In love with my neighbor ⇝ENGLISH VERSION⇜

Chapter 04

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

The alarm sounds. Same time as yesterday. I don't feel like anything. I'm very sleepy and especially very sore.

I get up and go straight to the closet. A pair of black jeans, a basic T-shirt and a sweatshirt. Already dressed I wash my face and teeth. I pack my lunch and books. I grab a banana to eat while I go to the bus stop.

Waiting at the bus stop, I see a car passing by on the street of the urbanization. It's the Sunday lady and a gentleman who seems to be her husband, I imagine. He greets me with a smile, but the woman just keeps staring at me.

Already in the institute I go upstairs and go to the corner where all my friends are gathered. They greet me and I greet them and then we start talking about something different.

When the bell rings, Aroa, Giselle, Juanma and I enter the biology class. While Alberto, Alan and Andrea go to history. We are divided since some of us are from the bilingual group and others are not.

. . .

Classes end and I get back on the bus and wait for it to start. During the ride I listen to music with my headphones on and check my social networks.

When I get home I heat up the food and while I watch a series or a YouTube video I start eating. When I finish, I wash the dishes and then I rest for a while on the couch until my parents wake up.

After they come down I say hello and go up to my room with my backpack to do the exercises that they have sent today in class. I turn on the computer and take out the books of the subjects I have to study.

. . .

I finish just in time. I go to the kitchen to grab a tangerine and then get on my bike to get to the gym faster. It's three days a week; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Even so, since I want to work out five days a week, the rest of the days I don't have a gym I'll run for an hour or two, depending on how much time my studies allow me.

An hour and a half later, I finish the exercise with the personal trainer, who besides telling me what to do was encouraging me. And thank goodness, because in the first half hour I wanted to give up, but thanks to Sergio I got motivated.

The problem now is to go back home. My legs are still shaking. It's half past eight, the last bus has already passed. I turn on my cell phone to call my father to see if he can come and pick me up. However, I get a message from Álvaro first. Shit, I had arranged to meet Aroa, Juanma and him.

[WHATSAPP]

ÁLVARO:Hey, your mother told us that you had left, without saying where.Is everything all right?

LARA:Yes, yes, everything's fine.I'm near Juanma's house.

ÁLVARO;Okay, we're close too.

I have to make one last effort. Ten minutes by bike to Juanma's house and then when they arrive I'll ask to stay at their house. That way I can rest a bit on the sofa.

I ring the doorbell and Juanma answers and comes downstairs. He starts laughing when he sees me all sweaty.

- Are you coming from a marathon? - he asks with laughter as he hugs me.

- Something like that - I follow his laughter - I've just come from the gym - he's surprised.

Just as Álvaro and Aroa arrive, we greet each other with hugs and they look at me waiting for me to tell them where to go, but Juanma, still surprised, breaks the silence.

- Did you know that Lara has joined the gym? - he smiles at me.

- Really? - they are surprised too - I'm your best friend and you don't tell me anything? - she tries to look angry.

- I forgot - I answer.

I summarize my whole day yesterday and explain why I made the decision to join the gym.

- And well, right now I don't have the strength to go back to the urbanization - I say, still sweating and out of breath.

- Don't worry - says Juanma - We'll stay at my house today and when you want I'll tell my mother to take you all to your respective houses.

We nod gratefully and go upstairs to the living room. He puts on a movie and while they are sitting down, I am lying on a separate sofa.

Not even ten minutes into the movie and I'm already falling asleep....

- Lara... it's over - Álvaro and Aroa laugh.

- Leave her alone - Juanma intervenes - My first day at the gym was horrible - he defends me.

- Thanks, Juanma - I say, getting up with difficulty.

Juanma's mother drops me and Álvaro off at the housing development. Aroa is still in the car, as she lives somewhere else.

At home I make myself dinner. So far I'm holding the diet pretty well. Only after the exercise I'm starving, but with water I manage to fill my stomach a bit.

Once the plate is empty, I wash it and go to the shower. When I get out, I put on my pajamas and dry my hair. I'm too lazy to iron it, so I leave that for tomorrow.

With all the hustle and bustle of classes, homework, exercise and diet, I forgot about the girl from Sunday, that smile that made my day. So, remembering that morning, I fell asleep.