Letters to Harry (h.s.)

three

Sunday, 20th of June, 1971
Lucca, Tuscany

Caterina Bianchi

It had been six days since I've seen both Alfonso and Sofia. I've tried to avoid them at all costs, I didn't want to have to interact with them, not when I was upset. Marina has already gone on another date with Enzo, and was falling very, very, in love with him, or more like obsessed. He had sent over two dozen roses, and a box of chocolates, all in the course of one week. It was disgusting.

I now found myself perched on a bench in front of Atroquando, a book shop.  My hat and large sunglasses protecting me from the sun as I read Persuasion, the last book in my Jane Austen series.

A shadow passes by, I catch a glimpse of it on my book. I lift my head to see none other than the curly-haired boy. He walked past my bench and sat on one beside of mine. Reaching into his bookbag, he lifts his face and his eyes find mine.

I quickly look away, reverting my eyes back on to the cream-colored pages. I read a little further until I decided it was safe to look again. His green eyes are already staring at me.

He gives me a smirk, and I turn back to my book. Did her seriously just smirk at me. I look back and he has the same look as he did a few moments ago.

"It's rude to stare..." I say and refuse to look back at him.

"It equally as rude to stalk."

I gasp. Stalk? Stalk! I was not stalking him, he's the one who sat next to me.

"I am not stalking you!"

"Then why is it that everywhere I go, you show up?"

"Hmm, well maybe you're stalking me," I blush, and turn the page in my book to prove the insignificance of this conversation.

I look over to find him doing the same, turning his sketchbook to a different page.

"It's rude to stare," he chuckles.

"I was not staring," I close my book, "and I certainly don't stalk."

"Well maybe I'm confusing you for another," he returns back to his sketching. I scoff and grab my bike, I was ready to leave.

"Nope! It's you, I just didn't fully recognize you without the bike." He laughs, but when I look at him he's already back to sketching.

"Well excuse me, but I'll be leaving now." I drag my bike to the street.

"Don't be so quick to say goodbye, I'm sure I'll see you this evening." He smirks. How much can one smirk before their mouth stays in that way?

"This evening?"

"Outside of my house, of course. I'm sure you'll ride past at some point."

I give him a fake smile before peddling away. The nerve that this guy has got. To accuse me of stalking him, something that I was certainly not doing. It wasn't my fault that his home happened to be on the same road as mine. I wondered what he wanted me to do, should I have invested in a tractor to go straight through the grapevines instead? Perhaps I should move homes, so I wouldn't have to pass by his anymore.