Timeless Ties || Volturi Kings

37. August and September

August and September
Two hazy months
My heart sways
Recalling my past

— Galvão e Galvãozinho (adapted translation from Agosto e Setembro)

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From Tuesday to Friday, Alessia met some of her professors for the first time and reconnected with others, feeling genuinely pleased with all of them. Although it was too early to determine their teaching quality since the first day was mainly spent on introductions and discussing the semester's agenda, she was impressed by the fact that each professor provided a detailed schedule with precise dates.

It was somewhat disheartening that Alessia was so thrilled merely to have precise dates, but compared to the disorganization of last semester, this was already a significant improvement. These clear dates gave her some peace of mind, especially because, like in school, the Semana do Saco Cheio would be class-free. This meant she wouldn't have to worry about skipping an entire week and faking a medical certificate or trying to convince her father to take a different week off. She couldn't decide which would be worse.

Alessia, after all, always spent Semana do Saco Cheio visiting Aparecida and the beach. She couldn't even remember when this tradition started, but it had been a constant for as long as she could recall. Every year, she and her father would leave at midnight, with her father driving through dawn. They would arrive in Aparecida around 9 AM, spend the day there, and then head to her father's house in the Ubatuba beach as it got dark. They would spend five days at the beach, and on the last day, they would have breakfast before heading back home, usually arriving in the evening.

This annual trip was something she looked forward to each year. During those days, her father's mistreatment would noticeably diminish, and he would stay sober for almost four entire days. Alessia enjoyed playing in the sand and sea as if she were still a child, thanks to the house's secluded location near a small, tree-filled island. Every morning, she would wake up at 7 AM and take advantage of the low tide to walk to the island. She would spend about 20 minutes there, exploring and noticing any changes from the previous year, taking numerous photos. Before 8 AM, she had to return to the shore before the tide rose too high, which would make it impossible to cross back until the tide receded again. It was wonderful.

But she digressed.

The point was that Alessia was happy with her professors, which put her in a somewhat good mood on Saturday, even though waking up at 6 AM to take a bus to the university on a weekend had been irritating.

Already in the class, Alessia was seated peacefully, listening to the professor drone on about the semester's timetable, when Maria sauntered in, dressed, as always, as if she were ready for São Paulo Fashion Week.

Maria's straight copper hair cascaded in loose, elegant waves, adorned with a delicate clip that held a section back gracefully. Her eyes were a masterpiece of earthy-colored eye shadow, accentuated by precisely applied, sharp eyeliner. Dangling from her ears were exquisite almond-shaped earrings that caught the light beautifully. Her outfit, unsurprisingly, was impeccable — a tailored feminine suit that complemented her makeup perfectly. Her shoes, with their modest heels, added just the right touch of sophistication. She looked like an earthy-toned Elle Woods, radiating confidence and style, and Alessia loved her for that.

Maria studied Economics, so it was no surprise she needed to take that class. What did surprise Alessia was finding Maria in the exact same class as her. Not that Alessia was complaining — this meant she hopefully already had a partner for group projects and similar tasks, which university professors seemed to adore assigning.

When Maria saw her, she flashed one of her trademark smiles, and took a seat beside her, as there were plenty of open spots — apparently, no one wanted to take classes on Saturday mornings. Alessia had counted only 11 people in the class before Maria arrived, and the college as a whole was practically deserted. They didn't say anything at first, since the professor was still speaking, but Alessia beamed back at her. As soon as the class ended — an hour earlier than scheduled, likely because it was the first day — they began to chat.