Home Is Where The Heart Is // IL VOLO

Part 4/5

December 28th

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GIANLUCA

"So what exactly do you have? Is it a cold?" Gianluca asked, getting comfortable on the seat next to Marzia's bed.

"Yeah, I think so," she tried to adopt a casual tone "It's getting better though but I still can't smell anything."

He tried to make some small talk but Marzia dodged it every time, too busy wondering how she could get herself out of this situation. It was one thing coming face to face in a room full of people, but it was another thing entirely to be alone with Gianluca. Of course there was nothing unusual about this situation, being alone with him, chatting like the old friends they were...

But today was different, today shouldn't be like it was before, and this was due to a certain decision she had made not so long ago...

A few weeks prior

Marzia was sipping on an ice coffee, deep in her thoughts. The university cafeteria was pretty noisy at this time of the day. She had a few free hours and decided to spend her break there with three of her closest friends. They were all sitting around a table, each busy with their own little selves: Carolina was skimming through her lecture notes in sight of the exam she had the next day, Fabio was currently munching on a piece of pizza and Anita was filing her nails absentmindedly.

Marzia set down her coffee and dropped "Guys, I have something to tell you."

It didn't take long for her three friends to stop what they were doing and bring their attention to her "What's up?" Fabio asked.

"It's pretty radical," Marzia warned, biting her inner cheek, like she always did when she was preoccupied.

Carolina closed her textbook "Woah, sounds serious."

"Well, kind of," Marzia breathed "Gianluca's coming in two weeks. You guys remember him, right?"

She laughed at her three friend's jaded expressions. They most definitely knew who he was.

"Gianluca, the subject of your pathetic adoration?" Anita laughed mockingly "Yeah, it rings a bell."

"You talk about him 24/7 Marzia, we're kinda forced to remember him," Fabio rolled his eyes.

"Well, that's kind of the issue..." she trailed off "I've decided to cut all ties with him."

Carolina scoffed "Very funny..." but the frown on Marzia's face told her it wasn't a joke "Wait you're actually serious?"

"Thought he was the love of your life or something," Fabio coked an eyebrow.

"Hey, he's only a crush," she chided, grimacing slightly.

Anita smirked, not buying it "Right, a crush that has lasted approximatively five years."

"That's not the point!" Marzia groaned "Seriously, I'm trying to get over him."

"What do you mean?" Fabio asked going back to munching on his pizza.

"Well... I've had feelings for him since I was fifteen," she sighed "But he only sees me as a friend, I'm tired of waiting for something that's never gonna happen."