Accidental

Sur-five-ing humanity

Lovino

"Lovino!" It's Nonno, standing in the kitchen. He's barely through the doorway, and already he's expected to talk. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"I'm not hungry," Lovino calls out as he walks to the stairs. Dinner means people, and people mean talking.

"How was the movie?" He just won't give up, will he?

He shrugs. "It was alright. Feliciano," he swallows. "Feliciano would have loved it. The main character was a doofus, just like him."

That cuts off the conversation before it even starts, and he's able to push past Nonno to the safety of his room.

He flings his rucksack in the general direction of his desk, and flops onto the bed, hood still up. As an afterthought he removes his socks (horrible things).

Lovino stares at the reminder carefully inked onto the back of his hand, and wonders whether to do anything about it. Text Izzy. He remembers feathery strands of hair tickling his face as she wrote it, and the way her tongue stuck out in concentration. He rubs the slowly forming bruise on his forehead, where they both leant forward too fast. That wouldn't be fading any time soon.

Hey he texts. It's probably a bit soon, but she did say to call as soon as possible, and texting is the best alternative (he doesn't like speaking on the 'phone, he can never understand anyone).

Almost instantaneously, his 'phone dings.

Hey! How are you?

Yes, he's obviously extremely likely to have contracted the plague over the short journey home.

The same.

Maybe that was a little rude. After a moment's pause, he adds You? and sends the message.

Great!

Such a stimulating conversation.

Do you like chickens?

Well, that was random.

I wouldn't know – never seen one (except in the supermarket, of course).

Honesty's the best policy, right?

That's awful! You have to come 'round mine - I have six.

This girl texts like lightning.

Mamá says it's fine.

So he'd met her an hour ago, and she was already telling her parents about him?

Wait, she wants to know your name, and I've kind of forgotten...

Had they actually asked each other for names? Now he came to think of it, no.

Lovino. What about you?

Isabella. Please don't shorten it. I worked hard for those letters! (c;

He snorts, and changes her name in the contacts page.

Of course not.

Nothing happens for a few minutes, so he gets up and pulls a book off the shelf. Idle hands knit the devil's stockings, as Nonna used to say.

Lovinooooooooooooooo?

He jumps - he'd forgotten about their conversation.

Ready and waiting.

The replies take a little longer this time.

Fantastico! Are you free tomorrow?

He snorts. When isn't he free?

As a bird.

As a bird under eighteen living with their grandfather with their GcSEs coming up, of course.

Do you want to come over?

Maybe it's foolish, but he does. He hasn't enjoyed a conversation this much since - since he used to walk Feliciano to school.

Sure.

Now all he needs is her address. He waits a few hours, but she still hasn't responded.

Isabella?

She texts back instantly.

Hi!

Now for a question that, if it isn't phrased correctly, could get him a restraining order.

Where do you live?

Nicely handled, Lovino. You'll become a certified stalker in no time at this rate!

Luckily, she isn't bothered, and he has her address in minutes. It isn't too far, just over the hill.

A/n: I hope the name at the top of the chapter clears up any confusion about POV, thank TheHiddenSpirit for bringing it to my attention.  It should usually be Lovino, but I'm toying with Isabella (and a currently unmentioned character, ghost POV could be interesting).

We now have a cover! That took about half an hour to get the angle right – I'm so glad I'm not a model. One of my friends has been lovely enough to look over the first few chapters, and has helped me shape the plot (she's on YouTube as River Ashwood if you're interested), so we currently have seventeen and a half valid chapters.