OCEAN EYES (ENG)

CHAPTER VI

- Mom's gonna flip out. - Jonah says when dad stops the car in front of our house.

- Shut up, okay Jonah? - I sigh, biting my tongue.

- Nina, don't talk to your brother like that. - dad says from the driver's seat.

When I look at him and I see his face my heart drops dead. He's disappointed. I get out of the car and slam the door. I can't believe they do not believe me. For once I'm just telling the god damn truth, and they still think I'm a thief and a liar. I'm done with this.

I make my way to our bedroom and rescue the suitcase under the bed. And then I just start to fill it with all of my belongings I brought for Reykjavik, angrily.

- ¿Where are you going? - dad sighs when I throw a pair of jeans into the suitcase.

- Home; where do you think I'm going? I'm calling mom.

- Let her go! Just let her go! - Jonah yells. His high pitched voice fills the living room. I had never seen him this angry before, never- You know? We had a really nice day and you had to ruin it. Let her go! Let her! Make her leave us alone!

- How do you want me to respond, Nina? - dad says after Jonah slams the bedroom door- You want me to tell you it's okay for the police to-

- I want you to believe me. But obviously you can't do that.

I slip down beside the luggage, just to see an orange shirt floppily hanging from the inside. The t-shirt I bought with Sólbjört the day we met. Life is unfair, so unfair. I try not to cry.

- I did it in Reykjavik- I whisper, not brave enough to look dad in the eye- I stole something. And I don't need you to tell me that it's wrong, cause I know that. But I didn't do it here.

- The store's a friend of mine. - he finally says, looking past me- I'll talk to him. Okay?

I nod, and our eyes meet. His look's full of pity. I don't know if it's pity from having a daughter like me, or pity because I became everything they didn't teach me to. I don't really know if he believes me or not, and I don't care if I have to work for the community for five years straight. I do not care. I just want my dad to believe me.

. . .

At night I'm on patrol duty again. This time I brought a blanket and a book so I don't get that bored. It's cool again. I look at Matthías' setup. A net with holes the size of tennis balls, surrounded by a blue fence made of bright blue tape, hanging on four white sticks. I smile to myself and start reading.

- Evening!

I look up. It's Matthías, carrying a camping chair and a hiking backpack. I look at him inquisitively. He plants his chair next to mine and sit down comfortably. He's wearing a plain black shirt . He looks at me with a smile on his face, and I roll my eyes with a smirk, looking at the book again.

- Oh, Anna Karenina- he points at the book- "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

- Is quoting Tolstói supposed to impress me?

- Well I wasn't quoting Tólstoi, I was quoting his translator. But since you asked- he clears his throat- Vse schastlivye se'mi pokhozhi. I nedovol'ny...

I look at him as if he were crazy, but he just laughs, an eye smile. Then, he just makes himself comfy in his camping chair and rummages his backpack.

- Are you moving in? - I ask, looking the oil lantern he's pulling out of the bag.

- If I want to get some sleep, I'm gonna need something to scare off the raccoons. They don't like bright light- he says unlocking his phone and opening an app- nor music.

- You're planning to sleep here?

- Well, the truth is, town sorta got together. We decided we just couldn't take another one of your "bad hair days".

- Oh really? - I spit sarcastically. He laughs again.

- So the word is you're from Reykjavik.- I lay the book down, crossing my arms and looking at him- That's a small town, people talk. I got accepted to Borgarnes. ¿Who knows? We might be neighbors.

I pick up my book again. His constant smile is making me nervous. Yes, very pretty, wrinkily eyes and perfect teeth, but that just doesn't make it less creepy to be smiling every time he's near me. But he just doesn't surrender.

- So what are you doing here? - he tries to make small talk with me again.

- My mom shipped me and my brother at dad's for the summer. - I respond. Might as well get over and done with dis as soon as possible- Guess so I could babysit turtle eggs while a volleyball player slash aquarium volunteer hits on me every five seconds.

- Now who's conceited? - he laughs- And since we're on the subject, I'm not hitting on you. Seriously, I'm engage to be married.

At look at him with a frown, but he just looks at me with no expression, piercing me with those blue eyes. I stare at him. He simply breathes, and I don't know why but I freeze.

He suddenly cracks up a smile and then starts laughing out loud. I hit him with my book a couple times, my heart racing.

- What's the matter with you? - I say as he protects himself from the hitting and laughs.

- I'm sorry! - he says, still laughing.

I look at him and realize he's been looking at me too, eyes as blue as the ocean. Then he looks away, at the darkness. I get to take a good look at his profile view: the prominent cheekbones, the straight nose, the greased hair... he's also brought a book with him.

I decide to keep on my reading session, but not for long because I see him looking at me from the corner of the eye. We exchange a couple of disguised looks, just pretending we're reading when actually I can't focus on anything but him right now. When he just surrenders and lets his book down, straight looking at me, I feel my cheeks blushing as we exchange a smile.

- Good evening.

Dad's voice startles us, making Matthías jump out of the chair.

- Hello sir. - Matthías says in his raspy low voice.

- Hey. - dad says, not looking so happy. I look at them intermittently in silence- You mind?

- N-no.- Matthías hesitates as my dad takes his chair.

He then drags the camping chair three or four steps away from mine, sticking it hard in the sand. Then, he sinks his foot in the sand, drawing a line which separates the two chairs. I cover my face with both hands, embarrassed to the max. Dad looks at Matthías, questioning him with a stare. Matthías nods nervously, only the crickets breaking the silence that surrounds us.

- Yes, sir. - he politely nods- I understand, sir

Dad just puts his hands in his pockets and walks away slowly. Matthías looks at his chair, incredulous, while I die of shame behind Anna Karenina's book.