[color=gray][color=#8bccc5]▔[/color][color=#8fccc1]▔[/color][color=#94cbbd]▔[/color][color=#98cbb9]▔[/color][color=#9ccab6]▔[/color][color=#a1cab2]▔[/color][color=#a5c9ae]▔[/color][color=#a9c9aa]▔[/color][color=#aec8a6]▔[/color][color=#b2c8a2]▔[/color][color=#b6c79e]▔[/color][color=#bbc79a]▔[/color][color=#bfc697]▔[/color][color=#c3c693]▔[/color][color=#c8c58f]▔[/color][color=#ccc58b]▔[/color][color=#cfc992]▔[/color][color=#d2cc9a]▔[/color][color=#d6d0a1]▔[/color][color=#d9d4a8]▔[/color][color=#dcd7af]▔[/color][color=#dfdbb7]▔[/color][color=#e2debe]▔[/color][color=#e6e2c5]▔[/color][color=#e9e6cc]▔[/color][color=#ece9d4]▔[/color][color=#efeddb]▔[/color][color=#f2f1e2]▔[/color][color=#f5f4e9]▔[/color][color=#f9f8f1]▔[/color][color=#fcfbf8]▔[/color][color=#ffffff]▔[/color][color=#fcfbf7]▔[/color][color=#f8f7f0]▔[/color][color=#f5f3e8]▔[/color][color=#f1f0e0]▔[/color][color=#eeecd8]▔[/color][color=#ebe8d1]▔[/color][color=#e7e4c9]▔[/color][color=#e4e0c1]▔[/color][color=#e0dcb9]▔[/color][color=#ddd8b2]▔[/color][color=#dad4aa]▔[/color][color=#d6d1a2]▔[/color][color=#d3cd9a]▔[/color][color=#cfc993]▔[/color][color=#ccc58b]▔[/color][color=#c8c58f]▔[/color][color=#c3c693]▔[/color][color=#bfc697]▔[/color][color=#bbc79a]▔[/color][color=#b6c79e]▔[/color][color=#b2c8a2]▔[/color][color=#aec8a6]▔[/color][color=#a9c9aa]▔[/color][color=#a5c9ae]▔[/color][color=#a1cab2]▔[/color][color=#9ccab6]▔[/color][color=#98cbb9]▔[/color][color=#94cbbd]▔[/color][color=#8fccc1]▔[/color][color=#8bccc5]▔[/color][indent][indent][color=#8BCCC5][sup]𝑺 𝑨 𝑳 𝑬 𝑴    𝑹 𝑰 𝑽 𝑬 𝑹 𝑨[/sup][/color][/indent][/indent][color=#8bccc5]▔[/color][color=#8fccc1]▔[/color][color=#94cbbd]▔[/color][color=#98cbb9]▔[/color][color=#9ccab6]▔[/color][color=#a1cab2]▔[/color][color=#a5c9ae]▔[/color][color=#a9c9aa]▔[/color][color=#aec8a6]▔[/color][color=#b2c8a2]▔[/color][color=#b6c79e]▔[/color][color=#bbc79a]▔[/color][color=#bfc697]▔[/color][color=#c3c693]▔[/color][color=#c8c58f]▔[/color][color=#ccc58b]▔[/color][color=#cfc992]▔[/color][color=#d2cc9a]▔[/color][color=#d6d0a1]▔[/color][color=#d9d4a8]▔[/color][color=#dcd7af]▔[/color][color=#dfdbb7]▔[/color][color=#e2debe]▔[/color][color=#e6e2c5]▔[/color][color=#e9e6cc]▔[/color][color=#ece9d4]▔[/color][color=#efeddb]▔[/color][color=#f2f1e2]▔[/color][color=#f5f4e9]▔[/color][color=#f9f8f1]▔[/color][color=#fcfbf8]▔[/color][color=#ffffff]▔[/color][color=#fcfbf7]▔[/color][color=#f8f7f0]▔[/color][color=#f5f3e8]▔[/color][color=#f1f0e0]▔[/color][color=#eeecd8]▔[/color][color=#ebe8d1]▔[/color][color=#e7e4c9]▔[/color][color=#e4e0c1]▔[/color][color=#e0dcb9]▔[/color][color=#ddd8b2]▔[/color][color=#dad4aa]▔[/color][color=#d6d1a2]▔[/color][color=#d3cd9a]▔[/color][color=#cfc993]▔[/color][color=#ccc58b]▔[/color][color=#c8c58f]▔[/color][color=#c3c693]▔[/color][color=#bfc697]▔[/color][color=#bbc79a]▔[/color][color=#b6c79e]▔[/color][color=#b2c8a2]▔[/color][color=#aec8a6]▔[/color][color=#a9c9aa]▔[/color][color=#a5c9ae]▔[/color][color=#a1cab2]▔[/color][color=#9ccab6]▔[/color][color=#98cbb9]▔[/color][color=#94cbbd]▔[/color][color=#8fccc1]▔[/color][color=#8bccc5]▔[/color]

[indent]In total hindsight, Salem should have realized how inconvenient it would be to find a quiet, solitary corner to take his phone call in. He had to scope the perimeter more than once, and when he finally decided to take the call in the bathroom (hoping that no teens have gotten too horny yet), his phone had six missed calls.

There were a couple of guys in the bathroom, but he managed to lure them out by telling them someone spiked the punch – whether that was a lie or not was still up for discussion. After they left, he nudged the door closed and slouched against one of the sinks.

By the time he settled into the bathroom, the sixth call had turned into the seventh. Salem’s hands were clammy and shaky when he pressed the call back button. Getting frequent calls like this should be more worrying than it is; for anyone else, it could be important, but knowing who was on the other end? Salem knew it was probably something trivial, but attention-demanding nonetheless.

The first ring didn’t even go through before the other line picked up.

[b][color=#c8a2c8]“[i]Dimmi![/i]”[/color][/b]

Salem’s designer shoe slapped against the bathroom tile and his hand unconsciously came to run through his hair at the sound of the other’s voice.

[b][color=8BCCC5]“[i]Ciao,[/i]”[/color][/b] Salem sighed, his shoulders sagging in exasperation at the obvious cheer in the other’s voice, [b][color=8BCCC5]“[i]Babbo[/i]. Is there a reason you called me?”[/color][/b]

[b][color=#c8a2c8]“What!”[/color][/b] Salem’s dad laughed, his voice slightly slurred with wine, [b][color=#c8a2c8]“Am I not allowed to call my favorite son?”[/color][/b]

Salem wanted to reply with ‘I’m your only son’ but then again, it was a very real possibility that he’s not the only Rivera blood out there. [b][color=8BCCC5]“I’m busy right now, [i]Babbo[/i]. Can we call another time?”[/color][/b]

He was already taking the phone away from his ear, his finger hovering over the red ‘end’ button – 

[b][color=#c8a2c8]“Ah, ah, [i]non essere così frettoloso.[/i]”[/color][/b] Salem groaned knowing he wasn’t going to get rid of his father any time soon. [b][color=#c8a2c8]“I have come to tell you about [i]mi bambino[/i].”[/color][/b]

[b][color=8BCCC5]“No, [i]babbo[/i], that’s really not necessary right now. I’m in the middle of somethi – ”[/color][/b]

[b][color=#c8a2c8]“[i]Ciccino, raduno prossimo mio figlio.[/i]”[/color][/b]

[b][color=8BCCC5]“[i]Babbo![/i]”[/color][/b]

Salem was really starting to get irritated – it was like the worst rollercoaster ever. He was at a rush with the highest point being with Marisol and then this call from his father being a crash back to the world. The last thing Sal wanted was to listen to his father ramble about his latest flavor of the month when he could be spending time with Marisol and any other friends they ran into. Not [i]here[/i], listening to [i]this[/i].

[b][color=white]“Oh, Matteo, is this your [i]bellissimo figlio[/i] on the phone! Give it here, lemme talk to him.”[/color][/b] His dad’s new girlfriend’s voice was thicker and huskier than the last and it only served to annoy Salem with the likeness of it to his mom’s.

[b][color=8BCCC5]“[i]Babbo![/i] I don’t have time for this, I’m at homecoming!”[/color][/b] Salem gritted out, his jaw clicking with the pressure of his muscles.

[b][color=#c8a2c8]“Oh, homecoming?”[/color][/b] There was a gasp and a squeal, the last one belonging to his father naturally. [b][color=#c8a2c8]“You are at homecoming? Tell Gwendolyn I said hello! But wait, you went all the way back to the City for homecoming? Woah, you are a romantic just like your [i]babbo[/i]!”[/color][/b]

[b][color=8BCCC5]“No, I’m not in New York.”[/color][/b]

His father kept prattling on though, and kept doing so no matter how much Salem attempted to interrupt. His girlfriend (Angelica, he found out through the sickening love talk on the other end) chimed in with husky sweet talk and over romanticized advice. It was suffocating, almost, in the way their voices chorused over his and it felt like he was a kid again being left at an airport for his ma to come pick him up a few hours too early. No matter how many times he called [i]babbo[/i] his father didn’t tune back into the conversation or come pick him up from the hotel he was trapped in, in Italy for a father-son vacation.

[b][color=#c8a2c8]“Ah, did you bring sweet Gwendolyn a pretty rose for such a pretty, pretty girl? Eh, tonight do not forget to use protection like your old ma – ”[/color][/b]

[b][color=8BCCC5]“[i]Babbo![/i] I’m not with Gwen, I’m with someone else!”[/color][/b]

[b][color=#c8a2c8]“Oh, dating another girl? Just like your old ma – ”[/color][/b]

[b][color=8BCCC5]“For fuck’s sakes, I’m not with another girl. Maybe if you gave a single fuck about what I did with my goddamn – Jesus fucking – just – god, never mind. I’m hanging up. Don’t call again.”[/color][/b]

Salem expected the blow up to be bigger when he daydreamed about it – thought of all the truths he would be dropping, how he’d leave his dad speechless and begging for his forgiveness. Instead, glaring down at his phone, he just sees a pathetic text message saying ‘mi dispiace’ and an emoji of all things.

Setting his phone on silent, Salem left the bathroom and went to find Marisol – and hopefully get some more of her booze.[/indent][/color]