MR.DESIGNER AND MS.MODEL (ENGLISH )

1

HAPPY READING

T

hat morning, like every other, everyone went about their usual activities.

“Whistle…” the sound of the kettle whistled, signaling that the water was boiling.

“Elio, could you turn off the stove?” Mama called from her room.

“Of course, Mama, I’ll do it. Just give me a moment to tie my shoes,” he answered, focusing on his worn-out and frayed shoe laces. Though they were old, he tightened them as best as he could, his mind already on the stove.

Once he finished, he heard his father’s voice. “Can’t you do anything right, Elio?” his father muttered, already in the kitchen to remove the kettle from the stove. “Just once, do something correctly.”

Elio, knowing he was at fault, mumbled an apology. “Sorry,” he said softly, not looking up, hoping to avoid an argument.

“I hope you’re not always like this,” his father grumbled in response, frustrated.

“I’m leaving now,” Elio announced, standing up to head out. He didn’t wait for his father’s reply, knowing that no matter how small his mistakes, they always seemed magnified in his father’s eyes. With his thoughts set on the day ahead, he opened the door and stepped outside.

“Alright, be careful!” his mother called after him. The door slammed softly behind him.

He took a deep breath as he began walking, staring ahead with determination. “Today will be fine. Just get through it, and you’ll be home soon. That’s all you need to do.” He reminded himself while walking toward school. “One day, I’ll be free from this… this endless stress.”

“Just get through today without any problems,” he murmured to himself, picking up his pace. “Come on, Elio, you can do this!” he said aloud, his voice breaking the morning stillness.

POV Agatha

“Where did I put it? I swear it was here.” Agatha frantically searched around her room.

“MOM! Did you see my purple pencil?” she called out.

“No, I haven’t seen it,” her mother replied from upstairs.

“Hmmm... but I just found it right here,” Agatha muttered, continuing her search.

A few moments later, her mother appeared in the doorway, holding the elusive purple pencil. “It’s on the table downstairs,” she said, handing it to her.

“Oh! I didn’t know,” Agatha admitted with an embarrassed smile, taking the pencil gratefully.

“Today’s an important day, huh?” her mother remarked, eyeing Agatha proudly. “Is everything perfect?”

Agatha hesitated, showing her appearance in the mirror.
“Yes, dear, you look perfect.” came her mother’s lovely response.

Agatha, an only child cherished by her family, beamed at her mother’s words. Having recently moved from Rome to the small village of Portofino, she was still adjusting. Her mother, an Italian, had reassured her that everything would be fine, even though Agatha missed her hometown deeply. Her father, an Englishman, had brought the family to Portofino for his work.

“Well, I think I’m ready!” Agatha finally said, placing her pencil in her bag.

“Hope you have a wonderful day, dear!” her mother said as she walked out of the room.

POV Elio

The school was crowded and chaotic. Elio walked to his usual spot at the back of the class, where he was accustomed to sitting alone. “Just me, myself, and I, as usual,” he thought to himself as he sat down.

“HEY, YOU WEAKLING!”

Elio froze. He knew that voice. He slowly turned around, seeing Dante standing a few desks away, grinning.

“Oh, it’s you,” Elio said, struggling to keep his voice neutral. “What do you want, Dante?”

Dante sneered. “You remember me, huh? Hard to believe we’re in the same class again.” Elio clenched his teeth as Dante laughed, the sound always sending shivers down his spine.

“Yeah, fancy that,” Elio replied firmly.

“You know what you have to do, right, Elio?” Dante continued with a threatening tone.

Elio felt a wave of anger rise but held it back. “Yeah, I know,” he answered. Dante grinned in satisfaction, turning away to sit with his friends.

“One day,” Elio thought bitterly, “I won’t take this anymore. One day, I’ll get back at DANTE.”

POV Agatha

When Agatha entered the classroom, she saw that most of the desks were already paired up. “Am I late again?” Agatha’s heart raced as she quickly glanced around.

“There!” she thought, spotting an empty desk in the back. She moved toward it, realizing it was next to a boy she had never seen before.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” she asked, her voice friendly.

The boy looked up nervously, nodding. “N-no, it’s not.”

“Great! I’m Agatha Dolce.” She extended her hand, hoping he would shake it.

The boy seemed hesitant for a moment. His hand slowly reached out, shaking hers briefly before quickly pulling it back, as though afraid of making a mistake. “M-my name is E...Elio Edoa...rdo Mo...Moretti,” he said in a whisper, with long pauses between the words. He tried to smile nervously. “But... just call me Elio Edoardo... I guess,” he continued, shaking her hand for a moment before quickly retracting it.

Agatha gave a small smile, trying to be as friendly as possible to ease the tension. “Oh... okay,” she said softly, her eyes looking at Elio with understanding. “You seem a little nervous,” she added, her voice warm but not pressing.

“Uh... yeah, I guess so,” Elio stammered, looking away.

“Don’t worry, Elio. You’ll feel better soon,” Agatha said with a soft laugh, her optimism and warmth showing between them. “He... seems quite brave,” Elio thought, still cautious. He forced himself to reply quietly, “Yeah, I guess so.” But in his heart, he wasn’t sure. “Can I trust her? Maybe she’s friends with Dante,” he whispered to himself suspiciously. “Better keep my distance.”

Agatha sensed the awkwardness hanging in the air. “Should I try saying something else?” She looked at Elio, who now seemed even more nervous. “This is harder than I thought,” she thought to herself, remaining silent.

A few moments later

After the long tension and still maintaining their distance, the bell for break rang. Agatha finally stood up, relieved to get out of the room.

Elio let out a sigh of relief as she left. “That was tense,” he thought, clenching his hand against his chest. “At least now I can relax for a while.”

POV Agatha

“That... was strange,” Agatha thought as she walked out into the quiet garden area, away from the noise of the other children. She took a deep breath, releasing her frustration. “Why can’t I ever make friends easily?” she muttered to herself.

Finally, with no one around, she screamed, “AHHHH!”

POV Elio

As all the kids went outside to play, Elio figured this would be the perfect time to enjoy his hobby.

“I think this is just right,” he said, lifting a sheet of paper. “But I think it would look better in pink,” he mused, then placed it back on the table. “This will be perfect.” He had decided on the design for the dress he would make. Elio enjoyed spending his free time drawing clothing patterns; it brought him immense joy, especially since his mother was a seamstress.