AN: i got nothing to do, so here's a chapter for all you. gah! the frickin characters wont leave me alone! im already sprouting ideas for another one when this one still has a lot to go!! shut up stupid voices!! anyways, forget my sanity problems for now and enjoy the chappie. :D
Love Can Prosper
Chapter Six: Graduation
Caterina ran down the stairs, jumping the last five steps. She continued running, down the hall, her hand on her head to keep her cap in place. "Prop!" she shouted, skidding to a stop in the kitchen. He was there, of course, fumbling with his tie again. Instead of helping him, Caterina let out an exasperated sigh. "Prop, just forget it! We've got to go!" She grabbed his arm and pulled out of the kitchen, out of the house and halfway to their destination, when Prosper took out his cap to put it on.
They were running late, just as Ida had predicted, and trying to gain back their lost time. So they ran, halfway across Venice, to their school, making it just in time for the ceremony. They found Mosca waiting for them, tapping his foot impatiently; he was graduating, too.
"Come on, you guys! The ceremony's about to start!" The three friends ran inside, got in line, and tried to look as if they'd been there for ages, smoothing out their clothes, Caterina patting down her hair. Then, when their names were called, they each walked out proudly, relieved that high school was over.
--
The graduating class threw up their caps, screaming at the top of their lungs. Caterina embraced Mosca, and then Prosper, who discreetly congratulated her with a kiss. Then, they set out to find the rest of their family.
Walking into the audience, they put their arms around each other and laughed. Their family found them and they all embraced each other. Bo, Riccio, Caterina, Prosper, Mosca, Scipio, Ida, Victor...they all felt like family...
And then they all headed home to celebrate.
--
The next day, Prosper and Caterina were rushing again. They had been unexpectedly needed at the restaurant, and had ten minutes to be ready and there. Ida had left right after the call, gone to do the groceries since Lucia and Giaco were out of town. To add to it all, they were dog-tired, for Prosper and Caterina had snuck out the night before and seen a movie in one of Venice's many theaters. As she ran down to the first floor, the phone rang and Caterina picked it up.
"Hello?" she asked, breathless.
"Hello, may I please speak to Caterina?"
She gasped for air before responding. "Speaking."
"Ah, yes. This is Signor Barba." It was her boss.
"Oh. Yes?"
He cleared his throat. "Yes, yours and Prosper's services are not needed today. Sorry for any inconvenience. Good day." And then he hung up.
Caterina put the phone back and sighed in relief, leaning against the wall. Then she heard Prosper's voice from the kitchen; he needed help with his tie again.
"Coming!" she responded, going down the stairs. Her footsteps echoed through the almost empty house, reminding her of how alone she was. It was just her and Prosper, all alone.
She went down the hall, turning into the kitchen to see that Prosper's tie was knotted again. She smirked and approached him, beginning to try and untie it. When it was straight and knot-free, she pulled him closer.
"That was Signor Barba," she informed him, "They don't need us today."
Prosper rested his forehead on hers. "Is that so?" he breathed.
"Yes. And I was just thinking...we're all alone."
And then, Caterina was kissing him, her hands releasing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. His hands tangled in her hair, stroked her face, her hair, her waist, memorizing her. Her hands pushed back his open shirt, resting on his bare chest. For ten minutes, they stood there, memorizing each other, their mouths glued, their tongues entangled. It was their paradise.
And then they heard something fall to the ground by the kitchen doorway. They froze. Slowly but surely, they pulled away and looked to the doorway to see, much to their horror, Ida, standing there with wide eyes, her jaw almost to the floor. This was not good.
Both Prosper and Caterina took a step back, away from each other. Ida still looked as if she'd seen a purple panda eat a green tiger. And before anyone could start explaining, Ida spoke.
"Madonna!" she gasped. Then, pointing at the two of them accusingly, she continued. "I knew you guys fancied each other, but this is ridiculous! I always wondered why neither of you would date, but I at least thought that you'd gotten over each other! So how long has this been going on? A couple of days? Weeks? A month maybe?"
During Ida's speech, both Caterina and Prosper had begun to stare at the floor, ashamed that they'd been caught so inconveniently. But Caterina still answered Ida's question, and truthfully, too. They owed her that much. Still looking at the floor, she whispered, "Five years."
Ida was shocked beyond words once again, not expecting that answer. Then, she was angry, upset that they would deceive everyone for so long. She was yelling before she knew it. "Five years? FIVE YEARS?! FOR SIX BLOODY YEARS YOU'VE LIVED AT MY HOUSE AND YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT FOR FIVE OF THEM, THIS IS WHAT YOU WERE DOING BEHIND MY BACK?!"
They didn't answer, embarrassed and ashamed that it was seen that way. Having Ida so angry was like a slap to the face.
But Caterina still tried to reason with her. "Ida, please. We've never...gone so far and we're really sorry. We just didn't think you'd react well, so we never told anyone. And please Ida, don't tell anyone yet. We were gonna break the news next week anyway." It was plain to see that Caterina was upset, and probably near tears at this time. Ida moaned, not sure what to do. Prosper just stood there, looking at the floor, his hands in his pockets, silent.
"I can't believe you two," Ida mumbled at last. "I never thought that you could hide something like that for so long."
Prosper sighed, finally speaking. "We were good at first, but then things started slipping, especially lately. Scipio realized somehow, and I think Mosca and Riccio were getting suspicious, too. And Bo never suspected anything until a couple of days ago. He asked me about it." He hung his head while Caterina glanced at him in shock. He hadn't told her that. "Everyone was gonna know eventually, anyway. I just wish it hadn't been so...chaotic."
Ida stared at him, suddenly wishing that she hadn't gotten so angry as to start yelling. She found herself being happy for them, and she smiled. "Okay, you two. I won't tell anyone. Except for maybe Victor, but I won't tell him how I found out. As for telling everyone else next week, I'm perfectly fine with that, but I'm thinking you should bring it slower with Bo. We don't want him to overreact."
The two nodded in agreement, relieved that they were off the hook for now. Then, Ida bent over, grabbed her fallen keys, walked over to the counter behind them and grabbed a sheet of paper that had been scribbled on. Her grocery list that she had come back for. "Ciao," she said as she left the kitchen.
Prosper and Caterina just stood there alone, trying to believe what had just happened.
Their secret love was not so secret anymore.
AN: oh no! whatever shall we do?! hehe. BloomingNights has been expecting this for ages and it finally happened! oh, and last chap, i forgot to add in, i really only had it to show that they were kinda slipping and i also didnt wanna leave Scip alone...so i popped in Carabella. what's awesome about her is her name is Italian for "pretty face". cool, no?
Antyways...REVIEWREVIEWREVIEWandREVIEWagain!! ten reviews or more: i post this weekend. less:...i wait till i have no hw again...x)
-cherry.bell-
