What You Know

8.

Chapter 8 | That just happened, huh?

'How strange to dream of you even when I am wide awake.'

VITO (V) RICCI

~~~

I shift in my seat before driving home, I'm safe but I go as fast as the law lets me  and I want my mum to help me understand girls and what the hell just happened, I don't have my music as my head whirrs relentlessly with thoughts about Antonia, cazzo, even her name is gorgeous.

I pull up outside my home and walk in, opening the door with my keys, instead of waiting for mamma to open the door. I walk in and see mamma and pappa in the living room. They're sat next to each other and mamma is snuggled into pappa's side with her feet up on the sofa. I want to be able to do that with Antonia one day, I want to be her safe place.

I lean against the door frame and wait until they notice me. I want to talk to my mamma alone but obviously I don't just want to tell my pappa to leave. Thankfully pappa realizes and walks out the room claiming 'to want to check on Gorka'. I sit on the sofa next to mamma and explain to her what just happened in the car and the fact I started to call her bambina.

She tells me that Tony probably likes me back and especially considering she stayed for dinner and held a conversation with my whole family. I think for a minute before remembering what Giovanni told me.

'You remember that guy that you saw me with when I cleaned the cars the other week.'

'Si...'

'Well, he told me that Tony thinks I'm fit and she admitted herself to me earlier that I'm 'gorgeous.''

Mamma nods.

'She probably likes you, she just wants to hang out a little more and for her friends to form an opinion before one of you asks the other out.'

'Okay, grazie mamma.'

'Prego.'

(You're welcome )

I run up the stairs and find my brother, not bothering to knock I walk in. I find my pappa and him chatting and my pappa laughs softly and stands up, walking out the room and ruffling my hair as he passes me.

I rest my shoulder on the doorframe and watch Gorka as he puts down his sketchbook and hides it in his draw along with his charcoal pencils.

'Perché nascondi sempre il tuo lato artistico, le ragazze lo trovano attraente sai. A loro piace. Tony lo fa e sono disposto a scommettere che la bella ragazza che ti piace è probabilmente la stessa. Comunque, stai bene? Mi dispiace per prima idiota.'

(Why do you always hide your artsy side, girls find it attractive you know. They like it. Tony does and I'm willing to bet the pretty girl you like is probably the same. Anyways, are you okay? I'm sorry for earlier you idiot.)

'Lo nascondo perché non è forte e virile e mi sembra così strano farlo, non capisco come possa essere attraente. Sì, sto bene grazie per aver chiesto stupido. Quello che è successo in macchina, pappa ha detto che l'hai buttato fuori dal soggiorno. Beh, non l'ho cacciato, ma ha avuto la sensazione che tu volessi provocatoriamente che se ne andasse in modo da poter parlare con nostra madre.'

(I hide it because it isn't strong and manly and it just seems so odd for me to do it, I don't understand how it can be attractive. Yea, I'm fine thanks for asking stupid. What happened in the car, pappa said you kicked him out the living room. Well, not kicked him out but he got the feeling you defiantly wanted him gone so you could talk to our mum.)