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6. Decisions


Yani


I wanted to apologize to Diego but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
Something within me was still hurting from the last episode.
I didn't want to hold a grudge since that wasn't the kind of person I was, but I just needed more time.

So I stayed out at the orphanage later than I was being paid for-
To avoid the usual afternoon visits that Diego used to make.
I almost feared that he'd come by later at night, during dinner or after dinner-and he did-but he didn't actively seek me out, instead taking one look at my anxious face and leaving me be.
He wasn't pushy.

--Which was more than what I could say for Matt!
I couldn't believe that it was possible for a guy to be so pushy from across the Pacific Ocean and a handful of seas in between.
He was bombarding my email with letters of love.
Or groveling as I would like to call them...
Camie would have been less forgiving and called them 'letters of crap'.

After the first two, which really did make my heart hurt, I'd stopped opening them.
I'd made the decision to stop trying to make excuses for him and just move on-but it still didn't make it hurt less.
I was with him for a very long time and I couldn't just erase the memories and the lingering emotions at will.
You don't get over your first real boyfriend that easily...

But now I was really conflicted.
Diego-if I was going to be honest he was becoming more and more what kind of guy I'd eventually like to date.
Matt-he was becoming the guy that I was starting to forgive but couldn't really go back to.

The funny thing was that I was stressing about the both of them when I really had no decision to make.
Matt was still a month and a half away from confrontation and Diego-he wasn't really showing me any romantic interest, was he?

'Just let it go,' I muttered to myself as I spoon-fed Rodrigo, my cousin, with his food.
He took it hungrily and offered me a sweet smile.
'And you my sweetie are the only really reliable man in my life,' I told him.

'That hurts,' came a voice.
I looked up and saw Diego looking down at us, but already his attention was taken by Rodrigo who offered him a sweet smile.
'Traitor,' I muttered at him but stood up, wiping my hands on my jeans pockets.

'Hey.'
'Hey,' I replied.
'Listen Dyani, I'm here to offer a truce,' he thrust an orange popsicle at me.
'A truce?' I blinked at him, 'for me?' I took the stick belatedly.
'I want us to be friends again,' he said simply.

A few days ago I would have been disappointed.
But one of the good things that came from Matt's emails was my renewed willingness to keep things simple.
So I gave Diego my brightest smile that would have done Rodrigo proud and offered him my hand, 'friends.'

+++


Rach


'I don't want to go there,' Bishop said.
Poppo and I looked at each other and then to the probably knee-deep water hole that we had to cross to get to the supplies shed of one of the villages.
'Come on Bishop-,' I encouraged her.
But she shook her head steadily, 'I cant, these shoes wont hold up-I forgot to wear my boots instead. You'll have to go without me.'
'But-,'

'Okay then,' Poppo said cheerfully and waded through, splashing me with water.
'Dude, do you think you could control your childish urges?' I glared at him, shivering as I felt the cold water through my khaki pants.
'Come along Red, we don't want Bishop to melt out here waiting for us,' he splashed me again.
I wanted to dunk his arrogant head but knew that by doing so, I would end up getting us both wet.

Fortunately I was too busy concentration on my way across the water hole that I didn't have to look at Poppo winking flirtatiously at Bishop.
'Move along lover boy,' I said, glad to myself that I sounded like a teasing friend rather than a jealous wretch.
'After you, milady...'

'None of that,' I snapped at him.
He put his hands up at me defensively and backed off, making his way a few meters from me, humming off-key.
Which was just as well because if I found another thing he did perfectly, I might have to strangle him-
Unfortunately I spoke too soon.
While he managed to pull himself out onto the bank of the other side with little effort, I struggled-almost toppling into the water butt-first.

'You need help, Red?'
'No,' I gritted my teeth and dug my hands onto the ground trying to lift myself up.
'Come along then,' he said practically hoisting me out with little effort.
I squealed and the sound caught him off-guard causing us to both fall onto the ground.

I tell you-anyone that says falling on top of anyone is romantic is a liar-there was nothing romantic about the awkward position we were in.
I crawled off him giving Bishop a wave from the other side of the water hole.
She was laughing.
I just hoped she didn't think I was putting the moves on Poppo.

'We'll be back in maybe ten minutes,' Poppo called over to her.
She'd sat down under a tree looking content with nature as only Bishop could.
I envied her that-I probably would have been swatting at flies like crazy.

Things were going well I thought.
I'd snapped at Poppo only a handful of times, giving him no cause to think my animosity towards him had changed.
But he didn't.

'Why don't you like me, Red?'
'Poppo-would it be because you've never called me by my real name?'
'So if I call you buy your real name?'

'Why don't you try?' was it me or was his face getting nearer.
'/Rachael/?'
It wasn't me, his lips touched mine.

+++


Emi


Armaud Guttelstahl.
No wonder he only wanted to call him Ama- his name was a mouthful, I rued to myself.
I was now on the train to Brussels, where I'd always wanted to go.
Something about a 'beautiful sepulchre' in Conrad' book made me want to photograph it.
Now that I was done with my sister's job, I had another two weeks to enjoy in Europe.

Armaud-although I did call him Ama, I still wanted to use his proper name in print-had business to do.
Apparently the reason he'd been at the hostel was because he was 'wagging' his responsibilities for two weeks and didn't want anyone from the family business to reach him.
The family business being the brewery that seemed to be pretty popular-
He teased me that before I came along he'd planned to use the time to do some 'product research' by frequenting the bars of Stolberg.

But now he was back at work.
Which was good for me because I didn't want to be around him... right now.

It's not supposed to sound as mean as it does.
I like him.
And his parents had been the funniest and friendliest couple I'd met in a long while.
Their upbringing made the gracious and conversational, but their down-to-earthiness made them approachable and kind.
It kind of made me miss my own parents.

But as it was Armaud was a business man.
I googled him one day while I was sending emails to the other girls.
He was in a suit in one of the pictures looking devastating and way older than I'd imagined him to be.
Then again, everyone must look sort of younger when they're having a hangover as he had on the first day? (Though he wouldn't admit it)

He was a MAN.
A man who obviously was nowhere near in my social circle.
Don't get me wrong, I don't believe in all that 'stay in your social circle' crap-but still it was a bit discomforting.

I'd thought him to be something near my ideal (but not quite-he didn't look geeky enough) in his artistic, brooding, wanderer way-but to find that was just his alter ego-something that came out for two weeks every year, well... its not the same.
I didn't know if I could find myself developing feelings for a /businessman/.

So Belgium should be good.
After which I was going to visit Luxembourg for Kei, and then off to Rome to visit Camie.
And it would give me time to think.

'You're not going to run away and never be heard from again are you?' Armaud had refused to let go.
He had made me feel bad enough to give him a good-bye hug at the train station and was holding me captive.
There wasn't anything suggestive about the hug-just friendly-but still, I burnt red.
'Of course not,' and I meant it.

+++


Camie


He wasn't going to find out.
I was going to make sure of it.

'You are getting yourself into serious trouble sis,' Kei had written in her last email.
I'd had to tell her because she would have gone into a sulk if she'd found out from Johnie.
Though really it was a risk telling her because she may have gone straight to him-

But four days had passed and nothing.
Johnie was a friend, we weren't acting like a couple.
At first it had frustrated me, but once the development happened, I was sort of glad.
It made it feel less like I was cheating on him.

Emilio Morientes was the gorgeous Spanish/Italian guy who lived in the apartment block next to January's.
The other day when I was going to get the mail he'd spotted me and in true confident Italian fashion he'd come over to say hi.
He was twenty-two, working as Serie-B footballer (which Kei tells me is the Reserves League of the Italian football... still impressive) for AS Roma.
Kei said that if I didn't want him, to send him over.
But that was the problem.

I'd come for Johnie, but Emil...

'Buongiorno bella mia,' a voice called.
I looked up from my lounger to find Emil standing there.
I smiled and sat up, shivering as he placed two friendly kisses on either side of my cheek.
'Are you okay?' he asked, his accent was strong a mixture of both his heritages, so unlike Johnie's whose was more American because of his father.

'Yeah, are you off to training?' I looked at him looking all gorgeous in his athletic gear.
'Si, I came by to see if you would like to come with me? And then we can catch an early dinner afterwards?' he suggested.

He looked so adorable when he was trying not to be pushy.
He was handsome but not in the 'tall, dark and handsome' way.
He was rugged-just like a footballer, but when he smiled it was cheeky, a kid's s mile.

'Sure... if you have time to wait for me to get ready that is.'
'Unfortunately I don't-do you think you'd like to come like that?' he teased, whistling appreciatively at my bikini clad form.
I hit him lightly on the arm, 'You tease. Fine, I'll be down in ten minutes, is that okay?'
He nodded and said that he'd wait there.

I got ready wondering what it was I was feeling.
Stirrings of like, of romance?
Maybe just excitement of seeing a football team train-something to brag about to Kei?
Excitement of my first Roman guy trying to pick me up (properly)?

Whatever it was, it was a good feeling.
And I was going to ride it out.

+++


Kei


The towel was far away.
It seemed to me, VERY far away.
I wondered if I was always destined to have my most embarrassing and awkward moments in Jed's presence.
It seemed that nothing stupid I ever did escaped his notice.

[Which annoyed me especially with each passing day, I was becoming more and more sure that I was developing a crush on him.]

So tonight I'd gone skinny-dipping.
It was my first day from not being 'grounded'.
And I just really wanted to be able to answer that particular survey question YES.
And now I would, but you can bet there'd be a very embarrassing story to go with it.

I looked around but no one seemed to be around.
I bolted from the water to the sand where my towel was and wrapped myself before the chilly air could kill me.
'I am NEVER doing this again,' I vowed to myself as I ran up the stairs to the main road heading to the hut.
I thought I'd gotten there in good time.

The others hadn't come back from the beach party, but once again Jed had stayed home.
I'd have to creep past the hut in order to avoid him.
But I didn't see the broken glass on the ground-I bet he placed that there as a detection thing.
I yelped in pain and swooped to yank it out.

The porch light flashed on.
'Damn,' I muttered, holding my breath.

But to no avail, first the silhouette and then the man himself filled the doorway in his half-naked form.
A girl dressed in a bikini and shorts walked passed him, giving me a playful smile before disappearing down the drive.
'Need help?' he asked, eyes glittering with humor.

I offered him a few choice swear words in any language that I knew-- ending with a 'screw you!' before I darted into the cabin.
He gave me five minutes to get clothes on before coming through with alcohol and cotton swabs in one hand.
'You're such a kid,' was what he said.

It hurt to hear him say it, but in a way it was good of him to.
Unlike other guys, at least he wasn't going to lead me on-this way it was clear where he stood.
Still, being rejected so... easily... wasn't something to smile about.

My face turned sober as I just let him do his thing.
'Immaturity doesn't become a young woman,' he tutted.
Usually I would have sworn at him more, yanked my foot back and stomped off in pain, but the excitement and disappointment of the night left me resigned.
It didnt escape my notice that he was in his hut with the well-endowed Spanish seniorita-and judging from their state of undress-they were getting it on.

'Hey, what's wrong?' his voice had turned gentle.
'Nothing,' I said, and turned away.
Maybe it was time to act my age.


+++

A/N: Another chapter passing by :D If you enjoyed, comment. Lol. Or not. xKei