Chapter 3: Fall Love in 24 hours

Left my grandmother's flower shop "Flowers For The Heart" she was full of customers because of the holiday. Then you ask me if it was cold?

Logical!

Cold air bothered me on certain occasions more especially when I was wearing a red dress with an opening at the back, like me now. The cold would be more intense if it were not for the scarf that my grandmother reminded me to put on, without it I would be practically frozen.

The city signs caught my eye because they were so bright and blinked so hard it made my eyes hurt. It was no surprise that my hometown gave too much credit to the ads. At that time I already thought it was a kind of tradition, all stores on 34th Street always made the same makerket type every year; balloons and heart-shaped banners along with various adornments that covered the facades of any establishment on the street.

I think the first time I saw any indicie of the famous phrase "Love is in the air" I was only six years old and it was already becoming tiring for me.

Ugh! I'm the only one tired of this? I shouted in the middle of the street attracting some curious looks

I pull myself together from my little embarrassment and look at my wrist, just to see if I have much time.

12:00 pm

Only half a day to finish the entire list. Oh gosh! As I always slept a lot. I decided to see the second item on the list immediately. As if I already knew that this night would last an eternity, I quickly unrolled the crumpled white paper and read it aloud to see if my mind focused and focused on sav ing my poor soul.

2 # "Save Cupid"

My brain took a little longer to process what I had just read. I reread it again to check and yes, I would have to help the person or rather the magical being who put me in this situation, life is really a box of surprises.

Where are the hidden cameras?

Had difficulties running because of the black heel I was wearing, but it didn't stop me from looking for Cupid. I was already prepared, I just had to find Mr. Idiot now, he was easy to be found, just see a crazy man wearing a white suit with a rose drawn on his shoulder, where else would he be?

I couldn't believe it when my eyes met that cupid's beautiful, sarcastic ocean blue eyes. I can't believe he knew we would see him here again and he didn't even mention it. I started to go towards him and he was startled to notice my murderous look that was directed at him, I suddenly remember that on the morning of the 14th I read in the newspaper that a man had been run over on Valentine's Day by a decorative holiday car.

Was it too much of a coincidence or was Cupid the same man? He stood there in the middle of the street like a stature, seeming to expect something to happen. A few meters away a white golf cart full of hearts attached to the hood, passed me and I realized that the car was really going to run over him, so I didn't think straight, I ran and jumped pushing Mr. Cupid avoiding him being hit by that one car.

More unfortunately as in a very cliché movie scene, he and I fell on top of each other in the middle of that busy street. I hit my head with his and managed to get a high-pitched cry from Mr. Cupid a callus without a doubt formed on the spot, my head was really hard admitted. He looked at me again with those eyes that seemed to hide more than an ocean, easily any girl would get lost in them, but for me they were just two pairs of ordinary eyes.

The curious thing is that Mr. Mystery as I'm going to call him now because I don't know his name, he looked at me with his hand on his head and a childlike smile formed on his lips making me smile like a fool to see him safe.

Idiot!

"This is what I call a beautiful fall" pronounces first "More would do it all again if I were to look at those beautiful green eyes of yours Miss" speaks looking at me.

"Why didn't you tell me that we would meet again. Second place on your list and keep it" I speak furiously in the middle of screams not even a little bit, spitting all my anger at him "I thought I was alone" I cried against his chest.

"If I told him I would lose all grace" he said, wiping his tears "I wanted to be saved by that heated little girl" now lifted off the floor, talking laughing with her perfect teeth.

"Idiot! Now you're going to have to help me complete the list" I also get up and leave the middle of the street so I don't get hit by the car and it follows me "I only have 12 hours left and I still have 8 things to do .... and"

"Hey! Correcting you have 9 hours and 58 minutes to complete the mission" raise your eyebrow leaving him with an air of knowing everything and continued "Stay calm is a long time" mock.

"It does not make me more calm, it makes me more desperate!"

"was you who didn't believe me and slept a lot!" he speaks pointing to the subtotal that he had now engraved on my skin "Well, I ..."

"Please don't say an "I told you, Alice" that I feel more relaxed" I asked interrupting him "Will you stay there with a snobbish expression or will you help me?"

"I'm a cupid and what would a cupid be if I don't help humans," he says dramatically. With very little time together I realized that his dramatic mood was a striking feature of his personality "They always need me, what to do?"

"But who said I need you?"

"If you don't want help for me that's fine." shrugs with a mischievous smile "If you prefer to spend eternity as one ..." speaks putting me in fear.

" I accept your help!" I interrupt him desperately and he gives me a victorious look.

"Well let's start, let me see your list" take the paper out of my hands and start reading.

"3 # "Knowing the truth" it always appears, even though many try to hide it. 4 # "Forgive" this is something that few know and can do more is liberating" cupid says giving note of everything described in the list.

"5 # "Have fun" that you have to learn to take for the rest of your life."

"As if that were easy," I say.

"Yes, it's easy! Just let yourself be absorbed in the joys of life" he says putting his finger on a crease on my forehead "You are a very tense person if you continue like this without enjoying the good things in life, you will have wrinkles before you reach 25 years old."

"Will I try to have fun combined?" I speak trying to soften my expressions "Now finish reading the list we don't have time to spare"

"6 # "If I found out" well this is difficult because nobody ever really knows each other's" 7 # "Open your heart"

"I think this will be kind of difficult for you" he said looking me up and down.

"Look who is talking!" I say with an ironic smile "I knew that for a "being" that deals with love you are very prejudiced."

"I prejudiced? You have all this assumption that love is a burden and you judge the people you really love, and besides, I'm just trying to help you" look at me seriously "But since you don't want to ..."

"Not!" the insurance by the prevented arm from leaving, he stops and looks at me, holding his gaze for several seconds, making me lose my breath, finally I came back to myself, looking for air.

I know myself well and now I was swallowing all my pride for such an act, but I really need Mr. stupid because my life depended on it.

"Ok, since you insist" he says with a smile dancing on his lips and goes back to reading the list 8 # Finding happiness "Well, happiness is something that varies with the situation, what is happiness for you?"

"For me? ..." I am thoughtful "Without a doubt for me happiness is not described in words, more happiness is to believe in life" I answer sincerely to being magical.

"This is very profound for someone who has his personality" surprised cupid looks at me and keeps reading the list, now I wonder why he doesn't know the list, since he needs to read it, it certainly wasn't made by him.

9 # "Find someone" "there are more than 7 billion people at any time it was possible to find someone if you allow and 10 # ..."

"Why you stopped?" I speak taking the list from your hands "Tenth ..."

"Fall in love .... What? no! " The puzzled eye "I don't want a list to fall in love, I want a list to not fall in love would be much better."

God forbid! For real?

"Fall in love or be cursed to be trapped here forever, like a dead soul" "Do you choose" asks crossing his arms.

Think about it Alice. My subconscious tells me.

"OK! it will be a list to fall in love with" I say trying to make it sound a lot more my mind disapproves of the idea.

"Come on, we have a lot to do!" I say confidently "What does it mean to know the truth?" I ask curious, because it is my life that is at stake.

"You last year, in the case this year now that we are in, did not discover the whole truth about you know ... the betrayal." "So now you have a chance to find out," he says tersely.

"I know it will be difficult but we have to try 9 hours pass in the blink of an eye" he says pulling me and running to I don't know where "I know where we should start."

"Where are we going?"

"Straight to number 3 on the list, let's find out the truth!"

I don't know how, but I felt more secure being close to the idiot, I would have to trust him now that it was the last way to save my life. The list was well thought out to be difficult to follow as it involved my weakness; My feelings. Discovering the truth of a year ago did not interest me much, I just wanted to forget the pain and disappointment that I felt and that I still feel today.

Contempt. Rage. Ache.

It was the feelings that confused me that day.

Along the way that Cupid guided me, we entered a very familiar street, I understood what Cupid meant by "discovering the truth" we were in front of the gate of the house of who was once my only love in life.

The strong passion of the time blinded me and my feelings completely controlled my conscience, I think I was deluded, desperate to be reciprocated and the truth is that I fell in love because whoever invented my I think Cupid watched a lot of spy movies, because he was behaving as if we were on an impossible mission or something, we spoke so softly that our voices almost made a silent murmur. Out of nowhere he took a binocular out of his pants pocket that was not there a second ago and I thought it must be something that went beyond my humble understanding, and I saw it go on tiptoe.

The big climax was when we suddenly saw Lilly go up the street, quickly without many options I was forced to hide behind a trash can along with that idiot. It was not very pleasant to be after a filthy place like that for convenience, but it was the only option at the moment. thoughts and the true reality was not the same as my fantasy.

We were totally silent as we followed with eyes and ears what was happening in the discussion between liliana and Sean . Seeing an event, on the other hand, can be really enlightening.

"I can't believe you did that nonsense" an exalted voice yelled "You were using Alice because of an idiotic bet the voice screams more."

"What's lily? "The problem is mine" "I don't really love she, But I needed the money."

My eyes fill with water and I tried to get out from behind those trash cans and say a few good ones to him, but cupid stops me.

Was it all a gamble?

Was it all about money?

"She already discovered and you even helped" says running his hands through his hair.

"Yes, I did! But was for her and not for you" "She was always my best friend and I'm sure that this beautiful friendship ended says crying."

I still feel confused, I misunderstood her and all she did was help me get rid of an idiot? I think Cupid was right the truth is that I am a little prejudiced and proud. I've always been adamant about never letting it explain itself.

"She didn't deserve to suffer when she heard how rotten you are" said the furious girl "I never liked that you used her and that's why I decided to pretend I was with you, but I really regret it."

"Are you sure you regret it, Lilly?" Sean says in his sarcastic voice.

"One day she will discover the whole truth of Sean, the truth always comes" she says confidently, certain of what she had said.

"when that day comes, I will not omit everything I know, Sean" ends up leaving.

The voice of the two gradually moved away until it was no longer heard, I knew I could not interfere much in what happened in the past, because you can no longer change, you can learn something from it. The truth was frightening.

Realizing that there was no one else out there, Cupid and I finally got out of that horrible situation, my legs were numb. My feet no longer obeyed me, I started to walk away and only stopped when we arrived at a small square. Everything around me seemed to have frozen and the only thing I could hear was that my thoughts were in a trance.

My ideals, my assumptions, opinions and judgments were all making my head pound.

I was wrong about all of them.

saw an old wooden bench and collapsed on it, cupid followed me without saying a word and sat beside me. I put my head on his shoulder and he didn't care and I stayed there listening to the quiet music being played in the street and enjoying the moment feeling the wind pass between my red hair.

When I realized that we had been on that bench for a long time and that we still had 7 things to do on the list, that was when I looked at my wrist, where that kind of mystical tattoo in vibrant leon color marked the remaining hours for my final verdict and for my surprise there was only 5 hours left, we had spent hours in the square and I didn't notice.

"Let's go because we have a few hours to finish the list, what's left!" I got up and scared Cupid with my quick action.

"Well ... I think you already forgave and with that we ended up with number 4 on the list now and have fun" look at the list and smile and the music in the square starts to increase.

"Come on. Let's dance" pull me to where people were.

"Wait!" I stop and he looks at me.

"We are extremely dirty..." I look at my clothes and I am surprised that they are as clean as before.

"But..."

"It's magic, my dear" he takes me by the waist and turns me around, making me dizzy.

The band that was in the square celebrating the holiday, started a faster and more contagious music and everyone in the place started to cheer up and dance.

We were in the middle of people and I laughed all the time with the dancing movements of Cupids, which by the way were not good, it looked more like a rusty robot or a depraved old man dancing. He almost fell about 20 times but it didn't stop him from jumping, it made me smile like a fool, but the best thing was to see him smile the same way in response.

The band finished the song and started playing a slower song because you know "Love was in the air" I stopped dancing seeing a short lady in a flowered dress stealing my partner to dance the slow song with her. While he expressed a cry for help although his voice could not be heard because he was being choked by the lady's hugs.

I ignore the request for help and observation from couples in love.

True love is an enigma, one of the most difficult, there were so many types and so many ways to love. And if it weren't for the few hours I had left, this issue would still be hammering in my head. Between my thoughts and the worry about the hours that were constantly passing on my wrist, discovering that I had one more problem ahead of me.

Who was I? Who did I become because of a broken heart?

Well, at least I had to figure this out in the next 5 hours because that was the next item on the list.

That was what I was most afraid of.