Building My Life

Chapter 23 - Waking Up from the Enchantment

Josias didn’t understand how someone who barely knew him could feel entitled to express such a negative opinion. “Excuse me, miss, but you don’t know me well enough for such a heavy and cruel judgment.”

“And is there anything more ‘interesting’ I should know?” The question came out of Pamela’s mouth full of disdain.

Faced with her hostility, Josias decided to remain silent. He looked over Pamela’s shoulder and saw Uélton talking to Melissa and their other friend. Uélton wiped his hands on his shorts and then, with those same “clean” hands, grabbed more slices of meat.

Josias narrowed his eyes. If Pamela knew about his lack of clothes, it was thanks to Uélton. Why had Uélton told this despicable girl that he had nothing to wear? Had it been an accident or a deliberate jab?

Upset and unable to say goodbye to Melissa, who was deep in conversation, surrounded by the boys from Saint Gabriel like Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Josias simply muttered an “excuse me” to Pamela and withdrew, heading down to the first floor. Pamela smiled triumphantly; she had managed to get rid of what she considered dead weight for her friend.

“You stay with the guys from Saint Gabriel, Melissa...” Pamela chuckled to herself. “While I deal with the mason right here.”

Meanwhile, Josias pushed through the crowd in the living room, where the radio was blaring “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC. As he reached the door to leave, he spotted another boy about to exit. When their eyes met, Josias froze.

Everaldo?

The young man left first, leaving Josias gaping. A few drunks, dancing wildly to the music, bumped into him.

“Hey! Don’t just stand in the middle of the room!”

Josias apologized, but they were too far gone to listen. He ran out, hoping to follow the guy who looked like Everaldo. However, when he reached the street...

It was impossible. There wasn’t a soul in sight along the entire stretch of the road. Unless the boy had entered another house, he couldn’t have simply evaporated!

Josias walked hurriedly toward Teodoro’s building, hoping to catch up. But there was no sign of Everaldo, or anyone resembling him. Josias finally gave up, reasoning that Everaldo wouldn’t be at a party like that anyway, where secular music played and beer flowed nonstop.

Back on the terrace, Uélton spotted Josias leaving and spat his soda all over Pamela and their friend in surprise.

“You pig! Watch where you’re spitting!”

Uélton ignored the girl and rushed over to the group around Melissa. “Hey, Melissa, did Josias tell you he was leaving?”

Only then did Melissa remember Josias. It was as if she had been mesmerized by the boys from Saint Gabriel. She searched the area but couldn’t find him. “No, is he gone already? He didn’t say anything to me.”

“He’s gone, and in my brother’s clothes,” Uélton blurted out once again without thinking. The leader of the group smirked and rested his hand on Melissa’s shoulder.

“So, shall we get back to our conversation?”

Melissa frowned and brushed the guy’s hand off her shoulder. “I’m sorry, I have to go.”

She hurried away and ran down the stairs. Pamela watched her go, completely baffled by what was happening.

A short while later, Josias entered Teodoro’s building. The old man wasn’t there. Josias reached over the counter, grabbed his key, and took the stairs two at a time. Inside his room, he ripped off Uélton’s brother’s shirt in a fit of rage.

Damn it! Why had Uélton said those things to Pamela? She probably thought he was a loser, someone with no ambition! But that wasn’t the truth. And Melissa... she had never cared about those things. Who did this Pamela think she was, deciding who her friend should date?

He had seen her drag Melissa toward those wealthier guys like she was brokering an arranged marriage. And as long as he had stayed at the party, he had seen Melissa looking quite comfortable; the boys had clearly enjoyed her company, too.

Josias was about to take off the borrowed jeans to go to sleep when he realized something: he had left his sweatpants and his only pair of underwear back at Uélton’s house.

Damn it all!