Leilani Baker

Lalita Baker

Tosca Calabro (Cam's sister)

Monday, August 7th, 2017

Cocoa's POV

"How long are you guys visiting for?" Giovanna asked Cam, trying hard to ignore the fact that I am standing right next to him.

"We just landed in Italy on Friday. We are staying with my Uncle in Tuscany. I just sent Tosca a text about you. She said maybe the two of you can have a mini-reunion. Here is her number," Cam answered.

"That would be great." He gave Giovanna Tosca's number. "Thanks, Cam. I'll be seeing you around."

No, you won't. Not if I can help it. "It was nice to meet you, uh, uh......." I knew what this heifer's name was. I didn't feel like saying it.

"It's Giovanna," she said with an attitude. Whatever. I dragged Cam away from her.

"Now, let's take a gondola ride to a restaurant or something. I'm hungry."

"I know just the place to go."

We spotted an empty gondola. Cam said something in Italian. The man replied back to Cam.

"He said hop on in." Cam got in first, then held his hand out for me to get in. He sat down first, and I sat in front of him.

"You told him I was paying right?"

"Yup. I sure did."

"Good." We were then off on our cruise through Venice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The place we went to is called, "Acapella."

Cam talked in Italian to the hostess. We then followed him to our table, which was outside. He then gave us menus.

"Uh, Cam you are going to have to help me with the menu."

We had an appetizer called olive paste.

It is olives, along with other spices, made into a paste. We then spread it on some homemade bread that was divine. Cam ordered a meal made for two. It even came with a bottle of wine.

"Are we really going to eat all of this? I'm full from too much of the olive paste. And, the bottle of wine too?"

"Yes, we are. It comes with the meal, which I am paying for. Dessert is also included. You can pick what you want."

"I want Tiramisu."

I skipped eating some of my dinner so I could eat dessert. "Man, I need a nap after this. I'm stuffed."

"We can walk around for a little bit. "

"Good. I'm shopped out after yesterday."

After two hours, we finished at the restaurant. Cam paid, we received bags for our leftovers, then we left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wore the right shoes because we sure did do a lot of walking. And, snapped a lot of pictures. We even stopped and ate the rest of our food. By the time we looked at the clock, it was time for us to go back to the Lamborghini. We made it back to the airport by 10:30 pm.

"I'm tired. But, thank you for a great first date. Who can say their first date was in Venice?"

"Not many. And, you're welcome. Oh, we can't forget the Lamborghini. Speaking of, where are Uncle Val and your mom?"

"That looks like them approaching now."

"So, kiddos, how was your date?" My mom asked.

"Other than some chick named Giovanna, Cam and I had a great day. I paid for our Gondola ride. For lunch/dinner, we went to Acapella's. Cam paid for that. After that, we walked around and took plenty of pictures, enough for a large photo album."

"Let's make our way onto the plane."

"Goodbye, Venice."

"Goodbye, Lamborghini," Cam said as we boarded the plane.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Narrator's POV

The next two weeks went by fast.

Giovanna tried her best to flirt with Cam, but he was oblivious to it. His mind is focused on one only - Cocoa.

Leilani, Lalita, Tosca, and Cocoa saw it and warned her to leave Cam alone.

Val and the guys took the ladies all across Italy - visiting historic monuments, touring wine vineyards, etc. Leilani and Lalita, however, didn't partake in any wine tastings.

The kids were all sad because, in a few weeks, it is school time again. Cocoa was the only one that was excited.

**************************************

Tuesday, September 4th, 2017

Cocoa's POV

Senior year is here! Yes! Lalita is with me this year. This will be our only year of school together. I'm looking forward to it.

For her graduation present, she got a Range Rover.

We are meeting Cam and Tosca at the University. It will be great to see everyone again.

I drove the Escalade today. I saw Tosca's Mercedes and Cam's Yukon. So, we parked next to them and got out.

"Hi, everyone. You guys remember my sister, Lalita? She will be joining us this year."

"We now have two Baker girls. Welcome to the group, Lalita. I'm Heather. Do you like to cheer too?"

"I sure do. I can't wait to try out for the team" Lalita answered.

"Tryouts are this weekend coming up. What about you, Cocoa? The team misses you. And, we never filled your spot. It's yours if you want it."

"Please, Cocoa take it! How many opportunities are we going to get to do something together? Pretty please, with a cherry on top of an ice cream sundae?"

"Just one cherry?"

"Oh my gosh, a bunch of cherries," she says slightly irritated. "Don't make me get down on my knees to beg."

The guys and gals all chuckled. "Hmm, should I be so cruel?"

"Oh, c'mon, Cocoa!!"

"Okay, okay. I guess I am back on the team."

"That was pretty mean but thank you! Thank you!"

"Uh-oh, here comes Bryce," Mike says as we all groan.

"What does she want?!" Tosca says.

"I already know - why is Landry's Escalade here? It's none of her business."

"What is Landry's Escalade doing here? He's back? I thought he was paralyzed from the waist down."

"Not only are you insensitive but add nosy. It's none of your business why the Escalade is here." I pressed the keys to turn on the alarm.

"You're driving it?"

"What part of none of your business don't you get?" Lalita and I walked over to Cam. He then carried my bag as we started walking to the building. Bryce had some nerve to put her hand on me.

"I suggest you remove your hand off me now before you get beat in the parking lot. I don't owe you any kind of explanation whatsoever. For the third time this morning, mind your business."

Cam added, "You heard what she said, Bryce. Back off. And, you wonder why nobody talks to you. Let's go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We all have the same lunchtime again. Lalita and I have a class in the same building, so we are walking over together to meet the others.

They were at our usual table.

"So, how was your first morning of college, Lalita?" Lukas asked her.

"It went as smoothly as it could. So far, no homework. I will definitely have to get used to walking from building to building."

"You'll get used to it over time. I think of it as an exercise for cheering, especially walking up the stairs. I call it strength training," Heather tells her.

30 minutes into our lunchtime.... "No way! Cam and Cocoa, you will not believe who I just saw walk in the cafeteria."

We turned around to see...... Giovanna.

"Uh, she's hot. What's wrong with her?" Nick asked.

Cam answered, "She's all yours. That's Giovanna. She's a friend from me and Tosca's childhood. I knew she had a crush on me, but I don't like her that way. While in Italy during this summer, she attempted to flirt with me. You all thought I didn't know, but I did. I just didn't care."

"Good. I'm glad you didn't care because you know what would happen right?"

"I certainly do. I'm not squandering this opportunity you have given me."

"Good boy." She saw Tosca, so here she comes.

"Tosca and Cam! It's good to see you guys again." She tried to sit next to Cam, but there is no room. Pretty desperate if you ask me. Tosca just rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Not good to see you."

"What are you doing in the United States now?" Cam asked suspiciously. We already knew why. Stalker much?

"My aunt Bianca recently moved to town, so I talked my parents into letting me move here. I stay with her. And, now, we go to the same college."

Cam and Tosca spit out their drinks. "Did you say your Aunt Bianca?! As in Bianca Mancini?! The woman who broke Uncle Val's heart before leaving Italy?!"

"The one and only."

"Well, Giovanna, it's time for us to get to class," Cam says as all of us get up to leave. As soon as we were out of her view, Cam told me, "Bianca is one of the women that broke my Uncle Val's heart. The other one was Rosa D'Amato. The D'Amato family is rivals with The Toscano and Calabro families in the wine industry. They have been jealous of the success my grandparents have had. Uncle Val loves your mom and has no plans of EVER leaving her. We have to tell Uncle Val about what Giovanna told us."

"We'll go after school. See you guys after 4:00 pm." I made my way to my class, and Cam went to his.

~~~~~~~~~

I sat in my Escalade while the others texted, they were on the way. I saw Lalita coming. I rolled my window down to wave at her. She sat in her Range Rover. We were now just waiting for Cam and Tosca.

They were coming, trailed by Giovanna. Me and Giovanna are going to need a discussion between us to set her straight. Why can't girls like her, Bryce, and Alyssa take hints?

"Giovanna, will you stop following me?! I'm dating Cocoa. She is who I always have wanted, and I am not going to let you destroy what I finally have," I heard Cam tell her.

"But she is bl....."

"Shut your mouth! Cocoa is a human being, just like you. Leave me alone! Find someone else because I'm not the one. Goodbye."

As soon as Tosca and Cam hopped in the SUVs, we pulled off to Val's place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After we pulled in the driveway, we all got out and knocked on the door. "Uncle Ricardo! You live here in the U.S. now?" Tosca and Cam gave him a hug.

"I'm visiting for a little bit. I'll be here for 2 months. I'll be here for one month. And, in Florida for the other."

We all walked inside. "Is Uncle Val home?" Tosca asked him.

"He is in his office."

"Thanks, Uncle Ricardo." We all walked to his office.

"Uncle Val, Giovanna Corsetti moved to Maryland to live with her aunt......"

"Please tell me Bianca Mancini is not living in Maryland?" He said sighing.

"I wish we had better news. Giovanna wouldn't leave me alone all day."

"I'll be back guys. I'm going to get some water." As I exited the office, I heard the front doorbell ring. So, I went to answer it.

"Oh, hi. How can I help you?"

"I was checking to see if this is the right house for Valentino Toscano?"

"Yes, this is the right house. I'll be right back." I ran back to the office. "There is a teenage girl at the door asking for you, Val." He told us we can call him that.

I followed him back to the door.

"Hi, how can I help you?"

The girl started crying at the door. After composing herself, she said, "I thought I would never find you. Mr. Toscano, I am your daughter, Giulia Noemi Toscano."

"My what?!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Picture portrayal of Leilani is courtesy of Can Stock Photos - © Can Stock Photo / kadettmann

Picture portrayal of Lalita is courtesy of Can Stock Photos - © Can Stock Photo / kadettmann