"Skylar!!!"

"Meow!"

Blazes! Her cat had some really weird rivalry with pigeons going on. Somehow he jumped off the window of her apartment hunting one down and she was now chasing him through the streets for a good five minutes.

"Sorry! Coming through!" she weakly cried as she unintentionally shoved passersby. "Excuse me!" She was nearly out of breath and her blasted tabby cat was still merrily running around!

Her toes were already hurting inside her trainers and her lungs were on fire. Weird looks thrown her way but she couldn't care less at the very moment.

"Skylaaar! Come here this inst- OUF!"

"Whoa!"

Before she realized Elena had bumped hard into something.

"Ow…" a pained voice groaned from below her.

Or someone.

She looked down to find a lean boy sprawled on the cold pavement clutching his head, fingers tangled in chestnut brown curls of hair.

"Oh, my gosh!" her eyes flew wide open in horror as she instinctively knelt next to his lying body.

Elena grabbed the stranger's free arm and supported his back, in an attempt to slowly help him stand back up. "I am so sorry! Are you okay?!"

His eyelids cracked open at the sound of distress that her voice was reduced to, revealing beautiful olive-green eyes. Despite his aching head, he managed to let a soft smile spread across his face.

"No, no! Don't worry!" he reassured her waving his hands frantically. "I am just fine!"

He firmly grabbed her hand back, his legs buckling as she helped him stand once again. "It just… wasn't the softest of falls." he laughed nervously.

Thank goodness the young man was alright. He was so nice too, not caring as much about his condition as not to make her upset.

"I am such a klutz!" she sighed, resting a hand on her forehead. "You see, I was chasing around my cat, Skylar!"

"Your cat?" he raised a thick eyebrow.

Skylar! She had completely forgotten about her cat! And now she had lost sight of him too!

She grabbed his oversized hoodie in panic "Have you seen him?! He's got small dots and streaks and golden fur and-"

"Meow."

He blankly motioned to her feline friend sitting on a wooden bench next to them, seemingly having watched the duo during this unfortunate encounter in silence. "Uh, would that be him?"

"Skylar!" her arms flew open as she grabbed her cat into a big hug. He pleasantly purred against her. "Why would you run away, you rascal!? Please never do that to me again!"

"I am pretty sure he did all this just to humiliate me…" Elena turned to face the boy she just met, not being able to contain giggles from escaping her glossy lips. "... and possibly hospitalize someone." she added in an unamused voice.

"Huh, cats are quite the mischievous creatures. I sometimes pet-sit for my neighbors. Heaven knows how many times I've gotten Señor Whiskers down from a tree." He hesitantly came in closer to her, his long fingers gently petting Skylar's furry scalp. Her cat eagerly rubbed his ears and head against the stranger's palm emitting more purring sounds.

Skylar was a loud cat, full of energy, but he did not easily open up to strangers. He was the very definition of a scaredy-cat, hissing and getting cautious whenever an unfamiliar face approached. Her little guardian.

But this boy, this boy had such a sweet nature, such a peaceful aura and a look that made you just...trust him immediately. No wonder Skylar liked him already.

'Heck, maybe I already like him.'

"Haha… you are telling me." she tugged a loose lock of hair behind her ear nervously before proceeding to introduce herself. " I am Elena, by the way."

"I'm Mateo…" he shyly replied, cheeks turning slightly red.

"Mateo! It's nice to meet you." she rubbed the back of her head, eyes drifting down in embarrassment. "Sorry again for bumping into you…"

"You can make it up to me! Would you like to go out for coffee sometime?" He blurted.

His eyes widened and his face turned red as soon as the suggestion left his mouth. A trembling hand covered his flushed face. "Uh… forget I said anything…"

"I'd love to!" she exclaimed immediately.

"You- you would?"

He seemed surprised like he was expecting her to reject the offer. Like he had never suggested something of that sort to someone he just met.

Good. Because she was not normally the type to hang out with someone she just met either. And Elena was not lying when she had declared her excitement to talk to him over a hot cup of coffee.

She nodded, her lips curved into a soft smile.

"My favorite café is a few blocks away. 'Angelica's', it has some wicked baked goods. What do you say… tomorrow at 6?"

"Sounds great!" Mateo could not keep himself from beaming, obviously still comprehending how they had just arranged a date… of sorts.

He was terribly cute, and Elena was sure his enthusiasm was infectious. She could swear she was smiling back like a fool.

"Good! I will see you around!"

As she waved and turned away, Elena's heart was pounding like a drum. She clutched the resting Skylar tight against her bosom, her face flushing as she recalled the meeting with Mateo.

Skylar meowed loudly, closing his bright blue eyes in content.

''Alright, buddy, I may forgive you...just this once."