BABY (niccolò rossi)

diciotto

I stood there, stunned into silence by Ludovica's words. "W-what?" I managed to choke out, my voice barely a whisper, disbelief coursing through me like a torrential wave.

Ludovica's sneer sliced through the air, her tone dripping with venom. "Yeah, that's what happened," she spat. "Now Chiara and I need to go."

Before I could react, Ludovica seized Chiara, pulling her away with a force that left me reeling. Chiara's eyes met mine, guilt etched in their depths, before she was whisked out of reach, leaving me alone in the suffocating confines of the janitor's closet.

The door clicked shut, sealing me in with my shattered reality. I sank to the floor, the weight of Ludovica's accusation crushing me beneath its unbearable burden. Tears blurred my vision as I grappled with the devastating truth, each word a dagger to the heart.

I forced myself to my feet, wiping away the tears that stained my cheeks. With shaky breaths, I steadied myself, determined to push through the suffocating weight of my emotions. I couldn't let this consume me, not now.

Dragging myself out of the janitor's closet, I navigated the crowded hallway. Faces blurred past me, voices fading into the background as I focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

Arriving at my history class, I took my seat mechanically, my mind a whirlwind of obsessive thoughts and guilt.

As the teacher droned on about the intricacies of ancient civilizations, I found myself zoning out, unable to focus on anything but the turmoil raging within me. Every passing minute felt like an eternity, each second ticking by with agonizing slowness.

Finally, mercifully, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. But before I could slip away unnoticed, the teacher called out to me, his voice cutting through the haze of my thoughts.

"Luna, before you leave, please make sure to have your permission slip signed by the end of this week," he said, his tone firm but not unkind. "Otherwise, you cannot go on the group chat trip, and you will have to retake this class next year."

With a nod, I forced a smile, my voice steady despite the chaos raging within. "I'll have it done by the end of the week,"

I made my way to my locker, I spotted Chiara, her eyes red-rimmed and tear-stained.

"Chiara," I called out softly, my voice trembling with emotion as I approached her. She looked up, startled, as if she hadn't expected me to notice her distress.

"Hey, Luna," she replied, her voice wavering slightly as she attempted to compose herself.

I took a deep breath."Chiara, if there's something else I should know, please tell me," I pleaded, my heart pounding in my chest. "Anything,"

Chiara closed her eyes, a lone tear slipping down her cheek as she struggled to find the right words. "Luna..." she began, her voice barely above a whisper.

But before she could continue, my own emotions threatened to overwhelm me. "Please, Chiara," I interrupted, my voice cracking with emotion. "I've been having nightmares of this man, and now I know what happened. But I've also been getting these weird flashbacks of you and Ludovica fighting. I just don't understand."

Chiara's words hung in the air, a heavy silence descending between us as her revelation sank in. "You didn't actually sleep with him. Ludovica did," she finally confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Ludovica..." I choked out, the name tasting bitter on my tongue as the reality of her betrayal washed over me in a tidal wave of disbelief and anger.

"His pants were in your room because at first he wanted to sleep with you, he had been lacing drinks and giving them to Ludovica and she was giving them to you," Chiara mumbled, looking down.