Chapter 5. Barcelona and she. *Marco*.

When I arrived at the university, I found myself in the middle of hundreds of students running around. After that I rented a room exactly where she was staying, as my father got the address and paid a student who had recently arrived who lived with them to go somewhere else. He probably gave her enough money for several months, because it seemed that in Barcelona it was very difficult to get a room. 

Before going to look for her in the coffee shop where I already knew she worked, I went to the secretary's office and made the necessary paperwork to let them know of my arrival in the country and on the university campus. It was a sunny day and I saw quite a few pretty girls looking at me and whispering to each other, so I immediately started to think that it would not be so bad for a short period of time there. 

_So will you be here for a month or two months?

_Yes, during a flexible period. 

_Yes, the principal of your university in Naples has already called us. It's all taken care of Marco, everything is in place for you to do your academic course.

The middle-aged secretary held out my student card.

_ Well, welcome to Barcelona, enjoy the university and the city, you'll see that it's a bit chaotic. 

_ I'm used to chaos. 

I said smiling, referring to my life in Naples, one of the most frenetic, crazy and chaotic cities anyone could find.

She smiled and winked at me and as I stood up I felt quite observed. 

When I got to the room the boy who welcomed me seemed friendly, maybe too friendly, I wasn't used to that great good humour and positivity.

_Hello, I'm Oscar. _ He said, shaking my hand quickly. _ So, do you like Barcelona?

_Until now I've only seen the airport and the campus....

_Well, I'll show you when we both have some free time or a day off. 

He said quite friendly and I thought it would be very easy to get along with him, his appearance was that of a quiet and nice guy.

We walked down a short corridor and appeared in a small living room full of wooden furniture, there was a large window that opened onto a small balcony that looked a bit rusty with little flowers that were planted in colourful pots.

_This is the living room and there is the kitchen, there is a Dolce gusto coffee machine and Espresso_ he said, winking at me, although I didn't take the hint. I was soon to discover that Italians to Spaniards were happy, sexy people who cooked pasta and pizza every day.  Oh that they also drank coffee over and over again. The truth is that they weren't too far wrong. 

The kitchen was open to the living room and at most two people could fit in it, and there were four doors around it.

This is the washroom _ said Oscar who was a few metres away, I parked my suitcase next to the sofa and followed him. That space was a small bathroom with a window facing the street, and a small shower... wasn't there even a bathtub?

-And now I'll show you your room. 

I hoped with all my strength that it would be better than what I had just seen, the place wasn't bad, cosy.... But three people would live there? I was used to huge luxury houses, where there were so many rooms that they were left abandoned in the house only to be cleaned by the service.

-You have the best room, it's normal, it's expensive... it's luck that you showed up, it always costs Elisabeth and me to rent it.

At last he had said her name and I decided to take advantage of it. 

-How long have you lived here?

-About three and a half years ago, when we started university, we met on campus and decided to move in together right away. 

Oscar was a handsome, dark-haired guy, slim and well-dressed, and I thought they would be a couple.

-You'll meet her tonight, she works in a cafeteria near the beach, eats there and then goes to the university in the afternoon. I go in the morning. From Monday to Thursday you'll only see her in the evenings....

I already knew her schedule, in fact after settling in I was thinking of going to pay her a visit.

-Well, this is your room. What do you think? It's great, isn't it?

It was one of the smallest rooms I would have had in my main house and I thought on the spot what their rooms would be like for Oscar to have told me it was the best.

_Double bed, built-in closet and even a balcony with a view.

Not bad, although by views he meant the building opposite and that to the left you could see a bit of the city and the chaotic traffic.

-Yes, fantastic. _ I said, dissimulating.

After settling in quickly I went to the address that my father gave me, it took me about twenty minutes to get there by subway.  It was a small coffee shop a few blocks from the sea. I stood in front of it because I knew I was about to leave. But at that moment a girl with brown hair and light skin came out of the place quickly.

_Remember to meet me there on Thursday. _She said towards someone who was still inside. 

I thought it might be her, since the only picture I had been given was of a girl of about eleven years old with long brown hair in a ponytail. There was nothing else. 

-Elisabeth? 

-Who are you? - she said, looking at me strangely.

-Are you Elisabeth? 

-No, she'll be out in a few minutes, she has to close this midday. 

-Oh, I'm just a relative from Italy. 

She didn't answer and walked away.

-She will be out in a few minutes," she said rather unfriendly as she walked away, it was not normal for women to relate to me like that. 

After several minutes, a girl with very long black hair came out of the small place, she was wearing tight jeans that marked her figure and a short white t-shirt that showed off her bronzed skin. I couldn't deny that she caught my attention easily, and I didn't imagine her like that. 

As she was closing the place, I approached her from behind and called her name. She froze slightly, as if she was scared. Then she turned around and her honey eyes looked into my blue ones blankly.

_Who are you?

_I am Marco de Luca.

_Who?

_I come from Naples, from the Luca family, we are a distant family.

She was silent and strangely shocked, as if she had never expected this visit from me.

_I have no family in Italy.

She said in a very cold and distant way.