The Foreigner

08

  The blanket was long forgotten, all ruffled up tossed to the side. The guys were occupied playing football on the sand, their shoes as the nets. By half hour of them shooting the ball to each other's net, people of all ages started to join them.
Everytime a goal was made by one of the two, they pointed to us, me and Sofia. We were sitting on some chairs we rented by their side. Not too close, so the ball wouldn't come near us and get on our faces.

  As time went on, we had grown bored of seeing them play. No words spoken, we decided to see how the water is.

  Getting up, my body turns in the guys' direction. "We're heading to the water!" I announce to the friends in opposing teams.

Lucas lifts his head, eyes engraved in mine. Nodding, he says, "Alright! When you get off the water, just wear my shorts. So the sand doesn't stick to your body."

As soon the speech ends, he's messing with the ball and feinting the adversary team. I stay still looking at him for a few seconds, before the ball gets passed to a teammate of his. At that, I turn my back running to my friend's side.

Our feet pressed on the drenched sand. At every step, a mold of it stays, waiting for the ocean to repair it.

"The water is so fucking cold, how do you guys put up with it?" My voice comes out in exclamation form.

"Just used to it. I mean, we're in the north, so..." Sofia continues moving forward, splashing water on her whole body.

I repeat her actions, the results being my body getting used to the freezing temperature.

"Ana, my dear friend, why do I sense something between you and Lucas?"

I don't answer verbally, just splash water on her, continuously. "What are you even talking about? We're the same as you and him. There's nothing more to it."

"As if! You are like a more simplified version of me and Rafa. The title friends hanging over your heads, you just stick to that because it's easy. C'mon. Since you've started to get closer, that guy has an easy smile whenever you're there. He hates that town, the idea of staying until going to college upsets him. All he dreams about is moving away from the same faces. You appear and, shocker! He doesn't complain every single, damn time about our city." She lets an exasperated sigh.

I'm left with no answer, I've only met this Lucas. The 'since-the-new-school-year-Lucas'. I couldn't be sure of his attraction, of how he thinks. The only way I could get confirmation is by his best friends, who are my closest friends, too. This is an infinite cycle.
I've hardly known him.

To avoid the topic, I turn my back and dive into the water. Coming up again, I throw my hair back and look into my female friend eyes. Her amused eyes had this sparkle, for more effect, she shakes her head.

"Shut up, Sofia Beatrice!"

"That'd be a favor to the world." A voice interrupts our conversation. It was Jota's.

Sofia dived into the water, by my side, but her right arm standing above the water. Her middle finger and thumb were the only ones up.
My body shakes with the temperature, but with how much I'm laughing, too.
Jota shakes his head, accompanying my laughter. He turns back to his friend, Lucas Machado. Or should I say, the topic of conversation between me and Sofia?

The time we spent in the water made our fingertips wrinkle, that being the sign to step out and get something to eat.
The guys were already collecting the shoes, picking them up and throwing besides the blanket, which was bought last night.
Both pair of eyes on us, as we embrace the breeze.

Lucas picks up the swimming shorts he hadn't used, handing them to me. "Let's go, we're getting lunch."

I pull up his shorts to my waist, tightening it with the laces. Since everything is packed, we start to head out of the beach.
Jota and Sofia are in front of us, carrying the bag. Lucas finds himself in the middle, slowly walking. I catch up to him, strolling by his side. He, without any word, puts his hand on the small of my back, sliding it, carefully, to just above my hip.