"I KISSED HIM, DAMN IT!"
That's what I yelled when I burst into the room where Rafa was lying down, supposedly asleep since the light was off. But that didn't matter. It had finally sunk in, and I couldn't care less about the world. I jumped on the bed doing a happy little dance while my friend squinted, fumbling for his glasses under the sudden light.— "Did we win the lottery?" he asked groggily, trying to make sense of things.I dropped to my knees beside him, a huge smile stretching across my face, trembling with excitement.— "No, better!" I said enthusiastically. "I opened the little door of joy!"I licked my lips seductively at him, but he just stared, speechless.— "That's better than two million?"— "Better than any money in the world," I declared, still buzzing. "Prepare your weapons, because I'm ready to attack!"I drew two imaginary stripes on my cheeks with my fingers, then leapt off him and marched like a soldier straight to the Chew doll tossed on the beanbag, while Rafael watched in disbelief, already regretting waking up.— "And you're the next target!" I pointed at the doll, snatched it into my arms, and kissed it madly.— "I have to record this," he muttered, but his phone was already in hand.— "He's so sexy!" I told the camera, then went back to kissing the poor thing dramatically.— "Your parents are going to love this relationship," my friend commented dryly. "Especially if the wedding's themed."I couldn't help laughing and went back to bouncing on the bed, this time collapsing at his side. He set his phone on the nightstand and crossed his arms, pretending to look calm, though his fixed gaze betrayed curiosity. I hid my face behind Chew, suddenly embarrassed but still feeling the warmth of the kiss burning on my skin.— "After all that, you want me to believe you're shy?" he teased, arching a brow, though his voice had a laugh behind it, muffling the sting.I groaned softly, shaking my head.— "Come on, tell me how it was," he urged, fiddling with his fingers laced over his chest.— "It was perfect!" I sighed, pulling Chew away and taking a deep breath. "He's not the guy who bumped into me on the first day, but he managed to surprise me."— "Do you think he could be the leading man in your story?" he asked, with a half-smile.— "He's not the typical hero I expected, but…"— "But?" He rolled onto his side, propping his head on his arm to look me in the eye.— "I don't even know his name!" I blurted, staring down at my hands. "Maybe I was just a random party hook-up. He won't even remember me tomorrow."— "And if he does?" he asked with that infuriating calm only he had.I shot him a mischievous look that made him chuckle under his breath.— "To be continued," I said, striking a pose in the doorway. "How about a snack?"— "Now that you've woken me up…" he muttered, dragging himself up.As he passed me, I stretched toward him and whispered:— "You can pay me back with a little kiss." I puckered up.He looked at me for a moment, far too serious for the joke, his eyes locked on mine as if hesitating over something, then walked off as if nothing had happened.— "Insensitive!" I shouted after him, grinning anyway.
**On Sunday, Lorena called to explain her disappearance. After a string of excuses, she admitted she'd had to deal with some problems and, when she got back, I was gone. Why hadn't she called? She was too drunk and had forgotten.Great friend I've got!
I thought about asking who that girl was she'd gone after at the party, but since she didn't mention it, I let it go, figuring she'd tell me when she was ready. Honestly, it all felt strange.
When I told her about my "thing" — I didn't even know what to call it yet — she screamed so loud I had to hold the phone away, then unleashed a machine gun of questions. I answered what I could, but she made it very clear that my innocent face had never fooled her.— "So, is he hot?" she asked excitedly. "Listen, that means nothing, but if he does ghost you, at least you've got that as consolation. Hot guys are only good for fun."I was speechless. Come to think of it, he was hot. Weird to admit out loud.— "Yeah… I guess so," I said awkwardly.— "Perfect. Tomorrow we're hunting down your… what do you call him? Normal?"— "That's it!" I laughed.— "Then tomorrow, Mr. Normal will get a better name than that, I assume. Anyway, gotta go — my dad insists on family dinner," she said reluctantly.— "See you!" I hung up.
I couldn't contain my excitement. You know that feeling when there's a Christmas present under the tree, and you can't wait for the 24th to finally tear into it, even if it turns out to be just a toothbrush? The anticipation is like a ticking time bomb, growing stronger the closer the moment gets.
That was me. Tossing and turning in bed, restless, unable to keep still. Every creak of the apartment seemed louder, every sound from the street a reminder that something new had happened. Restless, I wondered if Normal was feeling the same. How stupid! He was a senior at a freshman party. I was probably just a bet with his friends, like in She's All That. Or maybe one of them liked Lorena, and he'd used me as a distraction, like in 10 Things I Hate About You. But the thing is, in both movies, the guy falls for the girl… Would he fall for me?
I shivered at the thought, hoping the answer was yes. He was so good-looking, and that cocky grin wouldn't leave my mind. Maybe because my tongue had gotten to know it better up close — and it had liked what it found. Like Lorena always said: "Yep, he was hot." And if he wanted, I'd gladly kiss him again.
God, what was I thinking? I'd lost it.
Time slipped away, my night dissolving into smiles, memories, and little teases at myself, until the sun finally crept through the window — and I knew my first class would be endured on autopilot.— "You okay?" Rafa asked over breakfast, with that concerned look that said he suspected his friend had spent the night in full zombie mode.I put a finger to my lips, asking for silence.— "Only noon!" I mumbled, exhausted, and he laughed, understanding perfectly.
It wasn't the first time I'd pulled an all-nighter. Big family equals chaos at night, like no one else had a life the next day. And sure, I was famous for dozing through morning classes, but not all of it was their fault. Movies, series, and a storm of thoughts also fueled my inability to wake up early.
Arnaldo, my cat, used to suffer whenever I overslept and skipped his first snack of the day. Until he became my furry alarm clock. Opportunist! I missed my black fluff… even more whenever I saw the cats that roamed around the Arts building.
That morning, I arrived early and sat on one of the benches outside on campus. A little ginger kitten approached, drawn by the smell of my cookies, meowing with that demanding "give me what you're eating" look.— "She likes you!" a guy sat beside me, making my heart skip without asking permission.It was him!
I played it cool, folding my arms and avoiding eye contact.— "She's only here because of the cookie, but I'm not giving it to her," I said, staring at the kitten at my feet, trying to sound indifferent.— "Yeah, Nina, this one's stingy," he told the cat. "You won't get anything from her."I glared at him, trying not to betray how much my body reacted to every move he made. Then I watched him pull out a little box of cat food from his backpack and set it down in front of her. I was stunned, even more so when she abandoned my cookie without hesitation and let him pet her fur. A shiver ran up my arm at how natural he was.
How could someone so cocky also be so tender with a random cat?— "Seems like you know how to win hearts pretty easily," I said, still watching him, trying to sound casual.— "Everyone deserves affection," he said without looking at me, like it was the most obvious truth in the world. "For some it's mutual, for others it's not. But what matters is the difference it makes. That should be normal for humanity."— "Sadly, it's not." I thought back to high school. Ludmila got what she wanted, and I wished she'd been erased from that chapter of my life. "But as the different kind of guy you are, I bet you get plenty in return."He smiled and turned to me. A smile that made me bite my lip without realizing, while my stomach flipped between nerves and excitement.— "I'm just a normal guy, but I'll let you in on a secret," he leaned closer, hand near his mouth. I leaned in too, before I could stop myself. "The guy at the cafeteria gives me an extra chocolate bar when I help him clean up after the night shift leaves."— "I thought affection wasn't supposed to be material," I pulled back a little, trying to hide how my eyes still followed him.— "It's not. But I'm not refusing chocolate," he shrugged. "That wouldn't be fair to the man's kindness."I let out a short laugh, my hands knotting nervously in my lap.— "Speaking of kindness, I noticed you were kind to yourself today — not following your friends' advice," he pointed out, and I realized my face must have been bright red as he glanced at the outfit I'd grabbed without thinking that morning.
Loose trousers in a soft fabric, a plain white top, and a cardigan for the chilly morning. Mountain weather was like that. It hardly felt like summer here.
I noticed he wore jeans and a gray T-shirt, topped with a jacket. He had style, I'll admit, but no way was I going to boost his ego. He shook his head in approval.— "So this is the real you?" he asked curiously, clearly interested.— "Yes!" I answered firmly. "And you? Who's the Normal guy?" I leaned on my hands, tilting toward him, my lips moving vaguely.I noticed his gaze drop from my eyes to my mouth. He wanted me, I was sure of it. My heart pounded, and I bit my lip again, trying to hide it.
The air felt suspended, ready to snap into something new—when a voice cut through like a siren, screaming my ridiculous name and dumping a bucket of cold water on the spark that had just lit.— "There you are, naughty girl!" Lorena strode up, rocking an Indian skirt, black crop top, and a feather earring. Both of us looked at her, and of course her attention zeroed in on the boy next to me.— "Long time no see, Matt!" she squealed. "What's it been, fifteen minutes?"— "Hey, Lô," the boy — who really did have a normal name — greeted with an amused look, turning back to me. "Didn't know the Weird One was your naughty little friend you were looking for."
I couldn't believe she'd said that! My face burned, and a shiver ran down my spine as I realized he was staring at me with that cocky grin — the one that made my body betray me all over again.