I practiced my solo song and my half of the duet with Lucio well into the night, immediately falling asleep once I was finished. I woke up to see the sun filtering through my curtains, letting me know it was time to start the day. And what a day it would be. 

I grabbed my phone off the bedside table, looking at the time. 6:30 AM. I would get ready, get a cup of coffee from Caffè e Dolci, come back to work in the restaurant at 7:30, and work until my rehearsal at 1:00. I had so been looking forward to the rehearsal, but now my nerves were starting to get the better of me. What if I didn't measure up to the standards of the coordinator after all? What if I was no longer good enough to be in the showcase? I knew that it was silly, but silly thoughts can still be scary thoughts to think. I looked over at the picture of La Scala in my room. I took a deep breath. I needed to do get a grip and do my best in this showcase so that one day, I could be singing there. And I couldn't get distracted - not even by three, handsome, Italian opera singers. Although, I soonlearned it would be a hard thing not to get distracted by. 

As I walked down Little Italy, walking into Caffè e Dolci and getting my coffee from Mario, I was completely lost in my head. All the good and fun memories of yesterday washed over me and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but sometimes an image would pop into my head that made my heart race. Staring into Lucio's eyes during our picnic in the park and holding his hand outside the restaurant, hearing Amedeo's calming voice say how much I meant to him in a compassionate phone call, or Cosimo resting his hand on my head on the cable car, baring into my eyes. I didn't know what to think of all that. But for today, I'd try and put it all out of my mind. Even though my mind kept choosing to replay Lucio's face over and over again in my head. 

After finishing my coffee, I went back to the restaurant to work my 5-hour shift. It was nice to have work to distract me. I happily served customers their coffee and pastries, showed some early birds the lunch menu, and helped the occasional child pick out which gelato flavor they wanted by giving them free samples to try. My mom walked up behind me as I was making a cappuccino for an elderly man, who was sitting at the barstools in front of the counter. "Are you excited for your first rehearsal today?" She asked me while simultaneously cleaning a spot off the counter with a rag. I nodded, not being able to contain my smile. "I can't wait to sing and show them what I can do." My mom smiled. "It's what you've been working toward, piccolina. You should be excited."

She took the ready-made cappuccino from me and served the man, who tipped his hat in gratitude before sipping from the hot drink. "How do you feel about your duet with Lucio?" My smile was now accompanied by an increasing heartbeat. "I'm excited for that too. He's a really talented singer, and I'm looking forward to performing with him." My response sounded incredibly formal and neutral. What I really wanted to say was I'm afraid I may listen to his voice ad cry on stage when it's my turn to sing. 

My mom smiled. "He's lucky to be performing with you. I hope he knows that." I rolled my eyes, a smile still on my face. My mom was always the one to brag about me to others. I loved how proud she was of me. "He seems pretty happy about it. Today is the first day I'm going to get to hear him sing his part of the song. He wanted to surprise me." My mom let out an awww. "That's precious. I'm sure you two will sound great together." I thought for a moment before turning to look at her. I know I said I wasn't going to think about them for the rest of the day, but I really needed her opinion on this. "Mom, what do you think of them all? The boys?" 

She thought to herself for a moment before answering the question. "I haven't known them long, but them seem like nice and respectful young men." She smirked at me. "What really matters is what you think of them." As I should have known, she could see right through my act. I sighed, going back to cleaning the coffee machine. I guess she was right, though. I smacked myself in my head, resolving to focus solely on the rehearsal and the showcase for today. Aso, to not assume any of their feelings or emotions unless they were telling me plainly to my face. And maybe not even then. 

5 hours went by quicker than I thought, and soon it was time for me to be off for rehearsals. I hung up my apron on the rack behind the counter and grabbed my singing bag on the way out, remembering to also bring Cosimo's jacket to return. I haphazardly shoved it into my bag, making it puff out of the opening a bit. I gave my mom a quick hug and kiss before heading out the door. "A presto, mamma!" My mom smiled, waving to me as I walked out the door. "A presto!" I heard her say before the door shut behind me. I ventured out into the city, choosing to walk the way to the Solstice Theatre instead of taking the cable car. For reasons. 

I arrived at the theatre, and noticed I was feeling less intimidated and more comfortable walking into this theatre as the days passed. I walked into the auditorium and looked around for the three boys. As I approached the stage, I saw only one man sitting in their usual section. I cautiously walked up to the stranger, who turned around to look at me. It was Lucio. He smiled and stood up from his seat. "Ciao, Daniela." I shuffled into the seat next to him, both of us sitting down together. "Ciao, Lucio. Are you ready for our first rehearsal?" Lucio nodded, clenching his fists in excitement. "I stayed up all night practicing. I know, not a smart move on my part, but I couldn't help it. I was just too excited." I chuckled nervously. "No shame here, since I kind of did the same thing." We both laughed at our irresponsibility. He smiled at me. "I had a great time at the park yesterday." I smiled back. "I did too." He gulped and looked at me, his eyes eager. "If you want, maybe we can do it again someti-" 

Before he could finish his sentence, the doors to the theatre burst open with a loud bang. Amedeo and Cosimo came sprinting into the theatre, nearly falling into the two seats next to me. They gasped and huffed loudly, clearly out of breath. "I told you...that wasn't...a shortcut!" Amedeo yelled, taking breaths in between his words. Cosimo glared at him. "Well, you...were the one...who forgot...his sheet music at home...that we had to go back for!" He argued, also taking breaths in between his words. Amedeo frowned at him, but they stopped arguing. Probably to conserve their breath and energy. 

Lucio started laughing. "It's a wonder you two make it anywhere." I could tell Lucio was most likely the responsible, put-together one out of the group. Cosimo smirked. "Don't talk to me about being late, Mr. I-slept-through-my-own-recital." I couldn't help but gasp loudly, looking at Lucio in horror. He looked ashamed, hunching over and looking down at the floor. "That was one time." He quietly argued. We all just laughed. I rubbed Lucio's back softly. "It's okay, these things happen." Lucio looked at me gratefully, leaning in close and putting a hand on my leg. "Thanks, Daniela." It took a minute for me to notice Cosimo and Amedeo staring at us in confusion. 

Cosimo crossed his arms. "You two look awfully close." He said, a bit suspiciously. I stopped what I was doing and return my hand to my lap, Lucio doing the same. I turned to look at Cosimo and nervously smiled. "Ah, I was just trying to make him feel better." Lucio looked at Cosimo. "Yeah, we're just messing around." He defended me. Cosimo raised an eyebrow, but dropped the subject. He smiled. "I enjoyed our time on the cable car yesterday." The boys all stopped to look at him. "You rode the cable car together?" Amedeo asked him in a surprised manner. Cosimo looked like he had just won an award with the smug smile he had on his face. Amedeo turned to me. "Was that after or before you talked with me on the phone?" He said, loud enough for everyone to hear. Now it was his turn to be gawked at. "You called her?" Lucio asked. Amedeo nodded, looking at me. "We had the nicest conversation."  

I didn't know what was going on, but I was feeling a bit uncomfortable. It's like they were playing monkey in the middle and I was the monkey. Cosimo caught sight of his jacket that I had stuffed into my bag. He smiled. "Oh, you brought my jacket. Grazie." I snapped out of my daze and quickly fished it out of my bag, giving it to him. Lucio just stared at the transaction, Amedeo doing the same but with mouth agape. Cosimo smiled, holding my hand while I was trying to give him back the jacket, right in front of Amedeo. "Hope it kept you warm." I couldn't help but blush as he took the coat from my hands. Lucio and Amedeo both had confused looks on their faces, so I decided to speak up. "He gave it to me yesterday at the cable car because I was cold." Cosimo continued to smile triumphantly. 

Amedeo frowned a little bit. "Were Lucio and I the only ones who didn't get to do anything with you yesterday?" I didn't want to answer honestly in case they got upset, but I couldn't help looking at Lucio. He wasn't saying anything at first, but eventually he spoke up. "We had lunch together." He said it quickly, like he was ripping off a bandage. Suddenly, the coat was no longer the focus of the conversation. "Yesterday?" Cosimo asked, arching a brow. Amedeo looked at me. "I, uh, wished you would have invited the rest of us." Suddenly, the happy memories in the park with Lucio started to make me feel guilty. Should I have invited them? Lucio frowned, looking a bit upset. "It wasn't her fault. I was the one who asked her and I invited only her." Cosimo and Amedeo both looked a bit taken aback. "Are you trying to ditch us so you two can just be on your own without us?" Cosimo accused.

I looked at him, a look of bewilderment on my face. What had gotten into him? "It wasn't a big deal, Cosimo. It was just lunch, that's all." As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted saying them. Lucio had a hurt look on his face, but he seemed to recover quickly. "Yeah, it was just lunch. No big deal." Now I was wearing the look of hurt. But I lied, it was a big deal. It was special to me. I hoped Lucio was lying too, but a sick feeling in my stomach told me he wasn't. I looked down at my bag, my sheet music sticking out of it. I couldn't believe this was happening a minute before our first rehearsal. 

I looked to the stage to see the coordinator standing there, ready to begin the rehearsal. Once again, she was wearing a pantsuit, but this time it was black. "Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the first rehearsal for the Solstice Theatre Opera Showcase. I hope you all practiced your parts well, because you'll each be performing your pieces today. I'll be giving you critiques and comments at the end of your performance of what you can improve in." She looked at us, pushing up her glasses. "Please be courteous and respectful of your fellow performers while they sing for you by giving them your full attention. I'm sure we're all nervous and could use the support." She smiled. "With that said, let's begin." 

None out of our group was chosen to go first. A woman my age with straight, blonde hair started singing her piece, which was Glitter and Be Gay from Candide. She had a sweet and light voice. I was enjoying listening to her, when all of a sudden, Amedeo started whispering in my ear. "I was wondering if you'd like to go and do something later." I darted my eyes between him and the girl singing. Was he just saying this because of what happened with Lucio? "Ah, I have to see if I'm free. Sorry." I wanted to focus on the performance, but I also didn't want to be rude. Amedeo continued looking at me while next to him, Cosimo frowned. "Is this a secret meeting or is it open to me too?" Cosimo asked, a bit too loudly. Some people in the audience started to shush us. The second-hand embarrassment was too much. 

Amedeo glared at him. "I was hoping it could be just me and Daniela." I tried to pretend I wasn't there. Cosimo frowned. "Of course you would. Just like Lucio." He glared at his friend. Lucio glared back. "Hey, I wasn't the only one that invited her out that day." Lucio argued. More shushing. Cosimo leaned forward, trying to catch my attention. "In that case, let's go do something together tomorrow. Just the two of us." He said assertively. I started getting flustered with everyone coming at me all at once. "I-I don't know, I'll have to see." I stuttered, trying not to be too loud. Lucio looked at me, concerned. "You don't have to agree to anything you don't want to do." Cosimo and Amedeo glared at him. "It's just because you want her to yourself." Cosimo accused. Lucio frowned. "That's not it, Cosimo. She's not a plaything we share." Amedeo narrowed his eyes. "Why are you acting like we're doing a terrible thing, then?" Lucio looked at him. "What? I just have Daniela's best interests at heart." Cosimo laughed sarcastically. "Sure you do!" I finally broke my silence. "What is with you guys?" I yelled. 

"Excuse me!" We all stopped arguing and whipped our heads around to see the coordinator standing up from the table, facing the audience. She had stopped the girl from singing, who was awkwardly standing up there in silence. The coordinator had an angry look on her face. "If you cannot respect your fellow performer enough to stay quiet and listen to them, perhaps you shouldn't be here." It was like the air was sucked out of the room. My heart was going a million miles an hour. The boys and I sat there, mortified. "Am I going to have to separate you four like you're in high school or are you going to be quiet?" She asked, arms folded. We all shook our heads. "No, I'm so sorry. I lost my head. This won't happen again, believe me." Cosimo said. Amedeo nodded. "Very sorry to everyone." Lucio added. I gulped. "So sorry." I squeaked out.

The coordinator nodded. "Good. If I hear from any of you again, I will send you out to the hall." She turned back to the girl, motioning for her to start again. "Sorry about that, please go on." The piece started from where it was paused and she resumed singing. An air of silence filled our group before we all calmed down. After a while, Cosimo looked at Lucio, Amedeo, and I. "I'm sorry, guys." He whispered quietly. Amedeo looked back at Cosimo and then us. "No, I'm sorry. I was a jerk." He said. Lucio frowned. "I was way out line, I'm sorry guys." He whispered. I looked between them all. "I'm really sorry." They all shook their heads, Lucio putting a hand on my back, Amedeo holding my hand next to me. "We really overstepped; you have nothing to apologize for." Lucio said. We looked at each other, coming to a silent truce. We kept quiet, watching the rest of the performers rehearse. 

"Next, Amedeo di Luca." Amedeo stood up, walking up to the stage. He handed the sheet music to the accompanist and stood at the front of the stage. "How did your rehearsal go, Mr. di Luca?" He smiled. "I feel it went well. I'll try my best." She smiled. "That's what I like to hear. You can begin." The intro to Vesti la Giubba started to play and Amedeo began to sing. It was just as amazing as when I heard him in the practice room. The sadness and emotional energy of the piece really came out in his voice. He was a master at this song, just on the first day of rehearsal. He didn't look up from the floor until the very end of the piece. We all clapped for him, the coordinator included. "Very good, Mr. di Luca. Just a few comments." Amedeo stayed put, putting his hands in the pockets of his pants. 

"You're very expressive with the piece, and that's good. The sadness and the betrayal are really believable." She looked up at him. "But you've got to look at the audience more. No one's going to pay $500 a ticket just to see you looking down at the floor." Amedeo nodded solemnly. "If it's hard for you to look at bunch of unfamiliar faces, try to think of someone that you're singing to and pretend the audience is that person." I saw Amedeo smile. It looked like he had someone in mind. She continued. "Otherwise, that was very good. Make sure to keep up with the dynamics of the piece to make it even more interesting and remember to look at us. You're dismissed." Amedeo walked off the stage, coming back to us. The animosity that once washed over the group had disappeared. Now, we were all focused on building each other up. I liked it much better this way.       

"Awesome, Amedeo." Cosimo punched him lightly on the arm as he sat back down. Lucio nodded, giving him a high five. "That was great, amico." I smiled at Amedeo. "Really good, again." He smiled at us. "Thanks, guys." He looked at me. "And thanks." He thanked me separately, flashing that movie-star smile again. I smiled up at him. "Next, Cosimo Galli." Cosimo stood up. "Here we go again." He breathed out before hopping up to the stage, as personable as ever. "Okay Mr. Galli, whenever you're ready." He nodded to the accompanist and she began to play Per Te. 

He sounded just as good as ever. His voice was full of passion and warmth as he sang this beautiful love song. He especially excelled at the high notes of the piece, and was simply beautiful for the rest of the song. His expressions and body language while he sang contributed greatly to the feel of the song. I didn't seem like he had practiced this song only for a day, it was like he mastered this song over a lifetime. Soon the piece ended, Cosimo looking out at the audience with a smile. "Grazie." We all clapped for him, some girls cheering, as he stood there, awaiting his criticism. 

"Very nice, Mr. Galli. Just a few thoughts on your performance. Like Amedeo, you really did well with the emotion of the song. It's a love song, after all, and it sounds like you're singing to someone you love." Cosimo smiled. "Thank you." She held up a finger. "One thing, though. Try to reign in the passion you feel throughout the piece a bit so that you can really build it up at the end. You have plenty of passion, but if you're singing at the same level throughout the whole song, there's nothing special about it. So, ration out the passion. Got it?" Cosimo looked like he was processing all that she was saying, not taking any word of it for granted. "Got it." He repeated, with a bob of his head. "Great, you're dismissed."

Cosimo sat back down with us, blowing a sharp breath out of his mouth. We all congratulated him on a good performance. He chuckled a bit. "I have a bit too much passion, I guess." He leaned over to look at me. "See? Told you I could be too much." I remembered our conversation on the cable car. I smiled. "She knows what she's talking about. Somehow, I'm sure you'll sound even better." He smiled. "Let's hope so." The coordinator turned back to the audience. "Lucio Castelli?" Lucio stood up from his seat, politely asking to squeeze by me. "Second time's the charm." He said to us before walking up to the stage. 

"Alright, Mr. Castelli, you can start whenever you're ready." Nessun Dorma began to play and Lucio launched into the song. Once again, he was spellbinding. He mesmerized me with his voice, and I couldn't look away. I marveled at the control he had over his voice, varying with his dynamics throughout the piece, and making his vibrato sound even more full and rich. He would hold out long notes for over 10 seconds, acting like it was no big deal. It was seamless the way he sang. He made one of the hardest pieces of all opera look easy. He worked himself up as he approached the top note, standing up straighter. He swung open his arms as he hit that top note beautifully. My jaw dropped. I couldn't imagine giving him any kind of critique after that performance.    

He finished the song, taking a breath before speaking again. "Thank you very much." We all clapped loudly for him. He definitely deserved it. "That was wonderful, Mr. Castelli. You have such a strong voice and presence." The coordinator complimented. He looked quite flattered. She took off her glasses, studying him. "I really don't have anything to critique you on." Lucio looked like he had just won the lottery. Until she continued. "Except for one thing." We all zeroed in on her. She looked at Lucio with a smile. "What is something you want more than anything in the world?" Lucio glanced over at us, then put his head down. "To be an opera singer." She smiled. "Think of that when you're singing. During that last line, you're telling the audience how you will win. Think of what you want to win. That will help you add more emotion and believability into the piece." Lucio nodded, contemplating all she had said. "You can return to your seat." 

Lucio came back, sitting down in his seat next to me. We all congratulated him on his performance. "Nice, Lucio." Cosimo said. Amedeo nodded in agreement. Lucio smiled. "Thanks guys." I smiled. "You were amazing." Lucio turned to me, smiling. He leaned in closer and said, "That's not the only thing I want to win." I gave him a look of confusion, but Amedeo and Cosimo looked downright shocked. "Daniela Barrelli." I gulped. No time for another argument, because now it was my turn. I smiled at the boys before leaving. "Vai, Daniela!" Lucio whispered. I smiled and walked up to the stage, with my hands politely folded in front of me. The coordinator smiled. "Anytime you're ready, Ms. Barrelli." I gave my sheet music to the accompanist and listened as the intro to Caro Mio Ben played.

I made sure to pay careful attention to the technical aspects of the song, putting vibrato and the correct dynamics in all the right places. I made sure not to be too out there with my gestures and to keep my performance professional. I went back into my head, imagining me singing at La Scala, but a part of me wanted to look over at Amedeo, Cosimo, and Lucio. But I couldn't. They would just distract me. I kept singing my song, focusing on the back of the room for the whole thing. When I finished, everyone clapped (and whistled, thanks to Cosimo.) 

The coordinator smiled. "That was lovely." I stayed still, bracing for impact. She looked at me. "Are you human?" I stood there, confused. Was this a trick question? I nodded. "Yes." Her face lightened up. "Then don't sing like a robot." I felt a bit stung. "I'm sorry." I whispered. She laughed a bit. "It's nothing to apologize for." She stood up, coming closer to me. "This is a song about love. It's a very emotional song. So, I want you to sing it with emotion. Zero in on your audience and put yourself out there." She flailed her arms about. "I don't care if you look downright crazy with your gestures and acting. Let go of yourself! Feel something." She crossed her arms. "This isn't choir, this is an opera performance. You don't need to be so prim and proper." I understood what she was saying, and I appreciated the honesty. This is something I'd have to work hard on. "Other than that, you're prepared, your voice is beautiful, and you did great. But remember, when you practice, show the emotion. Be human." She smiled. "You can take your seat."

I stepped carefully off the stage, heading back to the boys. I felt a bit embarrassed at basically being called a robot. I sat down next to them and gave them an awkward smile. "Guess I'm not good at being human." I tried to make the air around us lighter. They all just looked at me with sympathy. When Cosimo and Amedeo weren't looking, Lucio reached over and touched my hand gently. "You sounded beautiful." Leave it to him to try and make me feel better. I smiled. "Thanks, Lucio." I squeezed his hand back.  

The rest of the performers rehearsed, all receiving some type of feedback from the coordinator; add more dynamics, don't walk around the stage so much, don't force the vibrato, etc. Finally, it was that time. "Will our first ever duet performers please come to the stage, Daniela and Lucio?" We looked at each other with big grins, then walked up to the stage. We tried to hand both our sheet music packets to the accompanist like idiots, but she just took the one from Lucio and told me to keep mine. Lucio and I walked to the front of the stage, standing there a bit awkwardly. It was the first time we were going to sing together, ever. I didn't know if I was ready. 

"Alright you guys, anytime you're ready." The coordinator said, looking at some information on her clipboard. Lucio looked at me as if to ask are you ready? I looked at him, nodding. He nodded back, then gestured to the accompanist to begin. The intro to Vivo Per Lei started, and already I was feeling nervous. Was I going to sound good? Was he going to like singing with me? Was he going to fluster me with his voice? Before I could worry anymore, we began. 

Lucio looked out at the audience, singing the first line. It's a wonder I didn't gasp out loud. He sounded downright amazing. His voice suited the song so well. He sounded so strong and beautiful. I almost missed my cue marveling at his talent. I took a breath and started to sing my part, a bit light at first, but gradually strengthened it. I could tell Lucio was looking at me as I sang, so I focused my attention out to some of the empty seats in the theatre. We took turns singing our respective lines until we got to the chorus. I started feeling more and more comfortable with the song, despite performing next to someone with so much talent. I couldn't help but stare at Lucio while he was singing on his own, and I noticed he would stare at me when I was singing alone. We finished on one, sustained note. Once we were done, we looked at each other for the first time since our duet began. 

Everyone clapped loudly for us, and we smiled brightly, receiving the applause. "That was wonderful, you two. I knew your voices were going to be perfect together, and I was right." The coordinator commented. I felt my cheeks heating up. "Thank you." Both Lucio and I responded. The coordinator looked like she was deep in thought. Suddenly, she stood up and walked up to the stage, facing the both of us. "Did you two realize that you didn't look at each other once during the whole song?" I felt the familiar sting of her criticism. It would've been better for the performance to look at him, but I couldn't. I was just so nervous. I didn't want to look at him, get flustered, and then forget all the words or something. Lucio looked just as embarrassed as I did. 

She smiled. "I know you're both young and attractive and probably have feel awkward singing this together, but you've got to forget all that when it comes time for the performance." She smirked. "I know you're both Italian, so you can tell me. What does Vivo Per Lei mean?" Lucio decided to be brave and volunteer the answer. "I live for her." He said it in a way that made my heart skip a beat. The coordinator nodded. "Right. So, once again, a love song. But this time, you have someone to sing to." She made Lucio and I face each other and step closer to one another. "Acting is just as important as singing in this case. You two need to act like you're in love." The very thought of that made my heart race. Or maybe soar.

"Do whatever it is you need to do. Spend time together practicing, watch romance movies, or pretend the other person is someone you like. Anything so that you two can at least look at each other when you're singing about how you live for one another." I blushed at everything she was saying. Lucio looked a bit flustered too. She looked between us and smiled. "Other than that, you did great. Keep practicing, practice together, and remember what the song is about." Lucio and I smiled at her before walking off stage and back to our seats. "So, we need to pretend to be in love." I blurted out. Lucio smiled, looking over at me. "Shouldn't be too hard." My eyes went wide. What did he mean by that? 

The coordinator walked to the center of the stage where Lucio and I were previously standing. "This was a great first rehearsal, everyone. You all did very good. Remember to practice and I will see you next week." We all clapped as she walked off the stage and stood from our seats, gathering our belongings. I grabbed my bag and walked out of the theatre with the boys. Once we were all outside, Lucio approached me. "You sang beautifully today, Daniela." I smiled. "Apparently, like a beautiful, not-in-love, robot." He laughed. "And I guess I sang like a not-in-love loser." We both laughed. "No, you sang great today too." I complimented. He smiled at me warmly. Amedeo and Cosimo were both looking at us, impatient looks on their faces. I recognized those looks from earlier today.

Lucio gasped. "I had a brilliant idea. What if we perform Vivo Per Lei in that one opera coffee shop in Little Italy? It would be great practice for the showcase." I gasped. "That's an amazing idea! We have to do that." Lucio giggled. "When are you free?" I smiled. "I can be free as soon as tonight." Just as Lucio was about to respond, we heard someone clearing their throat. I turned to see Cosimo standing there, an annoyed look on his face. "Tonight's no good, Lucio. Remember? We have that thing." He glanced at me, then looked back to Lucio. "Just us." Ouch. Lucio raised a brow. "What thing?" Cosimo scoffed. "Guess you forgot. We've been planning this for weeks. Right, Amedeo?" Amedeo stayed silent at first, then spoke up. "Yeah, we should really do that tonight." He argued. 

Lucio sighed, turning back to me. "I guess we'll have to do it some other time." I smiled. "Don't worry about it. We'll have plenty of time to practice. The showcase isn't until the end of the month." I told him. Even though I was smiling, I was masking disappointment. I think Lucio could tell. I looked behind him at Amedeo and Cosimo, waving to them. "Bye guys." I looked back at Lucio and sighed. "I guess I'll see you sometime?" He smiled sympathetically at me. He reached over and squeezed my hand again. "I'll call you." We stayed put for a moment before the guys came up behind him, putting an arm around him to take him away. "Come on, we don't want to be late." They turned to leave, all smiling at me. "Ciao." Lucio said. I smiled back and walked off in the other direction. 

I sighed. What an odd day it was. The way the boys were acting during rehearsal was just not like them. They were usually so sweet and friendly. We would all be good friends together. But today was different. They seemed so weird, almost like they were jealous of the time they had spent with me, especially with me and Lucio. But what could they possibly be jealous of? Before I could make any guesses, I looked down at my phone. I still had half an hour before my afternoon shift at the restaurant. I decided to head to the park to work on my song. 

For the rest of the day, I was only thinking about two things; why the boys were acting so weird...

And what it would feel like to be in love with Lucio for real.