"Where have you been? A little longer and the special guest will be here."
"I was in the garden, if I still had nothing to do."
"Why did you stay so long?"
"Because I dozed off."
Mom puts her hand on her forehead and starts nodding her head left and right.
"Mako! How are you? What a coincidence, I didn't think Dorian's son is so mannered."
This gentleman seems to know my mo... What do you mean he didn't expect me to be well-mannered?
I cough twice to let him know what he saying it wasn't nice.
"I'm sorry Teo."
He puts his hand on my head and pats me a few times.
He treats me like a child.
"So you've arrived, but how did you come with Teo?"
It seems like my mother didn't pay any attention to them when they walked in the door with me, typical of my mother.
The gentleman takes three steps forward and explains to my mother how we met on each other.
At the same time, I'm able to admire Affra's beauty again, this time I am much closer to her.
I notice that Affra looks at my mother all the time, I don't know where they have met before, but I am amazed that she looks at her with so much respect, when I met her I felt like she wanted to beat me up.
"Teo, Teo!"
I am taken out of the trance by the mother who puts her hands on my shoulders and shakes me a little.
"Yess, Mom."
"Stop daydreaming."
"I'm sorry."
"It's ok Teo, I don't know if you heard but this gentleman is King Shaiord and this is his daughter, Affra.
How big you've become Affra!"
Mother is approaches to Affra, puts her hand on her head and caresses her.
"Thank you Mrs. Akihito."
When my mother caresses her head, Affra has a wide, bright smile.
I'm speechless, like it's not the same person.
"Affra is the person your father mentioned, that being said Shaiord and I will go to your father to discuss something important.
By the time the party starts you and Affra will be spending time together getting to know each other."
"But mother ..."
"Don't you dare to comment.
Affra, don't you want to walk around the garden with Teo to know each other better?
In the future it will be in your favor if you have a good relationship with each other."
"Alright Mrs. Akihito."
I'm left speechless again and with a lump in my throat.
I have a feeling that today is going to be more of a headache than a birthday.
After Affra answers my mother turns us to face the door and pushes us out of the living room .
"Have fun!"
"So, Affra."
"Hmm."
Again she turns his head and ignores me.
Off, the way things are going I won't have the slightest chance to get along with her, leave aside getting along with her, I can't even talk with her.
We get to walk around the garden, as my mother said, but Affra still doesn't want to talk to me.
From time to time I see Affra bending down to smell another rose, this time she found a rose as white as her hair, she seems to be attracted by the beauty of the rose.
"Hey ..."
Hmm? I think I hear a voice, but it's so soft, I can't tell which way it's coming from.
"Hey Teo."
"Affra?"
"Yes."
When I heard her voice my heart skipped a beat, I can't believe her voice is so tender.
I get closer to Affra to see what she's looking at.
It seems like she still look at the rose, I wonder what the reason for calling me.
"Can I help you with something Affra?" I can't screw this chance up or I won't have another one to talk to her.
"Well ... I really like this rose, I want to know if I can take it."
It seems she has manners and doesn't take what doesn't belong to her.
Honestly Affra, you have to ask my mom that, all I do in the garden is to admire the flowers.
If I say no now, I won't have a chance to talk to her again.
It's a rose, I don't think Mom's gonna be mad for that.
"Sure, no problem, if mom asks you about it tell her it's from me."
"Thank you."
Affra takes his right hand to the base of the rose stem, uses the nail of her thumb and forefinger to cut the stem without shaking the petals, after cutting it she carefully lifts it with her right hand and with her left hand cleans it of thorns.
She gets up and puts the stem of the rose behind her ear.
"The rose matches your hair very well."
Affra doesn't say anything when I tell her this, at least this time she looks at me with a smile on her face .
We walk around the garden without exchanging another word, we reach the bench, I sit in one corner and Affra in the other, there is a terrible silence between us.
What do I need to say to befriend her?
Honestly, I'm amazed that now she doesn't look at me with so much hate, all I did was let her take a rose.
I think I can get along with her if I get a chance to talk to her again, but I still feel a bit of hatred coming from her, even though I don't know her or remember ever meeting her.
Now or never, if I don't say anything I will lose all my chances and I don't want to disappoint my parents.
"Affra."
I turn my head towards her and look her straight in the eye.
"I don't know what I've done to you, I don't even know if I've met you before, but please tell me what you have with me.
If I did something to you when I was younger please tell me and I'll apologize."
I straighten my head, take a deep breath and my eyes look empty.
"Yesterday my parents told me that an important person is coming to my birthday and I have to get along with she, but I can't get along with you if you don't even want to talk to me, don't you think?
Please Affra, I don't want to disappoint my mother, she really wants us to get along."
If I don't get a response this time, it's over.