Should I call you a cab?

Chapter eight

The whole apartment smelled sweet when Vienna opened her eyes to that Saturday morning. Gaston was preparing breakfast, she could hear him complaining about the coffee maker. So she got up, surprisingly happy to have someone to have breakfast with. Still wearing her light blue pijamas she got into her robe and crawled sleepy into the kitchen.

-Good morning -Vienna said yawning

-Oh Jesus Vienna, I might like boys but please wear a bra. -Gaston mocked pretending to cover his eyes with his arm. He had the spatula in one hand and a cup of coffee on the other one. When she sat he placed her plate of pancakes in front of her on top of the kitchen high counter.

-Oh my god Gaston, kids should not drink coffee, what's you dad going to say to me? -Revenge joke. They had breakfast teasing each other constantly. Vienna felt happy, but at the same time, sad, melancholic. Gaston asked what was wrong when she got quiet for a minute.

-I'm sorry -Vienna smiled from the side of her lips, shrinking her shoulders- this reminds me of your brother. You remind me of him. So much. -her eyes got all glossy and watery, but she pretended to blow her nose to wipe them out.

-Well he would've not like that -Gaston laughed

-Oh shut up, he loved you. -Vienna squeezed his hand a bit

-Yes -he affirmed with his head-  And he loved you. So much. -Gaston sighed. That pinched Vienna's heart. - I'm sorry you had to go through all of this Vienna. I'm here, for you, 'cause I know he'd want me to be. -Vienna couldn't hold it anymore and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. It seemed he knew exactly what to say for her to feel small, immature, like a little girl crying over a lost teddy. But of course, he didn't meant for her to feel that. Gaston sighed, got up and hugged her. She cried silently for a minute. They both did. Until the smoke from the last pancake, forgotten on the stove, broke the tension. 

-Oh shoot!! -Gaston ran gasping to get it before it would start a fire and Vienna laughed opening the small window to let the smoke out, waving the kitchen cloth uselessly.

-We had enough fires in this family - Vienna said, not thinking how dark of a comment that was. When she realized it, they looked at each other measuring how bad the joke was, and then burst into uncontrollable laughter. 

They spent the morning touring the city, taking lots of pictures and even shopping for clothes. He kind of made her buy a new dress that fit her like a glove. Okey, not kind of, he made her buy it. Gaston turned Vienna into his own photographer and made her go through thousand of poses in every corner of the city. She had already forgotten how great of a tour Republic City was, she had been living there enough time for it to be just a city, big, loud and expensive. But Gaston's excitement was contagious. So after lunch, they headed to the Castings office. Vienna felt thrilled for him, but, as they were getting closer closer, Gaston was getting more and more anxious. He'd never participated in such thing. The building was huge, a few blocks away from Vienna's job. In the hall, they got into the line as the receptionist indicated them, with all the other applicants. But when it was time for Gaston to get into the elevator, Vienna could not join him upstairs. So she hugged him tight and gave him her best wishes. 

-I'll wait across the street, okey? At the small café. You'll do great. I believe in you.

Gaston just nodded anxiously, grabbed his bag and got into the big elevator with ten other kids as fit as him. None of them as young.

I still can not understand how did people stayed, waited, sitting, bored in waiting rooms before smartphones were a thing. Vienna ordered a latte and thanked their luck for the great weather they got on their city tour. She checked her phone, a text from mum. That's all. I mean, she had erased every social media app so, there couldn't be that much. She texted her back.