CAN YOU go out this weekend?
There was a delayed response and a lip bite from the other side of the screen.
Sorry, this weekend I can't.
While Adda thought of her next reply that meant to explain the reason she couldn't, she started biting her short nails. The girl felt really bad, not only because she really wanted to meet with her, but because It was the first time Tania had asked her to hang out by message.
Do you have a football match or smth? If so we can meet there.
Why would I prefer to go out with a bunch of -
She paused.
-dumb instead of you???!!!
No! I meant like with y actual team, w/ the club
?
I thought you were in a team?
You always play football...
Adda recomposed herself on the bed and allowed her gaze to get lost in the bed sheets while she, confused as she was, tried to figure out a new question that ran through her mind:
<
Sure, there should be an Olympic one because there were two classifications for each and every sport played there, but, here? For her?
Nervous for leaving her friend unanswered for too long, she googled, as fast as she could, a resolution to her doubts and the results left her happy and surprised at the same time. She felt quite embarrassed.
Are u dead?
Sorry.
Don't laugh at me but I didn't know there was a girl's team here, like for normal people. Ha ha .
You didn't know????
Nope.
But like, haven't your parents ever asked you if u wanted to do It as and extraescolar stuff???
My parents hardly tolerate me going to play at the park.
Oh
There were a few moments of silence, and Adda didn't know if the other girl was writing a response or thinking.
Would you like to play in a team?
...
I don't know. I guess.
But like, how could you not know?
(shrugging woman emoji).
Well, then tell me when you can hang out, k?
Ok.
And I don't know much about sports but I guess you can ask me anything about It if you want, lol.
Ok, thanks.
Bye
Bye. :)
That was the first conversation they had had by mobile phone. Then, the talks had become more and more recurrent. She only touched the phone for that. While talking with her had already been something memorable, the most impactful thing was the fact that she didn't know about the existence of a football team for girls. Sure, Adda knew about all the different boy's local teams that were near her, but she has never known any other girl in her school that liked to play with her, not even Lidia, so she never thought there could be a WHOLE team made of girls, even less, multiple teams. It seemed like a dream-like paradise.
Right after the parley with Tania came to an end, she sighted. Embarrassed again in front of her friend! Although It didn't matter much, right?
<
Adda's index finger pressed the send button on the screen, feeling her body sweaty and hot. She tried to stay calm, as she told herself It was only a text message. Tania responded quickly, with several orthographic mistakes, and Adda did her best to decipher the phrase.
They hadn't been able to meet again, since Tania had been locked at home studying for resit exams and taking care of her little siblings, while Adda had been participating as a kitchen assistant for her mum, who, more than ever, had insisted in teaching her daughter to cook. That Friday she was supposed to go with his brother to the zoo, as a birthday gift for the kid, and she offered Tania to meet there, since the exams ended that same week.
She felt the intrinsic need to talk to her friend and discuss different topics that, online, seemed a bit more void than she would have liked. The last weeks, she felt like with Tania she had discovered so much more than her school would ever teach her. The teenage girl felt a bit ashamed for being so dumb a month ago, but, now, she felt like she had started catching up with Tania's intelligence and awareness of the world. Adda was under the impression she had been living in a bubble, sheltered from the outside world.
Little by little, she started to gain the habit of searching, on the mobile phone, more and more things that came to her mind. And, as she did, more questions started to arise in her previously quite-lacking-curiosity mind. Of course, some complex topics were still quite hard to understand for her, but It wasn't a problem, since that meant that she had an excuse to face call Tania and talk to each other more intimately.
She always thanked Tania for being so comprehensive, feeling guilty for being a burden, but her friend always reassured her that It was also something she enjoyed, as she also apportioned some interesting points of view from time to time. Even if Adda thought It was a lie to make her feel good, that meant the mature girl liked her enough to care for her feelings, which was estasiatic for her.
The calm and friendly chit-chat was suddenly interrupted by a contundent call from outside her room.
Adda, come down the stairs now!
With a silent complaint, Adda sent one last message:
Sorry, have to go.
She ran down stairs as quickly as possible while smoothing her tousled mane. Before she could check the current state of her clothes, she was before her mum, who was cleaning the living room.
<
But her thoughts were far from correct.
Sweety, you know who I saw today at the grocery shop?
<
She awaited silently for her mother's continuation of the story, but she was staring impatiently at her daughter, as still as a hunter waylaying for her prey. Then Adda understood, and suppressed an eye role and a buff.
Who did you found?
Her voice was monotone but fast. The old woman continued her narrative.
Grace, Travis' mum, was doing the curses and we stopped to talk a bit. It's been a while since we saw each other so we had a lot to catch up on. The thing is...
While explaining the success, the mother proceeded to swipe the floor with the newly bought mop and moved away from her daughter. Adda hadn't even made a few steps ahead before realizing the floor was humid, but she stopped herself in time before stepping onto it.
That part of the floor is still drying, so don't go further.
Er...could you approach a bit more? I cannot hear you very well...
Then pay attention. I'm not going to start shouting for you! Anyways, the thing is, Grace and her son were planning on going to the fair this next week, and I thought this time you could go with them.
Adda opened her mouth to reply, but it was cut by her mom's counter argument.
I'll talk to your dad, but I think he will not object to it.
Her drop at the start of the sentence told Adda she didn't want to hear any sort of negative. Still, the girl, once she pictured in her mind a boring day of pretending and complimenting a boy she had been set up with, decided to respond.
If only she knew that Travis is no perfect boy...i don't know how his mother still thinks he goes to study at his friends house at three in the morning...
Mum, I don't...I just don't want...
The fierce fixed blue orbs of her mother were like burning embers waiting to be awakened.
Travis is just a friend, okay?
But not even the kindest and softest tone could make the sentence good enough for any other reaction than...
Adda, your father and I have already told you! You HAVE to marry someone, and it's not gonna be any punk with mental diseases who dresses like the son of Satan himself!
I didn't say that!
Now watch your tone!!! I'm going to tell them you WANT to go with them and SO YOU WILL!!!
Bu-
End of the conversation!!! Now go to your room!
Pressing her lips and frowning as soon as she turned her back on her mom, Adda went back to her room, listening to her mother shouting and complaining about her attitude, as she remembered that the discussion wasn't over. Her father would have a say in the matter.
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