by Alyson Noel
6) That’s me and Yannis at the club, just hanging with some friends. See that guy standing behind me? That’s Yannis’s cousin. And the guy standing next to him? Also his cousin. And the girl in the far right corner? Yup, you guessed it, another cousin. And that guy next to me? That’s his little brother, Christos. Ha! You thought it was another cousin, didn’t you?
7) That’s me and Yannis at the beach. Notice how it appears to be just us? But don’t be fooled, one of his cousins was actually taking the picture.
8) Me and Yannis at one of Tally and Tassos’s Saturday BBQs, where he’s teaching me the actual steps to that Greek dance I thought I knew, because contrary to what I originally thought, you’re not really supposed to just run in a circle, there are very specific steps, and it’s much more intricate than I ever would’ve/could’ve imagined.
9) That’s me and Yannis drinking frappes with some of his cousins at an outdoor café on the harbor. Frappe rocks. It’s seriously growing on me. Especially that free one that Petros gave me that one time. That was definitely the best one yet!
Okay, that’s it!
Hope this makes up for my little break—ANONYMOUS!
Love,
Colby
August 4
To: NatalieZee
From: ColbyCat
Re: Who’s Yannis?
Hey Nat,
Yannis is a friend of mine.
A really good friend.
Actually, I guess he’s kind of like my boyfriend. Though it’s not like you need to tell anyone that or spread it around town, okay?
I mean, not that I think you would or anything, but still, I just feel like I should say it, since it could be kind of weird if word got out since Levi will be coming here soon.
Though maybe that still makes it more weird HERE than THERE?
See, I really haven’t changed as much as you think. I’m still just as crazy and confused as ever!
Okay, well, thanks for reading my blog!
Hope your summer is going well—
Colby
August 4
To: AmandaStar
From: ColbyCat
Re: UR blog/Sandal
Guy Hey Amanda,
Thx 4 ckg out my blog. But no, Yannis is so NOT my boyfriend. He’s just a friend. U no, someone 2 hang w/every now & then so I don’t die of xtreme boredom over here.
And 2 answer UR? yes, believe it or not, most of the guyz around here wear sandals like that. But I guess IV just been stuck here 4 so long now I’m starting 2 get used 2 it. I mean, I hardly even notice them NEmore. At least not until U mentioned it.
Which is really pretty scary if U think about it!
So Levi will be in Mykonos in just 3 days, & I sooo can’t wait! I’ll let you know how it goes
K—C—YA—
Colby
Circle in the Sand
Blog Comments:
Anonymous said:
Who is Yannis?
ColbyCat said:
A friend.
Anonymous said:
Tell me more about this friend.
ColbyCat said:
What do you want to know?
Anonymous said:
Is he your boyfriend?
ColbyCat said:
Define boyfriend.
Anonymous said:
The opposite of boy friend.
ColbyCat said:
Define boy friend.
Anonymous said:
You like to play games.
ColbyCat said:
You’re the one who goes by ANONYMOUS!
Anonymous said:
True.
ColbyCat said:
Have you ever considered not being ANONYMOUS anymore?
Anonymous said:
Yes. I have considered it.
ColbyCat said:
And???
Anonymous said:
And I am still considering it.
ColbyCat said:
Okay, let me know what you decide.
Colby’s Journal for Desperate Times When She’s Gotten Herself into Such a Mess She Can’t Find Her Way Out
August 7
Leave it to me to take a monumentally great thing and mess it up in such a hugely colossal way that there’s just no fixing it. I mean, just when I was starting to be really happy, just when I was starting to think that my life was so great it was almost too good to be true—WHAM! I make sure that it isn’t.
I mean, let’s face it, I can barely handle one guy, much less two, so none of this should come as any kind of surprise to anyone, especially me. I guess I’ve just never been the kind of girl who can string ’em along and leave ’em begging for more, like Amanda, and practically everyone else in my cool new group (well, maybe I should’ve written FORMER cool new group instead, since, at the moment, I’m not exactly part of it anymore, and they haven’t exactly given me any indication of missing me, much less remembering me).
Anyway, I guess I’m just too serious, too dorky, too nervous, too big of a geek, too honest—except when I lie. Because every time I try to lie about something, the lie somehow manages to get so out of control, expanding and growing so big it practically takes on a life of its own, a life that eventually sets out to destroy my very own.
I guess that’s what Tally and Tassos refer to as karma.
Getting what you give.
So anyway, last night, when Yannis picked me up, he was acting all cute and sly and mysterious about where we were going. And even though I kept trying to guess, he just kept shaking his head, saying, “You’ll see.”
So when we finally ended up at what basically seemed to be a big construction site, I climbed off the back of his Vespa, took one look around and said, “Okay, I give up.”
But he just laughed, grabbed my hand, and tried to lead me inside. And when I hesitated by the front door, he kissed me on the cheek and said, “Relax, it belongs to my family, I just want to show you around.” Then he proceeded to give me a tour of the hotel he’s been working on all summer, but that probably won’t be completely finished until sometime this winter. And by the way he was smiling and pointing out all the little details, all of the things that were either his idea or that he’d personally worked on or built by himself, it was obvious he was really excited about showing it to me.
But no matter how proud he was, no matter how anxious he was for me to share in his excitement, I just couldn’t match it.
I was too busy staring at his sandals.
Yup, the same exact sandals that I never even noticed until Amanda made that nasty comment about them in her e-mail.
But now that she had, all I could do was gaze at his feet and think—What the heck are you doing, Colby?
And even though I knew I was being SHALLOW.
SOOO INCREDIBLY SHALLOW.
I just couldn’t help it.
Though I wish that were all, I wish I could say it stopped there, because unfortunately, it gets worse.
Because suddenly, the very same accent that, just yesterday, I found so adorable and sexy, started to grate on my nerves. And I found myself cringing every time he uttered something from his version of the cool American phrase book.
Stuff like:
Relax, it’s no problem.
Or: Slow down, it’s no worries.
Even his own language started to bug me, like when he, for the one millionth time, referred to me as: Koukla Mou.
It’s like, practically overnight, with just one stupid, bitchy e-mail from Amanda, I started questioning everything about him, about US! Like I’d completely lost the ability to see anything as I once had. Like I literally went from thinking I might really, really, really like him, to not even responding when he told me he loved me.
That’s right, he told me he loved me.
After we’d concluded the tour of the lobby, the reception, the kitchen, the bar, the gym, and a few of the other rooms and suites, he led me out to the pool area, that he just happened to have all set up with chairs and blank
ets and candles and music and food and drinks and flowers. And it should’ve been really romantic, because it WAS really romantic, except for the fact that the whole entire time all I could do was continue to stare at his shoes, cringe at his accent, and think:
What the heck are you doing, Colby? Summer will soon be over. August 31 is just around the corner. Levi will be here tomorrow. And now you have to make a choice.
You can either:
1) Stop being so shallow, and allow yourself to fall for this guy who up until yesterday you thought you really, really liked, and who happens to be really cute, nice, sweet, kind, and fun, and who, through no real fault of his own, just happens to overuse some weird phrases, in a weird accent, that you’ve just now decided gets on your nerves, and yes, who also happens to wear sandals that are so bizarre you can barely stand to look at his feet, even though you can’t seem to stop staring at them. OR:
2) You can focus on your future, and get the heck out of here! Because even though Amanda is undisputedly shallow, to the point where it just might be contagious, the fact that she even bothered to write you back and read your blog in the first place proves you’re still IN. Not to mention how Levi is coming all this way to see you. Or at least he plans to see you because he’s coming all this way. At any rate, if you have half a brain left in your cloudy, foggy, overcast head, you will choose Levi and Amanda and prom and parties, which is the only SOCIAL SECURITY plan you currently have. BECAUSE GREECE IS NOT YOUR FUTURE, BUT CALIFORNIA IS!
3) Not to mention how YOU of all people should be very well versed in how LOVE NEVER LASTS! It’s just another illusion that people like to fool themselves into believing. And even if, by some small chance, it did turn out to be valid, real, and mutual, it’s still just a matter of time before it ends anyway, so really, what’s the point of even going there? Just look at your parents, if you need further proof. Or half of Hollywood! Love is invisible, unreal! Besides, everything has a beginning, middle, and end and you’re a complete sappy fool if you allow yourself to believe otherwise!
But what I also haven’t mentioned until now, is that earlier in the day, when I was getting ready to leave the café, I saw Yannis standing by the harbor, right there in the fish market, talking to Maria. And even though they weren’t doing anything other than just talking, seeing them together like that still managed to make my stomach go all queasy and weird, almost like someone had kicked it—really, really hard, right in the center of my gut.
And just after I thought: Why is he in town, talking to Maria, when just last night he said he’d be working all day?
I thought: Why does it even matter? YOU don’t live here. And this is nothing more than a fun, summer fling to keep you from dying of boredom! Soon you’ll be going home and you’ll never even see him again. And if Yannis wants to be with Maria—what’s it to you? You just need to focus on yourself and get your priorities straight! You’ve had your fun, and now it’s time to make a quick exit, get the heck out before you start believing you feel stuff that’s not even real!
But still, even though I knew all that to be true, it’s not like it stopped the horrible pang in my gut, my shortness of breath, or the hectic beating of my heart, as I watched Maria lean in and kiss Yannis, once on each cheek.
So after Yannis lit all the candles and turned on the music, he pulled me into his arms, brushed his lips against my hair, and whispered, “S’agapo,” so softly I almost didn’t hear it.
Except that I did hear it.
I just pretended I didn’t.
And instead of responding, I just grabbed us each a Coke and started pouring them into some glasses. And for the rest of the night I just went through the motions, playing the part of a girl who was enjoying a fun, romantic, lighthearted date.
But all the while, deep down inside, I was thinking about which ferry I should catch tomorrow (now technically today), which would get me to Mykonos in time to see Levi.
And even though it may sound horrible, shallow, stupid, and disgusting.
In the end, I was only trying to be practical.
Because the fact is, Yannis doesn’t go to Harbor High, but Levi does. And I never should’ve let things go this far to begin with.
August 7
To: Levi501
From: ColbyCat
Re: Mykonos!
Hey Levi,
I’m going to catch the 1:00 ferry, so I’ll meet U @ the dock when you get in.
C U soon—
Colby
Circle in the Sand
August 7
Just stopping in for a quick hello because in just a few hours I’ll be headed HERE!
Yup, that’s a picture of MYKONOS!!!
And I can hardly wait to see it for myself, since I’ve been dying to go there this whole, entire time!
Anyway, a very good friend of mine from home is visiting there, so I’m planning to hop on the ferry and go visit. So hopefully I will have lots of photos to share with you tomorrow! (Or the next day—since I’m really not sure when I’ll be getting back!)
So—
Kalo Takseethee to me!
(That’s phonetic Greek for Bon Voyage!)
Colby
Circle in the Sand
Blog Comments:
Anonymous said:
What’s in Mykonos?
ColbyCat said:
Windmills, so they tell me.
Anonymous said:
What else?
ColbyCat said:
A world-famous pelican!
Anonymous said:
And?
ColbyCat said:
Wild nightlife?
Anonymous said:
Which are you most looking forward to? The windmills, the world-famous pelican, or the wild nightlife?
ColbyCat said:
Is this a test?
Anonymous said:
No, just a question.
ColbyCat said:
Then I’ll tell you when I get back. Though mostly I’m going to visit my friend.
Anonymous said:
Which friend?
ColbyCat said:
Tell me who you are and I’ll tell you who he is. Deal?
Anonymous said:
No deal.
ColbyCat said:
Your choice.
August 7
Dear Aunt Tally and Tassos,
I’m leaving this note on the fridge since you always head straight for it when you get back from the beach, so I figured you’d find it right away.
Anyway, I probably should have told you this before, but I’m taking the ferry to Mykonos. Though PLEASE don’t rush down to the dock to come get me, because, the truth is, by the time you read this, I’ll be gone.
Also, please don’t worry, or stress, or anything like that because I’ll be totally fine, and it’s not like I’m mad at you, or trying to run away from home, or anything remotely like that. I just—well, let’s just say that I’m meeting up with A Friend. Someone I know from school. And I’ll probably be back late tonight, or maybe even tomorrow morning, since I forgot to find out how long my friend is staying. But if my friend stays overnight then I probably will too. Just to keep my friend company, since I don’t know if my friend is traveling with other friends.
Okay, so I guess I’ll see you either tonight or tomorrow, but please, don’t come to Mykonos and try to look for me or anything, because:
1) I’ll be totally fine. &
2) That would be totally embarrassing.
Okay, well, thanks for understanding. (I really hope you understand, but if not I’ll explain it all to you when I get back either tonight or tomorrow, I promise.)
Love,
Colby
P.S. If Yannis comes over can you please just tell him that I’m sick, or not feeling well, or something like that? And if he still insists on trying to see me then can you please just inform him that I’m so sick and unwell that I’m not up to seeing anyone but that I will see him tomorrow, for sure?
P.
P.S. Sorry about asking you to lie, because I know you think it’s bad karma. But trust me, it’s going toward a very good cause, which I will also explain later.
August 7
Dear Mom,
This postcard is not lying because the fact is, I really am in Mykonos. And from what I’ve seen so far, this is where you and Dad should’ve sent me in the first place. Because not only is it beautiful, but it’s also cool and fun and way more exciting than Tinos. I mean, nothing against Aunt Tally, because she’s really nice and NOT AT ALL CRAZY like you guys always said, and it’s not like it’s her fault that Tinos is totally boring compared to Mykonos.
And even though you’re probably wondering why I’m here, I’m not going to tell you. I mean, it’s not like you’ve been all that honest either, since I happen to know all about your new boyfriend even though you think that I don’t. Though I guess we’ll save that for an actual letter where there’s more room to write.
Love,
Your disillusioned daughter,
Colby
August 7
Dear Dad,
The front of this postcard features a picture of some very famous windmills that are located in Mykonos, which is where I am now. Though I won’t tell you why since even though you managed to tell me about Mom’s new boyfriend, you failed to mention the fact of how you are now living with your girlfriend. Though I guess we’ll just have to save that little conversation for one of those fun family conference calls you and Mom seem so fond of.
Thank you for curing me of my unbridled optimism.
Love,
Colby
August 7
Dear Nat,
I know you’re probably pretty surprised to get a postcard from me, but I’m in Mykonos, sitting at the dock, waiting for Levi’s boat to come in, and I’m kind of bored, and needed something to do, so I figured I’d send you a card.
Anyway, it’s really pretty here, just like it looks in the picture, and, well, I think I see his boat so—
Take care,
Colby
August 7
Dear Amanda,
OMG—Levi’s boat just got here, but I thought I’d say a quick HEY! since I haven’t sent you any postcards since I got here. Anyway, obviously I haven’t been to that beach yet—though maybe I’ll go there with Levi—who knows?