Maya's P.O.V

Alessandro leads us across the road and into a narrow lane. About a hundred meters in, he stops in front of an Italian restaurant called Mama Leones.

The building was a shade of brick red with a few cracks on the wall. Must've been an old place. The place was wide and open, not crowded tourists or anything. On the other end of the restaurant, there was a small garden. It was beautiful. Clusters of daisies were peeping through both sides of the fence, and the sun was shining through the trees. There was a welcoming of scents in the air as we walked inside.

I stood and gazed at the building before me in awe. It radiated a warm feeling that made it seem like you were eating at home.

The room was split into two big tables of eight chairs. Everyone moved steadily around the room and took their seats while I stayed standing and hesitating. Unlike the rest, I didn't have any friends here while everyone had their individual groups.

I decided to wait for all the seats to be taken and just sit on the spare chair that nobody sat on. I could feel the employees staring at me as I remained standing by the entrance. Probably noticing the lack of friends I had.

"Maya!" a voice hollers out. I turned around to see Ethan looking at me. It wasn't just Ethan, but now, it was also everyone around him. Some had a confused look plastered on their faces at why he was calling my name. To be completely honest, I was just as confused as them.

I finally managed to control my legs as I tentatively walked over to the seat he saved for me.

"Sit here." He said and pulled out the chair for me.

She instantly narrowed her eyes at him, like she was sending him a warning. Ethan realized immediately, but he looked utterly unaffected by it. His hands were still on the chair, and his face was holding a slightly crooked smile as he waited for me to sit down.

I took my seat and turned to Ethan. "Are you sure they're okay with me sitting here?"

"Why wouldn't they be?"

"I don't know, birds of a feather flock together?" I said.

"You and your phrases again," he smiles, "just so you know, we all have very different personalities."

Ethan continued. "Plus, we're not that shallow, you know."

I silently scold myself for having such selfish and stereotypical thoughts. Great, now he probably hates me.

"I didn't mean it like that," I muttered out, trying to hide my anxiousness.

"They aren't that bad once you get to know them." He looks at me and tries hard to cover up his half-smile. I guess he cares about his boys. What I didn't understand was how could someone like Ethan, gentle and caring, associate himself with such a group of assholes.

"I don't think that'll ever happen." I awkwardly laughed.

He gave me a disapproving look before shaking his head vigorously.

"Hey everyone," he called out, "this is Maya."

Their eyes were all on me as I swallowed the last of the water in my glass before smiling back at everyone.

His friend grinned back. "Yeah, we know dude. She's in our literature class."

My immediate reaction was to hang my mouth down in shock that he actually knew who I was even though I've always sat in the back. But I protested against that and let out a giggle instead.

When Leighton put her phone down, she sat for a few seconds before turning her head over to me. "Why aren't you sitting with your friends?"

A cheeky smirk grew on her friend's face. "Wait, isn't Leah your only friend?"

"Why aren't you sitting with her?" Leighton asked.

"Are you guys in a fight or something?" Another girl butts in.

I suddenly felt like they were interrogating and mocking me at the same time. It was a natural instinct of mine to stay silent and look down. Leighton's eyes roamed around the room then landed back on me. "Oh, that explains why you're sitting here. She's in the other group."

Her friend butts in again. "Don't you have other friends?"

They clearly knew I didn't and was trying to embarrass me in front of everyone. I frowned, trying to think of an appropriate reply but nothing came to my mind. I was too busy worrying about what everyone else was thinking at this moment as Leighton and her friends turned my non-existent social life into a laughing stock.

"Obviously not." One snickered quietly, but still loud enough for me to hear.

My mind wonders about Ethan. He must feel embarrassed that he invited a friendless loser to come to sit with him. I was definitely not the cool, smart Maya that aced every class. More like boring, old Maya who has nothing else to do but study on the weekends.

They said a few words to each other that I couldn't catch, but I knew it was something negative about me. She took a sip of her lemonade with her perfectly manicured nails on display.

I would've started drinking my water to ease out the tension and awkwardness that I felt, but my cup was empty. I didn't know what I was more disappointed at, myself, or the fact that I was never going to be enough to be with someone like Ethan. He was in a completely different world from mine. He was Hercules, walking around the school like a God. And I was Meg, the femme fatale. Except I wasn't attractive nor seductive.

If only I had Leah's confidence. If it was her, she'd probably tell Leighton to write it on a piece of paper and shove it up her ass.

I felt Ethan's arm brush against me as he shifted his position, now facing Leighton and her friends.

"Don't you have anything better to do than be a bitch all the time?" He replied darkly.

Leighton's smile turned into a straight line. I could tell she was doing her best not to shoot lasers out of her eyes at me. As for her group of minions, they all had the same surprised expression plastered to their faces. His friends glance from one to another but don't say anything.

Ethan was looking at her with adamant seriousness. I bet she never once felt threatened by him until today. The fact that he swore at her was enough to make her stay quiet for the rest of lunch.

I couldn't help but grin as relief washes over me. Though being in the same class with him for years now, I've only heard him swear a handful of times. This must be one of the very rare occasions where he feels the need to. Ethan has been nothing but nice to me ever since we started talking, and I have to admit, it feels great to have someone be there for you.

The boys still looked shocked that he was defending someone he barely knew and also at the fact that he cussed at Leighton. I couldn't blame them. I was just as shocked too.

I gave him a grateful smile. "You didn't have to do that."

"But I did." He said stubbornly.

"Thank you."

His mood lightened as he laughed lightly. "You have to admit. I was quite intimidating."

I chuckled. "Whatever you say."

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"Don't listen to what Leighton says. You do have a friend here."

I stay quiet, trying to think of who he could be talking about. As far as I knew, the only person I talked to was Leah.

"It's me," he says, "I'm your friend and I won't let Leighton and her friends speak ill of you. It was uncalled for."

I gave him a small smile and thanked him once again.

Conner stood up and came over to talk with us about the Colosseum as we waited for the food to arrive. With my head tilted forward slightly to listen better, I was amazed at how I could engage in a conversation with Ethan and Conner without much difficulty.

Our convo of three turned into a whole table discussion, excluding Leighton and her girls as they talk about the next outfit choice. Connor was speaking more freely and enthusiastically than the rest, but that was probably because he was the Student Council President and was used to public speaking.

It wasn't long until the food came out and onto the table. Everyone's mouth was watering from the delightful smell and taste of the food. From saucy pasta, potato gnocchi to calzones that melted in your mouth, I felt like I just died and went to food heaven. The Caprese with the tomatoes and mozzarella had a fresh and light taste to it. To top off our fantastic meal, they gave us free ice cream as dessert. It felt like eating in my Grandma's kitchen.

"This is so good," I said, taking another bite of the calzone.

"You say that after every bite you take." He chuckled

I feel the heat rising around my cheeks while raising a smile. "I just have an undeniable love for food."

"Is that so?"

"I have another phrase for you," I said, "live to eat, not eat to live!"

He looks at me with a big smile on his face. "You are one interesting girl."

To say I didn't think much about what Ethan said was a lie because I thought long and hard about it. No matter how hard I tried not to, I just couldn't. I was definitely becoming crazy. Replaying and evaluating his every move and searching for small signals.

After we finished lunch, we went back to the hotel for some free time. Once again, I sat alone on the bus. But this time, every time I was caught staring at the buildings that we passed, Ethan would occasionally give me friendly grins as our eyes met.

Leighton hesitated at first but decided to sit next to Ethan, even after his sudden outburst. She apologized with a pout, and he said it was okay - it wasn't - but I wasn't going to say that out loud. I mentally curse at Ethan for being way too kind and forgiving her way too quickly.

I was currently sitting alone in the lobby, waiting for Leah to come back. The bright light in the room acted as the perfect reading light as I tried to escape the loneliness by burying myself in Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I only brought one book with me on this trip, but one thousand and thirty-seven pages were probably enough to keep me company for the reminder of the trip.

My little moment of peace was interrupted by a group of large boys walking down the stairs, dressed in athletic clothes. Connor had two black stripes painted across his cheeks to show that he was in the team spirit. Not long later, Ethan came down with a muscle tee and a pair of casual black shorts. His body was lean and hard, and he was looking far too fine for someone who wasn't even trying.

Leighton took the elevator instead, coming out with her long blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail secured with a pink scrunchie. Obviously, she was going to join the boys in playing capture the flag. There was a large field behind the hotel which is available for guests if you book through the reception.

She was wearing one of the tightest booty shorts I've ever seen and a white tank top which she made sure clearly showed how perky her boobs were. I couldn't imagine myself ever running in something so uncomfortable.

She reached her hand out to rest on one guy's arm as he was flexing his muscles. I tried to stay unnoticed by hiding my face behind my book. I must be the biggest loser here, reading instead of exploring this beautiful country or hanging out with friends. I bit my lower lip to stop myself from panicking.

He turned his head and flickered his eyes over at me. He took his time to gaze at me and then sent me a warm smile. Maybe he wasn't staring at me, but wondering to himself why the hell I was sitting alone reading a book.

When I noticed he was coming this way, I held my book tighter, like I was holding onto my dear life.

"What are you reading?" He asked.

"Gone with the Wind."

"Oh, by Margaret Mitchell right?"

He never fails to surprise me with his extensive knowledge of writers.

I nodded.

"I've read it a few times."

"What do you think about it?" I asked, genuinely curious about his opinion of one of my favorite books.

"It's a ruthless book for sure," he chuckled, "the last fifty pages was the most tragic and upsetting thing I've ever read."

"I agree. Once I finished the book, I had to tell Leah to burn it and never let me see it again."

I continued. "But any book is considered a great book if it has such a strong effect on the reader."

The entrance door opens, spilling light towards me. I see Leah standing by the door, finally back from her activity. She raises her eyebrows, and her lips turn into a smirk upon the sight of Ethan and me together.

"Oh my god." She mouthed, slowly making her way toward me. As Leah comes up to the couch, Ethan greets her with a friendly smile.

"Do you guys want to join us?" he said, "We're playing capture the flag."

Before I get the chance to pass up the opportunity, she agrees.

"I think I'll just watch," I said quietly.

He took a step forward to me. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not a very sporty person," I said with a determined grimace.

All my high school sports memories were my least fond ones. We played basketball, softball, volleyball and basically any other sport you could think of in Physical Education class, and I hated every single one of them. I remember every time I came to class late, Mr. Duncan made me run around the school playing field four times to learn my lesson.

I couldn't help that my class was on the other side of the school. Not to mention the horrid changing rooms that gave you absolutely no privacy whatsoever. All in all, whenever I hear anything sports-related, I get shudders from the bad memories.

Ethan chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll make sure you get your chance to capture the flag."

"If that's the case, then we're in!" Leah cuts me off before I get the chance to refuse his convincing offer.

"Great, get comfortable and I'll see you out back," he says before disappearing to the back.

A grin lifts from Leah's mouth as she gushes about how Ethan was helplessly flirting with me. She pinched her lips together to refrain from smiling again. "He was totally flirting with you!"

"He was just being nice." I defended myself. But I really wished that he was flirting with me.

"I'll make sure you get your chance to capture the flag." She mocked, pulling off the best raspy Ethan impression she could. It did Ethan no justice.

"He doesn't sound like that!" I laughed.

"Maya, you know there's a fine line between being friendly and being flirty," she said, "and Ethan obviously just fucking hurdled across that line."

I tried to change the topic by asking about her morning trip. I didn't need her to tease me about Ethan anymore. "How was your tour today?"

She was dancing back and forth on her feet as she continued to tell me about what she did. I laughed and shook my head.

"What about you?" she asked, "How was the Colosseum?"

"It was breath-taking, but lunch was a disaster. I got attacked by Leighton and her group of friends."

Instantly, she stopped dancing and came closer to me. Her eyes were widening with surprise. "Tell me what that demon said to you. I'll let her have a piece of me afterward."

"She asked why I was sitting by myself, probably making fun of the fact that I had no friends in the group."

Leah cocked her eyebrow in disbelief. "One true friend is worth more than three fake friends!"

"Well, she doesn't understand the meaning of a true friend anyway."

She leaned forward and propped her elbows on the armrest. "If I were there, I'd bitch slap her face for you."

I chuckled. "At least Ethan did something about it, again."

"No way!"

"Yeah, he asked her if she had anything better to do than be a bitch."

"Ethan swore at Leighton?"

I nodded and chuckled at her surprised expression.

"This day keeps getting better and better!" She exclaimed.

Leah put both of her hands out to pull me up from the couch. She was determined to have me join her in a game of capture the flag. Apparently, it only consisted of running and nothing extreme. Little did she know, I was incapable of running too.

After going to the extreme length of threatening to rip my precious hardcover book, I put my hands up in defeat and joined her to change into something more movable.

Fifteen minutes later, I was wearing black shorts and a plain white v-neck shirt. I pulled my hair into the rubber band I kept on my wrist as a habit. The breeze was gentle, and although it tangled my hair a bit, I couldn't care less.

Leighton looks at me, barely concealing her scowl. Anxiety flew through me as I walked to the field, feeling a few eyes land on me. They were probably wondering why someone disabled like me was joining them in a game of capture the flag.

Just as things couldn't get worse, I see Leighton approach me with her group of friends, strutting in sync with each other.

"Sorry, this game is for people who actually know how to play sports." She said with a sly, piercing look.

"Yeah, and society is for non-bitches only!" Leah shot back at Leighton.

Leighton looked horrified, and I wasn't sure if it was because Leah just called her a bitch or was it the fact that the boys were chuckling at Leah's comeback.

I didn't say a word, just thankfully smiling at Leah. She seems to get the memo as she smiles at me. She takes my hand and leads me across the field and towards Ethan.

"So, what are the teams?" Leah asked.

"Maya, you're mine. Leah, you're on Connors."

"I thought we were talking about teams, not favorites." Leah jokes.

I had my head down to avoid any eye contact, feeling my face heat up once again as Leah openly jokes about me and Ethan. He takes it better than I thought and shrugs it off with a chuckle.

"Alright, you ladies ready to play?" He asked.

I gave a wary nod. This was going to be the biggest mistake ever. Leah joins her team as they plan out a strategy.

Ethan was explaining the rules, and I couldn't help but stand awkwardly, trying to release the nervousness that I was feeling. No matter what, I always knew that sports and I never went well together, meaning this game can't possibly turn out any good. I was somehow going to fuck up, either by tripping on my own feet or capturing the wrong flag. Was that even possible.

Without looking at his friends, his eyes gazed at mine as he shot me a smile. "You're going to do great."

His hands were resting on my shoulders, making my stomach flutter. I really do appreciate his non-stop encouragement. Don't get me started about when those damn dimples appeared, making my heart stop a beat. For a moment, my breath stalled, and I felt like a giant balloon was inflating inside my body. He noticed my uncertain look but still held no doubts.

"Let's do this," I said, half trying to persuade myself.