CHAPTER 1
1295 Words
If you asked Sofia Varelli she would tell you I think too much
she says it the same way people talk about the weather like it's a fact she's accepted and no longer argues with
if you asked me I would say I think a perfectly normal amount and everyone else simply thinks too little, especially Sofia
because normal people do not call at nine in the morning and immediately say
"pack a bag"
no hello not even a greeting just pack a bag
I held my phone between my shoulder and ear while trying to rescue coffee that had started overflowing because I forgot it existed
I stared at the mess,then at my phone
Good day to you too
she ignored me you're coming home with me , I stopped moving my hand stayed on the coffee machine
what ,to Sicily I blinked once then twice
right Sicily ,As in the place she always talked about but somehow never invited me to , now this would sound completely normal if Sofia had ever said come visit before
she hadn't not once
I knew facts about Sicily because of her,I knew her mother cooked too much,I knew her brothers annoyed her I knew the sea looked different in the evening I also knew that her grandmother judged everyone silently
But actual invitations
Never
which meant this was suspicious,I frowned Why
there was a pause ,then
my parents are leaving ,I waited
nothing
That's it ,she sounded offended
what do you mean by that's it
I leaned against the counter
you called me like somebody died
she ignored that, then casually said
'and I'm bored '
there it was the truth
I laughed
you're not inviting me across the country because you're bored
No
interesting
I narrowed my eyes what's the real reason,she sighed dramatically you look stressed
I blinked
What
Her voice became annoyingly normal
you keep saying you're fine
I looked away immediately which was unfortunate because it proved nothing except maybe her point,I frowned
what does that mean
she answered too quickly
it means you do things where you become weirdly responsible
Excuse me
she continued
you stop complaining, you organise your life , then act calm
Because annoyingly she wasn't wrong
college wasn't terrible, just that nothing dramatic ever happened
I was just tired , tired in a boring way
Assignments, classes, reading, sleep and just repeat
Everything felt repetitive lately , like life had slowly become a checklist
I rubbed my forehead
for how long
immediately , you're coming
I smiled despite myself
answer the question
the weekend
I thought about it then sighed
Fine
Her reaction was immediate , I knew you'd say yes
I rolled my eyes , you're annoying
she laughed then hung up
_
Three hours later I was packing which felt embarrassing because apparently
I have no standards
I texted her
If you asked Sofia Varelli she would tell you I think too much
she says it the same way people talk about the weather like it's a fact she's accepted and no longer argues with
if you asked me I would say I think a perfectly normal amount and everyone else simply thinks too little, especially Sofia
because normal people do not call at nine in the morning and immediately say
"pack a bag"
no hello not even a greeting just pack a bag
I held my phone between my shoulder and ear while trying to rescue coffee that had started overflowing because I forgot it existed
I stared at the mess,then at my phone
Good day to you too
she ignored me you're coming home with me , I stopped moving my hand stayed on the coffee machine
what ,to Sicily I blinked once then twice
right Sicily ,As in the place she always talked about but somehow never invited me to , now this would sound completely normal if Sofia had ever said come visit before
she hadn't not once
I knew facts about Sicily because of her,I knew her mother cooked too much,I knew her brothers annoyed her I knew the sea looked different in the evening I also knew that her grandmother judged everyone silently
But actual invitations
Never
which meant this was suspicious,I frowned Why
there was a pause ,then
my parents are leaving ,I waited
nothing
That's it ,she sounded offended
what do you mean by that's it
I leaned against the counter
you called me like somebody died
she ignored that, then casually said
'and I'm bored '
there it was the truth
I laughed
you're not inviting me across the country because you're bored
No
interesting
I narrowed my eyes what's the real reason,she sighed dramatically you look stressed
I blinked
What
Her voice became annoyingly normal
you keep saying you're fine
I looked away immediately which was unfortunate because it proved nothing except maybe her point,I frowned
what does that mean
she answered too quickly
it means you do things where you become weirdly responsible
Excuse me
she continued
you stop complaining, you organise your life , then act calm
Because annoyingly she wasn't wrong
college wasn't terrible, just that nothing dramatic ever happened
I was just tired , tired in a boring way
Assignments, classes, reading, sleep and just repeat
Everything felt repetitive lately , like life had slowly become a checklist
I rubbed my forehead
for how long
immediately , you're coming
I smiled despite myself
answer the question
the weekend
I thought about it then sighed
Fine
Her reaction was immediate , I knew you'd say yes
I rolled my eyes , you're annoying
she laughed then hung up
_
Three hours later I was packing which felt embarrassing because apparently
I have no standards
I texted her
_
Elera: if this is boring I'm leaving
her reply came immediately
Sofia: impossible
interesting answer
The drive was long, long enough for me to question my decisions, and long enough for Sofia to tell stories I didn't ask for and long enough for me to realize something strange
she has somehow talked for years about home without actually describing it
I look over, can I ask you something
she nodded
I tried to sound casual
too casual , who's home
her smile flickered toward me for half a second then she smiled ,too much
she shrugged
Everybody ,she nodded then turned the music louder
interesting
the first thing I noticed about Sicily was that photographs lied , they always made places look finished
this didn't,this looked alive
the sea appeared in flashes beside the road the buildings looked older than photographs showed
everything moved slowly
Sofia drove like she belonged to every road , like she had never imagined living anywhere else
Then eventually the gates appeared I stared
it was large very large and looked very expensive
it opened before we even reached their I looked at Sofia
she looked ahead
Normal ,I looked back at the gates
interesting,the driveway stretched longer than expected
Trees
stone paths , the sea in the distance and finally
The house , I sat quietly
Sofia turned off the engine looked at me then frowned
I looked at her then back at the house ,this is a house
she laughed like actually laughed
then poi ted
oh no this is the smaller one
I stared at her
excuse me
_
Inside everything looked expensive but not in the obvious way
nothing glittered , nothing screamed money everything looked intentional
like somebody thought carefully about every object before placing it there
it should have felt cold
it didn't
But it didn't feel warm either
I stood at the entrance while Sofia disappeared immediately
traitor
I turned slowly , then heated footsteps someone was walking downstairs
I looked up
- Writer
