The Dutch Boy [BxB]

E I G H T

"And, uh...this is Daya."

We were sat in Daya's living room, lounging around on her ring of sofas, Phoenix choosing to sit cross legged on the carpeted floor instead. "Hello." Rosa smiled at her, like she'd done to each person I'd introduced her to.

"So, what was Luca like when he was younger?" Tommy questioned curiously, fiddling absentmindedly with his girlfriend's frizzy ginger hair.

"He was very...what is the word...annoying?"

"She means funny." I interjected as the others started laughing.

"He used to steal my Mother's high heels." She continued, making Phoenix cackle even more. "He made us call him Lucy when he was four."

Their laughter didn't subside as I shot Rosa a playful glare, "Yeah, yeah, key words; when he was four. That was like thirteen years ago!"

"Still pretty hilarious." Daya giggled. "Lucy."

"Does anyone have a cigarette?" Sam queried once the conversation had finally shifted away from my awkward childhood.

"Yeah, here." Phoenix fished through his pockets, plucking out a small packet of cigarettes and handing her one. Tommy shared one with Daya and I took one for myself, offering it to Rosa before she politely declined. "So...Luca..." Phoenix continued, blowing out a puff of smoke as he slouched against the sofa, "My friend works at the bowling alley." He started casually.

Sam scoffed, "Great conversation starter, Phoenix."

He just rolled his eyes, focussing his attention back on me, "Care to explain?"

I shrugged, trying to push down the anxiety bubbling up my chest, "Bugsy broke his leg, I was killing time while he was with the vets." I answered as plainly as possible.

"With Hart?" He rose his brows.

I slipped the cigarette between my lips, trying to kill time as I desperately thought of an answer. After inhaling a lungful of smoke and holding it in my chest for a few seconds, I slowly released it. "Yeah." Was all I could come up with.

Phoenix scoffed, "Well, I hear the pair of you were quite cozy-"

"Hey, Phoenix, remember that time you threw up in your backpack and were too shy to tell anyone, so carried it round all day?" I interrupted sharply, causing another round of laughs to ripple through the room.

Luckily, Phoenix wasn't an idiot. He caught onto my warning and quickly shut up, turning to concentrate on shamelessly flirting with Sam. "Hey, Rosa." I nudged the blonde beside me, "Don't tell my parents about this, yeah?" I instructed, gesturing to the cigarette resting between my fingers.

She smiled reassuringly. "Ik zal niks zeggen." She whispered, offering me a little wink.

"Bedankt." I ruffled her hair.

"Aw, look at their secret code." Daya mocked. "Luca, I haven't heard you speak Dutch in years."

"Weet ik." I shrugged. Rosa being here prodded the part of brain that had concealed the language over the years. When I first arrived in England, I tried my hardest, but couldn't help the occasional Dutch word falling through my lips. But I'd learn to suppress it over the years and now, the cage had split open again.

"It's kinda hot, don't you think?" Sam purred jokingly.

Phoenix snorted, "Yeah, you know what else's hot? English." He rose his brows suggestively.

I tuned out of the conversation as soon as the bickering started, and crept my hand into my pocket, plucking my phone out and scrolling through my contacts. I'd been texting Theodore on and off since our trip to the bowling alley. I was always the one to initiate the conversation, but I didn't mind. He was shy, he had an excuse. Plus, the second he got past the awkward phase, he grew just as invested as I did.