Fireproof [João Félix]

F I V E

I throw the keys on the table and collapse on the sofa in the living room. I still have to process what has happened. Is it possible he plays for the club my own uncle works for?

A beeping sound comes from my phone. It's an incoming facetime call. I groan into the pillow, but then sit up straight to look a bit presentable. At the last minute, I kick off my shoes and sit cross-legged before taking the call.

"Damn, you look like you got hit by one of those London buses." Wow, what happened to hi, hello, how are you?

"Alexander! I'm sorry about him Louna, but uh- he's not wrong. Why do you look so...not happy? Yesterday you were all cheerful" I ignore Alexander's comment and listen to Isabella's beautiful description of my appearance.

"Wow, thanks guys," I rake through my dishevelled hair and sigh, staring at the black TV screen. 

"I uh..." Should I tell them, they will probably be as shocked as me and I don't know if telling them will make this situation better.

Who am I kidding? They are my best friends. I keep no secrets from them. I have known them all my life, they wouldn't hurt me. Well I thought that about João too....

"So you...?" Théo speaks up after the dead silence. He drinks a can of cola and leans back nonchalantly in his desk chair. I let myself fall back on the couch and groan into the pillow again. The soft material muffles my sound, but my friends heard it.

"MyuncleforgothislunchsoIhadtotakeittohisworkandIhappenedtobumpintoJoão."

I rattle this quickly and Isabella screams, while Théo is silent and Alexander tries to process my sentence. He counts his fingers and I wait until he puts two and two together. I'm still waiting  and then- "YOU WHAT?!"

I flip onto my back and hold my phone in the air, taking care not to drop it, because I swear it hurts tremendously when you drop it like that.

"How the hell did that happen?" screams Isabella and I grab the TV remote control as a distraction from their endless questions in disbelief.

"I didn't know he now plays for my uncle's club! And the worst part is that my uncle didn't say a word about it." I am really angry with him. He knows that betrayal hurts me because he knew about the João situation. I know he didn't lie to me, he basically said nothing about it and that hurts.

"What!  Your uncle knew and didn't tell you? It's been a long time since João left us, but that doesn't mean it still hurts..." Théo slumps down in his chair after flattening his empty can and throwing it in the bin.

"Like, did he recognise you or say anything?" asks Alexander as he leans forward, clasping his hand together and putting his chin on it. My lips are pressed together and the memory of the painful encounter surfaces.

"His friend asked us if we knew each other and I said I didn't know him." My hand finds its way to my forehead as I slap it, not really knowing why I said that. "He agreed and asked me who I was."

"Can you believe he actually asked who I was?!"

I wait for an answer but they all blink and stare at the screen until Théo throws his phone on the ground. "You said what?!" He picks it up and runs across the room. "And he asked what?!"

My friends all argue, but I shut their voices out of my mind. It's not like I could have said oh hey João, remember when we were best friends and you just decided not to call us anymore and broke your pinky promise with me because you... I don't even know the damn reason!

I'm just bitter about why and how he did it. People change and I'm just so hurt that he didn't know me when I clearly recognised him. Okay, maybe I shouldn't have said I didn't know him, but still. Has he completely forgotten his youth at Porto?

"Guys! I don't know why I said what I said, but it happened. And he obviously didn't recognise me, so yes. I'll have a word with Uncle John and then everything will be sorted out."

They sigh and shake their heads. "...If you can magically get along with João, invite him for a FaceTime call, maybe we can work some things out," whispers Théo after wandering around his room for the past five minutes.

I think of the possible outcomes and they all end badly in my mind. What if he has a huge ego, bigger than my uncle and is a super arrogant prick? But I have to do this for the friend group they all have a right to know.

"If I see him again and he does know me, I'll talk to him and add him to the FaceTime call, all right?" Alexandre huffs and folds his arms. My eyebrows furrow and I patiently wait for him to drop his stubborn attitude, which suddenly came out of nowhere. "What's it with you?" I finally ask, because he has absolutely no motivation to speak first it seems.

"Do you really want to talk to him Louna? He left, what, six years ago? Probably deleted all our numbers and posts pictures on his Instagram with his amazing friends all the time. Why waste time on him when he hasn't even sent a proper goodbye message?"

My eyes widen and Alexander ends his rant with a scoff. Does he really mean it? I also feel a certain bitterness for João; but somewhere in my heart there is a place that wants to hear him out, because I still carry the fond memories of us in Porto. 

We all look perplexed and Isabella nods slowly. "I mean Alexander is not wrong, though I prefer to say it less harshly, but I trust you Lounie. Do what you think is best."

Easier said than done, anxiety creeps into my body and gnaws at my mind. The words she just said put absolutely no pressure on me, nope absolutely not. Alexander grins triumphantly and I look at the two suspiciously. 

A small grin appears on my face as I momentarily forget that my childhood friend is in town. "Are you guys finally dating?"

"What no!"

"Ew, never!"

I look at Théo sitting in the corner of my screen and he nods fiercely, whispering above the 'couple's' bickering. 

"They are. They're just still stuck in phase one: denial." I chuckle softly and put a thumbs up, watching Isabella give Alexander the cold shoulder as he stubbornly huffs. "Well... my uncle is about to return from work, so I have to prepare for what I'm going to say, see you later! Love you all."

"All right. Bye, love you." They say in unison and I end the conversation. Shit. What should I do now?

A/N:

Things are about to change... *dramatic music* Okay, I'm making it seem much worse than it'll be, lol.

To all Spanish people: your songs are all bops.

Anyway, listen to Swan Upon Leda, that song is absolutely beautiful

Lots Of Love

-Camille