"He made her want to live."

She traced her lips with her fingers and leaned onto the door that she had slammed shut a moment ago.

Her hands were shaking, breathless. And the smile that she had on her face was so soft and so real, that it radiated happiness to miles away.

She had never felt that much of happiness. Never. Oh how she wanted to just scream at the top of her voice and sing songs without rhythm and scale. She wanted to dance, jump, spin and so, she did.

She spun around, giggling and singing a mashup of songs that reminded her of everything that she was feeling right now, every verse ending with the same sentence that she herself cared to add.

Something that went along the line, 'God, I love him.'

Faye, to put it simply, did not look like the queen at that time, no, she did not look like the perfectionist, nor like the model that walked the runway three months ago.

She looked like a girl in love.

"Miss Faye, are you okay?" The new butler that had just joined last week did not have any clue why the said 'proper-elegant-disciplined-classy' Faye Lockwood was acting the way she was.

"Mr Aram, how do you do?" Her eyes sparkled when they landed on the worker that her mother had especially appointed all the way from Dubai.

Faye walked upto him, pulling that old man into a hug, making him froze.

And when she pulled away, her smile still remained.

"I am great, Miss Faye. Thank you for asking. But are you alright? You seem a little... unstable."

Intoxicated, he meant.

Faye chuckled at that and then leaned on the wall, her eyes now at the ceiling.

"I am just so happy Mr Aram." She breathed, her eyes closed. His face flashed in front of her and the fuzzy feeling returned.

"Oh, Mr Aram, can you just die of happinesses?" She asked, her eyes glistening.

And the old man smiled.

"Oh Miss Faye, but happiness is what keeps us alive." He said with a chuckle.

"What?"

"Happiness gives us hope, Miss Faye. That all this could be better, that the sunrise that we want to see so desperately is actually there. Waiting for us to wake up."

"I feel like I saw the sunrise today, and it was so beautiful, Aram. So warm. So fresh. And I want to see it everyday. In its full glory, with all the happiness."

"You really do love him."

"I would live for him."

************************************

He was not able to sleep the whole night and all he could think about was her. Her smile. Her eyes. Her lips. Her.

River Blake, you have soccer practice first thing in the morning. Get some sleep. Or you are going to look like a zombie in front of her.

He turned to look at the clock that sat on his bedside table.

4 am.

She was probably asleep.

Should I call her?

Are you dumb? She is sleeping. Do not bug her just because you are such a lovesick puppy.

He grumbled inside his breath but soon that annoyed expression turned into a smile, a beautiful one.

She kissed me.

He chuckled and grabbed the pillow, burying his face.

She loves me.

"How did I get so lucky?" He whispered to himself, her face flashing in front of his eyes.

Faye. His Faye.

He grabbed his phone and instantly texted her.

'Can't wait to see you, tomorrow. x"

And he kept staring at the screen for the next two minutes straight after sending it.

Fool.

You're such a fool, River Blake.

This sounds so fucking desperate.

And after debating for the next five minutes on whether he should delete it or not, he finally decided to leave it the way it is, and got up from his bed.

Fuck sleeping.

************************************

What River had not expected that morning was Madeline standing in front of his locker, her tired eyes looking at the red paint that the lockers were colored with.

"Hey Mads, what's up?" His smile was now turned into a worried look.

She was wearing the cheer uniform, and that made him realise that even Madeline had morning practice. But what he did not know was what troubled Madeline so much.

"Come with me."

"Are you okay?" He asked as they both walked into an empty classroom.

"I just need to talk." And she gave him a soft smile.

"Did something happen? Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes full of care.

"Pft. This bitch is fine. I am just here to talk about Faye." And that made him more confused.

"You know, that she loves you, right?" She asked, her eyes warm. And that made River smile.

"She told me yesterday. "

"I do not think you understand River." She chuckled before sitting in the teacher's table, her feets dangling. And then, she continued, "And I don't think even she knows how much she loves you. River, she called me yesterday, and she told me about what happened. And she was so happy. So so happy that her happiness was radiating through the phone. And then, she just talked about you for hours. River this, River that. She talked about all these little things using this puzzled up lovesick metaphors. And she said she doesn't know if she had been this happy. And before hanging up, she said that she thinks you are her sunrise. I didn't understand what that was supposed to mean but I know enough to say that River, she has fallen for you, hard. And she thinks it all started four or five months ago, but let me tell you, it was much before that. Middle school. Faye always used to be around you. Remember? She would go to see your soccer practice, she would rather wait to hand you out the water bottle when you come searching for one after practice, covered in sweat then go in a shopping spree with the girls, or even to the movies. She liked you all along. But at that time, you both were too shy to consider what you had. Just, I just want to say that Faye is so precious River, I don't think anyone of us did anything that great to deserve her. She's this angel. This beautiful human. God, she would die for us. And she has been through so much in life, River. So much. I just, I just want to say that please, please treat her right. I mean I know you would. You are amazing and good and just perfect for her but I just, I just have to say that she is here for a long run. She's not someone who you use once and then throw in the corner. So please be careful with her, treat her right, spoil her in all the right manners, just please don't run away. Please, try to be the person that you think she deserves and love her enough." And River watched as she rubbed the tears from the back of her hand.

He walked up to her and held her.

"I love her, Mads. I love her with everything I have. And I promise I will never give up on myself. Nor will I let her give up on us."

*****************************************