As love is unshakeable by logic. Alex was making new plans...
"Call her? No, better not. Go where she is, maybe even stake out her street, and when she comes back from work, confess all his love. And kiss her. Then get used to the routine of visiting her every week. Go out together to meet her relatives, friends, and so on"...
Lost in thought, Alex took a long bath and went to the bus stop. The same one Maria would board. Then they would go together to Goiânia, who knows, maybe he would already be introduced there as her boyfriend.
Time passed and Maria didn't arrive. He wondered why. He waited there, as the first time. Night fell, for a few minutes he thought he was crazy to stay there waiting. But he felt like waiting more, and he waited. At eleven o'clock, Maria arrived. He smiled, and she returned it.
— We haven't spoken for a while, have we? — said Alex, already dejected.
— It's true, but we always end up meeting.
— Yes, sometimes I even wonder if there's something.
— Something like what?
Alex tilted his head slightly, his hands were sweating, he was trembling, nervous, his saliva was drying up. He had so much to say! His love grew every day. He slightly opened his mouth, not with enough strength for any word to be spoken, he just offered her his hand to shake.
They went to Goiânia. Alex said he would stay at Léo's parents' house and that there was a lot to be done in Goiânia the next morning. It was a lie... And lies were created to stay close to his beloved. And there at the bus terminal, he again offered her his hands, nervous and trembling, he opened his mouth slightly, and weakly uttered a few words, which sounded like an insecure question: "You know that I like you a lot." ... After saying goodbye, Alex returned that same night, and never felt worse in his life that he remembered. He locked himself at home, didn't even answer Leo's calls from work. He turned the music up loud and paced the house, sleeping when the first rays of sun entered through the bedroom window, and waking up when he felt disgusted with the bed. It wasn't long before Léo noticed this behavior and soon took steps to cheer him up.
— A little party, Sandrinha, Maria, Eduardo and his girlfriend, whose name I don't remember now. This will create a nice atmosphere. You'll see how things will happen, and before you know it, you'll have the two of them together. — said Léo.
Alex got up as Léo described the party and left. Léo didn't give up. On Saturday, the three couples would have dinner there. If Alex's romanticism wasn't enough, Léo's was extreme. Everything was done with complete attention. Wine, aphrodisiac foods. Léo caught himself laughing while doing it.
"It's too much clowning around!" — he exclaimed alone.
Léo's intention wasn't to unite Maria and Alex through this, but rather to highlight the differences between them. In an attempt to show how difficult the relationship would be.
Saturday at five o'clock, Léo was serving the three guests. Alex remained in the office. Dedicating himself to writing strange narratives, in which he exalted an idealized and unreal love.
— Alex! Wake up.
The young man remained as if sleeping deeply.
A few more pats were enough, and Alex got up as if revitalized. And so he apologized and said he would take a quick shower and to tell Maria that he was eager to see her.
In the bathroom, he took a small blade and cut his index finger. The wound bled for a few seconds, then he held his breath, closed his eyes slightly, and when he opened them, he saw only blood on his skin.
— So, are we the singles at the party?
— I believe so. — replied Maria.
— Sarcasm?
— Just a little.
— I'd like to have a little wine, I never drink, but I confess I feel like it now that I see you holding this glass.
Alex moved away for a very short time. He took a glass and returned.
— And the book? — asked Maria.
— It's harder than I expected. Especially to finish.
— What is the story about, will it be about you...
— Unfortunately, I think I would end up boring the reader with these facts. I wish exciting things had happened. But they didn't...
— Don't blame yourself for that. — said Maria as she leaned in to give him more attention.
— How can I not blame myself. I did everything wrong...
— Did everything wrong, what?
— Maria, I'm in love with you!
The girl stared, she wanted to say: "It shows," but she couldn't, she was nervous. He held her by the waist, tilted his face slowly, and kissed her.
Léo smiled as he watched the couple timidly touch lips. Leonardo wasn't laughing because he found it funny, but because he was happy.
— Alex! Wake up.
Three quick taps on his right shoulder, and Alex regained consciousness. Reality caused him melancholy. He was sweaty, dirty, weak. A void filled his mind, something small, heavy, and invisible on his forehead bothered him. He was in a bad mood, he didn't care about what he was feeling. After a long bath, he went downstairs. Maria greeted him with a smile. He didn't deny his smile, but it went no further than a handshake. Throughout the night, Alex maintained a distance determined by Maria's expressions; he approached when she was content and withdrew when she was displeased. He didn't talk or initiate a dialogue, only making brief comments on exposed topics.
The topic, as if chosen, was the benefits of youth, parties, dancing, dating. Maria's image molded itself to everything; the cheerful girl who liked to be active at parties, in lively dances, in the company of the night. While Alex saw himself as so aloof, cold, alone.
"Look how alive she is! I wouldn't make her happy" — Alex tormented himself.
Sometimes Maria held Alex's hand, making him feel better. It didn't go beyond that. Thus the night went by. Even with Léo's enthusiasm and the comfort that Eduardo and Marlene provided, the celebration didn't last beyond the first few minutes past midnight.
Léo knew that Alex loved her and found his attitude strange. In any case, he held back and made no comments. An hour after the party ended, the lights were turned off, and no noise was heard until the next morning.
In the morning, Alex called Caroline. The conversation was brief; they arranged to meet at Cosmos University after class.
