SWNOVELS Marchetti’s Obsession Chapter 2
Mia Lennox
Mia, Ashley, the flight leaves in six hours and you're still lying around like orangutans,” my beautiful mother complains.
I listen as she shuffles her feet around the room and then the darkness that was flooding the room is replaced by sunligh I groan and cover my head with the quilts, I don't understand why she’s being so over the top, it's not like we're going to miss the flight.
I don't want to call them again” she announces before leaving my room, I recognise as a daughter that I don't want to he: my mother's second call and the reason is because she might arrive with a bucket of ice water from the depths of the fridge.
-Are you waiting for the second call? -questions my best friend with mockery in her voice.
“No way," I mutter, stretching my body to ease the muscle tension and my bones rattle like one of those crunchy cheetos. My biggest birthday wish has always been to travel to Italy, I love fashion and the best designers are Italian, it took me by surprise when my beautiful mother announced that we would be travelling to Europe and best of all my best friend is als included in this trip.
Ashley and I met when we were eight years old at the modeling agency, my mother and her mother from that moment on we were never far apart, we started going to the same school and doing a lot of things together.
-1 would have known that your mother would take us to Italy and I would have enrolled in the Italian cla*s with Mr. Santo he is handsome and speaks in such an elegant way?
-Are you going for the Italian class or the teacher? -I ask.
-For the Italian class.
-At least we live in a century where translating from a mobile phone is the easiest thing of all," I remind him. -And knowir you, the man won't have to talk,” we laugh.
I want to have a boy-free trip," he clarifies, I can't help laughing, “Hey! I'm serious,” he complains.
“When you see those Italian hotties, you'll drool, I know you so well Ashley,” I reach over to my nightstand and grab a scrunchie, I tie my hair in a high ponytail and get out of bed.
-1 hope one of them moves your floor and you finally get to see what it feels like to be with a guy,” I can't help but roll my eyes.
-'m not going to spit up, however, 'm going to enjoy this week in Venice and let fate take over my life," I tell him as I walk to the bathroom.
“You don't believe in fate! -he shouts.
I smile.
He's absolutely right, I faithfully believe that we forge our own destiny with the choices we make. Although it is obvious that there will come situations that can change your future to something better or maybe much worse.
I believe that you are the person who has the final say in what you decide to do with your life.
()
We arrive in Venice at two in the morning, happy and totally exhausted from the trip, I don't feel like eating, they give me the key to the room that I will share with Ashley and we go upstairs to go to bed.
Tomorrow is a new day and we can go out and explore the area.
i)
I woke up early and when I say early, I mean it's ten in the morning, I'm not known for getting up at seven and that's the reason why I got a lot of fines at the modeling agency, I wasn't punctual and models should be.
My best friend, on the other hand, is very active in the morning, she runs or goes to the gym, however, Ashley has days when she makes exceptions, like when she is hungover or very tired, which is the case today.
I try to make as little noise as possible while I go to the bathroom where I relieve myself, fix my hair and then leave the hotel room, I have no idea where the dining room is so 1 go straight to the reception.
-Good morning” I greet.
-Good morning, Miss, how can I help you? -he asks with kindness and a strong Italian accent.
Ym looking for the dining room," I say.
-Follow that corridor and then to the left,” he says.
“Thank you," I follow his direction and to my good fortune I catch a glimpse of my mother.
-Hi sweetheart,” she smiles at me.
“You're up early,” 1 tell her, she takes a seat and motions to one of the waiters so he can take my order. -An American breakfast and orange juice,” she writes down my order and leaves.
“Your father’s intense, intense guy kept calling me,” she says dramatically.
“When is he arriving? -I question.
He'll be here for your birthday. So you have nothing to worry about I nod.
My father has been working here in Rome for a year, even though he’s been discussing with my mother the idea of movin Us to this country.
She's a very independent woman and even though she loves my dad, she’s very stubborn.
He is always the one who travels to the United States to see us, however, as my greatest wish was to spend my birthday i italy, everything was arranged to celebrate it here, maybe I will decide to live in this country and enroll in university, it is idea that I have in mind and which I must say at the right time 50 as not to cause a family disaster.
I have the suspicion that Diana, my mother, has the idea that I will tell her that I will come here to study, she has asked several times about the career I want to choose. It's a complicated situation because I love the United States and my whe childhood is there, I don't even know Italian, but it's time to explore other horizons.
Mia, Mia, are you paying attention to me? -she asks, interrupting my thoughts.
-'m sorry, what were you saying? -I ask.
-1 was asking you about the dress you want to wear for your birthday, I look at her curiously.
-Do you have to talk about it now?
-I thought you might want to go to a shop,” I sigh and deny.
Ym walking with Ashley today, don't worry about the dress,” she’s the most excited about this birthday, not that she’s turning fifteen.
I never thought turning nineteen would be such a big deal, it's not like I've done much at this age and I'm just entering th years where you have to choose your college career, stress about failing subjects and curse at teachers who don't teach anything and want you to understand the subject overnight.
(2)
After breakfast, I was hoping to go out alone with Ashley, however, my mother objected strongly and ended up being part our outing, Venice is a beautiful place, no doubt about it.
Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Versace and other shops are located in very exclusive places. I looked at their penultimate collections and tried on dresses from their brand, they are beautiful, but not what 'm looking for for my party.
“The heat is unbearable,” my mother fans her face trying to harmonise and soothe the burning in her skin from the sun's rays.
We could do with an ice cream and so we cross the crowded street to buy that refreshing nectar. I'm the first to receive he strawberry and chocolate popsicle, I take advantage of this to go out of the shop, I walk a few meters and the sea of peo makes me move at their pace, I get distracted easily and end up crashing into a wall.
-0h my God, 'm 50 sorry! -I cry out at the sight of that blue suit stained by my ice cream and realising that the wall is a person.
Guarda dove stai andando! (Look where you're going!)" he shouts at me in his language with a powerful voice, which is thick and raspy.
I hear him say other things in Italian and I can’t take my eyes off the stain I've made on that expensive suit.
-sir, excuse me," my whole face burns with embarrassment.
The huge guy walks past me and I can only watch as he gets lost in the crowd, I thank life that he didn’t make a fuss and make me pay him for ruining his clothes.
Mia, I told you not to walk so far away,” my mother scolds me the moment she reaches my side.
Ym sorry, where's Ashley? -I question.
she’s waiting at the ice cream shop,” we walk to the ice cream shop and when we get there, she takes a seat next to my best friend. -Stay here, I'll £0 to the shop in front” we nodded.
God! -I exclaimed, covering my face.
“Why are you upset and your blouse is stained? -he asks.
I've just had the biggest embarrassment of all,” I say. -I ran into the body of a huge Italian and for a moment I thought it was a wall, until I heard him shout something at me that I didn't understand,” she arches her eyebrows in surprise. -It wa: very embarrassing, his suit was quite expensive, hopefully he didn't make a fuss about me paying him,” she added.
“Was he handsome?
I snort, because I didn't even notice that.
With the fear he provoked in me, I didn't notice his face, nor did I have eyes except for the stain I left on his clothes I mutter.
Fear?
Her voice was so hard and icy, it gave me a horrible terror, I tell her and Ashley doesn't ask me any more questions abo: it.
When my mother comes back, we go to the hotel while I can’t help but get that feeling that someone is watching me. It scares the hell out of me, and besides, I'm a first-class coward.