Chapter V (part 2) - Sofia
1145 Words
I've never believed in "true" love.
Especially after seeing the model I had at home:
two people who can barely stand each other —
and when they do, it's only out of habit. Or laziness.
It's one of the few reasons I can't respect my father.
He was enchanted by a beautiful woman, sure.
But she was empty.
A perfect shell, without substance.
A work of art that says nothing.
Aurora came along by mistake,
and he realized too late what a trap he'd fallen into.
But he's a man of honor, one of those who don't run away.
Not even when they should.
So, a man who could've shone found himself nailed to a life he didn't choose,
chained to a woman incapable of recognizing the treasure beside her.
The result: two people who extinguish each other, day after day, just to keep the peace.
And then they call that "stability."
It's not like the rest of the family's doing any better.
To be honest, I don't think I've ever seen a truly happy couple in my entire life.
Over time, I just stopped believing they exist.
For me, love ends there.
In renunciation.
In the slow evaporation of who you are, to make room for someone else.
In a halved life: half lived, half told, half loved.
«Sorry, it's just... it seems so strange to me,»
I say, cutting off my thoughts before they trap me.
Aurora tilts her head to one side, with that dreamy look of hers.
«But what's so strange?»
I look at her, puzzled.
«You never talk about boys. Only about steps, pliés, or grades to improve.»
I shake my head, realizing my tone sounds more accusatory than curious.
«Never mind. Tell me about him.»
I smile at her, trying to make amends.
She stares at me for a moment,
then inhales as if she's about to launch into a monologue.
And she begins.
She tells me about getting lost, bumping into the wardrobe, and finally meeting him —
the incredible, wonderful, amazing boy who (in her words) practically saved her life
just by showing her the way to her first class on time.
I struggle not to laugh as she describes him,
with that dreamy look that makes her seem like she's stepped out of a movie from another era.
She's funny. Very sweet.
Yet, as she speaks, I feel it all too:
the tension, my heart skipping a beat, my stomach twisting.
Maybe it's because she knows how to tell a story.
Or maybe it's because there's that visceral bond between us, as if we were twins.
Aurora lowers her gaze, fiddling with a thread on her sweater
as if it suddenly became the most interesting thing in the world.
«Then he brought me ice and...»
She pauses, her cheeks flushing slightly.
«Our hands touched.
And God, Sofi... everything went blurry.
My legs went weak, my heart went crazy and...»
She bites her lip, looking dreamy, and leans back on the stool.
«Wow, Auri,» I comment, raising an eyebrow,
«if a touch has that effect on you, what will a real kiss do? Call for help?»
She rolls her eyes, but the smile stays on her face, dazed and blissful.
«Yeah, well... anyway, he checked me out, but then Alice was there and she told me—»
I jump up from the stool as if I'd sat on blades.
«Alice?»
She nods slowly.
«She passed the selection. We're in the same section.»
I rub the back of my neck and reply through clenched teeth,
«How wonderful.»
She bites her cheek.
«Apparently, she and Thomas are close.»
She says his name as if just saying it makes her eyes sparkle.
«I'm not surprised. She's always had a habit of... broadening her circle of interests.»
«Sofi!»
A dishcloth hits me square in the face and I burst out laughing,
leaning against the counter to keep from falling over.
«I didn't mean it that way,» she says, laughing too.
«I meant they've known each other for a long time.»
«And did she tell you anything? About him?»
Aurora shrugs, but her face tightens slightly.
«Just that I should stay away from him.
Apparently there's this girl involved and — her exact words —
'she doesn't like it when people touch her things.'»
She mimics Alice's tone with a perfect grimace.
«Her things? What is he, an ornament?»
Aurora chuckles.
«That's what I thought.»
Then she grows more serious.
«He says he's not with anyone, though.»
«Well, let's think about it for a second.»
I balance my hands in front of me like scales.
«We have to decide whether to trust Alice the b***h or some random guy.»
My hands swing up and down dramatically.
«I'd say the random guy wins ten to one.»
Aurora shakes her head, amused.
«Come on, are you still holding a grudge against her?»
«Holding a grudge? Me?»
I point at myself with mock offense.
«Of course not! She's unbearable regardless.»
She shrugs.
«She's not that bad.»
She was her friend before they drifted apart
over those famous 'differences of opinion,' as she calls them.
I call them 'messages to my boyfriend.'
«Without her, today would've been really complicated.»
I rest my elbows on the table, tilting my head.
«Even cockroaches have some kind of use in the world.»
Aurora sighs, but her tone stays sweet.
«Come on, you can't still be so bitter.
It's been years — she's not the same person anymore.
She's changed, matured. And so have you.
Besides, you were only with him for a month; it wasn't even serious!»
«Yes, let's just say the relationship came to an abrupt end...
the moment he stumbled into Alice's bed.»
«He was an i***t, Alice or not. He didn't deserve you.»
«She's still a b***h.
And the funny thing is, some bitches never change —
they just get better at looking decent.
Underneath, they're still the same viper.»
Aurora curls her lips into a thin smirk.
«Try to understand, Sofi, it's so nice to have a friendly face in there.
But I don't want you to feel betrayed if we end up hanging out.»
I stick out my tongue at her, just to show how unconvinced I am.
But she stares at me with those big, sincere eyes
and that fragile puppy-dog look that always gets me.
And of course, she gets what she wants.
Poor me.
Aurora is my weak spot. My constant.
And maybe — if I have to believe in some form of love — then this is it.
The only real one.
The one that doesn't disappoint you, doesn't betray you, doesn't break you.
In short, the only love that won't end with «It's not what you think,»
while all-too-explicit messages flash on her phone.
My unconditional love.
The only one I'll never have to watch my back from.
- Writer
