That weekend...

chapter 18

Alexandrina's POV:
I was surprised to not hear Adriana's headboard hitting the wall this morning, im glad those two idiots respect my need for peace and quiet. As my eyes adjusted to the light i rolled over to find the bed empty. He left a note saying he went for a run and that he would be back soon. 'fair enough' i thought, but it's his first day of vacation and he decided to go running?
I got up and made the bed and tided everything up. And by the time I was done with my skin routine; the headboard racket was over and I could hear Lando coming up the stairs.

"Morning lan" i said sweetly- odd for the morning though. "yea morning," he murmured back. He sighed a few times and kept glancing at the vanity before going to shower.
I went up to my vanity and wondered what the issue was. There was no mess. "Ah guten tag" Adriana chirped, oh i wonder why she's in such a good mood. "is there something wrong with the vanity?" i asked her. she hummed knowingly and glanced over it for a minute before plucking a tiny polaroid that was stuck to the mirror. "you didn't hear it from me but i heard he's annoyed by the picture, if you're over Theo- bin it and if you're not well then bin lando" she said nonchalantly, "get dressed i'll start on breakfast," and with a peck on the cheek she disappeared back downstairs. I stated at the picture long and hard. so many memories. they all came rushing back to me.

*** THE OPERA ***

When we got out of the car Theo fixed my dress at the bottom so it wasn't all scrunched up. He held the umbrella at arms length so my hair wouldn't get wet when I got my picture taken. The dress was so heavy I couldn't wait to be back in sweatpants- it was heavily embroidered i'm pretty sure it weighed more than a car. Theo got the four of us a box on the top viewing deck because his parents donated that wing of the theatre for charity. He was so proud of them.

"This shit is so boring." Max whispered through his teeth, making sure to keep a small smile and his gazed fixed on the stage because there was that many wondering eyes about the place. "At the intermission let's not come back" Agreed Theo. And that was that. A part of me wanted to put up a fight but I didn't protest just in case. When the lights came up for the intermission Theo gave my hand a squeeze as I adjusted to the light. The boys guided Adriana and I through the grand corridors to a big banquet hall. "Oi dickhead did your parents donate this too?" Adriana said with a smug look on her face. The two barged eachother while Max and I egged them on. We soon realised this room was a shortcut the catering team used to get food out faster so we sat in the corner at a discarded table. I timed Max and Theo racing in dress shoes to see who was faster- Max was so breathless by the end you wouldn't think he was an actual athlete. I reached into Theo's jacket and got me and Adriana a cigarette. Oddly I only smoke in paris. Before we lit them the boys came back. He picked me up and put me on his lap and Max did the same to Adriana. I'm sure i'll remember this moment forever. Max put adriana on his back and decided to go for a run and I swear to God she almost fell like 5000 times. "Maxie go faster i've got money on her falling off!" I called out. "Fuck you Falcone" She yelled back.

I held the cigarette to Theo's mouth and searched for a lighter. "Garcon?" I heard in the background. I was so focused on Theo in this moment and he focused on me. Times like this made me realise how much I loved him. No one had ever looked at me like this. "Can you take a picture of us?" the voice asked followed by more murmurs in the background. Max leaned in with a lighter to what was now Theo's cigarette, not mine. And Adriana posed in the most glamorous way she could despite being on Max's back. And as the film camera flashed the cigarette was lit.

***

"I didn't throw the picture away, I simply just hid it. Of course there's nothing wrong with that. It just keeps the peace. And I'm not keeping it because Theo's in it, it's the memory of the entire night I swear." I tried to sound as believable as possible but my God it's like she can see through me. She dragged me back upstairs from the kitchen into my room and pushed me onto my bed. "You sit there and tell me where it is. We don't have long the boys will be back soon." she said sternly. "I stuck it to the underside of the vanity.." I said meekly and she returned with a look that meant 'seriously'. "chewing gum, how creative, wasn't that hard was it my love- now come let's eat."

The boys came home and during breakfast I recognised something on Lando's wrist which I hadn't payed attention to in a while- the orange scarf. I couldn't help but think about that night in Canada where we went back to the track to hangout with everyone. "Excuse me for a second," and with that I got up rather hastily and scrambled to my room. When I got there I grabbed the polaroid, tore it up and threw it in the bin next to Lando's side of the bed. That night was in the past. I only care about Lando and I want him to know that.

When I returned downstairs I was met with a few strange looks; "Everything alright?" Max asked puzzled, "Oh yea i'm fine- I left the straighteners on." I responded with a nervous laugh and believe me it wasn't convincing.

Lando's POV:
Honestly I had no idea Adriana actually knew how to cook I thought she was taking rubbish until she brought me a plate with poached eggs on avocado toast.

It's so hard to be annoyed at someone you like. but the thought of Lex possibly not feeling the same way as me hurts.

After breakfast I trudged upstairs to shower and sort myself out. I noticed the one photo on the vanity was gone and I know I shouldn't have but I went and snooped round the room and the wardrobe to try and find it, but I found it in shreds in the bin. I looked at it for a few seconds wondering what it meant. "It's an old picture. Like a really old picture. Basically ancient." Drina said while looking at the ground. I had no idea she was even there, how long have i been staring at the bin-? Seeing her stood there all shy and guilty was hilarious because usually she never backs down usually she's never in the wrong but the fact that she's 'wrong' now feels wrong . I couldn't help but laugh. "Oi," her frustration caused even more laughter to erupt from me "Excuse me it's not funny, i'll get tape and put it back together- seriously stop laughing" as she whined she stomped her foot. "Oh my god you did not just stomp your foot at me-" I said in disbelief "Ughh you're such a dick" she yelled while trying to hold in her giggles.

She really is something else. I've never met anyone like her- she truly is one of a kind.
"I appreciate the gesture but I still think we need to talk about whatever this is. Not now obviously but soon, because- well- you see you're like me, you don't like wasting time." as I explained this the smile on her face slowly faded into a small frown that made my insides twist.