Letters to Italy

7. the game

Aline's POV

"Okaaay! Let's do this! We have 7 people joining the game. So that means after a quick calculation there are 2 teams. One with 3 people and the other team has 4 members." Everyone already laughed. The way Ignazio was explaining the game made me feel better, he was just so funny without even trying. I looked to Gianluca, he laughed too. So maybe everything would be alright in the end.

"You four are a team" he said pointing in my direction, "and then there's me, Gianluca and the beautiful Liene in the best team!"

I saw Piero wanted to protest because of course he thought we were the better team. But honestly I had my doubts about that. I'm really not that good in sports, especially not when I'm a bit nervous or when I'm afraid to say or do a thing.

"The aim of the game is to get the football into the goal. Let's just pretend there are two goals on each side. And yeah just have fun." As soon as he finished that sentence he started to kick his foot against the football with a protest from Piero as a result.

It looked like there was no goalkeeper. Everyone just had to run after the ball and try to kick it into the goal from the other team. "I get it", I thought and I started to run after the one with the ball, who was Carlotta. "Over here!" I yelled as I tried to participate as good as possible.

The game went surprisingly well. No one got injured, both teams made goals (but of course the other team had more points) and me and Gianluca acted quite normal I guess. Except towards each other because he still hadn't give me a single look into my eyes.

Luckily all the girls wore trousers because otherwise it would be embarrassing. I didn't really like to wear dresses, they were not really my thing. I normally don't feel comfortable in it.

I wondered what time it was because we were certainly two hours after the concert. I guess it was midnight or over midnight. Luckily the hotel had a lot of lights in the garden.

Suddenly someone bumped into my side. I fell down. "Sorry!" I heard someone say. But I didn't care about anything else than the pain I felt. It hurt a lot. I grasped my side with both hands and I looked to the one who had done this. I was shocked when I saw who it was. Gianluca looked right into my eyes with his own beautiful brown eyes as big as possible. It looked like he was in shock himself and he kept repeating "I'm sorry!"

"I'm so sorry!"

I saw Ignazio lay his hand on Gianluca's shoulder to comfort him because this was of course just a stupid little accident.

Everyone stood around me and Jonas kneeled down next to me and asked if I was alright. My pain from the smash was replaced by a feeling of happiness. Gianluca just had looked into my eyes again! And I saw it was real, he meant what he said. He was sorry. I even felt a connection between us. Something I never felt before. I couldn't describe it.

So my answer was very clear and even filled with a bit of true happiness. "Yes, I'm alright!" I said. I even smiled. That must've seemed very weird for the others. I almost cry when I should be happy and I smile when I should cry. As a proof I was alright, I stood up and told everyone I was okay, it were just the first seconds it really hurt a lot.

"I only think I'm going to have a lot of bruises", I said but I smiled and my smile finally was a true feeling. I suddenly even felt I could do anything! No, I was exaggerating again. I couldn't. But at least I felt more at ease than before. Although everyone was looking at me and probably they felt less at ease than before. Oh, and poor Gianluca, he felt really guilty about all of this. But for me it was a normal little accident. Nothing to worry about.

Jonas decided it was time to go back to the hotel and the house. We all said goodnight to each other and Piero and Ignazio gave all the girls a kiss on the cheek. Gianluca probably thought it would be weird if he didn't, so I saw him kiss Carlotta and after that he kissed Liene on the cheek.

My heart skipped a beat again. What would he do? Would I finally get a kiss from Gianluca? I suddenly didn't really know if I wanted a kiss from him. It would make my feelings for him even stronger and as far as I knew, was he an Italian superstar who travelled the world and I had to go back to our little Belgium in a few days. So than it would hurt more when I think about it in the future. What am I saying to myself? One little kiss on the cheek. It's better than nothing. And my brain told me this crush I have on him probably will end one day and then this little kiss will be nothing, nothing but a wonderful memory.