-- It was like James Dean, for sure.

[Miles Carter]

Miles hadn't been to many professional quidditch matches, but he knew good seats when he saw them and these seats were it. He was comfortably sitting beside a group of witches who chatted amongst themselves, and found himself beaming. It helped that he didn't even have to pay for the ticket. He didn't have to steal it either. Not this time. In fact he won it in the charity raffle in his father's hospital, the cheap skates only supplied one but as Miles began to slip into the conversation with the three witches, he didn't mind so much. Unfortunately once the game started, their interest was no longer focused on the young man with the mohawk and so he slumped back onto the plastic back of his seat with an air of disappointment. Although, the game was unbelievable and it wasn't just because of the atmosphere, or the fact that one of teams playing was a team full of hot chicks, he had actually forgotten what it felt like to truly escape and enjoy something. His father's illness really had taken over his life and he was only realizing this now. But there it came again, the dreaded thought, swooping into his head, weighing hard on his back, he even had to pull his eyes from the game as he thought about it. He knew he was doing what he had to do, and of course he didn't mind, but there were times where it all became a little too much to handle. He longed for the days where he could just play Quidditch, drink some booze and flirt with beautiful women and a rejection from said women was the height of his worries. His fingers pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose and he lounged back into his chair and as he did so, he caught sight of the blonde girl sitting two rows down from him. She was pretty. Pretty damn hot. Well, her side profile was anyway. Now, Mile's just found himself staring at the back of her head. But regardless, that glimpse of her face was enough to continuously draw his attention back to her throughout the game, until the Captain of the Moutohora Macaws called a time-out and the game was put on hold.

He'd be a fool to pass this opportunity off, it would be denying fate, right? Plus, the fact that there was a spare seat diagonally behind this girl, was even more of a reason to make a move. But was he being crazy? Sure. But being sane never got anyone anywhere. He clambered down onto the row in front of him, carelessly abandoning the other three witches mid-conversation, and awkwardly tripped over a few pairs of feet to get to the empty seat behind the girl. He sat forward, his arms resting on his knees, of course ignoring the inquisitive stares from the wizards on either side of him, he pulled his glasses down the bridge of his nose, stared at the two men, in their forties Miles presumed, one had a nose that his face would never grow into, and the other was beginning to go bald. As if any of them stood a chance. He pushed the rim of his glasses back up his nose as he focused his attention on the blonde once more. Miles cleared his throat, ran his hand over his mohawk and leaned over and gently tipped the girl's delicate shoulder with his left hand. The hand was printed with the only tattoo Miles had on his body, it was a green serpent, curling around his knuckles. Some chicks digged it. Some didn't. Regardless, they usually ended up going home with Miles. He didn't expect this would be any different either. ​

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[Kalani Mauven]

Although Riley wasn't playing for the Holy Head Harpies at the moment, or doing anything at all, Kalani felt that she still ought to support them. Her former roommate was playing as hard as she could every game so she joined Amaryllis in cheering the blonde on, all the while hoping that Riley would accept the invitation to the game and maybe crack a smile. Life was difficult for Kalani's twin but she knew that some sunlight and maybe a shower would be good for her but sure enough the game started without Riley. Kalani cheered happily for her friend with Amy while having a small chat in the duller moments of the game until there was a break when Amy said she was going to check on Jenn who was forever self-critical during the games.

Thinking of various things but mainly about how she wished Riley would return to the innocent girl she had been once upon a time, Kalani stared forward blankly. When they were children the younger twin had always acted as a protector of sorts, defending Riley from any harm that might be inflicted on her by others but the girl never envisioned that she would self-destruct and certainly not in the fashion she did. It was hard for Kalani to realize that her sister may never actually forgive herself or be happy again but it certainly seemed that way so she was in desperate need of a distraction from her thoughts which the blonde only imagined Elvira coming along who would probably make some comment about the girls on the team because she was more flirtatious than anyone Lani had been to school with. However Kalani's distraction came in a different form but still one that was familiar to her only after closer inspection.

As Kalani felt someone touch her shoulder she sucked in a short breath, hoping it might actually be Riley but as her hazel eyes flicked over to the hand touching her thin yet muscular shoulders she saw a snake tattoo that belonged to no one she remembered. She followed the inked scales up the males arm until her gaze met his and she was wracking her brain to place him would probably would have been faster if she'd even thought that he would be at a Quidditch game in the first place. "Miles?" Kalani asked, the name strange on her tongue after not speaking it for so many years. It was strange to imagine that he was watching this game and she had not noticed or sensed that the person who had always held the position of her best friend (even after prolonged separation) was only inches away. Certain now that Kalani was in the presence of Miles Carter, her carmine painted lips widened into a large smile, not one often seen these days by those who weren't Edgar which was hardly anything as he was one of the only people she saw. Like Riley, Kalani was upset about her familial situation and couldn't bring herself to face the questioning gazes of her friends who were as concerned for the quidditch player as the ballerina was. "It's been so long!" she breathed with bewilderment at their luck and also at how she had survived these past few months without him.​

 

[Miles Carter]

The blonde turned around almost instantly as Miles' hand tapped her shoulder, however, her verbal response took a little longer. She just stared at him, taking him in, her eyes trailing up his arm all the way to his face and he could tell her eyes were searching for something once they got there. Before he could start to fear this girl for looking at him so strangely, he began to feel a niggling in his brain, feeling something tingle at the tip of his tongue, a glimpse of a memory. And so, Miles began to mirror her stare. Her heart shaped face. Her high cheek bones. Those soft brown eyes. Miles felt his brain digging deep into a mental filing cabinet, zipping through folders of girls from his school, girls he dated, girls he slept with, (it was how he imagined how is brain worked). "Miles?" She finally spoke, beating him to the finish line. "It's been so long!" It didn't take long for Miles to be brought up to speed however, with the sound of her voice and that all too memorable smile, it hit him like that last bludger hit that unsuspecting chaser. "Lani!" Miles said through his growing smile, something which felt foreign to the twenty two year old as of late.

It all came thundering down on him now, the girl who he knew when he was just sixteen, the girl who he used to show his dad's boat to and who he used to stay up late talking to, was sitting, right before his eyes. How long has it been? Miles wasn't even going to attempt that math and so instead he just stared at her with a dumb smile plastered across his handsome face. "Your hair is shorter." He said as his fingers brushed playfully at the tips of Kalani's now much shorter blonde hair. This of course wasn't the only change in the blonde, she lost pretty much all of the baby fat that used to pudge around her face. And she certainly looked older, but not in the same way that most people her age did. She looked tired. The kind of tired that filled Miles' entire being after a long night of worrying about his dad. In a weird way, this sort of comforted Miles, at least he wasn't the only one who was having a sucky time at life.

This was all madness though. Once his family started falling apart and he vowed never to return to stupid New Zealand, the home of his stupid father, he came to terms with the fact that he'd never see Lani again. And each consecutive summer since his vow, Miles thought about and longed for the summer's that they used to spend together in New Zealand. But as the years went on, his thoughts about her became rare, and his memories that he used to treasure began to be replaced and fade away into a dusty mental filing cabinet. Now the two 'best friends' were practically unrecognisable to each other. His first best friend. It was madness! Miles scooted to the edge of his seat and leaned over a little closer to her, quite smugly too, knowing that the two men beside him didn't see this coming. Not one bit. Although he could no longer see them, he liked to think they were green with jealousy. "So, how've you been huh?" he asked her, as if it was just yesterday that the pair hung out.

 

[Kalani Mauven]

Kalani's young mind was rampant with memories of holidays from Beauxbatons when she would most look forward to seeing Miles' smiling face and spend the days and nights together which now seemed far too short. She remembered confusing friendship for romance and trying something out with the older boy, one who had stayed that age preserved within her memory and never to change but now that she saw him older and much less gawky than before he was altering himself. It hadn't really hit her that Miles could have thought of her the same way until he made the keen observation that her hair was shorter. If she was being honest it wasn't the only thing that was changed about Kalani Alexandra. First off, that was no longer her name and Mauven wouldn't be for much longer according to the ring that was wrapped around her finger. It was a good thing for her and she was happy in her decision but was still worried for Riley and her reaction to the news. "I've been busy as always," Kalani began with a truthful smile although she knew that she could have lied and Miles still would be able to tell. It wasn't as if the bags under her eyes were invisible. In fact they were very prominent since she had last seen Will Connors but thought better than to speak of this to Miles. "My mom got married, had three kids and adopted one, so she is busy as ever. I met my father. I work for St. Petersburg Ballet and now I'm... Well... I'm engaged," she said with a nervous grin on her face. She hoped that Miles wouldn't collapse with all the information she had given him in the span of a few seconds. Especially the last bit that she had not yet told her parents of.

"I hope your life isn't as insane as mine is for your sake," Kalani giggled, attempting to take the topic off of herself so she could figure out how Miles and his family were doing because the twenty year old missed them all to bits. "What about you? What's new in the life of Miles Carter?" As Kalani asked the question she hoped that things were a lot better than the life she lead in the past two years because the trouble was abundant. From Riley's feelings for their now step-father, to Riley's still-born child and now disappearance it was all very difficult for the ballerina. She didn't know what to do although she had known to feel guilty for some God forsaken reason that she wished didn't actually exist but had resonated deep within her. Only now was the blonde forgetting this an trying to grasp the idea of being engaged to Edgar and fully enjoy the perks of her career as well as the magnificent stresses it caused.

Kalani remembered being knee-high to a grasshopper and telling Miles that she was destined to be a ballerina like every little girl wanted to be but she knew that she wasn't fickle. She was to be one of the greats because it was what she deserved and since the recognition of this and reaching her goals she had done very little to bask in the fact that she was everything she wanted to be and more. At Beauxbatons she had been Prefect and Head Girl, she had worked very hard for all of it but it still came as such a surprise to the girl although she had acted with hubris throughout the entire experience to distance herself from people. Even now she was doing it but she was slowly chipping away at her insecurities to be the confident woman that her roles demanded of her. She wondered if Miles had any similar stories. If he now had all he ever wanted but like all humans found it wasn't enough but most of all she wondered if he was happy in his life because she still adored the young teen that had spent summer and winter holidays with her.​

 

[Miles Carter]

Miles was under no illusion that Lani would ever lead an average, stress-free life where paying bills or purchasing a new fridge would be the highlight of her day. For as long as Miles knew Lani, he knew she was competitive, determined and most of all ambitious, perhaps to the point where she sometimes came across as a b*tch. But these characteristics was what had attracted Miles to the blonde in the first place. Back in the day, even before his rebellious era, the only girls Miles knew were low-life creatures who had little to no respect for themselves and threw themselves at anything that moved, which, incidentally worked in Miles favour. But when he came across Lani for the first time, her attitude towards life took him by surprise. Her dedication to her dream and the respect she had for herself proposed quite a challenge for Miles, who for so long had easily picked up chicks without any hassle. That's why he had always treasured Kalani Mauven in his life. The relationship they had was always special to him, because for once there was a mutual amount of respect between them and underneath it all was an extremely close friendship, so close that it even stood strong after their three week romantic relationship ended. Although he might not openly admit it, but Miles always regretted not trying harder to make that relationship last which was why he couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment hitting his heart when Lani finished catching him up by saying she was engaged.

He wasn't really all that surprised, you didn't need to be a genius to realise that Kalani was something special. Unfortunately Miles wasn't the fastest flyer on the team back in the day and foolishly let her go. Lani didn't allow time for Miles to react to this news as she continued to speak and for that he was thankful because he honestly didn't really know how to react. Of course, he was happy for her, he was delighted for his friend, to tell the truth, Miles hadn't properly thought about Kalani in almost a year so it wasn't like he was still hung up on her. But it just highlighted the fact that Miles had no one. He had been screwing around with girls since his pubescent years and what has that left him with? Nothing. No one. Not even someone to call a friend. Never mind a girlfriend or a fiancée. All that was new in his life was a nasty divorce and a crippling illness. "Eh, not much actually." He lied. Although Miles didn't under-estimate how well Kalani could read him, he wasn't about go on spiel about his parents' divorce and his father's illness while sitting in a Quidditch stadium. "I moved to New Zealand. Got a job. Got a haircut." And with a shrug of his broad shoulders he finished catching Lani up to date with his life. For now.

He tried to change the topic as soon as possible, trying his best not to dwell on the fact that he became such a complete waster. What's worse was, Miles could vividly remember a time when he confessed to Lani that he ambitiously wanted to be a Quidditch player, that his brother constantly out shined him in every way and how becoming a Quidditch player could prove to his parents that he was worth something. He actually remembered the day pretty well in fact. It was during one of those summer breaks they spent together and while lying flat out on the deck of his father's boat, they openly discussed their future. Lani convinced him she was going to be a famous ballerina and Miles didn't doubt the girl for a second. Now, here they were, years later and Lani was living her dream, she had everything she ever wanted and what's more, she was set to be married (which Miles knew was every girls dream). That day was special to Miles and it's a memory that he often automatically associates with Lani because, as they lay side by side out on the deck that afternoon, while the sun burned their young skin and they talked naively about their futures, it was the one time that Miles fully believed in himself simply because he knew there was someone else who believed in him. In a way, he couldn't help but feel he disappointed Kalani because he turned out exactly the way everyone else expected him to. He ran his hand through his mohawk before speaking again, a small habit he often practised when he was stressed, or upset, or avoiding the truth. His face hid his destructive thoughts skillfully however, the mask was back on. "So you're engaged," He smiled, quite genuinely at his friend. "You know that I will be expecting my invite to the big fancy wedding any day now."​

 

[Kalani Mauven]

Kalani felt like a complete jerk for bragging about how great her life was in front of Miles when he told her that nothing seemed to be going in the direction they had both thought it was. She was so certain that one day she would watch him play Quidditch professionally and the fact that he had not lead with this surprised her deeply. She knew that dreams changed and everything for most people but it seemed so much like a goal to him and he had all the talent in the world so she couldn’t quite grasp the reason she wasn’t watching him play against her sister’s former team. This all went unspoken, however. She didn’t want him to think that she was horrid or anything but it was looming in her mind and she wondered what his job was exactly and if he was enjoying it which she certainly hoped she was because that made everything feel so much better. “Well it’s a good thing that it’s an amazing haircut, right?” she teased and gave Miles a huge smile.

Not being able to help feeling a little sick to her stomach as Miles mentioned that she was engaged, Kalani grimaced. She loved Edgar with all her heart and did want to marry him but she was still under the impression that it was too soon and was certain that this engagement would be very long. “You and the family will be invited, I’m sure, but not for at least four years,” she said with a slight chuckle. Kalani always feared commitment like children fear the dark so she had to get over her issues before even entering a marriage because it wouldn’t be fair to Edgar although she was certain it already wasn’t. When he had asked her she had told him ‘no’ because of this and she knew it was painful, she could see it in his eyes but she’d been unable to answer positively to the idea of being wed after only being together for such a short time. Moving in together was already such a huge leap of faith for the girl.

Kalani couldn’t be sure if Miles remembered but when they were exploring the idea of them as a couple she distinctly remembered telling him that it would never work out because as much as she appeared to trust him she could never trust him completely or anyone for that matter. It was in her nature and as much as she knew she probably should get help for her issues that didn’t make them any less prevalent. She’d become tough skinned over the years and all due to the father that she had mentioned and while she had never really told Miles why she was certain it wouldn’t she had later revealed everything about her family and even that Sebastien, who she had not known the name of until recently, had left her family when he discovered he was a father. That bitter rejection had stayed with her all of her life and as much as she hated it, it kept her jaded. She had treated boys the way they stereotypically treat women. As play things. The only person other than Edgar who hadn’t been one of these toys to have fun with was Miles because they had built a relationship on mutual respect, adoration, understanding and friendship which was what they were destined to be as they had realized after the three week relationship.

“I would like you to meet him, however. I’m sure you would love each other,” Kalani said with a grin. She knew that even if Miles and Edgar were very different people they both were kind souls and the good lord knew that Edgar needed a male friend or two – not that she didn’t love Amaryllis. “But that can be discussed later… Tell me about this job? Do you love it?” she asked with a beaming smile, trying to focus on the positivity than the negativity that she could sense on him and that she was sure he would be able to see written plainly on her face.​