Best friend
POV: Elena
I meet the boys outside the locker room; they look tired, unlike me, who can't hide my smile.
"Where did you go after school?" Ângelo asks.
"I had a headache and decided to stay in the locker room." The lie flows, and I don't even care.
I get in the car humming. Vicente, who came to pick us up, gives the boys a questioning look. They shrug, unsure of the reason for my joy.
We stop at the supermarket on the way, but I stay with Sandro and Ângelo, waiting for the others to return.
"What made you happy?" Sandro asks, nudging me.
"Nothing, I just decided I want to be happy today," I reply vaguely.
He gives me a suspicious look, but doesn't press the issue.
The boys chat among themselves the rest of the way, but I can't help but imagine what my day with Silas will be like tomorrow. I enter the house, go straight to my room, take all my supplies out of my bag, and pack a sketchbook, a pencil case, and a change of clothes for tomorrow.
I hide the rest of my things in the closet so no one suspects anything.
Then I go to the bathroom and shower to get the sweat off my body before dinner.
As soon as I finish changing, I see my phone vibrate and run quickly, hoping it's a message from Silas.
My smile brightens when I see his number.
I don't know how long I waste talking to him, but I only come back to reality when someone knocks on my door.
I see that I'm already ten minutes late for dinner.
I unlock the door and, fortunately, my hair is still wet, which gives me a great excuse.
"I took too long in the shower," I say, opening the door.
Giovanni smiles and I leave the room, running my hand through my hair to untangle it.
The tension from yesterday in the dining room is gone; The unease we all felt with Fernando Valentini return seems to have subsided.
I'd say it's as if something has clicked into place.
"How was school today?" Nonna asks as I help myself.
"Nothing new, but I need to sign up for some extracurricular activity," I say as I cut into the fish on my plate.
"And do you have anything in mind?" Dante asks, and I shake my head.
The others chatter among themselves when a security guard enters the dining room, interrupting their conversation.
He whispers something in Lorenzo's ear, who quickly stands up, followed by my uncles and grandfather.
The tension lasts for fifteen minutes until everyone returns; their expressions of anger and dissatisfaction make me nervous.
"The prisoner we were interrogating killed himself," Lorenzo announces, and I swallow hard.
Something inside me prefers it that way; I know their interrogation amounts to torture.
"How?" Aunt Esther asks, and I push my plate of food away.
"I don't need the details," I say, reminding them I'm here.
Everyone nods and sits down again.
Dinner, which had been lively, now remains pensive; none of us eat again, just sit staring at our food.
I went to bed early last night; I was eager to talk to Silas.
No one in my family questioned me because they were busy with the prisoner who killed himself.
I didn't care if they locked themselves in the basement this time; they could stay there until the end of the week and it wouldn't affect me.
Not when my best friend was back.
I'm getting ready for school now; Matteo will be the one driving me today.
I skip down the stairs two at a time, receiving disapproving looks from all the boys.
"Come on, we're almost late," I say, tapping my watch.
"You say that like it's not because of you," Angelo says, and I laugh.
I'm anxious; I want to talk to Silas all afternoon, tell him what happened, and see how his life is going.
I get out of the car and find Anabela, as always. She knows I'm only going to attend classes until break and then I'm going to run away.
"Are you sure you're not going to try to leave the country?" she asks me for the third time during the lunch line.
"I swear I won't. I just need to meet a friend and I'll be back before the bell," I promise her.
"You know I'll get in trouble if you disappear and I don't say anything," she says apprehensively.
"That's why I won't tell you where I'm going or who I'm with," I reply to calm her down.
"Promise me you'll be careful and call if anything goes wrong," she insists, and I promise.
I cut the subject short when Antoni approaches with Giorgio.
He talks to the girls in line, and I try to act casual. During lunch, I talk to everyone about signing up for clubs.
The bell finally rings, the boys follow us to class, and I count for a minute before checking to see if they've left.
I say goodbye to Anabela and run as fast as I can to the parking lot.
I easily climb over the wall and find a smiling Silas staring at me from outside.
I hug him tightly, feeling his arms wrap around me in response, and my heart warms.
I could stay like this all day with him.
"We have to go," he says, reminding me where we are.
We take a taxi to the park downtown, holding Silas's hand the whole way, forcing me to believe this is all real.
In the park, we sit under a tree. Silas looks at me with a smile, and I pull my sketchbook from my backpack.
"Where's the other one?" Silas asks, confused.
"Eloisa destroyed it," I say quietly.
My sister's name still gives me chills.
"No problem, we'll make a new one," he says with a smile and puts his pencil down on the paper. "While I draw, I want you to tell me what happened to you."
I tell him, from the moment he supposedly died to the present.
I leave out the only thing I mention: the fact that my family is the Italian Mafia and my father's resurgence.
Silas doesn't stop drawing, as if every line he adds to the paper is part of my story. When he finally finishes, I see a girl with thick tears, and within each one is a story.
"You're so strong," he says, resting his hand on my cheek.
"I didn't want to have to be strong, Silas," I say weakly.
"Now I'm here with you again, Elena," he says, hugging me.
I pour my tears onto him as his hand gently strokes my hair.
"I don't want you to get hurt again," he says when I stop crying. "If you need to talk, text me or we can schedule a meeting."
I nod, and he hugs me tighter.
I lose track of time, and before I know it, classes are almost over.
"Silas, I have to go," I say, pulling away from him. "Let's make plans to see each other next week."
He smiles and nods.
"I don't want any more cuts on your arm." His voice is serious, and my cheeks flush. "Okay, thanks for coming back," I say sincerely.
"I'd drop everything for you, Elena," he says, and I look at him with a goofy smile.
A warning bell inside me rings again, but I simply push it away.
This is my Silas, and he's finally back.