Just One

Chapters 1 and 2

Chapter 1 - ANNA: "I loved meeting you."

Today, the sun is brutal, not only burning my skin, but now it's affecting my judgment, making me a bit dizzy and deeply tired. Sweat is pouring from all sides, and to make my situation worse, I must walk back home. I hope I don't develop terrible rashes on my legs like I did last month.

I head towards the main exit, and since today is Friday, the school is already practically empty, where the birdsong replaces the noise pollution of the crowd's hustle and bustle. The class really doesn't wait; even before the bell rings, everyone is ready with their backpacks on their backs, rushing to get out of school as quickly as possible.

As I turn my attention back to the road, I see a rather interesting boy wearing black jeans and a white V-neck T-shirt, which fits his body reasonably well, revealing the outline of his chest. His brown hair is not too short, reaching down to his neck. He is coming from the other side of the campus towards the exit, and I realize I don't recognize him. My eyes narrow slightly as I try to identify him. That's strange; I've never seen this boy here before. What a handsome boy! My mind wanders with curiosity: New student? What grade should he be in? Besides the backpack on his back, he carries a few books in his hands.

While I'm watching him, I notice that not far away, Sam is approaching the handsome boy, accompanied by his two hangers-on, Alan and Michael. I soon realize that Sam won't miss the opportunity to make his typical triumphant introduction. I say to myself: "Think fast, Anna! Think fast!" And, impulsively, I try to interrupt the ridiculous theater that Sam usually puts on for the new kids at school. I approach the handsome boy, and without giving him a chance to react or say anything, I open my arms towards him and wrap him in a hug, whispering in his ear: "Hi, don't be scared. Get into the story, and I'll explain it to you later. I'm Anna, and you?" He whispers in my ear, showing confusion, and replies: "Nick."

Then I loosen my arms around him and start speaking in a loud, clear tone, showing a certain intimacy and irritation: "Damn it, Nick, I've been looking for you all morning. Where were you? My mom's been waiting for us for ages. We're late, let's go, man." A little embarrassed, I grabbed his arm, indicating my intention to take him home.

In the blink of an eye, Sam and his two ventriloquists approach and ask: "Anna? What are you still doing here? Do you know each other?" Sam crosses his arms, pursing his lips, and asks: "Who's the new guy?" He asks as if he were the owner of the school and as if we owed him an explanation.

I disguise my anger, dryly swallow the situation, and reply amiably, forging a smile with a lot of effort: "Hi, Sam, how are you? I should be asking, what are you still doing here? Got detention from the teacher again?" I smile more emphatically to keep it playful and introduce Nick. "Sam, this is Nick, my cousin. He transferred here from another school. Nick, this is Sam, Michael and Alan, they're my friends."

Sam looks at us suspiciously from head to toe but is forced to accept the idea. Nick stretches out his right arm with his hand closed, ready to greet them with a flick of his wrist. And in a shy tone, he lets out a "Hey, what's up?" Then I interrupt the slightly awkward scene and say: "Nick, let's go. My mom will complain if we take too long." I turn to Sam and say: "Bye, Sam. See you later. We'll catch up tomorrow."

I retake Nick's arm, entwining ours, and we walk towards the street, remaining silent for a few seconds. I asked Nick for a minute because I wanted to give Sam a message. Then I turn back and shout: "Sam, wait a minute." I run up to him and, still angry and with my heart racing, I say, staring at his black pupils in the middle of his blue eyes: "I just want to warn you to treat my cousin really nicely, not just because he's my cousin, but because soon, who knows, he'll be your brother-in-law. If I hadn't arrived in time, you'd have teased him already, wouldn't you? You guys need to stop it. This attitude of yours, Sam, doesn't make you look more potent, more powerful, or more manly; on the contrary, it reveals that you're a weak guy with a total of issues. Tomorrow, I'm bringing him to your party to introduce him to your sister and see if I can get all that sadness out of her."