Belonging Season

04

After an evening filled with forced smiles and strained conversations, Stella was relieved to finally find herself alone in her room. The door was closed, shutting out the outside world, and she hoped that sleep would finally come. However, as the house grew quieter, a soft tapping on her window shattered the silence.

Stella, feeling torn between her exhaustion and curiosity, debated whether to ignore the sound. But something compelled her to get up from her bed and approach the window. As she pulled back the curtain and looked out, her heart leapt at the sight. Standing there, several floors below, were her two childhood best friends Matteo and Gaston, their faces split into wide grins as they looked up at her.

Matteo, his eyes sparkling with mischief, called up to her in a playfully dramatic tone, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down thy hair!" His voice carried the whimsical charm of an old English fairytale.

Stella couldn't help but smile at Matteo's silly remark. "Idiots..." she muttered to herself, shaking her head slightly. Despite their juvenile antics, she was immensely happy to see them unexpectedly appearing outside her window.

Stella moved quickly down the grand staircase and hurried through the back door of the mansion, her heart racing with a sense of excitement. As she stepped into the backyard, she darted straight towards Matteo. Without wasting a moment, he lifted her off the ground, spinning her around in a playful embrace.

Stella wrapped her arms around Matteo's neck, laughing as she was spun around. It felt like no time had passed, as if they were still the same carefree kids who had shared countless adventures together. Finally, he set her back down, both of them breathlessly grinning at each other.

Gaston, pretending to be offended, exclaimed, "What, no hug for me?" Stella chuckled and playfully rolled her eyes. "Oh, come here, you big baby," she teased, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.

As Stella hugged Gaston, she couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia. It was like stepping back in time, being surrounded by her closest friends once again. The chaos and drama of her life since moving back home seemed to fade away as she basked in their familiar comfort.

Stella pulled back slightly, looking at both Matteo and Gaston with a grateful smile. "I can't believe you two actually came here tonight. I thought we'd never see each other again."

Matteo smiled and replied, "Well, it's all thanks to Ambar. She called me and told us you were back, and we knew we had to come see you as soon as possible."

Stella was touched by their eagerness to see her.

Matteo, with a wide smile, exclaimed, "I still can't believe it, our Stella is actually back! You're here!" He spun her around again, causing her to laugh uncontrollably.

Gaston chimed in, his expression mirroring Matteo's joy. "The gang is back together again! It's just like old times, isn't it?"

Matteo's expression grew serious as he responded, "Except Ambar isn't with us. She is usually with her new friends like Delfi and Jazmin these days. We broke up a while back and things got a bit complicated after that, you know?"

Stella nodded sympathetically, sensing Matteo's bittersweet emotions about the situation. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said gently. "I knew you two had broken up, but I didn't realize things had gotten complicated between you."

Matteo shrugged, doing his best to downplay the significance of the breakup. "Nah, it's cool," he replied. "It was a mutual break-up, nothing too crazy. We're not as close as we used to be when you were here, but life goes on, you know?"

Stella could see that Matteo was trying to appear nonchalant, but she knew him well enough to sense that it wasn't entirely true. However, she decided to let it go for now, understanding that sometimes boys preferred to keep their emotions hidden beneath a casual exterior.

Matteo's grin returned as he tried to deflect from the serious topic. "Enough about break-ups and all that, we didn't come here to talk about exes. We want to hear all about your life now!"

Stella chuckled and shook her head at Matteo. "Matteo, it's 2 in the morning. Can this conversation wait until a more normal hour?"

Matteo wrapped his arms around her tightly and whined, "No, if I let you go, you're going to disappear again." He laughed, but there was a hint of underlying sincerity in his words.

Stella smiled at Matteo's exaggerated clingy behavior. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise," she reassured him, patting his arm affectionately.

Gaston chuckled at Matteo's clinginess and joined the conversation. "Yeah, stop being such a baby, Matteo. Stella's not going to vanish into thin air if you let go of her for two minutes."

Matteo shot a playful glare at Gaston and retorted, "You're just jealous because I'm her favorite best friend." He stuck his tongue out at Gaston, clearly enjoying the banter between them.

Stella looked between Matteo and Gaston, trying to maintain a neutral expression of mock seriousness. "I don't have a favorite," she stated firmly, trying to sound impartial. "Don't act like children. Both of you are important to me." However, there was an underlying hint of affection and history in her voice when referring to Matteo, making it obvious that their bond held a special place in her heart.

Matteo, sensing her unspoken sentiment, flashed Stella a knowing smile, while Gaston jokingly rolled his eyes. It was clear that both of them knew the depth of their friendship with Stella, and the unique connection she shared with Matteo.

Gaston, observing Stella's weary expression, spoke up with a smile. "Alright, let's let our lady get some sleep. We'll see you at school tomorrow. Oh, and just so you know, you're in our class now."

Stella smiled gratefully at Gaston, appreciative of his consideration for her exhaustion. "Thanks, I didn't know I was in your class, that's amazing!" she replied, a hint of excitement in her voice. The thought of being reunited with Matteo and Gaston in the everyday setting of school filled her with a sense of comfort.

Matteo leaned in and quickly planted a soft kiss on the temple of stella's head. "Buona notte, mia cara," he whispered in Italian, his voice warm and affectionate.

As Matteo bid farewell in his affectionate tone, Gaston rolled his eyes playfully, but he couldn't hide the hint of a smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. Stella chuckled and watched as the two boys disappeared from view, heading home. She quietly returned to her room, her mind filled with memories and a feeling of anticipation for the school day ahead.