Julia
Julia nervously tugged her favourite top off the clothesline stretched between the two windows. She did not want to miss the bus to the airport, but she could not leave the garment that made her feel like a goddess at home. The clothes-peg fell out of her hand from the haste, but she did not even have time to look at the plastic piece falling twelve stories. She stuffed the black lace super-weapon into the cabin suitcase and ran away.
The driver noticed the girl running with a rucksack and a suitcase, and although he was about to close the bus door, he waited for her. Julia felt like she was suffocating, but she did not want to pant. She was sure that all eyes were on her after all the desperate running to reach the vehicle. She tightened her lips and lifted her chin a little higher so as not to compress her windpipe. It got a little easier, but she still almost passed out from the shortness of breath. Without looking around, she sat down on the first available seat at the front of the bus, facing all the other seats. She put her hard-top, jeans-patterned suitcase next to her, even though the chair was much higher than the floor. She pulled out the handle of the bag, which was still too short for her to hold comfortably. She could not travel leaning slightly to the side, as she would have flown out into the corridor of the vehicle at the first turn. She tried to put it at her feet, where there was not enough room for even a small suitcase like hers. She could not think of anything better, so she put it down beside her again and threw her leg over it. The extremely uncomfortable pose seemed effective, but after she tensed her muscles to hold it, she sweated even more in the already warm outfit. According to her aunt, it was much cooler in Rome than in Malaga, and it had been raining for days. She insisted that Julia should take warm clothes with her. She opted for a sweater and a denim jacket, but there was no room for the jacket in her suitcase or backpack. To keep her hands free, she had to put it on, as well as the burgundy, worn baseball cap. There was no chance of carrying two pairs of shoes, so she was forced to travel in leather boots.
The bus braked hard, and the suitcase started to roll backwards. Luckily or unluckily, her reflexes were excellent, and she immediately followed the move with her leg. She almost screamed as her knee twisted. Fighting back tears, she pulled it back to her. The fifteen-minute journey seemed endless. After a while, when her breathing had recovered and her legs were numb enough to feel less pain, she allowed herself the luxury of looking around the bus. Aurelio, one of her most attractive classmates, travelling in the middle of the vehicle, caught her eye. She was happy to see him, but she did not want him to see her dressed like an idiot. The boy was sitting in a careless pose, conveying confidence with his legs crossed and his left knee drawn up high, leaning against the window. He was holding his chin with one hand, as if in deep thought. They looked at each other for a moment, Julia shuddered. She shyly glanced away and looked out of the window. She did not want him to tell the graduating class that even Julia, the loser had a crush on him. Because he must think she was a loser for studying so much and partying so little. She loved to party, but when she ran out of money, she had to come up with a reason why she could not go. Studying was always a good excuse, especially because she had the best grades in the class.
Aurelio
He was woken up again by his mother shouting into the phone. It did not take him long to guess at whom. If his father did not come home before the morning, it was always like this. Aurelio got a knot in his stomach.
His mother did not even notice when he left home. He regretted not having breakfast, but he could not sit down in the kitchen with a sandwich and a coffee in that atmosphere. He did not even check which bus he was getting on, as it did not matter where he was going to spend his day. As long as he was not at home. The pain in his stomach would not go away. He crossed his legs and, as he had learned from his grandmother, pulled his knee up as high as he could to avoid attracting attention. He leaned his knee against the window, which finally made him feel a little better. His grandparents always had the solution to everything. In his haste, he forgot not only to brush his teeth, but also to put a plaster on the pimple on his chin, as if he had cut himself shaving. He held it in the palm of his hand as if contemplating something. His thumbs provided the perfect cover for the fearsome monster, which instead of getting better, looked worse every day. He was relieved when he realised that he had taken the airport bus. He could spend a whole day in the terminal. There were toilets, the seats were comfortable, and he was unlikely to meet anyone he knew.
That was when Julia caught his eye. He hoped she would not notice him; he did not want her to see him in such a miserable state. Julia, who was always determined and clever, was now sitting opposite him with her head held high. She rested her leg loosely on her suitcase, and, when it almost rolled away, swung it back to her with a light movement. He liked her individual style, that she put on her boots even when it was twenty-five degrees if she felt like it. The boy also noticed that Julia even made sure to put on a denim jacket to go with the denim pattern bag. If only he had the courage to ask her to help him revise for the next exam. They looked at each other. Even Aurelio’s toes turned red, but Julia quickly glanced away. The boy was ashamed. What did he think. A girl who was so serious about her studies that she could miss out on even the best parties, would not even notice a loser like him. Because he was sure she thought he was a loser since he only passed most exams on the second attempt. At home, he could not learn because of the constant arguments. He went to the library, to parks, he did not even dare to tell his friends what he had to go through every day.
Julia és Aurelio
The boy stood up reluctantly. He felt his side. It was as if the spasm had eased a little. Something rattled in his pocket. A packet of chewing gum. He felt relieved. He pretended to cough as he pushed two pieces between his teeth.
Julia was still standing in front of the bus. She turned her head to the right and left with an alarmed look. Aurelio did not hesitate.
– Shall I help you?
– Do you know where to go?
The boy never thought once he would be grateful for the endless days he had spent at the airport.
– Show me your ticket.
Julia’s hand was trembling as she handed the crumpled paper to the boy. She was ashamed to have printed it. She was about to fly for the first time in her life, she did not dare to trust her phone.
– Okay – Aurelio’s voice sounded silky, soothing. – We still have plenty of time. We’ll check in, then I’ll show you where the security control is. But you still have a lot of time.
– Really? – Julia felt stupid. – I did not even eat breakfast; I was in such a hurry – slipped out of her mouth. She would have preferred to take it back. The boy must now think she was an idiot.
At the word “breakfast”, Aurelio’s stomach growled.
– Don’t queue when you’re hungry, British scientists have found it. So first let’s go and eat something delicious. When I left home, my mother made me promise to have breakfast somewhere. She even gave me some money, so you’re my guest.
Julia was frightened at first that the boy wanted to eat, because she did not have that much money. She saved every penny for Rome. She was delighted by the invitation, which, moreover, did not come from just anyone.
Aurelio took the suitcase from her hand.
– Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you to take off, too. I’m not moving from here until I know that everything is all right – he felt like a man now that there was something he knew better.
Her grateful look, her shy smile, drew the rest out of him so that he had no chance to hold back his words.
– I’ve checked when you’ll be back. I will be waiting for you. Don’t walk alone so late.