🇬🇧 Once Upon a Time #Herophine 🇬🇧 (English version)

Prologue - Josephine

I admire his courage. After so many 'no's, managing not give up is admirable.
"Thanks for the invitation, but I already have plans for tonight."

Mia looks at me doubtfully and then realizes that I'm just looking for a nice way to decline the invitation.

"Ah ok... I tried! But if you change your mind, the invitation is still valid. Maybe I'll see you there! All the other guys will be there!"

Sigh. It's been a long time since I went out with our group of friends. I was literally sucked into the vortex of auditions, various auditions... It was a stressful period and I'm trying to relax a bit.

"You know what? Maybe I'll see you there!" I hear myself say these words and I have to admit that I'm more surprised than Mia who looks at me with wide eyes.
I end the conversation and we look at each other for endless moments, in silence.

"What ?!?" She blurts out. "What do you mean: see you there? Where, exactly? Have you lost your mind, Jo?"

I love my friend. I already said it?

"At Milo's party!" I shrug nonchalantly.
"You said just now that I needed to relax a bit, didn't you?"

"Yes but... Oh God, even a party at Milo's?" She seems to be thinking out loud, rather than talking to me.

“Of course we go together!” I underline.
She nods thoughtfully.

"What's up?" I look at her trying to understand what's bothering her.

"Do you think he'll be there... Yes, well... That he'll be there too?" She stammers.

Mia has always been in love with Jack.
His name is actually Tim, but he looks like Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie Titanic and for us he has always been Jack since we saw him in our first year at school.
However, Jack has been in a relationship all his life and Mia has never gotten close to him for this reason.

"I have no idea... It didn't seem nice to ask!"
She nods, lost in thought.
“How about we go get some ice cream?” I ask her.

She nods again, this time more vigorously.

"Okay! We have to buy something to wear tonight! Hurry up!" She suddenly becomes agitated.

I smile as I change and see her walking up and down the room with her gaze lost in space.
It's making me nervous too.
“Mia, could you please stop?”

"Are you ready?" She looks at me "Let's go!" And she leaves my room.

We spend the afternoon among clothes and shoe shops.
I don't particularly like shopping but I would do anything for my friend.
We return home with huge envelopes with two or three possible outfits for the evening.

"I'll pick you up at 9pm, okay?"
Neither compulsive shopping nor a huge ice cream was enough to make her relax.
She is always thoughtful and agitated.
I nod and enter the house.

Perth is cold and very windy at this time of year. While in the rest of the world it is summer, here it is the middle of winter, although it is never particularly cold I must admit.

I prepare calmly, without rushing.
I don't have to surprise anyone tonight.
I want to go out to distract myself a bit and to see old friends again.

Milo's house is huge and beautiful.
Directly on the beach, it has tons of fairy lights hanging from the trees in front of the porch.
The music, not excessively loud, comes from inside and is somewhat muffled by the soundproof walls of the house.
Mia walks beside me in silence.

"Does he still have this effect on you?" I decide to ask "You have to breathe, remember that!"

She nods and sighs looking in front of him. I wonder what she has planned for tonight.
She's definitely thinking about how to talk to Jack.
This is enough for her: talking to him.
Jack is nice, a simple boy and always kind. Even though he is often fawned over by the girls who hang around him, he has never shown any signs of wanting to cheat on his girlfriend and this is a big point in his favor.
Mia is really content just talking to him. They have so many interests in common and it's a shame that she can't move past this crush of hers, given that he's clearly been off limits for some time.