Previously

“No! I mean, I'm fine. Thank you.”

“Ok, then.”

Elijah dried his hand and turned toward the exit. He had offered to help, hadn't he? From now on it wasn't his responsibility what happened to Luca.

Elijah had never realized how big the school was. Two indoor and two outdoor courts, fifty classrooms, ten labs. Swimming pools, running trails, and even a forest with a variety of plantings. It was a good place for anyone looking for a well-rounded education, but it was also a great place for anyone looking for a place to hide. Luckily, Elijah had found the perfect place: deserted and quiet, right in front of one of the outdoor courts. Best of all, the view from the bleachers was very limited, making it difficult for people to find him easily.

He walked calmly through the school hallways and reached his favorite spot, determined to shoot some baskets on the court and eat something quick before his next class. Elijah intended to join the team and didn't want it to be purely out of favoritism. That is, he was about to enter the court when he saw a black head of hair on the far side of the bleachers. Now, Elijah had no choice, he needed to know who it was, only then would he know if it was still a safe place or not.

Elijah walked quickly and saw that it was the same little boy from last time. He had a cut lip and the right side of his face was purple. Elijah had the urge to ask who had done that to him, but he remembered, it was none of his business. After all, Luca seemed to be fine, apart from his bruised face, seeing that he was eating a small feast. Elijah could see at least four different types of dishes, all organized in small lunch boxes, the sight warming his heart for some reason. It must have been the way Luca shrank, trying to hide from him, but he still looked at him, smiling.

He watched Luca pick up one of the lunch boxes and, as shyly as possible, offer it to him, saying, "Do you want it?"

Elijah found himself walking the rest of the distance to Luca, abandoning his backpack and basketball at the foot of the bleachers, and sitting down across from Luca.

“I brought it too. My mother is a cook.”

“Ah.” Luca muttered and shrugged, picking up his cutlery. “I always make a lot. See?”

Then Luca opened the other two lunch boxes and showed them to him. Vegetable and cheese pie. Meatball. Pepperoni bread. Cake, too.

“You do? And your mother?”

“I don't have a mother. She died.”

That's when Elijah realized what he was doing. Like a weirdo, he watched Luca eat as if it were the most wonderful thing in the world while the boy ate alone, having to make his own food.

“Your father? You must have one, right?”

Luca shook his head and shoved another piece of pie into his mouth, ignoring the rest of the dishes.

“Dad is never home.”

“Then…?”

“I learned from Mama before she died. Her cooking was the best! Grandma is also a great cook.“ But Luca said it with such happiness that Elijah felt better.

“Who takes care of you?”

“I have a nanny. My sister, too! She's the best sister in the world.“ Luca continued eating happily and Elijah felt something in his eyes. What was going on? This boy couldn't be so naive, right? So... happy? How old was he? Nine? Ten? He had to be younger than himself.

“You really don't want to? I did it all by myself!”

“Everything? Can you even reach the stove?”

“Yes, I did! The nanny just turned on the stove. I have a ladder that's close to the counter and…”

“And?”

“You are so mean. I don't want to talk to you anymore!”

Elijah couldn't help it, he put his hand around his belly and laughed. It had been a long time since he had seen something so cute and funny. Luca's chubby cheeks filling up like a little balloon, his arms crossed, his lips in an even cuter pout.

“How old are you, huh?”

“I'm eleven! What's the problem?”

“You are so short and small. Who is feeding you?”

And again, Elijah couldn't take it anymore. Laughing at his own joke, he let himself fall backwards into the stands, laughing and laughing until his breath was gone and then back, a happy smile remaining on his lips long after his crisis had passed.

“Are you okay?” Luca asked in a small, soft voice, making his heart melt.

Elijah opened his eyes to see that Luca had come over to where he was lying, sitting on his knees, looking worried, his dark eyes wide and cheeks flushed.

“So...“ Elijah said, trying to stop smiling. “We're in the same year. How come I haven't seen you around?”

“I saw you,” Luca said, looking down at his lap. “It’s hard not to see when all the people are talking about is you.”

“What do they say?”

“That you get the best grades. You're the best at sports. You have the best girlfriend. That kind of thing.”

“Whose girlfriend is that?”

“I think... Daylla Morgan? I'm not sure. I only arrived a few weeks ago.”

“That's good to know.”

“To know what?”

“That I have a girlfriend.”

“You... don’t know?” Luca tilted his head like a confused puppy, and that got another laugh out of him. This time, Luca laughed along with him. He seemed to be holding back his laughter, but when Elijah didn’t stop, Luca found himself with no way out, joining him.

“You're funny.“ Luca told him.

“No, you are.” And like third graders, which they both were, they laughed again as they heard the bell ring. Elijah hadn't even realized that half an hour had passed, which was more time than he usually spent with his old friends lately.

And what did that say about him, hm?

“We have to go.“ He heard Luca say.

They really did.

In a hurry, he helped Luca collect the lunch boxes and accompanied him to the next class, discovering that Luca was in fact in the same room as him. Was Elijah so distracted in trying to hide that he didn't see what was happening around him? Well, that fact would change from that moment on.