The afternoon was warm, even by the water. The slight breeze blew the warm air through the open windows of the Sea-Side Café. Inside, at a small table meant for two, was Eridan Ampora. He looked down at his phone, hoping to find a reply from his numerous texts to the girl he adored, Feferi. The two had grown up near each other and were once great friends. Only recently had they began to grow apart. He had only been at the café for 15 minutes but wasn't feeling any better than when he arrived. He enjoyed coming to the café to think by the water. It was relaxing. Eridan tapped his fingers on the table as he continued to stare at his phone, allowing his rings to clink against each other. Annoyed, he ran his fingers through his black hair and adjusted his glasses. He was beginning to feel anxious when the bell above the door gave a small jingle. Without thinking he turned to see who had entered. A beautiful girl, looking only slightly younger than the 17 year old Ampora walked in and approached the counter. Her thick, black hair bounced against her shoulders and she happily looked at the café menu. 'Wwait…is that…Fef?' Eridan asked himself. The girl chatted with the café employee and ordered her drink, then carefully took her iced tea to a table near the other windows, behind and horizontal to Eridan's. He flipped around and stared at his phone again. Still no text. Was she ignoring him? Maybe she just didn't have a signal? Maybe he never sent the messages? Eridan checked his phone for the 50th time and assured himself that all the messages had been successful. He glanced at Feferi from the corner of his eye and watched as she pulled her phone out from her tiny purse and flipped it open. Her wide smile faded as she read her messages. With a heavy sigh she closed her phone and placed it on the table, obviously annoyed. "Wwhat the heck, Fef?" Eridan said to himself. He knew that he couldn't just walk over to her and ask her why she hadn't responded. He needed a plan. Drinking his tall glass of water, he thought for a moment. 'Wwhat if I pretend to just run into her or somethin? Then she wwon't think I wwas stalkin her…wwhich I wwasn't', he thought. Taking a deep breath for confidence he stood and began to make his way over to her table. The chair opposite of her was slightly pulled out from a previous customer and Eridan saw his opportunity. Sticking his hip out just enough to catch the chair's back, he stumbled. Feferi, who was staring out the window, felt the table shake. Frightened, she looked for the source of the disturbance, eyes suddenly growing wide. Eridan grasped his side with one hand as he pretended to look in pain. "Oh! Oww…oww…", he whispered just enough so she could hear. "Oh my! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you ther-", Feferi began to plead. Eridan laughed inside. "Oh no, It wwasn't your fault. The chair, it- …oh..heyyyyy Fef", he smiled. Feferi cocked her head as she began to realize who was standing before her.

"E-Eridan?"

"The one and only", he replied with a smirk.

"W)(at are- ..I mean-…)(ow-…W)(at are you doing )(ere?"

Eridan slowly took a seat in the chair as he watched Feferi prattled. "This is a public place, Fef. I wwas just enjoyin a nice day is all".

Feferi studied him with careful eyes, deciding whether he was telling the truth or just being smart. "I suppose so", she stated. Eridan allowed her to analyze him as he asked her, "So Fef, I texted you a couple times. Did you get any of them?" She looked guiltily down at her phone. "O)(, yeah I did. I just )(aven't )(ad time to respond", she giggled, "I've been so busy lately t)(at I just needed a break." He pursed his lips a bit, "You knoww, I feel like wwe'vve been growwing apart. Is something wwrong?" She looked out the window to the beach. "O)(, no. Like I said, I've been busy…" She didn't smile. Instead she held her gaze to the water, as if waiting for something. Eridan followed her eyes to the outside. Something was wrong. She was never like this. He sighed and tried to put all feelings about the text messages aside. He quietly asked, "Fef, I'm wworried about you. You'vve been distant not only from me but evveryone else. Wwhat's goin on?" Suddenly she became upset and with tears hiding behind her eyes she cried, "You know w)(at -Eridan? I'm fine, okay! I'm just fine!" Without another word she gathered up her belongings and rushed out the door. A waitress approached Eridan and asked, "Excuse me, sir, is everything okay? Do you need something?" He didn't look at her. "No, evverythin is fine." His focus remained on the door. In an instant, the girl of his dreams had gone from a carefree smile, to enraged tears and left him where he sat. 'Wwhat happened, Fef', he thought to himself.

Eridan stood up and exited the café. He no longer needed to think. Just as Feferi had run out on him, his troubles ran in and made everything clear to him. Feferi no longer wanted him around. She no longer wanted to be his friend, or even talk to him.

"Alright Fef, I can take a hint. I wwon't bother you anymore".