Beyond

December

The month of December carried other cold.

The only colours we could glimpse out of the window were the grey of the sky and the winter green of the grass. The trees were all bare and their dark trunk contributed to deepen more that landscape already so sad. We all hoped that some snow made happier the panorama.

At school there was a beautiful relaxed atmosphere, probably due to all the festivities to come.

Anna was again well and her friends decided to make her a gift: the tickets for a concert, indoor obviously.

There was just a problem: how to arrive there? How to come back?

To ask to their parents was out of question, they weren't children anymore. The second option was to go by car but no one of them could already drive. Marta proposed train and underground but Chiara disagreed; they would have come back very late and their parents would have never given them the permission to take public means of transport by night. Anna hadn't no ties, nobody was interested at what time she left and came back. Thomas apart.

She then had a brainwave:

"That's all right, I got it."

The bell rang and the lessons started after the break.

Thomas came back when the door was already closed, by now it was an habit. In that hour there were oral tests, therefore they could quietly speak without the risk to be reproached or invited to go out. Anna watched Thomas amused, he noticed that; he realized that her friends were looking at him too, with the same expression.

"What is it?" he asked intrigued.

"I got a little favour to ask you. Not only me, all of us" she said chuckling.

"Tell me."

Anna explained the plan for the concert; if he had been so kind to lend them his driver for that evening, they could be safe.

"Ok, I'll speak with my father this evening" he mumbled, then an idea illuminated his face already wonderful for a second.

The day after Anna waited for him and their usual coffee; as she saw him arriving, she made a great welcome smile, for sure not so selfless. She noticed he cut his hair; that shorter version appealed more to her, but she said nothing to him.

He played the game and without greeting he said:

"Yes."

She pretended to haven't understood.

"My father agreed, the car and the driver will be at your disposal" he added like a pouty child.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek, like a kid of the elementary school; the distance rule had changed again, that time for the better, the next day who knows, so Thomas thought. To live close to Anna sometimes was like playing with the swing, up and down, till to understand nothing; he knew she had good reasons but sometimes she succeeded to get him confused.

They entered in the cafeteria and seated. In that moment her dear friends arrived too; as she saw them, Anna stood up leaving him alone, communicating them the beautiful news. Shrill female screams followed, a disgusting show for a man; they reached Thomas all together, kissing him for the happiness.

"Back off girls, don't embarrass him. He has a reputation to defend, not like us. I've already told you so many times" Anna commented.

"Don't joke with me if you still want to go to your concert" her young benefactor mumbled.

*****

The day so much awaited arrived. The concert would have been the next evening, Saturday. During the break Thomas got together the young sheep for the last organizational details: