The Break Up Pact

Chapter 44

Sebastian shuffled uncomfortably on his beanbag chair before speaking. "So, I guess it's probably easiest to explain myself if I go back to when I first moved here. You remember that, right?" he asked as he looked over at me with a faint smile.

"Yeah of course, it was the first day of first grade and our teacher said you'd just moved from Brazil," I said with a smile, as the memory sprang to mind.

Sebastian's smile slipped slightly from his face. "Yeah, well that day was pretty rough for me because I didn't speak a word of English, and I was so terrified and confused. And when I was practically near tears and all alone on the playground, you sprang up to me with your warm smile and your three cute little wonky braids," he said, as a smile broke through his lips.

"God, I hated my mum for giving me that hairstyle," I muttered with a shake of my head and an amused smile.

Sebastian let out a light laugh along with me. "Well, I thought it was cute. But anyway, you just started boldly talking to me in English and I hadn't a clue what you were saying. So, naturally, it didn't take you long to figure out I didn't understand a word that you were saying. And instead of leaving me alone like the other kids did, you just took my hand and led me over to the playset with you," he laughed. "I still didn't understand what you were saying, but I didn't even mind because I was so happy you included me," he said, smiling away at the memory.

It was weird to hear Sebastian talk about memories that I'd long buried, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't wipe a smile from my face.

"I'm surprised you didn't get sick of me blabbing on," I muttered with a snort as I hugged my knees tighter toward me where I sat.

Sebastian looked me up and down with teasing eyes. "Maybe I should have, but I didn't," he joked, with softened eyes. "As corny as it sounds, that day actually really made me like you."

Something warm rippled through my heart at his words.

"And if you remember as the weeks went on you tried to teach me English and I tried to teach you Portuguese," he continued on.

I immediately let out a snort at that. "Yeah, I remember that. It always annoyed me how quickly you seemed to pick up English compared to me even with my bad teaching. You were saying fully comprehendible sentences by like week two, and I could barely tell you my name in Portuguese," I laughed with a shake of my head.

"Well in your defence, you weren't in Brazil and besides my dad was helping me with English at home," he chuckled.

My mouth dropped open at his confession. "Your cheater!" I accused.

Sebastian's lips spread into a grin. "Well, you never asked," he shrugged. "And besides on reflection, two people who don't speak the other language trying to teach each other, might not have been the best idea," he said with a laugh.

"Anyway," he said, as he cleared his throat. "Well as the years went on, you know we obviously got to become really close friends. And by the time we were about ten or eleven, I started to look at you differently...," he trailed off with a thick swallow.

"Like looking at me differently in a what kind of way. Like a 'wow, I didn't realize I was hanging out with a crazy bitch kind of way.' or...," I asked with a nervous laugh.

I was presenting my words as a joke, but I was half serious. He had cut me off without an explanation so this very well could be a long-winded story of how he just got sick of my annoying ass.

"No," he laughed. "But I understand the assumption, of course," he joked as he threw me a pointed look.

"Hey," I yelled as I lightly whacked his shoulder.