Moonsland (EN)

Emily (XXIV)

  James still wanted to compete against Ron and Lis, but I didn't let him so he wouldn't get hurt anymore, so we went to the place with the paintings, where we all sat down on the floor to rest from the first two challenges.
- Shall we go? - Rick asks, getting up shortly afterwards. - I have a dinner I want to win. - We laugh.
- Let's go. - We all respond in chorus, while the boys help the girls up. I didn't have to, but it's a kind act.
- How are we going to do this? We only have three frames. - I ask.
- I'd like to draw on the board. - James says.
- I wouldn't mind either. - Ron adds.
- Then it could be boys in pictures and girls on paper. - Lis proposes.
- It could be. I think it'll be nice. - I say.
  The boys approach the pictures and we blindfold them so that they can't really see anything. We have thirty seconds to draw on the paper while the blindfolded men try to replicate the picture they can't see.
- Do you know what you're going to draw? - I ask Lis and Jenny.
- I think so. - They answer in chorus.
- I'll start the timer, then... - I say. - ...in three, two... one, I started. I decide to draw the Chamaeleon constellation, which is the one that won me the bet on the planetarium. While I'm drawing on the paper I can't see if James is drawing well on the board, but I know he's concentrating with one hand on the board so I can see where he is. The cell phone beeps at the end of the thirty seconds. I think I didn't put in enough time, but I managed to draw what I wanted so I'm happy. I'm just afraid that James didn't catch all the movements because I was so quick. They take off their blindfolds and as James takes off his blindfold he whispers to me:
- Are you sure?
- I'm sure of it. - I reply. Clearly, he realized it was the constellation. I doubt we won't win this challenge.
  We all got together in a circle and showed each other the drawings we'd made on the paper. Jenny drew a house made of geometric figures, Lis a simple car and I a constellation. All the boys looked at us like they hadn't drawn anything like what we'd done. Frightened, we asked them to show us the pictures. Rick drew the elements of Jenny's drawing, but in different places. Ron made a crooked car and James made an almost perfect replica of my drawing.
- In my defense, I'm very sensitive to touch and I used my fingers to guide me where I'd already drawn on the board. - Confess.
- It's really good! - I say in chorus with Lis.
- Thank you! - He says with a shy smile.
- I didn't like this game. - Rick says, pouting. We laugh.
- Accept it, friend. We're too good. - I say, pointing at James and me.
- I'm sorry. - James says, shrugging his shoulders and smiling.
  A few minutes later, we sat down on the bandstand by the lake to rest for a while before playing the last two games.
- Is this a good time to say I can't swim? - James asks.
- Can't you swim? - I ask in amazement. I wasn't surprised that he didn't know how to swim, but that he'd had lessons in everything and anything and not the one that probably sells the most lessons.
- "No," he replies, embarrassed.
- That's fine. We don't need to play. - I try to reassure him.
- I can play for my team and Emi's. - Lis suggests.
- Yes, we could do that and then you'd have a chance of winning the point. - Rick says. It doesn't sound like him.
- Leave it, we'll stay here. Thanks anyway. - I say.
- Excuse me. - James says.
- No problem, buddy. - Ron says. - This is just a game.
  Shortly afterwards, the two teams are on the lake, separated by a net attached to the bandstand and a kayak. They'll face each other in a best of three, worth one point, a very important point for Rick and Jenny's team, who will equalize our lead if they win the match.
- I seem to have discovered something you don't know how to do. - I say, trying to make him feel at ease about not being able to do everything.
- I guess so. - He replies with a slightly forced laugh. He puts on his sunglasses with their green and red details and looks at the game going on in front of us.
- I can teach you to swim, if you like. - I propose.
- Thank you. - Say it. - I don't know, because I'm scared. It's not for lack of trying.
- I just wanted to help. - I say. With his response, I felt he was on the defensive.
- I appreciate that. I just wanted to say that you don't need to waste your time trying to help me with that. - I'm sorry.
  While Rick and Jenny won two of the three games against Ron and Lis, James and I were left to guess what the other group of students were doing. Even though it doesn't look like it, we've been there for a good few hours and no one, apart from the team setting up the structures, has come to meet us. I hope it wasn't written in small letters on the paper we had to sign that we had to go somewhere as soon as we arrived.
- If we win the kayak, we win and we win. - Says Rick, smiling, as he dries off with a towel.
- You have to win to do that. - My answer.
- What if we win? - Ron asks. - You'd be tied on two points.
- I hadn't thought of that. - I say.
- I don't think anyone thought of that possibility. - Lis says. We all start laughing.
- But you also had to win. - Rick says jokingly. Lis gives him the middle finger.
- That's why I'm rooting for Emi and James to win. - Add.
- You can pray. - He replies.
- Guys, we're not going to take part. - I'll let you know.
- Why? - They ask.
- The kayak could capsize. - I say. - I'm not going to risk James drowning because of a game.
- How cute! - Lis exclaims.
- Emi, the water here is very calm. It's almost impossible to capsize. - Rick tells me.
- I won't risk it. - I repeat.
- It's okay, Emi. - James says, wrapping his arms around my waist. - Let's not turn around.
- Look, if you die, I'll kill you. - I threaten, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
- It's a deal! - He replies, smiling.
  A few minutes later, we were all in our kayaks. Before we got in, I agreed with James to tell him which arm to use to paddle so that we could improve our coordination. That's our only weapon, as Rick has more strength than anyone. After the three-second countdown, everyone starts rowing. We have the best coordination until we reach the other side.
- Hello, teacher! - We greeted each other breathlessly.
- What are you doing? - She asks.
- A competition. - I say. We almost flipped the kayak on the bend, but managed to reverse direction without falling.
- What crazy people, be careful! - He shouts. We don't answer to save air for the effort we're making. Rick and Jenny, even though their timing isn't as good as ours, manage to almost catch us. He seems to give his life for the dinner he can get if he arrives first, overtaking us almost at the finish line. When we reach the edge, Rick celebrates his victory by lifting Jenny up and kissing her.
- Congratulations! - I say, swallowing my pride. In the end, they did play better. They deserved it, but it's not something I'm going to admit. - We let you win because we saw how much you wanted dinner.
- Of course we do. We know. - He says jokingly, giving me a hug.
- It wasn't funny at all. - Ron says, laughing.
- I agree. - Lis says.
- Poor things, they haven't won one. - I say. - But they did pretty well.
- Thank you, my friend! - Lis says, hugging me.
- Now let's eat, I'm hungry. - Rick says.
- Let's go! - We all answered in chorus.

  Late at night, sometime after we've turned off the lights, I whisper:
- James? - I can't sleep, even though I'm tired. I hope he feels the same way, so he can keep me company until I fall asleep.
- "Yes?" he whispers back.
- Awake?
- Uh-huh.
- I can't sleep. - I confess.
- I don't think so either. I think the competition gave us too much adrenaline. - We laughed.
  We turned towards each other and could see each other very well; thanks to the lights they had installed next to the tents.
- Hello! - I say as I look at him.
- Hello! - he replies, flashing his beautiful smile. I wonder why he doesn't smile more often. His smile is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.
- Did you enjoy the competition? - I ask, trying to come up with a theme.
- I liked it, it was fun. - Your voice is hoarse. Music to my ears. - We lost, but not by much. I think we make a good team.
- I think so too. I don't like losing, but I think we did our best. - I reply. James settles down on the mattress and moves slightly closer to me. I feel butterflies in my stomach and it doesn't let me think. I keep quiet.
- Do you know what this reminds me of? - he asks, seconds after we've fallen silent.
- What? - I ask, trying not to look like I'm getting nervous.
- Our nights. - he says. Over the last month, we've been texting a lot during the night, to make up for hardly seeing each other during the day. Often, when we see the time, it's two in the morning and we're still talking, so fluid are our conversations. As a result, I sleep less almost every day and, every night, I know that if I stay up talking to him, I'll wake up sleepy, but that doesn't matter, because the conversations with him make up for the morning malaise. I think that's when I really realized how I felt about James. When I started to prefer talking to him to doing what I love most, which is sleeping. The truth is, I liked to sleep because in my dreams I can experience various realities, some better than my own. Now, even my best dream can't be better than this reality.
- I love our evenings. - I admit it. As I say this, James breaks up the little space between us and gives me an Eskimo kiss. I feel the butterflies wanting to come out of my stomach. I give him a shy smile and he smiles back. His eyes shine in the dim light.
- We have to keep this routine. - he tells me, already drowsy.
- Forever? - I ask.
- Forever is a long time, isn't it? - We laugh. As I'm about to answer, I notice that James has fallen asleep. I don't want to wake him now that he's fallen asleep, but I answer his question anyway, whispering:
- But it's the rightword.