Sighing, you got up. It was in fact early, but you wanted it no other way. Today was Saturday and it was time do the most fun thing in the world: cleaning! *sarcasm* You first needed to go to the store down the road to pick up a few things, and it would be long walk there.

You got dressed in a blue, summer top and khaki pants, brushed your teeth, put your sandals on, and left the house. The sunrise was beautiful. Beams of orange, pink, purple, and yellow streaked across the wide sky. You stood there a moment to just take it in. Slowly you stepped forward until you closed the gate to your yard and turned down the still empty street.

After about a twenty minute walk you made it to the store.

"FINALLY!" you thought pulling the handle.

And guess what? It was locked!

"Ugh just great." you muttered, searching for the hours.

The hours were in Italian, but you managed to figure out that they opened at 9am. Looking at your phone it was 7:14am. You had two hours to kill. You turned and sat down on the curb outside the store. It was cold and damp from the morning dew. Inside the stores surrounding the market, people were setting up for another day of business. Stands for colorful fruit were also being set up. One stand caught your eye. An old lady was setting up her fabrics, obviously struggling to put the roof up. You walked over and, being a foot taller than the old woman, set the roof up for her.

"Oh grazie Dearie" She said, cracking her back.

You returned, "Nessun problema!" Hoping that was correct.

Obviously you were, because she smiled and turned your face both ways while squeezing your cheeks.

"Such a beautiful girl," she said, "But I haven't seen you around here before, what's your name, Dearie? Your foreign that's for sure, your Italian is rusty."

"God, does everyone know English here? Why did I bother to learn Italian?" you thought, a little ticked.

"Yes, I just accepted my first job here; I'm originally from (y/c) and my name is (f/n)(l/n)." You said, replying to the curious lady's questions.

In this time she returned to her work while listening. You took the time to observe her.

She wore a long, purple skirt, which was clearly pleated. Her sandals were brown, and twisted in a funny knot. Her toenails were painted a teal color, and so were her fingernails. She wore a bright yellow shirt, her back hunched, indicating she had slouched when she was younger. She wore a purple fabric over her head with jingly beads tied around it. Her gray hair was pulled in a high ponytail, and was as straight as a pin. It went down to about 2 inches from her hips. In other words, she looks like a fortune teller that you see in movies, only older. You giggled at the thought.

"Do you need any more help setting up…uh…" you said fading. You had no idea what to call her!

As if reading your mind she responded, "Call me Suzanne, Dearie. And yes, I would love some help if you don't mind."

"I have plenty of time to spare, what would you like help with?"

"It would be lovely if you started by finishing the stand." She said opening a chest, "How much would you liked to be paid?"

You shook your head violently, "No charge Suzanne, I don't mind helping."

"Oh good." she said sighing and sitting down in a fold up chair. "Thank you Dearie."

You nodded and started pulling the wooden stand together.

"So why are you out so early in the morning, (f/n)?" she asked

You tied the small rope to the side and connected the side of the shack to the top. "Well I was going to the store to get cleaning supplies; the apartment I'm renting is filthy."

"Ah yes, old Larry who runs the store always sleeps in before he opens the store, It always ends up opening later than promised."

"Is that so? Then I guess I will be waiting even longer." You said with a smile. You had just finished tying the two rickety sides of the shack together with the back and roof.

"Almost done." You thought.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." She said chuckling, "But most stores will be open by then. I encourage you to look around; there are so many pretty things around this time of year!"

You just nodded while putting the finishing touches on the shack.

"Here you are ma'am; your stand is set up." You said, sitting on the ground next to her.

"I'll have none of that!" she said, raising her voice. "Ma'am is such a polite term, I hate it. Please, just call me Suzanne."

That startled you, but at the end the both of you were laughing. From this moment on, you knew the two of you would be good friends.

It was 8:30 by the time all of this had gone down, so you continued talking to the kind lady. She told you all about her younger life. She had traveled the world to see everything, and came back to Ferrara to settle down and run her own business. She went to many different countries including Germany, China, Japan, America, Russia, England and even France. By that time you had lost count and just listened intently as she described the scenery. She said she even got to see a personified country! Surprise surprise, It was none other than Feliciano! She described in detail the man excitedly. You already had seen the man, but you didn't want to blow out the lady's pride, so you sat and listened.

Finally, a guy walked out of the market and turned his dirty sign to open.

"I had better get going, I have a lot of cleaning to do" you said politely.

"Come back anytime, Dearie."

And with that you stood up and left.

You walked into the small store. It was pretty much a gas station market with the exception of gas. Rows of junk food hung up and drinks were situated and the far side of the room. Why they had such a variety, you would never know. You looked at the guy near the counter. His hair was dark brown and he had the classic Italian mustache attached to his face. He wore a black cap that read: "Andare a prendere loro!" on the front. His apron was discolored and worn from use, but underneath he wore freshly cleaned clothes. He wore a pale, blue striped button up shirt which was rolled up to his elbows. His pants were of the dark jean variety. The counter blocked his shoes, but whenever he moved they made a squeak against the freshly polished floor. The floor was red tiled and the walls were a boring eggshell white.

Strolling through the aisles, you found the cleaning supplies. You recognized the familiar scent of bleach and chemicals. Grabbing window, wood, and carpet cleaner, you searched for the "utensils" you needed.

"Ah, here they are." You thought. They ended up being in the next isle.

You grabbed three rolls of paper towel, a new Swiffer, a mini vacuum, plus one duster.

Precariously balancing all of this in your hands, you made your way to the check out. The amount came to €46.48, (or about $60 U.S. dollars) which you pulled out of your purse. He gave you your groceries wrapped in plastic bags and wished you a good day.

Walking out of the store, you waved to Suzanne then turned towards home.

~Meanwhile~

Germany blinked his eyes open and looked at the clock. 8:30am it read. He had slept in more than he wanted to. Rolling over, he felt something next to him. He glanced over and found none other than Italy lying next to him.

Germany used Italy's name this time. "FELICIANO, GET OUT OF MY BED! WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE?!" He said, poking the Italian on the forehead.

Italy fell out of bed from the racket and started begging for forgiveness.

"WWAAAHHH, GERMANY I'M SO SORRY, I JUST HAD A BAD DREAM AND I GOT SCARED! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME, I'M A VIRGIN! YOU WOULDN'T KILL A VIRGIN WOULD YOU?!"

Feliciano talked so fast that Germany couldn't keep up. Instead of listening Germany face palmed and sat there while Italy panicked. Eventually, Italy calmed down and realized that Germany had used his real name.

"*GASP* Germany, are we using our names today!? Yay! Wait, I mean Ludwig, are we using our names today?"

Germany had had enough, "Sure Italy," He said giving up. "just please get out of my room."

Italy stood, and saluted, "Yes cap'n!" and walked out.

The now dubbed Ludwig for the day laid back down and rolled over, lying on his back. He stared at the textured ceiling for a few minutes then proceeded to get up.

He smoothed back his hair, but some loose strands stayed behind. He tucked them back and buttoned his white dress shirt. He next grabbed his dark brown trousers hanging on the chair in the corner of the room, and slid them on. He entered the bathroom and took a look at himself. His strong jaw line made him look strong and tough. His muscles moved under his shirt attractively. He swished a fuzzy away from his face, and then turned the cold water on. Grabbing a washcloth, he washed his face, dried it afterwards, and exited the room.

Italy was in his kitchen cooking breakfast with Japan.

"When did Kiku get here?" he unbeknownst said aloud.

Both of the men cooking jumped and turned around.

"Hello Ludwig-san, did you sleep well? Italy told me we are using our human names today, is this true?" Japan said with his thick Japanese accent.

"Ah...well...yes, I promised Italy" Germany muttered

"Oh, and to answer your questions Ludwig-san, I got here not long after you according to Ita-I mean Feliciano-san." I went to talk to you last night, but you had already gone to bed." Japan said.

Italy approached the table, "Time for breakfast!" He sang.

Italy had made pasta for his breakfast and for Germany a normal breakfast consisting of toast, an egg, and of course, sausage. Kiku had rice and some sort of mysterious sauce over top. Yes, these were his friends. Even though Germany wouldn't admit it, he liked it this way.

All three men sat and ate their breakfast, and when finished, they brought their dishes to the sink. Kiku said he would wash them, so both Italy and Germany thanked him. By this time it was 9am. Italy said that today was grocery day, and asked anyone if they needed anything. When no one responded, Feliciano left the house. Germany decided he would go out too; he was almost done with his novel and needed a new one. He told Kiku where he was off to and also left the house.

~BACK TO YOU~

You took time to admire the scenery on the way home. When you were heading towards the store it was too dark to see anything. But now, the shops and stands were full of life and lively with business. Starting by watching the shops, you noticed they all looked very similar to Suzanne's. They were set up with bright colors to attract as much business as possible. Some sold fruit, some sold jewelry or other goods. People chatted in quick Italian and kids wandered the street. A lot of people waved and said good day to you, and you smiled and returned the favor. You loved this place, people were so happy, couples snuggled, and business goers bought their goods. Now you concentrated on the legitimate stores behind the stands. They immediately reminded you of Romeo and Juliet, which you were forced to read in high school. The buildings were old, but charmingly intricate. Lovers, babies and women were carved into pillars and trim. Some places were made of marble, and others of panels. The windows were magnificently stained and reflected in rainbows on the street.

You rounded a corner and ran into something solid that made a weird "Ve" noise. Falling onto the ground, your groceries fell from your hands and spilled onto the street.

"WAH, I'M SO SORRY!" said the thing you ran into.

"Wait, I recognize that voice and accent." You thought looking up. "Feliciano?! Is that really you?!" you asked the Italian who was helping pick up your groceries.

The man gasped loudly, "Manoscritto! It's you again!"

By then your groceries were back in their bags and Feliciano helped you stand.

"Feliciano, I thought I would never see you again! Do you live around here or something?" you asked.

"Yeah! Actually I live 5 minutes from here, why?" he responded.

"Uh...because you're here?"

"Oh…right…So do you live near here?" the Italian asked.

"It's about a 15 minute walk from here; I walked here to get groceries. My new apartment is a mess, that's why it's all cleaning supplies"

"So you're just moving here?"

"Yes, I just got a job near here."

"What do you think so far?"

"It's beautiful" you responded, "Um Feliciano? Would you like to come to my apartment? My load is heavy, and I'd like to drop them off. Plus, I have to clean."

"Well, I was just going shopping, we ran out of pasta and tomatoes. I was on my way to pick them up. I HAVE AN IDEA! Do you want to meet for lunch?"

"Sure, where should we meet?"

"Would you just like to meet at this corner at….12pm?"

"Sounds lovely, see you then" You said.

With that you and the cute Italian split paths to meets at 12.

You left the house and started on the way home. You passed more shops, but you weren't concentrating anymore, you were too excited for lunch! You noticed a bookstore on you left, saw a man exit and start to walk toward you. His blond hair was slicked back and he had a white dress shirt. As you got closer, you noticed his strikingly light blue eyes and strong jawline. Your heart thumped.

"Is that the guy Feliciano joined with yesterday?" You couldn't quite tell, the day before you were too far away to tell. But he obviously had the same effect on you as Feliciano's companion.

"No way that's him, I'm just imagining things" you thought shaking your head, dismissing your thought.

Continuing on your expedition, you thought about Feliciano the whole way back home.

~MEANWHILE~

Germany walked to the local bookstore down the road. The man there welcomed him, seeing as Germany went here almost every time he visited his friend's home. Wandering down the aisles slowly, he skimmed the titles of colorful books in stock. He found the novel section and grabbed a random one. It wasn't one he read yet, so it was worth reading. He checked the book out and left the store. The German decided that he would continue to the market, maybe Italy was still there.

He turned left, the way to the market just in time to see a women walk past him. She wore khaki pants and a swaying blue summer top. Her (h/s) (h/c) hair blew in the breeze and as he passed her, she smelled of lilac perfume. The girl was also carrying grocery bags, and strangely, a duster, Swiffer, and a small vacuum. She was simply divine. He felt his heart pound inside his chest.

"What the hell?" he thought.

He shrugged to himself and continued to track down Italy, his heart slowly calming down.

~BACK TO YOU~

You unlocked the door to your house and entered, closing the blue door behind you. You had about two hours before you had to meet Feliciano. That means two hours to clean as much as you can. Turning on your iPod, you started in the living room by cleaning the window. It was disgusting. Dust and dirt covered the surface and mold grew in the cracks and corners. Taking the window cleaner and paper towel, you scrubbed the windows in a circular motion. The grim came off surprisingly well and you looked out the window at the circle you cleared. The neighborhood was busy for the first time. Old couples walked the street and some teenagers rode their bikes past your apartment.

You finished the large window and moved to the dining room to clean that window. It was way taller than you, and you realized you would need a ladder.

"Maybe the neighbors have one." you thought

You exited your door, went through your gate and the neighbors, and knocked on the neighbor's door. Their house was coral pink and the door was green. It was pleasant and very clean. They answered the door quickly.

"Uh…Non si dispone di una scala che posso prendere in prestito?" You asked choppily.

"Yes, we have one inside, come on in." She said, in English.

"Seriously?! What the hell did I learn Italian for? Everyone here knows English!" You fumed thinking to yourself. It was obvious people knew you were from a different country, so they just switched to English.

Coming into the lady's house, you closed the door after you while she went looking for the ladder. It was beautiful. The house lay out was identical to yours, but she had much prettier shades of color on the walls. They were all shades of blue than slowly transitioned between rooms. The furniture was cream colored and a man sat on the couch reading a newspaper. He sensed you looking and looked up at you through his square glasses. You glanced away quickly, and once he returned to his reading, you watched him again. The front of his black hair was starting to turn grey, indicating he was probably in his mid-forties. What surprised you about this man was the fact that he was clean shaven. Most men here tended to have facial hair, or at least, that's what you have noticed over time. He was wearing light colored jeans and a black button up shirt on. That fact didn't surprise you. You continued looking at the colorful flowers and pictures in the house. One picture caught your eye. It had the man and women along with a soldier in the picture. The soldier was in his uniform and smiled strongly at the camera. You guessed it was the couple's son.

The Lady returned to look through another closet in the living room. Sighing, you decided to ask about the language used in this small town.

"Excuse me Ms.? Does everyone here speak English?"

The lady, who left the living room to search for the ladder in a different room, returned with it. "Most people know it for business, but some don't. It also depends on your schooling. Some schools around here have you learning by 3rd grade." She laughed, "I can tell you're a little mad about that, am I correct?"

You mentally kicked yourself for letting it be noticed, "Yeah, I just tried to learn Italian as best as I could before I came. It was hard and now that I'm here it looks like i don't even need it."

The lady smiled, "Haha dear, theres a time and place for everything. If you need anything else, just swing by. What's your name hun?"

"(f/n)(l/n) ma'am."

"My name is Clarice, nice to make your acquaintance."

"Thank you again for the ladder Clarice ." You said and let yourself out.

Clarice waved at you through her sparkling windows, her long, curly, brown hair falling in her face. She looked to about mid-forties too, and her purple top and jeans hid behind her apron. Clarice's eyes were dark brown, and full of wisdom. With a last glance, she turned around and went back to what she had been doing.

You got back to work immediately. If you worked fast, you could get the downstairs done before lunch.

While jamming to your music, you got done efficiently. You cleaned the windows, vacuumed the dust out of the floor, and wiped the wood. You however, no matter how much you scrubbed, could not get the picture frame stain off of the wall. You moved to the staircase, cleaning its wood while moving up. At the top you checked the time. It was 11:30 already! Halting your cleaning process, you went into the bathroom. You freshened up, put your hair in a quick bun, picked up your purse, and scrambled out of the house. At this rate, you would be at the corner just in time to meet Feliciano.

Key

(y/c)= your country

(f/n)=first name

(l/n)=last name

(h/s)= hair style

(h/c)= hair color

Translations:

Italian

Oh grazie dearie = oh thank you dearie

nessun problema= No problem

andare a prendere loro=Go get them!

Manoscritto = Ms.

Non si dispone di una scala che posso prendere in prestito? = Do you have a ladder that I can borrow?