Luca: A look inside

Chapter Thirteen: Alberto's POV

What is that? I look over towards the water and see someone coming out of the water. I try to wipe my face a bit, and I see that it's Luca. Great. He's probably here to tell me how wrong I was about everything. About school, his parents, him. How wrong I was to think that he actually liked me.

I watch him walk up the hill and look around at the mess on the ground. He looks sad, but whatever. I move away and sit by the fire. I hear Luca struggling to climb up the tower. Oh yeah, the ladder.

"Alberto?" I hear Luca say quietly. I make sure my face is completely dry and sit down on the steps leading down the tower.

I watch him look around. He kneels on the ground and pushes the ripped pieces of my drawing back together.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I'm . . ." He looks up at me. "I'm sorry."

I look away. Not what I expected, but Giulia probably sent him or something, and he would do anything for Giulia.

"I . . . I never should've done that. I wish I could take it back-"

"Yeah, whatever. You're sorry. Now just go away." I stand up and walk back to the top of the tower. Why can't he just leave me alone?

I sit facing the fire, and wait for Luca to leave.

"Alberto?" Luca asks from behind me. "What are those marks on the wall?" At this point it doesn't matter if he knows. Everything is already messed up. "Tell me what they mean."

I sigh, "I started when my dad left."

"You were living here alone for that many days?" Days? I feel tears in my eyes again.

I hug my legs tighter. "I just stopped counting after a while. He said I was old enough to be on my own. I just thought that . . . maybe he'd change his mind. Honestly though, I get it. He's better off without me. You are, too." I feel a tear run down my cheek quickly.

"That's not true," Luca says. How can he lie to me like this when it's so obvious?

"Yes, it is. You're not like me. You're the good kid. And I'm just the kid that ruins everything." My dad's life, Luca's life, and Giulia's too. I ruined every relationship I ever had. I ruined all of my belongings. It's all over.

"Silenzio, Bruno. That's just a dumb voice in your head. You taught me that. And getting a vespa? Seeing the world-"

How can he go on about a vespa when he obviously didn't want one earlier? How can he even be here trying to talk to me?

"Just let it go! Okay? Look, you and I should've never been friends in the first place."

"Don't say that. Alberto?" He walks up to me, and I don't know why but I just can't believe him. I don't get how someone can switch up so quickly.

"Get outta here! I'm not gonna tell you again." I say it, but I don't mean it. There's too much going on in my head right now, I feel like it's impossible to believe that anyone could actually want to help me, but I am also so done, and this is all I've wanted. But it's too late. I guess my mouth made the decision for me.

Until I hear Luca say, "Okay, I'll go. I'll go win the race." I turn around.

"What?"

"Yeah. Yeah! And then the vespa will be ours! And we'll ride away together!"

"Luca, that's crazy." I try to talk him out of it, despite my mind screaming at me.

"Well maybe I'm crazy," I turn around and he is standing on the edge of the tower. "Take me, gravity!" He falls off the tower, and I jump up and run towards the edge.

"Luca!" I yell down. "What are you doing?"

He stands up and limps awkwardly away. "I'm okay! I'll be back tomorrow. I'm gonna fix this!" He runs away and dives into the water. I sit down slowly by the fire. I can't even process what just happened.

I lay down and look up at the fish and try to sleep. But there is something in my stomach that isn't letting me. It feels like a bad version of what I feel around Luca. Speaking of that . . .

I have been thinking about it. It's really weird, the feeling itself is like the feeling in my stomach whenever I let gravity take me off the tower. But in my head, it's like . . . I just want Luca to be mine. I know you can't own a person obviously, so I guess I don't really know what I mean. It only got worse whenever Giulia and Luca started hanging out. It's like I'm not in control anymore, like my feelings are. Ew. I hate feelings. They make me do dumb things like fight my best friend, and out us as sea monsters . . . uh oh.

I guess . . . maybe I overreacted? I don't know. But Luca still betrayed me! And . . . apologized. Ugh. But how do I know he meant it? Who would actually care about the kid tha- Alberto, stop it! He obviously meant it. Why else would he go win a vespa just to run away with you? My thoughts keep going in circles all night long. By morning, I think I know what I hafta do.

This literally sucks so much. ANYWAY HAVE A NICE DAY/NIGHT YALL BYEEEEE -C