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Jyn moaned as she stuffed a Twinkie into her mouth, the creamy filling tasting so sweet on her tongue. Crumbs fell from her lips and she brushed them off her jeans. She looked over at the town square clock then and rolled her eyes, swallowing the last bite of her snack-cake. Where was that boy? They were supposed to meet up half an hour ago. But just as she was about to get up from her perch on the steps in front of the library, a figure stepped into the sun. He towered over her, making a shadow fall onto her face.
Jyn glanced up and frowned.
"Where were you? You're late, Andor!" she grumbled as he helped her to her feet.
Cassian smiled sheepishly as a response, running a hand through his dark hair. She had learned that was his nervous tic. He only did it when his anxiety was getting the best of him. Sure, the meds helped but sometimes, the anxiety just stayed with him - like an over-hanging cloud over his life that refused to budge. Jyn knew that feeling too well. After all, most days she couldn't quit thinking of her father, Galen's death. Jyn had been raised by a friend of the family since her mother had passed away when she was just a little kid.
Galen had deserted her after that, skipped town with a bottle of whiskey in his hand and 10 dollars in his pocket. Apparently, an uncertain life as a bum had sounded more appealing to him than raising her. She met him for the first time in 15 years a couple months back. But it was too late. He'd waited too long for the forgiveness that only Jyn could give him. The cancer killed him just a few weeks later. It had been bothering Jyn ever since.
She never got to say goodbye and deep down, it made her heart break.
Her blue eyes lifted up to meet Cassian's brown orbs and she smiled.
"I'll give you a pass since you got that new job with Bodhi. But just this once!" she teased and he grinned, shrugging as the began to walk to the movie theater.
"In my defense, he said it would pay well," he countered and Jyn laughed.
"Yeah but Bodhi's, like, the biggest nerd at school. You had to know going into it, it would be some nerd job," she pointed out.
Cassian grabbed her hand as he stepped over a large crack in the sidewalk, helping her over it. But he didn't let go afterwards, just intertwined his fingers with hers.
"I needed the money, though," he shrugged, thick Spanish accent sticking to his words, "And computer technicians pay well,"
She smiled, squeezing his fingers gently as the cinema building came into view.
"I know," she said simply, reaching up to peck her friend's cheek lightly.
Cassian blushed scarlet and mumbled something in Spanish under his breath before paying the ticket-taker. He sent Jyn a sideways glance as the man took his money. She was smiling, looking up at the movie posters in wonder. He was such a lucky guy to know her. He tugged on her hand then, pulling her towards the door.
"Come on, Stardust." he called over his shoulder.
She rolled her blue eyes playfully at the nickname and followed her friend into the theater.