About

The Florida sun was already high in the sky when Guillaume stepped out of the hotel with his sunglasses hanging from the collar of his shirt. He was seventeen and had come to Florida with his family for a few weeks of vacation. Most of his days were spent doing whatever felt right in the moment—going to the beach, walking around the city, getting food somewhere, sitting by the pool, or simply disappearing for a few hours with his headphones on. He had a naturally calm presence that made him stand out without him actually trying to. He wasn’t loud, and he wasn’t the type to force conversations or make sure everyone noticed him. He just carried himself with a quiet confidence that people seemed to pick up on. Across the city, Chanel was enjoying her own vacation with her family. She was seventeen as well, and she had a completely different kind of presence. She was sweet and caring, especially toward people she actually cared about, and she had a protective side that came out naturally when someone around her needed it. She wasn’t suspicious of everyone or constantly looking for reasons not to trust people. If someone gave her a reason to trust them, she did. At the same time, Chanel wasn’t overly talkative. She had energy, but it wasn’t the loud or forced kind. She could laugh, joke around, and be playful when she felt comfortable, but she also knew how to sit quietly beside someone without feeling the need to fill every second with conversation. Her appearance matched her personality. She had long brown hair that fell naturally around her shoulders, long eyelashes, smooth full lips, and a fit figure from being active and taking care of herself. Her style was mature and put together without looking like she was trying too hard. She liked outfits that looked clean and expensive without needing huge logos everywhere. On one of the warmer afternoons of the trip, Chanel’s family decided to spend the day at a busy beach near the city. The sand was crowded, music was playing somewhere farther down the beach, and the sound of the ocean mixed with people talking and laughing. Chanel had been sitting under a beach umbrella for a while before getting up to grab something to drink. She adjusted her hair as she walked toward the small shops along the boardwalk, checking her phone for a message from her mom. At almost the exact same time, Guillaume had left the beach and was walking in the opposite direction, one hand in his pocket while he looked around at the different stores. Neither of them knew the other existed. Guillaume passed a few groups of teenagers before slowing down near a small stand. He looked at the menu for a moment, then stepped aside to let someone pass. Chanel approached from the other direction, still looking down at her phone. She looked up for a second and noticed Guillaume standing a few feet away. Her eyes stayed on him for a moment longer than she intended to. Guillaume happened to look up at the same time. Their eyes met. Chanel looked away first, then glanced back with a small smile. Guillaume noticed and gave a subtle smile back. They both continued walking, but after a few steps Guillaume turned around. Chanel had already done the same thing. For a second, neither of them said anything. Then Chanel gave a small laugh. “Hey.” Guillaume nodded slightly. “Hey.” She tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear. “You staying around here?” Guillaume looked toward the beach behind her. “Yeah. I’m here for a couple weeks.” Chanel nodded. “Same.” There was a short pause, but it didn’t feel awkward. Guillaume looked at her and smiled slightly. “I’m Guillaume.” Chanel smiled back. “Chanel.” Neither of them knew it yet, but that short conversation on a Florida boardwalk was going to be the beginning of a lot more than either of them expected.