Sun Kisses - Miami Heat

Chapter Two

TRIPPING HAZARD

When I enter the school canteen and discover the table where my friends are sitting today, I signal to Levin that I'm going to get some food. He gives me a thumbs-up and turns his attention back to their conversation and the food.
After politics, I had English - with none of my friends.
I join the queue and notice Malin, Mal's older brother, further back in the room, watching me from a distance. He's wearing a white shirt and shorts, his dark hair a little messy.
I return his gaze a second too long as the right corner of his mouth twitches, making my heart race.
I quickly turn away and look at Mirabella, the woman behind the food counter, who is already grinning broadly at me.
Her hair is carefully hidden under a net and she is wearing a white apron, but the smile on her face is genuine.
Every day.
I've rarely met anyone as sunny as Mirabella.
Especially not in Miami.
"Aurelia darling, how are you?" she asks me and I push my tray towards her. She loads me up with all kinds of things and I rub my face tiredly. "Great. But you know how the teachers here can be," I joke and she joins. Together we roll our eyes back and hold a hand over our mouths as we yawn playfully.
I have to giggle. "And you?" She pushes my food over to me.
"Well, it's just the way it always is. But I'd feel better if you ate more, skinny kid." Ever since my first year at high school, Mirabella has thought that I don't eat enough, which is why she always gives me a little more of everything. She does the same with other students.
Her heart is in the right place.
"I eat and eat but it just won't work," I say with mock disappointment and she scrutinizes me. My weight or what my body looks like is the last thing I'm interested in.
When I eat, I eat what I like and as much as I can stomach. But for her, I like to stuff myself to the brim.
"Well, I'm going to test that out." She takes off her rubber gloves and grabs new ones before I smile at her one last time, ignore her words and make my way to my friends. When I arrive at their table, I sit down next to Levin and Autumn, Mal across from me, and start picking out the olives in my food.
"I dropped off your papers. They'll be printed by Monday," I inform Levin, who is chewing on a chicken and smacking his lips loudly. "Please stop that," I say in disgust and he grins.
"Thanks for handing it in."
"Yeah, no problem. Just stop smacking and close your mouth."
At least once, he listens to what I say and closes his mouth. After I've eaten all the olives, I turn my attention to the rest of the salad. I check the messages on my phone but realize that there's nothing important and put it away again.
A lot has changed since Ma and I moved in with her brother, Hannah and my grandparents. Apart from the fact that I no longer spend my evenings alone, but with my favorite cousin in my room, there is much more joy in our lives. My uncle is a cheerful person, just like Hannah.
Of course, it was also a big shock for him and Hannah when her mother and my father packed their bags and ran away together.
All hell broke loose. It wasn't just me who lost my father, but also my aunt, just like Hannah lost her mother and uncle.
We've always been a very close family, which is why the new living situation isn't a problem for anyone.
Even though I initially thought that my mother would never be able to cope with it.
Moving back in with her brother to live with her parents was so frivolous for her. She felt like a little girl again for a while, while she had me with her as a little girl she had to look after.
But she got used to it quickly and made the best of it. Still, I don't think she'll ever realize her full potential after Dad left us for her sister-in-law and she lost her job.
"What are we doing this weekend, guys?" Mal asks, pushing her empty plate away before wiping the crumbs off the table and rubbing her hands together. She leans back, satisfied.
I shrug my shoulders.
"I have to spend the whole weekend researching a new article, sorry." Levin spears a tomato with his fork, swinging it back and forth as he talks until it lands in his mouth. "Are you on to something new again?" I ask and he nods euphorically.
"Did you know that our brains are at their most creative when we're tired? Or that we like people who make mistakes?"
I look at him, frowning. "So you're writing an article about the brain?"
"It's cool, isn't it?"
Autumn laughs at her brother and says: "You could just write an article about the latest gossip or animal facts. Oh - or about the weather."
Levin grabs a piece of cheese and throws it at her. "First of all, I'm not Gossip Girl and secondly, I'm not boring. There are enough newspapers that write about the weather or other uninteresting things," he says with raised eyebrows as his sister dodges the piece of cheese.
"Well, I've got a date at the roller skating disco tomorrow. So it's a bad date - maybe Sunday?" she suggests, ignoring Levin.
Mal shakes her head and takes a bite from a string of gummy bears, of which she always has a pack in her bag. "I have to babysit."
I'm about to say that we won't see each other this weekend and that we'll keep the next one free instead, when a cold liquid pours over my head and I jump up from my chair in alarm.
Only then do I realize that a boy has tripped over my bag and his glass of water has tipped over on the tray - and directly onto me.
"Damn it," I curse as the liquid soaks through my top and the fabric sticks to my skin. A few strands of my hair are wet too.
When I look at the boy, who is still standing in place with a grimace on his face, right next to my open bag, I want to nod at him in annoyance, but every word sticks in my throat.
I don't know if I'm imagining the apologetic look in his eyes, but I must be.
Damian feels no sympathy, remorse or embarrassment. And above all, he's not apologizing for anything.
It can't be true!
For a brief moment, it feels as if the sight of him opens up old wounds, but I suppress the embarrassment that arises and stare angrily into his eyes.
Into the green eyes of my old crush.
"Your bag is lying awkwardly," he says and puts the now empty glass down on our table - as well as his tray.
"My bag?" I snarl and swallow hard. "How can you behave so arrogantly? If you'd just watch where you're going, this wouldn't have happened."
"Take it easy," he whispers to me.
His eyes sparkle with amusement and I wish I could just wipe that look off his face. It hasn't been long since my feelings for this huge ass have finally subsided. Apart from the fact that my feelings were unrequited, I never dared to tell him either.
Instead, we kissed.
Even if only at a party. But that doesn't change the fact that his lips once touched mine and he can't even remember it. It doesn't change the fact that this kiss, this party, was the biggest mistake of my life. I'm not even sure if he knew I existed until then - but it doesn't matter anymore, because since that kiss he's been avoiding me as if I really don't exist for him.
I have so often imagined going up to him and asking him why he has ignored me ever since. But I actually know the reason.
I just don't want to admit it to myself.
Damian has no interest in me - the kiss hasn't changed that. I was uninteresting before the party and I still am for him. And I've come to terms with it, I'm completely fine with it. Especially because I have enough distraction for myself.
While I'm lost in my thoughts, Damian takes a serving dish from our table and dabs it unabashedly along my arm. He grins shamelessly at me and I glance nervously at my friends, who are just watching us as I try to snatch the napkin from him but fail.
"Leave it, I'll do it," he says and guides the soft fabric further down to my cleavage.
I quickly take a step closer to the table and bump into the edge - it doesn't matter, the main thing is to get away from him before he dares to go any further.
"It's still just my body, I'd like you wouldn't stare at it and grab it like you own it."
A surprised expression appears on his face before he raises his arms in appeasement, the red napkin still in his hand, and his smile slips a little.
"We'll see about that."
"What are you talking about?" I ask in confusion, crossing my arms in front of my chest in disgust. I'm not interested in talking to him for another second.
"About whether your body belongs only to you."
I frown and am completely speechless for a moment. I can't think of a single word to say in response. His disrespect surprises me so much that I can only stare at him.
"Come down, Aurelia."
"Don't listen to him, anything that leaves his mouth is unconsidered," Malin says, coming up behind Damian and putting an arm over his best friend's shoulder. He looks a lot like Malena, but he is almost two heads taller and has firmer features than his little sister. Damian shakes his head with a grin and slides out from under Malin's arm. "We both know that's not true."
Upset and absolutely outraged, I turn my back on him and sit down silently in my seat, which Levin has just cleaned of the water stains.
"Are you okay?" he asks, looking at me worriedly from the side. I sigh and nod, spearing my food with my fork again. My wet clothes aren't the problem - we live in Miami. They'll be dust-dry again in a matter of minutes.
I just don't want to have anything to do with him.
With everyone but him.
We've been drunk. It's not surprising that he can't remember me. Not unlikely that a drunken kiss at a party remains just any kiss at any party. Not reprehensible that it still doesn't let me go. Not quite.
Not when he runs into me like that - grins at me like that - talks to me like that.
"It wasn't intentional, pouty face. Stop acting like I'm out to get you," I hear Damian's voice behind me and I roll my eyes.
"How about you just leave it alone and get out?" Autumn nags at him across the table. I appreciate her gesture, but I assume Damian won't be put off by it.
Surprisingly, however, I hear nothing more from him.
As he and Malin walk past us to get to their table, Damian gives me a curt nod and Malin gives me a meaningful look over his shoulder.
Just for me. I smile slightly at him and then lower my eyes to my half-empty plate.
Damian has remembered my name.