Where did he go? He was just here a minute ago. How long did she zone off? A few seconds, maybe. He couldn't have run away just like that.
Violetta looked around again. The outside of the school was a wide open space. The only place he could have hidden was behind those trees. But he wasn't there.
"Huh," she said to herself. "I guess I should just wait for Ramallo now."
Since her father was still working after school hours ended, Violetta had to wait outside the school until Ramallo—her dad's right hand and business manager—came to pick her up.
Vilu sat down in a nearby bench and waited. Meanwhile, she scanned her surroundings, seeing if Leon would appear somewhere.
"Hey!"
Violetta jumped and looked to her right. It was Francesca.
"Oh, hey Francesca!" Vilu totally forgot about her since she had been thinking about Leon all day.
"You can call me Fran," she said as she sat down next to her. "So, what are you doing here all alone?"
"I was waiting for someone to pick me up. My house is a bit far from here. Plus, I'm not that great with directions, so, you know."
"Really? Well, do you want me to take you to your house? I have a car of my own, and it won't be right to let a friend dry up in the sun when you know you can give 'em a lift."
It was as if Francesca didn't hear Violetta when she said she didn't know where her house was exactly. Violetta sighed, then tried a different technique. "Thank you very much, but if Ramallo comes and sees I'm not here, he's gonna freak out and tell my dad and then my dad will freak out and it will be a total disaster—sorry, Fran."
"It's alright, I understand." Fran got up. "Well, I really need to go now, so, see you tomorrow friend!"
She waved a girly goodbye and walked away in a hurry. Francesca is weird.
About two minutes later, Violetta saw a person trying to park a car in the school's parking lot. There was only one person in the world that parked like that: it was Ramallo. Finally!
She ran up to where the car was and without a second wasted, she opened the passenger door and got in.
"Hey Violetta! You're in a rush to go somewhere, huh?" Ramallo said. "So, how was your day?"
"It was amazing, Ramallo! Unlike any other day of my life! The teachers, the students—Francesca!"
"Whoa, is this the same Violetta I saw this morning?" Ramallo asked surprised. He started the car and headed towards home as he heard Violetta rambling on.
"Oh yeah, I didn't tell you about Francesca! She's this cool—but kinda weird—girl who looks exactly like Snow White.... Francesca Caviglia... I think she's Italian. What do you think Ramallo?"
"Well, yes. Caviglia is an Italian surname slash word. You know what it means?"
"What?" she asked.
"Caviglia means, believe it or not, ankle."
Violetta bursted into a laughter so hard and loud, Ramallo spotted a random person in a car right beside them staring at them very oddly.
"Ankle? Really? That is so funny!" Vilu catched her breath. "I'm gonna make fun of her tomorrow, you'll see."
"Good to know you're getting along with someone already." Although Ramallo didn't show it, Vilu saw behind his glasses those laughing eyes.
The rest of the way home, she couldn't stop thinking about Leon—again. Where did he go anyway? I wonder how he could have run away so fast. Why did I have to daydream right at that moment? Then I might have seen where he had gone or at least in which direction he went. I wonder where he lives. I would love to know who his mother and father are, and thank them for creating such a handsome man. . . .
"Violetta. Vilu! Wake up! We're here." Ramallo called her back to Earth. Dang. I should really need to stop daydreaming.
She got out of the car and for a while admired her new house. It was pretty big. It was two stories high, and it even had an attic. She had no idea why her dad refuses to let her enter the attic. He had come up with a bizarre excuse, saying that there were only business documents in there. Violetta went with that excuse, just because she didn't want to argue with him, but in her mind she thought of why he wouldn't let her go up there. They were just business documents, right? It's not like there was a gigantic secret he had hidden away from her in there. They had just moved here like a week ago, so that couldn't really happen.
They entered, and the first person Violetta saw—or rather, heard—was Olga. She was singing and dancing to one of those outré songs that no one in that house would want to hear, taking advantage of the fact that Vilu's dad was still at work. Her dad detests those kinds of songs. He never mentions it, but his facial expressions most definitely show it.
When Olga saw her, she stopped dancing around and came bolting towards her.
"My little girl!" she said as she hugged her as tight as she possibly could. "How was your day?"
"It was a-maz-ing!" Vilu said, putting a little bit more emphasis to the word 'amazing.'
"This is the first time ever that I heard you say something like that, Vilu! Did you make some new friends?"
"Oh, yeah! Fran! She's the coolest—and only—Italian I've met in my life. She's kind of weird, though, but I don't care."
"I am so happy for you Violetta!" She smiled, and of course Violetta smiled back. There was a moment of awkward silence. Violetta was about to leave when Olga suddenly asked her, "Hey, Vilu, may I ask you something?"
She turned around. "Yeah, of course."
Olga got a little closer to her. "I notice a little sparkle in your eyes. Did you, perhaps, meet a guy?"
Violetta slightly backed away. "Uh, no. . . Why would you ask that?"
Olga gave her a look that clearly meant I don't believe you.
"OK, Olga! Just promise me you won't tell my dad."
She smiled one of those curious smiles. "I promise to you I will not lie, and if I do then let me die," she said as she held her right hand in the air and the other one over her heart.
Violetta laughed. "That's not even how it goes."
"But I promised, didn't I?"
"OK, well . . . I did meet a guy—"
"Oh that's amazing! Your first day of school here and you already have a boyfriend!"
"No Olga, he's not my—"
"Boyfriend?" Vilu's father asked from behind her.
.....
So, I was thinking, and I have decided I should add a new chapter every Sunday at around 2PM Eastern Time (it seems like Sundays are the only days I have some free time, even though I'm on vacation 😄🌞) Well, prepare yourselves for the future Sundays! Love y'all!💋
