La Rosa Gialla

Chapter 10

Summer 2017

After I was finally able to forget about Charles a bit, it was time to start thinking about what I was going to do with my life. It was my last year in high school and I had no idea where to go after that. I have always been interested in literature and culture, but also sports (although more passively than actively) and the human body. During the summer, I searched for study programs at various universities in Italy and elsewhere in Europe and furiously considered the right one.

Mum probably felt a bit better thanks to the beautiful weather and lots of rest and insisted that we have to go to Riccione, as always. Her doctor arranged with a clinic nearby, so that in case of complications, she could undergo treatment there and nothing stood in the way of our family vacation. I was looking forward to a change of scenery and a break from everything I couldn't stop thinking about completely at home.

I packed my book, phone, and sunscreen and headed to the beach. I wasn't in the mood for people, I just wanted to switch off and enjoy the sun. I spread a towel on the white plastic sunbed, sat down, and started to apply a good amount of sunscreen on my body. In the meantime, I watched people swimming in the water, walking along the beach, or just lounging around lazily. Finally, I caught sight of a familiar face. His brown wavy hair was a little longer than last year, and his features were a little more masculine, but those gray eyes, which were the color of the sky before the storm, were still the same. "Adri?" he called to me, tilting his head slightly to the side as if he wasn't sure if it was me. "Hello, Damiano," I called back to him with a friendly smile. He got up from his seat and started walking towards me.

"I wasn't sure if you would make it this year. Luca mentioned that your mom is sick. I'm so sorry," he said as he sat down next to me. "It was pretty last minute. It was mom who pushed us to go here," I explained to him, looking at my bare feet, which were now covered with a thin layer of sand. "I'm glad you're here," he sputtered and I lifted my head to look at him. Our eyes met for a few seconds before I lowered my head again and Damiano cleared his throat. "Will you and Luca come to the beach tonight?" he asked after a moment. "Not everyone is here, but a few people will definitely show up."

"We'd love to," I nodded and Damiano quickly said goodbye and disappeared. It gave me space to devote myself to my reading and further observation of strangers.

"Finally. We were starting to worry," Marco announced when we arrived at the beach in the evening with my brother and a backpack full of cheap wine. The crowd thinned out considerably. Marco managed to tell us that Gia and a few others stayed over the summer in the cities where they are studying, for internships and part-time jobs. Luca was also supposed to start studying law at Sapienza in Rome in the fall. We were all slowly growing older and growing up, starting new lives elsewhere, and it was clear that in a few years, we would no longer meet on the beach in Riccione.

I sipped warm white wine from a plastic cup and watched with peripheral vision as Damiano hesitated to come sit next to me. Each time he took a breath, straightened his back, and then exhaled again, crouching as if he didn't know if I wanted his company. Finally, I couldn't bear to watch his suffering, so I got up and went to sit next to him. "Hi," he blurted out and I laughed. "Hi," I replied with a smile and took a sip of my wine.

"It's not the same anymore," he sighed.

"We're not carefree kids anymore," I said my previous thought and shrugged.

"Have you chosen a university yet?"

I sighed, "Not yet."

"Don't worry about it. I can't decide either. My parents want me to be a doctor. But I haven't told them yet that every time I see blood I faint." I looked at him and the corners of my mouth twitched: "That's quite important information that they should probably know." Now it was his turn to shrug.

I finished my fourth glass of wine, almost hot by now, when Marco played music through his bluetooth speaker and started singing horribly loud and horribly out of tune. At first, I just laughed along, but then Damiano pulled me to my feet and grabbed me around the waist. He didn't hold me by force, but tight enough that I was forced to sway to the rhythm of the music with him. After a while, I relaxed and put my arms around his neck. He smiled and pulled me a little closer to him. "Hi," he whispered, still smiling. "Hi," I giggled and pressed myself against him completely. Our chests were touching and I could feel his heart pounding under the skin. He was pleasantly warm and smelled nice. But not as nice as... Before I could finish the thought, his lips were pressed against mine.