Belonging Season

15

It had been over a month since Stella returned home to Buenos Aires. If she was being honest with herself, she expected to miss Italy more than she actually did. Surprisingly, she found herself enjoying life in her hometown. Occasionally, she felt a pang of guilt for losing contact with Lorenzo, but her thoughts were now dominated by other matters.

In school, Stella spent most of her time with Matteo and Gaston. Occasionally, she felt guilty about not spending enough time with her beloved sister, Ambar, but Ambar's friends seemed to belong to a completely different world. Stella found comfort in the familiarity and bond she had with her two male best friends.

Deep down, Stella knew there was more to the story. Part of the reason behind her avoiding Ambar likely stemmed from the conversation she had with their mother.

Indeed, Stella's mind was preoccupied these days, but among all the tangled emotions and thoughts, the one person who managed to distract her from her family's drama was undoubtedly Gaston. Their late-night chats had become a sort of comforting ritual, bringing them closer and deepening their bond over the past few weeks.

Stella, immersed in her homework despite the bustling surroundings of Jam and Roller, didn't spot Matteo approaching until he casually greeted her with a cheerful "Ciao" and took a seat beside her on the sofa.

She lifted her gaze from her paper and looked at Matteo quizzically, asking, "Shouldn't you be working on your song for the competition right now?"

Matteo scooted a little closer, his gaze fixed on her as he said, "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, amore."

Matteo's expression softened, and he said, "I need your help with something. I was wondering if you could give me a hand with some lyrics. I need to borrow that creative mind of yours."

Stella replied, her tone slightly weary, "I'm pretty swamped these days," to which Matteo asked, "With Gastón?" a hint of jealousy in his voice.

Stella's silence spoke volumes and Matteo smirked, seeing right through her efforts to downplay it. He remarked, "You don't have to pretend, mia cara. I'm not blind; I've seen him heading to your house at night. We basically live on the same street, you know."

Stella was quick to clarify, "It's not like that—" but Matteo interrupted, his tone reassuring. He held up his hands, signaling no hard feelings. "Relax, even if it was, no hard feelings," he repeated. Stella then inquired, "You won't tell Luna? Or Nina?"

Matteo let out a scoff as he replied, "Why would I care about Nina? That's Gastón's problem, and Luna has no business worrying about what another guy does at night."

Matteo's pleading gaze met Stella's as he continued, "Please, Stella, I really need your help. Winning this album deal means so much to me. I have to prove to my dad that I can make it as a singer. I need your creativity. Can you please help me write the song?"

As Matteo wrapped his arms around Stella in a grateful hug, she agreed, "I'll help you." At that moment, Gastón walked through the door of Jam and Roller, and their eyes met. Matteo, still holding Stella in his embrace, smirked in Gastón's direction.

Gastón maintained his cool composure, ignoring the scene unfolding before him as he headed straight for the locker room to change into his practice gear.

Matteo turned to Stella and asked, "Can you meet me here again after 8? Jam and Roller closes then, and Juliana lets me lock up. She knows I like to practice here," he explained, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Stella gave a nod, her smile polite. Matteo winked at her and said, "Ci vediamo, amore," before making his way towards the locker room to put on his skates for practice.

Matteo entered the locker room, where Gastón was already giving him a menacing glare. With a defiant smirk, Gastón demanded, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Matteo chuckled to himself, his smirk widening as he responded, "Relax, man, I'm not trying to steal your girl - well, at least the one you're in a relationship with at the moment."

Gastón, riled with fury, retorted, "Leave Stella alone. There's no harm in hanging out together at school or with the group, but you're crossing a line."

"And who are you to tell me what to do?" Matteo said, a hint of defensiveness in his tone.

Gastón shot back, "I'm someone who actually cares about Tella," Matteo winced at the mention of the new nickname he knew nothing about, but quickly shot back, scoffing, "If you care about her the same way you care about Nina, I feel sorry for her."

Gastón's irritation flared as he protested, "You have no idea what you're talking about."

Matteo, his smirk growing more confident, retorted, "You think you would care more about the girl you've been with for a year than to sneak out in the middle of the night to do God knows what with another girl."

Gastón's retort was sharp, "Well, you're not exactly winning a 'Boyfriend of the Year' award either. It seems to me that you'd like to do 'God knows what' with her too."

The revelation stunned Gastón into silence as Matteo admitted with a nonchalant shrug, saying, "I already did."

Frustrated and enraged, Gastón couldn't contain his anger any longer, and he threw a powerful punch, connecting with Matteo's face. The commotion drew the attention of the rest of the team, including Luna, and they rushed over to see what was happening.

Coach Juliana, visibly distressed, yelled, "What's going on?"

Luna hastily rushed to Matteo, who was on the ground, while Gastón swiftly moved past them. Frustration palpable, he left the room, followed closely by Nina.

Nina called out to Gastón, but he continued walking, not breaking his stride until he was outside. When she finally caught up with him, she asked, "Gaston, what's going on?"

Gaston tersely replied, "Nothing," the tension in his voice evident.

Nina persisted, "Gaston, please. I know we've been distant lately, but you can always—"

Gaston, cutting her off, snapped, "Stop, Nina. Just stop. I can't do this anymore."

Nina was left stunned. She asked, "What? What do you mean?"

Gaston's tone was final as he declared, "This. Us. I'm done. I can't do this anymore. We're not good for each other." With that, he left.