goldie—whose aura is also made up of other words; instinctive kindness, poetic quotes whispered softly from the depths of truthfulness, and anything that shines bright with residue composed of golden specks and stardust—is the perfect and utter definition of a fleeting hopeless romantic. and, per se, she would not outright lie about how her heart searches for such love, though it's more powerful than she'd liked to admit. it's a tad bit cliché, perhaps, but she truly can't help herself; she was wired to long for true romance. she believes everyone is when it comes down to nights where affection is the sole thing that makes you feel alive. a love that lasts for a lifetime (to the moon and back).

and summer, right then, in that moment, as the ocean was more than a dream for her, and more of a place she needed to visit often to find herself when she felt lost, is beautiful. and she was happy. she really was. she calmed in its presence.

right then, the water glistened and shone under the night sky as she peeked at it, like lovers stealing glances in secret. the stars illuminated just enough so she could see. a flock of birds soar through the sky. goldie took a moment to breathe in the new found air. she sat on top of the sand: a warm blanket draped over her that protected her from the cold air. adorned with a dark gold plated butterfly (the power of air, the ability to float upon a breeze a change, a hope in the dark.) necklace; its soft colors yellow gold, icy silver, and orchid pink—she fiddles. she moved it between her dainty fingers with a small small. her chipped nails painted baby blue, it certainly is a replica of how she felt. peace. she doesn't just feel it, she sees it too. in front of her, waiting.

so she sat up, the blanket following along. she walked closer to the sparkling ocean, her bare feet trailing through the sand as it got in between her toes (it reminded her of traveling, the sand that piled up in the car after a full day on the beach). she stopped at the shoreline when she heard something in the near distance, even though she was not able to see anything but water and the start of the dock. her eyes darted in all directions until they settled on a distant silhouette further down the dock, sitting on the edge of it as they hug their knees. she'd assume they were a woman with their voice. soft, slow, and sweet. she could have sworn she recognized it from somewhere.

she remembers standing still for a moment, in awe. if she were to explain her voice, she would, no doubt, say its heavenly. like maybe she's dying, this is the gates of heaven, and she is the angel. her voice sounded sad but calm as she sung at a low pitch, her melodically tone nothing short of hypnotic. in fact, goldie even felt hypnotized, frozen in place. but then she's walking in her direction.

her heart that was beating through her chest only seconds before had suddenly stopped when the woman craned her head to glance behind her, looking straight at goldie. the sides of her lips quirk up slightly as she takes a mental picture of her rounded, wide-eyed face. she pats the spot beside her, slightly scooting to the right to give goldie space to sit.

goldie didn't know what she was about to get herself into. so, naturally, she walked towards her and sat down, staring into her alluring eyes; the way it smoothed at the sides. curly blonde hair in a bun, sharply stopping at her free neck. eyes shaped like almonds, fiercely green, but still showing kindness. pearly white teeth as she laughs for no reason at all. "hello," she smirks, nudging goldie's side with her elbow.

she can't help but notice the small features. when she giggles quietly, her nose is easy to crinkle like her smiling eyes, her honeydew freckles mixing with her flushed cheeks. the blush on her cheeks is embarrassingly apparent because of her skin (golden-brown with a not-so-subtle rosy glow). it's adorable, and her voice is a delicious craving of honey as she speaks in soft undertones, barely raising above a whisper. "what's your name?"

"goldie."

she pauses, her eyes widening. "oh my, that is so cute and unique," she exclaims, voice still surprisingly soft. though, she pauses once more to test the name on her own tongue. goldie has to look away, refraining from looking at her lips when she does so. "mine is noémie." (it is in fact the girl from the bookstore).

when she tries to look back, noémie has a smile that turns goldie into a puddle with no hesitance. shyly looking away, she leans over the dock to run her fingers along the water—the water moves through the ring, and it tickles her skin just barely—it creates small ripples as it forms a glimmering light. the natural movement causes a quiet sound to erupt. "you live around here?" noémie asks into the silence. "i've never seen you around, except when i was checking out books, and i've lived here my whole life," she explains slowly.

"—right over there." she points behind them, and goldie squints to see it. the house looks blue, but it's way too dark to see exactly. it's not too big, and goldie has passed it many times, riding her bike with one hand in the handle bar, and another waving to neighbors, other times she's holding a snack like it's her lifeline. or when she just walks for the fun of it, getting her steps in for the day.

noémie notices how goldie's lucious locks sway slowly, and her expression changes. "i was born here, in france," she starts, and the curious look in noémie's eyes makes her feel all the more vulnerable, but the warm smile she gives is indeed reassuring. "but i moved with my parent's to my father's house, or really, the house he grew up in. it's in the country, and it's absolutely not my style. i'd rather play badminton on the beach than in the itchy grass, thank you very much."

after noémie lets out a quiet laugh, her body stills as she looks deep in thought, her eyebrows etched together. she takes a moment to think, goldie assumes, before she speaks up: "then you moved back recently, then? can i ask when exactly?"

goldie nods rapidly. "earlier today is when i made it, and i made it all alone. they still owned the house and they didn't want to come back, for their own reasons, but they let me. so, yeah. here i am," she smiles, shrugging. "and i guess i never noticed you as a child 'cause i was in the house and i never left, really, always keeping myself busy with a board game or a move night with myself as an only companion," she stops, chuckling. "well, besides the overly buttery popcorn i had by my side."

noémie mumbles a soft oh and then it's silence. both of them are comfortable in it, completely so. but after a minute or two, noémie's expression softens further as her mouth carves a coy smile. "i lured you in, didn't i?"

"huh?" goldie blurts out, confused.

"my singing. it lured you in, and i'm grateful. it's been a while since i've been able to make an acquaintance."

"i wouldn't want to burst your bubble, but i was going to come over here either way. i'd probably be swimming right now," goldie smirks, glancing at her. noémie doesn't seem fazed, the smug look planted on her face. "can i get promoted to potential friend?"

a breathy laugh escapes noémie's mouth. "without a doubt," she murmurs, shaking her head playfully.

“starstruck," zen, noémie's friend simply says. "it might not be love just yet, and perhaps you are enamored." their tone is soft and kind, but the words force her to come back to reality, away from the often daydreams that can last for minutes as she stares into space. she can never be quite sure if her head feels fuzzy, or she is just shocked. or crazy. maybe all of the above. still, she shuts her eyes tightly and listens to the sound of zen's voice as if they were music itself. calm, collected. meditation style of tone. "from the little you've told me, i can tell you notice every single thing about her. i believe i know that much, but am i right?"

noémie moves one of her bracelets up and down her arm, tickling the hairs on her tan skin. she chews on her lower lip, her brows furrowed. "yeah, but..." her voice fades into the silence. she takes a deep breath and starts again: "the thing is, i haven't known her for long. like, for a week. and that doesn't count how i've seen her here and there, like once, maybe twice at book haven. it doesn't feel like that though. and i just—i do observe her. i do that because she's just that beautiful."

zen didn't say anything instantly, giving her a second to think. but when noémie looks beside her, in their direction, they're already looking at her, studying her face and more specifically the blush that paint her flushed cheeks. there's only a second of silence before zen's small smile widens into an obviously smug grin, resembling a gummy smile. "yeah, nomi," they whisper, grabbing a hold of her hand gently, pulling her in for a hug. "you are definitely falling, l'amour," they murmur into her fluffy hair.