Page 30 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

Teo launched into a story, already pulling Ody back into their rhythm like no time had passed. Mano followed, his steps slower.

A couple of minutes later, sharp screams cut through the air. “Ody!” Two girls came running toward them.

Ody stood, grinning as they crashed into him, half laughing and half yelling at him for disappearing. “Where the hell have you been?”

He only laughed it off, throwing out something about college. They teased him, hit his arm, pulled at him like they were making up for lost time. Names were thrown around, plans mentioned, one person still not there.

Everything blurred together. Too many voices, too much noise. Mano couldn’t keep up.

At the first chance he got, Ody glanced back and pulled him in. “This is Mano.”

The girls turned, curious, already teasing him about making new friends. Teo’s voice cut through again as another guy showed up, loud as ever, already pulling Ody into a hug. He looked him over, laughing, then didn’t let go for long, falling straight into conversation, taking up most of Ody’s attention.

Teo jumped back in, keeping the pace high. They fell into an easy rhythm as they walked. The new guy kept close to Ody, talking nonstop, an arm slung over his shoulders. The girls moved ahead, laughing, their voices overlapping.

The conversation flowed without pause. Mano followed a few steps behind. Alone.

They stopped by a mini market, grabbed beers, then headed to the park. The conversation picked up again, louder this time, someone bringing up an old story that had them all laughing before they could even finish it. A video got pulled up. They crowded around the phone, laughing harder as it played, talking over it and over each other.

Ody got pulled into it with them, smiling, reacting, caught in the noise, but every so often his eyes flicked up, searching. Making sure Mano was still close.

The laughter spiked again, something on the screen setting them off. At some point, his attention stayed with them.

When he looked up again, Mano wasn’t there. He tensed. The laughter around him blurred as his gaze moved quickly through the park, searching.

“Sorry for calling. I know you hate it. I just wanted to see how you’re doing.” Ranya’s voice came through the phone as Mano walked, one hand in his pocket, the other holding it to his ear.

“I’m in Patra.”

“Really? What are you doing there?”

“Came for a few days with Ody.”

“Nice.” She hesitated. “When are you coming back?”

Mano glanced ahead. “Not sure. We’re not staying long.”

“Do you wanna hang out when you’re back? Just… a drink or something.”

Mano went quiet. He almost turned her down. Then his mind went back to that conversation. How easily Ody had agreed that this was just something casual. He had a girlfriend, anyway.

“Yeah… alright.”

A brief silence followed.

“Actually… there’s something else,” Ranya said, voice soft.

“Go on.”

She hesitated, then exhaled. “I’m not really into serious stuff. I just… date, here and there.”

Mano said nothing.

“I mean… it was the same with you, right? We clicked. We had a good time in Serifos.”

His mind didn’t go to her but to green eyes. A low voice. The way he touched him. “Yeah…”

“I kept thinking about you after. That’s why I called.”