"And your parents?" The young man asked with an inquisitive look.
"I do not know."

Mia woke up feeling like she had a sharp pinch on her right shoulder and thought maybe she should put up a sign that said "please no strong emotions; I'm ridiculously unstable." Although it was quite obvious that that would not work, or if it did it would only make people doubt her stability, yes, but her emotional stability.
She shook her head when she realized that on the first day of school she fell asleep and didn't even remember being awake. It was, without a doubt, a disaster, and no one could deny it.
She turned her head when she remembered someone pinching her and immediately let out a ridiculously dramatic sigh that brought a hand to her heart in surprise. Everyone used to say that she would be an actress, even herself. Of course, long before she was diagnosed with the disease, at that moment things got complicated at home and everyone stopped thinking about their dreams to impose a "safe" lifestyle and a stable job perspective. It was no lie to say that her family took advantage of the situation, but no one could face them, not even Mia.
"Dele" he pronounced with charisma.
"Good night Miss. I didn't know you liked sleeping on the desks at the university, 'said Adel, or Dele for friends, with a wicked smile.
Mia just smiled and brought her hand to her friend's face stretching one of her freckled cheeks. The truth was that Adel had a captivating beauty, perhaps he was not much taller than her, but his copper curls and freckles were not easy to ignore, in addition to adding his charisma, he was a true gift for the faculty.
"How many times do I have to tell you that stretching my cheeks in public takes away my masculinity?"
"But now we are alone," Mia replied with a sweet smile. "Also, I doubt girls will stop seeing you as masculine just because you have such adorable cheeks it makes my hands act alone."
"They always think I'm your gay friend," he grumbled. "So ... yeah, it takes away my masculinity."
"AHA. Well, I still don't want you to think I'm going to quit. "She broke off when she rolled her eyes and started gathering up her books, putting them in her backpack." Ahh, by the way, you have to show up at home. Johan reminds me every day to tell him that he has a new PlayStation game and wants to try it out with his "friend."
"What do you mean by every day? Didn't it occur to you to tell me before? " He asked in a false tone of anger.
Mia smiled wryly as she hung her backpack on her shoulder and began to walk away from the course completely ignoring the questions she had been asked. The truth of why she hadn't said anything up to that point was that her brother hadn't actually said anything to her, there was no "new game." However, she felt that she needed to make her brother at least distract himself and think about something other than the stupid illness that plagued her. And Adel was always a safe way out; charismatic and talkative, it was impossible that in her presence you would not laugh and leave problems behind.
"She ... She really doesn't have a new game, does she?" Adel murmured slowly, trying not to make Mia feel bad.
"No, he doesn't" He gave her a sad smile and sighed- But, he wanted you to go play with him, they both get along and ... at least he won't feel lonely or sad ...
"Oh my gosh, you just had to tell me." But calm down. I am going. Today maybe not, but tomorrow you will surely have me in your house. "Adel smiled and put an arm around Mia's shoulder, pulling her closer to him." And if you feel lonely or sad you just have to call me, you will always be there. Like when we were kids, do you remember?
Mia nodded with tear-filled eyes. She loved her friend, and she did not know what she would do without her support, anyone would say that they were for each other, although the truth was that they had that kind of unbreakable and true friendship. They had known each other since they were children and they were always inseparable. Although hormones at the time led them to believe that there was some kind of attraction between them, they realized that it wouldn't work and they remained best friends. Both were always in the bad and good times of the other, so they knew each other better than anyone and that implied that Adel knew the existence of Mia's terminal illness.
Deep down, Adel was falling apart, he couldn't bear to think that Mia would no longer be with him someday, hell, he couldn't even bear to think of the damn disease! But she was silent, inside but firm on the outside.
-Well, enough of the tears, pretty. Come on, the girls are waiting for us outside.
-The girls? Bianca and Amanda are outside ?! Oh God. "She wiped her tears with her sleeve and fixed her clothes a bit." I haven't seen them in months!
"Don't be exaggerated, you saw them last week" Mia shot him a reproachful look and he smiled innocently.
Both left the faculty with a hurried step, greeting the few remaining professors and the doormen of the establishment. About ten meters from them, near the parking lot, there was a redhead and a brunette making signs that they were there. Mia took a happy little jump before coming over to greet them.
-Girls, I missed you so much! -He exclaimed while hugging them.
"So do we, darling!" Amanda said while still holding her.
"Yeah, you don't know how much you miss us on the facu." Bianca added, smiling sideways.
When the hug was broken, Amanda told her that they planned to go to dinner at a local restaurant and that they were there to drive her.
"It sucks that we go to different universities," Bianca muttered annoyed.
"Well at least you have to go to the college you chose, and not the ones your parents wanted," Adel finally said, entering the conversation.
"Oh, but I thought you were dumb, red!" -Mia shook her head while smiling, Amanda and Adel had a certain chemistry that made them unstable being together.-Besides, weren't you the one who wanted to go to this University?
-No. Good. Yes. Adel scratched the back of his neck nervously. Truth be told, she chose that university because her friend would go there, she didn't want her to feel alone anymore. And fortunately, that university had a career as a computer technician, so their plans went well.
Mia laughed out loud as she began to look where she had parked her car, she would have to tell her mother that she would be arriving a little later. Short jet black hair and a pair of sky blue eyes caused her to remain static once they entered her field of vision. Her body began to tremble and she felt like she was gasping for air, of course she knew those eyes ... Those beautiful eyes.
Some arms supported her making her come back to reality.
"Mia? What's wrong?" Adel asked, looking concerned.
-I ... I need to do something, leave after I catch up with you.
She didn't know what she was doing, why did she feel the need to talk to the boy? She sighed and grabbed her backpack trying to gather her strength.
She started walking hurriedly trying to ignore the three pairs of eyes that were looking at her strangely.
Perfect, now they are going to think that I have some kind of mental problem. As if it wasn't enough anymore.
Several meters later, she turned to see if they were still looking at her and when she realized that the three of them were already getting into Bianca's car, she started running towards the boy. He didn't know what prompted her to follow him, but at the time that was even important.
When she was close enough. Panic washed over her, what if she didn't remember her? And if it were not so? He also knew that perhaps this would be the first and last time he would have a chance to speak to her, and he couldn't waste time on doubts, reasonable as they were.
She touched the man's shoulder and held her breath once she realized it. It was the spitting image of her memories: the same eyes, the same hair color, the same face with manly and kind features. Her voice stayed in her throat, she couldn't speak, she didn't think she was there, in front of the boy who saved her so many years ago.
"Hmm?" He muttered hoarsely.
Mia, still stunned, did not notice the cane he was carrying, or the blank stare the boy was offering her. But, to the best of her ability, and as her memories allowed, she spoke the name of the aforementioned between stutters.
"I'm sorry, I didn't understand you." He said with a half smile.
-Dylan ... Dylan, is that your name?
The man's surprised face was a complete poem. Although to tell the truth, she did not recognize the voice of what was a girl with beautiful black curls, and who was now all woman. Instead, her thoughts went elsewhere.
"Uhm, that depends. Are you going to try to persuade me to answer some kind of question about my personal life?" Dylan's "supposed" smile made Mia feel a little knot in her stomach. He was very handsome, even more so than as a child.
-Ehhh no. Of course, no. Why would you want to do that?
The high-pitched and serious screams of several people alerted the man, causing him, out of sheer survival instinct, to take Mia's hand and ask her to get him out of there. And she, making sure that later he would tell her the reason why he did not want to be there anymore, she got him into her car and drove as far away from the place as possible.
When she decided she should stop, because she had already driven several miles and felt like it couldn't take long to ask her what the hell that was, she did it in an old parking lot. She turned off the car and sighed as she pressed her forehead against the steering wheel.
-I really don't understand what happened ... Why were those people shouting your name? Are you some kind of celebrity discovered in the middle of the university parking lot, or what?
-Look, I didn't know those people would be there. I didn't even know that you didn't know who I was, I thought how did you say my name ... You were a journalist or a fan. "She said while rubbing her temples with her fingers." I'm kind of like a writer, the people you saw are my fans. work, not me.
-Excuse? Writer? God, it makes sense now. "He exclaimed wryly." So tell me what your last name is. It's impossible that I don't know you, I mean, it's not that I read a lot, but apparently your name is known.
-Villalba.
And at that precise moment Mia wanted to hit the wheel about twenty times, how could she be such an idiot? Everything was very obvious, Dylan Villalba was a recognized writer and known for his writings that ranged from melancholic poems to novels full of heartbreak, disappointments and endings that left you with a small and aching heart.
-I'm an idiot, right? I did not recognize you, but I know you, or rather I know what you write.
- I don't think you're an idiot, and about what you said, I don't usually show myself in public, so not everyone knows my face. But, that's not the important thing, how did you know my name, but not my last name? The emerald-eyed young woman opened her mouth to reply, but quickly closed it, she didn't know what to say.
"It's just that ... A friend of mine said she knew you, and if she could get you to take a picture with me, she would invite me to dinner." - He hesitated, but mentally crossed his fingers so that he did not realize the stupid lie, who At nineteen behaves like a fourteen-year-old girl?
-Ah, I thought it was because of something else ... Well, whatever. Do you still want the photo?
She nodded and, as best she could, pulled her phone out of her backpack in the back seats. Her hand still shaking, she pressed the camera and reached out so they were both in the photo.
"Dylan, the camera is a little further to your right." The aforementioned smiled apologetically and moving his head a few degrees to the right I hope to hear the "Click" that confirms that the girl had already taken the photo. , Thank you. Do you need me to take you somewhere?
Dylan nodded and gave her the address of an old studio where he had acquaintances, luckily for Mia it wasn't too far away, so she wouldn't have to force an awkward conversation.
-Excuse me, uh, I don't remember your name.
-Maia.-Another lie.
"So Maia, didn't you see a cane around here just in case?" I think I dropped it.
-W-a cane? Do you have waist problems? -The laugh that Dylan let out this time was full of energy, it seemed that he really liked that comment.
-Waist problems? Good thing not, although I wouldn't miss much. "He said with a white tooth smile." I'm blind, Maia.
Those two words made Mia lose her mind and let out a rebellious tear, what if what happened years ago had been the cause of blindness? She shook her head trying to stifle crying, but when she realized that they had already reached the place Dylan had told her about, she quickly wiped away her tears, although he didn't see her, and smiled.
-We're here, Dylan.
-Really? Thank you and sorry for making you spend that time. Usually those are not the first impressions I give women. The young woman laughed as she got out of the car to help you do it too. "Looks like I'm just giving you trouble."
-Not at all, it was fun except the part where we ran to the car.
Mia opened her eyes at the memory of the cane, opened the passenger door (which Dylan had already closed) and found, at the foot of the seat, an articulated cane.
"Hey! Your cane," he said before Dylan started walking.
"Oh right, I forgot. Thanks."
"It's nothing, come on, I'll walk you to the door, just in case." He said as he took her hand.
"I know the way." She trembled with a childish pout.
"I'd rather be safe."
When she left it at the door of the premises, she released her hand, not before feeling a prick of pain for doing so. He stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on her cheek, feeling a soft beard hug her lips.
"Bye, Dylan," he murmured.
"See you, Maia."
When Mia got into her car, she had already entered the premises. She sighed the moment her phone vibrated, her.
she had completely forgotten about dinner.
Amanda:
Mia, where are you?
Sorry I'm late, I'm leaving.