Love Tides | ✓

two | meet you

"Avery," he replied, temporarily dropping his hold on his bag to shake her hand, then quickly putting it back.
"Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

Penelope squished in the seat between Avery and the thin man, making Avery scoot the other way, desperate for space. He had never been so close to someone - it felt somewhat strange and foregin for him.

"So," Penelope started, looking back at Avery. Curiosity waltzing in her eyes. "What brings you to Skopelos?"

"A contest I won required me to come here to Greece," Avery explained.

"Ah," breathed Penelope, "are you some type of sports junkie, or any of the sort?"

Avery shook his head with a chuckle. "No. I'm a photographer."

"That's cool," Penelope looked away from him for a second before gazing back at him in admiration. "I never met a real photographer."

"Well, I guess you do know."

"And what brings you to Skopelos?" Avery continued, trying to maintain the small talk in order to ease his bubbling nerves.

Penelope grinned. "Nothing in particular. Lived here my whole life, I was even born here."

"Oh," Avery nodded, "so you know the annoying guard?"

"Who?"

"The cranky bald officer."

"Mr. Danielpoulous?"

"Yeah," Avery confirmed. "Him."

"He's a sweetheart," Penelope gushed, "once you get to know him, otherwise he'll judge your passport picture until you're six feet under."

Avery ran a hand through his blonde hair, laughing softly. "Yeah, I took notice of that already."

"Don't feel bad about yourself if he did judge you though," Penelope said, "most of the times he's just joking around. Except if you have colored hair in the picture, especially purple hair - he despises purple."

"Yeah, I took notice of that." Avery coughed, trying to cut off the topic. "So, you know everybody around here."

"Pretty much," Penelope smiled, "Skopleos isn't the largest island out there, but it surely isn't the tiniest, but everybody likes to know each other. Most of us know each other since birth. My dad likes to refer the island as a family - mostly us on the Kastani beach side. He says, 'one for all, and all for one' - you know, as if one person falls in the island, all of us fall too. Like a family."

Avery's brows furrowed. "Isn't that the motto from 'The Three Musketeers'?"

"Yeah, my dad isn't the sharpest tool in the shed," Penelope bit her lip, cheeks red. "I have to talk to him about his plagiarism ways, sometimes."

"Plagiarism ways?"

"It happens quite often around him, he once quoted Aristotle and claimed it as his own."

"Really?"

"Really."

Avery stuffed his fist in between his teeth, in order to prevent his laugh to grow louder than it already was, Penelope following his actions as she covered her red face with her hands, giggling softly.

"He's quite the man isn't he?" Avery joked making Penelope nod excitedly.

"He really is."

Before they could continue talking, the ferry hit the port of the island, making the conductor come out and slowly lead the passengers out to the wooden plank leading to the sandy beach. Slowly, raising himself, Avery followed an accustomed Penelope as they left the travel boat. The salty sea air banging against them the second they reached the plank.

Turning towards Avery, Penelope placed the small floral journal into her sundress's large pocket before sticking her hand out in Avery's direction.

"It was nice to meet you, Avery."

Avery wrapped the camera's straps around one of his shoulders before placing his hand on hers.

"It was nice to meet you too, Penelope."

author's note

new chapter, new people
how is everybody?

☆ ☆ ☆