flare skirt suited and flattered her very well.

"Ankara yes and thank you," she laughed, "I'll tell my tailor you love it. Are you ready?"

I nodded and we left the room. We were going to Washington Square park for a party people on campus had been buzzing about all week. Leaving the dorm, I hoped my denim shorts and long sleeved black top that read, 'I Like Candy' would suffice for whatever weather the night brought on. Our hall wasn't too far away from the park and Demi and I reached there in little time.

"Let me finally introduce you to my friends," Demi said as we walked through the mob of people in cliques and clusters standing around. Music was playing and I could see a few people already moving to the beat.

"I'd be alone otherwise."

"Look at you complaining now, besides aren't you going to see your boyfriend?" She laughed.

"He's not my boyfriend," I blushed and she smirked. I quickly looked through and around the moving bodies for said boyfriend but came up short. I'd been tied up with school work the last few days and hadn't seen him again since the coffee shop meet but we'd been texting and he said he'd be here tonight. That may or may not have been the reason I was extra excited for the party tonight.

"Let me brief you about my girl friends before we meet them. There's Debbie, she can be super cynical but doesn't mean to be, it's unintentional. Then there's Kemi, she's Nigerian like me and also Yoruba like me. She's overly jovial, beware of her hugs. And finally there's Lenore, she's a total bitch and she means to be, totally intentional."

"Thanks for the heads up." I laughed.

"Debbie, Kemi!" Demi called out to the two girls who were standing close to a table filled with drinks and snacks. Nerves ate at me as they turned. I was after all meeting new people. In a few seconds, we reached them.

"This is my roommate Ophelia, Ophelia this is Debbie and Kemi." She introduced the pair.

"Lovely to finally meet you Ophelia, everytime I come to the room you are either at the library or something. Come on." She urged as she pulled me in for a hug. I smiled, thankful Demi had given me an accurate heads up.

Debbie only smiled slightly and waved but it was good enough for me.

"I love your shorts by the way." I said to Kemi after taking in her Ankara shorts.

"Thanks, I sewed them myself actually. I'm a fashion designer major."

"And my tailor," Demi said.

"And mine occasionally." Debbie added.

"That's nice, your work is amazing." I smiled.

"Thank you." Kemi grinned graciously. We were talking about some random dorm gossip when my phone buzzed with the notification of a text. It was from William. He was here.

"Here comes Lenore with the guys." Kemi said but I'd already turned the other way, once again searching through the masses for the tall dark haired boy.

"Ophelia this is Boston, Marcus, Liam and Lenore, guys this is my roommate Ophelia." Demi already started saying and I quickly turned back around ready to exchange greetings when my eyes stopped on him. There he was, hands in his pocket looking across the park.

"Hey," I waved and they all replied except the dark haired boy who was still looking away. His head finally turned and I watched as his eyes notably widened when they landed on me.

"Just the girl I was looking for," he smiled widely.

"Wait you two know each other?" Demi asked and I slowly nodded. "Liam, William." As she finished talking, her mouth formed an 'O' as she connected the dots. "I always forget his full name is William." She beamed.

"Everytime D," William shook his head at her then grinned and walked over to me. "But what are the odds? Your friends are my friends."

Demi turned back to the little group which had already fallen into conversation and were laughing away. My gaze returned to William who was now directly in front of me.

"A little high apparently." I smiled.

"Want to leave here?"

"Sure." No sooner than the words were out of my mouth, he took my hand and led me along with him.

"I believe we were bound to meet, don't you think?" He asked as we stopped at another snack table.

"Maybe," I shrugged and grabbed a soda.

"You can't deny it." He poked my side and I giggled feeling ticklish from the contact. I didn't share that fact though, knowing it could be adversely used against me. We ended up on a bench slightly away from the crowd and time quickly melted away as we talked, flirted and laughed into the night.

"Plans for after school?" I asked lifting my legs up onto the bench and crossing them over each other. William who was leaning lower in the bench lazily turned his eyes up to me. The action suddenly put unbidden images in my head. Feeling my cheeks heat up, I looked away and opted to stare at the dark sky instead while he told me about all he wished to achieve and more.

"Enough about me, what about you?" He asked and I smiled.

"The ultimate goal is to start my own business consultancy company, after getting work experience of course probably as a sales analyst. My plan b is having a bakery."

"A plan b is always good. Who knows, I might have an auto shop instead." He said and I laughed.

"What do you know about cars and engines?"

"Damn, your dad has an auto shop, right? Can't get away with naming random car parts now. Well how good are you at baking, I might be able to best you there."

"Pretty awesome." I bragged.

"Tsk, such confidence, where'd you learn?"

"Sadly, my sister." I said and his eyes crinkled up at the sides as he laughed. He looked even better laughing. "We seriously can't stand each other. How I survived baking lessons from her is still a miracle."

"I and my fifteen year old sister generally have the same concessions about each other although I think I'm slightly more intolerable in her eyes." He said making me smile.

"To sisters," I fist bumped him but before my hand could move back, he held on to it and joined our fingers together. His hand was warm; my insides felt warmer though.

"Are you cold?"

"You aren't going to give me your jacket are you?" I narrowed my eyes at him and he chuckled.

"You should know better by now," He winked before sitting up, taking his arm over my shoulder and pulling me closer to his side. I leaned into his chest, breathing in his cologne and muskiness. His fingers gently started playing with my hair. All of a sudden, I really didn't want the night to end.

It was silent for a while and when I looked up, he was already staring down at me. He smiled and his hand in my hair slowly moved to my neck. I could hear the sound of my heart beating faster as everything in me told me to act. So I did. I acted on the feeling and moment, shifting and reducing the distance between us.

Our lips met and mine slowly moved over his till he pulled me nearer and the pace increased. I didn't think it was possible to feel drowsy from a simple kiss but I did. I felt very drowsy as our breaths and tongues mingled under the dark night sky.

Our positions shifted and I was suddenly on him, straddling him to the bench. A slow grin formed on his lips before his head dipped low, trailing feathery kisses down my jaw. An excited shiver ran down my back. I pulled his head up and his lips were quickly back on mine. His hands moved to my waist while mine went around his shoulders pulling him even closer.

We broke apart for air and our eyes inevitably connected. His hand moved up from my waist and rested against my cheek.

I swallowed.

"I like you Ophelia, a lot." His other hand tucked back hair from my face and I breathed in deeply.

"I like you too." I confessed and he smiled. Suddenly feeling shy, I moved back to where I originally was beside him but smiled as well.

"Let me get you back to your dorm." He stood up and reached for my hand.

"Where's your motorcycle?"

"Want to go for a ride?" He smirked and I instantly shook my head. He laughed and teased me the whole way to my dorm. The distance was too short and soon we were in front of the dorm.

"So, goodnight." I bit my lip.

"That's no proper Goodnight." He chuckled then pulled me towards him and we kissed for the second time that night.

Five minutes later, I walked into my dorm grinning like a fool as my heart raced. My hands held my chest in a ploy to calm it down. I reached my room in a short amount of time and was still grinning sheepishly when I jumped on Demi's bed even though she was asleep. I wondered when she returned.

"What the–" she started groggily, staring at me in confusion.

"We kissed, twice." I held up two fingers.

"Girl, go away." She yawned and I laughed loudly.

***