Can I Hold You Now? ~Luberto~

~1~

It had been months since Luca had seen Alberto, but somehow, his image was still very clear in Luca's mind. Every night, Alberto was all he thought about. Giulia said it was normal because she knew Luca missed him, but Giulia didn't know about the countless nights he spent watching the stars, thinking about Alberto.

"Luca! Hello! Are you coming!?" Giulia giggled and punched Luca's arm gently, "Vanessa invited us over for her party tonight! We gotta get ready!" She jumped down the entrance stairs to their school, then began skipping back to her mother's house.

"Coming!" Luca shouted after her, quickly trying to shove a few books into his schoolbag. He felt a few drops of rain hit his skin, "oh no," he mumbled to himself, "Giulia! Wait up!" He called after her, beginning to run as he put his schoolbag around his shoulders, but Giulia was long gone.

The rain intensified, and Luca was soon in his full sea monster form. By now, most of the people of Genova knew and accepted Luca, otherwise, they decided to steer clear of him. Except for one group of boys. All of them were at least three years older than him, and they wouldn't hesitate to make Luca feel like an outcast. The worst part was, they rarely stuck together, so not a day went by when Luca wouldn't see at least one of them.

Luca was sprinting down the street at full speed when, suddenly, he tripped on something. Luca went flying down the street and skirted to a stop about three meters from where he was before. He yelped and looked at his knees, both of his pant legs were torn and beginning to bleed. He wiped a tear from his eyes and tried to stand up before a pair of hands shoved him down again.

"Ahh, strano ragazzo, what a coincidence!" The boy started, circling around Luca like a shark before attack, "I'm glad it rained today, you're fish face is adorable, and I'd just love to mess it up," the boy stepped forward and planted his foot on Luca's chest.

Luca bared his teeth and tried to wriggle out of his grasp, "Let me go! What did I do to you!"

"Simple. You threatened my town with your strange, fishy, stranezze," he spat the last word out as if it were poisoned wine. He yanked Luca's schoolbag off and held it firm in his grasp, "Empty your pockets, ragazzo, then you may go,"

Another wave of harsh rain pelted down on them, but the boy pinning Luca down didn't flinch. Luca carefully took everything out of his pockets, except for one thing, the thing he kept with him day and night, that helped him stay strong even when the older boys terrorized him daily.

"Ah ah ah," The boy pulled Luca up by his shirt collar, "don't pretend you don't have anything in there," he stuck his hand in Luca's chest pocket, then unfolded a drawing, "Santa mozzarella! This is the worst drawing I've ever seen!"

Luca wanted to scream, the drawing, the picture of the Vespa that Alberto drew for him, was being smeared and smudged away by the pounding rain. He watched as his bully dropped the drawing, planted his foot on it, and moved his foot so the wet paper was turned into a pile of mush.

"There, much better," the older boy dropped Luca and his schoolbag then turned around and skipped away as if it were a sunny day and he had purchased his favorite gelato.

Luca wanted to run after the boy but was too sad and weak to do so. He looked at the pile of what used to be his precious drawing and began to cry silently.

"Oh, Alberto," he checked out between sobs, "can I hold you now?" He cried, watching the bits of paper run down the street.

"Luca!" A familiar voice ran up behind him.

Luca's heart stopped, then started again when he realized it wasn't Alberto.

"Luca! Are you okay? We need to get home!" She saw the pile of papery mush, "what's that?"

"It's the drawing Alberto gave me right before I left, of the Vespa," Luca wiped his nose and stood up.

"That figlio di puttana!" She exclaimed, digging her heel into the cobblestone, "next time I see him- I'm gonna-" she hesitated, "I don't even know, but it will be BAD." she began walking next to Luca.

"Do I have to go to the party?" Luca asked, staring at his feet solemnly.

"Of course you do!" Giulia shouted, then toned her voice down, "oops! Too much?"

Luca didn't respond, he only sniffled.

"Well," Giilia continued, "the party will make you feel better! You have to come! Vanessa's parents make the BEST gelato!" She pulled him into her mother's house.

"Caio, Giulia, Luca," Giulia's mother said from the kitchen.

"Ciao," Luca responded, taking off his soaking wet shoes as his scales began to retreat.

"Oh my!" Giulia's mother exclaimed, looking at the rips on Luca's knees, "what happened?"

"It's those stupid boys!" Giulia shouted, "they attacked Luca, then tire his drawing to shreds!" She screamed angrily, "honestly, Ercole was terrible, but these boys are a WHOLE NEW LEVEL."

"Such a shame," her mother replied, "their parents aren't half as terrible as those boys, I don't know what's up with them." She gave Luca a small bar of milk chocolate, "here, have this. It should make you feel better,"

"What's this?" Luca asked while breaking off a piece of it.

"Cioccolato; milk chocolate. Made it myself. It was always Giulia's favorite when she was younger," she answered as she wiped Luca's shoes with a towel, "Now, you should leave soon if you want to make it to the party on time,"

"Okay," Giulia said, running upstairs, "hurry, Luca!" She shouted once more before vanishing into the upper floor.

Luca pulled his knees to his chest and began to cry again, alerting Giulia's mother.

"What's wrong, Luca? I'm sorry about your drawing. I could try and replicate it if you'd like?"

"No," Luca sniffled, "It wouldn't be the same. But thank you Miss [insert name], I should get ready for the party," he started walking up the stairs.

"Are you sure you want to go?"

"Definitely!" Luca responded cheerfully.
Anything to help me forget about the drawing. He thought, then remembered the last moments before- STOP! SILENZIO BRUNO! I need to think about the party now! He scolded himself as he changed into his party clothes.

~

Finally! Done!

I'm going to try my very hardest to update this daily, but no promises, with school and boyfriends and merda.

Well, see you tomorrow! <3