Adelina POV:
Wind flows through my hair as the car races down the empty highway. I could hear Valentino's voice yelling along to the song playing. The energy of the villainous sound flows through all of us consuming our every sense. If we weren't wide awake before, there's no doubt we are now.
While Valerio has taken to concentrating on the road, Valentino and I shout the lyrics to whatever music is playing at the moment back and forth towards each other. It doesn't take much for us to have a fit of laughs while pushing at each other, even if I am reaching over the seat to do it.
I take in small breaths trying to regain a stable breathing pattern and fall back into my seat once the final notes play. Valerio reaches over to turn down the sound of the next one about to start and I see that we've arrived at our destination.
Valentino smiles in excitement as he mutters a small "finally" and they both step out of the car with me right on their tails. One walks past me towards the trunk while the other ducks back into the car to retrieve something.
We stand on a street in plain sight. Buildings and businesses line the sides of it and I look up to find a massive empty advertising sign. A spark of anticipation lights.
"Adelina," a voice grunts. To no surprise, Valerio looks at me with annoyance. He gestures over to where Valentino has started walking into an alley. I nod to him and start walking in his direction, making sure to lightly hit his shoulder as I pass him.
He merely rolls his eyes and continues to walk.
I'm lead to the back of a building.
"What am I looking at," I say once there has been a moment of silence.
"You see that billboard?" Valerio asks, to which I nod. Valentino reaches over and snatches the bag from his twin, opening it up to reveal a multitude of spray paint cans in an array of colours.
"We're going to..." Valentino pauses "decorate it." They both look at me with curious gazes, wondering what my reaction will be. I cock my head to the side, a smirk on my lips.
"It is looking a bit dull." Valentino smiles and Valerio keeps his half-smile.
The moody one hangs back while the other attempts to explain to me how to scale the wall. I observe the height of the wall, quickly taking in how much momentum I'll need to get on top of the building.
Ignoring his words I start walking backwards to give myself enough space to properly run while pulling my hair into a ponytail. My feet start to move and his words fade out as concentration kicks in. At full force, my feet move a couple steps up the wall until I could propel myself high enough to grasp the top of the wall.
My fingers meet the rough brick of the ledge I'm holding and I still to take a a breath before continuing. In one swift motion, I pull myself up. As I swing one leg over and sit, I look up at the sky where the stars glimmer and sigh, recounting the uncountable times I've done the same with friends.
"It's been too long," I say under my breath before turning and motioning for them to join "let's go."
I didn't take the time to look at their faces, not caring much in the moment when other things were plaguing my mind. I move on the next building, and the next, and the next, until I've reached the billboard.
I look back and see them making their way up quickly. They view is somehow new and nostalgic all at the same time. Before I know it, they've both made it up aswell.
"Guess I didn't need to explain." Valentino laughs.
"There wasn't much to do where I used to live." it's the partial truth, but still a truth.
Then we start painting. For a while, we are all in our seperate worlds. All working on our own masterpiece. I almost felt like I didn't know where to start. It has been over two years since the last time I have touched a spray can.
But once I started, I couldn't stop. Everything came rushing back, the muscle memory along with the memories of the four of us spending our friday nights like this. I would have never left that train of thought if someone hadn't interviened. Luckily, someone did.
The both of them had finished a little bit of time before me. I put my finishing detail and take a step back, my mind still completely consumed by thoughts. Until they are cut off by Valentino.
"Looks like you have experience, little sister."
"That's gross don't call me that." I say while going to sit down next to them. My emotions are all over the place, I can't think clearly. Valerio stares at me with a knowing gaze and I choose to ignore it along with him.
"But you're my little sister." Valentino pouts. I roll my eyes and shove him, feeling that this night is less of the fun I'd imagined and took me down a stroll on memory lane I would've rather avoided.
"This was normal back home." I mutter to fill the emptiness silence had created.
"I'm so proud of you my little rulebreaker." Valentino goes to pinch my cheeks.I quickly smack his hands and hurry to my feet.
"I'm going to push you off this roof." I laugh unamused. I don't go back to sit next to him, instead trying my chances sitting next to Valerio. I didn't notice the lit cigarette he had before taking a seat and when I finally lay my eyes on it, I suddenly crave it.
"No, come back!" Valentino exclaims "come on! Sit next to me, that asshole always smells like smoke anyways." He laughs. Valerio simply punches him in the arm and goes back to minding his business. He always smells like cigarettes...
"Can I have one." I say without thinking twice. His head quickly turns to mine and I could hear Valentino yelling in the background but he simply stares.
"The fuck did you just ask me?" A silent blaze ignited in his eyes.
"Look just one..." I trail off.
"Absolutely not. You will not have a cancer stick in your hands Adelina Bianco or so help me god..." Valentino sounds practically enraged but I choose not to listen.
Valerio continues staring and I could feel the want for one growing. He clenches his jaw and hands me the cigarette. Before I could take it from him, Valentino is pushing him back.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Valentino yells, getting between us. I have never seen him this mad. I sit back, not wanting to attempt to diffuse the situation until I need to. Valerio doesn't fight back like I expect him to.
"Hai così poca cura per la tua sorellina? Mi prendi in giro? Aspetta che lo dica a Francesco e Domenico che ti castreranno." Valentino starts speaking rapidly in italien. (Do you care so little for your sister? Are you kidding me? Wait for me to tell Francesco and Domenico. They will castrate you.)
"Non stai dicendo niente a nessuno." Valerio grumbles. (You're not telling anyone anything.)
"Pensavo che avessi superato tutto questo, che avresti amato tua sorella abbastanza da essere responsabile ..."Â he continues but Valerio rapidly cuts him off. (I thought you were past this, that you would love your sister enough to be responsible...)
"Non metterà in dubbio il mio amore per la mia sorellina!" Valerio is suddenly enraged, throwing a punch into whatever is closest. Which happened to be the billboard. (You will not question my love for my little sister!)
Valentino isn't phased.
"Non ti comporti come fai! Mi sto comportando come me." Valentino throws back. (You're not acting like you do! I'm acting like I do.)
Love. They... love me?
Valerio shoves his brother to the side, fury still basking in his gaze. He didn't blow up. He didn't utterly implode like I had expected him to when it comes to someone challenging him. Instead, he comes over to sit next to me but doesn't attempt to hand me the cigarette once again as he needs it for himself.
My mind was sent into a frenzy. Thoughts were racing so fast it became impossible for me to understand what was going on around me with my heart beating faster and faster and I desperately need the cigarette to calm my nerves. I hadn't realized before how dependant I'd become of it.
He pushes the cigarette towards me once again and Valentino is fuming. Before he could interviene, Valerio let's out a sigh.
"She fucking needs it right now," Valerio growls to his twin "I don't want to be giving her this shit because it's fun." I look at him shocked. I didn't think he knew I needed it. Valentino is confused, he begins muttering words of incomprehension.
With shaking hands that I wish I could control, I reach for the cigarette and almost let out a breath of relief once it's in my hands. I instantly press it to my lips, eager to feel the storm calm.
Possibly the slowest minutes of my life go by. We sit in uncomfortable wave of silence, everyone tense in result of the argument that had just occured. I finish with the cigarette and throw it to the trees behind us after making sure it was put out.
I stand and face our mural. There was no longer a storm raging in me, only large waves. I look back at the both of them. Valerio's clenched jaw and fists give him away easily enough. Valentino is looking away in thought.
I blow out a breath at the tension I created. I didn't intend for this to happen and felt annoyed at the small part of me that was mad at myself.
Still looking at the mural I say "Thank you." and left it at that.
I could feel them both looking at me and when I meet their eyes I am faced with very different emotions. Valerio's impassiveness and Valentino's sadness.
I hate that I want to rectify it. The situation. I shouldn't care, I shouldn't like them. But they... love me? Why is the question.
Me? The girl they left for dead, that they never came looking for and never cared about. But their conversation was in italien, something I wasn't meant to understand.
Maybe they were too young to understand what was happening. Maybe they weren't the ones who wanted to leave me. I argue with myself for what seems like centuries. I argue about the fact my mind says I should hate them, but I can't bring myself to anymore.
They were my brothers. I realize it might just be the first time I'm referring to them that way.
And so I hate that I'm upset that I caused the argument between my only two brothers, that I was the one who created this silence.
So I speak again, trying to change the topic of conversation "As I said before, this is a typical day from where I used to live. So if you call this fun... you'll need to do better."
The smirk is almost instantly back on Valerio's face and Valentino lets out a small but genuine laugh.
"Come on, thing 1," I look at Valerio "thing 2," I look at Valentino "this is pathetic."
There's an obvious joking tone to my remark but they both bite into my challenge.
"We wait until 3:30," Valentino says, the gleam back in his eyes "that's when it begins."
I check the current time, 3:15.
"So in fifteen minutes then?" I ask.
"Great math, want an award?" Valerio mocks. I stalk towards him and give him a good shove.
"Fuck off you oaf." He simply flips me the bird. While we start arguing, Valentino is going around collecting the cans. Probably to get them out of our reach.
He's not fast enough as I reach for a can nearby and spray it onto Valerio. He gives me a deathly glare, one that I am not in the least frightened by, then lets the smirk onto his lips.
Before I know it, he has a can of his own and sprays it into my hair. Within little time, it turns into an all out war that Valentino is not excluded from.
Fifteen minutes and many laughs later, a faint sound of siren could be heard.
Valentino's eyes widen instantly "Shit." right as Valerio murmers "Fuck."
"The fun's arrived I see?" I laugh. They both watch me wide eyed as I start rapidly stuffing the bag with the cans. I make sure not to leave anything behind as do they.
The police cars prove to be much closer than before as we could now see their lights. We all look in the direction they are coming from then back at each other. In a silent count down, we let them get slightly closer before taking off running.
Almsot simultaneously, we all jump from rooftop to rooftop while getting lower to the ground. In a matter of seconds we are right where we started at the back of the building. At this point, we could hear tires screeching to a stop.
It was distant enough to not worry me, only excite me. We take off down the alley we came from. Every few seconds, they both look back at me with surprise. Maybe surprise about how well I'm keeping up or maybe surprise about how much fun I'm having. Rapid footsteps from the side start to gain on us and I know the people we are running from are near.
We reach the car soon after. Valerio hops into the drivers seat, Valentino the passengers and I the back.
The car starts and we're off. I look back at the cops to see them hopping back into their cars and following us.
"A chase?" I breath "this is what I call fun."
Valentino turns in his seat and laughs, "You really are my little sister."
"Gross," I murmured, still not liking the term. Valerio, on the other hand, is serious as ever as he maneuvers the car down various streets seeing as the sirens have not quite left yet. The same hint of reckless joy that could be found in my eyes, however, could be found in his.
None of us wear our seatbelts and with every sharp turn, I am propelled to the other side of the seat and let out a loud laugh. The energy is high and we're all feeding off of it.
I look up and find a sun roof.
"Do you guys have a mask in here?" I ask.
"What kind of mask?" Valentino queries.
"Something to fucking cover my face, what else dumbass?"
"Sheesh, no need to be rude baby sis." but informs me that we dont.
"Give me your hoodie." I demand. He doesn't bother asking why as I pull it over my head and use the hood to cover my hair and partially my face.
"Valerio, speed up and open the sun roof." As if he knows what I'm about to do, he looks at me amused but doesn't question it.
I stand on the center console and bring my entire upper body outside onto the roof of the car. Graceful as ever, I show the cops that are currently giving up on pursuing us both my middle fingers as salute as my brothers' laughs fill the air.
______________________________
Hello my lovelies :))
I missed you guys! I hope you're all doing well.
I wanted to take a moment to apologise for the small break I took, it was needed but quite a bit abrupt. School will be a priority and I felt that my management skills were slipping.
Either way, I'm back now!
Did you guys like this chapter?
Comment your thoughts!
Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed.
I love you all, thank you for being patient <3
See you next week!
Bye loveliesssss.