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Footage and machines

Mayara pov

Luana called me as soon as I stepped inside my apartment.

"Hey, what are you doing later?"

"I don't know, my throat hurts so I'm not going out, plus I've got all of these articles to finish"

"I didn't ask for you life story" she laughed, "I'm on my way over now"

"Ok, but i've really got to get some work done" I sighed, dropping my bags on the sofa and discarding my shoes.

"We can sit in silence"

The image of Luana not moving her lips for more than a minute didn't seem plausible.

"Plus, Shanai just got back from England"

"Fine, see you in a bit"

Shanai, Luana and I were inseparable through school and then things fell apart when I moved around and Shanai started working in hotel chains, so it would be nice for all three of us to catch up.

~

Footage of a benighted giraffe munching on some foliage played on my TV.

Shanai pressed some buttons on the control, changing the channel.

She took a sip of her beer, saying, 'i hate watching animal planet, I might see my ex'

The music video to Beautiful Liar came on and Shanai jumped up on the sofa and began shaking her hips in time with the music. I joined in copying Shakira and she mimicked Beyoncé.

Luana just tutted beneath us since we were both completely out of time.

"This has been my favourite song since I was old enough to illegally download it on napster" Shanai laughed.

My phone started vibrating in my shorts and hopped down from the cushions.

I unlocked my phone and stared at the screen.

Rafinha: Person is typing

Rafinha: Person is typing

Rafinha: Person is typing

Rafinha: hi x

Either there was some burning subject he was nervous to press or he had a really difficult time spelling 'hi'.

Mayara: hey babe, how's thiago? x

It took him a couple minutes to reply and by this point the girls were crowded around my phone, eyes wide and impatient.

Rafinha: He's good, I wanted to ask what you were talking about with Neymar?

I looked at the formation of words on my phone, thinking I had misread the text.

Did he really just ask to censor my conversations?

Rafinha: You too just looked quite close, idk Xx

'Idk' my ass. He knew exactly what he was thinking: he didn't trust me.

Mayara: Nothing. * a picture of a trampoline * , since you love jumping to conclusions.

The girls nodded beside me, humming subtle approval at my sassy remark.

Rafinha: ok babe, I'll see you tomorrow, got to go skype thiago Xx

Mayara: I though you were picking him up from the airport?

Rafinha: yh I was, his flight got delayed so I'm skyping him, I'm sorry I've really got to go. Xx

Slightly put out by our exchange and him cutting me off and turned my phone off and put it back onto charge, at a loss for words to reply.

It was like talking to a machine with all it's wires crossed, where I had no idea what to believe and I don't think he did either.

"He's just busy" Shanai smiled.

"Hey can I have these?" Luana asked from the depths of my fridge. She emerged brandishing a cake pop around my kitchen like a sword.

I tackled her onto the tiles, removing the cake pop from her grip and propelling it towards my mouth.

An advert for a dating website materialised on my tv.

"My boyfriends in hospital" Shanai stated, nonchalantly.

"What? Jesus, is he okay?" me and Luana shouted, crowding around her.

"He's got a really bad case of non-existence"

I nudged Shanai for fooling me and in frustration at how gullible I was becoming.

We all sat down and started watching all the gossip girl we'd missed over the last few months of being apart.

My mind was elsewhere the entire episode as I was still trying to process Rafinha's texts.

~

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