My life with a player

24. 45 or 200?

Chapter nª 24. 45 or 200?

The following weeks were pretty normal. Busy, but normal.At school, mid term exams were coming, and if I wanted to finish my school year here I couldn't be like most of the exchange students and do nothing at shcool. Everyday, we would practice and train with the girls for our debut as cheerleaders. I was so relieved to burn some of my worries with gymnastics. 

The house was pretty quiet, though. With Nick, it seemed like if we were giving each other spece to see who was the first one to come back to the other. And I knew it wasn't going to be me. Nate had gone back to Uni. I had woken up on Monday and he was nowhere to be seen. I felt a little bit hurt that he hadn't said goodbye, but who am I kidding? It's not like we're even friends.

I had already spoken to my organisation about extending my stay. They told me they would speak to my family in private so I wouldn't put them in a situation where they felt bad if they refused. The only thing left to do was wait, while I was watching the days of my exchange fly by. 

I had only two months left, as my family loved to remind me. I felt like a horrible person. They were all happy I was going back, but I was only feeling like never going back, actually. I was torned apart.

Two weeks later, while we were all having dinner, Mr Donovan cleared his throat, silencing all the small conversations around the table. Even Max shut up, which is a remarkable act. I looked at the little devil and saw his with a huge grin on his face. That look can only mean trouble...

"So, Mia... Your organisation called us about a week ago. They told us you were in the position to be offered to extend your exchange from a semester to a shcool year. We just wanted to tell you that if you indeed decide to do such thing, you have a family here always open to have you here."

With that, he returned to his pork. I had already figured out he wasn't very talkative or ever showed his emotions. What he had said was the closest to a show of affection I had seen from him. I looked down, too, speachless. They were accpeting me for another semester. If I wanted, I could saty! But once again, did I really wanted? I missed my family so bad, specially my little sister Kiara and my best friend Mel. And I knew I didn't want to go back just yet, but a whole year apart from them? It would break my mom's heart when I asked her if I could stay here for another whole six moths.

"Mia, we are kind of waiting for your answer" Max said. "It's really okay. Nick, and even Nate agreed on having you here. Please tell us you are not going away, that you are going to be our sister for longer" It wasn't every day that Max softened and stopped pretending to be a big boy.

"Max, even when I do go back to my home country, you will always be my little devil brother. Even when you are thirty and getting married" He did a smelled-poo-face to the idea of getting married. We all laughed together, and for once, I felt like home. "You have no idea how much this means to me. I love you all."

******

We stayed a little bit later together that night to "celebrate". We even had a glass of champaigne, except Max. I was surprised to see that Mr and Mrs Donovan let the twins have a single glass. Between the two of them. I had a couple and Nick had a few more. And it was school night. 

I was finally in my warm room, the heater on and on my PJ's. I went on line in the Mac computer that was in my room to send an email to Mel and ask her to talk on Skype ASAP. I logged in and saw somebody else online... Marco.

It had been almost a whole month since Nick's birthday, and still I hadn't spoken to my "boyfriend". All the guilt came back to me. Slowly, and very unsure, I pressed the Call button and waited fot him to answer. Thanks to God, it seemed like he had left his computer on and wasn't there. I sighed in relief. I wasn't going to tell him everything in his face, but I couldn't delay it for any longer. Instead, I wrote him a message. Of course, in Spanish, but in my diary i'm writting everything in English.