✧ riprovare

[nellacerniera]

[Moving is always a miserable experience, frankly.

And going from a small town to a big city? Jarring. He kind of hates that he didn't get a choice in the matter, but... whatever.

He's out of the house after an argument with his mother. Might as well use the time spent clearing his head for something productive--that something being getting acquainted with the area. It's been a lot of walking and for now, he's deposited himself on a bench, alternating between messing with his phone and just...

... sulking, honestly.]

Comments

[ripetuto]

[In very, very loud rapid Italian:]

Leone, get back here!

Like hell I am!

[A door slams and then very angry, rapid footsteps come from Bruno's right.]

[nellacerniera]

[Which startles Bruno, his head snapping up to look as he fumbles with his phone.

... Ah, right, that's one of the neighboring houses. His mother had mentioned a family with a kid close to his age on the drive here...]

[ripetuto]

[Leone doesn't even notice the other kid as he flops down, digging out his phone.

In Italian:]

Stupid fucking sons of bitches...

[nellacerniera]

[Bruno... doesn't say anything for now, though he does glance up at the other kid every now and then.

... He has definitely never seen this guy before in his life, so what's with this feeling of familiarity all of a sudden?]

[ripetuto]

[After a few minutes:]

What're you looking at?

[nellacerniera]

[In Italian:] Ah-- um. Sorry.

[Haha, man, he sure wishes he could hide behind his phone right now.

And to himself:] Ugh, way to immediately start making a bad impression on the next-door neighbor, Bruno...

[ripetuto]

[Wait a sec. Leone turns to look at the kid a little better.

...familiar? Huh.]

You speak Italian?

[nellacerniera]

[As he lowers his phone a bit--] Yeah, I do.

[ripetuto]

...so how much of that fight with my aunt did you hear?

[nellacerniera]

Just her shouting for you to come back.

[ripetuto]

...alright.

[He doesn't want to fight with this kid in case he agreed with his aunt.]

Are you new?

[nellacerniera]

Yeah. My mom already lived here, but she just had me move in with her.

[As he points out the house next door to the one Leone stormed out of.]

[ripetuto]

I didn't know Signora Marchetti had a kid.

[nellacerniera]

... It's almost kind of sad but that doesn't surprise me at all.

[ripetuto]

[...oh.

Leone suddenly wants to fight this woman who's been nothing but nice to him and his family.]

That sucks. I'm Leone Abbacchio.

[nellacerniera]

[Leone Abbacchio...

... he's heard that name before, but for the life of him, he can't place where.]

Bruno Bucciarati. It's nice to meet you.

[ripetuto]

[Just hearing "Bruno Bucciarati" has him feeling at ease, and he smiles. Which is weird, because he never smiles.]

Likewise. Public or private school?

[nellacerniera]

[And that smile has Bruno offering a small smile of his own in return!

(And he thinks he needs a moment, because oh, Leone has a really nice smile.)]

Oh, um, public.

[ripetuto]

Same.

[Oh no he's cute.]

The school for this district's pretty good, at least. Not as good as St. Martha's apparently, but honestly I'd die if I had to go there.

[nellacerniera]

... yeah, my mom said it was an option, but, uh. No thank you.

[It's one of the things she did let him choose, at least.]

[ripetuto]

If I wanted to be yelled at by the nuns, I'd go to church, y'know?

[nellacerniera]

Yeah, exactly.

[ripetuto]

[Oh he likes this kid.]

That's what that fight was about. My aunt moved in and she's trying to make me go to Mass but, like, I'm not even Catholic anymore, so why would I?

[nellacerniera]

I definitely don't see a reason for you to be going. [Making a face.] Why's she so insistent about it?

[ripetuto]

'Cuz I'm gay and goth. And she's devout and thinks everyone should be, but I'm pretty sure it's the first two.