My Superhero

Chapter 3

“Kate, I’m telling you he was staring right at me!” I argued for the thousandth time as we drove to Luca Forrest’s house.

On her way back home, Kate had decided to stop by the coffee shop, which turned out to have a name- Beanioz, at the same time that Luca was collectively inviting everyone to a party at his place. Well, technically he was inviting everyone to his aunt’s place, since him and his brother had moved in with her after having financial problems back in France.

“Well, maybe he just finds you hot,” Kate retorted, giving me a cheesy wink. I rolled my eyes at her. If that’s how this guy picks up girls, then he’s in for a very disappointing love life.

“Anyway,” she continued, her eyes sparking with excitement, “We’re here.”

I looked out the window to see a breathtakingly big Italian-style house with a driveway that stretched out for what seemed like miles. In the middle of the driveway was a small marble fountain lined with matching marble seats which were occupied by a group of friends.

I guess it’s safe to say his aunt was doing pretty well for herself.

Kate parked her car in one of the empty spots and got out of the car, dragging me out with her. We made our way to the front door, which was already ajar. Walking inside, I could easily tell that the house was just as elegant on the inside as it was on the outside. The walls were eccentric shades of bronzes and browns, and the walls were lined with intricate paintings of shells and sand grains. The furniture was all pushed to one side to make room for the crowd of drunken people dancing and laughing loudly. Already I was feeling a little uncomfortable, especially since Kate had so lovingly forgotten to introduce me to her friends.

I walked around the house until I found the bar and asked for a coke. The guy who was bartending gave me a strange look, probably since everyone, him included, seemed totally drunk and all I was asking for was a soft drink.

I took a large sip of my coke and walked to the back of the house and out to the terrace to find the white sandy beach stretched ahead of me. The sand connected with the dark waves as they crashed down softly and I found myself drawn to them. The beach was mostly empty, with only a couple of stumbling people lying here and there on the sand.

I took my sandals off, carrying them in my free hand, and made my way to the edge of the sandy surface. After a few minutes of letting the waves wash over my feet, soaking my jeans to my shins, I took a few stepped back and sat down on the sand.

Right when I was starting to feel relaxed, I felt my neck get hotter. It didn’t take long for me to realize who was staring at me. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, bracing myself, and got up, walking straight back to the terrace. Sure enough, Jason was sitting on the steps leading back into the house.

“Hey,” I heard myself say to him. I regretted opening my mouth the second I saw the shock on his face.

“Umm, hi,” he said cautiously, staring right into my eyes. I felt my cheeks turn pink at the way his eyes bore into mine. I hadn’t noticed how green they were until that second. His curly brown hair was sticking up in all directions, courtesy of the seaborne wind.

This time, he had replaced his jeans with a pair of beige shorts and a plain emerald green shirt. After a few seconds, he broke our connection by looking straight ahead at the waves. I took a deep breath to calm myself down and sat next to him on the steps. I took a huge gulp of my coke and followed his gaze onto the water.

“Do you mind?” he asked after a few seconds. He seemed visibly uncomfortable to be around me. Good.

“Do you?” I asked, turning my face to look at him. He raised an eyebrow at me, probably questioning my sanity. “What is up with you and that notepad you carry around?” I asked before I could chicken out. I had to find out. I could see the notepad tucked under his leg, a pencil in his hand.