I'm saying words I never said.....

[Dani]

Desperately in need of a pick me up, Erica burst through the door of the coffee shop, surprised that it wasn't that crowded at 11 am. She knew that it wasn't a good idea to drive over fifteen hours straight without stopping, but she had no choice. If she had stopped, it would have given her mother a chance to catch up with her and figure out where she was, which was the last thing that she needed right now. What she needed was to get out, just to get away from everything that she had ever known and just live.

Her yearlong stay in Mabtown had changed her completely, in ways that she hadn't fully comprehended until after she had arrived back in Massachusetts with her parents to bury her brother. She had tried to go back to her old life, the one that she had spent the past year whining about, but to her surprise, she discovered that she didn't want it anymore. The next thing she knew, she was packing a bag and driving down the highway, in search of her Mabtown life or some equivalent of it. And now here she was, standing in a coffee shop in a place called Riverside, about to order the most caffeinated beverage ever and not caring if she spilled it on her expensive, but completely wrinkled white dress.

[Leonora]

Joe had been made to move to Riverside after what happened in his old home town. He didn't really want to move here, he didn't have a reason Erica was gone. He didn't have any other friends so he contemplated staying in England with his grandmother. But knowing he would only miss the sunny weather, the big house his mum was planning on having built so he knew he would have to move back. He had to finish off college and starting all over again in England just didn't fair well with him.

After what seemed like days of moping around and consent looking at his phone to see if Erica had text him. But it was highly unlikely she would do that now, she would have seen Paul over the Christmas break and they would have rekindle their romance. Shaking his head, as he headed for the door grabbing his keys on the way out. Smiling when he saw his red sports car, this would have to be his baby for now. Getting in turning the key and hearing the engine purr he put his foot down on the gas and shifted it into the right gear before setting off. To where he didn't know.

After an hours drive Joe pulled over at a coffee shop somewhere downtown he wasn't 100% sure where he was actually. Looking through the glass windows he spotted the figure of a girl, he would know her anywhere in any crowd. But it couldn't be her could it? Taking a step closer and pausing as he eyed her up. She didn't look much different from the last time he had seen her but he sure as hell looked a mess. Trying to make his brain put one foot in front of the other as he made his way toward the main doors. His mouth drying with each step he took. Finally at the door Joe used every ounce of strength he had left to open the doors. ''Erica'' he called out. ''Erica is that you?''

[Dani]

At the sound of the familiar English accent, Erica nearly spilled her coffee. "J-Joe?" she called back, her shaking hands struggling to keep the cup on the table. She couldn't have cared less if it messed up her dress; the dress could have been have been shredded in a million pieces as far as she was concerned. However, she was worried about scalding her lap with a hot beverage. She wasn't exactly sure where this new life would take her, but she certainly didn't want to begin it with first or second degree burns.

Once she managed to keep her overly sweetened cup of coffee steady, she glanced up, finding herself face to face with her former admirer. Given the amount of time that had passed since they'd last seen each other, she assumed that his crush on her had quickly faded away. For all she knew, he'd probably reconciled with his girlfriend in the wake of the hurricane and was now back to happily dating her. While the thought didn't sit too well with her, it was much better than her earlier prediction, which was that he hadn't survived the hurricane at all.

Sure, she had been worried about her distant family, which was her main purpose for driving several hours to Riverside, but a part of her had always wondered what had happened to Joe. It was a relief to see that he was still alive and well. "How have you been?" she asked, smiling back at him. "Fancy meeting you here."

[Leonora]

Joe felt his heart float to his mouth when Erica breathed his name. Happy that she remembered after all that had happened in MAB town it wasn't like they had gotten off to the best of starts. He liked her she hated or disliked him would be a better word he thought to himself as he took in her beauty. She hadn't changed one bit. ''What are you doing here?'' he managed to get out, as he stumbled over to her. He felt like he was drunk and he was watching his life unfold before his eyes. ''Is anyone sitting here'' Joe pointed to the spare chair round the table at which Erica was sat at. But didn't wait for her to answer and pulled the chair out and sat down. He needed to sit and catch his breathe before he dropped to the floor. He couldn't believe she was actually here, sitting right in front of him and nothing had happened to her when the hurricane had hit MAB town.

Sending a silent pray up to god whom he didn't really believe in but felt like it was necessary to do so now. He had saved the girl that he could see him self loving if she only accepted him for who he was. Finally being brought back to earth when he saw Erica's lips moving but not really taking in what she said. ''Sorry I didn't get any of that. All I heard was my blood pumping through my body'' he chuckled, not really sure why he was acting or feeling like this. He was normally more head strong, confident that this. But Erica always had this effect of him, bringing out sides of him he always tried to hide. ''I'll be back in a minute I think I need something with sugar do you recommend anything? Can I get you another drink? Or something to eat'' Joe said as he stood holding onto the table to contain his balance as he got his baring back. He wasn't sure how long Erica had been sat here for all he knew she could have just got here moments before he did but her cup wasn't steaming so it only felt right to ask her if she wanted another drink.

[Dani]

A few months ago, Erica would have been annoyed at Joe for just casually sitting down without permission. She would have accused him of not having any manners and then would have proceeded to call him all kinds of names that emphasized how impolite he was. However, that was the old Erica, the one who thought that everyone outside of her hometown was pretty much beneath her. Instead she simply smiled and took a sip of her drink. "Really?" she said curiously. "What exactly does it sound like?"

There were so many questions that she wanted to ask him, ranging from his current place of residence to his current relationship status. Despite being sure that he had probably worked things out with Via, his much-storied girlfriend whose parents had the bright idea to name her after a preposition, she was still curious to know the truth. After all, he didn't seem too eager to contact Via during college last semester. Was it possible that a hurricane changed the way he felt about her? "I live here now. Well, at least I'm thinking about living here." While she had come to Riverside with the intention of staying, she wasn't positive that it would be a permanent stay. It was entirely possible that her cousins could have the same negative feelings towards her that her mother had towards them. That, plus the possibility of Joe and Via's reunion, was enough to make her want to move somewhere else. She smiled at him and pointed to her cup. "White chocolate macchiato," she said proudly. "The sweetest thing I've ever drank in my life. I'd highly recommend it."