Prologue
8 years ago
“Congratulations class of 2008”! The principle announced, cheer than erupted from the crowd in front of us. Francesca, Rafael and I threw our caps in the air along with all the rest of the class. High school was finally over. We were finally free.
This meant day meant so much. It meant that tomorrow I wouldn’t have to wear a uniform. I’m an artist so not being able to choose my own choice of clothes for the past 5 years has been horrible.
“Congratulations boys” Mine and Rafael’s Abu Ella came over and said. “Gracias” I say giving her a hug. If it wasn’t for Abu Ella I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am for that matter. It was only ever the two of us.
Abu Ella smiled. I smiled too.
“Were done”! Rafael gave me a high five and I pulled him into a bear hug and started to mess with his hair. “Hey”! He exclaimed before doing the same to me. I laugh and run my fingers through my brown hair. “You do know you’ve just made me a hundred times more attractive”? I smirk.
“Si. His right Rafael you most certainly have”, I turned around to see Francesca had rejoined us after talking with her own family. Francesca looked gorgeous and since the Barcelona sky around us was clear and the sun shone perfectly, she made the perfect painting. I made a mental note to paint her once I got back home.
Walking over to me she wrapped her arms around my waist and I wrapped mine over her shoulders before giving her a kiss. Abu Ella and I were leaving for holiday in 18 hours for holiday, a summer long tour of the world and parts of Europe.
I have no idea how I’m going to manage a day without seeing Francesca. 24 hours is too little time to say goodbye. So I kissed her again this time bringing my hands up to her face.
“Eww! Gross! Stop”! Rafael covered his eyes with his hands. Man he can so dramatic; it was only a tiny kiss. I looked at him questionably.
“You guys are so mean! Kissing in front of right after I went through a breakup”!
“We’re sorry” Francesca says innocently, she is so kind hearted I don’t think there’s anyone better than her.
“Apology accepted”. Says Rafael and looks at me giving me with that “it only half of my fault look”.
I don’t say anything and Rafael shakes his head and walks away. Again dramatic, but I love him anyway. He has always been there for me. But there comes time when you have to stand up for what’s right.
That’s why I didn’t apologize or go after him when he walked away I hope he realizes that what he did was wrong, the reason Rafael’s girlfriend left him was because she found him kissing another girl in the school parking lot.
“It’s getting kind of boring. Shall we go”? Francesca asks. “We shall. Let me just tell abu ella” I say and go do just that.
We were going to a party at Fren’s house. We only had 24 hours before I left and I intended to make the most of it.
Francesca’s family were half Italian so they made good food and made bad jokes. I have so many good memories here; I’m even considered the good boy friend by Francesca’s parents. They like me and I like them too.
So we ate our fill of homemade pizza and then danced on the beach until our feet hurt. Panting I sat down on the sand not caring if it ruined the pants of my school uniform, I wasn’t going to them again. Francesca sat down next to me. “I don’t think in the seventeen years that I’ve lived that I’d had so much fun ever” she grinned from ear to ear. She looked gorgeous in her red dress that she changed into when we came here.
I suddenly had a very good but bad idea.
“Want to have more fun”? I point to the sea in front of us, it looked so inviting. “You do know sharks are nocturnal”? She raised an eyebrow. “You do know we live on Mederternion”? I countered.
“Okay, but I’m not ruining my dress by swimming in it”. Fren got up and unzipped her dress letting it effortlessly fall to the sand. She then ran into the water waiting for me with arms wide open.
This was one command I would never turn down. I pulled my shirt over my head and let it too fall to the mercy of sand. I then ran into the water and was immediately grateful it wasn’t freezing.
It was not long before my hands found hers, before her lips found mine.
-
The sun streamed through the curtains in Fren’s room disturbing my eyes. Now half awake I rolled over to find Fren already awake and. standing by her window. This scene would make the perfect painting, the way she’s looking out the window and onto the sun rise. The way her long black hair flowed to down to her back everything about her was effortlessly stunning.
“Good morning handsome” she comes and says her voice still sleepy it’s sort of adorable. “Good morning beautiful” I brush a few stray strands of hair away from her face. She then reached up and ran her own fingers through my hair. “Any girl who gets up the privilege of running her fingers through your hair is the luckiest girl in the world. You won’t forget me when you leave will you?”
She asks and stops playing with my hair to look me in eyes.
“That’s impossible”.
“Just promise me”.
“I promise you. Do you promise me”?
“I do”. Francesca smiled and nodded.
“Time for my morning song”! She reached for guitar that always stayed next to her bed. “Aren’t you going to wake people up”? I looked at her questionably. “Believe me it's way too early for my family to be awake. They are all heavy sleepers just like you”.
“I’m not a heavy sleeper”. I protest.
“Where do you go in your dreams anyway”? She asks her brown eyes filled with curiosity.
“To many places” I reply simply, my dreams were something I didn't share with anyone besides Abu Ella.
Abu Ella was the only one who understood.
“And who do you see”? She asks my previous answer npt enough for her.
“Many people” I say tapping her nose once playfully with my finger.
Francesca laughed and started to play her guitar. She stopped and reached in her draw and got out a camera, it was one of those cool ones that printed photos as soon as you captured them.
“What’s this for”? I asked curiously.
“It’s so we keep this day forever with us wherever we are. And so every time you open your wallet it’ll be easy for you to remember your promise”.
“I don’t need a photo to remember you because you’re already in my heart. But since it makes you happy I’ll keep it with me”.
So I had one photo of us and she had one photo of us too. Those photos were here to bind us to our promises forever.
“How long do we have left”? I ask.
“Only long enough. That I can give you a kiss and tell you get dressed”. And Fren threw the extra pair clothes at me that I kept here for days just like this. But I wasn’t in the mood of being serious so I threw my shirt back at her. But she dodged it and ran into her bathroom.
“You didn’t even give me a kiss”. I call and I hear her laugh
