When her phone rang, Luccia really didn't want to wake up but she made an effort because she knows that if she stays in bed, her parents will come to her room to wake her up. She looked at her phone and she checked the profile of Samuel in Instagram. She looked at some photos and videos and she saw Christian and another boy in the majority of his posts. She also looked at Christian's profile and she saw the same boy and another boy. She turned off her phone and she went to the bathroom. She took a shower and she put jeans with a shirt. She went downstairs and she saw her brother eating some cereals behind the TV. He was looking at a show who was popular in Spain.
"Buongiorno fratello. "
"Good morning sister."
Luccia approached Ander and she kissed him on the cheek. Ander smiled and he started talking :
"Do you want some cereals ?"
"Yeah but stay here. I will make them myself but thanks."
"It was just manners. I wouldn't have moved my ass from this sofa." Said Ander with a little laugh.
"I already know that Ander." Answered Luccia laughing.
"It's better like this, so you won't be disappointed."
Luccia went to the kitchen and took the milk in the fridge, the cereals, a spoon and a bowl. She left the kitchen and she sat next to Ander on the sofa. She put everything on the table in front of her where Ander's foots were laying on the table. She pushed his foots and she started to prepare her cereals.
"How was your training ?"
Ander didn't answered and he kept looking at the TV so Luccia kept talking :
"Bad, right ?"
"Awful. Dad wasn't happy about my performance. Like everyday."
Luccia sighed and she started eating her cereals.
"He's always behind my back. I can't keep doing it."
"Doing what ? Tennis ?"
"Pretending that I'm someone else."
Luccia looked at her cereals and she started biting her lips because she was nervous. She didn't know how to answer. Luccia knew since two months that Ander was gay and she didn't tell anyone, not even Marina. She learnt it because she saw his history on his laptop so she confronted him. She was really understanding and she tried to make him talk with their parents but he never wanted to talk with them about him being gay.
"Maybe that you should stop pretending ?"
Ander looked at her like she was crazy and Luccia stopped him :
"They could be understanding. Like me."
"Maybe that my mom would be but our father..." He laughed grudgingly.
"You don't know Ander. Maybe that..."
"What about you ?"
"Excuse me ?"
"Aren't you pretending too ? I'm only lying since two months but you... you are lying since years." Said Ander. Luccia couldn't almost heard the end of his sentence. Almost.
"I'm better Ander. It's truth."
"No you're not. You're not the same since Pablo. A part of you died this day."
"A part of everyone died this day. We're all changed since this day. We have lost our faith towards people that we don't know. How do you think that Guzman is feeling with this new students in Las Encinas ?"
"I know that he's troubled. But..."
"He's fucking angry Ander! He wants them dead and this won't changed until people forgot what happened !" Continued Luccia yelling at him.
"How do you want us to forget Luccia ?! You almost died." Answered Ander with pity. He was almost crying and he went to his room in silence.
Luccia stayed on the sofa during ten minutes thinking about what her brother said when suddenly she received a message. It was Samuel. He was asking her where they were meeting for doing the school project and when. So she told him that they were meeting at her house and at 1 PM and she sent her address and she turned off her phone. She went to the room dedicated to sport. She went to the punching ball and she started boxing. Luccia have some boxing training since last year. She was training during almost thirty minutes when she heard someone the doorbell ringing. She went to the door and she opened it and she saw Marina.
"Marina ? Happy Birthday. What are you doing here ?"
"Hello to you too."
She entered in the house and Luccia followed her.
"Look at your phone next time."
Luccia frowned and she turned her phone on. She saw eleven calls of Marina and three messages.
"Really ? Eleven calls ?"
"I was worried. Why did you turn you phone off, you know that tonight there is my birthday party and like always I come here to choose you dress and you choose mine."
"Then where are your dress ?"
"In my car." Said Marina with a big smile.
Luccia smiled back but Marina could feel that something was wrong.
"What's wrong ? And don't say me "nothing" or "what" because I won't trust you and I will force you to tell me what's going on."
"We had a fight. With Ander, but it's okay."
"You have a lot of arguments with Ander this few days."
"Yeah, he's strange. He's angry more often, I think he's hiding something."
Marina looked at Luccia sadly. She took her hand and she took her to her car.
"It will be okay. Now help me. Please ?"
"Okay."
Marina took a box with a lot of clothes and Luccia took the other one. They both went to Luccia's room and Luccia closed the door after they entered in it. Luccia put the bow on her bed and she looked at Marina who was taking her clothes out the box. They were a lot of dress but after a moment they found the perfect dress for her party. It was a white dress. She was short and with a lot of lace. She was obligated to wear a white dress to show that she is still a virgin.
"It's suck you know. All of this, showing that I'm a virgin when I have HIV, it's pathetic."
"You don't really have a choice Marina. If you show up with a black dress, your parents will literally kill you."
"It won't bother me."
Luccia looked at her with a sad expression but she put a smile on her face for encouraging her.
"It looks like a fake smile but a smile."
"Sorry, fake smiles aren't my thing."
"That's false. You are always doing fake smile, always. When you are at a party with the shareholder of your father or just with Azucena."
Luccia laughed and Marina followed her. Marina always knew how to change Luccia's mind and same for Luccia. That's why they are best friends, they don't judge each other and they know that they can count on each other.
"Now it's your turn."
Marina chose a dress for Luccia, it was blue dress, barely low-necked. It was a beautiful dress that she has never wear.
"So how is it going with Samuel ?" Asked Luccia to Marina.
"Good, really good. I would have like to paired with him but it looks like someone stole him to me."
"What a bitch."
"Yeah so let's talk about this bitch and my crush. When are they doing their project together ?"
"This afternoon. 1 PM. We're eating together."
"You're two are more productive when you're eating ?"
"I am and he, I don't know. But don't be jealous Marina, after this project he's all yours."
Marina laughed and suddenly someone called her. Luccia asked her silently who it was.
"Your best friend. My brother."
Luccia silently agreed and she let Marina talked to Guzman. After few minutes, Marina hung up.
"What does he want ?"
"He wants me to go home."
"Then go home."
"Thanks for that solidarity." Said Marina sarcastically.
"He certainly wants help for choosing his outfits. Join him."
"Okay I'm leaving. Have a nice afternoon." She said with a smile and she hugged Luccia.
"Don't worry for that."
Marina laughed and she left the house. Luccia sighed and she did her makeup and she left her house for joining Samuel. He was at a fast-food. Luccia waited for him in front of the restaurant because it's what he asked her to do. She was on her phone, waiting for him and after five minutes, he showed up.
"Hey." Marina saluted him.
"Hey. Sorry for the delay. I was..."
"Working. I know."
"How do you know ?"
"Well, I heard Guzman talking about it. You shouldn't be ashamed because you are working for living."
"Yeah, but a lot of people don't understand that, including Guzman."
"He's harsh but he nice with his friends, the only problem is that you're not his friend."
"Yeah and I will probably never be."
Luccia didn't answer and they started walking for going to a little park where we could see a little river. When they arrived, they sat on the grass. Samuel had brought two hamburgers and two Coke. Samuel is the one who started to ask questions :
"So let's start. What's your name ?"
"Luccia Munoz. Sixteen years old. One brother : Ander Munoz."
"The one with curly hair ?"
"Yeah and with earring."
"He seems really nice."
"He is."
"Nationality ?"
"Italian. I lived in Italia during my childhood. It's a beautiful place."
"Do you regret to be here ? In Spain."
"Not at all. I love living here but I have some problems with Spanish."
"I understand. You know it's same for Christian but for English."
"Yeah, I saw it." Luccia and Samuel laughed.
"Some hobbies ?"
"Boxing, shopping and thinking."
"Thinking ? It's not a hobby." Said Samuel intrigued.
"You're right. It's a way to survive."
"Survive to what ?"
"To life Samuel. You should know that better than anyone. If you want to survive, you have to think with your head, not your heart."
Samuel didn't answer but he agreed. He understood what she was saying. The world is cruel and or you're smarter or you're richer or you die.
"You're smart."
"Thanks to private tuition."
Samuel laughed at what she said and Luccia looked at him. For her, he seems to be a good guy, smarter than he thinks, than everyone think.
"It's you turn Samuel. Talk about you."
"I'm Samuel Garcia, I'm sixteen, I have a brother and I like to draw and to read."
"Studious. Why didn't you tell your brother's name ?"
Samuel looked at the grass when she asked that question. Luccia kept looking at him suspicious.
"His- his name is Nano. He's twenty and he was in jail but he's free now, since few days."
"Why was he in jail ?"
"He stole some car for winning some money for help us but he has been caught."
"So he's a nice delinquent."
Samuel laughed at her sentence He couldn't understand why she was so sympathetic to him.
"It seems common for you."
"It simple, you needed money so he found money, that's all."
"But by a crime."
"It's the most easiest and fastest way."
"Well maybe someday you will meet him, I'm sure that he would like you a lot. Well maybe not at the beginning because you're a rich and he hates you but with time, he could like you."
"Because I defended him ?"
"Because you think like him."
"Well we'll see the day we meet. If we meet."
"I'm sure you will."
Luccia rolled her eyes and she looked at the houses who were farthest. She could see the poor quarters. She felt bad for Samuel during a little moment but she picked up again.
"So I guess that Marina invited you to her birthday party."
"You're totally right."
"Do you have a dinner jacket ? Because if you want I can ask Ander to lend you one for tonight."
"No, don't worry I have already one."
"Really ?"
Samuel agreed and then they continued to ask question for doing the profile of the other one. After three hours spent together, Samuel had to leave but it doesn't have any importance because they finished their project. So Luccia went home too to get ready for tonight.