Un atardecer contigo

Chapter 11: Best friend?

After Luke and his parents left, we had a family conversation about what happened to Romi with Axel. My parents, of course, weren't angry with her, but they were angry with Axel... I don't know what my dad is going to do about it.

- I love you very much, my love. You did the right thing with the decision you made. - my mother tells Romina.
- I love you, mommy.

At first, it was a bit hard for her to tell mom and dad about this, but then the embarrassment went away. My dad was very restless, pacing back and forth throughout the living room.

- Dad, what are you thinking of doing? - I ask him.
- Killing him. He's going to learn what respect is.
He really seemed very angry.
- Don't worry, dad. I'm not with him anymore.
- I don't care. What? He treats you like that, and I'm not going to do anything?
No one said anything else; I think we all wanted to go and bother him.

- Love... calm down, okay? You can go and break his nose tomorrow, but for now, let's forget about the issue for a while. - my mother tried to calm him down.
My father calmed down a bit and listened to her.

- Want to watch a movie? Do you guys want to? - I suggest.
I said that because Romi loves movies, and whenever she's sad, she watches them.

- Yes! I want to! - she says.
- Well, but no falling asleep.
I knew that comment from my dad was directed at me; I never manage to see the end of a movie.

We sat on the big couch, I snuggled up next to mom, and Romi sat next to dad. Of course, Kimba wanted to join us but couldn't, so she sat on the floor.

We watched the movie "Ghost," and I loved it. My parents had already seen it because it's a classic. Obviously, I cried, and so did my sister.

- Vicky didn't fall asleep at any moment. - my father congratulates me.
- I'm about to. - my eyes feel heavy with tiredness.
- But then, no boyfriend will put up with you. - Romi comments.
- Luke will always put up with me, I think.
- Don't spoil it! Or is it official, and you didn't tell us?
- Dad, you'll be the first to know anything. It was just a joke of illusion.
- It was definitely a joke of illusion because she already had the biggest smile in the world. - my mother says.
- I'll die of embarrassment if there's a hidden microphone. - I say as I get up to help my father make pizzas.
- OH, I REMEMBERED I WAS RECORDING AN AUDIO FOR LUKE AND NEVER ENDED IT!
- WHAT?!
- Hahaha, did you really think so? Oh, how funny.
- I swear I almost had a heart attack, Romina!

The pizzas turned out really well. We ate in the garden since it was a beautiful, starry night. The sky is so clear that my sight gets lost. We had conversations about how the universe was created, that doubt that everyone asks themselves at some point in life. My parents love everything about astronomy; they always say that we're not the only ones in the entire universe. After looking at the constellations, we went to bed.

I lay down and checked my phone, which had a notification. It was a message from Luke wishing me goodnight, and I did the same to him. I'll admit I fell asleep with a smile. Every detail and every moment make me end the day with that nice feeling that I'm in the right place with the right people.

The aroma of coffee and croissants in the morning completely invaded me and made me get up immediately like a zombie from "The Walking Dead," and undoubtedly, my appearance was as horrible as always when I wake up. Before going down to the kitchen, I went to bother Romina, who was sleeping deeply.

I jumped on her bed to wake her up.
- OUCH, WHAT DO YOU WANT!
Her scream startled me.
- Nothing, just came to say hi, calm down...
- I DON'T LIKE YOU COMING TO SAY HI TO ME! AND ESPECIALLY NOT TALKING TO ME AT THIS TIME IN THE MORNING!

- "MOM, ROMINA YELLED AT ME!" I said capriciously like a little girl.
- "Grow up already," she said, burying her face in the pillows.
- "Don't fight at this hour!" my mother called from the kitchen. "Come down, breakfast is almost ready!" she added.
I went and stuck my tongue out at her to keep annoying her.
- "Good morning, Mom, good morning, Dad."
- "You look worse than the living dead, but since you're my little princess..." my father greeted me as he was about to leave for work.
- "Thanks, Dad, I love you too."
- "Don't be mean to your daughter," my mom scolded him.
They both hugged me, and I got caught in that typical cuddle that happens when they hug you.
- "Okay...okay, that's enough...I'm suffocating..."
- "Oh, we love you so much."
- "Me too, but seriously, I want to have my breakfast."
When they finally let go, I grabbed my beloved morning coffee and ate my croissant.

Ready to go to school, I opened the door but then I thought, instead of walking, I could go on my skateboard, so I went to my room and grabbed the one Luke lent me. When I got to the door, I ran into Luke with Ivan and Laila.
- "Oh, hey guys."
- "You've already gotten attached to the skateboard, haven't you?" Ivan asked, pointing at the board.
- "Actually, yes. My good friend already taught me," I said, looking at Luke.
- "Friend?" Laila said, laughing.
Here we go with the jokes again... Luke and I exchanged a glance at her comment, but I didn't quite understand why.
The day at school felt pretty heavy. I crossed paths with Danna a couple of times during recess, and we greeted each other kindly. Laila, on the other hand, didn't even look at me.
I also spent some time with Ivan; he asked me how Romina was doing after the breakup with Axel...
But how does he know she's not with him anymore? Did Romi tell him? I knew they got along well, but for her to tell him they broke up? I like that. Now Ivan can start talking to her more, and Romina can spend more time with him, until they get to know each other and eventually fall in love. Oh, how exciting!
Stop making up stories.
At least it's not my love life, although it's my sister's... I feel sad when she's not well.
I imagined all of this just as the class was ending, and I blanked out.
- "Vicky, are you staying or...?" Zac asked when he saw that everyone had left and I remained sitting at my desk.
- "Oh, no, sorry, I was just thinking about something."
- "About someone named Luke," Laila commented, and instantly I shot her a glare.
- "He's just my best friend, stop teasing."
- "Oh, come on, it's clear you're into him."
- "SHH, QUIET, DON'T EXPOSE ME," I whispered.
As we left the classroom, I saw Ivan and Luke waiting for us at the door.
It's obvious Luke heard everything Laila said, and I'm terrible at whispering.
- "Come on, let's go surfing, there are some beautiful waves," Luke said, very excited.
- "Yes, let's go."
- "Don't tell me you skipped school to check out the waves," I said, arms crossed.
- "I didn't, it was Caleb," he said, raising his hands.
- "Oh, dear..."
We went to get our surfboards. Luke accompanied me home, and then I went with him.

- "So, I'm your best friend?" Luke asked as we walked.
That question froze me because I knew his victorious moment was coming, and I'd end up with red cheeks.
- "Of course... why do you ask?" He laughs. He always laughs.
- "It's not a question... it's like..." He trailed off.
- "It's like...?"
- "Forget it." Now I seem to be the one who got the upper hand.
He didn't say anything more about it, and we talked about something else.
I put on my bikini, and we headed to the beach.
As soon as we all stepped onto the sand, we ran towards the water and jumped in.
A beautiful wave was forming. The water is so transparent that I can see the fish.
My favorite wave was the one we all surfed together. Zac's board has a camera, and it recorded all the waves.
We stayed in the sea until sunset, which is the best part. The water was calm, and the colors of the sunset reflected on it.
We didn't surf anymore, but we stayed there saying goodbye to the sun.
The six of us took a photo, only our silhouettes showing.
We paddled back to the shore to rest and put on a sweater because it was getting a little cold.
The others were talking among themselves, and I stayed looking at some clouds that had very nice shapes.
- "You're in the clouds," Luke says, sitting next to me.
- "Do you see that one?" I point to one.
- "Yes, it looks like the crest of a wave."
- "They're very beautiful."
- "Yeah..."
I want to ask him what he was going to tell me today while we were walking and he didn't finish his sentence. I can't leave with the doubt, but I don't know how to ask. In fact, he didn't tell me for some reason, I don't know if it was because of embarrassment or what...
- "So, what did you want to tell me when we left school today?"
- "Tell you about what?"
- "Today, you were going to tell me something, but you didn't."
He thought for a moment and looked at me. It seemed like he was figuring out how to tell me something I didn't know.
- "Today... when you were in class with Laila... and you told her I'm your best friend..."
- "Oh yeah... what about it?"
- "Not just... I want to be your best friend... I mean, I want to and I am... but I want to be someone important to you. I want to be everything to you, Vicky."
Silence. Silence. Not even a fly is flying.
EXPLOSION OF HAPPINESS.
I stared at him like a fool because I couldn't believe it was real. What he was saying was real.
- "Sorry... maybe I made you uncomfortable."
- "No, no, of course not. Luke... you're very special to me, the best person I've ever met. And you're already everything to me."
I don't know how I dared to say this, but luckily the guys arrived, saying it was time to go because it was cold, and they saved me from this situation.
We gathered our things and left.