UNDER THE AUTUMN LEAVES:PURSUING OUR DREAM

Deed conversation

*Chapter 3.

Vacations came earlier than expected. As usual, during vacations my friends would come to the house and we’d have a barbecue. I got up really early to clean: I organized the cutlery, cleaned the windows, and tidied the clothes. It had been a long time since I’d done a proper cleaning in the house.

I couldn’t believe it had already been five years since my parents left for London and took my sister Alexandra with them. I had so many photos of her. We talked on the phone sometimes. I missed her so much. She was twelve. My parents asked me to go visit them, but with my studies I haven’t been able to. I hope one day I can go see them.

The dining table was a bit messy with papers and pencils, so I changed the tablecloth and put a vase of flowers in the corner. It was getting a bit late, lunch time, so I ordered pizza. It arrived a few minutes later.

While I was enjoying the pizza, my phone buzzed over and over. They were messages from Matías. He said they wanted to come over to the house today and stay the night. I didn’t hesitate and told them yes. That’s when my mind started thinking about him. I got the idea to call him so we could get to know each other and so he could meet my friends.

The phone rang many times and he didn’t answer. I was about to give up when it rang.

“_Hey, what’s up?_” —he said with a slightly hoarse voice. There was a silence between us until I remembered why I had called.

“_Hi, I was calling because my friends are coming over. We’re going to have a little get-together and I thought I’d invite you. Maybe you can come and we can get to know each other better_” —I said, waiting for his answer.

“_Alright! Send me the location and I’ll be there!_” —I heard him let out a little shout.

I sent him the location. He said he was close. A few minutes later the doorbell rang. It was Lara, Lizy and Matías. Matías was wearing a strange black hat and the girls had beautiful glasses. It looked like a little costume party.

“_I invited someone else_” —I started to tell them.

“_Rowan?_” —Mati said. “_He’s a friend of mine. We met at a basketball game. He looks like he’s very popular with girls. Be careful._”

“_We don’t know him, but we’ll try to get along_” —Lizy said, very happy.

“_What’s he like? Does he treat you well?_” —Lara asked.

When the doorbell rang my heart was on the verge of collapsing. I rushed to open the door and there he was. He stared at me for a moment and gave me a small smile.

“_Hello, good evening_” —he greeted. “_Hello everyone. I would really like it if we all got along well._”

“_Hey bro, good to see you_” —Mati greeted him, holding out his hand.

“_Let me introduce you to my friends. This is Lara and this is Lizy_” —I said, introducing my friends.

“_Nice to meet you, ladies. I hope we get along well_” —he told them with a smile.

We went to the dining room. He sat on my left. Then I got up and went to the kitchen to get some glasses and a good bottle of wine for a toast.

We all raised our glasses. Since someone had to say something special, we let Rowan do it.

“_A toast so that a beautiful friendship may be born_” —he said, raising his glass.

“_Us guys have a lot to talk about_” —Mati said, laughing— “_and so do we girls._”

After that I showed my friends the room where they could stay. I saw Rowan in the corner by the door, looking at his phone. I walked over to him slowly.

“_Hi_” —I said, standing beside him and looking him in the eyes— “_Are you staying to sleep? There’s a big room where Matías will be. You can stay with him._”

“_I don’t want to be a bother to you_” —he said, looking me in the eyes.

“_It’s really late. Stay and leave in the morning_” —I said in a calm tone.

“_Okay. Thank you, I appreciate it a lot._”

It was very late and I couldn’t sleep, so I got up to make myself some green tea. When I heard footsteps in the kitchen, I turned around. It was Rowan.

“_Can’t sleep?_” —he asked, sitting down next to me.

“_Yeah, I lost sleep._”

“_Hey, what do you like to do?_”

“_I love getting lost in the pages of a book_” —I said, looking at my mug.

“_What if I told you I love that too? Would you believe me?_” —he said with a mischievous smile.

“_It’s hard to believe a guy likes reading, but I believe you_” —I said smiling. That song came to my mind: _“Con los ojos cerrados”_. I got lost in my thoughts.

“_What are you thinking about?_” —he asked, and I looked him in the eyes.

“_That it’s a little strange that you like reading. Who’s your favorite author?_”

“_Ariana Godoy and Flor Salvador. I think just them... and you._”

“_Mine is Ariana Godoy. I think I have others, but I can’t remember their names_” —I said. He had an expression of surprise and a seductive look that intimidated me. I felt my cheeks burn as I realized we had so much in common.

“_Why are you looking at me like that? Like you’re going to devour me_” —I said, bursting out laughing.

“_I could spend an eternity looking into your eyes_” —he said with a seductive gaze— “_And Harper... I’ve never told you this, but I love the dimples that appear when you smile._”

“_Thank you_” —I said, a little tense because of the situation that had formed between us.

“_Can’t you see what you do to me, Harper?_” —he said in a deep and sincere voice— “_Like right now, I’m dying to kiss you! Let’s just let this happen. You should go get some rest_” —he said, turning around and leaving me with confused thoughts.

I went to my room to rest and try to sort out my thoughts. I wanted someone to love me for real, but at the same time the process scared me. His voice echoed in my mind: _“Let’s just let this happen”_.

When I woke up I went to the room where Matías and he had slept. He wasn’t there. He had left. I walked to the bed and under the pillow I found a note. I opened it and it said:

_My dear Harper,

Thank you for everything. Don’t worry about me.

I’ll take you to a place I know you’ll love. And yes, Harper, it’s a date......_

I covered my mouth as I read the note he had left me. I didn’t know how to react. I wasn’t sure about my feelings for him and it seemed he wasn’t going to give up.

I put on some jeans, a top, and sneakers. I did my makeup like always: a little mascara, blush, lipstick, and gloss. Obsessed with gloss. I put on some cream to define my curls.

I got a message: _“I’ll be there in 5 minutes”_. I was so nervous. My hands were sweating and I kept looking at myself in the mirror every second, until the doorbell rang.

“_You’ll be fine. You look beautiful, but it’s a little cold_” —he said smiling before starting to drive.

“_Thank you. I’ll be fine_” —I said, feeling my cheeks burn. He stopped at a place I had been to before. It was where you could see the stars. It was so beautiful. When I was a kid my parents used to take me there to watch the stars.

The lights were on in the buildings and the wind blew softly, making it a little chilly.

“_I told you, it’s cold_” —he said, taking off his hoodie. He didn’t wait for me to say a single word.

“_You don’t have to..._” —I protested, but before I could finish, he had already put it over my shoulders.

“_I don’t want you saying later that you got sick because of me._”

I lowered my gaze a little, trying to hide the color in my cheeks.

“_Why are we here?_”

“_Because it’s the best view of the city_” —he said, pointing at the lookout where we were standing.

“_Do you see that star over there?_” —he asked, pointing toward the sky.

“_Yes._”

“_That’s you._” —I frowned.

“_Why?_”

“_Because it’s the brightest one_” —he answered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.