Broken - A pretty face doesn't cover an ugly heart

8

(Barbra's POV)

6:00 a.m. Time to get up.

This is my last week doing this voluntary thing, when the classes return I won't have the time. Too bad. We do this thing where we read books to children in communities, and then we talk to them, and create other stories together, and it's really awesome. And early.

I take a shower and prepare myself some coffee to go. There's no one awake at this hour, my parents only get up in an hour, and Anna... God only knows.

On my way to the school that we'll be reading today I put my headphones so I can listen to some music, hm, it's playing James Bay.

I get here 10 minutes earlier. Just sit down and wait. The kids got in school by 7 a.m. and then twice a week we met them for the first class.

– Hi Barbra!

It was Kim, a really sweet girl who was also a volunteer. She was my closest friend here; I liked spending time with her. She used to be just like those kids, so it was a really big deal to her show that they could be whatever they wanted.

– Hey kids!

It was me, Kim, and two other guys. We were sort of a group, so we could pay more attention to the kids. It was really nice today, we ending up reading Alice in Wonderland, and they loved it.

– Barbra, Barbra!

– Hi Alexander, do you like the story?

– Sure, but what will be next? Can we pretend we're the characters?

– Like a little play?

– Yes! You know my sister and I went to our aunt's house this weekend and we were pirates and it was so much fun and we pretended to be on a big boat and she was a magic girl and we had so much fun, please say we can!

Kim was smiling to me. Alex always talked too fast so it was really hard to understand, cause he mixed up the words a little. I would miss them all.

– Sure, let's see if everybody wants it!

They did. It was so much fun, the kids were freaking out. Aaron and Peter took the kids up once in a while so they pretend they were flying, and they all just look really excited. Even Kim and I, who used to be more reserved. This was the best time of the week to them; these were kids with real problems at home, or really low opportunities to hanging out somewhere nice and have fun. Of course, they had fun by themselves; they were all really optimists and creative, but they hadn't access to a lot of things. The school was integral and it was a great place for them to be, they had extra activities to do, like football, music...

It was such a big deal being part of the process of their growing up. I just hope the next group of volunteers to be best then ours. Which I doubt it... but I really hope they're just as great.

It was 8:40 a.m. when our time with them was over. Kim and I were planning something to do.

– The problem is: it's still too early. Nothing is open until 10 a.m.

– True.

So we'd decided to go on a bakery to take properly breakfast.

– So, what are you plans for today?

– Nothing special, I just need to study.

Kim was giving me a strange look.

– But it's the

– Last week of vacation, I know... It's just... I need perfect grades and if I start to study before everyone else do; I'll be doing me a favor.

– Oh God! You're totally a nerd!

– I've heard so...

We laughed.

***

Anna called Ryan as soon as she wake up, and they agreed to have lunch together. She tried to look casual, but still perfect. They met at 1 p.m. in some restaurant.

– So...

It was kind of hard for them to talk. Anna usually could handle a conversation even that the other person were shy – which wasn't the case. They had simple talks, just the basics as "what have you been doing", "how's college", "and your family", "oh, that sounds interesting", and this kind of thing.

But apparently they didn't have much in common now. Anna was a little bored. When Ryan was telling her about his sister who got married and Anna was happy to hear it, finally something that she could talk about.

– That's great! I remember her talking about being scared that Nathaniel would never propose to her... After 8 years, I'm glad he finally did it. How was the party? I went to one amazing wedding about a week ago; the party was sooo incredibly good and...

Ryan interrupted her.

– She didn't marry with Nathaniel...

– Oh!

She was a little embarrassed. Obviously she had missed a lot of things.

– She broke up with him because she thought he would never ask her... It was right after you and I had breaking up too. Three months later she met Augustus and last year he proposed to her.

– Wow. She must have been really happy for didn't wait so long this time.

Ryan gave her a censoring look. She regretted the words as soon as she said. It was kind of mean.

– I'm sorry...

– Just like old times...

– Yeah...

– But you were saying something about a wedding too... Who got married? Someone I know?

She had frozen. Seeing her reaction Ryan felt like knowing the answer, but he still asked her to say it.

– Tell me.

– Daniel got married.

He was quiet.

– Well... Good luck to his wife.

The girl smiled ashamed and irritated. She wasn't used to Ryan's criticism anymore. A part of her was tempted to tell about Barbra's attitude at the wedding, so he would see she wasn't the only one to be judge. But she gave up. As the hours passed, she was starting to have second thoughts about this as a good idea.

Obviously she had feelings for him. It was her first love, after all. But seeing him now, being a different girl – he was also a different guy – she wondered if it was just an unresolved situation. She could have confused things. Maybe her reaction was because they hadn't seen each other in years. It was possible? She wasn't sure now if she could fall in love with him again.

_________________________

Hi people! What do you think? Anna and Ryan will be able to overcome the estrangement and return to being a couple? Let's find out more about this in the next chapter! And how do you feel now that you know Barbra a little bit better?

As always, don't forget to tell if I made some English error.

Vote and comment if you are enjoying it! Let me know what you think!

The next chapter will be on Sunday! See you later!