14

Alba POV

JAVIER: Amazing, Alba.

ELENA: I didn't know you could sing.

ISABEL: You all sing great, if I knew I wouldn't sing the first one.

I smile and thank them. Myria is very serious in her seat, she hasn't said anything to me, I'm sure she's upset because she was hoping to make fun of me and she can't.

ALBA: Well that's it, Myria, now it's your turn.

Myria looks at me.

MYRIA: Rosa hasn't sung yet.

Rosa and Elena giggle.

ELENA: Rosa is going to sing with me next, but we don't know what yet and we have to decide, so come on, it's your turn.

Myria lets out a grunt and stands up.

MYRIA: All right...

We all laugh a bit because she looks like a sulky little girl and a bit drunk. I have a feeling she's going to give us a show. I look at my phone and I get a text from Alejandra. Just seeing the notification makes me grin like a fool.

MYRIA: I don't have to choose, I already know what I'm going to sing.

Myria starts singing Dancing on my own by Robyn while I read Alejandra's message.

'Wow, she really can sing.'

She's dancing a little bit while she's singing and looking at me. That makes me nervous, she makes me very nervous. If it wasn't Myria I'd even think she was singing it to me.

"I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her,

I'm right over here, why can't you see me?

And I'm giving it my all

But I'm not the girl you're taking home,

I keep dancing on my own"

'Alba Hevia, you forgot how to breathe.'

What's wrong with me? I just got a nice message from Alejandra, one of the sweetest, funniest, most interesting girls I've ever met and I'm stuck here looking stupid at Myria, who's everything that's beautiful about her is idiotic about her, who treats girls like crap. Or she treats me like crap, I don't know, what does it matter, it's the same thing.

The thing is, I can't stop looking at her, I can't, it's like it's just me and her in here, where's everyone else, are they still in here?

'God, I'm so fucking shallow.'

But I've always thought Myria is too pretty. If that's something you can be too much. And I don't want to think it, but I can't help it if she won't stop looking at me like that, if she won't stop dancing so well, if she won't stop putting on that sexy voice when she sings.

'Now I'm the one that needs a drink.'

When she finishes singing she stands for a while looking to the side and smiling.

'What is she looking at?'

Oh my God. Elena and Rosa are kissing, they're kissing! I hadn't even seen it, I was just staring at Myria. Finally. It's their first kiss, it's the kiss. We all start clapping, I don't know if it's Myria or the two of them, who break away blushing and smiling, with all the shyness and happiness in the world falling from their eyes.

Thanks to them I finally was able to distract my attention from Myria. Alejandra sent me a cute message. She can't stop looking at my photo, even though I only have one uploaded to the app. imagining her in her house smiling and looking at me makes me nervous, I like it. I have to put aside any hotness or nonsense that Myria might provoke in me and focus on her, Alejandra.

Myria POV

When I finished singing Elena and Rosa were kissing. I saw them when they had been hooking up for a while because while I was singing I kept looking at Alba who seemed super attentive to my performance. I think I did well, I don't know, I'm a bit drunk and I couldn't figure out the look on her face. But in the end they all applauded me and that's good. Isabel and the pet boyfriend didn't get a round of applause because they did so badly. When I sit back down Javier looks at Alba and then at me.

JAVIER: Wow, that was intense.

MYRIA: What?

Javier bursts out laughing.

JAVIER: Everything. I didn't know hanging out with you guys was so entertaining.

ALBA: Well, come over anytime, you missed Alicia today with Myria's friends, that's a sight to see.

We giggled. They're really something to see.

MYRIA: You know that's the second time they've gone to a spa without saying?

ALBA: Really? I want to.

I get a bit nervous. I hadn't thought about what would be involved in going with Alba to a spa. I remember the day I saw her in her underwear and my face burns.

MYRIA: Yeah, sure, that's fine.

I lean against the backrest and keep drinking, I don't want my head to keep betraying me with images I shouldn't have embedded in it of the boss who hates me. It's just not right.

Then Rosa and Elena sang a song, but I didn't pay much attention to them. They sounded good, but my head was somewhere else, at the bottom of the cup, at damn Alba, I don't know where but a bit in those two places. Isabel and Daniel were still making out and Alba and Javier were looking at our friends. I don't know why I always end my nights feeling displaced. Before I met Alba this didn't happen to me.

After a while we went home. We all waved at the door and each of us took a taxi. Elena left with Rosa, I like to see her so happy, I'm happy for her. She must have gone a long time without sex.

'And me, I haven't had sex for a century.'

When I'm in bed I keep remembering images of the night. Alba was looking at me a lot.

'She was looking at everyone singing.'

I sigh when that thought comes. It's true, Alba was looking at me but not the way I want her to (what way do I want her to look at me? Agh). She wasn't looking at me, she was looking at the person who was singing. Whether it was me, Elena, Javier, or whoever was there in front of her. My phone vibrates. Alba. As soon as I got home, she texted Alejandra. I smile thinking that at least she remembers me, even though I'm not me, she comes home after a night out with friends, and before she goes to bed she's thinking about me.

'About Alejandra.'

I open the message.

ALBA: So you can keep looking at me.

My mouth is wide open. I'm dead. Here lies Myria Duangjan: Dead of a heart attack at the age of 25.

Alba had just sent me a selfie before bed, with no make-up on, her hair in a bun, wearing striped pyjamas and the sweetest smile I'd ever seen in my life. I had already forgotten that I had sent her a message. My heart skipped a beat (and it's not because of the alcohol). I'd never seen her like that, so natural.

'She's even prettier.'

Why do I feel like this, why did I get excited, why do I want to teleport with magical powers I don't have right now and be with her in that picture?

'Because you like her.'

I... what?