The Forbidden Manual// Denis Stoff

t w e n t y

When we arrived, Ferni took a while to come out, she was fighting with printing machine, once again.

"Wait just a moment, Kenadee!", she yelled from behind, while I couldn't stop laughing. Poor her, that machine always made her grow green hairs.

Chris maintained calm, observing the things around the store, until Ferni came from behind.

"Done!", she smiled with that smile that she expanded sweetly.

When Ferni detoured her gaze from me, she placed it upon the only person that was with, Chris looked at her dumbfounded. 

"Oh", I muttered. "Ferni, I like to present you my friend. Chris, this is Ferni", I said to the shocked boy. "The one I'm always speaking of; Ferni, this is Chris, my neighbor".

Chris face in surprise, shock, and fascination and in his eyes there was a glow that wasn't there before.

"Hello", he babbled.

"Hello", she responded.

Both of them smiled each other and then Ferni directed her attention towards me.

"New photos?", she asked, enthusiastic.

"You know it", I laughed and we did as we always did.

After a couple hours and that Chris and Ferni got to know each other a bit more.

Him and I both decided it was time to head back. The sun had already set when Chris and I headed to the building.

"Your friend is really pretty", he muttered, a bit blushed. "Very nice, as well".

I started laughing.

"I think I could've guessed it", I admitted and he blushed even more, his pale skin on his chicks turned a color red.

"Why do you say that?", he asked, embarrassed.

"Because of your face, and how you looked at her".

"Was I that obvious?", he pouted.

"Sort of".

We both laughed.

"Chris!", I said suddenly, taking him by surprise considering the way he looked at me. "You know Italian!".

"Um...yeah", he muttered without understanding; and it's cause I had changed topic suddenly.

"Tell me what this means..", I made a face trying to remember and put the words in order and trying to pronounce it correctly. "Che bella coppia che fate".

Maybe Denis had thought I had forgotten what the guy at the ice cream place had said and that he didn't want to translate to me, but bad luck for him, I had a good memory.

"What a beautiful couple you make", Chris said.

"Excuse me?".

Chris laughed.

"That's what it means".

I opened my eyes wide to the illogical idea of pairing me with Denis.I then started laughing again; I didn't because I felt embarrassed or really amused.

"Why?", Chris inquired.

 "Because...I saw it on TV, in a movie. I wanted to know what it meant", I invented.

"Of course", he muttered.

"Good night,  Chris", I said, faking a yawn/