A Curvy Girl on My Hill

3 - Milena

NARRATED BY MILENA

I am Milena. I have fair skin, blonde hair, straight down to my waist, 5 feet 3 inches tall, and a body that has always been considered beautiful. I never worried much about specific care; I think it's more a matter of genetics. I have green eyes which I inherited from my mother.

Seeing Larissa in that state broke my heart. Since we got closer in the last year of school, I have always known her to face many difficulties resulting from bullying and social pressures. I felt powerless at times, not knowing how to truly help her.

I've always been a reserved person about my personal life, and that included my home and family. I never invited Larissa to my house, not out of lack of desire, but because of a series of family complications and security issues that I never mentioned. I knew this left her confused and maybe hurt, but I hoped our friendship was strong enough to overcome it.

I never told Larissa where I lived for fear of pushing her away from me. I live in Morro do Alemão (a favela in Rio de Janeiro), and I am the sister of the local drug lord. My father died in a confrontation with the police, and my mother fought cancer until two years ago. Now, it's just me and my brother, who is everything to me, the only family I have. However, he is a difficult person to deal with.

Living in the favela has always been challenging. There is a lot of prejudice associated with the community, something that made me hide this aspect of my life from Larissa and other people at school. I knew people could judge and reject me because of it, and I was afraid Larissa would act the same way.

Seeing Larissa suffer after losing her parents made me realize how distant I was from her, even being her friend. I wanted to be by her side from the beginning, offering my unconditional support. However, I kept a secret that now seemed huge between us.

When I finally found her at Dona Maria's house and she allowed herself to be hugged by me, I felt a mix of relief for being by her side and fear of what would happen if she discovered the truth about me. I knew I needed to find the courage to open up and tell her the whole truth, even if it meant facing some judgmental reactions from her.

I looked into her eyes while holding her hands.

“Larissa, I have something important to tell you,” I began, feeling the weight of my words. “I live in Morro do Alemão, and my brother is the local drug lord.”

Larissa's eyes widened in surprise, mixed with a hint of shock and confusion. She looked at me for a moment as if processing the information, and then frowned slightly.

“Milena... are you serious?” she asked in a whisper like she feared someone might hear our conversation on the sidewalk where we were.

I nodded slowly, feeling the knot form in my throat.

“Yes, it's true,” I replied sincerely. “I never told anyone outside the favela because... well, people have a lot of prejudices, and I was afraid it would change everything between us.”

Larissa continued to look at me, her eyes red and swollen from crying so much, now filled with a mix of emotions that I couldn't completely decipher. She took a step back as if needing space to think.

“I would never judge you for where you live, Milena. You should have told me before,” she said and I nodded. “I don't care where you live. I care about who you are.”

I smiled and gave her a tight hug once again.

“I want to help you, Larissa,” I looked deeply into her eyes. “Come live with me in my home.”

She looked back at me surprised.

There was a mix of gratitude and concern on her face. Her voice trembled when she asked about my brother, and I could feel the fear consuming her at that moment.

“My brother won't mind,” I replied with conviction, trying to calm her fears. “That house is also mine. I can and I want to help you. Please, Larissa. I know you have no one else. Now we have each other.”

Tears returned to Larissa's eyes as she nodded, confirming her decision. She knew it wouldn't be an easy transition, but she seemed to feel a certain relief in having an option beyond Dona Maria's hospitality.

“Milena, I... I don't know what to say,” Larissa murmured, her voice choked with emotion. “You... you are truly an incredible friend.”

I gave a warm smile at her words and held her hands. “Let's take care of each other, Larissa. I will help you overcome this.”

She nodded slowly, and we hugged once more, knowing that together we could face any challenge that came our way.

“Grab your things and let's go. My brother's security guard is waiting for us in the car,” I said to Larissa, trying to convey a bit of urgency while looking around, checking if anyone was watching us.

Larissa looked at me uneasily, her eyes still swollen from crying so much.

“I have nothing, just one more change of clothes. The rest burned down.” Her voice was laden with sadness and dismay.

I felt a wave of compassion for her.

“That's no problem. Just say goodbye to Dona Maria, and we'll stop by the mall. I'll buy everything for you.”

Larissa shook her head in denial.

“I can't accept that, Milena. You're already doing too much for me,” she replied, worried about the weight of my generosity.

I looked into her eyes with determination.

“Come on, Larissa,” I insisted gently. “My brother has so much money that he doesn't even know what to do with it. It'll be a loan. We'll keep track of what I buy for you, and when you start working, you can pay me back in easy installments.”

She took a deep breath and, after a moment of hesitation, finally agreed.

“Okay,” she murmured, her voice filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Milena. I don't know what I would do without you.”

I smiled softly, relieved to see she was accepting my help.

“We'll figure this out together, Larissa. Now, let's go.”