Can I Hold You Now? ~Luberto~

~5~

"Let him GO!" Giulia shouted, yanking on the teenager's arm.

"No." He replied simply, then shoved Giulia back into the closet and slammed the door shut.

Luca began flailing around and trying to break free and even attempted to bite his attacker. He then tried to scream for help, which backfired when the teenager grabbed onto his throat and covered his mouth. Luca teared up, trying to plant his feet on the ground.

The teenager chuckled evilly and swung open the front door, dragging Luca down the street. Luca tried to scream for Giulia, or Vanessa, or anybody at this point, but it was no use, everyone was either asleep or partying hard.

The teenager flung Luca onto the ground. Luca got up and tried to run away, but he was soon surrounded by more teenagers, brothers of his enemy.

"Well, Monster. Tell me, please, who is this crush? I'm sure my brothers would like to hear about him, eh?"

Luca looked around the group of teenagers, all of them glaring at him with intensity strong enough to kill.

"P-please!" Luca stuttered, "I'll give you anything! Just let me go!" He stumbled backward and landed on one of the boy's feet.

"Aww, is this the little boy you always talk about?" The teenager looking above Luca asked, "he seems very easy to get an answer out of, Alessandro," he kicked Luca back into the circle of teens.

"Well, why do you think I brought him, Alberto?" Alessandro hissed back.

Luca's mind stumbled for a bit, but he realized, with relief, this was not the Alberto he knew.

"Now, faggot, tell us more about your crush, please," Alessandro yelled at Luca.

"Uhh-" all of the memories of last summer came flooding back to him, "you should understand- I- I don't like him, in that way-" Luca started, staring at the cobblestone road.

Do I? His heart fluttered at the thought, waking up next to him and-

Yes. I do think of him that way, don't I?

"He's- just a friend. Yeah, no strange stuff going on there..." he chuckled nervously and searched for a gap in the circle.

"Really?" Alberto hissed at him, "then tell us more about him. I'm interested,"

Luca thought, what would be not suspicious? "I mean- we always wanted to buy a Vespa together and see the world?" That was normal, right?

The whole circle erupted into laughter, all five of the boys pointing and scoffing at Luca's statement.

"Santa ricotta!" One of them shouted, "do you think that's normal? Let me guess, you also watched the stars together? And the sunset? Maybe the moon?"

"Uhh-" Luca's cheeks turned bright red. That wasn't normal?

Alessandro shushed the crowd of boys, "look at his face! They do that!" The laughter stopped. Now, Luca was surrounded by a circle of homophobic, sea-monsterphopic teenagers with no thought of mercy.

Alessandro stepped forward, "Listen, freak, this is our town, and if you dare try to rebel against us or anyone associated with us, we won't be as nice as we will be tonight. Understand?"

"Y-yes," Luca stuttered and tried to stand up, terrified of all of the boys.

Alberto shoved him to the ground, "Where's your boyfriend now? Is he coming to save you?" He planted his foot on Luca's chest, knocking the air out of Luca.

Luca, sputtering, looked up the street, hoping that the Alberto he knew would come running to help him.

"Spoiler alert," The teenager continued, "he's not, so don't go looking down the street like a damsel in distress," he picked Luca up by the collar and dropped him on the ground.

Next, one of the younger boys stepped forward and began punching him in the face repeatedly. Luca was screaming and flailing, but it did nothing. He was too weak, physically and emotionally, to fight back. Luca could only lie there as the other two boys took their turns.

Finally, Alessandro stepped forward, "My turn, faggot, and I won't be as nice as the other four," he lifted Luca, then a screaming cry came from behind him.

"Put him down! You brutto, fottuto figlio di un-" Giulia continued screaming as she jumped on top of Alessandro and began beating him with a stick. She punched his nose with all of her force and ran towards Luca, "Listen," she said between pants, "I know you're probably pretty hurt, but we need to run home, now! As fast as we can!" She began jogging up the street, pulling Luca behind her, "C'mon! We can make it!"

Luca began running as fast as he could. He followed Giulia down a few streets, sprinting hard, and finally made it to her house.

Giulia swung the door open, shoved Luca inside, stepped in, and slammed it shut. She locked it and turned to face Luca.

Giulia's mother ran down the stairs, "Oh my! Please be quieter next time! Giulietta, what have I told you about slamming the door in the middle of the night!"

"I'm sorry, mother, I-" Giulia began.

Her mother cut her off, "Luca! What happened to you! Are you okay? Do you need medical help? Should I call the neighbor!?" She panicked and rushed to Luca's side, reminding Luca of his mother.

"I-" Luca sniffed, "I misworded something at a party, and the boys got mad at me," Luca looked up at her.

Giulia's mother scowled, "that's it! I am talking to their parents, they will pay for what they have done, I promise,"

"Thanks," Luca looked at the ground, wishing he still had the picture of his and Alberto's Vespa. Tears rolled down his dirtied cheeks.

Giulia's mother ran back upstairs and came down with a box that had a red cross emblazoned on it, "what happened, Giulietta? What did he say?" She asked as she unrolled some bandages and creams.

"Uhh-" Giulia had talked to her mother about Luca and Alberto before, but never in more than a platonic way, "Luca misworded something during truth or dare, so it sounded like he had a crush on Alberto,"

Giulia's mother shot her a backward glance, "Aren't they already together?"

"WHAT?!" Giulia shouted, then clapped her hands to her mouth, "Mom! No! They're just friends! Well, they aren't but we're supposed to pretend they are," Giulia continued.

Her mother ran back across the room to Luca and began bandaging his knees and elbows, processing what Giulia had just said.

"Giulietta, why don't you get ready for bed? Luca will be up shortly,"

"Okay, mom!" Giulia hopped up the stairs.

"Luca, dear, I wanted you to know, Alberto called after you left," Giulia's mother stated as she rubbed a healing cream on a cut on Luca's cheek.

"He did?" Luca asked a spark of joy rekindling in his heart.

"Yes, and I'm sure I know what he wanted to tell you. It will probably cheer you up as well,"

"What?" Luca asked, trying to contain himself, all of the pain vanishing for an instant.

"You and Giulietta will be riding the train back to Portorosso for Winter Break,"

"Really!?" Luca squealed, his voice brimming with excitement and his face filling with light.

"Yes, the train leaves in three weeks, with you two on it,"

Luca smiled and hugged Giulia's mother, "thank you,"

"Of course, Luca,"

~

Eeee!

Two chapters in one day, hooray! I can't wait for the next chapters! It will have some angst, but nothing as bad as some other fanfics I've read. Picoletto *cough cough*

Well, see you tomorrow!

-Jinxy