Chapter 6 Are You Hitting On My Girlfriend?

• - Andrew Chevalier, are you hitting on my girlfriend? – Gael asked sincerely and I could hear irritation in his voice.
• - Hey, Gael, you even offend me by saying that. Alexia is my cousin. I bet Estevan would be very angry if he knew you even mentioned this possibility. I've known Ale since she was born.
• Ale? What do you mean "Ale"? Only my grandfather calls me that, so intimately. Who are you, Andrew Chevalier, who comes out of nowhere and takes care of everything?
• - Hey, I'm here. I hate it when people talk about me pretending they're not in my presence. - I spoke. “Gael, we were just talking about when we were kids. I didn't see “my cousin” for eight years. So we were playfully reminiscing about our childhood. I looked at Andrew. “Don't try to make him doubt me, Andrew. I'm not that kind of girl.
• Andrew looked at me sarcastically, with a half smile. I walked out and left the two of them there alone, feeling my face catch on fire.
• I walked to where the sound transmission booth was located in a three-story building and stayed there. I went up to the third floor and stayed there, alone. There was a lot going on in such a short time for a person who led the most peaceful and monotonous life in Alpemburg. If I weren't such a dreamer, I might imagine that Andrew Chevalier was "singing me". But I knew it could all be part of an innocent game, like when we were kids. He was always a nice and kind boy. And yet it was so, with everyone. That's why he was so loved by the girls and fans in general.
• I took my cell phone and opened his page on a social network and started looking at the posted photos, which I had certainly seen before. And there she was, Laura, taking care of his profile. They seemed to have fun and do a lot of things together. I remembered when it was mentioned, eight years ago, that they had already kissed. Did the two have a hidden relationship? After all, they had kissed, but they were real cousins, as her mother was Katrina and Magnus' sister. I think they were more than cousins... Double cousins... Very cousins... Almost brothers. Who was I trying to fool? I was dying of jealousy. And why was I looking at his pictures again?
• I hung up the phone and sat in the padded chair facing the microphone, looking out over much of the racetrack. I needed to drive a car... Or I would suffocate to death with my thoughts, which were trying to take away my sanity.
• I stayed there, alone, full of thoughts, until I saw my parents coming back, hugging each other, after the dozens of interviews. Finally, time to go home. And with the Chevaliers.
• I walked down the stairs and joined my family and our future guests. Why was Gael still there?
• My mother arranged the carriages back to the castle so that my sisters and I would be in one and she and my father with the Chevaliers in the other. Gael would drive back in his own car… And I'm not sure if he'd go to my place or his.
• As soon as we got to the car, Pauline said:
• - How did Henry get so handsome and I never realized?
• - I think you better not even think about it, Pauline. I don't know which our father would have thought worse: Alef or Henry.
• - Why were they born cousins of our father... - she lamented.
• - I won Andrew's wreath. – Aime said proudly. - If he kissed Alexia when she was ten, do you think he can kiss me too?
• - I can't believe you came out of the same belly as us. - I said tickling her, who threw herself laughing on the bench.
• When we both stopped, Pauline said:
• - Little sister, he didn't kiss Alexia because she was ten years old. He kissed her because she was Alexia, you know?
• - Alexia, what's it like to kiss Andrew? – Aime asked me curiously.
• - Aime, you “brat”. First of all, I didn't kiss Andrew at ten. It wasn't a real kiss. I looked at Pauline so she wouldn't contest what I was saying. “And second, you're only ten years old.
• - I wanted to know to publish on my channel. Could you have been his first kiss?
• - Of course not, silly. And no posting on your channel or anywhere that might even mention this past issue. I would kill you... After Mom and Dad.
• - But theoretically I would already be dead. So you couldn't kill me again.
• - I would bury it. I corrected, trying to look mean.
• - No, you wouldn't even bury an ant. - Pauline said laughing.
• - You can't even be mean. – Aime completed. “But Pauline can.
• Pauline started to tickle her, and she fell laughing at me. I hugged her when she stopped, my eyes filled with tears from laughing.
• - We love you, “little monster”. – I confessed while Pauline also hugged her.
• - Alexia, what does “brat” mean?
• I sighed and let my body relax:
• - When I was little, they called me a brat as a way of offending, because everyone was bigger than me, and I wanted to do everything they did. It's someone who annoys...
• - Google, what does “brat” mean? – she spoke on the cell phone, which replied: “Fedelha to say that she is still a girl, a child, who still smells of swaddling clothes”.
• She looked at us and asked again:
• - Google, what do you mean by “swaddling clothes”?
• I took the phone out of her hands and hung up.
• - Hey, you can't do that. – she replied.
• - I can yes. You already know what a brat means. Now put down this cell phone.
• She crossed her arms, not very pleased, but soon she didn't care about it anymore. Aimê was super excited about the presence of our Chevalier cousins in the castle. They enchanted even a ten-year-old girl...
• Once we reached the parking lot, I quickly got out of the car and headed for the bedroom. I almost ran. I opened the door and went straight to my huge white mirrored dresser and opened the bottom drawer. I took in my hand the jewelry box that I got from my grandfather when I was still a child. He was empty. I turned it upside down to make sure there wasn't really anything inside. That's where I kept, not long ago, the ring Andrew had given me at our wedding as a joke. I say that I kept it a short time ago because every now and then I would take it to admire it and spend a few days with it on my finger, even though it was a simple key ring. It had a very special meaning for me.
• I stormed out of my room, jewelry box in hand, and went to Pauline's room. She was the only one who knew I kept it there.
• I opened the door without knocking first. She was changing clothes, calmly:
• - You're blushing.
• - And I'll be even more... Of anger. Where did you put my ring?
• - What ring? – she asked confused as she pulled on her dress, straightening it in front of the mirror.
• - This one. I showed the empty jewelry box.
• - I didn't touch this, Alexia. Why would I take your brass ring?
• - It's iron. It's not brass. - I corrected.
• - What difference does? You always kept it like it was gold with diamonds. I don't know if you take such good care of your crown as you do your key ring. She shrugged her shoulders.
• - That doesn't give you the right to take my things.
• Pauline became serious:
• - Alexia, calm down. I understand that you might want to show Andrew that you kept it… But I didn't move. Look better, it should be in your stuff.
• While we were discussing Aimê entered the room, with two different dresses on hangers:
• - Do you think I should use this one for lunch or this one? – she showed them one at a time.
• Aime looked at the jewelry box in my hand and turned pale.
• - Ah, you brat... You took my ring. - I accused.
• - I... I promise I can try to rescue you. – she said scared.
• - How do you rescue? Where's the ring?
• - It's not a real ring... It's a key ring, actually. But... It was given by Andrew Chevalier. – the youngest said.
• - What did you do with Alexia's belongings, Aime? asked Pauline seriously.
• - I... I exchanged it for an autographed BTS t-shirt. – she confessed dropping the dresses on the floor and taking a big step back.
• I looked at her and said, almost shouting:
• - And you who said I'm good and wouldn't be able to bury you... I'll kill you, cut you into small pieces and fry. - I said running after her, who ran ahead of me in the hallway.
• She took the stairs two at a time and I followed, steady and strong. Once we got to the first floor, in the castle's entrance hall, she was unsure where to go if I didn't find her. Then when I was about to get close, she screamed for my mother, who appeared out of nowhere, as if she already knew what was happening, to protect her.
• Aime clung to her, terrified.
• - What's going on here? asked Satini angrily.
• - Alexia wants to hit me, Mom...
• - Mom, you can't imagine what she did.
• - What did she do? – asked my curious mother as she covered Aime with her arms.
• - Well, she went through my things.
• - Aime, you can't touch your sister's things. This is not correct.
• - Mom, don't you understand? You can't say it like that, calmly. It was something important to me. You need to yell at her, stand up for yourself.
• Mom looked at the jewelry box in my hand and released Aime, turning to her and asking seriously:
• - Tell me now what you did.
• - I... I took the key ring she kept in the dresser drawer in her room... - Aimê confessed. - And... I sold it. Or rather, it was an exchange.
• - Why did you sell a “keyring ring”? my mother asked confused.
• And to make my situation worse, Andrew and Henry appeared, coming from the same direction my mother had left. Of course, they had just arrived and were coming from the garage. And now?
• - Forget it, Mom... It's all right. - I spoke.
• No, they couldn't hear what it was about.
• - No way, I won't forget. I want to know what happened.
• - Is there a problem, Satini? – Andrew asked looking at me and then looking back at Aime.
• - Fight between sisters... Nothing serious. replied my mother.
• "These children…" he smiled.
• - Andrew, I took the key ring you gave to Alexia.
• - Andrew, did you give Alexia a key ring? my mother asked arching her eyebrows and wrinkling her forehead. - Why would you do that?
• I noticed that Andrew was, for the first time, confused about what to say.
• - And what did you do with him? – Andrew asked my sister.
• - I changed. – she confessed.
• - Changed? Who would trade something for a key ring?
• - It was given by Andrew Chevalier. – she said embarrassed.
• Henry started coughing, trying to keep from laughing.
• - What did you trade for, my daughter?
• - For an autographed BTS t-shirt.
• - You're doing well on the black market, Andy. observed Henry mockingly.
• - Who did you trade with? asked my mother.
• - With Talita.
• - Fuck, and her parents weren't furious to trade an autographed shirt for a key ring? my mother asked.
• - At least the autograph was original, written in cinnamon? Henry asked.
• - She won straight from them, in the dressing room of a show. – Aime explained.
• - And was the ring given by me more important than BTS's autograph to her? - Andrew smiled. “I think I'm famous in Alpemburg, Henry.
• "Too bad..." Henry looked at me and lowered his eyes, playfully.
• - And what do you think she would do if I took a picture with her? Or even give an autograph? – Andrew asked, as he lowered himself to Aime's height.
• - She'd be completely freaked out. And I'd broadcast it live on my channel... Could it?
• - Sure, little one. - He said stroking her head. “But in exchange, she returns your sister's ring.
• - It's not a ring. It's a key ring. – she corrected.
• - But apparently it's important to Alexia. – he looked at me.
• - This is not going to work. My mother looked at me seriously.
• - He is going yes. I'll get the ring back. – Andrew assured.
• - I'm not talking about that, Andrew. And you know very well.
• I blushed again as Andrew tried to defuse the situation.
• - I disagree. It can be right. Henry said, in a low voice, beside me.
• - I don't know what you're talking about. - I said in a low tone too, for only him to hear.
• - You may be shy, but you're not stupid. - he said.
• - I have boyfriend. - I said.
• - By the way, he's boring. – he said calmly.
• - I did not ask your opinion. I have to like him.
• - And why don't you really like it?
• - Why...
• I glared at him. He started to laugh:
• - Fedelha, you are amazing.
• - I'm not a brat. - I replied bravely.
• I saw Aime leaving quietly and said to my mother:
• - It's not because of the key ring... – that I've always considered a ring. “It's because she went through my things.
• - Lunch will be served at 12:30. - she said. “Thank you for partially resolving the situation, Andrew. Still, later I want to know about the ring that isn't ring and since when, exactly, has he been with Alexia. Which one will tell me?
• Andrew and I looked at each other.
• - I tell. - he said.
• - No, let me tell you. - I decided.
• - Why not both? Tonight, after dinner. – she said leaving.
• - I'll tell you the truth. – he warned.
• - What truth? I asked.
• - If you'll excuse me, cousins, I'm going to explore Alpemburg Castle.
• - Stay... At ease, Henry. I said without even looking at him.
• - The truth about the ring.
• - Well then... There is no truth.
• - I'll tell you that we got married... And you, in addition to not wearing your wedding ring, also blatantly betrayed me with an idiot who runs like a girl.