If Ever | Damiano David Story

Chapter 1 | The water sure helps

22 May 2021

Marsia is sitting on the couch looking deadly at the TV. "I can't believe you are making me watch this."

I'm in the kitchen preparing the snacks, but I can hear her. "Oh please. Making you?"

"It's tacky."

"And that's exactly why we going to watch it" I say as I pour the Nachos in the bowl. I walk to the living room with the bowl of nachos on my one hand and a bottle of wine on the other "Stefanos will be late. He just texted me. He sort of has a date."

"Looks like it's just you and me then." Marsia looks at me with a smile "Leda, did you planned it because you want to seduce me?"

"Damn." I place the bowl on the table "I though it wasn't that obvious."

"I'm too smart" she says and grabs a nacho.

I look at her with concern. I know that she'll deny it but there has been something going on between the two of them for some time now and I know that the fact that he's out with someone else might makes her feel weird. "Marsia? Are you trying to change the subject?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "I don't care if he goes out with someone. We are not exclusive."

"Okay" I mumble "You just seemed a little jealous last night at the bar when he was talking to that girl"

"I was not jealous" she raised her voice a little "I was just tired"

I look at her in disbelief. I know that no matter how much she's trying to hide it, it annoys her. She'll never admit it though, so I just let it go. "Whatever you say"

"Speaking of last night." She's trying to change the subject again. Typical. "What's up with that guy that you were talking to?"

I slightly grimace. "I don't know. I didn't really like him. He was nice and pretty good-looking, but... I don't know"

Marsia looks disappointed "Of course you didn't. Why do I even ask anymore?"

"What do you mean?" Of course, I knew what she meant but I don't really want to admit it to myself either, but since last summer I am not easily impressed by anyone. I keep going out with people, talking, flirting but no one really stuck to me. Well, not since last summer.

15 August 2020

I was sitting on my bed with Marsia. On the background there was playing a rock playlist on Spotify "I'm pathetic" I said while I wiped my tears away

Marsia approached me "You are not pathetic. You're just sad"

"I can't cry over a boy. That's not like me" I felt angry with myself, crying over such a stupid thing. I felt like I was betraying everything I believed in. Like crying over a breakup made me weak. We were supposed to leave for vacations tomorrow morning and the fact that I was going without Haris, my boyfriend of two years, was bringing a lot of emotions. After Haris left the country, our relationship started to fall apart. Long distance relationship really was a pain in the ass. It started slowly to fall apart and shattered when he met someone else. Deep down I knew it was for the better, but I couldn't help but feel sad and a little betrayed.

"Leda, you can't be so hard on yourself. It's so normal to feel sad. It doesn't make you any less strong or independent the fact that you feel sad for breaking up. Don't be that person"

Marsia was always trying to be the voice of logic "I guess you're right. Anyway, it's no unlike me"

"Of course it is. You had never really fallen in love before you met Haris. You never took any of your other relationships seriously. You put effort and your heart into this one and it is okay to feel heartbroken." She handed me a tissue.

I got up from the bed, wiped my tears and tried to pull myself together "I don't really want to talk about it anymore. It is what it is. I had my meltdown and now it's time to move on."

She nodded and walked towards me "Okay. Let's go pack your things."

"I've already packed everything." I pointed towards my back bag.

Marsia raised her eyebrow in disbelief "Everything?"

"Yeap"

"Sleeping pad, sleeping bag, blanket, tent?" her eyebrow still raised.

"Yes, yes, clearly won't need it but yes and no!"

She placed her hand on her chest "Are you planning to sleep outside?" she asked sarcastically.

I mimicked her tone "Aren't you supposed to bring the tent?"

She looked me for a minute "Shit! I was!"

"Well, are we going to sleep outside?" Marsia always expects me to forget something and it's the first time she did so I decided to have some fun with it.

"Shut up!" she walked towards my apartment door "I'm going to bring it."

I laughed while she was closing the door. I really needed this vacation. We have planned to go for camping on a small island of Cyclades, Donousa, along with some of our friends, Stefanos, Orestes and Zoe. I hadn't been on my best mental health the whole year, trying to balance between work and studies, while on pandemic, and the breakup was just the cherry on top. I was technically on my last year of studies, and I had so much work to do during that year. I attended fashion school, right after I got my diploma in Theater studies, and I was working as a waitress at a café-bar to pay for it. I really needed some time with my friends to relax and have some fun, and as a Greek person, in its early twenties, there is no better place to achieve that than in a beach somewhere in Mediterranean. Time is different on islands. It feels likes it slows down, but yet everything seems to happen faster. Can't really explain it. So needless to say, I was really excited for the trip.

The next morning, we got up early to go to the port and take the ship to Donousa. Our friend and my roommate Stefanos picked everyone up with his car. After many and long hours on the ship we arrived on the island.

We drove to the beach where we were planning to camp and found many campers there already, mostly other groups, but not too many and we found a decent place to set up our tents. By the time we finished it was afternoon.

"I'm going to swim. I'm extremely hot." I said while I was taking of my clothes. "Will anyone join me?"

Stafanos got up from his chair. "I'm coming."

We walked towards the water. It's always nice when the water touches my feet for the first time in a while. I feel an inner peace. I quickly dipped in the water trying to cool myself down and wash away all the sweat.

Stafanos approached me in the water "So, how are you?"

"Better. The water sure helps. It's really hot."

He rolled his eyes "I meant with what happened with Haris."

"Oh" I looked down. Stefanos was a good friend to Haris. Actually, he was the one that introduced us and the only reason he wasn't here with us is because he wasn't in Greece and If he was, we would probably have a problem. "You know, it kind of sucks but I'll be fine."

"I know you will." I just wanted to check on you.

I smiled at him "You don't have to check on me. I'm here to have some fun and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"I like your attitude." He smiled.

"I like my attitude too." and indeed I did. I was already feeling so much better than I did last night. I was ready to move on and enjoy my time on the island.