bub || alessio scalzotto

I

astrea's pov

i peek outside my bedroom door just to see light shining from downstairs. i guess my mom was drinking with her friends again since i heard multiple women laughing. i push my door closed and i throw on my old champion tshirt and jean shorts over my tank top and spandex. my phone lightens up my dark room and i run over hoping that it was lucas or gio, but instead it was my dad

dad:
hey mija i won't be home for probably the next week i'm sorry

rea :
it's fine dad.

dad:
ok i love you mijita have a good week
read

"crap" i knew he wasn't gonna come either way but i just wished he would. if only he could come back even for just a little bit. after i get dressed, i look at the red numbers of my clock reading 1:47 am. "fuck it" i grabbed my glasses, phone and my worn out backpack, which already had clothes for a day or two, and started walking toward my window. after a while i finally hear the click then opened it knowing it's unlocked.
i make sure to grab my charger and earbuds before i head out my window and start climbing down the ladder by my window. i make it down and walk down the dead road. as i'm walking, i see a tall boy that's around my age, getting off his bike and trying to sneak back into his house. when he sees me he just awkwardly waves and i laugh and wave back in return. i focus my attention back to the street decide to put on kuzu mellow cause i just need that aesthetic music while i walk.
after about 10 minutes of walking down the quiet roads, i can finally read the sign saying "aj's diner". it was like one of those 80s themed diner that was open 24/7. i walk in and hear the chime as i open the door.
"hey ash, you want your milkshake?" miley greeted me. she never wanted to call me rea for some reason so she came up with the name ash "yeah please" i reply while sitting down on the chair in front of where she is. i met miley the first time i went to the diner. after that, most of the time when i went there late at night, she was working so we eventually became friends.
while she was making my milkshake, we started talking. "so ash i've been needing to tell you about someone" she started saying "ooo is it a guy?" " actually it is" she smiled and handed me my drink. "his name is zach. he plays football and he treats me like i'm the most important girl to him and it just feels amazing. the only thing is he hasn't asked me or yet." i was drinking my milkshake through a tiny straw, which was a hella stupid idea btw
"i super happy for you bro but just don't get your hopes up. not everything goes the way you want it to." the girl behind the counter sighed and started saying " you know not every guy is bad. not every guy will end up like alex. maybe you're gonna meet he right guy soon and he'll treat you different " "yeah i know but i just don't want to. it's just better blocking people out than letting them in and basically allowing them to hurt you." i look down at my feet while basically whispering that sentence
"well.. you let me in" she said softly "yeah there's a difference. i let him in into my past, with my parents, with my family, with my brother. i've only let you in to an extent. if i do completely, i'm just as vulnerable to you as i was to alex" i finished
"well you know i'm never gonna do that you" "i don't know. learned a while ago that it will never matter how close you are to someone or how much they promise, even if it's your parents, they still have the ability to completely break you down." my voice cracked as i finished my sentence. i felt warm tears on the rim of my eyes. i blink the tears away as i start to get up "hey i think i'm just gonna go to the roof and take my drink with me" i say as i hold up my milkshake "ok ash. remember if you need anything, just come here or text me, i'll always here for you." i nodded and gave her a small smile as i headed to the ladder in the back of the small restaurant. i decided to text gio to see if he can come get me knowing i can't go back home tonight