Fake Princess
CHAPTER 24
Aunt Vania grunts. “ He has seen everything that can be seen in this village, Jose.”
My heart, which had been soaring in my chest, suddenly fell into my stomach. I was so excited about the possibility that I finally had a friend in Treb that I didn't realize how much hope I had until it was threatened to be lost.
Aunt Vania looked at me and Jose took turns. I knew my eyes must be full of pleading expression, and the pain of longing must have been seen in every corner of my body, because my aunt sighed and then said,
“ Alright. But don't go too far. I don't want to be talked about by people.”
“ Of course not,” Jose said with a smile. Then he stretched out next to the arm, pointing at the sky that was beginning to dim. “ Lady Muller.” The air is still comfortable, the trees & houses produce long shadows on the road, making everything look soft & dim.
At the end of the street I could see Ardi, the blacksmith standing in front of his shop with a pipe in his mouth, but other than that we were alone. We just talked after being blocked by two houses from my aunt's house. Then, suddenly Jose exhaled.
“ Since long ago I knew your aunt was hard to conquer, but has she always been this hard on you?”
The warmth permeated me, like water seeping through tiny cracks in a stone wall, whispering to me with something that felt like hope. Even so, I tried to keep my face calm as I said,
“ He is very... well, I think firmly is the right word.” A few steps later, I muttered, “ She doesn't like me too much.”
Jose stopped so suddenly that I stumbled when there was nothing in front of me. Jose stretched out an arm, and caught my shoulder. For a moment we stood in that position, his hand held my body, and I felt something up and down my spine. Stop, batinku. He's just being polite.
“ Be careful,” Jose said while laughing softly.
“ Know no, I'm starting to assume you're endangering yourself.”
“ Thank you,” I said stiff.
Jose shook his head. “ No problem. Did I say something wrong?”
I bit the inside of my cheek, not sure what to say. How could Jose know that Devan was always teasing me with exactly the same sentence? How do I explain how Devan's face seemed to replace Jose's face, and I missed my friend for a moment so much that my stomach hurt? Or, for reasons I don't understand, do I feel guilty for the warmth I felt when Jose touched me?
But Devan and I did not have that kind of relationship, my inner self.We are just friends, even though we have been friends for so long that we do not remember when we were not friends. Even though we were so close that sometimes we finished each other's sentences or threw a joke right before the others did. Although, every time I imagined life without it, it was like stepping into the darkness without a lantern and there was no chance of finding it again.
The tight knot in my heart tightened again, and I then realized that Jose was looking at me.
“ I'm sorry,” said Jose, eyes wide open.
“ We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I just... surprised.” A doubtful smile.
“ To me you look very easy to like.”
I desperately tried to get rid of the thought of Devan. It's of no use to me in this place, and I don't want to scare my future friend away, my first friend in Treb. I want to be happy, I want to be friends with Jose even if it kills me.
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