Agustin was quick to enter the restrooms to find Numa nervous, he seemed to be shooting fire out of his eyes.
"What's up?"
"Nothing, I just came to pee and saw that idiot Lucas messing around with that little tanned- beach brunette."
Agustin started laughing.
"What's so funny?" asked Numa, openly upset.
"Your face, what did you say to him?"
"That if I had known his taste, I would have done something about it."
Agustin laughed heartily,
"You're amazing, the little brown guy is not looking bad at all"
"Thank you..." added Numa, angrily.
"I'm sorry, how could I?, he smells horrible, he's so small he's barely distinguishable from a tile and those hairs, he looks like a tramp. I think I'm going to throw up..."
Numa could not contain his laughter at Agustín's grimaces, as always, exaggerated.
He looked up to ask:
"Do you want me to get rid of him?" I look at him with narrowed eyes trying to simulate a dangerous look.
"No. I'm tired, and how are you? You look a little pale, I'm sure you have a fever. Why don't you go home?"
"And then Leon has to take you home and you said you wanted to get some distance."
"I don't know if I want to distance myself so much from him anymore."
Agustín responded with an angry look.
"Hey, don't even think about playing the happy couple just because you saw the other one with someone else. Leon is serious about you. If you don't want anything, then that's it. I hate that kind of attitude in people."
Numa expression softened.
"Go home," added Numa as he saw him coughing again, "I can go back by bus."
Numa accompanied him to get his things, on the way Leon hugged him from behind, surprising him.
"Shall we run away?"
Numa laughed, amused.
"Come on, let me go, I have to accompany Agustin."
"He's a little too old to be escorted," Numa was annoyed by Leon's tone of voice.
"I'm not in the mood for games, let me go."
"And why aren't you in the mood? Maybe because Lucas is here and he's not alone?" added Leon with a condescending tone.
"Is this a jealousy scene or what? I remind you that there is nothing between us, ok?"
Numa was angry and Leon noticed it, but he wasn't in the best mood either.
"Yeah, you're right, we're just friends, aren't we?"
He blurted out with a gesture that Numa described as theatrical.
As Numa left, Leon thought , I dont't care, right?. He stood there with a bitter taste of rejection.
"Well I came here to have fun and that's what I plan to do!" Suddenly his eyes located on the bar the figure of the young brunette between Lucas and Manon, the young man was not bad at all, fun was assured.
#
Lucas woke up the next morning with the typical pain of a hangover. Giovanni did not come home but got lost somewhere with Leon.
Lucas felt annoyed, it was a question of pride. He was not interested in Giovanni, and was thankful Manon did not discovered both of them in the corridor, but his cousin seemed to pursue all guys around him, and that bothered him.
Numa on the other hand said goodbye to them, but what intrigued him was the fact that Manon had a chat with Numa before leaving, unfortunately as drunk as he was, he did not get to ask her about it. Lucas wondered if Numa knew that Leon left with Giovanni.
He slowly got out of bed, his sister was already up. She greeted him with a kiss, something that surprised him. She poured him a coffee and sat down at the table.
Lucas looked at her a little surprised, this was not normal. The table was set for breakfast.
"Giovanni still hasn't returned, I hope he at least has our address...right?"
"Leon knows where we live."
Lucas sat down at the table, still wearing his undershirt and underpants, although he didn't care since it was Sunday.
"Lucas, do you want Giovanni to leave? I get the impression you're not comfortable."
Then Lucas understood the situation. She was after information.
"I don't care, let him do what he wants."
Manon looked at him almost dangerously.
"Lucas, last night you were drunk and you started to say certain things, about Italy and about Giovanni. We have never talked about it, but I am not a fool, at that time we were there and we could not talk. Today is Sunday, the cousin is not at home, neither is Alex. I want to know what happened."
"The most important thing you know."
"Yes, I know everything about your last relationship, about our life in Milan, but nothing about Torino."
"What do you want to know?"
"What happened between you and Giovanni?"
"Everything" Lucas couldn't believe he said it.
Manon didn't seem surprised, she looked at him expectantly as if knowing that that wasn't all.
"He was my first everything, okay? And I'm not going to tell you anything else," she slumped against the back of the chair.
"Okay, but I don't think that's why you hate him so much. Or was it something against your...?"
"No, Manon, not that." his sister sighed in relief.
"So?"
"So what?" Lucas sat up, his eyes shining with fury, he let out a sigh. "Look, let's leave it there, I don't want to talk about it, I was too young and he was a very smart, period.
Manon knew that Giovanni was never the good boy he pretended to be, but what happened between the twoof them? She was living in another city at that time where she was studying and only came back home some weekends. She didn't know what was going on with her brother's world.
"Lucas, I would have liked to be there for you. Now knowing he was your first love, I feel guilty for not realizing it."
Lucas smiled softly at her.
"Don't worry," he said, "you've always been there when I've needed you, what happened is already done and if you couldn't help me it's only because I didn't ask for help, that's all."
"Right" she looked at him for a moment and smiled back "but I always got along well with Giovanni and now just thinking that he could have done something bad to you is making me want to wring his neck."
Lucas began to laugh, suddenly a mischievous look appeared in his eyes.
"What are you thinking about?" asked Manon who knew him too well.
"I would like to know what would have been my aunt's reaction if she found out an almost 15 years old guy was screwing her 17 years old son. Surely she would have had a heart attack."
Lucas got up with a sudden grimace of sadness to leave the cup in the sink and disappear out the door.
Manon sat there immersed in her thoughts, she knew that his sad gaze was due to all the issued with Giovanni's family, with whom his parents cut family ties since a certain incident that happened some time ago.
She couldn't find out what really happened but she knew her brother was accused of something and after that, the subject was never spoken again. The whole family moved to another city and relationship was broken. To complete the picture, her brother was sent to live with Alex in an area far from the city center, where she later moved in as well. Her parents were rarely in Italy due to business and she missed her younger brother very much. Already at that time, she noticed a change in Lucas' behavior. He became lonely, distrustful and quiet, and on the advice of his parents he started a therapy from which he only came back frustrated and upset.
Manon tried to approach him but he built a wall around him that only Andre, a French boy who was studying in that city, was able to surpass. At the end Lucas seemed to end up hurting himself even more. However, all these were her own conclusions, her brother kept quiet about everything.
Suddenly something came to her mind and she ran out to look for her brother to find him in the room drawing again.
"Lu!"
"What now?" that melodious tone was typical of his sister when she was about to announce something.
"Yesterday I was talking to Numa...."
Lucas repressed the urge to turn around and ask what happened.
"It's his birthday soon."
"...."
" And he invited... me and whoever I want to bring with me.
The young man turned his black eyes to her.
"You think I'm going?!" he looked surprised, "Look, I admit I'd like to go, but I don't think it's a good idea, forget it."
He focused his gaze again on the drawing in front of him.
"But Lu, you bring him some chocolates , a gift or a ring, with your best smile you wish him happy birthday, and you kiss him sweetly. It's not that hard."
Lucas looked at her again, his sister so intelligent and sometimes so slow to understand certain things.
"First, sis, he's gay but not a girl to bring him chocolates, or a ring. Where do you get those ideas from? and lastly, we've already fought many times."
His sister smacked him upside the head.
"Oh, that hurts," grumbled her brother.
"I know the idea is silly but you have to do something if you don't plan to apologize for what you've done to him"
"..."
"I don't understand you, you like him so much but you don't do anything about it, and then you complain, look bitter and disappointed. What do you expect, to win the Oscar for best dramatic actor? You're a moron, if you don't fix your attitude you're going to stay alone for the rest of your life."
Manon turned around, seemingly annoyed, slammed the door and left the room.
Lucas dropped his pencil on the table, his sister was right, he should confront him... but on his birthday? He didn't know if that would be a good occasion.