years later | winnie & oerba

[winnie]

DREW DI ANGELO

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FULL NAME
drusilla sage di angelo

PRONUNCIATION
• druh-zill-ah
• say-j
• dee-ann-jell-o

NICKNAMES
drew | drizzy

AGE
twenty-two

BIRTHDAY
february 29th

SEXUALITY
heterosexual

ETHNICITY
• drusilla is primarily british from her mother's side
• from her father's side, she is mainly italian though there are some french roots as well

ACCENT
average american

OCCUPATION
wedding photographer

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HEIGHT
5'0

WEIGHT
89 lbs

HAIR
dark brown and usually reaches a little below her shoulders in slight waves

EYES
a warm, chocolate brown

BODY
slightly curvy

SKIN
slightly tanned

PIERCINGS
three piercings on each ear

TATTOOS
none — she's terrified of needles

SCARS/MARKINGS
she has a birthmark in the shape of a wonky lightning bolt below her collar bone. she also has a long scar on her left calf muscle from a car accident.

HEALTH AILMENTS
none

FACE CLAIM
jenna louise coleman

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PERSONALITY
drew is an extremely kind soul. quite timid in every aspect of the word, drew prefers to observe from the sidelines instead of being actively involved in discussions. she absolutely hates shedding light on herself so she rarely speaks up unless she really feels the need to. on such occasions, when it is the case of something she feels strongly about, you can bet that she won't keep quiet. in simple, short sentences, she makes her case, and during those instances, she is seen to have a strong voice. she can stand up for herself if need be, but for the most part, prefers to avoid conflict. drew is a very compassionate being, and is usually thinking of others before herself -- in fact, she rarely thinks of herself. she likes to help people and she can be very friendly but considering the fact that she's also shy, the combination doesn't always yield positive results. always one with a smile on her face, drew is often perceived as someone way too innocent for the world, and the fact that she looks way younger than she actually is, adds to that outlook.

LIKES
nature | photography | trekking | horror movies | old movies | foreign movies | basically lots of movies | classical rock music | animals

DISLIKES
snakes | fast cars | reading | peanut butter | being ordered around | pessimism | jerks | discrimination | pettiness

HOBBIES
exploring | aimlessly roaming around with her camera | watching old movies

HABITS
bites her nails | constantly fidgeting | muttere things under her breath

FEARS
needles | enclosed spaces

MENTAL AILMENTS
she has a mild case of general anxiety disorder as well as obsessive compulsive disorder

MEMORABLE QUOTES
• "do you know what? shut up."
• "you're worrying me. stop worrying me."
• "you're an idiot."
• "does there always have to be a reason?"

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PARENTS & RELATIONSHIP
katrina leanne di angelo & christopher di angelo | drew and her parents were extremely close when she was young. they were a nice, happy family. drew's mother was a psychiatrist and her father was am english teacher. they lived mediocre lives till a short while after drew turned sixteen and her parents met a terrible fate in a car accident, late in the night. since then, both drew and her brother have lived with their beloved nonna.

SIBLINGS & RELATIONSHIPS
dominic aspen di angelo | twin brother | drew and dom have their moments. they're very close, having been with each other since birth but they definitely do fight a lot, as siblings do. nevertheless, now that they've grown older, they respect each other more and make it a habit to see each other for dinner a couple of times a week but if given the chance, both would gladly poke jabs at the other's expense.

OTHER RELATIONS
anna-marie di angelo aka nonna | paternal grandmother | drew and her grandmother are extremely close. she basically raised her and her brother since their parents were usually busy and, during the holidays, drew makes it a habit to meet and stay with her beloved nonna.

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PAST
drew was born in florence, italy, which is her grandmother's home town. though her parents had met in college in new york, her mother had decided to have her kids abroad, and once drew and her brother turned two, they all flew back to the united states, along with their father's mother, who was a widow. life went along quite well for most of drew's childhood. she grew up in a loving home, and her parents were happy and in love. nothing eventful took place in her life till she was around sixteen, and her parents died in a car crash. they'd been coming home from a party and were hit by a drunk trucker. after that, the di angelo household changed. the people in it that were once so happy and lively became depressed and lacked any enthusiasm. drew's grades dropped and she lost interest in her most favourite thing to do -- photography. beloved nonna, however, would not stand for it. she missed her son dearly, but knew that they had to move on with their lives instead of getting worse with each passing day. she managed to get drew and her brother out of their slump, and with time, they slowly got back on track. after drew graduated, she got into a good visual arts program a few states away so she left for college.

PRESENT
drew often visited home during her college breaks and now that her final year is over, she's back home, taking a year off. she managed to acquire a job as a wedding photographer during her final year of college and is expected to continue work even during her year off, but she still has a few weeks before she has to head back in for work so she's taking the time to catch up with old friends, her brother, and of course, her lovely grandmother.

EXTRAS
• drew is a vegetarian by choice.
• she's had a total of two boyfriends -- one in high school and one in college. the first lasted four months. the second lasted a year. apart from this, drew has been on a few dates, but nothing serious. it never clicked.

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twenty-four || heterosexual || italian american || brown eyes | | brown hair | | tan | | muscular | | unemployed || 5 ' 11 || 192 lbs
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l u c a j a x s o n a m e l l o
fc diego barrueco
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pronunciation loo•ca jax•on am•ee•yo

████birthday

august fifth

████ personality

luca can be pretty difficult to describe.. considering he's well known for his mood swings and personality changes. luca is quite blunt and severely insensitive when it comes to other people. however, his admirable charisma and cheerful personality seems to distract people from this. his overwhelming confidence along with his sickening determination makes him quite the competitive student and one that others rarely challenge. a bit of a harlot, luca is outgoing and somewhat apathetic. impulsive and enthusiastic, luca is rather daring and independent. he tends to let his emotions cloud his judgement and luca's mistakes often surround the fact that he can't handle his emotions very well. his playful attitude often masks his insecurities or doubts, as he perceives these as weaknesses. curt with those he dislikes, yet sarcastic with those he does. luca's rather harsh and doesn't care much for those he doesn't associate himself with. observant, flirtatious, impatient, compassionate, yet optimistic, luca's personality varies quite often. he could be quiet and level headed one second to hyperactive and energetic. he's a social butterfly that thrives on attention, however he can handle when the spotlight is elsewhere.

████likes

thriller movies
low budget comedies
90s aesthetic
travelling
partying
dogs
mingling
orchids
spaghetti
forest green

████dislikes

planning
decision making
diplomacy
cooking
cleaning, overall just household things
snakes (how tf do they even move)

████ strengths

he was a natural born speaker along as a manipulator..
when luca isn't rambling about something he actually doesn't care about or writing, he's observing others. although, he usually acts oblivious.
no matter how dark the situation, luca continuously makes light of the problems he's faced with. not only does he do this to ensure others that things will be okay, but remind himself to keep up his facade.

████ weaknesses

his inability to control emotions often worries those around him to the point where luca will enter a stage of complete isolation from anyone and everyone when he's upset.
a bit quick tempered and extremely impulsive, luca often finds himself in trouble with people who decide to argue with him.
easily bored, luca's attention span is rather short causing him to usually dispose of those that bore him. this results in the loss of his already limited friendships.

████hobbies

smoking
piano playing
travels around
mountain biking
swimming

████habits

luca has the tendency to act before he thinks, which usually gets him in trouble.
taps foot when impatient.
his attention fades in and out.

████fears

dying a failure
feeling outcasted
being alone
humiliation

████mental and health ailments

mild depression
insomnia
asthma
alcohol addiction

████family

lorette amello | forty; alive
gabriel amello | forty-one; alive
leon amello | fifteen; alive
emilie amello | forteen; alive
elizabeth green | twelve; alive

████ history

gabriel and lorette meant in italy, both visiting their home country, at the ripe age of 16. the two had a summer fling which followed them back to the americas. both of wealthy decent, their parents only approved of their love for bureaucratic reasons. although initially tied through their mutual affection, the infatuation with each other quickly faded. married at 17, the two had little respect for their relationship. despite being from a high risk, business family, the two both ran through a number of affairs. at the age of 20, lorette discovered she was pregnant with luca. rumored to be the product of one of lorette's affairs, the media turned the story into a huge scandal which practically ruined the amello family's reputation. he was born a failure, a mistake, and was reminded daily of this. luca was essential to the amello's operation to restore their good name. he was merely treated as a mission to accomplish, by his parents. he grew up, being groomed to be the "perfect" son for the "perfect" family. it was only natural for the boy to lash out under the pressure and rebel. his adolescence was full of outright defiance and declarations of hatred for his family. the media, of course, used luca's stress as a way to further undermine the amello causing parental dismay. negligence and cold insults were his parents way of punishing luca for his behavior and often referred to luca as the "stain of their family". when luca's siblings were born, both the media and his parents' attention were further averted from him. his loneliness consumed him and he set off on a path of deep self destruction. alcohol, sex, and partying ended up being his go-to coping mechanisms. soon, these habits began to spiral out of control. it wasn't until the ripe age of seventeen that his parents took notice again. he had ended up in jail for the night for drunk driving, as well as resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. his parents paid to have his case stuck under the ground, but they had long given up on their mistake. he was told to pack his things and get the fuck out of their house. there was apparently no room for anymore risks to their reputation. so, he left. after stealing a bunch of priceless jewelry and decor, of course.

████ secrets

at the ripe age of twelve, luca and his older brother decided to run away.
had his first pregnancy scare with his eighteen year old girlfriend when he was forteen.
practically disowned by his parents, luca is unemployed due to being "unmanageable".​

 

[winnie]

"Just one more..."

The flash went off on Drew's camera and she pulled back slightly to see the picture. "Perfect," she said, her lips curving up into a smile as she shifted her gaze to the happy couple before her. The groom, Adrian Birch, was someone she had known from high school, mainly through her brother who had definitely been much more popular than she had during her senior year. Because her brother dominic could sometimes be a big mouth, Adrian had approached her directly, asking her to photograph the wedding ceremony and the reception after. Because Drew had been on good terms with the guy, she had no problem doing so, however it would mean seeing a lot of old faces, and she hadn't been entirely sure how she felt about that. Nevertheless, here she was anyway.

"Again, thank you so much for agreeing to this," said Penelope, Adrian's bride -- and also high school sweetheart. Drew hadn't really observed them as a couple back when she had been in school, mainly because such things didn't pique her interest like it would for other people, but it was nice to see that their love had gotten them this far. It was more than Drew could say for her own love life.

"It's no problem," Drew replied with a grin, pulling the camera off from the tripod so it could go back to hanging on her neck. "Congratulations once again. Go enjoy the party. I'll meet up with you again at the end when everything's done," she assured them.

Penelope returned her smile. "It's a reception so please take a break and have some cake or find someone to dance with."

Letting out a small chuckle, Drew nodded. That was unlikely. She never took initiative in such situations so she would probably just keep roaming around with the camera. Maybe she'd have some cake but that was pretty much it.

Drew waved the two off before packing up her tripod. She wouldn't need it anymore. Now, since it was the reception, she just had to go around with her camera and document the whole thing. So, that was just what she did. Camera in hand, Drew began to walk around the hall, snapping pictures of the food, the band, the people -- oh the people. So many of them were extravagantly dressed. It was expected of the bride of course, but a lot of them were so decked up in make up and jewelry that Drew could hardly tell if she knew these people in high school or not.

Because she wasn't one to really dress up too much, Drew had made minimal effort. She wore a simple, sleeveless burgundy dress that stopped and billowed around the middle of her thighs. Thin straps hung the fabric from her shoulders, and the bust had a bit of black embroidery, further decorated with sequins. Paired with it, Drew had opted for a pair of black gladiators and she had added in a little bit more effort with her face by merely adding eye liner because she absolutely hated make up. Her brown hair was left open, as she usually liked it, and it framed her face nicely. The only jewelry she adorned were a few silver rings on her fingers and that was it for Drew's appearance. She was quite content with it too.

Still, it was amusing to be able to capture things and different styles, so Drew continued to move around the hall, still curious as to who else she might see there. ​

 

[sunflower fairy]

Uncomfortable couldn't begin to describe Luca's uneasiness. Being surrounded by millions of faces Luca had run away from so long again was likely a forgotten nightmare of his. His face contorted into a twisted smile as the guests passed his seat, stealing sneaky glances at the returned fugitive. Luca waved at a few, though their backs were met met with resentful glares. "Adrian!" Luca exclaimed, bouncing out of his chair. He embraced his old friend, his smile finding itself more natural to maintain. "Congrats, man! Who knew Penny had you so hooked?" he jested, giving a playful nudge to Adrian's side.

"Oh! Luca! It's so nice to see you again! Why don't you come over more often, hm? Still afraid of the old lady?" Adrian countered, brushing off Luca's grip.

"Still got that dreadful sense of humor, I see," Luca replied, ignoring Adrian's inquiries. "I saw the world, Adrian! The fucking Pyramids of Whatever and that Grand Fucking Hole!" the few shots of liquor seemed to slur his speech quite nicely. The disappointment in Adrian's eyes hurt less when Luca justified it with the groom's obvious jealousy. While he was pinned down by a ball and chain, Luca was a free man! While travelling was an efficient way to waste the little money Luca had, it had failed to bring meaning to the young man as he had hoped.

"Yeah.. You take care, Luca," Adrian replied, giving Luca's back a quick pat before wandering off to play the part of the doting newlywed.

Fuck that guy.. He was just as fake as the rest of the fuck ups in that god damn reception hall pretending to give two shits about the Birches. His suit was still slightly damp from the drink he spilled earlier as he decided to walk around. Perhaps he would run into some girl he had rejected in high school, just waiting to redeem herself. They were the easiest to get to bed. Vengeful, sad, and just a tad desperate. Luca had lived most of the six years he had been gone like this. Getting drunk, making a fool out of himself, and using his genetics and debate skills to somehow convince a lonely girl he was worth her time.

Drifting through the crowd, Luca felt almost numb. No matter where he seemed to be or what he was doing, he was unable to shake this feeling. Spotting a pretty brunette in the crowd, Luca slithered his way over to her. It was like a game to him; how many pretty girls would be deceived by his charm? Upon closer examination, Luca realized he had recognized this girl. Upon even closer examination, he had realized that he had befriended this girl. "Drew, I.. uh-" he scrambled to gather a coherent thought, his sobriety slamming him in the face like a truck. "Hi."
​

 

[winnie]

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Drew had been close to the side of the hall, eyeing the buffet table and the large cake that sat atop it, right in the center. She hadn't eaten anything all day so naturally, she was starving. It was just that if she paused to eat, she would have to sit somewhere, which meant talking to people. If she remained standing, someone would likely invite her over or come strike up a conversation with her, whether it be someone trying to flirt or someone from high school, trying to catch up -- or remember who she was.

She was faced with a dilemma but before she could make her decision, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. Drew spun around only to come face to face with a guy she hadn't seen in years. A guy she would have once upon a time called her best friend. A guy she had allowed herself to fall for, despite her better judgement. Back then, Drew did most of her adventurous activities mainly because Luca dragged her into it, and she'd always ended up enjoying herself. She felt completely free around him, she felt like she could be herself and not worry about saying something stupid.

Except she had said something stupid. And that ruined their whole relationship. And if that didn't make things worse, it was only days later that her parents died and the one person she wanted to talk to about it had seemingly vanished off the face of the earth.

And yet here he was now, in a tux, home for a friend's wedding. She knew she would be seeing a few familiar faces, but in all honesty, Luca's was the last she expected to see, considering how he had just up and left, without even a goodbye.

"Luca," she finally managed to speak, after getting over the initial shock of seeing him there. "You- I... What are you doing here?" Okay, so that was probably a little harsh considering she was seeing an old friend after so long, but with the way they had left things, she felt like her reaction was justified.
​

 

[sunflower fairy]

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All those years ago, before Luca had left, it was practically impossible to try and separate him and Drew. Being by himself for all those years gave him time to think. It gave him time to lament. Mainly, over how he had treated Drew. It wasn't right nor was it fair how he had left things with her. And yet here he was, close enough to reach out and touch her but too afraid to do so. It felt like an eternity since he had last seen her, but it was just as easy to close his eyes and pretend like it was yesterday. It was only moments ago that Luca was still blissfully forgetting of Drew's existence. It was easier to deal with his loss of friendship with her that way.

The initial plan had only to stay a few days before escaping to another random corner of the world. But that felt impossible now, standing in front of Drew. Her tone took him for a surprise, though he wasn't quite sure what else he was to expect. Drew had seemed to recover faster than him, and Luca fought to keep up. "Adrian was a-- he is a buddy," Luca explained, his jaw tensing at the mention of the groom's name. In all honesty, Luca wasn't sure why he came. He received an email inviting him to the wedding, so he had decided to take it as an opportunity to showcase his journey. Though, there hadn't been much boasting that night. Luca was merely dismissed with pitiful looks and perplexed glares.

"You look good!" Luca reassured, though he was unsure why he felt the need to. "You've changed.. Not that you didn't look good in high school! I just, I.." Apologize, idiot! Fucking say something! No other words seemed to make it to his lips.

"How have you been? It's kinda been awhile," Luca commented, trying his best to keep the tension from visually expressing itself. What do you say to someone that you willingly abandoned for over five years? It wasn't like Luca was expecting her to be here! She never seemed to be i to the high school gossip, he had doubted this would have interested her at all. Long ago, Luca had found that the best way to get Drew to participate was to force her to. He doubted that he had any influence on her decision to come tonight, however. Say you missed her! Tell her you made a mistake! But staying silent was so much easier..
​

 

[winnie]

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Drew bit down on her lower lip as she listened to Luca. She was only vaguely aware of what he was saying because her mind was racing a mile a minute. After so long, she was seeing him again. She had long since moved on from losing him as a friend and of course, having feelings for him that were never reciprocated -- and in fact, were let down in a manner that Drew wasn't exactly fond of -- but Drew never really forgot Luca. How could she forget the one person she could have called her best friend? It wasn't easy for Drew to make friends in the first place, and to lose one the way she had... Well, Drew never really forgot Luca for that. She wasn't sure she even forgave him for running out like that, without so much as a goodbye.

Sure, they weren't exactly on the best of terms when he left, but given everything that was going on with her parents, his presence had been the one thing she craved and he wasn't there to give that to her.

"Thanks," Drew murmured softly, still quite unsure how to approach this situation. She was determined to be stoic, to show him she had moved on and didn't forget what had happened, but she could still clearly see the part of him that had made her fall for him, and his words only pushed her to remember that.

"I uh, I just graduated, actually. Visual arts," she held up her camera as if to prove this. "I'm here as a photographer. Nothing more." Of course. Anyone that was friends with Luca likely wasn't friends with her. She'd never be invited to this wedding otherwise.

Part of her was scolding herself for not lashing out, for not saying something to get him to understand how much he had hurt her back then when she was in high school. Another part of her was saying to forget it and walk away because he probably didn't care. After all, even now, he didn't bring it up. That had to mean it meant nothing to him. Right?

"Well, I uh... I should probably get back to taking the pictures." No, you idiot, say something else! Ask him where he was this whole time! Confront him! But alas, Drew couldn't find it in herself to do that. She had never really been good with conflict. At least, she had never been that great at initiating it. It wasn't like it mattered. Luca was probably just in town for another day or two and he would be gone again. Trying to make a big deal out of this was in neither of their best interests.
​

 

[sunflower fairy]

It was difficult to look at Drew. Her face cursed him with memories they didn't get to share together, because he had left. While he tried to be happy she was successful, a part of Luca had selfishly despised that she seemed to have done better when he wasn't around. Luca was a whirlwind of emotions, but he couldn't really pinpoint what these emotions were. Drew seemed so distant. Even if he wanted to move closer, the wall she built around herself acted as her fierce protector. Luca shifted his gaze toward the ground, hoping to get some kind of relief from the tension.

She wasn't being quiet.. just curt. But Luca didn't know which one to prefer. Being met with her few, impartial words seemed punishment enough for his decision. Every word cut him deeper as he realized he had lost his meaning to Drew. Luca cleared his throat, silently mourning for a friendship that died long ago. But perhaps he had subconsciously hoped he'd see her, and she could convince him to stay. They would be able to go back to how they were. But that was naive. "You always did love your pictures," Luca forced a smile, aggressively forcing his hands into his pockets.

"Bet you missed your favorite muse, right?" he teased, although his laugh felt hollow. He hadn't forgotten about Drew's little school girl crush. It was hard to hear your little sister confess that she had feelings for you, so he naturally distanced himself in an attempt to easily let her down. Luca hadn't planned to leave it just.. happened.

Leaving, already? No, they weren't done! They had so much left to talk about. "Well, I uh.. yeah, okay. It was nice seeing you," Luca replied, defeated. He turned to walk away, realizing there was no point in trying to convince her to stay. Don't run away again, you coward. "Actually, Drew--" Luca turned on his heel and quickly made his way back to her. "Would you wanna go grab a cup of coffee or something?" this probably a bad idea. "Or I can drive you home," this was an even worse idea, he was trashed. "Or you could give me your number? We should.. catch up."
​

 

[winnie]

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Drew thought that would be it. She would excuse herself to continue her job and Luca would take the out that she was giving him to leave because in her eyes, he was merely talking to her out of formality. He probably didn't even expect to see her there but now that he had, he probably felt obligated to say something. After all, with the way things had ended up, Drew assumed that Luca wanted nothing to do with her anymore. It wasn't truly far-fetched to think that though, was it?

As he said his goodbye, she was ready to turn and continue taking pictures till the end of the reception, which was bound to be soon. Drew didn't expect anything else. He was leaving. Like last time. She didn't have it in her mind to see him coming back -- or even see him again any time soon, when she heard Luca's voice again. Drew turned back around, only to see Luca waking back toward her after having taken a few steps away.

His words definitely took her by surprise, and that much was clear on her face. So he wanted to catch up. Part of her was thinking that maybe she was getting the old Luca back -- the one that hadn't left without a trace when she had needed him the most. Maybe he was trying to make up for that. But another part of her was also highly suspicious because she didn't want to be the one to set herself up for rejection or disappointment. Again.

She took a moment to respond, thinking out her answer. "I do need a ride home." She had some camera equipment that she couldn't carry on her own. She'd taken a cab to come and she could certainly go back the same way, or even ask her brother to pick her up, but this way, at least maybe she could pluck up the courage to ask him all the questions she had -- and there were many.

"How about we meet outside after the reception? I'll be done by then," she said, lifting the camera to signify that she still had a job to do till the night was over. She had no idea how this would end, but right now she was more determined to get answers, and he, by offering her a ride or the chance to catch up, clearly knew what he was in for so if he was still offering, that may mean he was trying to make amends. He deserved that chance.
​

 

[sunflower fairy]

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The surprised look on Drew's face was expected. However, Luca had also been
looking forward to seeing a little excitement or enthusiasm. But Drew showed no signs of either. It hadn't occurred to Luca that Drew held resentment toward him, though rightfully so. It hadn't occurred that perhaps she didn't want to see him. Yes, he knew his decision to leave affected her or whatever but he didn't think Drew would have held it against him. That was the thing about Luca; he was impulsive, self-centered, and finicky which overall meant he made a terrible friend.

Another thing he hadn't expected was Drew's hesitation to accept his offer. Any other girl would be throwing themselves at him for a chance to be driven home! But.. this was Drew. Reserved, artsy, little Drew. Luca felt rather dismissed. He hadn't expected the Birches' stupid fucking wedding to be prioritized over him. "Yeah, no, I'll be there. You can count on me!" Luca reassured, a little too enthusiastically. At least this had given him time to get his shit together and sober up.

"Hey, just so you know," Luca started, his tone deepening, "I missed you, Di Angelo." And with a weak smile, Luca had retreated back to find the bar. It was the truth. He had always meant to visit or message Drew. But the first few months, he was too preoccupied with drowning in self pity to contact anyone from home. And then those months passed and he wanted to focus on himself and healing through sexual indulgence.. And then it just seemed to late to go reconnect with lost contacts.

Water, he needed water. Luca was wasted and apparently stupid enough to offer someone else a ride. He seemed to like his habit of screwing things up for himself. He needed to quickly and effectively detox, so he gathered four cups and ice cold water and locked himself in the men's bathroom. Staring at his distasteful image in the mirror, Luca attempted to pump himself up, "C'mon, man you got this! Don't fuck it up!" In seconds, he inhaled the first two cups if water before ferociously drenching his face with sink water. This process repeated. He gathered more water, locked himself in, and performed his odd ritual.
​

 

[winnie]

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I missed you, Di Angelo.

Now how was she supposed to remain stoic when she heard those words leave his mouth? After spending years thinking he just lost interest in her as a friend, she was honestly surprised to hear that he had actually missed her. When it came to Luca, she felt a little insecure. He was so much more well off. He was popular. He had tons of other friends yet chose to hang out with her when he could. When they were younger, Drew always thought it was just because their parents were friends, and when he left, she was further led to believe that he never really thought of her as a close friend. But that never stopped her from missing him when he was gone.

She couldn't say it back though. Not when she had spent so long trying to forget about him and move on. Part of her began to wonder if his words even rang true. If he missed her, would he have left like that? Wouldn't he have called her, or texted or even emailed her once he got to wherever it was that he had intended to go? Even now, back in town, would he have tried to contact her? Or would he have just showed up for this wedding and left again, without a trace?

Drew had so many questions. It was why she was glad that she would at least get time to clear some things up. Maybe after that she could decide how she really felt.

So, the night went on, though Drew was considerably more distracted than she had been at the start of the wedding. Nevertheless, she took some pretty good pictures and the reception soon came to an end as people started to leave and the caterers started to pack up. Drew still saw no sign of Luca anywhere but she was busy clearing up the expenses with Adrian. Once that was done, it was time to pack up so she got her tripod and camera bag and left the hall to stand outside and wait for Luca. The cool evening air hit her bare arms almost immediately, but in a way, she was grateful. The chilly bite of the wind helped her stay focused.
​

 

[sunflower fairy]

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The bangings on the restroom door had finally ceased, leaving Luca to assume that most of the reception guests had cleared out. He exited the bathroom, determined. His bladder was empty and his cups were abandoned. It was time to find Drew. Luca followed the rest of the crowd out of the exit. He wandered and wandered and wandered. Had Drew blown him off? Luca headed back inside, continuing to look around for the small brunette.

It had seemed that practically everyone else had left. Defeated, Luca made his way back outside. So, Drew was apparently holding some type of grudge against him. What had he even do to deserve that?! His ego stung.. The last thing he was expecting was to be ghosted by his former best friend. He had lost his buzz for nothing. Looking up from the concrete, Luca's dark eyes brightened at the sight of Drew. "Hey!" he exclaimed as he jogged toward the girl. "I was starting to think you had blown me off," Luca confessed, with a timid laugh.

"You look cold.. Here!" Luca quickly slid off his jacket before delicately placing it on Drew's narrow shoulders. It almost reminded her of a child playing dress up in her parents' clothes. "I was betting on a growth spurt, but I guess not," Luca teased, a wide grin plastered on his face.

Luca offered his hand out, hoping to help Drew with carrying her camera equipment. "Let's get out of here, yeah?" he inquired, trying to keep his friendliness noticeable. Luca hooked his arm with Drew's and began to lead her to his car. "How has life been treating you?" He was unsure why he asked this. Perhaps it was to make himself feel worse or perhaps it was his way of easing the awkwardness with small talk.
​

 

[winnie]

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Drew spotted Luca a few feet away while she stood outside and she was about to call out to him when he seemed to notice her and jogged over. "You mean like you did?" She replied to him thinking he had blown her off. The words had left her mouth without her even thinking about it and now that she said it, she wished she could take it back. Drew wasn't really a snarky person and she hated conflict, but now she was beginning to realise how much she had actually resented Luca for disappearing on her -- after she had spent time getting over him, that is.

"Sorry, that... that was uncalled for." Whether it really was, or wasn't, didn't matter to Drew. That just wasn't who she was. Especially not toward her former best friend. "Thank you," she murmured after a moment, when he draped his jacket over her shoulders. She felt warmer, but she also caught the scent of alcohol on his jacket -- she had been so startled when she met him earlier that she hadn't noticed he'd been drinking.

"Are you sure you're okay to drive? Because I have no problem taking over." If anything, if he was tipsy, she would have preferred taking over. Drew didn't protest as he hooked an arm with hers and she walked alongside him to his car. It was so easy to just forget everything that had happened in the past few years because Luca was acting like nothing had happened. He was smiling and making jokes like he had never gone. Like they were still best friends. Drew found it harder to slip back into that behaviour.

"It's been fine," she answered, when he asked how life treated her. "Better now than what it used to be." Okay, so that was another silent jab, but she couldn't help herself. Drew let out a small sigh and came to a stop as they reached Luca's car. "What about you?" She asked, looking up at him. "Where have you been? What have you been doing?" The questions were now just beginning to pour out as her eagerness to hear answers overpowered everything else. "Why did you leave?"
​

 

[sunflower fairy]

Reuniting with Drew wasn't supposed to be this unsettling.. At least that's not how he imagined it. Luca crossed his arms and cleared his throat, trying to conceal any sign he was uncomfortable. "I uh--" but he had no response. What did she want from him? Luca hadn't ever considered that Drew would have been upset with his departure. If anything, he thought she'd understand why he needed to leave. He didn't think it would even matter to her. Drew was young and pretty, she should have moved on in a heartbeat.

But ultimately, Luca was to blame. And this did not sit well with him. "No, no, it's okay. I understand," he lied, shifting his gaze away from Drew. But he didn't understand. The two were barely friends when he left.. And she seemed in desperate need of some space. And Luca's plan was never to be gone for that long, that's just how it ended up happening. "Of course," though his tone lacked appreciation.

In retrospect, Luca probably should have agreed to let Drew drive. But his pride was already damaged and he wasn't prepared for it to take another hit. "No, I'm fine to drive. What? You don't trust me to get you home, Drew?" Luca teased, searching the sea of motor vehicles for his car. He held his liquor, and he was hoping his "home remedy" would help him focus enough to at least make it to Drew's. Then he'd find a random store parking lot to sleep at. He hadn't exactly had anywhere to stay, and his lack of money indicated he wouldn't find a place anytime soon.

"That's great to hear," Luca reassured with a clenched jaw. It was fucked up to hope that she had missed him, he knew that. But it seemed that everyone's lives had gotten better once Luca had left, especially his parents. He just wanted one person to say his leaving impacted them somehow. "Me?" This was his time to gloat, and show Drew that he didn't need her. But her rapid firing of questions made him uncomfortable and he couldn't find it in himself to brag. "I backpacked through Europe, mostly. Which is a lot less cool than it sounds. But it was better than being stuck here, I guess," Luca shrugged, unsure if he should continue.

"I..I left because.. Well, that's kind of a long story that I'm sure you're not interested in," Luca dismissed, opening the car door for Drew. "Somehow ended up right back where I started, though," he replied, with a hint of dejection.


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[winnie]

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Drew shoved her equipment into the back the moment Luca opened the car door, but her mind was elsewhere instead of the task in front of her, which was why she dropped her tripod onto the floor of the car twice before actually letting it rest properly across the back seat. "Backpacking," she echoed. So that was what he had left to do. Explore the world and leave his friends and family behind. Drew was in no place to judge him because she was never one to judge anyway, but learning that he had left at a time when she had needed him, to go backpacking... it struck a chord.

But, then again, he said it was a long story. He probably had his reasons, and she should at least give him the chance to explain himself. To tell her why he had left. Part of her wondered though, whether he even knew of her parents passing. He would have called if he did, right? He would have done something? If he had known and not bothered to say anything... well, that was a whole other thing. Not wanting to jump to conclusions, Drew decided she might as well hear him out.

"Well, you're going to be driving slowly because I'm pretty sure you're still tispy, so we have plenty of time," Drew told him, actually even smiling a bit because for a moment, it was as though they were back in high school and she had stepped out of a party he had forced her to go to. Even back then, it was usually him that wound up getting a little drunk and she would end up driving. It was just instinct to slip back into that for a few moments. "I want to hear your story. I want to know why you just... left. Why you didn't even say anything before leaving."

Once she posed this question, she slid into the passenger seat and buckled herself in, waiting for Luca to get into the other side before she turned to face him yet again. Drew was filled with a number of different emotions right now and while she partly wanted to push Luca away to prevent herself from falling into a pit again, she also wanted to let him back into her life because her time with him had been some of the most fun years of her life. She was just so conflicted. She couldn't decide anything or narrow down how she really felt till she knew the whole story -- and till he knew the whole story about everything he had left behind.
​

 

[sunflower fairy]

Luca grimaced as he watched a distracted Drew fail to fit her camera equipment in the back. "Drew, buddy? You okay?" he inquired, shooting a worried glance at the small girl. Luca had seemingly not answered how Drew was expecting. Luca nodded, too tense to confidently determine what was on Drew's mind. "Yeah, backpacking. I guess I didn't feel like I belonged here," Luca shrugged it off, as if he was casually discussing the weather. If anything, his journey across the world made him realize he didn't belong anywhere.

If Luca had any shred of honesty with himself, he would be able to admit that he was lonely. Being alone in a bunch of foreign countries had only amplified that feeling. "Tipsy? Don't be silly, Drew, I never drink," Luca teased, settling into his car. "And I was looking forward to speeding down the highway.. But if you insist," Luca started his car, looking over at Drew. "So, where are we going?"

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Luca shook his head. "I don't know, Drew. It's a lot of shit I'd rather not get into," Luca made another attempt to drop the subject of his past. He was still in the process of getting over that shit, why rehash it? Drew seemed insistent, though, for whatever reason. "My story, huh?" he questioned, deciding to ignore the last part of her inquiries. "It was a mixture of a few different things, I think," Luca started.

Where was he supposed to start? There was so much to tell. But there was so much he felt he couldn't tell. "I was kind of fucking up a lot during high school. I think all the times I skipped class had caught up to me. I was failing almost every single fucking class during junior year," Luca laughed, despite remaining highly unamused. "And I don't know. I spent too much time dealing with alcohol poisoning than fucking making something out of myself," Luca admitted, his jaw tightening.

"Eliza.. She got sick and.. Well, you know my parents," he continued, faking a smile.

​

 

[winnie]

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Speeding down thw highway didn't sound like the best idea, even if she might have been open to it any other time, when he hadn't been drinking. Or possibly way back when they were actually still friends. It was impossible to saynow though because she was only letting him drive due to his insistence and the fact that she was also in the car to make sure he went slow and didn't crash. And she could take over if need be. After that though, she didn't feel entirely comfortable letting him drive off on his own. She may resent him for the past but that definitely did not mean she wanted him to land himself in a bad car accident. After what happened to her parents, that hit way too close to home. She was particular about stuff like that when it came to driving.

"Straight down the road," she explained. "If you remember where that coffee shop is that we used to go to, it's on that block," she explained further. Chances are that he wouldn't remember — whynshould he? — but she was fine explaining the directions if that was the case. "I know you'll say you're not drunk or tipsy," she said softly, feeling like she might regret what she was abou tto say next, but she said it anyway. "But I'd feel a lot better if you just stayed over the night and drove back in the morning, completely sober," she told him, keeping her gaze on the street that passed them by instead of looking at him.

Drew then listened intently as he explained his story. How he had fucked up school and messed too much with alcohol — she felt a lot better avout inviting him to stay the night now — and how it had eventually led to his leaving. But so much still didn't make sense. Drew's hands began to fiddle with the he of her dress — she got fidgety when she was nervous or frustrated and in this case, it was a good amount of both.

"That doesn't explain to me why you'd leave without even saying anything," she told him softly, now looking away from the window to look at him. "I know you had your group of friends and stuff but I thought I was close enough to you to at least earn that much." Of course they hadn't exactly been on the best of terms, what with her confessing her feelings or anything, but that couldn't be an excuse. "After you left... that was a time I needed you the most." And he wasn't there.

"I mean it seems so easy for you to come back and get ito the swing of things again and pretend like nothing ever happened." Sometimes she wished she could do that. She wished she could let things go. But she couldn't. She wouldn't.
​

 

[sunflower fairy]

Oh -- the coffee house! That little shop held some treasured memories for Luca and Drew. He smiled, nostalgic at the thought of their shared moments sipping coffee and ranting to each other. Luca hadn't realized how natural it came to him to drive toward the shop; he hadn't realized he remembered so much of their little town. "We had some good times in that little coffee place, yeah?" Luca replied, though it was more of a statement than a question.

Luca cocked an eyebrow at Drew. In the years that had passed, she sure had gained a hell of a lot of confidence. Luca thought about her proposition. Was it a good idea to start their relationship off on that foot? Honestly, the thought had crossed his mind but he didn't quite think it appropriate. "Yeah, yeah. If you'd like," Luca replied with a mischievous smirk, ignoring his instincts that told him to say otherwise. What was the harm in sleeping with her? Yeah, he had rejected her or whatever but that was a long time ago.. And things changed. There wasn't going to be any long term consequences, after all.

It felt too easy to fall back in the habit of confiding in Drew, as much as he wanted to fight it. It just felt right, and something about her reassured Luca everything would be alright. He tried to ignore her nervous tics, assuming that he was thinking too much into it. But he grew up with Drew.. He knew when she felt uncomfortable and he didn't particularly enjoy being the person who made her feel uneasy. Luca was perplexed as Drew had seemed hurt by his past actions. He had just assumed that she'd barely notice when he left, just like everyone else had.

Clearing his throat, Luca glanced over at Drew, trying to decipher what she was feeling and what her intentions were. "It was kind of a real sudden decision, Drew. I don't know, I didn't have the time to deal with sentiments and shit," Luca defended, a hint of venom creeping into his voice. But then the guilt started to settle in and he tried to backtrack. "I-it's not that you didn't earn it, Drew. I just.." I got kicked out. I disgraced mt family. I stole a bunch of shit and needed to bail before I got caught. "Shit went down and I needed to get out, fast," Luca tried to explain, while also being as vague as possible.

Needed him most? What had that even meant? "It's not like it was up to me, Drew.. And I doubt you ever needed me. You seem to have gotten along just fine without me," Luca countered, trying to keep his tone calm. He had always been more emotional than Drew and it had always further upset him. "Well, what else am I supposed to do? There's no use in holding on to fucked up shit in the past," Luca shrugged, as if him saying this wasn't hypocritical. "Lots of shit happened, but I'm here now, right? Can't we just try and enjoy that?"
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[winnie]

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"Oh yeah," Drew nodded slightly. "Loads of good times. She remembered as well all the times the two of them had spent in that coffee shop. She usually headed there after an amateur shoot to review her pictures along with five cups of coffee. When it was with luca it was mainly to just hang out — which was also always fun. Thinking about it made her smile slightly, but then their talk continued about Luca's past and why he left and that caused her smile to fade.

"It was up to you to tell me. Or tell anyone for that matter," she told him softly, keeping her gaze straight ahead and on the road instead of at him. He may have left under sudden circunstances that were still unknown to her but why did that mean he couldn't say anything? "It was up to you to decide whether you wanted to stay in contact even after you left. I mean, it's been years, Luca. And I see you at a wedding by chance, not because you wanted to meet up with me."

Drew was getting a little more worked ip now and that was clear in her tone. those years of anger and resentment she had held for luca and him leaving without a trace was slowly coming out now. Drew was always the quiet one, the one that rarely spoke unless absolutely necessary and the one who avoided conflict at all costs. But this was one thing she just couldn't let go of.

Not if anything they'd had had been real.

"I needed you when my parents car flipped over and Dom and I were left orphans," she continued after a short pause. Her gaze remained on the utsife but her mind and vision were clouded by the thoughts and memories of the night she had found out what happend. "Sure I got along fine now but that doesn't mean i didn't need you then. The one person I wanted to talk to had left without a trace and i didn't know what to do."

Heaving a small sigh, Drew turned finally, to look at Luca despite the fact that he was driving. "You may not want to hold onto the past and that's fine. But you can't ask me to forget it and act like nothing happened because our friendship actually meant something to me. And i guess I made a stupid mistake with something I told you, but it doesn't really matter because if you're okay to just forget everything like it was nothing to you then our friendship meant nothing to you either."
​

 

[sunflower fairy]

Luca grinned. It seemed Drew had been refusing to let him, despite his attempts. But the mentioning of the coffee shop seemed to bolster the chipping away of the invisible barrier Drew had built around herself. "You and that camera.. I swear, you were better friends with it than what we had," Luca joked, playfully smiling as he focused on the mental image of Drew and her camera. He at had always joked that one could not be seen without the other.

Frustrated, Luca ran a hand through his hair. He didn't understand why Drew was being so difficult. Was it really that fucking hard to just move on? He had his reasons and she just needed to accept that! He needed another drink. "Goodbyes just seemed overdramatic, I don't know. Through all the chaos, it just wasn't a priority," Luca explained, not meaning for his words to be as sharp as they were. "I mean.. My mind was just preoccupied. I wasn't planning on just leaving, I thought I'd go back! It just never ended up happening," Luca went on, his rambling was a weird form of an apology.

But she had a point. He had six years to contact Drew. But then again, she could have done the same. Luca had been struggling with how to define their relationship and whether or not Drew even wanted to hear from him. "I didn't know if you wanted to stay in contact. I was afraid that maybe you had moved on or something, I don't know. I didn't know what we were and I was trying to figure it out, but it all just felt too soon.. And then I guess I just lost track of time," he tried to reason, though he had failed to even convince himself. It had just felt to raw to contact Drew.. It wasn't her fault, but the thought of her just reminded him of everything he had lost because he failed to be a proper son.. He didn't want to be reminded of his failures.

He had no words. What perfect fucking timing. Luca's heart ached and he yearned to wrap his arms around Drew, engulf her in his intimacy and forget this entire conversation. "I'm so sorry, Drew. I didn't know," Luca spoke, the fire in his voice dissipating. He felt like an ass. And he didn't want to fight anymore. I needed you too, he wanted to say but the words never came. If he had just waited.. If he had convinced his parents to give him one more chance, perhaps he could have been there for Drew in her time of crisis. "You didn't deserve that.. Your family didn't deserve that."

"Of course it meant something to me, Drew. You were all I had," Luca confessed. It seemed as if he had nothing now.. Conflicting feelings battled to be expressed, but Luca did his best to maintain them. "I fucked up, Drew. I'm so sorry for how it hurt you. And I was stupid and hateful and selfish. But it happened. And I can't change it now, but maybe that doesn't have to ruin what we had. I'm glad I saw you tonight, okay? And I accept that you don't forgive me, but I was hoping you'd still wanna rebuild.. us."
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[winnie]

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Drew knew that Luca was trying to find the right words to say but it was instead coming out as rambling, which just led her to believe that even he didn't know. he didn't figure out why he didn't come back, or why he didn't keep in touch. Either that or he just never gave it any thought. He left, and turned his back on everything and everyone, intending to start anew. But Drew hadn't moved on. And she might have told him that if she knew where he was or how to contact him. Things just ended up worse than when Drew had confessed to Luca that she had feelings for him.

When Luca finally revealed that he hadn't known about her parents, Drew found herself calming down a bit. Having been worked up moments ago, Drew was now just bummed. She thought of her parents and how hard it was to cope after that. She'd even left photography for a long while after that. It had been hard, and something she needed Luca to get through, but he hadn't even known. She always just assumed his parents told him but obviously that hadn't happened. The question was, why? How could Luca not know? He may have cut off connections with her and his other friends, but his family? His whole family?

Drew shook her head slowly and stared out the window. "I'm sorry. I just... I assumed you knew. And assuming that, it just made you leaving worse. It made me feel like you really didn't see me as a close enough friend to even call after they... after the accident."

Hearing that Luca wanted to rebuild everything made Drew feel slightly better. It made her feel like he really did care about her and he really did see their friendship as something real. Saying it was one thing, but actually wanting to do something about it meant more to her than that. All this time it was just this lack of communication, and while she still felt a little bad that he had just up and left without a word, he was still her best friend. Any chance to reconnect and go back to the way they used to be was one she would jump at and he wanted it too so she was all for it.

"I'd like that," she said softly, turning her head to look at him. "To rebuild us, I mean," she continued, pulling his jacket around her tighter. "I wish things hadn't gone south and ended the way they had but you were my best friend, Luca." And of course, she did have feelings for him but that was then. She had moved on long ago. She just wanted her best friend back.
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