Number 8.

I believe, every picture has a story behind it. This is mine to tell.

It was the summer of 2010, some four friends set off travelling to explore what the land of Spain had to offer. Their tour of the beautiful country gave them too many amazing memories, one of which was captured in the moment above.

Prior to this, the scenes were panicky as they were in a foreign land, with no means of telecommunication, and individually separated in search of a missing member of the Fab four - thats what they called themselves. One of them had volunteered to find a parking spot for the car while the others checked in to the hotel. It had taken them the whole day to drive down to Granada from Barcelona. It was already late, and they were tired, hungry and cranky.

The porter showed the three to their room and as soon as he left, they simultaneously crashed onto the neatly made beds. One of them instantly flicked on the tv for some background noise while the other two immersed themselves in meaningful conversation. After a good hour or so in the room, one of them pointed out,
"Weh, where's Bobo. It's been a while, why isnt he back?"

After much deliberation, they decided to go out and look for him. Being the only girl, she volunteered to stay behind just incase Bobo came back. Somebody had to.

"Stay safe, the both of you. Remember, be back in half an hour whether or not you find him" she said, like a team leader giving out orders. She was always one to take charge especially when things like this happen. They nodded in agreement and she stole one quick look at Him before she waved them off into the lift.

Not long after the both of them left, Bobo comes strolling into the hotel lobby, churros and chocolate dip in hand. She whacked him playfully for making them worry and possibly set his ears on fire with her nagging and scolding.
"I brought churros." he smiled nervously, knowing her death stare was possibly worse than her actual playful abuse.

Half an hour went by, and in between quiet munching of the churros, (yes, choc-dipped churros were too good to be passed up even in the angriest of times), she kept nervously glancing at her watch, waiting for the other two to return.

Tick, tick, tick.

The main door buzzes, in walks the tall, lanky figure of Luke. He had a defeated look on his face. Exasperated, he sighed hard, bit his lower lip and shrugged his shoulders in a frustrated manner. She stepped aside to reveal Bobo cowering in the armchair. Instead of the annoyed reaction she was expecting, he merely shuffled over and said,
"Hey, churrossss! Thanks dude!"

"Boys, pfft," she muttered under her breath all the while trying to contain a smirk. She plopped herself between the both of them on the sunken, washed out sofa while Bobo told Luke about how he allegedly had to fend off gypsies and 'risked his life' to ensure the safety of our rented car. Who knew even boys were capable of such drama.

She stood up suddenly, realizing that it'd been an hour and they were still short of one. She did a headcount and conveyed her worry to the boys who brushed it off saying he was probably doing fine, and hitting on some Spanish girl in the narrow alleyways of Granada. She paced the floor, glancing at the wall clock, then to her wrist watch, then the wall clock again. It showed 2.15 am. Still no sign of him. 

"I'm just gonna check outside." She couldnt just sit and wait. She had to do something. She stepped out onto the dim-lit street, where it was quiet and only the distant sounds of dogs barking in background could be heard. She looked down the road to the left and there was an old man smoking on a stool under a streetlight. She wondered whether it was worth asking him if he had seen a young lad roaming the area. 

As she took a few steps towards him, somebody called out behind her. She turned and to much of her relief, saw Him walking towards her. He was smiling, cheekily. "Good god, where have you been? I've been worried sick. I thought you might have fallen into a pothole or..." - she was stopped short. 

He whipped out a fresh, red rose from behind his back, "I searched the whole town, for this. For you." 

Flustered and lost for words, she could only manage to smile back politely, reached out for the flower in his hand, making sure to gently brush hers against the top of his. For a brief moment, they just stood there, under the dim streetlights in silence, eyes locked on each other. Both smiling. 

And for that moment, it was as if the world revolved around them and nothing else mattered.

xx