C6 Chapter 5 - Valentina

In hindsight, thinking that I could get ready in two hours including distractions was a mistake.

Vinnie Barone: just left ours, be there in 10

Great.

The Barone family has been vacationing in Capo d’Orlando before we started going there, and even though they’re Sicilian, the kids go to the same boarding school in New York as my brother and I. I don’t know what the parents do exactly, but their mother used to be a model and their father works in construction.

They have three children: Vinnie, who’s 20 (one year older than I am); a very charming guy I’ve known since I was young and on vacation. Then, when I switched to a private boarding school in New York, I was surprised to see him in the year above me. I’ve always considered him good looking, because he has a head full of curly hair that he likes pulling up in a man bun sometimes, which always gives off daddy vibes. He also dresses casually, unlike most of the guys I know who are always trying to show off.

Eddie, who’s three years older than me, just finished at Hamilton and has also always kind of been around. Then there’s Pia, Vinnie’s twin sister, who I’ve also known for years, but for some reason never really interacted with me. Vinnie always tells me that she just has one of those natural resting bitch faces (like I do but apparently never notice nor intend to).

After I’m done doing my makeup, I slip into a comfortable floor-length red satin dress and begin the staring contest with my shoe rack. I cannot be bothered with heels, and sneakers would be way too warm. I opt for a pair of white ankle-high white and gold Greek sandals to watch my white pedicure.

Valentina: be at mine in max five!!

Raisa: on the way

My phone ends up in the first white shoulder bag I can find, alongside my house keys, credit card and license, perfume, and lip gloss. I make one more stop in front of the mirror. The powerful energy coming from red is staring back at me. For some reason, wearing anything red makes the back of my mind stronger and gives me more confidence in anything I do.

My family is gathered in the kitchen when I emerge downstairs, looking sun kissed and content. And here I am, looking like I want to get over my ex with the first Italian guy I see. Which isn’t that far from the truth anyway.

“Where are you going?” my mother asks from her seat by the bar, rolling in the hair chair to face me.

My dad looks at me over her shoulder. They are wine tasting and are probably already tipsy. He frowns. “To impress boys, I see.”

“I’m just going out with Raisa and the Barone boys, to Taormina. I told you already.” I say, trying to get out of it as fast as I can so I don’t keep the boys waiting for me.

I walk over to the bar, barely noticing my brother by the kitchen counter texting away on his phone.

“Oooh, look who’s here.” I mock as I pass him.

“Where are you going exactly?” he snaps back, finally looking up from his phone. “Where is this party?”

The truth is, I don’t know. All I know is that I need to be entertained and feel like I’m doing something exciting, otherwise I’ll rot in my bedroom upstairs. And of course, Adrik knows too. Somehow. He’s trying to be a smartass in front of my parents.

I sit down next to my mother by the bar. “I told you, it’s in Taormina. It’s a friend’s of Vinnie and Eddie’s.” I explain, even though I have no idea whether that’s true. It probably is.

“And you go dressed like that?” Adrik continues.

“What’s your problem with my look?” I ask, slightly getting offended.

“Nothing. You’re a walking red flag.” He says and I look at my mom, as if I were expecting for her to say something. She shrugs, not wanting to get involved.

“How so?”

“Everybody knows a white pedicure is a red flag. Plus, you’re literally in a red dress.” I look down at myself. I like what I see. It’s time to turn the spotlight back onto him.

“Where have you been hm?” I retort as I reach for my mother’s glass. She looks at me disapprovingly as I take a sip.

“At the beach.”

“You’ve been going quite often to the beach recently. Even though we have one in the backyard.” I say, pointing behind me.

“Mooom.” He says, apparently not being able to handle it anymore.

“Kyril.” My mother says, turning to her husband.

“Valentina.”

I roll my eyes. Of course, I’m the problem.

“I need to go.” I say, getting up from the chair and looking at my dad. “Can you please send me some money so I can…” take shots? Do coke? Order random shit online? “…have money?”

“Oh, yes, I forgot.”

I kiss both my parents on the cheek before I pass by my brother, trying to kiss him on my way out as well. He struggles but I manage to grab his chin and kiss him on the cheek with a loud noise. I suddenly feel a rush of adrenaline in my body, excited about having something to do after five days of plain nothing.

“Buona notte, familia!” I exclaim, grabbing one of my jackets from the downstairs dressing room on my way out.

There’s a black minivan with tinted windows outside our gate, and I run down the driveway, as if an extra ten seconds would make the difference. I quickly spray a bit of perfume on myself as I go, hoping no one is turned around to watch me do that.

“Sorry if I made you wait.” I say when the driver opens the door and I climb in.

The two rows of seats are placed facing each other, so I take my place next to Raisa, right across from Vinnie, who’s between his siblings. I haven’t seen them in about a month since we went out in Catana last time.

“It’s fine, we didn’t wait long.” Vinnie says, and I smile.

Vinnie has such a good vibe; I like hanging out with him. He's one of those people you just instantly get along with and could talk about everything forever because he’s interesting and smart.

One time I described him to Raisa, and she asked whether I’m in love with him. I was startled by the question but also confused as to why I had to think about the answer.

Long story short, summer ended and then we went back to New York and he started college. Vinnie returned to being on again off again with his girlfriend of nearly four years at the time, I returned to looking for a friends with benefits type of thing and running when things were starting to get serious, and then…fast forward to this summer, where we’ve only seen each other once up until now.

Even though we have some mutual courses we both attend, we don’t really run into each other that much, mainly because we have two different friend groups. He usually hangs out with the people a year above us, while my close friend group consists of Raisa, Aleks, and my two friends I made in New York, Isabella and Luis. Isabella is also Italian, but she was in Spain the last time I checked.

“Where are we going exactly?” I ask as soon as the car starts moving and the silence gets a bit too loud.

I usually have no problem talking to the Barone brothers, but having Pia here with them, being unsocial by just staring at her phone, somehow makes me feel uneasy.

“A family friend of ours has a vacation home in Taormina. They’re out so we’re hosting a party with everyone who could attend on short notice.” He explains. “A lot of people from school will come.”

“How many people?” Pia asks, not looking up from her phone.

“About sixty.”

The car stops like it’s already reached its destination. When I look out the window, I realize it’s a small airstrip.

“We’re going with the small plane, it’s only thirty minutes that way.”

Going to a party and arriving at…seven??? What is this.

The driver opens the door and we make our way out of the car and onto the plane, greeting the staff by the door.

“I didn’t know they had these in this town.” I say, looking at the small building by the air strip.

“My father uses it for business purposes, and I can borrow it when I want to.” He says, smiling. He’s got a dimple in his left cheek, which makes him even more ugh.

We each take a shot and drink a mix once we’re up in the air, and by the time we’re landing it’s already 6:45pm and the sun is starting to set.

There’s another van there to take us to the location, this time both seat benches facing forwards, thank God. The house is located at the top of a hill, with a beautiful view of the sea and the beaches below.

There are about a dozen cars parked in the driveway already, and there’s flashing lights coming from a room on the second floor. I recognize a few cars from our college parking lot, so I know I’m about to see some people I know in a place I never expected them to be.

I don’t ask who lives here exactly, but it smells like a trust fund baby party. Those are the best. A bunch of kids born into old money who live their lives the way they see fit only for most of them to become depressed around 25 if they haven’t found a thing to be passionate about. I’ve seen it.

People my age having basically unlimited money to spend and not realizing they’re destroying themselves with their coke habits and need to always be chasing…something. Not being able to see that they’ve passed a certain invisible line when it comes to losing control of your life just because you want to feel something that doesn’t feel…meh.

And every time I’m bored, I’m terrified of the thought of becoming depressed because I’m bored. I mean, I was bored today.

The house is beautiful, just like all the other houses I’ve seen in Italy so far. Compared to America or Russia, Italy is definitely a whole other vibe when it comes to how being here feels. It’s like every one of these places has a certain feel, and I can’t tell which one I like more. Or which place feels more like home.

The house is open space and the fact that it overlooks the sea with floor-to-ceiling windows makes it seem even bigger than it is.

“Where is everyone?” Raisa asks as we follow Vinnie through a hallway just off the main entrance.

“By the pool.” He answers before he opens a door that leads us back outside. This is a pool party?? I didn’t bring my bathing suit :(((

“I don’t have my bathing suit.” Raisa whispers to me as we walk down the steps which lead to the pool area.

The pool has a perfect view of the sea below and I didn’t have a fear of heights. I would try to climb on top of the rock wall, which is the closest point overlooking the cliffs in this whole estate. Also, the closest you can get to falling off and plunging to your death.

Raisa looks at me, still waiting for me to react to what she just said.

“Me neither.” I tell her.

There’s a bar by the pool where some people are huddled together, taking shots. I recognize some girls from our college in the pool, as well as some other people chilling on the canopy beds.

“I smell weed.” I say to Raisa as soon as we come to a halt by the pool bar. Pia disappeared a few minutes ago and Eddie wandered off to greet some of his friends, so it’s just the three of us now, and I feel much more comfortable.

“What do you want to drink?” Vinnie asks me, going behind the bar to the bottles. “Gin Tonic.” Raisa and I both answer at the same time, taking a seat on the highchairs.

Vinnie starts mixing the drinks while Raisa and I take a moment to analyze everyone here. I recognize Marco Giudice, another one of the Italian boys in our year, talking to his little sister Aurora while smoking a joint.

I smile. Of course he is.