DANIELLE'S POV
I walked out of the campus cathedral with Tania as we laughed over something a guy walking with his friends said.
Cilia must have waited a lot.
We took a turn to the car park.
"We must have kept Lia waiting for so long, let's hurry up and go meet her." Nia said as though she read my mind.
"Yeah, although I won't be heading home straight, I want to visit a place." I said to her. She looked at me.
"The beach?" She asked.
"Yes, I need to clear my head and think about this latest occurrence. She nodded.
"That's right, you need to even if it's a bit of a distance." Nia said
The nicest beach in terms of temperature will take about an hour's drive.
We walked into the car park towards the area we park our cars, only to see Lia leaning on her car and looking so stunned.
Is that a scarf I see on her? She wasn't with anything like a scarf earlier, even when I asked her to cover herself properly before Coming to church due to the cold, she'd refused. So where did that come from? And what's she looking at?
Tania and I exchanged meaningful glances before hurriedly walking to her. I adjusted my beanie and clutched tightly to my waist coat. It's so cold.
"Lia." Nia shouted as she ran to her. Lia turned and smiled when she saw us.
"Hey bests, what kept you so long? you missed meeting Jay." She scolded adjusting the gray scarf on her shoulders.
"Sorry about that, but why do you look so stunned? Did something happened?" Nia asked looking at her carefully. "Wait? Did you say meeting Jay?" She asked with raised brows.
"Yeah that's true. What's that scarf on you? You met Jay?" I asked.
Lia nodded in the affirmative as she smiled.
"Uhmm but i would rather say he met me, he came to talk to me right here by my car." She said "Seems like wishes are beginning to turn to horses Nia." She added.
Tania and I exchanged glances again.
"Are you okay Lia? You aren't hallucinating or something? Huh?" Tania asked worriedly. Lia let out a short laugh.
"That's what I thought too till I pinched myself and felt the pain. I'm as shocked as you are. Jay knows my full name, our dance group and he even said I should say hi to you guys...Oh don't give me that look, you guys probably saw them during service earlier. Look at this scarf, it's his. He placed it on me because he noticed I was cold." She smiled "...If you guys had seen him earlier in the church, but I doubt you did, he was putting on this scarf and now it's on me and I'm using it as proof that I ain't hallucinating or daydreaming. It's real. You know what else? He said 'from now on, we'll be seeing each other constantly and there's a lot we need to talk about'..." She blabbed mimicking his voice.
"Funny and weird right." She added with a grin.
Tania looks shocked and worried at the same time. I chuckled.
"I believe you Lia. Nia if Dan and I could cross paths, why can't Jay and Lia do same? It's a small world girl, you never know what's next." I said as I leaned on my car. Tania looked back at me thoughtfully.
Fate's already bringing them closer. Cilia's gotta be careful, I don't like seeing her hurt.
Lia looked at me with a smile.
"Alright. Just be careful girl and don't get hurt, remember Jay's a playboy." Tania said as she hugged herself.
"I understand what you guys are thinking I won't fall for him, I'm also tired of getting hurt but if it happens that we meet again, the relationship between us will definitely not be romantically related. So relax I've got this." Lia smiled as Tania huffed out air.
"Okay since you say so, now tell me exactly, how was it like? I mean...the real details, not the summarized version." She suddenly asked gossipingly.
I rolled my eyes as Lia giggled.
"I will see you girls at home later, I've gotta go now." I said while opening my car door.
"Go? Where?" Lia asked.
"The beach." Tania replied her. She mouthed an 'oh' understandingly.
"Alright, see ya later best."
"Yeah, do think it through girl. Will see you later." Tania added.
I chuckled and stepped into the driver's seat.
"Let's go home Nia, I will tell you all about it when we get home." I heard Lia said as pushed Nia gently to her car.
I started the engine and drove off.
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I walked to and fro the sandy shore with my arms folded beneath my breasts as I tried to think back to the time I was eight and the trip at New York, but so far nothing was forthcoming.
I bit my lips thoughtfully and tried again. Lia said I was sitting on the sand when she came to me and she heard me say 'Jordan'. Okay then, let me try and sit on the sand maybe I will remember something.
I hugged my knees as I sat down on the sand and watched the rise and fall of the waves. The wind whipping and whistling intensely.
Closing my eyes, I let me drift back to the vacation at New York City.
Sooner enough I was already drifting in memory lane.
FLASHBACK
NARRATIVE.
14 YEARS AGO
A BEACH AT NEW YORK
The beach was crowded as it was summer and many families tend to camp and have fun during this period. A young tanned skin girl of about 8 years old sat down on the sand a little bit far from her family, wearing a dark blue hoodie and having a headphone over her head. Her beautiful grey eyes seems to shimmer as she stared with keen interest at the water, while humming a song and enjoying the quiet.
Her little peace and privacy was  short-lived as a lad of about 10years old endowed with curly jet black hair, ran along. He stopped however on seeing her.
She turned to see the one invading her quiet only to see the boy staring at her. She looked at him without saying a word holding his gaze. Time seems to fly by as they both continued their staring match which was eventually interrupted when another lad of same age as the boy came by.
"Jordan! There you are. Come, Mom calls for you," The blonde haired lad said as he looked at the girl briefly before dragging the other along who continued to stare at the girl from his shoulders until she was out of eyesight.
"Hey Elle!" A little girl of same age as the grey eyed called as she ran towards her. "Come see the sand castle Rosalie and I built."
"Jordan," the grey eyed girl whispered.
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Still on Danielle's POV
My eyes flew open as a gasp escaped my lips. I remember now, I remember it all now.
I remembered visiting the beach several times after that incident to see if I could probably see him but it was all futile. For five years that was the first and last time I saw him then after Ariel died, the memories left me. But since we resumed this semester, that name have been ringing in my head.
Now who are you Jordan? And why am I hearing your name since this semester resumption? Does it mean you are in campus right now? But since I came here, I haven't seen or heard of anyone bearing the name Jordan. Why am I having your memories after fourteen good years of encounter?
What's my connection with you Jordan? What's fate doing to me?
Something salty touched my lips, that's when I realized I've been crying. I wiped the tears off quickly and looked down at my hands, my eyes landing on my wrist watch.
"What?! You've gotta be kidding me!" I exclaimed out loud and Immediately stood up. It was past four pm already, I should return before the girls start getting worried.
I will tell them about my encounter yesterday with Daniel tonight and even about this remembrance, I will definitely say it all tonight.
I looked up at the sky, the sun was setting already.
I turned around, tucking my hands into my waist coat pockets and walked towards my car.
DANIEL'S POV
"That's what I'm saying Man, a lady's first impression of a guy really matters and you nailed it outrightly not like some nitwit here." I heard Roe say as Jay chuckled.
I rolled my eyes mentally.
I was kinda napping before, but I woke up to them discussing about Jay's chat with that bobbed-hair girl.
They still thought I was sleeping since I remained in my sleeping position on the biggest three-sitter couch in the living room with my eyes closed.
"But Jay tell me, what did you say to her that left her looking so stunned? Huh?"
"Oh that..." Jay started. I could tell he was smirking. "Nothing much Roe, just the usual way you know, enough to make her speechless, you know my ways bro."
"All hail Jay Walker the smartest Playboy I know. Attaboy! give me a hand bro." Roe shrieked as they slapped hands together. I scoffed inwardly.
"What's surprising to me is the fact that she knows my full name, also uses my song as her ringtone. Only really serious fans would do that, don't you think? She must be surprised on how I know about her full name too and her dance group. We are even I think." Jay was seriously asking and answering his own questions.
He's sick.
"Yeah you guys are really even, for you to have followed her on social media for two years, then you are a crazy serious fan as well. But Jay don't hurt her alright?" Roe admonished calmly.
"If I was gonna do that to her, I wouldn't go talk to her in the first place. I just want to be close to her not as a friend or an enemy, not even as a playboy but just close to her, since that's what my heart is telling me to do. Don't worry I won't hurt her, and do not get ideas, I'm not falling in love. Remember that."
Oh well, you never can tell dear Jay, you don't know what's happening bro, but I guess you will know soon.
Not even as a Playboy? I scoffed within me. Jay you are falling in love or maybe in love already!
"Attaboy! I trust you. But why is this fellow sleeping for so long? it's been closely five hours since we returned." Roe said derisively.
Huh? Five hours? I slowly peeled an eye open to check the time, only for me to find Jay staring smirkingly at me, a hand supporting his cheek.
Oops! Bursted!
From no where, a soft pillow came in contact with my face. I looked up quickly to see them laughing.
"Are you still gonna pretend to be asleep or you gonna get your ass up this instant?" Jay asked smirkingly.
I grumbled and sat upright, clutching the pillow instinctively.
"Since when have you been aware of my consciousness. I only woke up just now." I whined childishly.
"We can very well see that you just woke up right now, so much that you can barely see clearly and you are losing your balance." Roe snorted in sarcasm.
I rolled my eyes away to the wall clock, 4:40pm.
Oh boy! I really slept a lot.
"Who wants to party with me?" Jay asked with a smile waving an invitation card in the air.
"Not me!" I said uninterestedly while rubbing my eyes.
"Your loss." He said.
"Who's the celebrant?" Roe asked.
"Aurora Desmond, she's one of America's upcoming top models, she invited me earlier at the cathedral today."
"Oh you should go then, since she personally invited you. I would've accompanied you but I've got some task to accomplish for my mom." Roe said.
I stood up and walked lazily towards the restroom.
"Dan, you lazy fellow, can't you go with me?" Jay called after me. I chuckled and turned around to look at him.
"You were invited not me, even if I was I still wouldn't go. But you Jay, you are a playboy so feel free to attend."
"You know what, you are right. I don't really have to go. Do I?" He asked looking at us. Roe scoffed and picked up his phone from the table.
"Your problem." I winked at him, turned around and walked away.
"Silly." I heard him say.