Allure (ENG)

Chapter 1 - Harry

With a heavy sigh, I grab my backpack from the luggage belt. My thoughts are all over the place as I walk towards the exit of the airport. Maybe I should take the first flight back to England. That would reassure me that I don't make the same mistake as last year. That I don't cause another drama. The flipside of that is, I would have to spend the whole summer with my dad. I can't remember the time that happened last.

While I am waiting for a taxi, I decide my first stop will be the bar. At least that will get seeing my mum again out of the way.

I open the door, which just like last year still creaks.

"Good afternoon!" I say in my best Dutch.

A group of girls, who I don't recognize, look up at me. "Harry! You're back!" Eduardo walks away from the group when he sees me. With open arms, he approaches me and pulls me into an embrace. It is good to see him again. It will be much easier to face my Dutch-speaking mum if I can practise with Eduardo.

"What?" I snigger nervously.

"It's never a guarantee that you will come back," he laughs.

"And miss you even longer?" Eduardo and I both laugh.

"How is your dad?" I can feel the rush of nerves flow back into me. I don't feel like talking about him. Not that I would willingly dive into a conversation about my mum.

"Who are they?" A few of the girls are eyeing me with a questioning look.

"The summer crew for the year." I nod understandingly. They look young and are all already wearing work attire. "Surely you remember one of them?" A girl with brown hair pulled up in a ponytail stares at me with raised eyebrows. I have to dig deep to remember her name. It wasn't a long one. Only three letters. What was it?

"You're getting old!" She tells me with a British accent as she approaches me with open arms. I give her a small hug.

"I'm glad that she's back this summer," Eduardo says with a smile. Amy! That's it. Good to have another Brit around again this year. She has been working here, in the bar, for the past few summers. However, I am relieved about the fact that she doesn't know about all the drama that transpired last year. Otherwise, she'll try to act like my mum. With Amy and the others, I can have a fresh start this summer. My thoughts are starting to wander, I realize.

"Did you graduate this year?" she asks me with a genuine look on her face. Eduardo struggles not to laugh at her question. He knows I was meant to graduate this year, again, but that it didn't work out.

"Does she not know I failed?" I ask Eduardo in Dutch. He can't contain his laughter any longer and lets out a loud one. Amy's eyes shoot up at us with a confused look. She doesn't like it when we speak Dutch to each other, as she doesn't understand a word of it.

"No, she didn't know that," he says. I roll my eyes. Amy is too similar to my mum sometimes. If I would tell people she is my sister, they would believe it immediately. I guess I'll get a lecture soon enough about why I didn't graduate this year.

"In Spanish, we would say; estúpido." I slap Eduardo against the back of his head.

"She doesn't need to know everything," I whisper. Eduardo brushes his hand through his hair in response. "You won't tell her about last year either, you hear!" I know how he enjoys sharing anecdotes about his life. Or well, maybe he just likes sharing them about mine.

"What did he say?" Amy stares at the both of us with the same confused look in her eyes.

"Is my mum here? I would love to say hello to her. I have obviously missed her incredibly too," I lie.