- setting: Seattle (Washigton) -

The strong perfume of the cherry trees in blossom came through the tilting window and, already at early morning, pervaded my room...

and its perfume woke me up.

In spring that was my favourite alarm clock, that woke me up with good humour.

And indeed was like that;

I stood up from bed and – unexpectedly – I reached all lively my parents in the kitchen who were waiting for me to have breakfast.

I drank my macchiato and after biting my brioches I greeted mom and dad.

"Have a good day at school darling!" they told me.

Eh yes... school, school again, but luckily it was the last day of lessons for the week.

I got out home and as I opened the door I saw my friends who were waiting for me and with them I headed to school. We took our good time though and taking advance of our anticipation we stopped by the shops on the road.. each getting decorated for S.Valentine's Day; my friends sighed happily and dreamed at each window shop we saw because they looked forward to spend that day with their boyfriends but I was the only one who remained unmoved if not disgusted at almost each shops.

"Please girls" I begged as we stopped by the millionth shop.

"Can we just go ahead? We will get late at school".

"Come on y/n! You are no fun".

"No wonder you talk like this" my other friend told me and as I listened to her I gave her a confused look. What did she mean to say, I didn't know so I waited for her to go on. "You're single now, okay, but let's see when you will fall in love with some guy".

"WHEN and IF I will" I contradicted her.

Yes guys, I was single and I was happy being one; however my friends didn't see it like me. They were a bit worried for me, worried I would remain single all my life.

"If you go on like this you will stay alone all your life".

"You're a beautiful girl, y/n... seriously. Guys would follow you and fight over you but you don't even take a look at one".

Always... always sentences like these I heard from them every day. Why should I fall in love with someone? Why should I be like every girl of my age and have a boyfriend when I didn't want? In this way I told them clearly how things were.

"I'm single and happy with it".

"Seriously y/n" f/n said "you're a beautiful girl not to talk about very clever and smart. You've got a character of gold".

"We are worried you won't be able to fall in love if you keep on thinking like this.".

They went on talking like that for the whole way to school and one arrived there I kind of let out a sigh of relief.

We got into the classroom and few minutes later the bell rang starting lessons.

I returned finally home just to put the bag in my bedroom, change clothes to go out again to go around city to help my friends "shopping" as they insisted at lunch time.

We walked down several streets to look for shops and after a while I begin getting bored; we were just walking and seeing shops from the outside rather then take a look inside.

"Can we just enter in one?" I suggested.

"We will go down this street" f/n told as she pointed "and we will enter the first building we see".

I followed them looking at my phone, not actually caring where I was heading to; I let my friends lead the way.

Not many meters ahead we stopped, with me still using the phone while my friends turned to see a shop... maybe, I thought. One of them grabbed me by the wrist and with force I got in.

"Oh my god!" she grumbled as she took away from me the phone...

And as she took away the phone and I raised my eyes to look where we ended I got really confused; what I saw was different from what I expected.

Normally a shop is full of clothes, changing rooms and people everywhere, all around the place, but it wasn't like that. Yes, there were people but in that room it was all quiet, people included, and they were in rooms as if that place was some kind of office... and what shocked me was a sign on the wall where it was written "LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED".

"The hell is this?" I asked out loud catching attentions of everyone."Where did you bring me?".

"I shouldn't let you guide me – and turning to go out that place I kept on – I'm going away".

However they stopped me again.

"You won't go out from here until you set up a date with someone..."they kind of threatened me "... please try even if for fun".

I gave them an are-you-serious look but they didn't waver, better they stood up like bouncers and insisted on blocking my exit so what I could do was only sigh and play their game.

"Welcome" I heard voice greeting us. "Are you in need of something pretty ladies?".

"Actually our friend here, not us" they giggled.

I turned as I heard my name being called out... and when I turned I gasped and felt my cheeks turning bright red.

A cute guy was in front of me. Cute? Not only! Bloody hell if he was handsome!

He was tall and muscular and was wearing black jeans with a plaid shirt a bit open-necked. He had short straight brown hair with a messy bang on the side; he had high cheekbones and eyes of a blue that were mesmerizing.

Looking at him was like I was being enchanted and what woke me up from that strange dream was his smile that made my heart jump unexpectedly.

I couldn't find words at that moment so my friends did for me.

"She needs some help to find a guy".

"Well... I don't think so" my other friend interrupted. "she found one and a cute one".

Then they giggled out loud and also that guy once he understood the joke and thanked for the compliment, while I was only getting embarrassed.

"Follow me please". He told as he made the way for me.

" I thought finding myself studying him – hate to admit my friends were right".

But then I slapped my cheeks to get a grip of myself and he noticed.

"Why?" he asked. "Why did you slap yourself?".

"A-ah... N-Nothing actually".

"So... what brings such a beautie like you here? You're gorgeous, you don't need this route to find your one... unless you're desperate. Are you?" he asked trying to have a conversation. "But you seem not to be".

"Actually my friends wanted for me... I don't need a guy, I'm happy being single" I confessed.

"However I can't go out from here without something to make them happy" I tried to make up something quickly.

However he caught me, he noticed I wasn't telling the truth.

"Oh I see". He smirked and his devilish smile made my heart flutter again. "We just have to think about something".

We stood in silence to think for something until when I decided to respond at my instinct.

"Y-you can give me your number". I told out loud suddenly surprising him; he widened his eyes and looked at me incredulous.

"Really?".

"R-really what?" I asked.

"You just asked for my number" he stated.

My eyes widened, I gasped and covered my mouth. What did I just do? Did I say out loud my thoughts without even realizing? Oh my god.. I did a great mess.

"I... you... don't mind if you don't want" I immediately tried to cover up for my mess.

"It's just... I hate to admit my friends were right; only this".

"Right about what?".

"About you... being a cute guy". It was hard to say out loud those words and indeed I blushed while talking and only after I realized he did on purpose to make me say those words.

"Don't worry... I totally got you at first glance".

He smiled but that time his smile was genuine and that caught me unaware.

"Truth to be told... – he kept on – ... I wouldn't miss a chance like this with a beautie like you".

And he winked at me.

"God please stop tempting me" suddenly I told him in my mind. It was as if I was getting enchanted by him little by little.

In the meantime he took a paper and wrote on it his phone number.

I took the paper from his hand and touching his fingers, even it was just for a second,we both felt tingle and immediately retreated in our places with a hint of blush on our faces.

"Ehm... sorry – I cleared the voice and then gave a look at it – you didn't write your name on it".

"Oh my bad" he ruffled his hair as he apologized.

"I'm Andres" he presented himself. "You?".

"I'm y/n". I smiled at him. "Thank you for everything".

I remained looking at him for a while and then mustering some courage I got near him to gave him a kiss on the cheek. And when I realized what I did I blushed and immediately I turned to rush back to my friends; and as I moved I heard something from him.

"It was nice to meet you".

I turned back to him smiling at him. "Also for me".

At last I reached my friends.

"So... did you get some help?".

"Better than a help" I told as I was looking to Andres' direction to wave at him. "He gave me his phone number".

And as I talked I smiled at him again and when he returned the gesture I felt strange inside as if a heat of rush pervaded my body.

And then, at last, I returned back home and for all the way back to house a question pestered my mind.

"