Can I Hold You Now? ~Luberto~

~3~

Before they even entered Vanessa's house, Luca and Giulia could hear loud music, kids yelling, and other unidentifiable sounds. Luca stopped and looked at the strangely colored lights shining from the windows,
"How many people are coming? What if the boys are here? I think I'm gonna go double-check my homework," he spun around and began walking down the street.

Giulia grabbed Luca's shoulder and pulled him back towards Vanessa's house, "oh c'mon! What would Alberto say? What was it again? Silenzio Beano? Oh!" Giulia turned and faced Luca, "Silenzio Bruno! Right?" She stretched her hands towards him.

"Uhh-" Giulia's figure suddenly turned into Alberto, sitting on their makeshift Vespa with his hand outstretched.

"Lucaaa!" Guilia shouted, snapping him out of his daydream, "are you coming?"

"Yeah!" He responded with mock excitement.
Silenzio Bruno! That's what Alberto would want you to do, he thought as he followed Giulia into the loud, colorful house.

As soon as Luca entered the room, he immediately clasped his hands to his ears. The noise was overwhelming! Teenagers were talking and laughing, music was blasting at top volume, and people were stomping on the floor.

He was about to turn around and walk back home when someone walked up to him.

"Hey! I'm Vanessa, you must be Luca. I'm one of Giulia's friends," she said, shaking his hand.

Luca blinked up at Vanessa, she had long black hair and pale skin, with two bright blue eyes, "uhh- hi," he responded,"

"Looks like I have to greet some other people, but the food's over there and the bathroom's upstairs, first door on the right!" She said quickly, then vanished into the crowd of people.

"Okay?" Luca looked where she had vanished, then scanned the room for Giulia.  She was nowhere in sight, "h-hello? Can anyone hear me?"

"Luca! Over here!" A familiar voice called. Could it be, Alberto?"

"Alberto!" Luca ran to where the voice had come from, then rammed into somebody.

"Hey, watch it! Bastardo!" He shouted at Luca.

"Oh no," Luca said to himself. The boy he had run into was no other than the teenager who destroyed his drawing earlier today. Luca had spilled an entire glass of red drink all over the teen, who was fuming and ready for attack.

"You're coming with me," the teen grabbed for Luca, but missed, giving Luca enough time to run to a different room.

Luca ran and hid under a table in the living room, panting heavily. Soon, the angry teenager stormed in and began pushing people aside. Luca began to hyperventilate as the teenager came closer to his hiding spot.

"Luca?" Giulia snuck under the table beside him, "five minutes into the party and you're already hiding under a table. Disappointing,"

"Can we go home? Like, right now?" Luca asked, watching his enemy prowl closer to the table.

"Giulia gave him a quizzical look, "why? We haven't even played any games! Or partied!"

"I don't really care-"

The teenager was about to lift up the tablecloth when, suddenly, a bell rang.

"Truth or dare! Circle up in the living room for truth or dare!" Vanessa yelled, still shaking the dinner bell in her hand.

A horde of about 20 teens ran into the living room and sat down. Giulia managed to pull Luca into the circle without being spotted by their enemy.

"So. I think everyone here knows how to play, so let's get started, shall we!" Vanessa declared to the circle of teens.