Months passed and years flew by. As simple as it sounds, time went by.
After finishing high school, Stefan left town. He went to Yale College, where his parents used to study. At first, he planned to enter Yale Law School as well, but after spending four years majoring in political science and getting his bachelor's degree there, he wasn't interested in that place anymore.
Now he preferred to stay in his hometown.
So the 22 year old Stefan applied to NYU Law, and when he got accepted (it's not that hard when you've been at Yale), he rented a small apartment, packed his things, and moved back to New York.
It wasn't just because he didn't like the environment; he really didn't, but also because he could find his preferred law firm here by spending his internship in a few of them.
Stefan felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and answered, "Hi, Mom!"
"Hi, honey!"
His mother's voice was energetic. She had been happier ever since he came back. "Where are you?"
Stefan looked at the street he was walking along. "My class just ended. I'm going back to my apartment."
"You'd better hurry, sweetheart. The weather forecast says it's going to rain soon."
Stefan looked at the sky. It was cloudy and cold, but it didn't seem like it was about to rain. "Okay."
A cold wind blew and he shivered in his long brown coat.
"Have you found any place for your internship?"
"Not yet. It seems like no one accepts a first year law student."
A masculine voice spoke from the other side of the call. "I do!"
Stefan sighed. Of course the call was on speaker. "Hi, Dad."
When he was eleven, his parents opened their own law firm. At the time, it was just a small office with the two of them, but now it's a private boutique firm specializing in business law, with more than thirty lawyers.
Stefan's dad said, "Why don't you send me your application?"
His mother agreed. "That's why we called you."
Stefan asked teasingly, "Do I need an application for my parents' office?"
His dad replied in a serious tone, "Now that I think about it, I might not accept you."
Stefan knew he was joking, and he could imagine his mother's stare at him.
His mother said, "Don't listen to what he says, honey. It belongs to you!"
His father added, "In the future, of course!"
Stefan paused for a second, then said, "I'll think about it."
His father's tone shifted to excitement. "Great! Bring your résumé to dinner tomorrow!"
He smiled. "I will."
His mother said happily, "See you tomorrow, honey!"
"See you. Bye."
He put his phone back in his pocket. Just then, he felt a drop fall on his nose. He looked up again. Now the clouds looked denser and grayer. He walked faster.
The rain was faster than him. In a minute, it was pouring.
Stefan went under the overhang of the closest building and decided to stay there until the rain slowed down. After a few minutes, some kids came out of the building and stood beside him, probably waiting for their parents.
The kids either had big cases; big for their size, or music books with cartoons on the covers. A little girl had a violin case, but Stefan wasn't sure about the others.
That was when he looked at the words written on the door:
Sunny Music Institute
It was a kind of music academy for kids. A faint smile appeared on his face as he remembered the boy who used to enjoy music, too.
The boy who used to be his friend.
Even before high school ended, Stefan hadn't seen Vasil again, and after that, there was no common place they could have been.
Enough time had passed for Stefan to grow up and understand the world and himself better. He had become more mature, more self-aware, and experienced enough to know how and why he had acted that way.
As a teenager, he had been just smart enough to know he shouldn't take his feelings too seriously, and just dumb enough not to know what to do with them.
So he just ran from them.
Looking back now, he regretted that choice. He had lost his best friend over a simple crush.
But he also knew it was the only thing he could have done at the time.
How was he supposed to handle all that as a kid, when even now, after all these years, he still couldn't really let it go?
Stefan sighed and decided to stop thinking about it. He couldn't walk back over a bridge he had destroyed years ago. He had already accepted that.
And even if he wanted to, it wasn't like he'd be able to find him again; he had no idea where he could be now.
It wasn't like he would just walk out of that door in two seconds.
The door opened and a long shadow stretched across the ground. "Audrey, why are you still here?"
The man had a familiar yet unfamiliar voice. "Have your parents not arrived yet?" he asked.
The girl shook her head. The figure stepped outside and said, "Then you should come back in."
He looked at the other kids. "You too, guys, unless you want to catch a cold!"
All the kids slowly went inside, and he watched them as they did.
And Stefan was staring at him. At the very same gray eyes and long eyelashes of the boy he knew, now in this man's face. At the same raven-black hair, long enough to tie back. The man, who was wearing a taupe turtleneck sweater, finally looked at him.
Then he paused. After a few moments of silence, he asked cautiously, "Stefan?"
Stefan managed to barely say his name. "Vasil."
He didn't need to ask; he knew it was him.
Vasil stared at him for a few more seconds, then smiled. "Wow! It's been ages! What are you doing here?"
Stefan tried to pull himself together. "I was on my way home. What about you? You work here?"
"Yes. I'm teaching kids violin, and I cover other instruments as well when the other teachers aren't around. Do you live in this area?"
"No, but my college is nearby."
"It's weird we didn't run into each other sooner. This street is my everyday route."
"I wasn't in town for a while. I just came back a few months ago."
"In any case, I'm glad to see you again."
Stefan fell silent. Vasil meant it. It was obvious in his eyes, even though Stefan had acted like a jerk in the past.
So he said honestly, "Me too."
Vasil smiled widely, then looked up at the sky. "It's raining cats and dogs."
Stefan looked up as well. "Yeah…"
Vasil said, "You know, I have an umbrella. I was going to go to a coffee shop nearby. It'll be warmer and drier than here. We can have a cup of coffee and talk. What do you think?"
"I'd like that."
Vasil's eyes shone with excitement. "Great! Wait a second so I can grab my coat and my things!"
He quickly went back inside, leaving Stefan alone with his racing heart.