Degeneracy♡

chapter 21: SLOSHED

I have been sulking because of the argument me and Luca had, all day. I didn't mean what I said about not wanting to see him again. I was just so angry at what he had assumed about my life. The truth is, I am not perfect, not even close. The truth is, my family are actually broken. My mum and dad are going to announce their divorce any day to the two of us. My brother has turned into some sort of control freak and my dad has fell out with his side of the family. 

That's how perfect my life is. As for me, I do not feel content or satisfied with how I've panned out as a person. I am crippled by anxiety and insecurity. I have barely any friends now and I have a very bleak future ahead of me. 

To have someone like Luca in my life actually did me good. In a terribly twisted way, he gave me purpose and hope. Hope that I wouldn't just be stuck with my parents for the rest of my life. But, now that's all gone out the window. I should have listened to what he said, because to me, it sounded like a cry for help.

To drown my sorrows, this afternoon, I have got through two seasons of 'friends' a tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream and a multipack of kit kats. I am going to get so fat. 

My mum has been popping in, accusing me of being hungover or telling me to go for a run because that will make me feel so much better.

It's 11:30 at night, and I am just about to press play on season 3 episode 2 of Friends when I hear a slam from downstairs. Either that's Oliver being a drunken nuisance again or someone has actually broken in. If it's Olly, I best go and get him up to bed before my parents find him. 

I grab a hockey stick from the airing cupboard upstairs and sneak down. 

"Isobel! What on earth was that noise." My dad shouts from my parents' bedroom.

"I fell over! I'm fine!" I panic. 

"For God's sake!" He moans and turns the TV back up to its previous volume.

I get to the kitchen where I heard the crash and brace myself for what could be lurking. Holding the hockey stick fully above my head, ready to strike I turn on the light. I am about to whack it over the person's head when it is not my brother's when I realise who it is. Fucking Luca. 

"Alright, darlin'. Aren't you gonna give me a kiss?" He chuckles, slurring his words. 

"What...? How did you..." I start, completely gob smacked. 

"Shhhh." He puts his fingers on my lips. "I've come to see you!" He wobbles. 

"Are you drunk?" I whisper.

"Mildly intoxicated is a better way of describing it." He falls over the kitchen table. 

"Why have you come to see me?" I groan.

"To apologise for what I said." He gives me puppy dog eyes. 

"Let's go upstairs." I sigh, helping him up.

We spend about 10 minutes hobbling up my narrow stairs, trying to get Luca to stand on the next one without falling or making too much noise that my dad might hear. Finally, I plonk him down on my bed. 

"I've never seen your room before. It's very small." He says, examining the makeup on my window ledge. 

"Yes I know, it's barely liveable and I know it's a bit of a mess." I say, trying to stuff some of my dirty clothes into the washing basket. 

"I see you've been having an exciting day." He says, pointing to the empty tub of Ben and Jerry's and the episode of friends I was about to watch until I was rudely disturbed. 

I go red. Putting the rubbish in the bin. My room finally looks okay again and I sit down on the bed with Luca to talk to him. 

"I don't understand you women at all. You're all so bipolar." He slurs. 

I am about to smack him but then I realise that he is very drunk and decide to let that one go.

"How do you mean?"

"Well first you want me and next you're saying you never want to see me again! I mean yes, I was partly to blame for winding you up, but it wasn't that bad!" 

"I know, I may have overreacted a tad." 

"I forgive you." He chuckles and leans up to kiss me, but I turn so he only catches my cheek. 

There is a silence as he takes in my smell, not moving from my cheek.

"I really like you, Isobel Shelby." He whispers. 

"I really like you too."

"I want you to be mine." He says and flops down on the bed, 

"I don't know about that."

"Too soon, Luca, too soon." He smacks himself. "Well you are mine, whether you like it or not." He growls, all of a sudden. 

What happened to adorable, vulnerable Luca?

"I'm gonna call you 'Izz' and no one else will be able to because that's my name for you." He boasts possessively.

"Not many people do call me 'Izz' anymore so I suppose you can have that one." 

"Izz." He chuckles to himself. "Sounds like the spark I need to keep me going in this hellish life."