Nate

**Today**



I'm sitting in a cluster of plastic tables, like the ones used in street corner bars. Their tops are covered with a red tablecloth to make them look more sophisticated. I keep shaking my leg, while "Chimney" and his fiancée laugh at my nervous expression. I try to ignore the guy next to me, who keeps stroking his chin and staring at me, like he's about to strangle me any second. His facial piercings annoy me even more, because before I know it, I'm obsessing over one of them, wondering: did that crap hurt?
This guy and I are not going to get along. He’s way too concerned about Isabela—which isn't bad, as long as it’s just as a friend. He even tried to threaten me, saying, “If you make the redhead suffer, you’ll wake up with a mouth full of ants, got it?” And since I'm like a grenade, just pull the pin, and I might explode. I already got up from the chair, ready to grab him by the shirt and make him repeat that. Chimney’s fiancée pulled him away from me and scolded him a bit. I could hear her saying things like, “It’s our friend’s dream day, do you really want to ruin it?” or “They’re dating now, you don’t need to interfere.” Harry came back more quietly, but he keeps shooting me sideways glances.
And we are dating, for real. Isabela didn’t want to label our relationship, but I had always dreamed of being able to say we’re a serious couple. So I gave her a gold ring—the one the shop lady insisted I take, with a diamond that cost a fortune—as a commitment, and I asked her to be my girlfriend, down on one knee in her room. And my gorgeous redhead accepted, jumping with excitement and kissing me all over, from my lips to my neck, while Belladonna turned her back on us from the bed. I could almost hear the cat calling us “idiots.” Sometimes, Pretinha is a bit moody.
Damn! This show better start soon, or I’m going to lose it and die before I see my girl living her dream.
The stage is set on a wide-open lawn in the central part of the university. Tables upon tables are spread out for the students and their families. And thanks to some kind deity in a good mood, the weather blessed us with a starry sky and a full moon hanging above our heads.
We’re positioned right in front of the stage, in the best spot to watch my girl sing. The only issue is Bianca, who’s glaring at me from the other end of the table row—we pushed tables together to fit Isabela’s “family”—because I didn’t let Bill come. There’s no way I’m okay sitting next to the guy who not only slept with my sister but also with my girlfriend. Screw that, man! I’m not swallowing that jerk. I’m not mature enough to wave at him like nothing happened. Every time I look at that loser’s face, I’ll remember he touched my woman—and my sister… Damn it! I’ll just want to punch him. No way I’m dealing with this. Call me toxic, immature, whatever. But I don’t want that guy near me.
Josiah is the fiancé of Isabela’s best friend and, from what I understand, Bill’s friend. The crazy part is that I never would’ve associated that name with the kid I used to play soccer with in school. Sometimes, we had games between classes during PE, and we became “buddies.” He always gave me cigarettes or borrowed one of my lighters and never returned it. I only know him by the nickname "Chimney." He’s changed a little over the years, but his style is the same, still looking like a vampire, always dressed in black.
Everyone’s dressed more casually, with Harry even baring his chest in a shirt that’s so low-cut it shows off his nipple piercings. Weird. My sister is wearing a really short dress, even shorter than Isabela’s skirts. But she owns it... She wears whatever she wants.
I’m not sure if I should be worried about this new friendship between Bia and Isabela. They did the polygraph together, and I already knew it would confirm that neither of them was responsible. Sure, there was that 1% fear they’d kill each other on the way back if one of them had been guilty. But they came back drunk and hugging, saying they couldn’t believe they spent years hating each other. And their friendship didn’t just last through the drinking; they’ve been hanging out together nonstop ever since. It’s annoying because Bianca now thinks she has the right to barge into my dorm at any time, just because she wants to borrow Isabela’s clothes. Like, literally at any time. Sometimes I’m in the middle of a moment with Isa, and my sister just busts into the room without hesitation. I even had a locksmith change the damn lock during the show, so she’ll be in for a surprise next time she tries to bug me.
We had a super tense conversation a few days ago when I told her everything I had gone through, including what happened with our mom. She was so upset that I had to tell Isabela I was spending the night at my mom’s house. Bianca curled up in bed with Suzana and wouldn’t let go of her for anything. She just cried for hours, clinging to our mom as if that hug could protect her. And my poor mom, she just cried along, because Bia told her she knew what our uncle had done to her, and that she believed her.

We made it, after a week of giving Suzana attention at home and trying to help her connect with us more—Isabela even slept there with me in the last few days—Suzana finally agreed to see the specialist. He used a few techniques to get her to focus on him and listen to the treatment plan.
Bianca plans to move abroad next year, but in the meantime, she’ll stay at home to help better manage Suzana’s treatment. I’ll also be spending more time at our mom’s place to help out with her care.
As the days went by, Bianca realized I had told her about what Abel did to me, and she spent hours clinging to my neck, telling me she wished she could’ve protected me. I love that girl so much. How could I ever think she’d judge me? My sister has always been a treasure in my life, one that I’m not even sure I deserved.
I start biting my nail, noticing they’re still adjusting the lighting on the stage. When I glance at the grand piano in the middle, where she’ll start her performance, my eyes well up with tears.
It’s beautiful to see that my girl is about to live her dream of performing as a singer for the first time. I always knew this day would come, and when we were apart, I used to cry, thinking I’d never get to see her first performance, that it’d probably be another guy sitting there, watching her with his eyes glowing. But it’s me, damn it! It’s my eyes that are lighting up, eagerly waiting to see that amazing redhead sing.