Chapter 1 of Lacuna

Quite the catch

"Just one more Jay, I promise!" I shouted to my best friend, who was already getting fed up of me taking photos.

"I'm hungry Romie! I haven't eaten all day!"

"Oh quit lying, you had a whole pizza this morning." The greedy guy had eaten a whole 18" pizza, with extra meat on it, for his breakfast! Man, Pizza is wrong.

"It's the only reason I came to Italy in the first place…" He muttered.

"Well, aren't you just the sweetest." I mocked to Jay, who was leaning on the trunk of the Mustang.

The lens covered my eye, and I snapped the remaining rays of sunlight- Perfect!

My joy and reason was The Arts. My University course was a Bachelor of Art degree, and a dance degree. Nothing is as freeing as expressing yourself to me, and photography was just another way of containing proof that I am alive.

Jay however, was very much opposed to photography, as a few drunken nights out had been recorded. He was definitely more history orientated, and had a massive love of Geography.

I turned round to walk to the car, and trod on something on the leafy ground. Bending down to pick it up, it was this necklace. Attached to an expensive looking chain was a 'V', with a shield behind it and some red gems on the top and bottom. I must be a shame to lose a necklace like this.

"Is that it now? It's getting dark and I want to get back to the Palazzo…"

"Fine, fine, let's go! But I want to get some more tomorrow morning."

"No problem."

He stuck his tongue out and jingled the car keys.

"Jay get your head from out of the window!"

"No~, I'm getting the last of the morning into my lungs!" His voice shook in the wind, as the car turned one last corner.

"We're turning into Volterra now, so unless you want your head to scrape across the walls, you'd tuck it in."

He ignored my statement, so I decided to do up the window myself. His head quickly pulled in before it got chopped off or something.

"Uncalled for Romie." He sulked.

"Come on, we're by the parking lot anyway." I pulled into our reserved space, commenting on hoe small it was.

It was dark in Volterra; the sun had disappeared so early for Italy, but it was still so alive.

The Cafés were serving still, and the one pub in the square was booming with locals all excited for tomorrow's festival.

"Looks like I'm not going to get any sleep tonight, huh."

"Sleep, eat, drink, is that all you think about Jay?"

"No, I think about all of the girls out there just waiting to be my arm candy!"

"You are going to make someone very happy; I'm sure, but not so happy if you refer to them as 'arm candy', JayJay." I winked, grinning all the way.

"I guess you have a point there Rome, but don't worry, you're my number one girl."

"Then I guess everything is okay!"

In the Palazzo Bellamiro, everything was rustic right down to the bed sheets, and it was totally homely.

"I'm going to hit the hay Jay, I'm too tired to stand." I clumped my bag onto the floor, pulled my hair up and dragged my lay ass into the main bedroom.

The king-sized bed welcomed me with open, satin arms, soothing the aching muscles in my back.

Before I knew it, I was falling fast asleep.