Mr. Brightside || João Félix

S E V E N T Y - S E V E N

"Babe," João shakes me, "you have breakfast with my mom and Fer is blowing up your phone."

"Did you hear back from Tiago ?" I ask as I rub my eyes.

"What ?" He asks confused.

"Ivone," I remind him sitting up.

"Right, right," he says, "she's fine. He said she didn't want to talk, she just said she was tired and overwhelmed."

"Hmm," I hum getting off the bed and heading to his restroom to brush my teeth and my hair. João walks in handing me my phone since Fer keeps calling.

"Hello," I say answering her FaceTime call.

"Don't kill me," she says, "but I invited Ivone to our day."

"Did she agree ?" I ask.

"Not yet, but I'm hopeful," she says. "I know you guys haven't gotten off on the best foot, and I totally understand why, but she was my best friend for so long, and this morning I actually got a glimpse of the girl she used to be."

"What happened ?" I asked.

"She cut off Magui," Fer says, "she sent me a screenshot of the message she sent her, I'll send it to you. Basically I woke up to a random text of her apologizing for being a bitch to me for years and ruining our friendship over some girl who ended up disappointing her. Basically, Magui got into her head about how her [Magui] and João were like the best couple ever and were meant to be, she I guess took that as her sign to play Cupid and get them back together even though she's in love with João; I suppose Ivone came to the sick conclusion that if she couldn't have João, at least her best friend could've, but then you came into the picture.

"It all sounds sick, twisted and pathetic if you ask me. Anyway, she said she didn't know Magui had cheated on João and that if she did she would've told him which I actually believe because she loves João and even if she could never have him, she'll always want to protect him. She also told me she's so embarrassed for how she treated you because you were kind to her when you guys met and only went off on her when she pushed you over the edge.

"If she agrees to join us, can you promise to be nice ?" She asks, "I feel her different, it's almost like something clicked in her brain."

"I believe that," I say as I fix my hair, "I asked João to check on her before we went to sleep. Something seemed off, I mean, I don't know her enough to be able to tell for sure, but the way she ran off the field, I feel like something's not right."

"She just texted back," Fer sighs, "she said no. She said I appreciate the offer, but I'm gonna pass, this is no hate to you, nor Sofia, but I wouldn't feel comfortable, I've been a shitty friend and I need time to think and process some things before I can even begin to move forward. I really want to work on getting back to where we were, and potentially form a friendship with Sofia if she's still up for it, she's right, I'm in love with João, and I always have been, but seeing him happy even though it's not with me should suffice, I need to move on and let him go, he was never mine to keep."

"Ugh now I feel like shit for some of the things I said," I groan.

"I don't think you were out of line," she says as I look through my clothes for an outfit. "What was said in the moment is justifiable by her actions in the moment."

"I still feel like I should apologize," I admit stepping out of the frame to change. "Perhaps I could've worded things differently or been nicer about certain things."

I walk out of the restroom to find João asleep one the bed. "Babe," I shake him, "what do you want for breakfast ?"

"Are we not getting breakfast ?" Fer asks.