thick skin and an elastic heart

Chapter 18

The sound of beating wings against the air, the screeching of owls, and the rustling of paper packages heralded the incoming mail.

Valentina looked up from her cereal, searching the sky for a familiar brown owl. Almost a week had passed. The package should arrive any day now...

There was a loud swishing noise. Juliana's sudden burst of laughter shifted her focus away from the sky and to her. Sergio's wand had backfired, sending black soot all over his face.

"That-" he coughed "-that wasn't supposed to happen."

"Nice job, dude," Lucho smirked. He dropped his utensils, stretched, and wrapped his arm around Valentina. He tried pulling her towards him, but she resisted. Juliana was still laughing at Sergio's stupidity. Her dark eyes crinkled with delight, and her smile was bright and unrestrained. Her joy was infectious, leaking out of her like sunshine piercing through the clouds and shining down on Val, but this time she didn't feel warmed by it.

Usually, Juliana's laugh was her favorite sound, but today it made her frown. She stared glumly at Juliana and Sergio. They had grown closer since the Yule Ball, and Valentina did not like that. Sergio was her friend, but he was not good enough for Juliana. She stared unseeingly at them, tightening her grip on her spoon, and the pressure inside her chest increased tenfold.

No one was good enough for Juliana. Juls deserved someone who would put her first, someone who would buy her flowers because her smiles are brighter than sunflowers, and who would make the time for her because Juls deserved that and more. Her mind wandered, and Valentina imagined taking Juls through Bosque de Chapultepec. There was so much she wanted to share with Juls. When the Tournament was over, and Juliana moved to Mexico, Val would show her all her favorite places and the most beautiful places in Mexico City and beyond. She'd show Juls the world if she'd let her.

A loud hoot snapped her out of her daydream.

Max, the Carvajal family owl, hopped on one leg, the other extended for her, a brown paper parcel tied to his leg. Valentina ruffled his top feathers. "Thank you, Max."

She untied it from his leg and shoved the brown wrapped package in her bag. She quickly read through the accompanying letter, smiling.

"What's that?" Lucho demanded. "Who sent it? Who's writing to you?" He pushed into her.

She rolled her eyes and scooted away from him. "It's from Chivis. Juliana has charms today. I'm going to walk her to class." She tucked the letter away into her robe pocket.

"We're taking our lessons on the third floor today so we can all walk together," Lucho said.

"No, I think-"

"Perfect. Let me finish eating, and we can go, okay?" he dismissed her.

Lucho was making an effort to spend time with Juliana and included her in their group of friends. While Valentina did appreciate his efforts - it also meant that she could not find alone time with Juliana. Lucho, and by extension, Sergio, always found a way to insert themselves into their plans.

Valentina sighed. They hadn't been alone together since their last meeting in their classroom, the day after the Yule Ball.

She wondered if Juliana missed their alone time as much as she did.

She locked eyes with Juliana across the table. She grimaced apologetically. Juliana grinned and shrugged her shoulders, turning to speak to Sergio. Valentina ground her teeth, feeling something hot burn inside her chest before guilt extinguished it. She was acting like a spoiled princess. She should be happy. Juls was making friends with her friends, and now Lucho was trying to be a decent boyfriend. Isn't that what she always wanted?