~ The Summer Of Changes ~ Part 71

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I have 3 options: Pete, Vili and the summer-dude-whose-name-slipped-my-mind

Great partio n_n

The bracelet could be something like these:
http://www.nomination.com/showPage.php?template=collections&masterPage=fashion-collection-inside.html&search=soho#ancora
Especially the last pic. I would love to have one, though I haven't seen them in any jewellery shops Well, I haven't even bothered to search them that much xD


Lol, the name was Saku

Thanks girls! (:

Weird :S

but nice

I suppose it was Pete (a)

and I had imagined the bracelet totally different by the way you described it XD but it's ncie I guess

Thanks Dimitra! (:

46

The other evening I left out to have a walk. Elina had already gone back to Helsinki and I didn’t have much to do anymore. The bracelet was disturbing my thoughts very well, I didn’t really know how I should have felt about it. Would I use it normally and claim I wasn’t interested in knowing who had bought the gift for me? Or should I bury it deep into my drawer; out of my eyes, out of my mind?

Streetlights were already on and they made their own particular light to the dark and snowy scenery. I glanced at Vili’s house automatically when I went past it. The window of Vili’s room was dark. I sighed deep, my terms with Vili wasn’t really close anymore. Perhaps I had pushed him away subconsciously or then Vili wasn’t interested in my doings at all. The girlfriend went before everything, of course. It was the unwritten law which I hated deep in my soul. Everybody seemed to assume that along with dating it was prohibited to have any other life or friends. You had to be with your darling around the clock.

When I came back home later Timo rushed to give me an envelope.
- A guy stopped by to give you this, Timo told.
I grabbed the letter from his hand and hurried to upstairs before nobody managed to ask any questions of this mysterious guy.

“Hello Eve! You haven’t still answered to my letter. Are you really so busy? I chickened out last time, I didn’t dare to ring the doorbell. Now I’m going to do it, let’s see if you’re home. I was thinking that I’m visiting there during the New Year because of my work, so if we could meet? I thought we could celebrate the New Year together, maybe Vili wants to join us? I’ll put my phone number at the end of this letter, you can call or send a text message what you think about the idea. It would be nice to see you, it felt like everything remained unfinished between us after the summer…
Saku”

The number was at the end of the letter like Saku had said. So I could spend the New Year with Saku or optionally I could try to spend a peaceful evening alone. It would mean that Susie would force me to be with her friend all evening. But if I met Saku and I could talk with him face to face, maybe he would understand then to leave me alone. I sent a message to him. “The challenge has been received. See you at New Year’s Eve.”

Dad and mom gave some odd looks towards me, Susie tried to solve who the guy had been. I explained something really vague because I didn’t want them to know anything about Saku or that I would spend a New Year with him. The bracelet was still haunting me in the background.

My parents went to celebrate the New Year to Tuula and Seppo’s house and they took Timo with them. I heard that Pete was spending his New Year in Helsinki. Like I would have been interested in his doings… And Susie left with her friends to somewhere leaving the whole house for me. This went easier than I had even dreamt about. Of course Susie tried to talk to me to leave with her but she believed finally that I really wanted to stay at home. After Susie left I sent a message to Saku that he could come whenever he would be ready.

neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeext!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :O

Well, as you wish!

47

I realized I was waiting for Saku nervously. I was wondering the reason why I even was nervous. Obviously the situation had something which made me feel weird because when the doorbell rang my legs could barely carry me until the door.
- Hi, I smiled to Saku and let him in.
- I was almost sure that I would find a dark house or that you wouldn’t open the door for me, Saku confessed.
- Why should I have done that? I asked surprised.
- I don’t know, Saku said. – Blame my imagination if you want.

I led Saku to the living room where I had brought all kind of snacks and drinks. In the beginning the atmosphere was a little bit awkward, I hadn’t seen Saku for a long time. But the more time we spent together, the more I enjoyed spending time with him. I didn’t want to talk about my things to Saku, so I was asking all kind of things of his life. Of course I couldn’t avoid questions about my life but I tried to give as little information as I could. I mentioned there was an exchange student living in my house and I couldn’t get along with her well but I didn’t want to tell reasons for that.

I got really scared when someone opened the front door and walked in. But nobody was supposed to come here! How I could hide Saku now? I didn’t want that anybody knew he was here.
- Eve! I just popped in to get… I heard Susie yelling when she rushed into the living room.
- Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had a quest, Susie quickly changed her tone.
I had to introduce Saku and Susie for each other since the situation was already little uncomfortable. Susie tried to get us with her but I kept my view when I wanted to spend the New Year only with Saku. This wouldn’t mean anything good for the future, Susie would force me to tell everything of him. Luckily Saku didn’t comment much of Susie’s little visit but he continued like nothing had happened.

When it was almost midnight we left to see the fireworks which the city had arranged at the river. When the rockets were banging for the New Year, Saku hugged me long and tight when he wished Happy New Year. Perhaps this year would continue better.

Susie tried to ask everything about Saku but I refused to tell anything to her or anybody else. I met Saku almost every time he had to visit here because of his work. I didn’t tell anything about his visits to anyone. Otherwise I would have had to explain my doings too much if someone had known about them. And finally Susie believed that Saku was only a friend, nothing more.

I thought I got a friend when Saku appeared again to my life. But soon I started to see familiar, foreboding signs. He visited much more than before and he wanted to spend more and more time with me. Until he dropped a bomb again. He had a crush on me. I had done it again. I had got a friend to fell in love with me. Then I had to take a little distance to the whole situation. I wasn’t still ready for any serious relationship with anyone. I would’ve wanted to keep Saku as a friend but apparently it wasn’t possible. Maybe it was better that Saku wouldn’t even be my friend or at least we shouldn’t see each others for a while. It would be easy also when we didn’t live in the same city. It had been a mistake with Vili to continue the friendship like nothing had ever happened. That friendship hadn’t tolerated a girlfriend either. Or then I couldn’t make the right decisions.

Saku visited me the other evening. I was skating then but obviously someone had instructed him there because there he was standing next to the ice. We were sitting on a bench beside the ice when I told that I couldn’t have any deeper relationship than a friendship at the moment. And it would be better if we didn’t see each other for a while. Saku couldn’t understand what was wrong with the situation but he promised to leave me in peace as long as I wanted. I was sitting a long time alone there thinking if I had made the right decision.

When I finally came back home, dad was standing in the hall.
- Not now, I raised my hand and rushed past him.
I couldn’t talk about anything right now. I was sitting in my dark room when dad knocked on my door and stepped quietly in. He gave a mug with hot chocolate. It was a drink which I always liked to have as a child when I was sad.
Perhaps someone understood me after all.

Naww.. A woop woop for Dad

Great parts Heli (:

I love her dad m.m

Thanks! (:
I guess she is dad's girl... xD

48

After a couple of weeks I decided to call Vili. I had realized that I was as guilty as Vili was to the situation where our friendship was. I wanted to fix it, I didn’t want to lose Vili’s friendship ever.

I heard a slight surprise in Vili’s voice when he answered his phone.
- Hi. Could we possibly meet and talk a little? I suggested carefully.
- I’m busy right now. I’m going to see Paula, Vili was explaining.
- Can’t it wait for at least half an hour? I suggested desperately.
- Actually it can’t… I’m late already now, Vili answered. – But I can call later, I really need to go now, Vili hurried and ended the call quickly.
Vili hadn’t been that busy before. Had he changed or was it only because he didn’t want to talk with me? Being declined wasn’t a nice feeling at all, especially when I wasn’t usually so talkative and open person. Now that I wanted to talk for once the person I wanted to talk to was too busy to listen. So I closed myself tighter into my shell like a shellfish.

The winter holiday got closer and all of a sudden I heard that we would go to Lapland to spend time in a cottage there. Dad told me about it, he thought I would need something to cheer me up. Pete’s parents Tuula and Seppo had rented a big cottage from Levi and they had invited our family to spend the holiday there. Timo and also Susie were excited that they could do downhill skiing and do all kind of cool things. I was mostly swearing that I would have to share a room with Susie. Tuula had shown the brochure of the cottage and there were four bedrooms. Luckily the cottage had been built to a hillside so there were three storeys so we all could have our own peace there if we wanted. The third floor had two bedrooms and a toilet. In the middle floor there were the front door, kitchen-living room, one bedroom and another toilet. The first floor contained a room with fireplace, a sauna and a shower, dressing room and one bedroom. There was a terrace at the first floor and a balcony from the kitchen-living room.

The week before leaving to the holiday was a total chaos. Nobody really knew what we had to take there. For a while I even forgot the fight between me and mom when we were arguing if I needed my skates there or not. Finally I managed to confess mom with Timo and all skating equipment left with us. In the middle of the hassle I even forgot that Vili hadn’t called even he had promised. Obviously the girlfriend went before everything. I was tired of thinking of it, it would be a loss to Vili if he stopped keeping contact with me.

We had to ask a couple of days free from the school so that we would have enough time to get ourselves to Levi. Dad had to drive all the long way to there. Or that was what I thought. We had agreed a meeting to a service station which situated a couple of hundred kilometres to the north of the city. I recognized Seppo’s city jeep from the parking area but I really wasn’t ready to see that Pete was there too. I had somehow automatically thought that he would be studying. I wanted really badly to turn around and hitchhike back home but I knew I would make myself a fool with that kind of behaviour. Men were planning the way to Levi in the café. They had decided to change the driving shifts so that one could rest while two were driving. Women weren’t allowed to drive and I didn’t even have a driving license.

I was watching souvenirs deep in my thoughts when Pete stopped beside me.
- Shouldn’t you by the souvenirs from Levi and not from here? he asked.
- Screw you, I snapped and moved to the other side of the shelf.
- You really look like you need a holiday, Pete said after following me.
I glared at him and continued my way to another shelf.
- You know, my target is to get that uptight look away from your eyes, Pete continued.
- It would be best if you left me alone, I snarled. – Instead you could focus to Susie, at least she would appreciate it.

I went back to others while Pete followed me.
- We should continue our way, Seppo said. – If you Pete drive Pekka’s car from now on so that Pekka can rest a while.
I cursed Seppo in my mind. I couldn’t stand Pete in the same car many hours without breaks. I was planning I would grab my stuff from our car and move to Seppo’s car. I would rather stand mom and Tuula and the pop music than Pete.
- Eve, you can be my co-driver, Pete said when I hurried to our car.
- You don’t need co-driver, follow your dad if you don’t know the way well enough, I said.
But Pete shook his head. – You’re the co-driver in this car. Dot.
- Timo, your mom had something to tell you, so if you travel in our car for a while, Pete continued fluently.
Great, in our car were Susie, Pete and me. The situation couldn’t be any worse than it already was.

Why can't women drive??? That's totally racist -.-

xD Dunno.
But I guess usually men prefer driving if there's other family in the car. Like my dad drives every time even if mom is there too. But if I'm coming, then I usually want to drive.

My dad usually drives during vacations as well. Only not the last one since we went with two cars *shrugs*

Maybe Eve should slow down a little with snarling at Pete

=/
anyway... I didn't quite like that part of the part... but other than that it was cool ^^

Good that I didn't miss so much

Those parts were great

Thanks! (:

49

I sat on the front seat pouting when Pete still wanted to ask something from his dad. I was sure there was some kind of trap in this arrangement.
- There you go, Pete gave a pile of paper to me after sitting behind the steering wheel.
- What are these? I asked surprised when I browsed the papers full of text.
- It’s a play for the spring show in our school and I have a role in it. Because of this trip I can’t participate in the reading practices so I have to do it here, Pete explained.
- And what I have to do with this?
- You’re helping me of course. We have enough time to go the play trough during the drive.
- But how can you concentrate on both things: driving and remembering the lines at the same time? I asked doubting.
- Easily. Don’t worry about that, Pete answered and showed one of those dazzling smiles to me.
I heard a fascinated sigh from the back seat, and I was sure Pete heard that too.
- I will do it because it’s my dear life which I have to worry about, I said and started to examine the lines Pete gave me.
He could point his smiles to Susie via mirror, at least they wouldn’t go totally in vain. Susie tried to be with us all the time, she asked about the play and the role Pete was playing. I already suggested that Susie would move on the front seat so that they could talk in peace. Unfortunately Pete said that we had to start practicing and asked politely if Susie could be quiet that she wouldn’t disturb him. So, I was going trough the scenes where Pete was in again and again with him. It was dead boring at least to Susie since she didn’t understand anything about it. But I had to admit that even I was Pete’s opposite actor and I was too lazy to act for real, Pete managed to create a real performance.
- Wouldn’t it be much easier if you had just skipped this trip? I said finally. – You could go to practice and you wouldn’t need to do this with me.
- But I wanted to come here, Pete answered.
- And why’s that? Nobody forced you to come… unlike somebody else, I muttered for myself the rest of the sentence.
- I had my own reasons to come. You’ll know them sooner or later, Pete said.
Perhaps I didn’t even want to know them… Luckily Pete drove the car to a service station so that we could have break. I could stay away of Pete for a while, maybe getting a closed space with him didn’t do any good for me. My thoughts began to run too restless ways.

We kept a longer break and ate the lunch over there. After changing the drivers we continued our way. Dad drove our car and Seppo came to continue their conversation in our car. Timo escaped women to our car, I escaped Pete. And Susie followed Pete into other car. The whole thing was just a big circus.

After a couple of shorter breaks we were finally in Levi. It was already evening so we only did some groceries for the next morning. Like I had thought previously I had to share the room with Susie at the lowest floor. Pete and Timo took the room from the middle storey and parents took the third floor. They could keep snoring competitions in there totally in peace.
Mom and Tuula started to make food and Susie was helping them. I had occupied the sofa where I was browsing the brochures of Levi and its surroundings. Mostly I was interested in the prices if I rented the equipment for the downhill skiing. I wanted to know how many days I could spend in the slope with the money I had.
- Have you ever snowboarded by the way? Pete asked sat down on the other couch.
- No I haven’t. And I won’t, I said.
- Why not? It’s nice, really, Pete answered.
- The skis are enough for me.
- I could teach you to snowboard here, Pete suggested.
- Believe me that my answer is no. I have to teach Susie to handle the skis and besides the rent of the board is more expensive than the skis, I said.
- Well, if it’s because of the money, I can pay it. And Timo can teach Susie, I’m sure of that, Pete suggested.
- I can pay my own equipment, I glared at Pete badly. – And I’m sure Timo won’t teach Susie, he hasn’t even talked much with her. Actually, you could teach Susie to snowboard. She would surely agree with the idea if you blink your eyes and smile charmingly, I suggested and threw the brochures towards Pete when I left to downstairs.
- Idiot… Pete muttered.
- Let’s agree that I didn’t hear that! I yelled from the stairs.
This holiday wasn’t going to be a relaxing one.

Awwww

I'd swear Pete had the hots for Eve
Only Eve doesn't really agree on that xD

Loved it (:

Hahah! xD That might be true...
Thankies! (:

This is gonna be fun

Haha, I hope so!

50

The next day we left to see the place more closely. The cottage was situated in a walking distance of the Levi centre where all the shops and the skiing centre was. I was happy when we found a skating-ring so it would be easy to go to skate. Unfortunately the place was full of tourists, it was the season time over here. Russians, Germans and Englishmen were in the middle of the Finns. I was getting a little frustrated when Susie wanted to enter every single souvenir store to admire items from little furry reindeer to Santa Clauses even Christmas had already went. Pete had vanished somewhere a long time ago and I wasn’t going to ask where he had been when he would be finally back. In the end we managed to go to the grocery store to buy the missing goods, it had been our prime idea but Susie had changed our plans. Pete found his way to us when we were arguing which kind of lemonade we would buy.
- By the way, I rented the downhill skiing equipment for us starting already tomorrow, Pete informed me, Susie and Timo after we had managed to agree the flavour of the lemonade.
- So you didn’t think to ask our opinion about it? I snapped angrily
- No I didn’t. You can see yourself how many people here want to rent stuff. Soon there are no skis left, Pete explained. – I rented two pair of skis and two boards.
- Great, I made a face. – I guess you paid them also?
- No I didn’t. We can pay them tomorrow, Pete replied.
- I want skis, I’m not going to play with the board, Timo informed us right away.
- I would like to have skis too, at least for the start. It would be easier to me handle them, Susie said.
I wanted so badly to scream out loud that I didn’t know how to snowboard and I really didn’t want Pete to teach me.
Well done Pete, very well done…

We bought the lift tickets next day and went to the slope. We all four were standing with our equipment at the bottom of the slope for children.
- This means that Timo has to teach Susie to do the downhill skiing, I said.
- No, not in hell! he yelled.
- TIMO! You’ll ski the slope down a couple of times and show how to brake. This wasn’t a request but an order! I snapped back. – Go now! I know that you can teach her!
I heard Timo muttering some protests but he left to show the way to Susie to the lift. I didn’t have energy to fight with Timo, I had more important doings…like fight with the board. Pete had to teach me everything right from the start. How I had to be in the lift and how I managed to get off there. Going down the slope was the most difficult part. I guess I went the biggest part of the slope with something else than the board. At least Susie had fun. Timo had taught her everything he thought it was necessary to know and he had disappeared into bigger slopes. Of course Susie had stayed with us. She was flirting with Pete all the time which began to piss me off. I wanted the skis under me and as far away from Pete and Susie as I could be. So I suggested to Susie that she should try the board now and I could take her skis. It was a miracle that she only laughed and refused. It looked so difficult that she didn’t even want to try, or that was what she said. I couldn’t believe my ears. So Susie refused Pete’s teaching just like that? And that meant I should handle all the secrets of snowboarding as soon as it was possible so that I could get rid of these two. I envied Timo when he could ski alone without any distracters.

I started to listen to Pete’s advice for real and in the end of the day I could slide the slope down without any falls. The speed wasn’t quick yet but I had already made progress. I still wanted to ski a little more difficult and longer slope for the end of the day. I just wanted to try and see if I managed to do it. Luckily Pete had visited here earlier so he led us to a suitable slope. Actually with higher speed everything was much easier like turns and everything else. I would have wanted to stay there boarding but my stomach was keeping a huge noise because of a hunger so we had to left back to the cottage. Hunger had pulled Timo earlier there so the food was ready when we were back there. Timo had already got to known some guys who were going to go to play some ice hockey later that evening. Of course I was going to be there, wanted they or not.

Pete isn't that bad after all

I agree with Mar

I guess he isn't.

I'm starting to dislike the main character... she's such a bitch always shouting and screaming to everyone and blaming the others for what happens to her...