Chiara Rose

dicotto

"Cannonball!" Carlo screeches, running up and doing a massive bomb into the pool. Most of my brothers follow in a similar fashion, apart from Gi and Tino who use the steps like responsible people. It's probably because they're both carrying a beer and don't want to lose it by jumping in, but I'm ignoring that.

I can't, however, ignore the fact that I am now drenched. They managed to splash me from where I was trying to peacefully read my book on a sun bed, at least 5 metres away. They're lucky I'm reading on my Kindle, so no paper pages are damaged, but I'm still annoyed either way.

I ended up asking Dad for the pills on the plane just after the seatbelt light had switched off. Tino and Gi retreated to the bedroom, which had two single beds set up, whilst Carlo passed out long before we even left the ground. The last thing I remember is Rocco and Bruno arguing about some board game and then I passed out.

I barely even woke up when we landed. I was conscious enough to get myself from the plane to the private boat we had to go on to get to the island, but I slept the entire boat ride. It was amazing. And because I took the pills, I didn't even have a nightmare and didn't have an embarrassing screaming fit in front of everyone.

Carlo wasn't kidding when he said we had a private island. I thought it was just an island that a bunch of rich people shared that had a bunch of rich mansions on it. But no, it's genuinely our own island that I could probably do a lap of in 30 minutes. And the house is nice, it's not like a modern fancy mansion. It's a nice cozy beach house, still larger than my house in Australia, but it was cozy.

There are 6 bedrooms, a gym, and other things that I completely forgot because I dissociated on my tour around the place. I just know that I get my own room, whilst Dad is making Bruno, Enzo and Carlo share because he can't be fucked doing extra laundry.

"Chiara! Who's point was that?" Bruno yells out from the pool, bringing my attention away from my book. I squint at him, am I supposed to be watching their game.

"I don't know?" It comes out more like a question than a statement, which earns a dramatic eye roll from Bruno. I think Enzo and Carlo resolve the issue by doing a simple game of rock paper scissors, but I can hear someone pull themselves out of the pool. And the sound of dripping water slowly gets closer and closer to me, before it stops on my left.

"What are you reading?" Bruno's voice makes me jump at its closeness. I knew he was close to me, but not that close.

"A book." I respond, not even looking up at him.

"Sounds boring, come play volleyball with us." Bruno says, and then huffs when I don't respond. Playing volleyball with them sounds like fun, I love playing volleyball in the pool. But I forgot my long-sleeved rashie at home, so now I'm stuck in a plain black one-piece that doesn't quite cover everything. I could put a random shirt on, but the feeling of wet cotton against my skin gives me sensory overload, so that's not an option.

I'm about to yell at him when he plucks my Kindle out of my hand and puts it on the little table beside me, but my breath is gone when he picks me up and starts carrying me towards the pool. He's carrying me like a baby, which just makes it ten times worse.

"You can swim, right?" Bruno asks as he pauses at the edge of the pool. I can, I'm quite good at it, but I'm not going to tell him that.

"No, I actually can't-" I start, but I'm cut off as Bruno chucks me straight into the deep end. I half contemplate just sinking to get his reaction, but even the thought of it makes me feel guilty, and within seconds my head is back at the surface.

"I said I couldn't swim, but you still dropped me?" I screech, swimming to shallower water, which just so happens to be right in Bruno's direction.

"You looked way too happy to be telling me that, I could tell you were lying. Now play with us." He says, throwing the volleyball in my direction. It ends up landing on the water just in front of me, and it's like my brain shortcuts because suddenly I've sent it flying back in the direction of Bruno's face. Which he dodges, shaking it off with a loud laugh.