Over the Wall: A Collection of Short Stories (NaNoWriMo 2014)

Day 11: Heels and Cobblestone Streets Don't Mix

Note: Another really rough draft but hey I'm ahead in my word count goal so yay! Hope you guys enjoy. Also this is dedicated to Claire_Corin_OShea for all her help during NaNoWriMo :)

She had not yet accustomed to walking in heels. This was not helped by the fact that the Italians seemed to love their cobblestone streets. Although, she did love her outfit. It was a slim navy dress that had a skirt that flowed down to her knees but had a bodice that was more form fitting the way she liked. It was not hard to feel pretty in this dress. Except for the whole almost falling down thing. That was not exactly helping her self esteem.

She was in town for her little sister’s wedding. Her little sister had moved to Florence when she was in college for a study abroad program but had fallen in love with Italy and had never wanted to come back. Hayley was a stubborn little girl and an even more stubborn woman. Her sister wished Hayley’s new husband, Niccolo, who was called Nicky by his new American family, the best of luck. He would need it.

Olive continued down the street, hoping that soon the cobblestone would turn into concrete or basically anything else. This place would be a lot prettier if she had properly practiced in these shoes but she had been so excited to explore both before the wedding and now, that she hadn’t had the time.

The sun was setting now. Back at the wedding reception Hayley and Nicky were probably cutting their cake or maybe Hayley was throwing the bouquet. Olive had stayed to see them announced and do her other maid of honor things but then her parents had started fighting so she made her exit. She still hated seeing them fight and they’d been divorced since she was eight. She was thirty now but it still bothered her. Didn’t they get that this was Hayley’s big day? Of course they didn’t. They were both too self-absorbed for that kind of soul searching and selflessness.

Her sister had looked very pretty in her dress, her husband had looked very dashing as well. It was just like Hayley to have all the luck. When Hayley had decided to stay in Italy, Olive and her parents had joined together to talk her out of it. It was the first time they had agreed on something in years. They told her that she liked Italy now but what about in a few months when everyone else from the study abroad program was gone? Sure there would be more coming in but it wouldn’t be the same. She would be so far away from her family, what if something happened to her or them? She wouldn’t be a car ride away to help them or for them to help her. Hayley’s answer? Planes.

“You guys do realize that there are and there has been planes around for a while now right? And you don’t get it. I love it here. It doesn’t matter that my friends won’t be here. I’ll make new friends. Italian friends. Friends I may have for years if I stay here.”

In the end she had been right. She had had many friends that she was still friends with today. One of them had been a boy her age who had lived in Florence all his life, Niccolo Rossi. They had dated for a year before he eventually proposed and they had moved into a tiny apartment to live together while they planned the wedding. It was not lost on Olive that it was like some cliche movie. But her sister was happy so Olive was happy. Not that they’re relatives understood that.

Ever since she had arrived, every single one of her relatives had slipped into the conversation that Olive must be so sad her sister was getting married before her. If someone told her that one more time she would scream.

She finally gave up trying to walk so she sat down on a nearby bench and took off the heels. As she did she suddenly heard someone laughing from where she had been walking. She turned to see Xavier, the best man. He was grinning but put on a straight face when she turned around.

“So you finally gave up, huh?”

“Gave up on what?”

“Trying to walk in heels without looking like you’re drunk off your ass.” She rolled her eyes. Cocky bastard.