p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Eleonora held back a laugh as she looked around her. She was surrounded by drunk people, drunk emparents/em, and she didn't know any of them./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She was pretty sure they'd all only been invited because Federico quite obviously wanted to get into Eva's pants. Too bad for him she was taken, though honestly Eleonora thought Eva might be better off without Gio. Not that Federico seemed any better./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Boys sucked./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"No doubt Silvia was hoping she and Edoardo were going to end up together tonight. Part of Eleonora hoped they would, because she wanted Silvia to be happy. But the other part of her thought that Edoardo would never make Silvia happy. /p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"And if he hurt her, she might have to kill him. Which would just be a lot of mess and trouble that she didn't want to deal with./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She was glad she, Sana and Federica weren't having boy trouble. Two out of five having them was enough. If the majority had them they'd surely all lose it./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Eleonora laughed as she watched Federica spin Sana around on the dancefloor, finishing off the drink in her hand./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She looked around her for any sign of Silvia or Eva. She was fairly certain there was drama going on with Eva, but knew she'd get filled in eventually. She assumed Silvia was with her, though, so she'd be alright./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"If Silvia wasn't with Eva, she was most likely with Edoardo. So surely they'd get a message in the group chat soon./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Eleonora dragged herself away from the dance floor, making her way to the bar for another drink. She was standing there waiting to be served when a deep voice spoke into her ear from behind her./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;""Ciao."/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She turned around towards the voice, suddenly face to face with Edoardo Incanti. She raised an eyebrow at him, baffled as to why he was speaking to her. He was so close she could smell his cologne, and she leant back into the bar to put more space between them. Not that it was a bad smell, in all honestly he smelled fantastic, but she knew that if anyone looked over at them this would look like a rather intimate position./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;""Would you like to dance?"/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;""Cosa?" She asked with a laugh. Surely he was kidding. He gave her a look that suggested he was anything but. He didn't repeat his question./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;""No" she said simply, turning back to face the bar./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She heard him walk away, and part of her wasn't sure if that had really just happened./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Did he know she was Silvia's friend? Was he really that much of a dick?/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She turned back around and watched him move through the crowd, shaking her head slightly./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"He was attractive, sure. Even more attractive up close. The hair was kind of growing on her. But what a emsleeze/em. She'd bet he was just walking around, asking every girl to dance with him./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She looked around, paranoid that Silvia had seen their interaction. She wasn't sure if she'd have to lie about it, wasn't sure if she should protect her or tell her the brutal truth./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She was nowhere to be seen, though. Eleonora let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, taking her drink from the bartender and heading back to Sana and Federica./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Fifteen minutes passed and Eleonora was starting to worry about Silvia. /p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She'd thought Eva and Silvia were together, but Eva had just messaged her to tell her she'd left./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She could sense something was wrong with Eva and knew she needed to call her, but she needed to find Silvia before she worried about that. At least she knew Eva was safe./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She told Sana and Federica that she was going to go find Silvia, both of them demanding she let them know as soon as she had./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Eleonora searched the crowd for Silvia, walking around the perimeter of the room and trying to see into the crowd./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Finally she found her sitting on the couch in the opposite corner of the room. The look on Silvia's face made Eleonora's stomach drop, and it felt like there was suddenly ice in her veins. What was wrong?/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She scanned the area for something that would make Silvia that sad and saw Edoardo. He was tangled up with some girl, the two of them basically going at it on the dance floor./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Il figlio di puttana. The son of a bitch./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She knew he was an arsehole, but this was on another level. Right in front of Silvia?/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She quickly made her way towards Silvia, knowing she needed to get her out of there./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"She had to go past Edoardo to get to her, and she wished she had a drink in her hand that she could throw at him./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;""Stronzo" she said as she brushed past him, the venom evident in her voice./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Eleonora slowed down as she approached Silvia, the sight of her sitting there looking down at her glass a heartbreaking one./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;""Silvia?"/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Silvia looked up at her, her eyes wide but empty./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Eleonora held out her hand. "Let's go find Fede and Sana."/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Silvia shook her head. "I don't want to."/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Eleonora let her hand fall to her side. "Perché?"/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;""She told me" Silvia said, her eyes back on Edoardo and the other girl./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;""Who told you what?"/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Silvia finished her drink, placing it down on the table. "Sana. She told me he didn't want me."/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;""Silvia…"/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;""Don't tell me otherwise, Ele."/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Eleonora sighed, wishing she could just punch Edoardo and be done with it. She moved closer to Silvia, tugging on her arms so she'd stand up. "Come on, we're leaving. We can leave, just the two of us. Are you hungry? We can go eat."/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Silvia shook her head. "I'm not hungry."/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Eleonora pursed her lips. Silvia was probably going to regret not eating in the morning, she at least needed to drink some water./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;""Okay, well I want some water so let's go get some. Then we can go for a walk and go home. Okay?"/p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;""Okay" Silvia answered in a monotone./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Eleonora wrapped her arm around Silvia, guiding her away from the couch and towards the bar for some water. She looked back at Edoardo, disgusted by his brazenness./p
p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; color: #090808; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Palatino Linotype', Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"Che cazzo di stronzo. What a fucking arsehole./p