The Lovely Wounds (SpaMano)

Bruised Pulp

Grandpa grounded them both along with Antonio and Ludwig who had gone inside to explain. How they were under Roma's authority, Lovino didn't understand. As far as Grandpa was concerned, all children needed to be grounded after pulling such stupid stunts.

The two Vargas brothers were stuck inside for the last few days of their winter break. Feli seemed entirely bummed, but Lovino was worse off. He was miserable without that damned bastard around. The first day back to school came as a relief to him.

At least it did at first.

People were watching him as he walked down the halls. He didn't understand why. He was so used to blending it, remaining unnoticed. The stares from all of his peers left him wary and unnerved. Had someone seen him at the party? Had they seen Antonio carrying him out? Speaking of the bastard, he was nowhere to be found. Lovino had stopped at his locked before the first bell, and he had yet to see the curly haired soccer player. He had remained throughly out of sight while Lovino looked for him. There was no sign of the Spaniard.

Until Lovino turned to put his things away. He felt two muscular, strong arms surround him from behind. He shrieked quietly, cursing at Antonio. He was being far too bold in school. Lovino was sure he was getting stares from other students. Especially when he felt a pair lips touch his cheek. He blushed, pushing Antonio.

"Bastard, people are staring," he barked, his face red.

"I don't care what people think. If I want to hug my boyfriend, I can," Antonio mused, loud enough for people across the hall to hear.

Lovino could feel their stares. He didn't like it at all. He wanted them to go away. He wanted to fade back into existence, unnoticed. He knew it wouldn't happen. People were too concerned with their relationship.

The warning bell rang. Lovino took that as his chance. He pried himself away from the Spaniard, and darted down the hall, waving as he went.

The day went by at an agonizing rate. His classes were starting back on their normal routines of work. Math was the worst so far. Having a geometry teacher that didn't understand near death experience was difficult. The fact that he was in the hospital for a good hunk of break didn't phase the man. Not at all. He still expected his packet to be finished.

"You should have had it done before that," he chastised to a very embarrassed Lovino. "Or after. I'm sure you had time afterwards."

Lovino accepted the low grade for the few problems he had done. Grandpa could deal with that later, he supposed. After New Years, however, he wasn't sure how his grandfather would react.

His English teacher, however, showed him much sympathy. She was completely capable of understanding his predicament. She only asked that he finish reading the book by the following Monday. He could do that. Of Mice and Men was a small book. A week was plenty of time to finish it.
He had even gotten a pass to see the school Guidance Counselor. All the woman wanted to talk about was if he was okay after nearly drowning. She told him that if he ever needed anyone to speak to about it, he could come to her. He didn't plan on it.

The weirdest occurence he had had during his third hour science class was a few religious kids asking if he had seen heaven and what God was like. Lovino told them the truth; he hardly remembered. Still, while he sat in his seat, he got stares, even after the questions about him had ceased. Those stares bore into him.

Lunch wouldn't come fast enough. It was nearly the end of his fourth class of the day. Art, a class Feliciano always showed him up in. It seemed like he would never get to see Antonio, to rid himself of the stares, of the conversations of his near death experience.