"Living the teenage life is one of the hardest, yet fun. Most have a young mind and a reckless heart. The heart races to the finish line even before the mind does. Realizations come late. But that's still better than not being realized at all." - @AxiaLavern

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Karl had been a little over excited about meeting Daniella. It had been a long time since they saw each other. He missed one of his best friends so much. That was why as soon as he spotted her on Park Avenue, he came running at her like a five-year-old kid running to his mother. It seemed childish, but he didn't care.

“About time you returned!” Karl told Daniella, catching her in hug.

She giggled. “It do feels good to be home.”

“So why are you leaving so soon?” asked Peter curiously.

Daniella smiled at them sadly. “School.”

Peter didn't believe her. There was more to it than that. He wasn't stupid. But he let it go. Someday, he would find out what she was running away from in the city. For now, he'd just enjoy the time with her.

It was just like old times. They went for a walk in the park and filled each other with stories. It had been so long since they've been together like this. They used to be the infamous 'trio.' But since Daniella left, Karl and Peter were left to be the 'duo.'

In some way, they've changed. They've grown up a bit.

However, some feelings remained the same.

They ate dinner at their favorite restaurant, Charmuel's Cuisine. There, Daniella teased Karl nonstop about his girlfriend. She told him that she wanted to meet the girl who made Karl blush that deeply, causing Peter to laugh uproariously.

When the night came to an end, it was time for Daniella to catch her flight. The two boys accompanied her to the airport.

“I’ll try to keep in touch,” said Daniella as she walked backward to the entrance. She didn't want to leave, but she had to.

“I’ve heard that before,” teased Peter lightly.

“I promise.”

“Promises are meant to be broken.”

“Not mine.”

Peter wanted to stop her. But he couldn't. He didn't even know the real reason why she had to leave, because he was sure as hell that it wasn't because of some boarding school.

“Visit us once in a while,” pleaded Karl. “Maybe then, you’ll be able to meet my girlfriend,” he added, grinning.

Daniella laughed. “I’ll do, when my schedule clears,” she assured him, before turning around. Then, she added over her shoulder, “Oh! And Peter, please do stop playing with every girl’s feelings. It hurts us really bad. All right. Goodbye, then!”

Peter blinked. Where did that come from? She looked quite serious, too. What was she implying? Peter's mind was going on overdrive. He argued with himself. This was the chance to ask her, right? There was no point in waiting. It was now or never.

“Wait — Daniella!” Peter desperately called out as he ran toward Daniella. He hated sounding desperate, but that was how he was at the moment.

Karl stared after him, while Daniella whirled around at Peter.

“What's the matter?” she asked, slightly bewildered at his expression.

“Why did you leave, Dani?” he demanded in barely a whisper, trying not to sound so hopeless. He wanted know. He'd been wondering for years. “Why? Tell me why you left.”

Daniella didn't answer right away. She only stared at him with the expression of both sadness and fear. It was hard for her to admit the truth. She feared he couldn't handle it. She feared that he might stay away from her more.

After a few minutes of silence, Daniella’s eyes were getting watery. She realized that she couldn't tell Peter. Of all people, she couldn’t and wouldn’t tell it to him. Not until she had fully moved on.

Staring at his face, gazing into his eyes, and looking beyond it . . . It honestly made her want to cry. He was so handsome, especially with smoldering eyes like those. She faintly wondered of the moment when she started seeing him as more than a friend. The thought of it made her fears come crashing down on her like a cold bucket of water.

“Why does it matter?” she asked him, keeping her voice casual.

“Because I feel like I'm –” Peter stopped before he could finish that sentence. “Because I'm worried about you,” he said instead.

Daniella sighed. She looked away from him and swiftly wiped away the tears that escaped from her eyes. When she returned her eyes to him, she was smiling.

“Don't worry about me. I just — I just wanted to find myself.”

Lies. It wasn't the truth. That wasn't the real reason.

“Aren't you a little too young to be finding yourself?” Peter pointed out.

Daniella bit her lip. “I guess I'm just quite mature for my age.”

Peter looked down. He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. He couldn't stop her. No matter what he could have said, he knew he couldn't.

“Will you come back as soon as you find what you’re looking for, then?” asked Peter hopefully. God, he missed her so much.

“Of course, I will,” she answered. Inwardly, she thought that it would take some time before she finally returned to this place. She looked sheepishly at Peter. “I really have to board the plane now.”

He nodded. “All right. Have a safe flight.”

Daniella smiled at him, then waved behind him to Karl. Finally, she left them.

Karl and Peter didn't leave right away. They waited for the plane to fly away first. It was a little dramatic, but Peter insisted. He wanted to see the plane off. He was feeling all mellow, and he wasn't trying to hide it. He stared after the airplane that Daniella went into and watched as it took off.

Karl walked toward Peter and tapped his back.

“Dude, I can’t believe you let her walk away like before,” said Karl, shaking his head.

Peter didn’t reply. Karl was right, he was aware of that. But even so, as he watched the plane fly away, he knew that he had to let her go. He wasn't ready. He didn't have the courage to tell her he loved her.

Perhaps it wasn't time yet. Perhaps someday, it would be.

Peter would just have to wait and see.

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So this is Daniella before Mismatched Compatibility. This is her story with Peter, even if it's a short one. I hope you got her history with Peter. If you read Mismatched Compatibilty, (SPOILER!) you'd know that she and Peter did get be together. But only for a while.

Update: TOMORROW.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!