She just giggled, blushing a bright red and looking away for a moment. "Bold of you to assume I dance with other boys. I already told you I don't go to parties and I don't know how to dance. Plus, I'm an athlete. What interest would a guy have in asking a girl like me to dance?"
She was so focused on his face that she lost her place, tripping over her feet and stumbling forward into his chest. "See? Point proven." She laughed when she pulled her face out of his shirt.
Adone smiled, seeing as Frenchie blushed. Did he really do that? Or is she blushing from something else? Why is he so fixated on the blush? And why is it making him blush? He shook his head. "But those are all the reasons that they should've been dancing with you. Sounds like a fun dancing partner to me. Why not ask the boy you're dancing with now, Farfa-"
His left arm instantly wrapped around, trying to prevent her from falling. The hairs on the back of his neck stood. For a couple of moments, he just stood there, watching as she laughed. He used his hand to brush away some hair from falling in front of her face. "I think you proved my point."
Glimpsing up at the moon, he sighed. "It's getting pretty late. Should we keep dancing for a little longer or do you want me to take you home?"
She glanced up with him and watched the moon for a few seconds, the light reflecting in her eyes before looking back down with a smile. "No, let's stick around a while longer. I'll already be in trouble when I get home, what's a little more?" She shrugged with an carefree grin.
She thought again about why she didn't want to go home. It was fun out here, no rules and no expectations. Just her, Adone, and the music. And there was something about that that she didn't want to leave behind quite yet. "Besides…I don't really want this to end so soon." It was a quiet statement, shy and embarrassed as her blush darkened.
Adone laughed as he shook his head. "You in trouble? You shouldn't get into much trouble for this. I'm the one who took you here after all," He pointed out. Besides, Mr and Mrs Russo will listen to him. Worst comes to worst, he'll take the blame and work an extra hour or so tending to their gardens; he doesn't mind. Maybe he could do work in the library and accidentally read one of the history books they have. It's not that bad.
At least they'll be dancing together for a bit longer. His head titled as he was puzzled by the sudden expression on Frenchie, the softer tone. "You know, it doesn't have to end once we stop dancing. You'll be here for awhile, right? And it's never really hard to find me, I'm always here if you ever need a boy to kick in the shin or take you to some random place late at night."
She bit her lip, unable to stop her smile as she tried to find her words. "I-I know that, dork. I'm not stupid. But…I don't know. There's something about this one moment in particular that feels like if I let it go, it'll never come back. I'll never have something like it again."
She looked up at him again, the moonlight reflecting in her eyes. "Don't you ever have moments like that? Moments that you feel if you don't capture them for as long as you can, it'll disappear?"
In the midst of listening to her, he stopped dancing. Dork…Dork, yes he knows that one. But it wasn't just the American synonym for oaf that made him stop. Well, he just is not completely sure what did. And yet, Farfallina still has his full attention for all the reasons, for better or for worse.
"With the right person, you might be able to time and time again. Might not be exactly like this one, but with the right person, it's possible," He assured. Adone glimpsed up at the moon for a second then returned to looking back into her eyes. Those eyes that reflect the night sky. He nodded, "All the time, Farfallina. You shouldn't worry about it, but rather take it in with all your senses then carry on with the moment, enjoy the moment."
(This thread heals my soul. This is the angst relief I needed)
"One of these days you'll call me by my actual name." She giggled with a playful roll of her eyes. "And I get what you're saying. I guess I'm just a little nervous. That if I lean too far into the moment, it'll ruin it." She rested her head on his chest with a sigh. "I don't know, I'm being dumb."
But a few seconds later, she heard her name being called. It was faint and repeated, like someone was looking for her. It took her a minute to recognize the voice but when she did, her head snapped up, eyes wide in shock. "Ah shit, that's Aunt Lina. She's gonna kill me." She stepped back, taking a breath and looked up at Adone. "Thank you…for everything tonight. It's been wonderful." She bounced up onto her toes for a second before huffing. "Damn you tall people." She mumbled before hopping up and kissed his cheek before bounding off down the street, looking back over her shoulder. "Finché non ci incontreremo di nuovo, mia cara!"
(Aw, I'm glad to hear that)
"Ah, do you not like your nickname?" He laughed. "And what should I call your instead. I know you didn't like what I called you earlier." Adone froze when he felt Frenchie placed her head on his chest. Is his heart beating too fast? Is it loud? He said nothing, but rather, he put his hand on the back of her head, gently caressing it. "No you are not. You are living, and living in the moment."
He did not hear anyone calling for Frenchie. Between his focus on Frenchie, the music in the background, and his heart beating, it took him awhile to finally hear it. "Hm?" He glanced back at her, softly smiling. "Don't mention it Farfailln-"
"What?" Adone stood still for a couple of moments. His hand reached up to the cheek Frenchie kissed. "Buona notte?" He said, confused while waving to her.
She waved with a bright smile before skidding around a corner and disappearing. The last thing she needed was to get in trouble with her aunt and uncle on her second day there. Especially when Adone was there and could get in trouble with her.
So she kept him out of it. Was it sudden? Yes. Would she need to explain when she saw him again? Definitely. Would she make the fact that she'd kissed his cheek a problem for later her to deal with? Also yes.
(Do you want to do a timeskip to the next morning?)
Watching her wave, he laughed. Did that really just happen? He stood there, staring in the direction where Frenchie had disappeared. His hand was still touching his now ever burning cheek. It's definitely not the Sicilian summer heat.
Adone turned around to see if his mom was still there. No, all he could see was his uncle and some of his cousins. Thankfully nobody was staring any more. He sighed then went off to home. Will he be able to get enough sleep to wake up in time for work? No. Will he be thinking about tonight the whole time? Yes.
(Yep, I got it!)
Frenchie didn't sleep that night. She'd gotten a light lecture from her aunt about disappearing from her own party but in the end gave up and was just glad she'd had a good time and came home safe. But that wasn't was caused her lack of sleep. She kept thinking about the night before, blushing profusely and squealing softly to herself whenever she thought about it.
It had all been so perfect. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. It was something straight out of a romance novel. She certainly wasn't going to complain. Now if only she could repeat it.
(Cool, thanks!)
Of course Adone was given a speech from his mother. It was not long nor was it something that made him want to completely tune out. He was bombarded with questions from both his mother and oldest sister. For example, "Who was that girl?", "Are you two dating behind my back?", and "Did Mrs Russo know that she was with you?". He answered each and every single one then went off to bed.
Except, he couldn't sleep. Adone tossed and turned in bed before picking up a book on the Ottoman Empire. He couldn't read a single paragraph before his mind wandered off to what had happened. At this rate of his face being warm, his mother is going to ask if he has a fever.
Thankfully, she didn't. Adone did pass out, but had to wake up at eight. His mother, grandfather, older sister, and two year-old niece were already up and about by the time he did. He went downstairs in a white tee shirt and light brown khaki shorts, at breakfast, then was out the house by eight-twenty. Adone showed up to the Russo house by eight-thrity five. His job there is anything they need done really; from gardening to cleaning the library to fixing a bike, he does it all. And today, he's starting off with watering the plants.
Frenchie pulled herself out of bed by eight. Usually she would've been up earlier for a morning run anyway. But instead she got up and took a shower, changing into a light green tank top and blue athletic shorts and her hair up in a high ponytail to go do something that could actually keep her attention.
So she was out back when Adone showed up, going back and forth between bouncing a soccer ball on her thighs, feet, and head to kicking it around and shooting on a couple makeshift goals she'd set up. With no shoes, of course. Because shoes are for losers. She didn't notice him walk up, too invested in keeping her ball balanced on top of her foot before kicking it up to balance on her head.
As he stepped outside into the back, his eyes laid on Frenchie. One foot was outside while the other was still inside. Adone stood still, observing her and the football. His focus went between actually watching what she was doing football wise to her. The way her ponytail was bouncing, and the way her hair was shining underneath the morning sun. The tattoo on her arm. The way she isn't wearing shoes but is playing football.
The corner of his lip crept up until he had a faint smile. He said nothing, rather preferring to go on with what he needed to do. Plus, he considered it a game to see how long it would take someone to notice that he was there. Adone bit the inside of his cheek as he went to pour water into the potted flowers nearby.
She simply kept going, too invested on not letting her ball hit the ground. She kept count of how many times the ball bounced under her breath in Italian, she was currently almost at one hundred and fifty. She dropped the ball back down to her leg and cracked her neck with a sigh of relief.
"Shit, my neck is stiff. Damn tall people, making me crane my head up just to look at them. Him and his stupid, cute face. Perché deve essere lui di tutte le persone?"
Adone quietly laughed to himself. He looked over his shoulder at her then went back to focusing on the plants. Like a computer, it took a while for him to realize what she was saying. In his defense, he is translating two languages back to back. The curse of being multilingual, not him actually have a slow brain here. He sat the watering can down then walked over, hiding behind one of the support columns.
Him and his stupid, cute face? Perché deve essere lui di tutte le persone? His heart stopped for a moment. Wait, did it really? Slamming his right hand above it, he felt it still going. He leaned over, looking at her. Shaking his head, he took the watering can then walked over to another plant. He turned with his chin gazing over his shoulder. Adone called out, "And what do mean by stupid and cute, Farfallina?"
Frenchie stiffened and let out a short scream, her leg jerking up and causing her ball to come down directly on her head. She clapped her hands over her head with a curse, lightly kicking the ball away and turning to look at Adone.
Her face was bright red from embarrassment, caught in the act and not happy about it. "Mi hai spaventato a morte! Da quanto tempo sei lì in piedi?" She huffed, bringing her hands down to cross them over her chest.
Adone kept on working through, and yet, he was grinning at himself. He had to used everything in his capability to not laugh. Strolling around the corner, he saw her face covered in red. It is quite adorable if you ask him. On the other hand, he does feel bad for startling her.
"Ah, mi dispiace," He said. Looking at one of the plants, he titled his head then went on to another. "I was here for five minutes already. Long enough to hear you talking about a certain someone. Even calling them cute too. Ooh Frenchie, do you have a crush on someone already?"
She sputtered for a minute, trying to find her words and unable to make eye contact. She usually never got this tongue-tied, what was up with her? Sheesh, this guy was going to put her in an early grave if she kept tripping up every time he surprised her.
"I…don't know what you're talking about." She managed to huff out, stubborn in her resolve. "It's only my third day here, I couldn't possibly have a crush. I'm not some ditzy airhead that you see in romance movies, I don't believe in love at first sight."
"Ah, of course, Farfallina." He nodded. Ditzy….He isn't sure what that means. But airhead, that's just another word for stupid, right? Adone stopped, resting his index finger on his bottom lip. "If I what I said makes you think that I think your ditzy, I am sorry. Clearly you aren't one. You know that, I know that."
Adone walked over to her with the watering can. He stood across from her, pointing to his cheek. "Then again, a short American girl kissed my cheek last night before running off. I know that this real life, but that was definitely a romance movie move."
Frenchie raised an eyebrow with a playful smile, resting her hands on her hips. "Is that so? Ah well, such a shame it was so quick. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll meet her again in Act 2. Then you'll grow close and have some big falling out right before the climax then get back together right before she gets on the plane to go home and it'll be happily ever after."
She laughed at the idea of it. It sounded so silly to her. Fall in love in a single summer? Impossible. "What are you doing here anyway? And whatever it is, can it be delayed long enough to kick around a ball with me for a while? I'm so bored it's painful and I could really use the company."
Adone snapped his fingers, shaking his head as if he were disappointed. "Must she go back on the plane? But I thought you said it will be a happy ending." He laughed. But to fall in love with someone, someone who is only here for the summer, is it possible? He hasn't even been in love with a girl before; that fact is something he is a bit shy about.
"I work here. You know I do gardening and such for aunt and uncle, right? That's why I was invited to the party last night." Adone paused for a moment. Supposed he could stop for a moment or two to kick around a ball with her. He's not running off or anything. "Sure. Give me a second."
He walked over to put the watering can out of harm's way, or that is what he believes. "So you're bored? At this time of day?"
"Yes sir I am. Call it a short attention span, my summers are usually full of neighborhood kids, water fights, and general disturbance of the peace. I cannot tell you how many times I would come home soaking wet from an afternoon out somewhere. Then Mom would yell at me for coming home barefoot but I hate wet socks more than I hate shoes so that definitely wasn't happening." She laughed.
"But out here? It's so peaceful and quiet. Plus, I don't know anyone. And…I'm not exactly known for making a good first impression." She looked down at her feet, her tone going quiet and a little shy. "People are kinda scared of me. Which is fine when I'm back home with other people that like me and hang around me but here? Here I'm just weird, strange, crazy."
Her summers sound like fun. They're kind of like the ones he expects an American to have; maybe it's all because of the movies he's seen but oh well. Hates wet socks more than shoes, he might have to remember that for later. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he stood there. His weight shifted between his feet.
"Maybe not the best at first impressions, but definitely the memorable ones," He chuckled. Adone took his hands out of his pockets. His head tilted as he kept his eyes on Frenchie. When her voice became softer, he took a step forward. "Weird, strange, crazy…looks like you are perfect for Italy, perfect for Sicily, believe me. We may not seem like it, but we like those kind of things within reason."
She scoffed, her head lifting a little to look up at him. "You're just saying that to make me feel better. I appreciate the sentiment but after all the weird looks and whispers last night, I don't think Sicily likes me very much."
She sighed softly turning on her heels to go find where she'd kicked her ball to. "But it's fine. It doesn't need to like me. By the end of the summer, it won't have to deal with me anymore. Then I can be forgotten and life can go back to normal, right?"
"So what if Sicily doesn't like you very much? I do….Your aunt and uncle do. That's three people in Sicily right now! And as they say in America, three is a crowd." Okay, he is trying to make her feel better. But he isn't lying. He means every single word! Wait….he just said that he likes her, didn't he? "What I mean is….you're not bad. Don't worry about those people last night. My mom was just curious as to who I was with and why I was there. That's all. It's okay."
Adone rubbed the back of his neck. Lowering his gaze to the ground, he started to amble around, looking for the football. He shook his head. "No, you won't be forgotten. What even is normal in Sicily anyways? These lands have been visited by many groups from Arabs to Normans to Greeks to Americans, and us Sicilians haven't forgotten them." He yawned while looking under a chair. A small smile formed as he picked up the ball. Standing up, he kicked it over to Frenchie. "Plus, even one person will leave something behind, even if it's small like a word or two."
She caught the ball easily, smiling a little. "Say what you want, you're the one who called me both strange and crazy within about ten minutes." She laughed, bouncing her ball on her thigh a couple of times before letting it drop to the ground and trapping it under her foot. "Now come on, boredom and sadness are a terrible combination."
Her gaze turned prideful and confident, her smile competitive. "What do you say? Think you can handle me in my element?"
"Right…I did," He sighed. "But in my defense, you are in a way, and so am I." His eyes were on the ball. His chin lightly bounced along until he watched the football fall onto the ground. Adone strolled over to a spot where he was diagonally across from Frenchie.
He was not sure what to make from the smile on her face. Part of him was distracted for a few seconds. The question flew over his head. He may be a football fan, but he surely isn't like the professionals or even a girl who plays it as a school actvitiy. He shrugged, "Only one way to find out, Farfallina."
Her smile grew wider and she straightened up. "Guess so." And with that she kicked the ball to him, deciding to take it easy at first so she didn't immediately crush him.
Her heart leapt in excitement. Finally! Something familiar! She could play soccer, she could do this. It wasn't a brand new situation or a test with no prep time. This was her game. And she was going to prove it.
Almost missing the ball being passed to him, he tilted his foot to catch it. Adone ruffled his hair in hopes it will stay out of his way, but it stayed in its natural messy place. Letting his hand drop to his side, he sighed, "Grazie."
He glanced over at the makeshift goal behind Frenchie then turned to look back at the other. Biting the inside of his cheek, he nodded to himself then gently kicked the ball. He went to Frenchie's right in hopes of getting a good angle to try to score a goal.