{1} Princess - P. Jackson 🔱

"I was forced to be there, but in the end I liked it."

🕊️

"Beleza, we are now starting our beautiful presentation on why Maria should go to the beach with us." Miguel said standing next to the TV with Julia.

I was woken up by Lucas, he kept shaking me and pulling my arms until I sat on the bed. I didn't even have time to change my clothes, he put me up in front of the sink and started to tell me to brush my teeth.

Now I was seated between Thomas and Lucas on the couch while Miguel and Julia smiled widely in front of the TV. The clock on the wall ticked near six thirty a.m. and I was disoriented.

It was already the middle of February and I hadn't stepped foot on the beach. If you guys don't know, there's no way you can visit Rio and not go to the beaches.

Thing is, I was still hesitant.

They had been asking me to go since before New Year's and I refused. New Year itself I spent at home and not at Copacabana beach watching the concerts and the show of fireworks. I couldn't bring myself to go there.

"Pay attention," Thomas nudged my arm and pointed to the front. I blinked hard, trying to focus my vision. The beach themed presentation shined before my eyes with 'Mas Que Nada' playing in the background and Julia moving her feet and hips in a small samba.

"As we all know, Rio de Janeiro has the most beautiful beaches. There's no way you are not going to visit one at least once." Julia started, pointing to pictures on the first slide. Then she clicked next on her phone and pictures with thermostats showing high temperatures and people in front of fans appeared. "The best time to visit them is during the summer and, oh look at that!"

"We are in the summer!" Miguel completed. "And by the time," He pointed to the next slide where a picture of a clock popped up with an empty subway next to it. "It is best to get the subway now before it gets full or else we'll have to go standing with nowhere to sit."

"Now, I know that you must be asking yourself 'what am I going to do there?'" Julia said, raising her hand in a hold up sign. "I'll answer you, girlie," The next slide appeared with shells as bullet points. "First we'll drown you on the sea, take off this bad aura around you, 'cuz damn, that needs a good Palo Santo and a prayer to Yemanjá." I looked at her seriously, seeing Miguel nod his head. I heard Lucas mumbling a 'she's right,' making the girl smile with the support.

Poseidon would probably drown me if he knew I hurt his son.

"Second we have the fact that you're white as a ghost. Maria, I'm sure Carlos Alberto is jealous of your color right now."

"Who's Carlos Alberto?" I narrowed my eyes, looking at Lucas. He turned to me and smiled pointing randomly at some place in the living room. "He's our ghost, but that's for another time. Now pay attention."

"You need to get the marquinha, man." Miguel kept going. "Yes," Julia said, "Look even prettier than you already do. Vitamin D, gringa, and no, it's not the D you're thinking about."

"I wasn't thinking." I said, crossing my arms while frowning with the accusation.

"Wait, what?" Lucas said, furrowing his eyebrows and his gaze going between me and Julia.

"Pau in English is dick, so the D she's talking about in the vitamin is from the sun, not dick." Thomas explained, taking a look at his phone.

"Ooh, okay." Lucas replied, raising his hand with a thumb up. "Keep going."

"You need to get out of the house, Maria. The walls can't handle seeing you anymore." Julia said.

"Yes, and you don't want to miss what the beach has to offer to you. Seriously, we're going to drink lots of Matte Leão and eat biscoito Globo. Did you know that this snack was discontinued and came back? Like, it came back Maria. We have to have it." Miguel moved his hands around, speaking dreamily and finishing indignantly.