Sebastian and Athena met at Apollo's 16th birthday party. Well, they both already knew of each other's existence, but it was there that night that fate decided to bring the two together.
*Flash back
— Look here what you are going to talk to him about, or stop drying him up. — says Iris with the glass in her hand next to her cousin.
— Calm down, she's just nervous. — Cybele puts her hands on Athena's shoulders.
The girl takes a deep breath and takes a sip from the glass of vodka, her eyes close tightly, and her face frowns.
— How do you drink this? — she asks, grimacing.
— Enough fooling around! — Iris gently pushes her away, and puts her hands on her face, pointing with her head to Sebastian.
The boy was among friends, it would be impossible to get to him just like that. Cybele gives a little help, going to Apollo.
— Love, can you leave Sebastian alone for a while! — She raises her eyebrows and moves them, pointing her head towards Athena.
Apollo gives a quick kiss to Cybele, and puts his hands on her back. — Of course! — He shakes his head.
He calls the two boys away, Athena soon gets close to Sebastian, her legs shaking, she thinks she can't make it.
She puts her hands in her hair, and comes closer — Hi! — The wind messes with her hair, and a strong gale messes it up.
He takes his hand in his red hair and looks at them. His eyes shine the moment they meet hers, and he says a shy and insecure "Hi", "What does Athena, the girl he considered the most beautiful of the whole island wanted with him?
Sebastian had blue eyes and was quite hairy, he was a lover of physical exercise, extremely tall and smelly.
— What a gale, huh? — she completes, smiling embarrassed.
— Yes, it makes me miss summer! — She says biting her lips eagerly, she looks at him with the corners of her eyes frowning.
She takes a sip of the beer in her hand and gives him a shy look. — Do you want to get out of here and talk?— He coughs.
— Yes, that would be great! — She looks around, fixing her hair.
And realizing that everyone seems to be paying attention to them, her cheeks turn pink.
And she feels butterflies in her stomach just as he reaches out his hand to her, helping her down the stairs. And it was there, on that night talking in front of the sea, that the two discovered they had a lot in common... And a love was born.
Eight years had passed and many things had changed. Apollo was now 24 years old, and concurrently all the couples at that party had split up, but both of them, their love was still strong and now more than ever...
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Today: (Narrated by Athena)
I wake up and bat my eyelashes quickly, and breathe full of relief for another day.
I get up and kneel on my bed to pray, I thank God for another day and I thank God for my family that I loved so much and that loves me so much. I pray for today's exam, I hope I pass!
And of course, I thank for Sebastian, my love, who I want to spend the rest of my life with, that he walks on the right paths, and that he will be a good husband.
I get up and go straight to the bathroom, humming an Ed Sherran song, no doubt my favorite song!
I grab my cell phone, smile as I release the playlist for taking a shower, I have a playlist for everything, ''Wash the house'' ''Sweep the house''.
Very important to differentiate, the playlist for ''Washing the house'' has my favorite songs that I don't mind playing randomly, since I'm messing with water I won't be able to mess much with my cell phone, I think.
Well, this playlist I can skip if I'm not in the mood, I smile as I look at the cell phone screen.
I know, I know, irrelevant! But it was for me, I guess I grew up with an out of control mother, believe me that's even a compliment! Don't get me wrong I love my mom, but I grew up watching what disorganization does.... Believe me!
I feel the hot water running through my body, and soon I take a quick shower, to get downstairs, for mom's coffee. I feel my belly rumbling.
I get dressed, putting on my favorite flowered dress, I love flowered dresses! I pick up my cell phone to check my messages, and raise my eyes in amazement, not feeling my legs at that very moment I read from my wedding planner!
Message [ Hello, dear, I need to cancel the wedding contract! I won't be able to organize it. Personal problems, I hope you understand! ]
Dramatic, I know!
I sit on the bed and scratch my hair, staring at the cell phone.
— Athena! Good morning, future nurse! Or should I say future Mrs. Stephonopolis," says Cybele opening the door to my room, with a tray of sweets and fruit in her hand.
— No, no! — I shake my head! — Look at this! — I turn the cell phone screen to her, who approaches.
I feel a pain in my heart, the drama invades me completely, "And now what would I do? The wedding was in two days! I shake my hands, trying to breathe deeply, I confess comically.
Cibele recognizes my drama and tries to calm me down, she puts one hand on my left shoulder and takes my hand.
— Hey, hey, look at me," she looks at me with lowered eyes and a smile on her face. — It's going to be okay,
What's she smiling at? There's nothing to smile about here, my sister, I'm panicking, I think!
I take a deep breath and narrow my eyes. — How? Now I have to organize! And all this between doing make-up and for ... And the one who canceled does the best weddings in Santorini.
— Calm down, I can do it, it would be great! I know I've never organized weddings, but we grew up together! You know I'm as organized as you are! — Cybele looks at me with an enthusiastic smile.
I think the idea wouldn't be so bad, but she is so busy!
— Wouldn't that be bad for you? Like you have the baby. — I scratch my hair, and standing up I walk back and forth, gasping for air.— And the drawings! The fashion...
Cybele curls one corner of her mouth and looks at me. — First, I am pregnant, not sick! Second, I have time for my drawings, you deserve to focus only on you on your wedding day! — She smiles, taking the fruit from the tray she brought, and placing it on the bed.
She smiles, and I feel good again! My sister knows me like the back of her hand, everything would be fine!
I sit down on the bed, and satisfy my hunger, then grab a piece of watermelon, and eat it.
— We still have an hour to go to college, right? Tell me everything that is missing. —Cibele looks at me raising her eyes, I knew how happy she was.
We had planned this together for years, until she went to Italy and I had to hire an organizer, but having her there taking care of everything, made me calm and happy.
— So, I want a flower arch, in front of the beach! That will be the altar where the ceremony will take place, my dress will arrive at 12:00 Apollo will pick it up, and I need to decide where the honeymoon will be. — I say between bites of the raisin jam that is simply wonderful! I think, as I savor it.
— Ok, ok! -— Cibele gets up and grabs a notebook from my study table, — Very easy, good, where will the honeymoon be? She gives me a smile and sits down on the bed beside me.
She swallows dryly, and says: — I was thinking right here! I close my eyes and say: — We already live in paradise, why leave it? — I squeeze my eyes shut even more, waiting for Cybele's scolding.
— What? but why? No, for less than a thousand euros you can go to many places.— She takes my arm, I open my eyes.
Cybele looks at me and says: — I know, she raises her hands in the air, — Go to Paris, it's so beautiful and romantic there, Apollo and I went once and ... She stops talking and suddenly seems to be in a trance.
I stare into her distant gaze, and with narrowed eyes, I look at the clock and quickly say: — Cybele?
She comes out of her trance and looks at me with a low look and says in a sad tone: Nothing, just memories! She fakes a smile.
Before I say what I was going to say, I remember the little souvenirs, put my hand on my forehead and drop a cupcake in my hand making it fall on the tray.
— Oh my God, the little souvenirs! I left them at Apollo's house, and so far I haven't wrapped them! — I feel a pain in my back and swing my legs, nervousness catches me again.
— Nothing, let me handle it! — Cibele comes over and hugs me, running her hands through my hair. — Now let's go downstairs, Mom, Auntie and Grandma and Alexia are downstairs wanting to wish you good luck in your final exam, come on. — She takes my hand and I go downstairs.
After being showered with kisses from my family, and good luck wishes, I look at my cell phone on the bus and there is a message from Sebastian wishing me good luck, with a beautiful passionate text
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After being showered with kisses from my family, and good luck wishes, I look at my cell phone on the bus and there is a message from Sebastian wishing me good luck, with a beautiful passionate text.
And at the end it says that when I get out of the race I should meet him at the port of Santorini, I put the cell phone to my heart and sigh.
I love him, I love him, so many years and it's still him, it's still him.
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I arrive at the exam site minutes before, the whole class is in an end of course nostalgia mood, I will miss them so much.
Soon the exam begins and it couldn't be more perfect, it wasn't easy but there were questions that I had even dreamed of so much that I read and reread about, smiled looking to the sides. I feel a joy invading me, I would make it, I would graduate!
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Meanwhile:
Cybele goes to Apollo's house, along with Alexia that she recruited on her day off to help with the souvenirs, she approaches and claps her hands in front of the blue gate of his house.
Apollo appears, to Cybele's surprise, and she raises her eyes and looks shocked, she doesn't know why! She slips her hands through her shirt and pulls it off.
-— Hi, what are you doing here? — He asks, approaching the gate, and raising his eyebrows.
— We came to make the souvenirs, Athena said she left them here!
— Of course, come in we can do it together," he smiles, crossing his arms, looking at them.
— Alexia asks, raising her eyebrows and pouting at her sister, "I'm on my day off!
— Oh, Alexia, it'll be fun! — Cybele insists.
Her sister rolls her eyes and snorts, puffing out her cheeks.
Cybele frowns in a grimace and says: — Okay, okay!
Alexia smiles and gives her a kiss on the cheek, entering Apollo's house.
— Wait, I didn't say I wanted to rest! — Cybele crosses her arms, looking at her sister.
Alexia puts on her headphones and says: — Yes, just talking to a friend.— She points up at Paolo's bedroom window, and purses her lips together.
Cybele laughs and enters Apollo's house, he offers her water, she goes to the kitchen, he knows quickly and comes down with the box of souvenirs. And the two begin to talk, what was supposed to be a normal afternoon, becomes more fun, with laughter.
Cybele takes pictures and sends them to her sister! Smiling wide.
—Who knew that night at the party would turn out like this! — Apollo looking at Cybele who is sitting on the sofa, he is lying on the floor, putting the pink ribbons on the souvenir.
— I don't think so, but did you see them after they talked? How cute! — Cibele says sitting up straight on the couch. — I hope they are happy!
Apollo looks at her seriously. — Yeah, me too, we're practically cupids! — He lets out a low laugh.
— Well, I don't know about cupids. — She lifts her finished souvenir. — But great packers, yes! — She holds out her palm for him to tap.
He returns it with a smack, he scrunches his nose and looks down: — Your family's next wedding? What will it be? — He raises his eyes!
She twists her mouth towards the stairs, and giggles: — Hum, probably the lovebirds upstairs, my sister won't admit it, but she likes him! — Her eyes narrow. — I'll probably die alone." She scratches her chin resting on her shoulders.
Apollo looks at her seriously, frowning.
He raised an eyebrow — Really? Don't be so dramatic!
She laughs,—Don't ask me that, drama is in my blood!— she wraps up another souvenir and leans over the table in front of him.
He gets up and sits next to her, and stretches, spreading his arms quickly, she leans back on the couch and looks into his eyes.
— Ah, a loose lash — she runs her fingers over her cheeks, and takes the lash gently, and I place it between her index finger and thumb and hold it there.
— There you go with your superstitions, he shrugs, and puts his hands on his face: "You're not going to ask me to make a wish, are you?
She approaches him, her eyes wide open. — Oh, come on! Make a wish and blow! —- She smiles, bringing her fingers close to his face.
Apollo closes his eyes and gives a corner smile, and blows the lash on her fingers.
— Eba!!! — She says in a happy tone of voice, and looks away, — Now tell me what you asked for! She asks.
— Hey, isn't it a secret? — He asks ironically.
— Hey, wasn't that just a silly superstition? — She crosses her arms, and smiles broadly.
He is silent as he watches her. He leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees, and looks over her shoulder.
— I asked for you, you back," he presses his lips together.
— Apollo! — She says, blinking widely, dull.
— Sorry if I put you off, but you asked. — He gives a half-sleepy, shy smile at the situation.
But he waits for her answer full of hope.
— Yeah, but you know that's not possible anymore! — She stands up quickly.
— Why? — he asks in a high tone, and scratches his eyebrows with his thumb.
—Apollo, do you remember your last visit to my apartment? We were in a bad way and those words of yours were decisive for me. — She wraps her arms around herself.
— Yes, but can we get over a fight? —He asks as I stand up to look her in the eye, takes a deep breath, and looks at her with sad eyes.
— A fight?— She presses her lips together, and quickly rubs her tongue over them, — Apollo and I fought all the time, and that night I cried my eyes out and you went away and left me alone!— She swallows dryly. — You know you remember! But I understand, I was at that stage too! I neglected all the bad moments, focusing on the good ones, but you know that the last six months before I asked for a break we were terrible!
Apollo scratches his beard. — I know, I messed up with you that day! But we're here now, I promise not to hurt you anymore.
He feels a pain in his chest and approaches her.
— No Apollo, we didn't work anymore, and me leaving was the best thing I could have done for us, not to end what we already had. — She says loudly, with tears streaming down her face, her hands shaking and she feels bad.
She sits down on the couch, and he immediately becomes worried.
— Hey, are you okay? forgive me, I didn't mean to... - The blond man puts his hand on her face, and says leaning his forehead against hers.
— No, I'm fine! You didn't do anything," Cybele hushes him, pressing her hands to his cheeks, "You have my admiration and respect, and I just want you to be happy! Because I'll always love you, but you know it didn't work out anymore," she puts her hand on his chest where his heart is. — You know it here!
He lowers his head and at that moment everything was clearer, yes Cybele was right, something in his mind focused only on the good times. But they were lousy and Apollo had his share of the blame.
We all are.
Cibele didn't want to admit that being around him shook her, at that moment her heart was racing but she ignored it, in her vision she needed to focus on the baby only, involving Apollo in her life again might complicate everything.
He hugs her tightly and that moment helped him see things more clearly, he wasn't 100% over it but moving on was needed more than ever.
He hugs Cybele tight and in that moment it felt like forgiveness, finally the end of that beautiful love story they knew they had.
...