Chapter 1: Moving on

While Rikki was watching Bella perform Zane was looking at her, a smile plastered on his face. She was so beautiful. He loved her shining smile, her light blue eyes, her curly hair, evsrything about her. Some clients were waiting to order so he had to go and take their orders, but he couldn't take his eyes off the curly blond. Right then and there he gave himself a promise that he'd win her back and he'd never let her go again.

Rikki was listening to Bella''s song with a smile and was thinking about the lyrics. They were so true for her and her friends. They really weren't ordinary girls at all.

She was smiling and enjoying her best friend's singing when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to see who it was and couldn't believe her eyes.

"Derek?" A big smile lit up on her beautiful face.

"Well hello, stranger. Long time no see." He responded with a smile too.

"I can't believe it's really you! What are you doing here?" Rikki asked and hurried to give him a big hug.

He was her best friend from childhood but she hadn't seen him for too long now.

"Well, I just moved in here." He replied casually.

"What? No kidding!" Rikki gasped excitedly.

He shook his head with a smirk.

"So "Rikki's", huh? I never thought you, the rebel, will own a café." He said with raised eyebrows.

" No, it's not mine. It's my exboyfriend's." Rikki said quickly.

"Ex?"

"Long story." Rikki shrugged with a smile.

"So you're single now?"

"Oh, you know me. I love being a loner." It was her time to smirk.

"Do you want to go out for a walk?"

"Sure, I'll be glad." The curly blond nodded smiling.

She said a quick bye to Cleo and Bella and walked out with Derek.

Many years had passed since the last time she'd seen him, but he hadn't change much.

"So, what's going on with you? How are your parents?" Rikki was the one to break the silence between them.

"They're very good. Actually they've been asking about you." Derek answered.

"Really?" Rikki said raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, they miss you." He said smirking.

" Yeah, I miss them too. Are they here with you?"

"No." He said. "But if I tell them you're here, they'll catch the first possible flight."

The curly blond smiled.

"It's been a long time." She said and they both stopped.

She looked at him and he looked at her.

"Yes." He said and he smiled. "A really long time."

"Well, you haven't changed much." Rikki laughed and elbowed him playfully.

"But you have. You're turned into a beautiful woman."

"Thank you." Rikki smiled and they carried on walking.

It was an unusually cold evening. The night sky was cloudy. Soon they were sitting down on the ground laughing at their memories.

"I'll never forget you face when you fell off that tree." Rikki stated laughing hard.

"I didn't fall, you pushed me off." Derek said also laughing.

"I did not!" Rikki shook her head still laughing like crazy.

"Oh, hell you did!" He was laughing almost as hard as she did. "Do you remember when one morning you went for a swim at the lake and Bryan peed in his pants when he saw you in your swimming suit. I think that was his first time when he saw a girl so barely dressed."

They were laughing like hell. Rikki and Derek were sitting there for nearly an hour.

"Let's go back." Rikki said. "I've promised to my friends to go out for a swim with them."

"What? At that time? It's almost 1 in the morning!"

"We love midnight swimming." Rikki said still laughing slightly. "Just like us when we were kids, Remember?!"

They both smiled at the memory and slowly stood up.

"Thank you for the nice evening." Derek said.

"It was my pleasure. You don't spend every evening with someone who's known in South Africa as the local bad boy laughing at your memories with him." Rikki grinned.

They went back to the café.

"Come, I'll introduce you to my friends." Rikki said pulling him inside with her.

"Ok." He nodded.

They entered the cafévand Rikki looked around.

Bella had finished singing so now she, Cleo, Lewis and Will were sitting together at one of the tables. Zane was behind the bar, cleaning some glasses, but when Rikki and Derek came in the café he lifted his eyes and looked at the curly blond. She never responded to his look. Instead she simply walked over to the table of her friends.

"Hey!"

"Oh, hi! Where have you been?" Lewis asked playfully.

"It's not your business, Mr. Science." Rikki laughed. "Guys, I want you to meet Derek Swan, my best friend since childhood. Derek, these are my friends." And she introduced them to each other.

"It's nice to meet you all." He said with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you too." Cleo said. "So, what was Rikki like a child?" She asked with a smile.

"Cleo!" Rikki said giving her a look, but the brunette only laughed.

"What? I'm just wondering if you were always so pushy and competitive."

They all burst into laughter, including Derek.

"Oh, believe me, I've never known someone more competitive than her." He laughed.

"Sorry for ruining the moment, but we have to go somewhere." Rikki said looking at Cleo and Bella.

"Where?" Cleo said, but Rikki only shot her a look, raising her eyebrows. "Oh, right."

"We have to go." Rikki said to Derek turning back to him. "So see you tomorrow?"

"Sure. If you want we can meet here for a coffee?"

"Ok. I'll meet you here!" Rikki nodded.

"Bye!" He said to her with a smile, before she and the guys walk out of the café. Derek smiled to himself.

But before she could go, someone took her arm.

"Can we talk?"

"No, Zane. I'm going out for a swim with the girls."

And Rikki turned to walk away, but he took her arm again.

"Who's he?" Zane asked nodding towards Derek.

"It's none of your business." Rikki said and took her arm out of his grip, walking out of the café.

The girls were waiting for her outside. They jumped in the water and swam to the moon pool. There they just layed in the water, listening to the sound of the small waves.

"It's so relaxing here." Rikki said when she saw Cleo and Bella were smirking. "What?" She asked raising her eyebrows.

"He's hot." Bella said bursting into laughter.

"He's only a good friend." The curly blond said llaughin too.

"Maybe, but he's so into you." Cleo stated.

"What?"

"Oh, come on. He couldn't take his eyes off you." Bella said smirking.

"Shut up!" Rikki laughed and sprinkled playfully both of them with water.

"You should go out with him." Cleo said smiling.

"No way." Rikki said quickly.

"Why?" Bella asked curiously.

"Trust me, it's better for me and him to stay just friends. I just broke up with Zane and I want to enjoy life without having to worry about boyfriends." And with this Rikki ended the topic.

That night she thought about her past and about Derek. She thought she'd moved on from her past when she used to have a crush on him, but she wasn't sure anymore.

The only thing she knew was that she didn't want someone else she had to hide her secret from. What she really wanted was to be alone.

Now with Derek back the curly blond realized so many feelings from her past had come back. And she had to make things clear. For herself.