I felt a deep happiness whenever I thought about having shared my first time with the boy I loved. I didn't regret that we had grown closer; the timing had felt right. Yet despite my joy, a quiet worry lingered whenever I thought about his parents. Felix's mother's sudden arrival had unsettled me. That woman gave off a tense, cold energy, and her expression left no doubt that she wasn't fond of me. I realized I probably wouldn't be warmly welcomed in their family home. If my relationship with Felix was real, how could I ever hope to make a good impression on his parents when he clearly avoided introducing me as his girlfriend, referring to me only as a colleague?
It was a sad and troubling thought, especially because I wanted to bring him to meet my own parents. I wanted them to know the person I cared about deeply — the one I was, at least for now, planning my future with. I couldn't imagine hiding this from them.
My parents had always been very protective, and with good reason. My sudden withdrawal from elementary school hadn't been a whim. They had pulled me out of a nightmare — the awful experience I endured when a teacher began behaving inappropriately towards me. Those extra lessons he offered were nothing but a manipulation of trust.
Until then, I had hated being touched by anyone. But Felix had managed to break down that wall of fear, gently helping me feel safe again.
A small smile appeared on my face as I read his message. He told me he'd finally had an honest conversation with Mike — they'd cleared up their misunderstandings and made peace.
A heavy weight lifted from my chest. I was glad Felix had finally come to his senses.
"... And I'm sorry about my mother. She's a difficult person. It's better if she doesn't know you're my girlfriend."
I had no doubt then that his relationship with his parents was strained. His mother had made a strong, unpleasant first impression — she was exactly the kind of person you instinctively wanted to avoid.
"You don't have to apologize. I could tell she was intimidating. It's probably for the best that she doesn't know about us."
"I'm sorry, Selena. I love you very much."
"Stop apologizing. I love you too."
I sank back onto my pillow with a long sigh. For a while, I lay on my back, staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought — until the sound of my phone pulled me back to reality.
"My dear friend..." Eve's excited voice burst through the speaker."What have you been doing all Saturday?"
"I was at Felix's," I replied, bracing myself for the inevitable flood of questions. I knew she wouldn't let this go easily."Well… we were together, Eve. We took the next step, and it happened."
I heard her catch her breath.
"Why would you tell me that the exact moment I took a sip of orange juice?" she gasped, laughing nervously."You almost made me choke on that news!"
She paused, then asked breathlessly,"Wait... you seriously were with him? At his house?"
"Yes. And to make it crazier, his parents came home early. I don't think I've ever gotten dressed so fast. His mom was right outside the door."
"Oh my God, that's amazing. I thought this kind of thing only happened in movies!" she squealed."So? How was it? Tell me everything. Is Felix good with you? Athletes are supposed to be great, right?"
"Well..." I hesitated, cheeks burning slightly."It was my first time, but honestly, it was really nice. Felix is... exceptional in every way."
Her excited laugh made me pull the phone away from my ear. She sounded like a child given the best gift imaginable.
"Selena! I'm so happy for you! Maybe now your relationship will grow stronger. Maybe he'll stop being so jealous, and you'll trust each other more. And hey—if you ever fight, you can just make up and move forward."
"Eve, you're unbelievable," I laughed.
Our conversation lasted almost an hour. My hand went numb from holding the phone so long.
"...I swear, I'm not going to be able to resist much longer," she confessed."Sebastian is so sweet, I could just adore him. I want him all to myself."
"If you keep kissing him like that, he'll probably run away as fast as he can. Don't forget—he's Sebastian. You two are very different."
"What can I do if I'm constantly feeling restless?"
"Give him time. He needs to get used to having a girlfriend who's full of energy. If you push him too hard, nothing good will come of it."
"Maybe I should just talk more with Mike to calm these feelings? I'm serious—I can't stand it, especially after hearing you had your first time with Felix. I want that too."
"Please, Eve. Take a breath. You sound a bit desperate. See you Monday."
*
The first day back after a weekend off was tragic for everyone. Not only teenagers, but adults too, complained about having to return to work or school. Unfortunately, that's just the way life goes, and nothing seemed likely to change it anytime soon.
Well, unless a contagious disease suddenly locked everyone inside their homes — but those scenarios only happened in movies.
Even though Mondays were notoriously lazy days, crossing the school gate made me want to laugh when I saw my friend shouting at a girl from another class, jealousy flaring in her voice because the girl dared to talk to her boyfriend.
It struck me as funny, because Eve always exaggerated. She was always complaining about how possessive my boyfriend was — yet she was no better herself. Sebastian couldn't even speak to his female friends without Eve assuming every girl was trying to flirt with him.
"I'm not a jealous lunatic," Eve shouted, not caring that she was making a scene. "You're the one with the reputation of a slut, so stay away from my boyfriend! I don't want you exchanging even one word with him!"
Sebastian blushed bright red and whispered, rubbing his temples, "Can you calm down? Because soon, I'm the one who won't be able to take it…"
The blonde girl, Monica, looked confused and glanced at him.
"Pardon?"
"Monica's right. You're acting like a jealous crazy person. I have the right to talk to whoever I want."
"Are you really siding with her?" Eve snapped. "You're saying I'm overreacting just because I don't like her trying to flirt with you in front of me?"
"She just asked about the notes," Monica replied calmly.
"Yeah? While twirling my hair behind my ear and chirping at you like a morning bird?"
"You're pathetic," Monica muttered as she turned to leave. But Eve wasn't the kind to let things go so easily. She grabbed Monica's hair and yanked her back.
A scream escaped the brunette's lips, and I knew I had to step in.
"Let her go, Eve! Damn it!" Sebastian yelled. "You're embarrassing me! Everyone's watching!"
I didn't have to pull Eve away myself — Sebastian's words made her finally release Monica.
"You're crazy!" Monica hissed, fixing her hair as a teacher approached. I guessed Eve wouldn't get away with this one so easily.
Well, that's how Monday began.
During lunch, I spotted Eve walking beside me like a ghost, her face twisted in a terrifying expression that could frighten anyone. She was still angry with Sebastian. To make matters worse, she'd been punished by the principal and had to clean all the windows in the main corridor after class — a way to channel her anger and reflect on her mistakes.
I sympathized with her, but I also thought she'd gone too far.
"Don't look at me like that," she snapped. "How do you think you'd act if Felix was in Sebastian's place?"
"Felix is sensible," I replied. "He wouldn't just run after the first girl who showed interest. I trust him, and I don't forbid him from having female friends."
Eve snorted under her breath.
"Well, yes. Felix is sensible. Sebastian can't say no to any girl who flirts with him."
"Of course, if you're the example we're following," I said, but Eve ignored me and headed straight into the cafeteria. I followed her to the table where Mike and Felix were already sitting.
"Have you two made up, lovebirds?" Eve asked, plopping down next to Mike.
I sat beside Felix, grateful he'd saved me a tray of food.
"When some people reconcile, others start fighting," Mike said with a wide grin. "I heard you landed on the principal's bad side. Cleaning windows, huh? Don't complain — it's a free workout. Plus, you'll be looking sensual and sexy spreading foam everywhere. I'll stay with you, not to stare, but to help. The girls will blush when I have to take off my shirt."
Eve laughed and nodded, and I chuckled quietly.
"You can't back out now. You have to stay and help me," she said.
Just then, Sebastian walked into the cafeteria. Eve's smile turned mischievous. I guessed she'd just hatched a plan.
"My dear friend, let me feed you dinner as a thank-you," she said, picking up a meatball and playfully feeding it to Mike while sneaking a glance at her boyfriend.
Sebastian was definitely the more mature one in this relationship. He ignored her antics and went straight to the food counter.
Eve's expression was priceless.
"He knows you're doing this on purpose to get back at him," I whispered.
"Still… isn't he jealous at all?" she asked quietly, disappointed. "It hurts me."
Felix raised an eyebrow but thankfully said nothing — or else a third world war might have started.
"Don't be sad. Remember, I offered to help you clean windows," Mike said, putting his arm around her.
Watching them from across the room, the scene looked perfect. Maybe it was just my opinion, but they seemed to belong together. Not that I didn't support Eve and Sebastian, but she and Mike were clearly soulmates — they should be more than just friends.
I wondered when they'd realize it.
I glanced at Felix and caught him watching me. Suddenly it clicked — maybe he was jealous that I was looking at Mike.
"I have an idea. I'll tell you later," I whispered to Felix.
He nodded and went back to his dinner.
I looked over to see Sebastian sitting sullenly, not once glancing at Eve. Was he still upset about the scene this morning, or was something else bothering him?