Foreign

•3• Light

I take in the light, soothing sounds of the ocean and the birds flying gracefully over it, allowing them to provide a small peace in my brain for a moment, bringing me back to the days of my childhood with Nico, when we used to run all over town together, down the beach, and through the vineyards. We were best friends, but things seem very different now.

I sit across from Nico and Trista, who greeted us once we arrived in the town square of Venice. She's a tall, thin girl with a short bob of black hair. She seemed to be extreeemely fond of Nico, for when she saw him she let nothing stop her from kissing him full on right in front of me, without even introducing herself. I might have to agree with uncle Joe on this one.

"Sooooooo Surafunee! Are you enjoying Italy so far?" Trista asks across the table that we sit at at the small café. It's the place where my parents met, actually, when my mother was a waitress and my father was visiting Italy. It should bring back happy memories, but I'd have to say, Trista's kind of ruining it for me. She keeps touching Nico all over, and people are starting to stare.

"Actually, my name is Serafina... and I love Italy, I always have. I used to live he-"

"Niccyyyyy I'm starving can we order now?" She interrupts me, turning her attention to Nicolas, clearly not interested in my response at all. Nicolas turns to me and gives a look of sympathy. "Nicolas I am your girlfriend and I am hungry can't we please order now."

"Uh, sure Trista I'll go up to the counter and see what's taking so long." Nico's going to leave me alone with her?? I don't think I can do this. He gets up from his chair, kissing Trista's hand and walking towards the counter.

"What is that?" Trista questions, seeming to be scanning me now. I guess now she's decided to pay too much attention to me.

".... What?"

"That dress? It looks like the 50s came back and threw up a little on you." She says taking a sip of her water. Ouch.

"...It was my mother's..."

"Well... I wouldn't be caught dead in that thing."

Okay, that one hits hard. Her words only add to my anger and pain and wilt my heart even further. I want to leave, I want to run away... I want to jump into the water and swim to where no one can find me. My thoughts are interrupted by Trista's voice once again.

"Oh look it's Arlo and Leone!" I don't respond to her, I don't know who she's talking about and I don't really care either. "Boys! Hey come over here!" she yells for them, jumping up out of her seat, exposing her dark red tight dress. By this time Nico has made his way back to the table and is joining Trista in calling their friends over. I decide to tell Nico I'm going to use the restroom, but instead go to roam in the center square.

~

I pass by old shops I used to know, taking in their colors and smells of bright and eager joy, that pull me out of my grief and take me back again. I try on necklaces, earrings, and different perfume scents of the flowers I favor. The old charm still exists, in certain parts. As I enter back into the more central area of the square, a small band consisting of a few percussionist and an acoustic guitar player is livening up the streets with a song that has been around for as long as I can remember. Their sounds and the newfound beauty in the atmosphere around me illuminate the fountain in the center of it all, and i take off my shoes and dance all around it, spinning in the suns beams, letting small spritzes of water hit my skin as it glazes in the light. I hop off the fountain's edge and start twirling in the street, and I close my eyes, shutting everything out- and in that split second, my ankle slides on the newly- painted and slippery ground that I was unaware of before, and I fall, a pair of arms catching me, and the music stops.

Suddenly I'm lifted up, and I'm back on my feet again, and the arms let go of me. I slowly turn around, not sure as to what I'll find when I do. My eyes first land on his shoes, dark brown and covered in splotches of white paint, and follow up, his dark jeans, then I notice- he is completely shirtless... and not in a bad way, until I reach his face. My light brown eyes meet his deep chocolate ones, and I take a sharp inhale. His handsomeness is striking. He stares at me, with some look of awe on his face, some of his golden brown wavy hair falling against his cheeks. He doesn't say anything, and keeps staring at me.

"Uhm-" I start.

He shakes his head and looks at me again. "You should watch where you're dancing"

Oh that's right... I was dancing in the middle of the street. This is embarrassing. I can feel the blush make its way up to my cheeks. "I- sorry, yeah I just got a little carried away I guess..."

He laughs, a big grin coming onto his tan and sculpted face. "You're a foreigner aren't you bella"

Even though, I'm really not a foreigner, I blush again, even more embarrassed. I don't know how to respond to him... I've made such a fool of myself. "I've got to go... thank you... for your... help..." I say, awkwardly, running barefoot back to the café, when only then do I realize I had forgotten my shoes at the fountain.

He called me bella... bella meaning, beautiful...

~

"Fina where have you been!?" Nico asks when I return to the table

"And why do you have paint all over your arm..." Trista says disgustingly, looking me up and down again. I look past her at the two faces that have joined them, then look back to Nico.

"I ended up walking into town a bit, and I... uh... was testing out paintbrushes... I think I want to start painting again while I'm here. It's so beautiful." Nico looks skeptical, but smiles nonetheless.

"Leone, Arlo, this is my cousin Serafina. She lived here when she was young, and just moved back from the United States to live with us for a while."

"Well hello" One of the boys gets up from his seat, taking my hand and pressing a small kiss onto the back of it. He then looks back up at me, with bright green eyes and curly blonde hair. "I'm Leone. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Arlo, the other one rolls his eyes. "Leo you're such a flirt. Be a gentleman." He then stands up and walks over to me, shaking my hand and looking at me with grey eyes and black wavy hair and a smirk on his face. "I'm Arlo, and I can tell you right now that Leo's not worth any of your time. I, on the other hand-"

"Hey hey hey stop speaking for me ArLAME I-"

"HEY HEY guys shutup already she's my cousin and you just met her"

"What do you guys honestly see in her anyways."

Nico's head snaps towards his girlfriend's. "We've gotta head back for dinner. We'll see you guys later."

"NICCYYYY don't forget breakfast tomorrow, you're making it for me right?"

"Um.. yeah Trista sure... I think I was planning to meet up with Lucca tomorrow morning but I guess he could just come over for breakfast too then."

"Okay, then we're coming too" Leo exclaimed, stepping into the conversation.

"Fine! You can all come for breakfast tomorrow. 9am."

~