Luca by Bald K

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Luca was a shy fifteen-year-old student with shoulder length light brown hair tied back in a small ponytail who attended the local academy studying for his GSCE exams. Luca did not mix with many other students preferring to mainly keep to himself. One of Luca’s small circle of friends was a boy called Leroy who was a black friend whose family came over to England from Jamaica in the early 1970’s. Luca whose family originated from Italy and fled over to England to escape persecution from Mussolini in the second world war felt most comfortable when he was with Leroy for some reason and would hang about with him occasionally after school finished. Luca was not one for physical exercise and was not well, muscled often found himself being bullied by a small group of young men with close cropped hair often being forced to hand over protection money or face the consequences which would often end up with Luca being kicked and punched. Leroy on the other hand was a regular at a local boxing club and often urged Luca to join him only for Luca to politely refuse his offer..

"Man, you got to come with me and learn to defend yourself," Leroy said to Luca after one severe beating when Luca refused to hand over some money. "Come with me after school and meet my uncle Denzil who will get you to build some muscle to defend yourself.
"I guess you are right," Luca sighed as he got up off the floor. "I cannot keep making excuses to get money off my parents."
"Gotta do something with your hair as well man." Leroy told Luca. "You got to trust me with that."
"Maybe," Luca replied as he pulled his hair back and put the hair and back in place.
"Dude meet me at six tonight, no ifs or buts got that?" Leroy told Luca. You got to get some muscle and learn to protect yourself."
Luca reluctantly agreed to meet Leroy at six that evening before setting off to his maths lesson.

Luca arrived at the boxing club where Leroy had told him to meet him to see Leroy waiting for him.
"Dude come on in, Denzil is expecting you," Leroy said as he opened the door and Luca walked in. "Denzil this is my main man, Luca who needs toughening up," Leroy said to Denzil.
"See what you mean," Denzil said as he checked Luca over. "Go get changed and I will start working on you." Denzil told Luca.
Luca walked into the changing room and changed int a white sleeveless top and shorts before walking out and went over to Denzil who was standing next to a punchbag with some boxing gloves in his hand.
"Let’s see you in action, hit that bag as if you are hitting somebody you hate," Denzil told Lucas he secured the gloves on Luca’s hands.
"Harder man, you are hitting it like you could not punch your way out of a paper bag," Denzil said as he watched Luca feebly attempt to hit the punchbag hard.
"Dude hit it as if it was Ethan one that has it in for you," Leroy told Luca.
"That’s more like it, come on harder man, harder," Denzil told Luca.
After about fifteen minutes Denzil removed the boxing gloves and took Luca over to the free-weights section and selected some weights and put Luca through his paces.
"You on Easter break after this week?" Denzil asked Leroy.
"Two weeks off school," Leroy replied.
"I want to see you every day down here punching that bag and upping your weights," Denzil told Luca. "No ifs or buts, everyday got that?"
"Yes sir," Luca replied.
"Good boy, soon have you in the ring doing some sparring with my boy," Denzil told Luca. "Do something with his hair as well," Denzil told Leroy.
"Will do," Leroy replied. "Will sort that out real soon."

"Fancy hanging a bit longer with some of my dudes?" Leroy asked Luca as they walked out of the boxing club. "Come and chill out."
"May as well," Luca replied as he followed Leroy to a disused. Office block and followed him in.
"Dudes meet Luca, he is going to be hanging with us for a while," Leroy said to a group of young men.
"Good to meet you a young white man with braided hair said. "I am Mikey."
"Nice to meet you," Luca said to Mikey.
"Want to smoke some weed?" A young man asked Luca as he handed Luca a joint.
For some reason Luca accepted the joint as he did not want to offend any of the young men who were also chilling smoking weed. Luca noticed another young white man sitting on a chair with a young women braiding the hair on top of his head.
"You next man?" A young black man asked Luca. "Get Den to do you some braids?"
"Don’t think so," Luca replied as he watched Den shave the back and sides of the young man’s head leaving the braids on top.
Luca felt more relaxed as he smoked the weed and chilled before he left with Leroy and made his way home.
"Dude the office is always there if you need to get away and chill," Leroy told Luca. "See you for the last day of school before the Easter break."
"Get me away from the olds," Luca grinned. "See you in the morning."

Over the Easter school break Luca spent most of his time at the boxing club and the disused office block where he would sleep after reassuring his parents that he was safe and just staying with a friends. In reality Luca was getting to know the young men and women who frequented the building listening to how they had got to know Leroy and how the boxing club had helped build their confidence up. Luca also got to know the reggae culture that most of the young men had been drawn into and started to listen to the music and learnt the roots of reggae through Leroy. Luca became good friends with a white man called William and found out how he often used the office as an escape from his dominating father, and it was the ideal place to skip school. Luca admitted to William how he hated school and wished he could bunk off and chill with William. After one session of intense weights at the boxing club, Luca found himself making his way back to the office block and walked in and made his way up to the second floor where the gang congregated to see William having his braids being freshened up by Den.
"Dude, you got to get your hair done," William said as he saw Luca. "Become a proper one of us like I am doing getting my braids redone."
Luca said nothing as he got a can of lager out of the fridge and flopped down on a sofa and opened the lager before taking a large mouthful of the lager.
"Go on dude, go get your hair done," William said to Luca as he sat down next to him. "You can always take the braids out if you don’t like them."
Luca looked at William with his freshly braided hair and thought how good William looked with his freshly redone braided hair. Taking another swig of his lager, Luca got up off the sofa and walked over to where Den was standing and sat down on the chair.
"Finally submitting to me then just as William has," Den smiled as she took the band off Luca’s hair and ran a brush through it. "You will thank me for doing this."
Den started to section Luca’s hair and started to pull the hair taut but not too tight and started to braid Luca’s hair into cornrow braids.
"Going for it then," Mikey said as he walked in and got a can of lager out of the fridge.
"Looking good there bro," William reassured Luca. "You are going to rock the braids."
"As you say if I don’t like it I can take the braids out," Luca grinned.
"Trust me you will not be wanting to take the braids out," Mikey told Luca.
With each cornrow Den expertly pulled Luca’s hair just taut enough to ensure the design was going to be spotless and precise in the rows of braided hair. Luca for some reason found the gentle tug on his scalp oddly soothing as he surrendered his hair to Den’s expert braiding of the cornrows. As Den continued the process Luca smelt the slight scent of coconut oil as Den worked applying the oils to tame the stray hairs on Luca’s head whilst ensuring the oils gave the braids a polished finished.
From time-to-time Den would pause doing the braids to assess her progress, tilting Luca’s head, and squinting slightly as Den was a perfectionist and was unwilling to let even the smallest imperfection ruin the braids.
"You really have a great head of hair for these braids," Den would softly say to put Luca at ease as she resumed the braiding.
The braids glimmered under the light; the pattern of the braids that Den was working on and were taking shape like a woven art on Luca’s head.
Eventually Den finished and Luca’s straight light brown hair had been transformed into rows of sleek uniform rows of braids. Den leaned back with a satisfied smile as she brushed the palms of her hands together.
"Look at you, you are now one of us," Den said as she handed Luca a mirror so he could see his freshly braided hair.
"Holy f*** I look so f***ing different with the braids," Luca said as he ran his fingers lightly over the sleek cornrows that Den had created on his head. "You have helped me connect with you, made me more confident in what I want out of my life with the music and camaraderie of you my new mates."
"Told you that you rock the braids," William told Luca as he handed Luca a can of lager.
Luca smiled as he looked again in the mirror at his glistening braids before he handed Den the mirror.
"You know what would finish the look man," William grinned as he pointed at the small silver hoop in his left ear. "You need to get the full look, get the ear pierced just something to finish the vibe."
"Are you for real? Get my ear done to get the full-on look?" Luca said to William.
"Dead serious," William replied with a grin on his face, and he stretched his arms behind his head. "Trust me it will make you feel like you belong here. Just like you will be one of us."
"We will come with you," Mikey said to Luca. "William is right the earring will complete the look."
"Alright, I will do it," Luca replied as he shook his head, and a slight smile came on his face. "But if it goes wrong I am blaming the pair of you."
"That’s the spirit," William said as he clapped his hands together. "Come on let’s get to the studio, I promise you will thank me later," William reassured Luca as he motioned for Luca to follow him.
The piercing and tattoo studio was only a short distance away from the office block, tucked away down a side street with a neon sign advertising the fact it was a piercing and tattoo studio and that walk ins were welcome. Walking inside Luca saw an array of tattoo designs done by the artists that worked there that realistic animal tattoo designs along with tribals and other designs along with a cabinet of various size rings and bars for piercings. Luca could hear the sounds of tattoo guns at work as he walked over to the counter with Mikey and William.
"My dude here wants a piercing, something simple but at the same time badass like my silver ring," William told the man behind the counter.
"No problem," the man replied as he walked out from behind the counter. "Are you ready for this?" The man asked Luca.
Hesitating for a few seconds before nodding at the man. "As ready as I will ever be I guess," Luca replied nervously.
"A small silver hoop like your badass mate then?" The man said to Luca as they walked into a small room. "Take a seat and I will go and get the ring."
Luca paused before settling in the chair as the man walked back in carrying a small tray and setting it down on a workbench. Luca looked at the tray where he saw the small silver hoop that was sealed in a small bag along with the piercing needle and some antiseptic wipes.
"You will feel the needle as I push it through your earlobe and then you will feel me thread the silver hoop into your ear," the man told Luca. "Are you ready for this?"
"Yes I am," Luca replied as he relaxed back in the chair. "Let’s get it done."
Mikey and William stood just inside the room with a smile on their faces as the man sterilised the ear lobe before marking out where the piercing would be placed.
"Doing great dude," William told Luca. "Don’t back out now."
"I won’t," Luca replied as he saw the man take the piercing needle out of the protective wrapper. "Do it mate," Luca told the man.
Luca flinched slightly as he felt the needle piercing his left earlobe before he carefully inserted the small, polished silver hoop and secured it.
"All done for you," the man said to Luca. "Follow these instructions so it heals properly," the man said as he handed Luca a piece of paper.
Luca got out of the chair and walked over to the mirror that was on the wall. Luca tilted his head slightly and studied his polished silver hoop that now adorned his left earlobe.
"Subtle but striking," William said as he clapped a hand on Luca’s shoulder. "Looks perfect on you and compliments your braids."
"Alright, you were right," Luca chuckled as they walked out of the room and William paid for the piercing.
"You are officially one of us now," Mikey told Luca as they walked out of the studio and into the pale sunshine.
Luca touched his ear and felt the coldness of the silver ring that now adorned his ear. "Luca smiled as he felt that the silver hoop was a symbol of his transformation that he was undergoing, it was a connection not just to the style but to the community he now belonged to along with the friendship and the vibe that was becoming his.

Luca and William left Mikey and made their way to a coffee shop where they had arranged to meet Leroy. As they walked into the coffee shop they saw Leroy and a couple of others young ones from the office sitting in the corner.
"Look who has stepped up his game," Leroy said as he saw Luca with his braids and the silver hoop in his ear. "You rock the braids and the piercing."
"Thanks mate, I owe all this to you and your help," Luca replied as he touched the silver hoop in his ear.
"You have certainly nailed the look," Sasha told Luca. "Cornrows are deffo you, Den has done a great job on your braids."
"Good to see you have got your braids back," Leroy said to William. "Thought you were drifting away from us."
Other people in the group nodded in agreement that Luca was now part of the crew with his braids and silver hoop in his ear.
"Remember Mikey taking me for my first piercing a few months back, "Taylor said to Luca. "I was a drifter with no job and no prospects and Mikey took me into the office."
"Is that when you got the dreads?" Luca asked Taylor.
"Yeah, Den shaved the back and sides of my head and worked dreads into the hair on top of my head then Mikey took me, and I got the ear pierced."
"Taylor keeps the back and sides shaved and Den works on his dreads every month," Leroy grinned. "Got a ladder of four silvers in the ear now."
"Mikey also got me a job at royal mail," Taylor grinned. "And I am getting my tattoo sleeve finished off next week."
"Maybe we should get you some ink," Leroy said to Luca. "Nice tribal on your arm."
"I am only fifteen, I hit sixteen next month," Luca grinned. "You know you are making my confidence grow being with the crew and your uncle working on me in the boxing ring, you are giving me a sense of belonging."
"Glad we can help." Leroy said to Luca. "Take a look at my tattoo though," Leroy said as he stripped off his shirt to reveal a snake with its fangs bared coiled round a sword down his spine.
"How did you get that done? You are only just sixteen," Luca sked Leroy.
"Inside contacts," Leroy replied as he put his shirt back on.
Luca was starting to feel the sense of belonging to the crew, he was no longer just Luca, the outsider looking for meaning, he was part of something, a community that welcomed him and the way they had helped him change his look.

Luca did not go home that night, Luca decided to spend one last night in the office. After the crew had all dispersed he found a corner in the office and settled down there sleeping intermittently as thoughts of not just what his parents would be saying when he arrived home, but also the fellow pupils in his class and he would have to face his nemesis, Ethan who would demand his protection money. Luca did not hear William walk in until the strip lights flickered to life.
"Dude what are you doing here?" William asked as he saw Luca in the corner.
"I need a bit of time to get my head together before I face the family," Luca admitted to William. "What are you doing here?"
"My stepfather has surfaced, and he saw my braids and was like white men do not do braids especially in my house, so he basically told me to take them out or f*** off." William told Luca as he took two cans of lager out of the fridge and handed one to Luca. "You think your parents will be the same?"
"Honestly, I do not know how they will react, then the next day I am back at school for my final exams before I go to college," Luca replied as he took a mouthful of his lager.
"Just tell them as it is, tell them that you are still their son, you are Luca just with a new hairstyle and a silver hoop in your ear," William said to Luca. "If you need backup just get in touch with Leroy and I will be here as well to back you up," William assured Luca.
"You really are family to me," Luca said to William as he took another mouthful of Lager before lighting the joint that William had gave him.
"Luca started to relax as the weed started to kick in and soon Luca was in a deep sleep.

"Dude time to wake up," William said as he gently shook Luca to wake him up.
"What time is it?" Luca asked William as he opened his eyes to see William standing there with Leroy.
"Time for you to have a quick wash before you go home," Leroy told Luca. "You are family now and you know we will be there to support you when you go home."
Luca stood up and walked over to the toilets and walked in and saw his reflection in the mirror.
"I have changed, I cannot deny that the cornrow braids and the silver hoop in my ear now define who I am," Luca thought to himself.
As Luca washed Luca again felt the newfound confidence, the sense of belonging to the crew who had supported the way he had redefined how he now looked, who he was. At the same time Luca was thinking of facing his parents with a sense of anticipation and trepidation, Luca wanted to show them that he was still their son, he was Luca but the thought of how his parents may not understand the new Luca with his braids and silver hoop along with the crew that he now called family the way he was doing. Luca dried his face and hands before walking back to where Leroy and William were waiting for him.
"Brothers, do you feel I am ready to face my parents?" Luca said as he put his jacket on.
"You are one hundred percent ready," Leroy assured Luca. "They need to accept the way you have decided to look, decided on the path you want to follow, you are part of our crew now."
With the support of Leroy and William, Luca made his way out of the office block and purposely started the walk back to his home to face his parents. It was time to let them know that Luca had only gone a transformation in the way he looked, not changed otherwise. As Luca approached the street where he loved he could feel his stomach start to knot up as he started to walk down the street. Luca hesitated as he saw both of his parents cars on the road before getting the key to the front door out of his pocket and walked down the path before another slight hesitation. Luca took a deep breath and put the key in the front door and turned the key. Luca opened the door and walked into the hallway where he could smell that his mother had started to cook a traditional Sunday roast dinner. Luca took another deep breath before walking into the kitchen where he saw his mother peeling some potatoes.
"Hi mum, I am home," Luca said to his Mother.
"Luca, is that you? What have you had done to your hair and please don’t say you have got your ear pierced," Luca’s mother said as she turned to Face Luca.
"Did I hear young Luca’s voice?" Luca’s father said as he walked into the kitchen. "Luca what have you done to yourself?" Luca’s father asked Luca. "If that is my son Luca.
"I have had my hair done in braids and I got a silver hoop in my ear," Luca told his parents. "I am different on the outside but still the same Luca on the inside." Luca said trying to reassure his parents. "I will always be Luca, your loving son on in the inside."
"But why?" Luca’s mother asked as she walked over and touched Luca’s braided hair. "Why did you have to change?"
Luca’s father stood there with his arms crossed and a look of bewilderment on his face. Luca could feel his father’s silence weighing heavy in the kitchen. "What is all this about? The earring, the braided hair, why?" Luca’s father said to Luca. "Is that really you underneath the braided hair and earring?"
"It is me; this is me, this is how I want to look, I have grown over the last couple of weeks since I met Leroy and some other young guys and girls that are like me," Luca told his father. "I have found likeminded people like me, I have found something that I feel I can connect to and feel part of, I know it is a lot to take in right now, but I want you to accept me as I now look." Luca pleaded with his father.
Luca stood in the middle of the kitchen and could feel his parents attempting to take in how much Luca had changed.
"You are still Luca, you are still my son," Luca’s mother said as she kissed Luca on the cheek.
"Your mother is right," Luca’s father said as he exhaled. "You are still our son; all I ask is that you remember the values we have instilled in you and still respect us."
"I will never forget what values you have instilled in me, I will never forget what you have done for me," Luca reassured his father. "But I ask you to respect what the crew have taught me and that they are part of the family as well as you are."
"We can talk over dinner," Luca’s father told Luca.
"Thanks for understanding me, is it alright if I grab a shower?" Luca asked his parents.
Luca made his way to his bedroom and got a towel out of the cupboard before going into the bathroom and switching the shower on. Stepping in the shower, Luca carefully washed his braids and cleansed the silver hoop in his ear before making his way back to his room and getting dressed before going back down into the lounge and sat down on a sofa.

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