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It was about two in the morning when he received a message from his father saying his mother didn’t make it. He knew it all too well: about two years ago, he gathered all his belongings in a small bag and ran away from that place. At the time he promised himself, he would’ve gone back to take her away from that man but now it was too late. It was over. His father never told him what had happened. He was said his mother died from a sudden illness, but he didn’t believe it. He knew it have been him. It was always about him. He knew it was just a matter of time before he could kill her and he didn’t do a thing. Franco was angry and sad and frustrated. It became quickly self hearted. He couldn’t stand his reflection in the mirror, boiling hot tears streaking down his cheeks as a flood. As he caught a glimpse of his own eyes in the mirror it all became suddenly too much to bear. He hadn’t meant to do that, but his fist came flying towards his reflection, shattering the mirror in a million stained red pieces.
And he cried loud, all curled up to himself .
Lando was laying in bed, he had just finished his assignment for the next day when he heard something strange : at first, he thought he had imagined it that he was so tired he just dreamed the noise of shattering glass. But he wasn’t dreaming, and he knew it the second he heard some loud sobs coming from the same apartment, the one above his.
Now he was too worried to be sleeping .
He didn’t bother changing in better clothes . He was wearing an oversized hoodie and a pair of joggers his feet only coated by some light socks. He didn’t put his shoes on instead he walked out of his apartment with the key in his hands and the phone in his pocket and took the elevator to the second floor.
Walking down the hall he mentally slapped himself. What was he thinking? What was he gonna say to the person who was sobbing this loud at two in the morning? ”Hi I live in the apartment below yours and I heard you sobbing and shattering something made of glass. Are you okay? I know you don’t know me, but hey! still I’m here because I was too worried to go to sleep.” he was so fucking stupid.
He knocked upon the strangers door . As he opened up, he was met by a pair of green eyes that reminded him of a summer forest with shards made in a color that seemed like someone accidentally dripped some gold directly into them.
He knew the boy from school: he’s seen him across the halls with some heavy book in his hands. Some image came up to his mind: sometimes during the breaks between two lessons, he’s seen him with some boys who made fun of him and his accent, and occasionally put up a little fight with him that always ended up the same way: he would’ve crawled back between bruises and tears.
«Hi, I’m sorry, I know it’s late, but I’ve been hearing some strange noises and I wanted to check up on you. Is everything okay?» he asked politely, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment.
«I think your ears are playing tricks on you» he saw the boy fidgeting with his baby blue sweater. It was zipped up to his chin. His eyes were a little puffy and he had some little cuts and scratches over his knuckles.
«Thanks for caring, sir, that’s nice of you, but I have to go back in. I wish I could tell you about the noise, but I didn’t hear a thing.» he was restless in his little twitching movements. «It must’ve been the wind…»
Before Lando could argue any further, he softly closed the door, leaving him, standing there. So he went back to his elevator and got back to his floor, closing the door of his apartment behind his back.
Back in his bedroom, he laid down on the floor, cold concrete against his back.
He thought of those eyes they were devoid of light little puffy and red rimmed. He thought about the cut in his knuckles, he thought about the posture and his sweater.
He knew he shouldn’t intrude because he didn’t have all the facts and it really wasn’t his business, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling.
He replied their small conversation in his head. “I think your ears are playing tricks on you.” The way he retreated to his sweater, zipped up to the chin.
“Thanks for caring, sir, that’s nice of you, but I have to go back in. Wish I could tell you about the noise, but I didn’t hear a thing.” He said, “It must’ve been the wind”
It must have been the wind.
Yeah, he wished he could believe him.
Then he got an idea : he took his boombox and aimed it to the ceiling of his room. As he connected the phone, hoping no neighbor would complain about his music late at night.
He tried to keep the volume not too loud and played “Lean on me” just so that he would have known that he could lean on him.
He really hoped hearing the words he would know he’ll be okay.
After that song, he waited in the silence . He tried to hear any shift from the apartment above his, but he heard none. He couldn’t know how feather light the touch of Franco‘s feet was on the parquet.
When, some minutes later, he heard someone knocking to his door, he went to open up, ready to hear some A+ student yelling at his face he ruined their sleep with his loud music.
Instead he found himself staring right into those incredible green eyes once again .
«I’m sorry, I didn’t want to intrude your apartment, but I heard the music…» his voice was slightly above a whisper. He was still fidgeting with the hem of his clothes.
«Listen I know it’s late at night and you probably wouldn’t want to listen to my tracks but…» Lando tried, somehow know how stupid he sounded, and how reckless his move was. But Franco cut in before he could finish. «Did you really mean it?»
A few seconds passed, the two boys staring in each other’s eyes, then he took a deep breath, without ever looking away «Yes, I do.» but he could see the mistrust in his gaze. He gestured him to come in and he followed.
«How do I know you are not lying?» it somehow broke the other’s heart. He was right: he lived just below him and had never talked to him, he never took his defenses standing up for him in the corridors. Yet he was trying to do something now.
«I promise I’m not playing tricks on you. You’re always welcome to come in. You could stay here for an hour or two if you ever need a friend.» he knew it wouldn’t have been simple, but still he wanted him to know that from now on he could rely on him, no matter what. And for the first time since he got to England, Franco found himself in front of someone who really cared about him.
«Thank you. I really mean it.» Lando hugged him and Franco broke into tears again. When he finally felt better, he looked up at Lando.
«I’m sorry… » Franco felt like he was such a baby: crying in someone’s arms just because they hugged him. He didn’t really know Lando and still he did it, wetting his hoodie with tears.
«No need to apologize, do you feel better?» the caring smile on Lando’s face made him feel better. He didn’t know why but he smelled of something that made him feel warmer.
He then started fidgeting again. «Listen, about earlier…» he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell him what happened, he was still a stranger to him.
«You don’t need to tell me anything you don’t want to. We can talk about the noise when you’re ready, but till then, I’ll say “it must’ve been the wind”.»
It won’t be easy to recover and he knew that, but now he knew he wasn’t alone in that anymore.