The following morning, Sunny woke up to see the TV. She wondered if
she had fallen asleep on the couch. She felt some thing warm beside her,
and looked to her right to see Otto, asleep. She gasped and got up. Otto
fell over to the left, and popped his eyes open.
"What the?" He looked up to see Sunny standing before him. "Did we -both- fall asleep on the couch?!"
"Seems to be that way! Oh my God, what are your grandparents going to think?" Sunny was in total anguish.
Mrs. Belvidere walked from the kitchen. "It's okay, it's okay! I came in here last night to cut off the TV, and I saw you two asleep. You were so cute, all cuddled up together! So I decided not to wake you. I'm sorry if I caused a fright." She smiled and headed back into the kitchen.
"Just don't tell anyone back at home about this. You know how they -think- things." Sunny laughed and headed into the kitchen, Otto trailing close behind.
After breakfast, Sunny and Otto discussed what they were going to do that day.
"Do you want to do something American, like go to a movie or something?" Otto asked.
"No, because they're all in Italian, remember?" Sunny reminded him.
"Oh, yeah." Otto pondered for a moment.
Mrs. Belvidere walked in the living room. "I hate to interrupt your la conversazione, but I have good news and bad news."
Otto and Sunny looked at her gravely.
"Shoot." Otto motioned his grandmother to go on.
"Well, the bad news is, you are going to have to stay home today."
Otto and Sunny's faces went from lit-up to down struck. "Aww, how come?" Otto asked.
"Well, the good news is the reason. Your cousin, Matteo, was so happy to see you, he talked his parents into staying here in Florence for an extra day! So you get to spend your whole day with Matteo! Isn't it grande?" Mrs. Belvidere seemed ecstatic.
"Not exactly the news I wanted to hear." Otto sighed and looked disappointed.
"Well, you have gotten to do what ever you wanted to since the day you came, so you need to spend time with your family now. L'ha preso?" Mrs. Belvidere asserted her words, in almost an angry tone.
"But la nonna, you know as well as I do I can't stand Matteo. He's been jealous of me since we were kids." Otto made a wrathful and sickened face.
"He's still la famiglia, Otto, and that's no excuse. He's your cousin, and you need to spend time with him. You may not seem him in years, or ever again!" Mrs. Belvidere's tone of voice got angrier.
"That'd be too good to be true." Otto muttered.
"All right, Otto Mitchell Rocket, I am tired of your l'atteggiamento and disrespect! This debate is over, and I mean it! One more word and you're andato!" And that was the end of that. Mrs. Belvidere stormed to the back of the apartment house.
Otto sighed, and was thoroughly peeved. "Man, I can't believe this. Matteo is a creep, a big fat creep."
"Don't worry, it's only one day," Sunny tried to comfort him. "You'll get over it."
"I highly doubt it." Otto grumbled.
Otto sat in the back yard in a lawn chair. He knew the only reason Matteo wanted to stay and spend time with him was because he liked Sunny. There was no other explanation. He knew that Matteo didn't like him anymore than he liked Matteo. Otto walked inside and up to Sunny's room.
"Why would he like me?" Sunny asked. She leaned against the head of the bed and munched on some Pringles.
Otto scrunched up his nose and grimaced. "Because your pretty. I mean, did you see the way he looked at you last night? It was all I could do to keep from stabbing him with the knife I used to cut my cake."
"Otto!" Sunny was surprised by Otto's words. She had never heard him say anything like that before.
"Well, I can't help it! He's a sleazeball, I'm telling you. You better watch it around him. There's no telling what his dirty mind is capable of." Otto scowled down at the floor as he paced back and forth.
Sunny shook her head and laughed. "Don't worry about me. If you keep glowering like that, you're face is gonna crack. Come on, gimme a smile!"
Otto's glare didn't soften. "How can I?"
Sunny stood and walked over to her frenetic boyfriend. "I know." She looked up to him and kissed him. She jerked back and looked at him funny. "Lighten up, okay?"
Otto sighed. "Okay, okay." He leant over and kissed her passionately. All of a sudden, the doorbell rang. They broke the kiss and Otto frowned again. "I told you he ruins everything!" Otto walked out into the hallway and peered over the banister.
Mrs. Belvidere opened the door to see Matteo standing there. "Matteo, il benvenuto! Otto is right upstairs if you want to see him. Make yourself at home."
Matteo shammed a counterfeit smile. "Il nonna, piacevole per vederlo ancora! Ringraziarlo again for letting me visit today." He hugged his grandmother and headed up the stairs.
"Otto? Otto, your preferito cousin is here to see you!" Matteo walked into the room where Otto and Sunny were. He eyes them peculiarly. "Oh, no, not la fabbricazione fuori, now are we? I hope your parents have taught you better, and to be casto, eh?"
Otto gritted his teeth and hissed, "Nice to see you, too, Matteo. Psyche."
Matteo pushed Otto out of the way and sat beside Sunny. "Hello, again, erotico americano ragazza. You're face is like an angelo. It glows like the morning sun." He leant over to kiss her hand, but she jerked it away.
"Sorry, I'm taken," she managed to say. She got up and stood beside Otto.
Matteo managed to laugh and he sat back. "Ah, americano ragazza, you never fail to play hard-to-get."
"She's not playing hard-to-get, -Matt-, she said she was -taken-, so back off." Otto was beginning to hate his cousin even more than he had before.
Matteo smiled deviously. "Oh, you know not to call me Matt, dear cousin, and don't be so croce. But you, my dear, may call me anything you like." He grinned at Sunny.
Sunny scrunched up her nose and backed away. I wouldn't call you for dinner, she thought.
"Get off your crap, -Matt-." Otto looked at him fiercely.
Matteo still didn't seem taken aback. "Now, il cugino, no need to get brash."
"I'll give you brash." Otto stepped forward as if he was about to hit him, but Sunny stopped him.
"Why don't we get lunch, huh? We can think this over, okay?" Sunny was trying to be reasonable, and trying to prevent a verbal abuse breakout.
"Fine." Otto bit his tongue, trying to withstand his urge to make a massacre of his cousin.
Matteo agreed and they all went downstairs.
Otto jabbed his fork into a pork chop and shoved it in his mouth. He glared tempestuously at his adulterated cousin. He hated him. There was no other word that could put so much meaning into it. He chewed up his pork chop like a savage, pretending it was his cousin's arm. He then swallowed the over-salted meat, almost gagging.
"Are you okay, cousin?" Matteo asked, pretending to be concerned.
"As if you cared." Otto insinuated. He swirled the mashed potatoes on his plate with such force, a plop of them landed on the floor. "Great." He reached for a napkin when Matteo grabbed it and went over to clean it up.
"I've got it." He bent over beside Otto to clean up the potatoes. It was all Otto could muster to keep from taking his fork and jabbing it in the back of Matteo's neck. He could only imagine the little fork marks with blood spurting out of them. He shook his head, not believing he was thinking such things.
"All clean!" Matteo stood up and went to throw the soiled napkin away.
With Matteo's back turned, Otto shot him the bird. (Middle-finger) It made him feel a little better.
Sunny sat there, mouth agape. She had never seen Otto be so hateful. "Otto!" she whispered, "what is your deal?!"
"Him!" Otto almost yelled. He didn't feel like eating anything else. He just wanted to continue hating his cousin. He took his plate to dump in the trash and walked back to the table. "I'm going outside for a minute. Wanna come Sunny?"
Sunny looked flustered, but agreed to go anyway.
"What about cousin Matteo? Am I not invited?" Matteo stood before them, a sad look on his face.
"No," Otto was about to say, but Sunny spoke before he could.
"Sure." She was trying to avoid conflict as much as possible.
"What the?" He looked up to see Sunny standing before him. "Did we -both- fall asleep on the couch?!"
"Seems to be that way! Oh my God, what are your grandparents going to think?" Sunny was in total anguish.
Mrs. Belvidere walked from the kitchen. "It's okay, it's okay! I came in here last night to cut off the TV, and I saw you two asleep. You were so cute, all cuddled up together! So I decided not to wake you. I'm sorry if I caused a fright." She smiled and headed back into the kitchen.
"Just don't tell anyone back at home about this. You know how they -think- things." Sunny laughed and headed into the kitchen, Otto trailing close behind.
After breakfast, Sunny and Otto discussed what they were going to do that day.
"Do you want to do something American, like go to a movie or something?" Otto asked.
"No, because they're all in Italian, remember?" Sunny reminded him.
"Oh, yeah." Otto pondered for a moment.
Mrs. Belvidere walked in the living room. "I hate to interrupt your la conversazione, but I have good news and bad news."
Otto and Sunny looked at her gravely.
"Shoot." Otto motioned his grandmother to go on.
"Well, the bad news is, you are going to have to stay home today."
Otto and Sunny's faces went from lit-up to down struck. "Aww, how come?" Otto asked.
"Well, the good news is the reason. Your cousin, Matteo, was so happy to see you, he talked his parents into staying here in Florence for an extra day! So you get to spend your whole day with Matteo! Isn't it grande?" Mrs. Belvidere seemed ecstatic.
"Not exactly the news I wanted to hear." Otto sighed and looked disappointed.
"Well, you have gotten to do what ever you wanted to since the day you came, so you need to spend time with your family now. L'ha preso?" Mrs. Belvidere asserted her words, in almost an angry tone.
"But la nonna, you know as well as I do I can't stand Matteo. He's been jealous of me since we were kids." Otto made a wrathful and sickened face.
"He's still la famiglia, Otto, and that's no excuse. He's your cousin, and you need to spend time with him. You may not seem him in years, or ever again!" Mrs. Belvidere's tone of voice got angrier.
"That'd be too good to be true." Otto muttered.
"All right, Otto Mitchell Rocket, I am tired of your l'atteggiamento and disrespect! This debate is over, and I mean it! One more word and you're andato!" And that was the end of that. Mrs. Belvidere stormed to the back of the apartment house.
Otto sighed, and was thoroughly peeved. "Man, I can't believe this. Matteo is a creep, a big fat creep."
"Don't worry, it's only one day," Sunny tried to comfort him. "You'll get over it."
"I highly doubt it." Otto grumbled.
Otto sat in the back yard in a lawn chair. He knew the only reason Matteo wanted to stay and spend time with him was because he liked Sunny. There was no other explanation. He knew that Matteo didn't like him anymore than he liked Matteo. Otto walked inside and up to Sunny's room.
"Why would he like me?" Sunny asked. She leaned against the head of the bed and munched on some Pringles.
Otto scrunched up his nose and grimaced. "Because your pretty. I mean, did you see the way he looked at you last night? It was all I could do to keep from stabbing him with the knife I used to cut my cake."
"Otto!" Sunny was surprised by Otto's words. She had never heard him say anything like that before.
"Well, I can't help it! He's a sleazeball, I'm telling you. You better watch it around him. There's no telling what his dirty mind is capable of." Otto scowled down at the floor as he paced back and forth.
Sunny shook her head and laughed. "Don't worry about me. If you keep glowering like that, you're face is gonna crack. Come on, gimme a smile!"
Otto's glare didn't soften. "How can I?"
Sunny stood and walked over to her frenetic boyfriend. "I know." She looked up to him and kissed him. She jerked back and looked at him funny. "Lighten up, okay?"
Otto sighed. "Okay, okay." He leant over and kissed her passionately. All of a sudden, the doorbell rang. They broke the kiss and Otto frowned again. "I told you he ruins everything!" Otto walked out into the hallway and peered over the banister.
Mrs. Belvidere opened the door to see Matteo standing there. "Matteo, il benvenuto! Otto is right upstairs if you want to see him. Make yourself at home."
Matteo shammed a counterfeit smile. "Il nonna, piacevole per vederlo ancora! Ringraziarlo again for letting me visit today." He hugged his grandmother and headed up the stairs.
"Otto? Otto, your preferito cousin is here to see you!" Matteo walked into the room where Otto and Sunny were. He eyes them peculiarly. "Oh, no, not la fabbricazione fuori, now are we? I hope your parents have taught you better, and to be casto, eh?"
Otto gritted his teeth and hissed, "Nice to see you, too, Matteo. Psyche."
Matteo pushed Otto out of the way and sat beside Sunny. "Hello, again, erotico americano ragazza. You're face is like an angelo. It glows like the morning sun." He leant over to kiss her hand, but she jerked it away.
"Sorry, I'm taken," she managed to say. She got up and stood beside Otto.
Matteo managed to laugh and he sat back. "Ah, americano ragazza, you never fail to play hard-to-get."
"She's not playing hard-to-get, -Matt-, she said she was -taken-, so back off." Otto was beginning to hate his cousin even more than he had before.
Matteo smiled deviously. "Oh, you know not to call me Matt, dear cousin, and don't be so croce. But you, my dear, may call me anything you like." He grinned at Sunny.
Sunny scrunched up her nose and backed away. I wouldn't call you for dinner, she thought.
"Get off your crap, -Matt-." Otto looked at him fiercely.
Matteo still didn't seem taken aback. "Now, il cugino, no need to get brash."
"I'll give you brash." Otto stepped forward as if he was about to hit him, but Sunny stopped him.
"Why don't we get lunch, huh? We can think this over, okay?" Sunny was trying to be reasonable, and trying to prevent a verbal abuse breakout.
"Fine." Otto bit his tongue, trying to withstand his urge to make a massacre of his cousin.
Matteo agreed and they all went downstairs.
Otto jabbed his fork into a pork chop and shoved it in his mouth. He glared tempestuously at his adulterated cousin. He hated him. There was no other word that could put so much meaning into it. He chewed up his pork chop like a savage, pretending it was his cousin's arm. He then swallowed the over-salted meat, almost gagging.
"Are you okay, cousin?" Matteo asked, pretending to be concerned.
"As if you cared." Otto insinuated. He swirled the mashed potatoes on his plate with such force, a plop of them landed on the floor. "Great." He reached for a napkin when Matteo grabbed it and went over to clean it up.
"I've got it." He bent over beside Otto to clean up the potatoes. It was all Otto could muster to keep from taking his fork and jabbing it in the back of Matteo's neck. He could only imagine the little fork marks with blood spurting out of them. He shook his head, not believing he was thinking such things.
"All clean!" Matteo stood up and went to throw the soiled napkin away.
With Matteo's back turned, Otto shot him the bird. (Middle-finger) It made him feel a little better.
Sunny sat there, mouth agape. She had never seen Otto be so hateful. "Otto!" she whispered, "what is your deal?!"
"Him!" Otto almost yelled. He didn't feel like eating anything else. He just wanted to continue hating his cousin. He took his plate to dump in the trash and walked back to the table. "I'm going outside for a minute. Wanna come Sunny?"
Sunny looked flustered, but agreed to go anyway.
"What about cousin Matteo? Am I not invited?" Matteo stood before them, a sad look on his face.
"No," Otto was about to say, but Sunny spoke before he could.
"Sure." She was trying to avoid conflict as much as possible.
