"Giulia! Giulia!" Luca called. "Guess what?"
"Slow down, Luca. What is it?" Giulia said.
"I was daydreaming about Alberto again, you see. And well, Mrs. Russo, my English teacher, was so understanding it's completely crazy!"
"That makes you wonder if she's bisexual or lesbian," Giulia said.
"You mean she loves boys and girls?" Luca asked. "Or only girls, right?"
"Correcta!" Giulia said. "How 'bout we go ask her?"
"Let's not," Luca said.
"Why not? Have you learned nothing from your to be boyfriend?" Giulia said. "Non essere stupido! Silenzio Bruno!"
Luca smiled. "You're right. I'm overthinking things and being a dumbass," he said. "Fuck that, Bruno!" Luca held a middle finger discreetly by his side, only slightly raising it with confidence.
"Whoa, Luca! I didn't think you'd do something that obscure!" Giulia said, shocked. "That's different—especially for you!"
Luca finally realised, lowering down his middle finger and covering his mouth. "I-I'm so sorry! I-I don't know what came over me!"
"If Alberto were here, he'd say 'You're 16, stupido. Who cares what others think?'"
Luca blushed. "Of course he would," he said. "And he's so hot too."
"What was that?" Giulia said.
Luca, flustered, stood nervously. He almost stumbled. Both Luca and Giulia knew he was clumsy, but not this clumsy.
"Alright, big guy. What's going on?" Giulia said. "Every time we speak Alberto's name, you become a gay mess."
"G-Giulia, I'm fine!" Luca stammered.
"Don't avoid it this time. I'm tired of going around in circles with someone who's supposed to be my best friend," said Giulia. "We don't hide anything from each other. You know that, Luca."
"I kinda wish he could've at least tried school," Luca said. "I don't know. Maybe he'd like it." He paused. "It seems as if I'll never see him again and I bet he misses me as much as I miss him. Perhaps even more. Who knows? Hot dipshits, am I right?"
"Yeah. You're definitely a gay disaster," Giulia said.
"D-don't call it out like that now!" Luca said, putting his hands in front of his face at a distance. "I don't even love him. He's just a very good friend, OK?"
"Do you think I'll fall for this shit?" Giulia said, slapping her best friend hard. "It's obvious. From the way you act when we talk about him, how you feel around him, even how you can't even be two seconds without him!"
"Actually, it probably goes all the way down to one millisecond," Luca said.
"One millisecond," Giulia said. "Whatever." She looked Luca in the eye. "But you know what I mean. You aren't fooling me, Luca! I see how you constantly text him!"
Luca looked down at his teal phone with a waterproof, scaly case. "I do not!"
"Oh, really? Lemme see your conversation history," Giulia took Luca's phone from his hand.
"What the hell, Giulia? Privacy, much?"
"I'm just being a good friend," she insisted.
Luca chuckled sarcastically. "Yeah right," he said. "What kind of 'good friend' would look through their friend's phone?"
Giulia ignored him, scrolling through his messages.
Alberto: One minute ago
She handed back Luca's phone. "I'm right."
Luca put it into his pocket. "Why does that concern you?"
"I guess I'm what they call the 'mom' friend," Giulia said.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I guess that means I can do whatever I want to make you understand that we don't share secrets," Giulia replied.
"Well, I guess I'll see you around," Luca said. "Swing by my dorm sometime!"
"Sure!" Giulia said with both a friendly smile and one that knew she'd get in trouble if she ever set foot in the Boys' Dormitory Unit.
