Alright so fair warning on this chapter since I just don't want to disappoint you all, but this chapter is going to be very much dialogue based and A LOT of introspection on Diego's part. This chapter is going to revolve around Alejandro, Heather, and Diego stopping off at Shane and Aga's house for a visit while they're in the neighborhood… and also officially introduce the latest character. Hope you all enjoy! :)

(Diego's POV)

Why did I forget about this today?

How could I have possibly forgotten about this?!

I was seeing Claire before the event at my grandparent's country club tonight and I haven't seen her since early summer!

Ugh… fine.

I just need to relax. We were already in the Watson's house and madre and padre were already talking to Claire's parents and they just told me she was in the basement so… down I go, I suppose? Much like my heart plummeting down toward my stomach from nerves.

Agh… Dammit.

WHY AM I BEING SUCH A DAMN COWARD?!

I've known her since birth practically and she's the closest thing I have to a best friend outside of my family. I can talk to her about nearly anything so WHY CAN'T I TELL HER HOW I FEEL?!

But… Natalie's right.

I need to stop making excuses. Even if the idea of her never wanting to speak to me again after I tell her will probably shatter me completely… it has to be done.

I started to make my way down stairs and kept hearing the 'pangs' of a basketball on the tile floor of the basement, causing me to smirk.

For as long as I've known Claire, she's always been involved in athletics, much like myself. Sure she doesn't compete on an Olympic level like I do, but she's still pretty good. She plays basketball and volleyball through her school and we usually always talk about what we're doing.

Her high school even posts their games online so I'll try to watch them when I can… or sometimes I'll just watch them when I just want to see her. Even at some pathetically menial capacity just because I miss her since we only see each other in person 3 or 4 times a year if we're lucky.

Although those 2 weeks at the beginning of each summer are always what I feel like I count down to every year.

Especially now that we're old enough, we'll go downtown and try not to get recognized to go out to eat or just find something to do almost every night. Last time I was so close to saying something when we were dancing together at a street festival downtown, but… dammit.

Why do we have to live on different continents?!

And in different countries!

And WHY do I have to be such a pathetic flaking coward with her?!

Seriously, I really need to just tell her. No more excuses or distractions. I need to tell her how I really feel!

But… I couldn't stop myself as I got to the bottom of the stairs and just took her in.

She was just doing basketball dribbling exercises, but… why does she always have to be beautiful no matter what she's doing? Even with her dishwater blonde hair pulled back in a hair tie and headband and wearing a simple pair of basketball shorts and athletic shirt she's still just… stunning.

At least to me she's always stunning.

But, I tried to recompose myself as soon as she realized I was there, her brown eyes practically lighting up but it still didn't stop her from teasing, just being herself, "So, how long were you going to stand there like a creep and not say hi?"

Although she was teasing me, I could see she was still happy to see me regardless.

I simply smirked back and shrugged before replying in a similar tone, "Well… I didn't want to interrupt. Unless you're going to accuse me of stalking you?"

Right then her real smile broke through after she shook her head with a laugh and put down her basketball and then ran right up to me before giving me a hug which I immediately returned.

Even though we hardly see each other in person, it's like nothing changes. We could not see each other for 10 years and nothing would change.

Even though that thought seems torturous enough despite just being an expression.

But it was true.

With Claire I never need to 'put on a face'. When I'm with her… I know I can just be myself. That… and it just feels so nice to be with her like this.

But that still didn't stop me from jabbing playfully as we separated, "Are you sure you didn't get taller?"

She gave me that playful smile again as she responded, "Well last I checked, I'm still 5'11"... unless you're calling me a liar? Or you're just pissed that I can possibly be taller than you again?"

We both just started laughing about our usual inside joke.

Considering my mother is almost 5'9" and my father is 6', the odds of me being tall were pretty well there. Actually as it is I'm already an inch taller than my father so I'm already the tallest man in my immediate family since my uncles and grandfather are all 6 foot at most.

But Claire has always been tall.

Well, not surprising considering her mother is as tall as my father, her father is almost 6'4", and her brother Matt is the same height as their father.

There was even a time for almost 2 years when we were 13 and 14 that Claire was taller than me… until I hit my growth spurt and now I like to playfully hang it over her head that I'm taller than her.

And she usually likes to taunt me back by purposely wearing heels to be exactly the same height as me at formal events, which she'll probably do tonight at the country club.

But, it's all in good fun.

And even if she were to be taller than me, I wouldn't mind… unless she wouldn't want to date me if I wasn't tall enough for her?

I shook the thought out of my mind immediately as I tried to remain calm.

She just went to pick up her basketball as she started, "Hey, wanna go out and shoot hoops in the driveway? I just need to put on some sweatpants."

I smirked, quirked up an eyebrow, and crossed my arms as I started, "Sure… although a bit obvious of you to pick something you know you can have an advantage over me with, sí?"

She just smirked and nudged my arm as she said, "Oh like you wouldn't do the same if you could pick fencing… WAIT, your medal! Did you bring it?!"

I couldn't stop myself from grinning as I unzipped my jacket and opened it up to show off my medal around my neck.

Anyone can say whatever they want about me when it comes to myself with my medal, but I am very proud of it.

When I was growing up, my nanny would always put on a movie for me after lunch. And she would put on old classic movies that she said she watched with her abuelo as a child about Robin Hood, Pirates, Knights, Musketeers… and for as long as I can remember, that was where my interest in swordsmanship started.

And then around that same time, I saw fencing for the first time when I was 6 on TV and immediately became almost obsessed with the sport.

That same evening when both my parents were home, I practically almost begged them to get signed up for lessons.

From there I had a drive to become a professional fencer.

Then after a solid decade of hard work… it paid off. Now that I'm the current reigning Olympic gold medalist in the sport, I'm by default considered the best known fencer in the world.

And I am not about to give up that title any time soon.

My thoughts were interrupted as Claire took my medal in her hand and looked at it in total fascination before saying, "Diego, I know I told you this already but… this is so awesome!"

She hugged me again and… it's like I never know how to feel when she hugs me anymore.

Yes, she's still my friend regardless, but… I don't think of her as just 'a friend' anymore. It's like it makes something like a hug feel almost taunting to me as far she's concerned. Like I'm getting a 'taste' of what it's like being close to her, but everything I really want us to do is just tauntingly standing right in front of me because I'm too much of a coward.

But… that's what I get for my cowardice.

Because apparently I can't 'grow a pair' (like Natalie always says) and just tell my best friend that I'm practically in love with her.

And to make it worse right now… even I was pathetically eating up this hug with her as if I was practically making a meal of it.

Ugh, why does any sort of physical contact with her cause me to turn into a catastrophic disaster in the best and worst ways possible?!

"Diego?"

I looked down at her slightly only to realize that she was just looking at me, almost seeming kind of concerned. Probably because I didn't even respond and was just staring off into nothing and just thinking about her.

I didn't even have time to respond as she kept asking, tilting her head at me, "Diego, are you okay? Is something going on?"

Yes, I can't stop thinking about you.

She kept elaborating as she continued, "Hey, if something's up, you know you can tell me, right?"

I do, but that still doesn't stop me from being too scared to tell you how I feel about you only for you to possibly reject me.

But, you know what?... TO HELL WITH IT!

Dammit, I am a Burromuerto! I am descended from explorers and military men and being named after one of said military men in my ancestral line.

They fought in wars! And if they could summon courage to go into battle then I can ask out a girl! I can ask out my best friend and tell her that I think she's beautiful and I want to date her.

This ends NOW!

But right as I opened my mouth…

Silence.

I could physically not get out any words and I was just standing there with my mouth open like some kind of idiotic chump.

Like a loser.

Finally Claire decided to fortunately interrupt 'whatever the hell I was even doing right now' as she asked, "Is it about your mom again?"

Well… dammit.

I immediately shook all previous thoughts from my head as I gave in, just wanting to ease my internal tension.

I ran a hand through my hair as I started, "Well, it is part of it. She's still as hard as ever for me to read. But, nevermind that. Let's go outside and shoot around. I need to prove to you I'm a better shot then you think I am."

Coward.

She smirked and said, teasing me a little, "Alright, but we'll see about that, chłopak."

Ugh, I love when she speaks Polish at any capacity to me.

But, I just kept subconsciously shoving everything back despite my conscience shouting at me otherwise as I replied in a similar tone, "You're on, chica."

We both laughed again as we started walking upstairs as my chest and stomach felt like they were being crushed in a vice.

Well, I suppose I can just tell her tonight?

After all, that's when I said I was going to tell her to Natalie yesterday. I'll just use the rest of the day to gather up the courage to finally tell her.

After all, as Padre always told me growing up, it never hurts to take the time to strategize over something important. And Claire is most definitely important to me.

So, why not use my time wisely while I just take advantage of being with my best friend, right?

Alejandro has his arrogance, Heather has her standoffishness with opening up about her feelings, and here is where we get to see Diego's fatal flaw in full force… Insecurity. While all of us as humans have insecurities, Diego is one of those people who allows his insecurities to dominate him to almost an unhealthy degree to the point that it prevents him from being fully honest to himself and instead hides behind a façade of confidence to trick himself that he doesn't need to just be brave confront the two women in his life that he needs to be honest to. The first and most obvious being Heather as his mother. But this time around, we're going to talk about the other half of his source of insecurity. And that person is Shane's daughter and the person that Diego has been crushing on HARD for years, Claire Watson. I know this chapter was short and a bit uneventful which I apologize for, but this chapter was mostly to introduce Claire's character and also show how much of an emotional trainwreck Diego is a bit more. XD But, since we've already established that Diego is a VERY insecure mess despite how outwardly confident he is… Let's talk about Claire! Now, I also want you all to form your own perspectives on Claire but here are some highlights about her! And I know she may seem a bit too 'normal' but… that's because she is. Haha. Part of the reason why I added Shane to Heather's story back in "Propositions and Conniptions" was since Heather and Alejandro's energy is literally perfectly CHAOTIC… I wanted to add more of a normal 'every man' character to balance out the insane chaos of the rest of the plot. So with Natalie being an angry loner, Diego being an emotionally insecure mess, and Felix being a guy dealt a lot of difficult cards in life… Claire is just a normal 17 year old girl that likes sports and also happens to be Diego's childhood best friend who is completely oblivious to the fact that her best friend is totally into her. Sure Diego is VERY attracted to her, but at the same time it's not all 'physical' considering that Diego also just likes her for just treating him like a person and not an object to gain things from like most people he meets tend to treat him as being the son of famous parents and as a famous Olympian himself. That and the fact that their both bilingual is also something that bonds them. Since both Claire and her older brother Matt went to Polish School growing up to learn about their maternal culture and language via Shane's wife Aga, both of Shane and Aga's children are fluent in both English and Polish. Sure Aga may not be a fan of her full name, but she's very proud of her heritage and wanted to share it with her children. But, we'll get more into ALL OF THIS in the frustrating hot mess that is Diego's crush on Claire later. Lol. XD Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to read and constructive feedback is always very much appreciated. Hope you all are staying healthy and safe out there!

Stay classy and see you all next time!

Dexter1995