Lucas

It was half past four and I was getting a little nervous - overthinking things as usual. Did I need to wear something a bit less casual? What was this mystery place like? April had given nothing away.

All too soon it was almost five and I was heading out the door wearing nothing warm but my favourite blue hoodie. April was waiting for me.

"You ready?" she said with a smile. I nodded mutely and pulled on my helmet. Curiosity burned within me. I couldn't wait to see the place she had in mind. As if reading my thoughts, she looked round at me and said, "Don't worry, you'll love this place. It's just a bit out-of-town, that's all." She wouldn't say any more about it despite my pestering and threatened to run us off the road if I asked any more questions. That shut me up.

We took the main road out of town and wound through fiery forest as the road climbed a hill, then fell into a long dip before ascending again. I was enjoying the feel of the wind against me when April slowed at the bottom of the dip and turned left across the road, coming onto a narrow track scattered with leaves like sparks. I saw a wooden sign that read, 'The Maple Tree'.

We rounded a corner and a little log cabin came into view, lights shining out of the windows into the woodland. A small car park with a few cars provided a space for us to stop.

"So this is The Maple Tree, then?" I asked. April nodded. "I work here in summer. All their stuff tastes amazing." She had a dreamy look on her face and a tiny smile tugged at my lips as I saw the excitement she was trying to conceal.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" I said. "Let's go in!"

The small stones crunched underfoot as we approached the wooden door with a sign saying, 'Open' nailed to it. April pushed inside and immediately the soft buzz of voices met us. It was warm, and gently lit inside with a faint smell of cut wood and coffee.

A girl with a nose piercing and short, dark hair with red streaks came over as we entered. Her face lit up. "April?"

"Rudi!" The two girls embraced and began talking excitedly. I stood awkwardly for a moment as they caught up on things, and looked around the room. It was small, with a counter at one end and tables round the rest of the room where people were talking quietly. The whole place was warmly lit and felt like a hug.

"And who's this handsome one?" Rudi's voice brought my gaze back to them and I smiled nervously.

"Hey, I'm Lucas," I managed, trying to ignore Rudi's scrutinising gaze. "I live across from April and we're working on a project. She suggested coming here, so here I am."

Rudi gave me a look. "Well, consider yourself lucky. April doesn't bring just anyone here." She winked and dodged April's elbow. "I'll get you two a table."

She led the way to a quiet table in a back corner, next to a window which showed us the darkening forest. It was starting to rain again.

"So, what can I get you guys?"

"I'll just have my regular. Lucas, what about you?"

I thought for a moment. "Umm... a mocha?"

"Two April regulars it is." Rudi grinned and swept away. I turned back to April with a questioning gaze.

"What on earth is an April regular?"

"Ever since I first started coming here I've loved their mochas the most. I have them so often everyone just calls them April regulars." She looked out of the window. "I might start working here in winter again. It gets all decorated and smells like spiced orange and cinnamon." She sighed. "There's no place I'd rather be when it's like that."

***

April

I could tell Lucas fell in love with the place as soon as he walked in the door. His face looked like what mine must have done when I discovered the cabin, too. Filled with wonder.

As soon as the topic of our favourite places was broached, conversation flowed ahead. This was mine, of course, as well as a hill above the cabin which looked right out over the landscape. Lucas's was his childhood forest.

Rudi largely left us alone while we were there, delivering us our mochas which contained a perfect balance of coffee and hot chocolate and leaving us to talk. I occasionally caught her eye and smiled. She was one of the very few people I considered a proper friend, but even still I always felt like there was a gap between us. She just seemed so put-together and... adult, despite only being a couple of years older.

"So what about your childhood?" Lucas asked. "I don't know a whole lot about your life."

I pondered the question. "Well... until recently, I lived in the same house for as long as I can remember, and grew up in the town and forest. I used to have a close friend called Cody—" I involuntarily frowned at the name, "--but he moved away. I live with my dad, who's a mechanic, and my mom, who's a paramedic. That's pretty much it."

I noticed that he never tried to comment on Cody and I was glad. Those memories were best kept buried.

"And what about you? I don't know everything about you, either." My question was an innocent one, but I could almost see Lucas's shields come down into place and his face closed.

"There's nothing to tell," he muttered.

"Come on, there must be something!" I pressed. "Anything. Anything at all."

"I lived on the edge of a farm when I was little. We sold our house and moved here. I live with my mom, who's a teacher in the middle school. That's all."

His stony look prevented me from asking further questions and I hurriedly changed the subject.

***

Lucas

I must have drank about three cups of mocha when we were in the cabin. It tasted so good - and we were there for hours.

Around eight, the first flash of lightning lit up the sky. April turned her head from the window, but mine stayed fixed on the beautiful light show.

People were beginning to leave. Soon only us and a couple of other people were still here. Even Rudi was beginning to stack things in the dishwasher and tidy the countertop, ready for leaving.

We sure as hell weren't leaving any time soon. The first few drops of rain had become a downpour, and thunder rolled overhead as lightning forked through the trees. The Harley would be getting soaked.

I felt all cosy as I looked at the rain outside knowing I was warm and dry in the cabin. I could tell, too, that April was trying to stay calm for her own sake as well as mine. I leaned over and took her shaking hands in mine.

"Look at me, April," I said firmly. "Look at me." She looked.

"Look into my eyes. Do they remind you of the forest in summer? They're the green of a beech leaf. Think about taking the Harley along the track in the warm sun, and coming in here for the April regular. Now think about it in winter. The trees are bare, and everything is covered in snow. You open the door, and the warmth is inviting and welcoming. You can smell spices and pine needles, and see the Christmas decorations up. You order a hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream, and sing with Rudi as you decorate the Christmas tree. Picture it?"

She nodded. My rambling was doing the trick, even if it was overly poetic. I knew people already in the middle of a panic attack knew when someone was trying to distract them, but I was trying to stop the storm from setting April off. She was trying hard to follow my words.

"Now imagine yourself standing on top of your favourite hill. There are millions, billions of stars in the sky, and you can see the Milky Way as you look up. The forest spreads out beneath you and you can see the town with twinkling lights. The Aurora shines above you, if you're lucky. You're on top of the world."

She was looking straight at me, but her gaze was far away. She concentrated on her memories as thunder rolled again. "Yes," she murmured quietly. "I'm on top of the world."