A Thing Called Love

The Homecoming Aftermath

POV JULIETTE

My little bird alarm rings on my phone. It's 9:00 A.M.

Wow, I'm really tired. My eyes are heavy, my brain feels burnouted, my body is aching a little and... One of my knees is hurting.

I lift my blanket, go to my bathroom to examine it and... I get scared by how purplish it is.

I think that I hit it so hard when I fell to the ground while I tried to run away from my anxiety crisis yesterday. It's hurting so much, but nobody here home can see it. So, I get some body gel and pass some of it on my knees. It aches a little while I spread it, but it soon passes, because the gel is fresh.

And for consequence of much masking yesterday, my brain is very tired and burnouted today. Luckily, it's Sunday, so there is a lot of time to rest today until tomorrow.

So, I brush my teeth, get out of my room and go downstairs to eat my breakfast. Only my Mom and Johanna are on the kitchen, Aunt Jenna is working on the zoo as a volunteer and Grandma is snoring.

- Good morning. - I greet, yawning a little.

- Good morning, sunlight. - my Mom says and I giggle.

As I sit on the table, I feel my left knee hurt, but I try to get through the pain by avoiding it.

- How are you, Ju? - Johanna asks.

- I'm pretty tired, but feeling good.

- Cool. Can you tell us what happened yesterday between... You and Ricky?

- Johanna.

- It's okay, Mom. It happened nothing to us instead of dancing, singing and having a lot of fun.

I don't want to tell them about the meltdown I've experienced. If they discovered it, maybe they would take me out of the school, make a lot of questions or something like that. So instead, I say that:

- I've felt a little anxious, but they helped me.

- The theater gang? - Mom asks.

- Yes. - I say, smiling and eating my sandwich.

I think about Gina and our newfound friendship yesterday when she helped me when I needed the most. About Ashlyn, Big Red, Nini, Kourtney, Seb, Carlos and... Ricky.

About the moments that we've stealed in the past few weeks, our text messages and our dance.

This is being the best year of my life. I've made new friends, took the courage to try the theater class and follow my dreams, and I got the Kelsi part! Of course, there's going to be a lot of trials and tribulations, but it's being a good time.

Then I take the time to tell them everything about yesterday, happy faces coming from us.

- ...then Ricky gave us a ride home.

- I just met him, but he looks like a good boy, minha filha.

- He is, Mom. - I tell her, my mind lost in thoughts. - He really is.

- Hmmm. - Johanna suspects.

- What?

- You like him, right?

- Of course, we're friends. I told you that a millionth times.

- I'm not sure about this. - she jokes.

- If I really liked him THAT way, wouldn't I be telling to you? And besides, he wouldn't probably like me the same. And I... Don't think if I should care.

- Darling, if he really likes you, there are a few signs that you should pay attention for.

- Like what? - I ask, interested.

- Like... If he blushes at just talking to you.

- If he's interested on what you like, cares about your feelings and tries to start a conversation with you. - Johanna continues.

- If he makes you feel comfortable, asks for your consent on touching you, wants to be with you...

- Even if he serenades you with a song. - Johanna jokes again.

- And if you both think about each other.

Okay, she caught me up.

- Yeah, I... I'm thinking much about him recently.

- I KNEW IT! - Johanna screams.

- Shhh! - my Mom and me shush her.

- Sorry. - she speaks normally. - I knew it!

- Yes, you can stop bragging about it. - I joke.

- Oh, I know my little sister!

- See? - my Mom says. - That's a first sign. And there are a lot of other ones if you want to Google it.

- Okay. - I laugh. - Thanks.

So, I pass some time resting, remaratoning "House of Mouse", eating well and gossiping with Nini about yesterday.

💬 It was THAT good?

💬 It was! Here's a bomb of photos coming up in 3, 2, 1...!

Then I send all the photos that I could take from the party to her and Kourtney.

💬 OMG! 🤩
💬 I'm wishing now that I couldn't lose it!

💬 It's okay. Maybe there are going to be another Homecomings later.

💬 I hope, gal!
💬 How you're doing today?

💬 Pretty good! And you?

💬 It was good yesterday too!
💬 Miss Jenn took me and Kourtney to a karaoke and bowling place! It was good to regain my confidence, y'know?

💬 😍😍😍
💬 If you want to invite me to a karaoke someday, I will accept it with the most pleasure! ☺️
💬 I'm needing a lot of confidence.

💬 Oh, but I've learned too that you don't exactly need to be on a karaoke to gain confidence. It comes on the most unexpected ways 😉

💬 You're amazing, you know that, Nini?

💬 Yup, I know it 😂😺

Then, I post a picture of me on my Instagram, and I'm finally getting my blog done! But I'm struggling about what I want to write about. So, at 16:00 P.M., I finally discover what I want: write about my experiences! Then I start to write a little about me and finally upload it!
Not that Chloe Hayden will read it someday, but I hope that she can, because she's my biggest life inspiration! She inspires me on a lot of things after I discovered her last year, 2018.❣️

Then I get an Instagram notification from the comments of my theater friends. I smile happily as I read 'em.

After that, I eat some pizza with my family, take a bath and Google a little about the signs that a person likes you. And... The results are interesting. I think I'm going to put 'em on practice tomorrow with Ricky, put him on a test.

I just hope that it helps me.