Badass Cinderella

Chapter 32 - My Frikin Shoes!

"Luca, look. I know you're upset about the fact that I got upset about that conversation between you and your mum, and even when you said that its not what it sounded like-

"Because you know it wasn't!" He cut in impatiently, but I continued with the patience that he was lacking.

"I know Luca, but it raised a lot of other thoughts in my mind. You can't blame me. You don't exactly have the reputation of a saint, you know? You are known to mess around with girls. I don't mean to say this with the slightest bit of offence-"

"None taken." He cut in once again, bitterly.

"So, I started to have my doubts too. What if...you know, you just wanted to mess with me too? I mean, you did start getting close to me all of a sudden and I actually started considering us good friends, until reality hit me in the face." I say the last part more as a mumble but I am sure he has heard me because he has fallen silent. I can tell that he is looking straight at me, even though I'm looking down at the ground that seems far away while standing on the second floor of the house.

"I'm sorry, I do value our friendship but....wouldn't you get suspicious too? If all of a sudden the school's supposed player started taking an interest in you all of a sudden?" I try to reason with him, even though I know whatever that I am saying must definitely be sounding harsh. I do want to fix things though, if there is any thing.

"Cindy..." Luca begins quietly and I notice that his voice has dropped quite a few octaves, now that he lacks the urgency that was infused in his tone before. "I kept trying to tell you, to show you, that I have no intention of playing with you. Hell, I didn't even plan or intend to do anything to begin with. I just wanted to talk to you so I started doing so." He says with an exaggerated shrug. "What the hell, you seemed interesting, amusing." By now, I'm staring wide eyed at his blazer hanging on the railing, surprised at Luca's straightforward words, at the fact the he is complimenting me. "Its not a crime to want to befriend a person, is it? So, I did that. That's all I wanted, I thought." He muttered the last part, looking out into the sky, now standing straight with his arms crossed.

"You thought? What do you mean?" I ask, genuinely confused.

He sighs and shakes his head, running a hand through his hair. "What I mean, well, what's the point? You won't believe me anyway, and I don't exactly have the right certificates."

"Luca, I'm kinda getting confused here."

"You really can't tell? Cindy I-"

"Cindy!" Suddenly comes the voice of none other than Laura Andrews. "I've been looking for you."

Luca shuts his eyes tightly and clenches his fists, pissed at the interruption. It is weird though, every time he is about to tell me something, about to clear this discussion that we can't just get to conclude, someone always interrupts. It turns out that Luca is thinking the same thing because he mutters "I swear its like we're in some cliché story."

"Yes Mrs. Andrews?" I turn to her. She eyes me and Luca with a straight face for a moment, her hands clasped in front of her, then continues.

"I appreciate your extra services for today, your dedication to work was impressive." I smile a little. "You will receive your fair compensation. I wanted to let you know that you are free to go now." She said, her tone conveying the formality she must use in her work hours. I nod and thank her, and she turns to Luca. The moment she starts speaking to him, all formality drops from her tone and is replaced by something that I can't really name, but its soft, it conveys connection, though not completely void of a hint of strictness.