Un atardecer contigo

Chapter 13: The night of the fire

In the night, I woke up like three times because Laila kept kicking me, and Romina talked in her sleep - she talks a lot when awake, doesn't she? Won't she talk while sleeping too? -
Since I couldn't sleep, I went out to the balcony to see the stars and listen to the sound of the sea. In the distance, I could hear music from a party. It's four in the morning, and I can't sleep, which stresses me out because I want to rest, and I have to go to school tomorrow. I think next sleepover Romi and Laila are sleeping on the floor.
While observing the landscape, I looked towards Danna's house, which had a light on, and I could see a shadow; I think it was her. As I walked back and forth, she came out to the balcony and looked in my direction. She smiled kindly and greeted me. She took her phone and showed it to me so I could see the message she had sent me.
Danna: Trouble sleeping?
Vicky: One kicks me, and the other talks in her sleep, haha.
Danna: That's how sleepovers are. Who are you with?
Vicky: With Laila and my sister.
Danna: Laila better not see you talking to me, she'd hate you, haha.
Vicky: No worries, she won't mind. And you? Why aren't you sleeping?
Danna: I fell asleep, but then I remembered I had to do an urgent assignment for tomorrow. If I don't do it, I'm dead.
Vicky: Ahh haha, I always organize myself, see which task is most urgent, and then I'm at peace.
We kept talking a bit more, and then I went back to bed.
The alarm woke us up at three, and we jumped out of bed quickly. Laila, Romina, and I dragged ourselves to the bathroom to get dressed and do our hair. We went down to the dining room, where Mom had prepared juice and toast for us.
- How did you sleep, girls? - my mother asks.
- Ask them because as for me, I could hardly sleep at all. - I say, looking exaggeratedly at the two of them.
- And why is that?
- One was talking to herself, and the other one kept kicking me.
- Oh well, it's not that bad. - Romina says.
- Of course, it's not that bad because it's not you.
- Well, next time we'll put a mattress on the floor. - Laila proposed.
We finished breakfast and went to school, but Romi accompanied us to the door because she studies at the University. Zac, Ivan, and Luke went with us.
- The sleepover was cool, right? - Luke asks me.
- Yeah, and I heard some gossip that I'm not going to tell you. - I say, glancing at him sideways.
- Oh, really? That's too bad because I was going to invite you to watch the fireworks tonight, but oh well. - he says with regret.
- Aww, really?
- Of course, we WERE going, but...
- Well, I think you're going to find out about the gossip on your own. - I looked at Ivan and Romi who were talking.
I looked at Luke significantly for him to understand, and yes, he understood quickly.

- I can't believe it, haha.
- Me neither. I was surprised when she told me.
- Honestly, I didn't like that guy she was with at all.
- Me neither, but she and Ivan match so well.
I think I said "Ivan" too loudly because he looked at me with narrowed eyes.
- What about me? - he says.
I looked at Luke for help in making up something.
- No, nothing. - says Luke.
I came up with something instantly.
- It was because we were going to invite you and Romina to watch the fireworks tonight. Obviously, if you both want to. - I quickly say.
Good move.
- Yes, of course, do you want to go? - he asks Romi.
- Of course I want to!
- And us? - Zac asks.
- You too, of course. - Luke confirms.
- We feel left out of the couple's date. - and Laila crosses her arms.
- Of course, couple's date. - Luke reaffirms and puts his arm around my shoulders.
Well...
I want to tease him by saying things like "Am I your date?" "So many hints, huh?" But I can't because otherwise, my pride would drag him through the mud, and I would also look ridiculous, which I am not.

Today the math teacher had a bad day, I think, because she was very agitated. She had a conflict with Laila, spoke badly to her, they started arguing, and well, she went to the principal's office.
- I can't believe she spoke to me like that. - she says, very angry as we went out for recess.
- The good thing is that you stood up for yourself and were sure that what she said was wrong.
- Yeah, I knew I was right, and I'm going to defend it.
We went out to the courtyard to sit on some benches and eat something.
In the distance, Luke, Ivan, Zac, and Caleb were approaching, they were very serious, and Zac was touching his lower lip because it was injured.
- What happened, Zac? - I ask worriedly. As soon as I said his name, Laila looked at him immediately.
- Ouch! Are you okay? Who hit you? - she asks while hugging him.
- He was humiliated, and it ended badly. - says Luke.
- He's an idiot. - comments Zac. I still don't know what happened and who did it.
- You didn't have to play along, Zac, sometimes it's better to ignore. - I advise.
- He made me play along.
- But what happened for you to hit each other? - Laila asks.
Zac took a while to respond, he was still very angry.
- He called me useless, a poor guy with no future, and the worst part was that he insulted you, said everything to you, and that's why I did what I did.
It's understandable because it's clear that he loves Laila too much, and if they do something to her or insult her like they did, it's evident that he'll react like that.
Laila didn't say anything, she just walked away in a firm step; she headed towards Zac's classroom.
- Laila, don't go, please. - he says to her and grabs her to stop her, but he didn't succeed.
- Nobody messes with you or me, especially not him. - she says and lets go of Zac.
- Trouble. - Ivan says quietly.
- Can you imagine if you did that for me? Aww, you'd be so sweet. - Luke says, smiling at me.
- You wish. - I say and give him a little push.
We went after Laila so things wouldn't get out of control, but it wasn't possible because she went straight to punch a guy. I honestly don't know how she did it because he was bigger than her and muscular.
- Who is he? - I ask.
- He's the idiot ex.
No wonder Zac got even more furious, then.
Laila was still standing in front of him, humiliating him so much that it seemed like the guy was going to start crying. He listened to her without saying anything.
- Who do you think you are to insult me and hit Zac? You're nobody, and without your little "bad boys" group, you're nothing. Come and tell me to my face everything you told Zac about me. Why do you think I left you? Because you're a good person? No, because you're an idiot, that's what you are. - Everyone was filming the situation, and they two were in the center of the circle.
Zac was very surprised, just like all of us.
I was speechless, I couldn't believe it, I literally admire Laila for being like that and not staying silent.
- And I don't care about all of you filming to publish it everywhere later, better, upload it because he's the one who's going to be the most humiliated. - she says, pointing at him and comes back to us.
We looked at her for a moment to process everything until finally Zac kissed her.
- Wow...wow. - Caleb says.
- You were awesome. - I tell her.
- I knew you were a pain in the ass to get what you want, but I didn't know you were so good at humiliating. - Luke says.
- How could I not? People like that stress me out, thinking they're all that.