She Said We Can Still Be Friends

Was eight in the morning yet it felt as if it was in three. Daniela had came in his room shaking him to wake him up. Julian felt groggy and dizzy, the only thing he had wanted was to stay in bed.
"Julian come on wake already, you have to get up."
"No!"
"I have cooked breakfast, come mangia."
He didnt know what the last word meant but he had a feeling it meant to wake up. Dragging himself from the bed to the bathroom felt like the longest trip ever, everything was bright causing him to hiss and repel against it.
"Don't back away hurry, your grandmother has no idea of this." She pushed him further in the bathroom and closed the door. Julian mumbled to the door as he turned on the shower, testing the water for its warmth.
Daniela didn't have breakfast waiting but she did have the car waiting and she didn't want the gas to run. She sat waiting for him at the foot of the stairs. A total of ten minutes she counted until he was ready.
"So where's my breakfast?"
"No time let's hurry." She pulled him out the front door rushing as they make it to the car.
"Daniela would you- hey stop man ok ok I'm going in the car sheesh." He noticed the engine was on so he pressed foreward.
The ride was silent, he was still tired and now hungry. His stomach had been lied to and it didn't appreciate that.
She was facing ahead wishing that if she blinked her eyes they would arrive at the airport. She didn't know how Marie would act, she certainly didn't know what her grandmother would say about being in New York again.
"So tell me more about this Maria?"
"Well...." Daniela thought about it for a moment trying to make sure every detail of her friend was there. "...Maria is strong, when she loves she loves hard and doesn't like to give up. Majority of the time she ....becomes trouble but she always makes sure that when she fights she is fighting for all not for one."
He nodded his head, laughing inside to himself thinking on how she seems so much like Steven. He pictured them to going head to head.
"There was on problem though.....but I never knew if it was true, maybe it wasn't so I won't tell you until it's fully confirmed."
"Look the airport." He ignored her, he wanted to see Maria for himself.
He had pulled up to the side walk for the arrivals, looking to his right he saw Daniela light up.
"There they are, look they are waiting." Daniela got out of the car, running up to Maria and her grandmother. Getting out himself he heard words being thrown at each other but he couldn't understand.
"Julian come here meet mi amica Maria and my grandmother Joyce."
"Hello, how are you?"
Maria stared at him without answering, but the grandmother had spoken out for both.
"We are tired my child, I would love to see your home, see my friend once more, please let's go."
He nodded taking her bags, Daniela held Maria's putting it in the trunk.
'What is going on here? Since when I became a personal driver for people?' Julian thought to himself, staring at the road hoping when he enters his house it would be filled with guys, doing guy things.
"Julian what is wrong?" He blinked his eyes looking at Daniela as she waited for a response from him.
"Hello? Julian are you there?"
"Sorry...um yeah I'm okay just tired and you promised me a breakfast."
She laughed blushing in her mistake.
"I know it was a joke to get you out of bed it worked though."
Checking his rearview mirror he saw Maria's eyes staring straight into his, Julian was afraid to look away but to prevent an accident he kept his eyes forward.
The drive back was quicker than going to the airport, and from the window he saw his mother cooking.
"We are here." While shutting off the ignition Daniela had left the car helping her grandmother out. Maria helped herself waiting for Julian to pop open the trunk.
"Oh my! Shannon I can't believe that it is you. What are you doing here!?" The grandmothers hugged each other with a warm embrace. Smiling at one another as they both laughed.
"I came out here to surprise you my love I miss the city and was hoping that being here would bring me to you, plus I thought Daniela might get bored soI brought her friend, you remember Maria right?"
Shannon stepped out of her view to let Maria pass.
"My have you grown my child it has been so long, mi bambina quanti anni hai?"
"Ho diecisette anni."
"You're 17 already wow time has flew by." Julian's grandmother took shannon's hand leading her to the house, introducing her to everyone. He was left with the two girls feeling as if his life just altered.
"JULIANN!" A shout was coming from his right, Steven was on his bike peddling to him.
"Dude, what's going on your mom conducting a B&B? If she is you think I get a free pass?"
"Naw nothing like that at all, Daniela's grandmother and friend has come over to stay for a while."
"Hey what's up D."
Daniela turned around to see Steven on his bike she smiled. "Hey Steven I want you to meet my best friend Maria, flew straight from Italy."
"Ciao right? I know Italian I eat Chef Boyardi almost everyday."
"Hello Steven." Her accent flew across him with a heavy knock.
"Wow so we got Italy invading man, sweet sweet can usea little kick in this wack place of ours. Julian come on man let drive down to the beach, the guys want to fish or some shit like that."
"Steve I'm starving and tired."
"Sleep on the beach we head over to diner before we hit the beach."
"Their bags?"
"Hey Mrs. A." Steven held the bags as he passed through the kitchen heading towards Julian's room. He left the house as quick as he entered. "Ok so now that that is settled are you ready to to go?"
Steven hopped on his bike and led the way as Julian followed with Daniela and Maria in the car.
The diner was empty due to people working which meant more space was open for them.
"Hey sweetie pie what would you be having today?"
"Jackie can you just give Julian two bacon egg and cheese on bagels mayonnaise of course n a side order of cheese fries."
"Large coke?"
"Of course, he's starving this morning, Jackie I'd like you to meet D and Maria."
"D? Well what's your full name?"
"Daniela." Jackie's eyes lit up.
"Isn't that lovely, my mothers name is Daniela. Would you ladies want anything to eat?"
"Jackie just give them the same order, you think they can make it fast we have a early catch today."
"Really what are you doing today?" She turned her back to him and gave the cook the orders, he grumbled and she told him to hush.
"Fishing, by the way dad called and said he's coming home late today."
She sighed now, the face that held the smile now felt empty.
"As usual, that man would live in that office if he had to, maybe we should surprise him and give him some food, think he would enjoy that?"
Now it was Steven's turn to let his smile slide, he was beginning to feel uneasy. "No don't he don't really like to be surprised much, last time I did that he basically blew the roof off for no reason."
The food was finished and packed,ready for it to be taken.
"Don't worry sweetie it's on the house." Steven had leaned over kissing his mother good bye. The both returned to the car and bike, this time putting the bike in the trunk.
The ride was quiet but short, the beach was only ten minutes away.
Julian had the girls walk ahead as he and Steven walked behind.
"Steve what's going on with your father?"
"Please promise not to tell anyone man, no one knows not even my mother." Steven was now looking down at the floor wondering how to say the words that just wanted to spit out.
"My dad is having an affair with more than one chick, remember that day we drove over there? Well that's the day I caught him. He blew the roof off and made me swear not to tell my mother, I haven't but it hurts to see her like that."
"Steven you sure she doesn't know? I mean your mom is smart she knows the difference."
"I don't know I don't think she does."
They stood quiet, looking at everyone at the beach wave to them, throwing water at each other.
Walking over to them Julian could only think of Cory. How much he hated the fact that she said they can still be friends, how she was so intuned with the other guy. And now he hated Steven's father, for treating his mother that way. He was angry now but it subsided as he saw Daniela getting confronted by Cory.