It was about nine in the morning when Lovina woke up. The sun filtered through her windows and shone right onto her face. She groaned to herself; Another day, another day… she tried to list all the good points in her days of the summer. None really seemed worth looking forward too.
Sitting up, she stretched her arms above her head and sighed loudly. Chub had fallen asleep beside her on her bed. He woke up too, and leaned his head back in a stretching-motion. She giggled, patting her hand on his head and wiggling around the flabby skin of his head over his eyes.
"You just copy me, don't you?" Chub answered by drawing a huge slobbery tongue across her hand.
"Ew…ok. Fine, let's get up so we can eat then become slaves for the rest of our days."
Sliding her legs off of the bed, she got a better view out her window. The ocean was perfect today, "Maybe I should go back to the beach…" then she remembered. Him. Crap.
Finally moving her feet along the wooden tiles of the floor, she shuffled over to her vanity and looked in the mirror. She growled and ran her fingers through her tussled mop, trying to rid it of the morning ruffles and flatness from sleeping on it. One hair on her head always had a strange curl that hung low and always kept it's shape. Since she was a baby, it'd been there and when she got older, she'd tried to fix it with hair gel and spray, but nothing worked.
"Never mind. Let's go, boy." She clicked her tongue and her loyal chub chub followed her into the living room. Being right off the living room, she could hear if anyone entered or exited the house, and she'd heard nothing, so it was safe to assume both her mother and Feli were still in bed. They slept in, she was an early riser.
"Ah good. One morning at my own pace. Lovely." She sighed to herself, then skipped over to the kitchen. She could cook, though she rarely needed to or got the chance, since her mother always cooked, and Feli was learning. When she was alone, she'd cook for herself only.
She walked to the fridge and pulled out the egg carton and a small glass Tupperware case with tomatoes inside. She went quickly and put a skillet on the open flame of the stove. After she cracked and properly scrambled the eggs, she went over to chop up a tomato to ass to her omelet. Once it was done enough, she add the tomato and some grated cheese, folded it over and put it on a plate.
"Now, that look's nice, doesn't it?" She smiled at the plate, then at Chub, who shifted in place and whined. "No, old boy, none for you. I'll feed you once I'm done, Ok?"
She could have a good place working as a cook, if anyone owned a restaurant around. This town she called home was a farming and home-grown community. Everyone farmed, grew whatever they needed, and cooked their own food. Anything they bought others had cooked, such as the Edelstein's bakery. However, she worked on her mother's 'farm', tending to the animals and such, so she really had no time for another job.
Taking her plate off the island, she walked into the sitting room, clicked on the television and flopped down onto the leather couch. Quickly cutting and popping a bit of the omelet into her mouth, she then held the remote and flicked through a list of recorded programs.
"Ahah, lets see what the Doctors up to…" she selected her show, set the remote down and ate while she enjoyed the show. It started with some space-sounding music, then a really dramatic scene. She'd been so involved in watching and eating, she'd not noticed Felicana had come out of her room and was watching from behind the couch.
"Why is everyone British?" she finally asked. Lovina turned quickly after nearly choking on her breakfast.
"Because, it's a British television program. What do you want?" she snapped, her mouth still full of omelet.
"I woke up and wanted to watch Tv. I might as well watch this! Look cool, enough." She giggled, then skipped around to the front of the couch and sat right next to her sister.
"What's this show called?"
"Does it matter? Here, watch the first episode of this season so you won't be lost…" Lovi grabbed the remote and flicked back a few pages to find an older episode. For once, she didn't snap or sound annoyed that her sister was there, and for once, Feli was interested in something for more than five minutes.
After an hour of watching, they'd begun the next episode and Feliciana had been sucked into the action of the show. She was fully interested.
"So lets get this straight…That guy travels around in a flying police-telephone-boxy-thing, in time, and meets aliens?" Feli asked.
"Yeah, but he's really like a nine-hundred year old alien. S'why he has two hearts." Lovi spoke through mouthful of her juice, which she'd gotten for both of them during a pausing point.
"Cool!" Feli bounced in place "Who would've thought that British tv was really good!"
"Yeah, who knew?"
Just then their mother walked in and watched what was on television "What's this?"
"A British tv show about an alien dude who travels time in a police box, all the while dressing pretty snappy!" Feli explained it better than most.
"Huh. Interesting. I watched a British show too, once. It was about this vicar lady in a village who everyone wanted to sleep with. It was really funny."
"Mom, that show sounds really dumb, I mean how boring?" Lovi huffed from her spot. Her mother came up behind her and pulled her arms around her neck in a sort of hug.
"Ohhhhh, my sweet oldest daughter. Forced to watch television while her poor mother has to tend to the animals alooo-ooone" she wailed dramatically.
"Ey!" Lovi pried her mothers arms off "Ok, I'll go outside and deal with those smelly things, just don't do that again. Please."
o
Once she'd gotten rid of her doting mother and finished her breakfast, she'd ventured outside to do her morning chores. She wore an old tank-top and some old ripped jeans. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail to keep it from getting in her way while she pulled out some hay to give to her three horses.
She'd turned to grab another bale when she noticed someone walking up to the gate. She was not a social person, so she ignored it, until they rang the little bell to alert them of guests or visitors or whatever.
Much to her chagrin, she turned and faced them, and nearly jumped back into the water well.
"W-What are you doing here!" She snapped. It was Antonio, the strange boy from the beach.
"Oh, Hello Lovina!" he waved, completely oblivious to the fact that she was angry with him. "Oh, you left this at the beach last night." He held up her towel, which had her address written in marker on the back. Though it was worn from time, it was legible.
"Oh…Thanks, I guess." She muttered, reaching forward to take it from him. He smiled back at her "What're you doing out here on such a wonderful day, eh?"
"I'm working because I have a thing called a job." She huffed "Don't you have a job? You should, what're you, nineteen? You should have—"
"I'm twenty, actually."
She blinked "E-Eh…?" one could swear he was there age, he looked younger than twenty, or maybe that's just the sun.
"Aren't you twenty, too?" he tilted his head. She puffed up her cheeks and looked away. He laughed from that "What? Did I guess to young?"
She let out all the air and faced him in shock "Too young? How old do you think I am, Spain!"
"You looked older than your sister, and she looked around nineteen." He shrugged.
"Well, your wrong. She's only seventeen, I'm the one who's nineteen." She huffed.
"Oh! Well, you look much more mature that I'd thought. I apologize for guessing…" he chuckled and scratched the back of his head. She blinked at how cute that actually made him look.
"D-Don't think anything of it…" she sighed "I don't care how old I look, really I don't. I don't care what people think."
"Really? Wow, tough as stone, yet as beautiful as a diamond in the sun." he smiled at her, his green eye's glittering.
"EH? W-What was that about?" she puffed up her cheeks again.
"Oh…just an old saying my grandfather always said about pretty girls."
"Pretty…you think I'm pretty…?" she raised one eyebrow, leaning on one foot and glaring at him. A mirror image of her mother.
"Si, especially with your hair tied up. It's muy bonita~" he leaned on the gate, smiling. She blushed, that damn Spaniard got her blushing. She quickly grabbed the outdoor broom by the the gate and held it pointed at him.
"Alright, I don't understand Spanish so get the hell out of here. Thanks' for my damn towel. Leave!" she spat. He laughed as he backed away
"Senorita, your very brave and tough, I like that about you!" he turned and walked away "See you later! Maybe I'll know your name by then!"
"Maybe you won't!" she yelled after him, though he was already to far away to hear. She lowered the broom and felt her cheeks; still slightly warm. She'd blushed in front of him… She really did know Spanish, her mother had thought her. She knew exactly what he said. She instantly threw down the broom and went inside.
ooooo
Just as she had gotten back inside, she ran quickly to her room and went to shower. She smelt like dirty animals and she really hated that. Once she'd finished, she walked into the family room just to bump into her mother.
"Oh god, your clean. I was coming to find you to tell you that I need you…to go to the market. We need some things if I'm going to cook tonight~"
Lovi ruffled her hair on one side, completely ignoring the request until she was done. "No thanks, send my little sister." She sighed and walked past her mother, going to sit on the couch and watch television.
"Lovina Vargas. I need you to go do something for me, because your sister and I are busy replanting tomato seeds. Please? For both of us?"
"Oh fine…" Lovi sighed, sliding down further on the couch "I'll go…but if I never come back, just assume I was murdered and didn't just run away."
Her mother clasped both hands in front of her chest, beaming with glee "Oh, goodie! Now, run along! Most of the shops close soon."
And with that, Lovina slid off the couch and shuffled into her room to get properly dressed. When she finished, she was wearing her torn shorts, tank-top with an unbottoned t-shirt over it, flipflops and sunglasses.
"Wow, I'd barely recognize you." Her mother laughed dryly from her spot; leaning against the wall.
"Gee, thanks. I'm trying to look like someone else, if you don't mind."
"Why?" mom asked, tipping her head to one side, just like Feli would do. "Trying to avoid someone?"
"None of your business, mother. Now, I'm off." She grabbed her satchel and headed out the door. Her mother shuffled behind her and waved from the threshold.
"Be safe! And don't talk to weird old French men!"
ooooo
She walked along the rock-paved roads of their little market square in town. It looked lovely during the day, when it was busy and full of life, but at sunset it was like a spot from a fairytale. There were only a few people bustling around, most were relaxing outside their shops or hanging around the fountain. She smiled inwardly; she really did love her hometown.
She turned down another street, a narrower but had enough space. It had shops on either side, or one she knew all too well.
Walking in the door, the little bell jingled.
"Hello? Elizabeta?" Lovina called out. The shop was open, wasn't it? She walked closer to the counter and looked; someone had been there recently, but where was she now? She would never just up and leave the store alone. No, not her.
She sighed loudly, and had turned around to leave when she heard someone come through the back room. She turned quickly and saw someone with their back to her, holding a box in their arms. She just stood and stared.
Whoever it was turned around to set the box on the counter when they noticed her standing there. It was a man with dark brunette hair, with a slight ruby sheen to it. He wore thin-rimmed glasses and had a strange cowlick of sorts off the top of his hair. The thing that struck her most was his eyes. Purple. "May I help you, miss?" his voice had a thick accent to it…hmm.
"A-Ah…yes, sir. Is Mrs. Edelstein here?" she asked for Eliza with her married name, because this was a stranger and Lovina was always polite in presence of strangers.
"Ah, yes, my wife is here, she's just in the back. One moment." He smiled slightly and walked back through the swinging wall of beads. His wife? Oh…
Only moments later did Elizabeta walked through, she smiled but behind her eyes laid something else. Not joy, if anything. "Oh, Hello Lovina. Sorry…Little tight with orders today…heh." she laughed nervously.
"Yeah…" Lovi murmured. She didn't believe that at all. "So…was that Mr. Edelstein?"
"Who? Oh—Yes! My lovely husband Roderich. He'd been helping me today since-…never mind! So, what're you in need of, dear?" she leaned on the counter, smiling that huge fake smile. Someone was hiding something.
"Since what happened? Did something happen today?" Lovina stepped closer, lowering her voice so Roderich couldn't hear them "Elizabeta, tell me!"
"Well…I don't feel it's that important anymore, so why trouble you?"
"Because, I'm your friend! You yourself said I was practically family, so spill the beans."
"Alright…" Eliza sighed, looking at the paper she had in her hand, slowly crumping it up over and over "Those boys, the one's from yesterday, bumped into me outside my store today and stole some loaves of my newest bread." She sounded truly sad and hurt about that.
"Seriously?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. They really had the balls to steal the stuff right in front of her? "What happened? Did you catch them?"
Elizabeta giggled, looking up from her hands "No, Roderich was right behind me, they didn't notice him, and he ran up and punched one in the face before that one ran off."
"Really! But…he seems like such a quiet, peaceful man! Roderich, not the theif."
"You'd be surprised. He protects what he loves most, I guess." Eliza shrugged, smiling warmly.
"Sounds like a nice guy." Lovina looked down to keep herself from blushing in front of Elizabeta. She'd pictured that stupid Spaniard again…stupid.
"Well, What is it you need, hon? I need to get back and re-stock some things. You have a list tonight?"
"Oh…Yeah." She pulled out the hand-written list that her mom had made, then handed it to Elizabeta. She looked at it and nodded with a smile "Will do! I'll only be a few minutes." She turned and went to retrieve the things. Their shop sold bread and such, but they also had other things stocked, but never out to buy. Since they were such good friends, She'd give Lovina's family a special deal for it all. She kicked around the shop, looking and things before looking out the shop window. She saw someone…
Just before she had a chance to see who it was, they looked familiar, Elizabeta returned with the things in a plastic bag, all ready to be take away. "Got your stuff. That'll be…hey, Lovina? What's wrong?"
She was still looking out the window, but answered "N-Nothing…Oh," she turned and walked up, pulling out the needed money. She didn't need to be told what it all cost, she could figure it out from the last times she'd bought all the same stuff.
"Well, I hope you have a safe walk home…" Eliza sighed "Unless you would like Rod to walk you home?"
"No, No I'm fine alone. I have that can of mace my mom got me…" and this time she would know to turn off the safety. She grabbed the bag and headed out the door "Thanks Elizabeta! Tell Roderich I said Hi!"
"Will do! Good-night!"
Once she was outside and on the street again, she looked around both directions for any sign of that person. Nothing. She began to trek home, looking around at different things to pass the time. But that one moment when her eyes saw someone again, it was just plain luck. Bad as she would put it.
"Hey! What're you doing here?" Antonio asked from the shadow of an alleyway. She stood waiting for him to walk up to her and try anything, but he stood his ground, smiling from the shadows.
"I was buying stuff from the Edelstein's bakery. What's it to you?" she arched an eyebrow, glaring at him. She hated that she had a stalker, now. Creepy.
"Oh…the Edelstein's? Do you…know them?" he asked nervously, reaching up to run his hand through his hair.
"Yeah, their old family friends. Why are you asking about my life so much? Am I really that interesting?" she slumped her shoulders.
"Well…yeah! You're the most interesting girl I know! And I don't know many girls, so that's great!" he smiled again, such a bright white smile. It complimented his dark skin.
"Well, that's great. I need to go now…and-…why are you just standing there?" she finally asked, that tingling question finally slipping out.
"Where, here? Because, I like standing here." He shoved his hands in his pockets, smiling again just as bright.
"Well, nice to know. I'm leaving now." She turned, but he talked yet again, making her stop.
"I never caught your name." he chuckled. She blinked at him, he was crazy! He stalks her, follows her and finds her house, and still does not know her name? He was asking constantly, but that's beside the point!
"You really want to know my name…?" she sighed. He nodded anxiously, eyes bright. She sighed again even louder "My name's Lovina."
"Nice to meet you formally, Lovina." He bowed properly, making her blush slightly. He stood straight again "Since I know your name now…"
"Miss Lovina, would you like to meet me and my friends tomorrow at the beach? If you want, you can bring your sister and friend. I bet they'd like my two friends. They're really swell and friendly…well, actually, Her—"
"Stop." She held up her hand, stopping his ranting instantly "You, are inviting me, to come meet you and your mystery friends at the beach? And you want me to bring my baby sister and out friend with?"
"Well, yeah. That's exactly what I'm asking." he laughed, she just groaned.
"Fine. I'll meet you at two o'clock on the dot. At the beach, no later than then. If your late or try anything funny, we all leave and you stop following me. Got it, Spain?"
"Sure! One question;"
"Whaaaaat?" she growled. He tilted his head in a cute kind of way, his face completely innocent
"Why do you call me Spain, and not Antonio?"
"What? I—" she paused and thought about that. She instantly started calling him by a nickname…not even his real name. She grunted to herself when she realized that she was at an impasse with herself. "I don't know. It seemed to fit since your Spanish."
"Then might I call you Italy?" he chuckled. She just turned and glared at him "I'm not Italian!"
"I thought you were…? Your accent, it's Italian, Si?"
"Well…Southern Italian, actually. I was born in Rome, my sister was born in Genova." She murmured.
"You were born in the Capital of Italy? How cool is that, eh? I guess I can call you Roma, then?"
"No! That sounds like my mothers name!" she waved her hands in displeasure, he just laughed.
"Your madre's name is Roma?"
"It's Romona, actually—and WHY and I telling you all this! Geez, I need to go. Remember what I said, ok? Don't be late or try anything funny. You and your friends better not gang-bang us or I'll kill you all."
He watched her go, laughing as he answered "Si, bonita Lovina! Have a nice night and see you tomorrow!"
She would most definitely have something to write about tonight.
A/N: Well, Newest chapter, I'm on a roll! I'm so sorry I haven't updated this in forever! I had to finish 2Gen for now until later, and now I have a Summer History assignment that I'm way behind on. Poop. Anyways...Well, I got to put Roderich in! Be happy. I'll put in more characters next chapter. Also, Antonios friends are not who you think they are. Mwahaha.
On a side note; I said that Lovi was born in ROME, (Roma) which is in southern Italy, and Genova which is northern Italy for littel Feli. Look up a map of current-day Italy :3
One more thing: Yes, I did shamlessly mention (well, I just threw it out there, didn't I?) Doctor Who. Yes, I am a Whovian, and I'm proud. I love that show so friggin much...Ugh~ My favorite(s) are 9,10, and 11. I love them all so much, I can't play favorites. Aaaaand, it's 4:00 AM here...I'e stayed up WAY too long finishing this. OTL.
Anyway, enjoy! Won't be too long before the next update~
-Moose
