As I walk out of the house, I spot Louis, who is leaning over my dad's car. He has his sunglasses on, as well as his classic blue bandana wrapped around his messy hair. He's in a pensive state, looking up towards the sky. Since it's just the two of us, I slowly make my way to him. I think it would be a good idea if we properly talked before the car ride to the vineyard.
As much as I don't want to, I know it's the best thing to do. Being assholes to each other doesn't fix shit.
I keep telling myself that I should start ignoring him completely and block him out of my life, but I can't. It's like he's been able to get under my skin and I don't know how to get rid of him.
I don't know and I don't think I actually do want to know.
I'm not in his view, so I just quietly go to the other side of the car and lean on it as well.
He looks like he's in a world of his own, where everything from our reality is no longer important. I let him have his moment. I don't think it's a good idea if I brutally interrupt his thoughts.
After a few minutes of awkwardly waiting for him to notice me, I decide to cough.
The wait was getting dreadfully long.
He lightly jumps back in surprise, and I see him being relieved when he notices he's not in danger, but then immediately tenses up when he realizes it's me who's next to him.
This is going to be a lot harder than I thought.
I open my mouth to speak, but he puts his hand up, to signal to not even try.
"Look," he starts, "I don't know what is going on between you and me. We keep fighting over shit I don't usually fight with my other friends."
Wait. Wait. Wait. We've been friends all along? I honestly thought he considered me to be an acquaintance at most. I'm happy to know we're friends, yet I'm still... disappointed?
"And I just think that-"
"Boys!" Papa calls from afar "So glad to see you cheery and ready for the roadtrip!"
I guess our conversation will have to be put on hold for now. How much stalling can we do?
Louis goes to open the passenger seat door.
"You can't sit there" I say. "Maman is usually the one who gives Papa the directions. It's tradition."
Tradition? I'm completely exaggerating. Maybe if he's in the backseat with me, we'll get to talk quietly during the ride to the vineyard and fix this shit calmly. I mean, with my parents in the car, there's no chance of us yelling.
"Let the garçon be in front Harry! He's our guest after all." Louis gives me an "I won" look and sits up front with Papa.
Maman arrives moments later with a fruit basket in her hands. Mafalda probably went to pick them up herself au Marché de Gordes. She goes there once a week to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables. She also loves to bring back local soaps and lotions for the whole family. A basket filled with Gordes' goodies is our classic "Thank you" gift.
She slides in the backseat next to me. She gives me an "Sorry for not being in front, I know you wanted to be in the back with Louis" look and squeezes my hand. Yet again, she knows everything.
As Louis unfolds the town map and starts to trace the way to the vineyard with a pen, Papa starts making light conversation with everyone.
"It's been quite some time since we've been all four of us together. I feel like we only get one boy at a time at the dinner table."
Papa looks at us both, then gives us a smirk. "Who am I kidding? You've been quite occupied with other things..." He trails off.
Unlike Maman, Papa is absolutely terrible at reading situations like this. Subtly bringing up Agathe and Jeanne is the worst thing he could've done.
Maman ajusts herself in her seat to object, but Louis is quicker than her.
"Let's not talk about the girls. I think it would be better if we focused on us for the day. I think both me and Harry need some time off. Right Harry?" He turns to me and I can see it in his eyes. He's asking me to follow along. I can't resist blue, so I do.
"Yes. 've been spending too much time with Jeanne. I need the day to think about something else, like how beautiful the scenery is." I point out the window. To my defense, the view is quite beautiful. We have to drive on old dirt roads to get to the vineyard and we keep passing by flower fields. It's an explosion of colors. I roll my window down. The smell that comes with the view is as nice.
I hear all three of them talk about the view and the different flowers we see. I close my eyes and take a few inhales of the flowery scent. Right here, right now, I forget about everything. I forget about Jeanne and Agathe and all the weird shit that's been going down between me and Louis. I think about the warmth of the sun shining on me and that's it. I block out everything else.
Until I hear Maman practically scream beside me. "Les garçons! Look! Look! The lavender fields!" I open my eyes and look and the purple sea before me.
They're not the usual lavender fields I see from my secret spot, but they're still as breathtaking.
I feel eyes on me. I don't even have to turn around to know that those eyes belong to the boy with the bandana in his messy hair.
"They're beautiful" Maman calls out.
I can't bare his eyes on me any longer. I turn around and meet them. He takes a moment to look at me from my shoes up to my hair. He locks eyes with me again.
"Yeah" He answers. "Beautiful."
I have a feeling he's not talking about the lavender fields.
After what he just said, he shakes his head and turns back to face the front of the road. He looks like he just snapped out of a trance.
For the rest of the car ride, Louis doesn't turn once to look at me. He concentrates himself on navigating Papa to the vineyard.
This hot and cold temper Louis' got on is driving me crazy.
When we finally arrive, my aunt and uncle are already waiting for us at the gate. My younger cousins are running around the front of the house, playing with a ball.
My dad stops the car and goes to take his sister in his arms for a warm hug. He kisses her cheek and then shakes hands with her husband.
Maman follows along and is greeted by them just as nicely as Papa was.
Before Louis opens his door to step out of the car, I take his upper arm in my hand to put him back in his seat.
"Wait." I say. I struggle to start speaking again. I've been practicing what I was going to say to him for the whole car ride. "Okay, I'm gonna say this very quickly. It will probably sound wrong even though it's not meant to. I'm not good with confrontation." I take a deep breath.
"Take your time" He answers quietly. He doesn't want to interrupt my flow, yet he's making sure I feel comfortable talking to him. I hate him for being so considerate. It's distracting me.
"Look, I don't know what's going on either. I'm supposed to be with Jeanne right now. I'm supposed to not even care the slightest about you and spend my entire summer with her. And you're supposed to fall in love with Agathe. That's how it should be. The game that we're playing... Where we're trying to make the other jealous... it has to stop." He nods apprehensively.
"And please, stop doing whatever it is you're trying to do with me. It's driving me crazy. One moment you're all nice and sweet and then the next you're a complete asshole who's only goal is to make me feel like shit." His face drops. He frowns.
He pinches his eyes shut and turns to the window.
"I don't mean to play with you." He mutters. It comes out hardly louder than a whisper.
He slowly turns to face me again.
"You said you know nothing. But the thing is that I do. I know. And whatever comes of this" He gestures between me and him "is bad." I see his eyes getting glossy.
"W-we can't." He's gone all sad and something in me feels like it's breaking. I have to fix this.
I take his hand in mine to reassure him. "Well then we won't." I let go and step out of the car. I walk to his door and open it. I motion for him to stand in front of me.
I put my hand out for him to shake. "Trêve?"
"What does that mean?"
"Truce. Let's just stop doing what we're doing. I have Jeanne. You have Agathe. Let's be friends. I'll continue giving you art history lessons."
He gives me a little smile. "Really? I thought you were done with those."
"I'm allowed to change my mind, right?"
"Sure." He takes my hand in his and shakes it.
"To being friends." He says.
"To no more stupid games." I answer.
Friends. We can do that... right?
LOVE LOVE LOVE<3<3
Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter!!