"You know what's happening!" I said, alarmed.
Why am I the last to know things around here?
"He didn't tell me anything," Vitor answered.
"But you know either way," I finished the sentence for him,.
"I have a good guess. Now, seriously...he just wants to be alone," he asked me.
"I'm sorry, Vitor, but I'm not leaving my friend alone with a problem," I answered before walking into the field.
I don't know what's gotten into Vitor. Usually he's the one all concerned, and I'm the one that doesn't care. Lucas definitely doesn't have a headache.
"Lucas!" I yelled when I saw him on the other side of the field. "Lucas!" I yelled again.
I needed to shout a few times to get him to hear him and then to get him to see me, since the weather wasn't helping.
He came in my direction, looking confused.
"Paula? What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you. What else would I be doing in a soccer field?" I asked, annoyed.
"Did something happen?" He asked, seeming concerned.
"Yes! My best friend disappeared saying he had a headache. It's fifty degrees outside and he's only wearing a thin long sleeved shirt on an open field."
"You were worried about me?" He asked, with a small smile.
Can I hit the guy? Here I was worried sick, and he's laughing at me! I don’t deserve this!
"Of course I was worried!" I answered, annoyed. "What are you doing here alone in this cold?"
"Just practicing.," he shrugged.
"And I'm Bozo," I answered, rolling my eyes.
"Who?" He asked, confused.
Great...another one who didn't have a childhood.
"Never mind. Let's go back inside and under a blanket," I said, pulling him by the hand.
"I'll be back soon, angel. I'm just sticking around a little more," he answered without letting go of my hand.
"What happened Lucas?" I couldn't help myself and asked.
I'm his best friend, after Vitor, but I'm still his best female friend. I have my rights.
"Nothing happened, crazy woman! I just want to practice for a while," he answered.
I looked hard at him and understood perfectly that he wasn't in the mood to talk about whatever was upsetting him.
"Are you going to let me freeze out here?" I asked, pouting.
"Why? Go back to school and drink some hot chocolate. Ask Fernando to get one for you," he answered, smiling.
"I'm not going back. I'm going to watch you practice. It isn't fun to do it without an audience," I said, smiling, before going to the nearest bench to sit down.
I'm glad I have several shirts on today.
"Are you sure?" He asked me.
"Of course. Go ahead. I'll be cheering for you over here," I answered, smiling.
What I won't do for a friend!
I sat on the bleachers on the least cold place I found, and watched Lucas run after the ball.
It didn't take him long to tire, and finally decide to come talk to me.
"Let's get a hot chocolate," he told me, smiling.
"You can train for as long as you want, Lu," I answered.
"I'm done. Now I'm taking my friend for some yummy hot chocolate," he answered me, smiling wider. "Shall we?"
"I want a large cup!" I said excitedly.
"No...you'll have a small one and I’ll have a large one," he answered, trying to provoke me.
"No way, Lucas. I'm the priority here. I can freeze to death at any moment," I answered while we walked to the dining hall.
"You're wearing more shirts than me. I'm the one at risk of freezing."
"But I feel the cold harder than you. Not counting the fact that I'm smaller. It's easier for me to turn into a Popsicle," I answered, smiling.
"Then let's be quick, Popsicle," he answered, putting his arm around my shoulders.
Which, I have to say, was pretty good. It helped me in getting warmer. One of the advantages of having big, male friends is that on cold days you hug them and it isn't as cold, after all, they block the cold and warm me, but don't tell them. They think I hug them because I like hugging them. Not that I don't, but the real reason is cold.
It didn't take us long to get to the school, and to our unhappiness, we bumped into Bruno in the hallway.
"Bruno!" I greeted him.
"Paula" He shot back, extremely serious.
Is it just me or are his eyes red again? I bet that it isn't because he's crying in the corners, after all, I never saw Bruno cry.
I didn’t find it weird when the two didn't greet each other, or when Lucas pulled me slightly to keep walking.
I did find Bruno's reaction weird. Usually he isn't so serious or look so angry. Did something happened or was it just because I was with Lucas?
"Did you get into a fight again?" I asked Lucas while we walked on, still embracing.
"Not really. It's been a while since we had a ‘conversation’," he answered, smiling.
Is it just me or was that smile completely evil? I know that Lucas hates Bruno, and I think everyone knows why. Lucas had an uncle that got lost in drugs, so he knows well what Bruno's family is going through. Maybe some people would say that Lucas isn't fun, but if that's the case, neither am I.
"The student lounge is that way," I said when Lucas pulled me to another staircase.
"Weren't we getting hot chocolate?" He asked me, smiling quietly.
"I thought you were kidding about the chocolate," I shrugged.
"I know someone who makes a mean cup of chocolate," was what he answered me, smiling, before we turned one more hallway
It didn't take long got the both of us to be sitting side by side in the dining hall drinking a humongous cup of chocolate, and I have to say, it was wonderful.
"I like your friend," I say nodding to the boy that made our chocolate.
"To be friends with him all you need is some time to talk. He loves to talk about the city he was born," he answered, smiling.
I was silent, just drinking my chocolate and watching the people that work in the school dining hall.
You know when there's silence, and it really bothers you? That hardly happens with me and the boys. I think just because of that I can I say I have real friends.
"Are you warm?" Lucas asked me, breaking the silence.
"Yes, but I'm not giving you my chocolate," I joked, pulling the cup closer.
"I don't want it!" He shrugged. "I have my own!" He answered me, sticking out his tongue.
Sometimes I wonder why we couldn't stand each other when we first met. Yes, we're very different, he's a troublemaker while I’m the good one, but that didn't stop me from being friends with Vitor, for example.
Before, I used to remember my mom saying that some people just don't get along, but everyone knows that’s a lie. Despite the fact that Lucas thought I was stuck up, he was a nice person. Also despite the fact that he picked on Bruno every chance he got.
I won't deny that sometime Bruno provoked him, but most of the time the poor guy was just there and Lucas would go pester him.
Fine...he was never that quiet, since he wouldn't let go of that cigarette, and when he did he left cigarette butts all over school, until the teacher took one of them and called the whole school for a talk on drugs.
"Why did you like to pick on Bruno so much?" I asked, curious.
"It's always fun to tease Bruno," he shrugged.
"But there has to be a reason," I insisted.
"Do I need more than the fact that he's funny-looking and he’s ruining his life with cigarettes?" My friend asked me, laughing.
"What else?"
"What do you mean, what else?" He asked, not understanding.
"Carlos is also funny-looking and you don't tease him much," I answered, remembering the poor boy.
"You think it's Bruno sending you the roses?" Lucas asked, thoughtful.
"Why the question?"
"I don't know...you never talk abou
t him with me," he shrugged.
"Because you get upset every time I do," I rolled my eyes.
"But you think it could be him?" He asked me, again.
"Of course I don't. We've been in a fight for forever! Why would he send me roses? You don't think it's a little late and weird to say sorry like that?"
"What if it's not an apology?" He asked me.
"Lucas, it's not Bruno who's been sending me the roses. It's André."
"He confessed?" Lucas asked, surprised.
"He didn't say that exactly, but it's kind of obvious," I confessed.
"I don't think so. Just because he wants to date you?" He asked me.
"Yes, but also when we were talking a rose showed up next to me. How do you explain that?"
"Someone else could have put it there," he said, thoughtful.
"Lucas, what do you know that I don't?" I asked, suspicious.
"Unfortunately, nothing. But I don't think it was André. He's not the type of guy."
"What type?"
What does this crazy person mean? Do you need to be a type to send flowers now? There's only two viable explanations: Lucas doesn't want it to be André, or Lucas is the one sending me flowers.
I hope it's the second one, since Lucas is a sweetheart and everything. Also, it's totally like him to send flowers, thought he has no reason to do it.
"He doesn't seem like the type of man to send flowers, angel," my friend explained.
"And what type of man sends flowers?" I asked, suspicious.
"Someone romantic, maybe," he shrugged.
"And how do you know if André is romantic or not?" I asked, raising one eyebrow, even more suspicious.
"People say things..." he told me vaguely.
"Why all this dislike of the poor guy?" I asked.
"I don't dislike him. I just don't like him near you. You're out of his league."
Out of his league? Where does Lucas gets these things from, really? That's something my mom would say, or even better, my grandma. Who says things like that nowadays? Aside from Lucas, apparently.
"I don't understand your bad mood today!" I said.
"I'm not in a bad mood."
"Of course not. Andressa is the one who is," I shrugged.
Lucas's crazy, the poor thing!
"Are you going to hook up with André?" He asked me some time later.
"I don't know, Lucas. I don't like him like that, but on the other hand, he's nice."
"So, you're still thinking of the possibility?" He asked me, surprised.
"I haven't even considered it, to be honest," I answered with the truth.
Why is Lucas so interested?
"Great. I'm happy about that," he answered me, smiling.
I don't know why, but I love Lucas's smile. It's so... I don't know! It's handsome, sexy, friendly, I don't know...it's a good smile.
"What?" He asked me, smiling wider, but this time it was a laughter-smile, not a kind-smile like before.
"What what?"
"You're looking at me weird," he said, laughing.
"I was thinking about your smile," I shrugged.
"What about my smile?" He asked.
"It's different! For example, Vitor always either smirks or smiles with extreme happiness. You'd hardly ever see Vitor with a sincere smile like yours."
"My smile is sincere?" He asked, smiling.
"I don't know who to explain," I shrugged again.
"Now I want to know," he said, smile growing.
"I don't know...it's just very different from other people's smile."
"You usually notice people's smiles? I never seen you do that," he answered, laughing.
"Then get used to it. I have that habit, but don't ask me where it came from."
Of course I'm not going to tell him I started doing that when the girls told me he was nice, that's when I started noticing Lucas and everything he did, and the smile grabbed my attention, so I started looking for smiles like his, but couldn't find anything. I've found smiles like Vitor's, Fernando's, even Andressa's, but never like Lucas's. Does he know that his smile is unique?
Fine...I haven't checked everyone’s smiles, but, statistically speaking, there's no one with the same smile, and I've searched through a lot of people here at school and even some people from my neighborhood.
The girls say I'm obsessed with finding a smile like Lucas's. Andressa's words: 'It's impossible for you to find a smile that's just the same, Paula. Everyone is unique.' But let's agree that that's a big lie, a huge lie, because I've found people who smile just like her, besides, she and Fernando are so similar and shy it's enough to make you angry. How can two people who are so similar like each other so much? Generally it's opposites that attract, right? At least that's what I've always read.
"That's a pretty weird habit, Paulie," he answered, laughing.
"Don't even start...your habit of biting your lips all the time it's also weird."
"Of course it isn't. I know a lot of people that do that," he said, defending himself.
"Of course...all women, I bet!" I answered, rolling my eyes.
Lucas only notices girls. Just like every man, he unfortunately hasn't learned it's not bad to watch a person of the same gender if it's to collect precious information. You know how it is... Vitor is your friend, then he doesn't care about your habits, but if it's a person that he doesn't have much contact with then it'd be the end of the world.
"It' not quite like that..." he answered, uncomfortable, and guess what... biting his lips.
"Right," I answered, laughing at his reaction.
Lucas is a cutie, isn't he?
"So, let's go? The guys must be looking for us," he said after I finished my hot chocolate, which wasn't that hot anymore.
"Let's," I answered, smiling and accepting his hand.
Don't think we were doing something wrong walking around, holding hands, we do this every once in a while...fine, we do it a lot, but it's normal! I do it with Vitor too. I just don't do it with Fernando because he went all red the first time I did it.
It's not my fault if I like holding hands. So what if he's just my friend? Where's the rule that only boyfriend and girlfriends can hold hands? I'm totally against it.
Vitor said I'm small and that's why I have to hold people's hands. According to him, I might get lost in the crowd or someone might think I'm a lost child.
Obviously, every time he says that I have to slap his arm, but who said he cares? Actually, I very much doubt that my slap has any kind of effect, or that it hurts him even a little bit. It didn't have to hurt him too much, but it would be great if it had some effect so he'd learn not to call me tiny. What does he have against short people? Didn't he know that's a prejudice? Or post-judice, like he says.
Lucas, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care at all holding hands with me, besides, I suspect he has the same habit as I do since he takes my hand all the time and pulls me around. Not that I'm complaining, on the contrary, it's good when he does it. I'm just relating facts! A weird fact for most people, but still fact.
I don't know why people think only boyfriend and girlfriend can walk like that. Seriously! What's wrong with two friends walking while holding hands? Not counting Fernando, who blushes like crazy, I think it's pretty normal.
"I bet they didn't even miss us," Lucas said when we got closer to where the rest of the guys where.
I saw my friends talking and laughing for no reason. Did I just miss a classic Vitor joke?
"At the very least they're talking shit about us," I answered, laughing.
I think I've already said it's not a complex, but they love talking about me, and usually it's never something like 'wow, Paula's so smart'. No! It's always things like 'did you see Paula's red nose? She looked more like the red-nosed reindeer than a dwarf'. Obviously those comments always come from Vitor and Andressa. Who told me to get mean friends? I think I have poor taste when it comes to friends.
"You're on, angel," Lucas told me,
smiling.
We sneaked in so none of them saw us and we heard the following sentence:
"...I even saw him putting the scarf on it."
"Stop talking nonsense, Vitor," Andressa asked, laughing.
"The worst thing wasn't the snowmen but the stupid look on Lucas's face," Vitor answered again.
"I should've bet something like a car," I joked.
"I wouldn't give you a car. Even I don't have one," he answered, laughing.
"A bag of candy would've been nice too," I teased.
"Look at the missing couple," Andressa said.
"We weren't missing. We went for hot cocoa," I said excited.
"From the same mug?" Vitor asked, very interested.
"Don't ask uncomfortable questions, Vitor," Andressa said, trying to put some sense into my brainless friend. "So...one or two straws?" She asked with an innocent smile.
"Two mugs, two straws," Lucas answered, shaking his head, annoyed with the questions.
As if they weren't going to ask something stupid like that.
"You didn't have to answer," Fernando said.
"It would've been worse if we hadn't," I shrugged.
Imagine what they would've thought then.
"And why are you holding hands?" Andressa asked, pointing at our still intertwined hands.
"As if we didn't know that Red has the weird habit of holding other people's hands," Vitor said.
"As if she'd hold Lucas's hand without thinking," Fernando said.
Is it just me or did he sound sarcastic?
We talked for a while and dinner time arrived without us realizing it. Dinner wasn't very good, but that could be because I wasn't very hungry. I had too much hot cocoa, not that I think that's a bad thing.
We went back to the lounge and sat on the couch just hanging out, talking more about the chaos of the day than anything else.
But, because not everything is rosy, and I mean that in the literal sense of the thing, I got another letter, and I was expecting another awful rose, but unfortunately there were two owls, one with a red rose and another with a letter from my admirer.
Paula,
We didn't have time to talk about today. Can we meet tomorrow before breakfast?
André.
That explains a lot, right? I know they came separately, but I think it's to draw more attention, but it's obvious André is the one sending the roses.
Hated Secret Admirer Page 9