15. And that face?

CARLA'S POV

Not knowing anything about Santi is starting to make me hysterical. When we entered the house, I saw him weird, that he wasn't well, but he left without saying anything, and I'm worried that he would going to do something stupid.

I was about to call him a fifth time when I heard a bang at the door. I don't hesitate to go open it and when I see Santi, I calm down, at least he's fine. Rather I think the opposite, he looked too happy compared to how he left the house an hour or so ago.

"Can you tell where the hell you had gotten yourself that you couldn't even answer the phone?" I asked annoyed "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't want you to worry." He responded, "You would have thought about that, before leaving, how you left. Can you explain to me what's happening to you and why the hell you have that smile on your face?" I asked, even more annoyed. "Can't one be happy?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, but seeing how you went out before and how happy you are now, it's weird."

"Well, I am. Now, will you let me go prepare something to eat?" He asked and I sighed, because at least now I knew he's okay and hadn't done anything stupid. "Jessica's not here, which makes me wonder where the fuck she went too." I protested, "I know she's not there."

"Wait, how do you know?" I asked, surprised. "She came out to look for me." He responded without further ado, "Are you going to tell me you told her where you were and you didn't even bother to pick up your damn phone?" I asked, annoyed, "I didn't tell anyone about where I was going to be, she's the one who found me."

"What?" I asked, frowning and not understanding anything he said. "Yes, don't ask me how she found me, but she did. Miky, what do you want to eat?" he asked, turning in the boy's direction. "I don't care exactly. I heard you were with Jessica, where is she now?"

"She told me she had to go somewhere." He answered with a big smile on his face, and if I hadn't seen Santi bad before, I would think I dreamed it. "And where? because he didn't say anything to me." Miky said, frowning. "Jess didn't say where, but said it wasn't far from here."

"Ah okay. I think I know where she went." He responded, somewhat calmer, "Where?" I asked curiously "Don't be so gossipy Carla." Santi repressed and I rolled my eyes. "I'm not a gossip, I'm just curious." I said, "Jess probably went to see Madison." Miky informed "And who is Madison? A friend?"

"I think she really sees her how she sees me. She's a girl who's in the orphanage and no one wants to adopt her because she's fifteen years old." Miky said "And what does Jessica in an orphanage?" I asked, confused. "We found her on the street crying and Jessica couldn't help but stand next to her. Madison told her what was happening to her and Jess convinced her to return to the orphanage, that she would go visit her every day."

"Nothing has changed." I said with a big smile on my face "What are you talking about, Carla?" Miky asked, now curious. "Because Jessica always did things like that. She always liked to help others." I responded, "That's true, but I already knew that."

"Of course, because you're a genius, there's no doubt about it, Santi." Santi just rolled his eyes and paced around the kitchen while I sat on the couch watching TV with Miky. "Hey Miky." I said, shifting my full attention back to the boy. "What?"

"How about you show up for the concert tonight?" I asked curiously "I'm going to go, Jessica gave me front row tickets as my birthday gift." he responded with pride and a big smile on his face "Oh, I think it's great, but what do you think from backstage? Santi will be around, right?" I asked, glancing in his direction, but apparently, that's the exact moment my best friend decides to connect. "What?"

"Nothing, leave it." I responded, laughing. "Ok." He replied, shrugging his shoulders. "So what do you say, little one?" I asked, with a big smile on my face. "Obviously I accept." He said excitedly, "Great, it makes me happy."

I heard Santi laugh softly, and I'm sure it's because he'd never seen me this affectionate with anyone, but how could I not be with a boy who's so adorable and quickly won my heart? It's impossible not to get attached to him and I can understand how Jessica isn't able to deny him anything, considering she's the most stubborn person in the world.

"Hey Miky, is Jessica learning Italian?" Santi asked curiously. "No, she understands it, but she never studied it as far as I know. Why?" He asked and I began to focus practically all my attention on him. "Yeah, why, Santi?" I asked curiously. "Before you arrived, I spoke in Italian, and she answered me in Italian too, that's why I'm asking you."

"Well, you're the first to hear her speak in Italian, because since I met her, I never heard her speak in Italian." responded Miky "Who haven't you heard speak Italian, Miky?" Jess asked, entering the room. "You." He said simply, "Obviously you didn't, because I don't have the slightest idea of speaking Italian."

"You did talk to me about it." Santi pointed out "That's impossible, I have no idea about Italian." A girl appeared behind Jessica and stood behind her looking in our direction with a surprised face, and I could see how Miky focused back on the television. "Santi, credo che tu l'abbia sognato. (Santi, I think you dreamed that.)"

"I'm sure that's what happened." There's a smile on Jessica's face, and I'm a little shocked she understood what I said, but I remembered Miky told me she did understand Italian, which's a strange thing if you think about it, but I decided to ignore it.

"Ti dico di no, l'ha detto lei. (I'm telling you no, she talked about it.)" my best friend insisted "Ma come ti ho Detto, è impossible. (But as I told you, that's impossible.)" And with that four heads turn in Jessica's direction in surprise and with Santi's gaze he was reproaching me at this moment. She said she had no idea about Italian? And now she's speaking it.

"Jess?" Miky said behind her "What?" My best friend asked, turning in her direction. "What did you just say?" He asked, frowning. "As I told you, it was impossible for me to know Italian." She insisted, "No, that's not what you said." I murmured, surprised she didn't notice she said it in Italian "Of course. why do all of you look at me like that?"

"Am I still dreaming about it?" Santi asked, raising an eyebrow. "Jessica, ti rendi conto di quello che hai appena detto?? (Jessica, do you realize what you just said?)" I asked and she snorted "What I just said to Miky." She responded, "Non si rende conto che lo parla... (She doesn't realize she's speaking it...)" Santi murmured, leaving the fork he's using on the table. "Di cosa sto parlando esattamente (What am I talking about what exactly?)"

"This is all weird." I said more to myself than to others, "That's what I think. I don't understand what they're talking about. Are you guys always this weird?" He asked, letting out a laugh. "Jessica, they are right." Miky responded "Don't start too, Miky." He asked, "Someone speak Italian, I'll show you." Miky said looking at Santi and me. "What?"

"Jess, ti ricordi qualcosa dell'Italia? (Jess, do you remember anything about Italy?)" I asked "No, I don't remember who the hell I was before this happened, I barely even remembered my name or remembered anything else." She responded "She only speaks it when your Santi speaks it." I said, looking in his direction. "And why would I do if I knew Italian?"

"I'll tell you as soon as we check. Come on, Santi, say something." I said, shifting my attention to him. "What exactly?" He asked a little lost. "Anything, just something." I insisted "Ok... Jessica, amore, non arrabbiarti, davvero non ti rendi conto... (Jessica, love, don't be angry, you really don't realize account ...)"

"Amore? Perché my chiami così? (Love? Why do you call me that?)" At this moment I would be shocked at the look on Santi's face, but I'm really surprised Jessica didn't lose her Italian in all this time she didn't listen to it or speak it. In my mind it all made sense now, because Santi was the only one who spoke Italian. Her parents were English and even though they knew Italian, they preferred to speak in English, and her sister did the same as their parents. Santi was a true Italian and Jessica loved speaking Italian, and they spoke Italian between them.

"Perché è un modo affettuoso di chiamarti. (Because it's an affectionate way to call you)" Jessica was about to answer when Miky gets up and puts the phone next to her so she can listen to the recording he just made. After a few seconds, Jessica hands the phone back to Miky and goes to the kitchen.

"Jess?" said the boy, "Tell me Miky." My best friend responded "Are you okay?" He asked "Yes, why?" Jessica questioned, starting to do something. "Nothing, now are you going to believe us when we tell you, you know Italian?" He asked, "I won't ever admit you're right, but I'm fine." She assured and both Miky and I laughed "You're stubborn." He said, denying, "You know it very well, dwarf, so I don't know why you are surprised."

"You're right, I shouldn't be surprised." He admitted, "Oh, I'm sorry, Madison. They're Santi and Carla, that singer you and Miky like both." The girl stood behind her looking in our direction and I stood up to greet her. After talking with her for a while, inviting her to the concert and convincing Jessica it would be good for them to go backstage, we went to eat, because honestly, I'm too hungry and the fact Santi cooked so deliciously made me even hungrier for food normal, that's why I usually went to the apartment where Santi is living in Italy or went to their house when they were together, so I could taste Santi's food.

We were eating while laughing and listening to stories of everything that had happened in these last few years in Jessica's life. I also noticed every time Jessica spoke, Santi would stare at her, which in a way made me feel sent by my best friend, and not in a bad way, but because I wanted someone in my life who would look at me the same way and not just out of interest as most of the people who came into my life did, which is why it's partly difficult for me.

"Hey Carla, why does Jess only speak Italian with Santi? You said you were going to tell us before, but you didn't." Miky said, with curiosity evident in his eyes and voice. "Oh, that's right, I forgot. Let's see, to begin with Jessica's not Italian, well she's partly because she has dual nationality, but she's British."

"British? And how does she know Italian?" He asked curiously, "Because I think she arrived around three years old, the year she started kindergarten, and everyone tried to speak English to her except Santi, because he didn't have the slightest idea of English." I said, laughing "Well it doesn't seem like it. He speaks it well."

"That's because at the beginning it's the only thing Jessica talked about, and since they met, they didn't separate. Don't ask me how they understood each other in the beginning, each speaking a different language, but they did." I said, laughing, "I seem to remember Jessica's grandmother is Italian. That's what I heard her talking at home. And I did understand a bit English." Santi tried to defend himself.

"Well, I can't know, I wasn't there, remember?" I said with a smile on my face "Weren't you together from the beginning?" Miky asked curiously "Oh no, I lived in Rome with my parents, but due to an accident, they died and I had to go live with my aunt. When I met them, they were in primary school, and they were the only ones who talked to me and didn't mess with me."

"Why did they do it?" Jessica asked. "You may not remember, but the kids in our class weren't the best, and they liked the idea of messing with a person whose parents had died." I said, shrugging my shoulders. "That's ugly." Jess muttered, "Yes, but you were there, and between the three of us we sent them to hell. But I think more than anything it worked because you brought out all your character."

"That's scary." Miky said, laughing, "Oh, I can assure you myself, dear Miky. The thing is after all that, Santi always spoke Italian to her while the rest spoke English with her, apparently Italian is not as cool as English." I said "I like Italian."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but you only talked it with Santi. I think it was already a reflex act, and that's why I'm completely sure some part of your brain remembers it and does it without you realizing it." I responded "This is all weird." Jess murmured and I couldn't help but laugh. "Tell us, you were the one who remembered everything."

"Well, apparently it stopped happening." We all laughed and continued eating as if nothing had happened in recent years. I couldn't wait to see Jessica's family's reaction to finding out she's alive.