Pieces

4. The Best Friend

a/n: Credit to @americangirl123 for the amazing cover :)

Also, now I will be updating Pieces every Sunday/Monday. This will go on for the month of July. I will be temporarily leaving wattpad in August and won't be back till last week of October, because I have my half yearlys around that time. 

I hope you will still continue to give your support.

Meanwhile, DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR THIS STORY IN THE WATTPAD JULY OF THE MONTH CONTEST! CLICK ON THE EXTERNAL LINK TO VOTE :)

Thank you.

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I'd made it. I still couldn't believe I'd made it. As I stood by the baggage claim, I couldn't help but feel a wave of excitement inside me. 

I hadn't given up. I hadn't looked back. I was young and I was free. At a time like this, it was hard to not be happy.

I checked the time, remembering how Antonio had mentioned coming to pick me up at 2:30 and it was already 2:45. 

Seeing the familiar Tommy Hilfiger suitcase that my dad gifted me on my last birthday, I grabbed it without much difficulty and headed towards the exit. I was supposed to be looking for a guy my age with black hair and tanned skin, wearing a light blue shirt and khakhi shorts. I chuckled, remembering how Antonio had described his dress code to me in the e-mail.

As soon as I stepped outside, I was greeted by a fresh warm gust of air mixed with the scent of warm cheese and toasted bread and fresh tomatoes. It had a surprisingly calming effect on me. I relaxed my shoulders a bit as I opened my eyes, scanning the crowd for Antonio. Loud voices laced with thick Italian accents filled my ears as I pushed through the crowd of locals, trying to imagine what would happen if I didn't find Antonio.

I pushed the negative thoughts out of my mind as I continued searching for Antonio, hope slowly slipping away, like sand through my fingers. I had almost given up my search for him when I spotted a guy dressed in a light blue shirt and khakhi shorts, pushing through the crowd. I went after him but lost him somewhere in the crowd.

"Antonio!" I shouted, randomly, hoping he'd hear my voice and that that'd lead him to wherever I was. Where the heck was I anyway. 

"Antonio!" I shouted again, louder this time, frustrated with the constant pushing and shoving of the crowd and the loud voices in my ear like blaring horns. 

About twenty seconds later, I felt someone grab my arm and tug me away, first gently, then firmly out of the crowd. I couldn't see who it was and panicked.

I screamed and the grip tightened and I shut my eyes tight, regretting ever getting on the plane back home. I could have been having a mighty well cup of green tea back home. I was so stupid. What was I thinking, coming here anyway? I was young. I wasn't free. I shouldn't be. 

"Calm down. It's me. I'm Antonio." A calm voice filled my ears as the grip on my arm loosened. 

I opened my eyes to see the same boy I'd been looking for in the crowd. The first thing I noticed were his eyes. They were a strange shade of deep grayish green. And there was so much pain, so much sorrow in them. I imagined what those eyes would have looked like before all of this happened. I imagined what they'd have looked like when he was laughing about something stupid with our now, unreachable, best friend. 

The next thing I noticed was his hair. He had soft curly hair, the kind you would be tempted to touch. It fell over his forehead in an awkward wave at the front, something that not a lot of guys could pull off. But it didn't look bad on him.