caller • mattia polibio

040.

Tears streamed down Claudia's soddened face.
She sat on the end of the toilet, hiding in one of the girls cubicles, of course it wasn't going to end well. Sitting with these pampered girls, slipping more snide comments towards Claudia's way. She sunk lower into her seat until it got too much. The worst part about it was that her own best friend sat there, laughing at some insults: not helping the poor girl, not even following her when she fled the cafeteria sobbing.

"Claudia? Baby?" His warm voice echoed through the empty bathroom.

"Hey! You're not meant to be in here!" An unfamiliar female voice screeched.

"And my girlfriend isn't supposed to be crying in here! Claudia, come out beautiful.."

By now, he was standing outside the only locked cubicle, after asking around he found out about what happened. Being the protective lover he is, and fuelled by anger, he confronted Laura and her friends to the brink of tears themselves; their little fantasy to be with Mattia crushing before them, however Laura feeling the hurt that she had let happen to her best friend.

He knocked on the door, constantly and annoyingly, waiting for his girlfriend's face to appear.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Claudia sighed, wiped her tears and unlocked the door.

Instantly, the boy brought her to his arms, giving her a warm and loving hug. Mattia didn't care about the smeared makeup, or that it was getting on his hoodie, he didn't care that he was in the Ladies bathroom. All he cared for was his girl. 'This is love' he thought.

"You okay Princess?" He asked.

"Now you're here, I'm better."

"Well I'm not going anywhere, you can come with me next time, my personal Cheerleader aye?"

Claudia laughed, the taller boy wiped her eyes again and held his palms on her cheeks for a little while, right there he wanted to tell her he loved her: but he couldn't. Imagine someone asking, their friends or future children, 'oh how did Mattia tell you he loved you a Claudia?' and they'd have to say in a Girls' Bathroom in High School. It was the right time and the wrong place.

——————

The school day had finished, Claudia survived it.
The girl hoped the day would've gone better, but with her boyfriend, it had been improved. Texts were left unopened from Laura, she didn't want to face that yet, for the time being she was happy.

Mattia came to dinner with her father wanting to know all about her day, he made enchiladas and brownies, even had set the table. Her father was excited about his little girl starting a new school, just as though she was starting High School all over again. They told the day, missing the minor detail, but instead put on a smile and said it was fine. Under the table, Mattia rubbed his leg against hers, with reassurance – just to make sure she was okay.

The couple headed upstairs after a long time spend with Claudia's father. Any left over makeup the girl might have, she wiped off and changed into some comfier pyjamas. On the bed, Mattia sat thinking, he just had to get off his chest, he wanted them to be serious now, talk of a future, talk of love.

"Hey babe, can we talk?"