Message hope

Corleone’s pov

Corleone’s pov

It was almost noon. Martil never replied my message. It was left on read. He saw it but decided not to reply. That was cool. That sent something I should know.

“You ready, girl?” Percy asked with a cool vibe.

I was determined to forget all about him even when the way he kissed me last night was stuck in my head and mind. All I wanted and needed was for him to smash his lips on mine like that again.

I nodded, entering the car while she waited on the phone. I didn’t hear half of what she was blabbing about but she continued anyway.

Finally, we got to the parking lot. The driver found a good space to park while I stepped down. At an angle of ninety degrees, Percy was waving at me while jumping up.

I waved back at her with a smile before heading towards her. It seemed there was a kind of festival going on because the park space seemed a little bit choked up.

“I thought I’d be a silent area.” I said as soon as I got to her.

Percy shrugged. “Unfortunately, it’d be crowded today. It’s their light balls festival.”

“Hm.” I hummed, glancing around.

Just like the name, many people were holding different shapes, sizes and colors of balls. Some made ball bubbles. Others had balls drawn on their faces that looked hilarious.

“Isn’t this supposed to be a kiddies thing?” I asked, taking a candle bubble gum from a stand.

“There are adults as well. It’s just a fun thing.” She replied, licking off the mint on her lollipop.

There were players who were going to play a little sports, those who were going to play music, the entertainers and everything

We fed our eyes for about half an hour while giggling and laughing out loud. We danced, vibed to everything that was going on.

For the first time in many years, I felt like a kid. It was no wonder kids always insisted they wanted to come play at the park. These were the enjoyment they had every single time.

For that reason, I felt like becoming a kid again. A kid with no worries and only how to eat every single sugary things that my eyes found.

“This was so much fun.” Percy exhaled, collapsing on the green grass that looked like a beautiful mat.

I fell beside her too as our faces were facing the sky. My teeth crashed against one another because of the amount of ice cream that I had taken.

If someone had told me this morning that I’d actually laugh today, I would’ve rolled my eyes and gone back to brooding. But Percy has a way of dragging light into dark places. I was so glad that I could be friends with her.

The sun warmed up our skin as we watched kids run past us with loud voices, a dog chasing and also having his fun. Somewhere behind us, a couple argued loudly with one of the vendors over the price of his popcorn and the vendor confidently fired back about them getting it somewhere else if they couldn’t afford it.

I wasn’t listening that much anyway.

 Percy nudged my shoulder slightly. “You’ve checked your phone three times in five minutes.”

 “That’s not true. I have not.” I replied, looking away.

 “You have,” she insisted with a big grin. “And you’re about to make it four times.”

 I scoffed, tucking my hair behind my ear as I realized she wasn’t telling lies. I was indeed about to check it again.

“I’m waiting for something important.” I finally said,

Percy lifted her eyebrows, “Something important….,” she repeated slowly. “…or tall, bearded, and annoyingly handsome?”

 My cheeks heated instantly. I hated that she knew me too well within a few days. She could have guessed but that described the exact person I was thinking about.

I sighed, taking another look at my phone regardless of what she said. There were no new notifications. I had waited all day and my message was still ticked read.

 Martil still hadn’t replied. It’s been almost eight hours.

 My stomach tightened. It was a slight one. I told myself it didn’t matter. I mean, he could be busy. Many other Professors were busy. They had lives that revolved around several meetings and repeated work.

 Percy leaned back on her elbows, staring at me.“You like him.”

“Excuse me. Who?” I asked without looking at her.

She chuckled. “Come on, you know who I am talking about.”

“I don’t.”

“Professor Martil.” She said it anyway.

I rolled my eyes. “He isn’t just my professor, he is —“

“Yeah, yeah, your stepbrother. Whatever.” She rolled her eyes too.

I laughed slightly. “I only tolerate him, nothing much.”

“You obsessively check your phone every second for people you tolerate?” She teased.

I shot her a playful glare. “Shut up, Percy.”

“Caught you.” She bursted out laughing, very loud and so carefree that I couldn’t help but join her.

We laughed to our heart content. It felt good and normal. For a moment, I didn’t think about my dreams and troubles. I didn’t think about my family drama. I didn’t think about my stepbrother’s infuriating presence that always threw me off guard as if I had any protection shield before he appeared.

It was evening time. It was getting extra crowded. We packed our bags and stood up, wanting to take a walk. We walked along the park path, our arms linked together.

“That could be you and Martil.” Percy joked, pointing at a couple that sat very close on a bench as they did their thing.

I scoffed, “It isn’t possible.”

“Why?”

I turned to her, “Don’t you understand? He is my stepbrother.”

“And?” She shrugged.

“He is family. He is my mother’s husband’s son. I can’t have anything to do with him.”

“It seems like you already have something going on with him.” She said,

I sighed, “Well, it’s just an attraction and it has to be killed.”

“You have tried it. Is it easy?” She asked.

I stared at her. No, it wasn’t easy at all. Each time I tried to step away from that attraction and pretend like nothing was pulling us towards each other, I found myself wanting more of it…more of him.

I turned my phone again. Nothing. Still nothing. Why read my message and not respond? Was he intentionally trying to piss me off? Was he punishing me? Or could it be a test?

It could be worse. Maybe he simply didn’t care enough to answer. It meant the kiss was nothing to him.

Those thoughts irritated me to the core.

“You are Corleone. One thing wouldn’t stop you. You don’t spiral over men.” She pulled me out of my thoughts.

“I am not spiraling.” I argued.

She shook her head. “You are, babe.”

 

I huffed, slipping my phone back into my bag. “Fine. Maybe I’m a little… annoyed.”

 “Because?”

 “Because he acts like he’s above everything. Above me.” My voice lowered slightly. “But then he looks at me like I’m the only thing in the room.”

 Percy’s expression softened. “Maybe he’s fighting it.”

 “Or maybe I’m imagining it. Maybe I’m taking things too far.”

 We stood in the middle of the park. My phone suddenly buzzed in my bag. My heart jumped. The way I took my phone so fast, it felt embarrassing.

Unfortunately, it was just a random notification.

“Quit the stepbrother thing. You ae deeply gone.”

“What does that mean?” I snapped.

We resumed walking. She shifted the conversation to something else that made us laugh and that was how the day ended.

With his lips on mine…with him on my mind.