Title: The Real World
Part: 6/?
Author: Wendy
Category: Others
Rating: PG
Copyright: 2000
<> Wendy <>
I went into my room after sitting in front of the television for about half an hour. There was some show on, but I just couldn't pay attention to it. I wanted to tell everyone that things were okay, but I couldn't when I didn't know what was going on. If I hadn't been so tired, I wouldn't have gone into my room until it was much later. I just felt a little awkward with Aryela after what had happened.
Aryela was sitting on her bed, writing in her journal or something. She looked up when I entered, but didn't say anything and went right back to writing. I really didn't want to come off too nosy, so I didn't say anything. I had so many questions and different things that I want to say to her, but it just wasn't the right time.
I went into the bathroom and changed into my pajamas. I brushed my teeth and it was probably better off if I just called it a night. It had lasted long enough as it was.
I glanced over at her before climbing into bed. I put the comforter over my body and turned to my side.
"Wendy?"
"Yeah?"
"It's more complicated than you think," Aryela said.
I turned to face her. "I know it is, but I thought that we were friends."
"We are, but it's just been something that I haven't wanted to tell people."
"What are you talking about?"
"I don't want to talk-"
"Then why did you bring it up in the first place?" I retorted.
"I don't really know…" she trailed off.
I didn't mean to push her into telling me anything, but she was the one who brought it up in the first place. Maybe she was going to open up sooner or later, but it was just difficult sitting there and not knowing what was going on with someone so close and dear to my heart. Hopefully, it would be sooner rather than later.
"Wendy, this has nothing against you, so don't think that's why I haven't told you anything. It's just hard opening up about it," Aryela explained.
"Well, I guess when you're ready, just let me know about it," I replied.
"Yeah. Good night."
<> Drew <>
If I had known that my room with Sara would be facing the east, I would've never picked it. I woke up at the crack of dawn because I was one of those people who couldn't sleep in daylight.
I tiptoed downstairs before waking up Sara, and out to the deck, which was also facing the east. I looked at the beautiful sunrise. I had never seen anything like it. The sky was in an array of blues, purples, pinks and yellows. The shades were reflecting off of the Mediterranean Sea and it was breath taking. There wasn't this type of sunrise in Ohio, nor the apartment where I lived in New York.
I wouldn't mind seeing this type of sunrise for the next ten weeks. I wouldn't mind at all.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
I was aware of Wendy's presence with me.
"Yeah, it really is," I replied. "Why are you up so early?"
"I just couldn't really sleep, after what happened last night and all. What's your excuse?" she asked.
"Oh, I just can't sleep with the sun outside. I've always been like this. I would've came here to Barcelona a long time ago if I had known that it was going to be like this," I said.
"I wish I had gone in my junior year of high school. Then again, Greece wasn't bad at all," she said.
"You've been there?"
"Yeah, the spring break trip for my senior year. It was amazing."
"I hate how I've only been in the US all my life," I pouted.
"Don't worry. I have a feeling that this trip will have everything that you have ever expected outside of the US," she smiled.
<> Sara <>
I woke up from a dream about Alex when Drew opened the door of our room. I turned to my left and the clock said that it was nine in the morning. I think the time difference between the two countries was kicking in me. I didn't sleep until it was way into the night, or morning, I should say. Nick and I were just sitting in the living room and talked. It was almost as if we had known each other already.
"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked Drew.
I'm changing and then heading downstairs. Sorry that I woke you up," he said.
"That's okay. I should probably get up anyway."
My hair was probably in a complete mess, but I didn't really care. It's just something that I'll have to get used to and not care about, living with a male roommate and all. It was definitely my first time doing something like that.
After Drew changed in the bathroom, I got my clothes and went in to a shower. A cold shower really woke me up instantly.
When I went down to the kitchen, I saw that everyone was getting breakfast.
"Good morning," Nick greeted.
I smiled at everyone and grabbed the box of cereal that was on the counter. I took the milk from the refrigerator and pour it in my bowl of Cheerios.
"You guys, I was online a little earlier this morning, and I was checking out some things that we can probably do today," Drew said.
He handed a few pieces of paper to Wendy, who was sitting next to him. For the next few minutes, we were looking through the list that Drew had printed up. Personally, I wanted to go see the marketplace in downtown Barcelona. I've heard from many people that they sell nice things there and that they're pretty cheap.
"I think I want to go see the church," Aryela said, handing the list to Nick.
"I heard there's some museums in downtown, and there is the Christopher Columbus statute thing," Lance said. "It's probably worth a visit."
"I want to see the marketplace in downtown, but we don't have to go today. We already went shopping a little yesterday," I finally said.
"My friends back home said that the Mediterranean has the clearest water, so we should take a look at that some time," Wendy suggested.
"Yeah, it's going to be clear in comparison to the water in Long Island Sound," Drew joked. "Nick, any suggestions from you?"
"No, I don't care. I want to visit all the places, so it doesn't really matter to me where we go today."
"You guys, why don't we just go downtown and just see where we wind up?" Wendy said.
"That's probably better," I replied.
I finished my cereal and headed upstairs to get my purse.
<> Lance <>
After everyone was ready, we headed out of the house. We didn't have a car, so we walked downtown. Good thing that it wasn't that far away from our house. I really hope that we were going to get a car because I wouldn't want to walk back and forth all the time.
We stopped at a few shops along the way. The girls wanted to look at the jewelry and things like that. I really wasn't surprised about it. After a day of living with them, it was already apparent that we had some shoppers in our house. Slowly, we got to the statue of Christopher Columbus.
Drew looked over the tour book that he had gotten along the way, and it said that the statue supposedly pointed toward the west. We kept on walking through the streets. It definitely wasn't the cleanest city I've ever been in.
Somehow ending up at this church. It was just huge. There was no other word to describe it. It was still under construction, and that it would be under construction for the next hundred years. I could not believe how it was. It was probably the largest church I had seen in my lifetime.
We had a couple of religious people in our house, so we went in there for a visit. If I had thought that it was big from the outside, the inside was even more amazing. I had never seen anything like it before. It was dark into, with the stained glass allowing some sunshine into the church. It took us a while to even get to the altar.
A short while later, we exited the church and just started to walk around once again. We wound up at the beach, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The water was so clear. It was this clear blue color. The water of Gulf of Mexico was definitely nothing like it. The sand was really light and it was warm against my feet.
<> Aryela <>
It was a sunny day and we just all decided to sit for a little while on the beach. I really wished that I had my bathing suit so that I could just jump into the water. I pulled out my green sunglasses from my purse and put them on.
I remembered listening to the radio once where these people just put almost everything into their purses. I wished that I had put my suntan lotion in it because knowing how my skin was, it would be burnt within a few minutes. It didn't help that I was wearing just a tanktop and shorts.
Anyway, we were all just talking about random things. I starred out into the horizon. It was beautiful. I had never seen anything more beautiful, even after spending every Spring Break in Florida ever since I could remember.
Florida. I remembered that summer when Wendy went there with me. It was probably sophomore year back in high school. We were almost best friends back then. I really wanted to tell her what was going on with the depression. It wasn't so much I was ashamed of the condition, but she probably wouldn't understand what I was going through. She and I used to have that connection where we knew what one another was feeling. I just didn't know if that existed anymore.
"-Aryela, hello?"
I snapped out of my thoughts and saw Nick waving his hand in front of me wildly. I just had to laugh at him.
"Sorry, I was just thinking," I sighed.
"It figures," Drew smiled.
"Very funny, Drew. It's just so beautiful out here."
In the distance, I saw Wendy and Sara. They were right by the sea. The wave rushed up to their feet.
"Come on, guys, let's go join them."
<> Nick <>
Aryela pulled me up by my hands and we headed to join the two girls. The water was actually colder than I had anticipated. After a few seconds though, it was almost natural.
"I want to go swimming!" Lance suddenly exclaimed.
He took off his shirt and just went in with his shorts on. I couldn't give up an opportunity like it. I grabbed Aryela's hand and we both went into the water, following Lance. She was screaming, but I dragged her out with me. Drew followed, laughing at her.
Aryela started splashing water at me once she could stand up. Soon enough, all six of us were in a water fight. Everyone was really having a blast, and I was glad.
I couldn't see who was really splashing, but I didn't care. My shirt was starting to stick to my skin from the water. I could taste the salty water in my mouth and made a face.
After a short while, my eyes started to sting a little from the water, probably because I was wearing my contacts. I didn't care too much. It's probably one of those times when you just want to absorb the moment and not stop it.
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