60 Days with Ben (Completed)

Chapter 24

Benjamin

Already on the 37th Day

I waited impatiently for Bernardo to get the car out of the garage. I did not know Carla had invited him to the party. It meant that she had already taken the first step to forget Fernando. It was terrible since I started liking the boy. Therefore, I cheer for him. Although Fernando repeated several times that he and Carla were just friends, I still believed they were meant for each other.

I wanted them to stay together, but when my cousin/hot/handsome/serious and smart called me last night telling me that Carla had invited him to his birthday party, I saw that this battle would get harder to win. I know what it was like to have my cousin next to when there was some girl involved. He has all the requirements to earn a girl over, and it is not just because of beauty.

I also had the beauty, but I confess, I always talk bullshit, which made the girls think that my cousin was the best option. Poor Fernando! If he suddenly realizes he is in love with Carla. The same way I realized I was in love with Elle.

Elle, that girl who has evolved from schoolmate to the friend, best friend, and now girlfriend.

To convince myself that I loved her was the hard part. The people around me saw this first. I was reluctant to accept. Elle was the girl that everyone mocked at school, for two reasons: Her glasses were not very attractive, but that did not mean she was an ugly girl, but they had to hate her because she was the daughter of teacher Elizabeth, this was one of the most remarkable reasons.

Not that I was part of the team that hated her. I take her the vision that she has about her father and put it here. I did not love her or hate her. We did not have the relationship. I never wanted to talk to my neighbor. I never thought it was necessary, but I knew she was there. I knew she existed, but I never felt the need to approach, say a good day or hello.

Marcos was the opposite; he made a point of saying some jokes that were not funny about Elle, especially when she was passing by us with her head down in the schoolyard. I once helped him, but only once. I regretted it shortly after I thought she did not harm anyone, so there was no need to hurt her. There was no plausible motive for everyone to offend her.

I turned around in the schoolyard that day, intending to apologize to her. That day was the first day I could have spoken to Elle, but Marcos hindered me.

If I had started a chat there? Maybe I had not gotten involved with Jessica, so definitely my cycle of friends would have changed. Perhaps the accident had not happened. No pain. No sadness. A light and quiet life next to Elle, although I know this would not happen. I would listen to all my friends say: Elle? Yes, I would agree with them. Elle would not be part of my world back then, but now when I see my girl at the gate of her house waiting for me, I realize that today my world would not exist without her. I have butterflies in my stomach suddenly. Is it normal to feel that way when you see the person you love? A silly smile forming. Yeah, I think the words I love you have suddenly become true.

As soon as Elle got in the car, I felt that wonderful perfume that I love. She put her bag on her side and greeted Bernardo, and then kissed me so fast I could not even feel her lips on mine. It was Elle being Elle. I am sure she did not want to show any affection with Bernardo in the same place. He started the car and headed toward Carla's house.

"Has Carla already told you anything about me?" Bernardo asked Elle.

"No."

"If she had spoken would you probably not talk?"

"Probably not."

I reached for Elle's hand and linked her to mine. We went that way until we got to Carla's house that was in a luxury condominium a bit distant from our neighborhood.