Fauna’s frustration at the weather that morning was at an all-time high. She did not like to be out in the rain, but she needed to go and grab a new phone that morning since she had accidentally destroyed her last one the night before when she got pushed off the seawall by her playful friend and into the ocean... which as you probably know, sea water and electronics do not make acquaintance well.

Now here she was standing on the corner of Robson and Granville, arms crossed, impatiently waiting for the crosswalk to flash so she could get to the shelter of the mall as she didn’t have an umbrella to cover her… like the girl in front of her…

Her mind wandered as she stared intently at her... She seemed interesting, her umbrella was decorated with Vincent Van Gogh’s, Starry Night. The colors swirled around brightly in the dull atmosphere around them and for a moment, she felt mesmerized. 

Fauna scanned the girls back with her icy blue eyes, the girl was staring down at her worn leather boots, her black skinny jeans were cuffed neatly, followed by a burgundy leather jacket and a black knit toque covering her head... which only half protected her long pastel blue hair, which made Fauna smile since she rarely met people who liked to color their hair like she did. It made her stare at her own lavender hair flowing past her shoulders, wet from the rain.

She felt compelled to reach out and compliment the girl on her umbrella and hair, but she could see that she now seemed a little perturbed and was gripping her umbrella with such ferocity that her knuckles were turning white as a snow.

"What in the world?" Fauna quickly glanced around to see if there was someone who had suddenly made this girl nervous. She noticed a man, standing next to the girl, he saw her thoughtful gaze and smiled politely back at her.

'Nah that couldn't be him... Maybe she's just annoyed waiting for the cross light." 

  She found herself again drawn to the girl in front of her, not knowing why she was so compelled to talk to her, but something was just telling her to start a conversation.

  As she was lost in her thoughts she heard the shrill beeping of the crosswalk finally start to sing and people pushed themselves forward, both girls had paused... and as if in slow motion Fauna watched the girl step off the sidewalk.

"Look out!" A woman screamed from behind Fauna and she quickly noticed a vehicle to the left of them speeding towards the girl!

Without even thinking, Fauna took a step and reached out, grabbing the right crook of the arm of the girl in front of her, flinging her around, she looked stunned as the idiotic driver honked his horn and she dropped her umbrella, the colors twirled beautifully in the headlights of the vehicle and Fauna quickly yanked the girl's arm pulling her back onto the sidewalk and safety.

"Are you okay?" Fauna asked worriedly, she could see the shock starting to set in. "Is there something..." 

The girl buried her face into her shoulder and started crying like there wasn't a tomorrow. Fauna, who had never known how to deal with someone's tears so she just tried to offer her some stability and placed her arm around the girls shoulders.

"Ah, there's a coffeehouse right there..." Fauna thoughtfully started to lead her towards it, to get some shelter from the rain that was pelting unremittingly upon them.

She looked behind, angry that the driver had not stopped and was now nowhere to be seen and that's when she saw the umbrella... the once beautiful dancing umbrella was now mangled in the streets, which now seemed like a fitting representation of how the day could have gone if by chance Fauna had not been there at that exact moment.

There had been nobody else there who could of rescued the girl beside her, they both had hestitated as the stream of people passed by them. Would she of been alright had Fauna not been there?

All she knew is she had to comfort this trembling and tearful girl beside her, starting with a cup of coffee...

This is how Fauna met Femi.

XoXo,
Hadessah