Annaliese
A long time ago, I was given a Christmas present.
The boy had given me his jacket with a flustered face. I can't remember specific details of his appearance. I had been too close to dying at the time. My lips were blue, my small fingers purple and numb.
Surviving that night was a miracle and I like to believe that meeting that boy had been the reason why. He had saved me - in more ways than one.
ββ
Surveying my school uniform in the mirror, I flatten my shirt collar one more time to keep it from sticking up. I try to ignore the slight puff immediately after and focus on the makeup drawer calling my name. I've been practicing since I'd gotten in trouble, took a few pictures of the.. interesting looks I made. However, it was not in vain. I can confidently say I can put on mascara and lip gloss without making too much of a mess!
I apply the mascara and smile at the thick, black eyelashes that came out afterwards. I squint to try and cease the burning in my eyes. Maybe I did it a little too close? Oh well.
I brush my teeth and hair, finishing right as Valentino bangs on the bedroom door. "We'll be late principessa so hurry the hell up!" I purse my lips in annoyance and send the door a glare. What does he know about getting ready in the morning, at a new school? My first school?
Goodness, Valentino. Have some sense.
I apply some lip gloss and spontaneously decide to put a tube of it in my bag. Throwing it over my shoulders, I also grab the official school jacket and hold it in my arms. Nostalgia washes over me for as long as I let it.
I descend down the stairs loudly, letting my brothers know of my entrance. Valentino rolls his eyes dramatically while biting agressively into a piece of toast once I walk into the dining room. "Took you long enough principessa," He grumbles with his mouth full.
I wrinkle my nose with a small 'ew' at the wet bread crumbles that fall onto the plate. "It's my first school Val," I respond with a scolding tone. "I don't even have to go to school to know you're supposed to chew with your mouth closed."
Valentino smiles sarcastically before purposely showing me all of his chewed up food. I cringe away from him, knocking into Luca's arm. "Cut it out," He says, glaring tiredly towards Valentino. He gulps down his cup of coffee only to refil it quickly afterwards.
I sit down in front of my breakfast cautiously. Is everyone in a bad mood this morning? I pour some syrup on my scrambled eggs and french toast, diving into my meal. Fransesco spares me a judgy look while chugging down his protein drink.
"Don't worry about them, they hate having to be a good role model at 7am," Marcello explains from across the table with a small grin. I giggle lightly at his statement while Fransesco elbows him in the shoulder.
"Shut it Marcie," He grumbles, hesitantly glancing at me from the corner of his eye to see my reaction. I instinctively open my mouth to argue with his use of my nickname but the words come dry. Instead I opt for taking a sip of chocolate milk while counting the scratches in the wooden table.
"Fuck this," Fransesco growls under his breath, his chair slamming back against the hardwood floor. I flinch at the loud, abrupt sound. Luca instinctively puts a hand on my knee to reasure me everything's okay.Β My eyes follow his footsteps as he stomps out of the room angrily.
I guiltly eat some french toast, slowly chewing it. "Is there a reason why you're avoiding him?" Luca asks with a heavy sigh, almost as if he's accepted that today will have no less drama than it usually does.
I forcefully swallow the food. "Can we just focus on how today's the first day of school?" I ask sheepishly, smiling softly to him. Luca watches me closely before nodding, his soft curls bouncing as he does.
I quickly finish my food after that. Putting my napkin, cup, and utensils on the empty plate, I lean down to kiss Luca's cheek. "Thank you," I tell him earnestly. His eyebrows raise at the spontaneous gesture.
"Have a good day!" I call to Luca as I leave the dining room and enter the kitchen. Placing my dirty dishes in the sink, I drop my backpack on the counter. I rush up the stairs to brush my teeth one more time.
By the time I'm back downstairs, Valentino and Marcello are waiting by the garage door. Valentino's arms are crossed while his jaw ticks in annoyance. Marcello passes me a small smile as I walk up to them and I gratefully take my bag from his hands.
"Aren't you taking your sweet time this morning?" He grumbles sarcastically, slamming the door open aggressively. I choose to stay quiet to avoid making him angrier. Marcello opens the back door for me while Valentino hops in the driver's seat.
"Thank you," I mumble quietly as I slide into the heated car. Marcello ruffles my hairΒ as he closes the door. I hold back my instinct to yell at him for it, deciding to fix it and give him a dirty look instead.
Marcello's eyes sparkle in the rearview mirror. I purse my lips back at him. He chuckles softly to himself and turns to look out the window. Valentino pulls out of the driveway and starts the trip to school.
I pull out my phone to text the groupchat Sophia added me to.
4Lπ€
SOPHIAβ€οΈπΈ
are you guys here yet?
7:30am
ALEXANDERπππ
Be there in 5
7:31am
ME
We just left the house!! π ππ I can't wait to see you guys!!π©π₯°π
7:33am
ALEXANDERπππ
Go back.
7:34am
ME
What?! π§π° Why?! π§π€¨
7:34am
RYDERπ§‘πͺ
LMAOOOO
7:34am
SOPHIAβ€οΈπΈ
alexander quit being a bitch.
he's just joking with you honey
7:35am
ME
Oh!!! πππ HaHaHaHaHaHa!! ππ€£
7:35am
ASHTONπ€π€
We just got here.
7:35am
RYDERπ§‘πͺ
anna we have to teach you how to text cuz ain't no way π
7:36am
SOPHIAβ€οΈπΈ
no it's cute
7:36am
ALEXANDERπππ
Lying bitch
7:36am
SOPHIAβ€οΈπΈ
stfu male
7:36am
I close out the app with a smile on my lips. I never imagined I could have friends like this. It makes me want to give them all the tightest hugs in the world. I hug my backpack closer to me, protecting the pocket that held all of their Christmas presents.
God, thank you so much.
ββ
"Go suck a clit," Alexander grumbles, stuffing his face into his arms. His hair is messy, as if he didn't brush it this morning. I clench my fist to resist the urge to brush it out with the brush I brought. Sophia told me it's always good to have a brush just in case.
"At least I can find it sweetie," Sophia replies back from over my head. I wince when she tugs on my hair a little too harshly. She's currently braiding my hair. She insisted, saying that she wasn't going to 'let my jerk brother ruin it.' "Annaliese, how does this look?"
Sophia holds up a mirror in front of me. I audibly marvel at the pretty french braids she had worked hard on. I softly run my fingertips over one. "Thank you!" I gush, turning around to face her. "I love it, they're so pretty!"
"No, you are," She winks, plopping down on the bench next to me. I cringe when her long, black hair scratches against my face.
"Can you not flirt with her for one day? Thank you," Ryder grumbles as he bites into his McGriddle. It smelt delicious but it also made me a little sick to my stomach, probably because I'm already full. His eyes lock onto mine. "By the way, you gotta learn how to text."
"Facts," Alexander agrees, his head not moving.
I furrow my eyebrows at the two of them. "What? What's wrong with my texting?"
"What isn't wrong with it?" Alexander rebuttles. Strangely, a flash of irritation spikes in my chest. I've already caused Fransesco to be mad, Valentino has an attitude; I don't need it from him too.
"Considering you couldn't text without offending someone, maybe you should worry about yourself rather than me," I reply quietly as the bell rings. I'm not sure if he heard me as I avoid his gaze and shoulder my backpack, sending everyone a polite smile. "I'll be on my way then. Have a good day."
I've tried to ignore it - to give Alexander the benefit of the doubt. Why's he acting this way? Maybe he's going through something? Whatever the reason, it doesn't excuse him taking it out on me. I don't mind him teasing me, but we aren't best friends like he is with Sophia, Ryder and Ashton. We don't have those kind of.. kind of boundaries or strings attached. He doesn't know me well enough to be mean like he is.
Maybe I'm being overdramatic, but I've got too much to deal with. Unless he asks for help in a nicer manner, than I don't need to put up with his behavior. My brothers would want me to respect myself as such.
I hold back a sigh as I walk into my first period and plaster a fake smile on my face. Just because I'm stressed, doesn't mean I should let it bleed onto the people around me. I force as much confidence as I can manage and walk up to the teacher. "Good Morning," I nearly stammer, clearing my throat. "My name is Annaliese Invernizzi. I'm a new student."
The blonde woman pales slightly. "I.. Welcome Mrs. Invernizzi. It's an honor to have you in our class."
I blush at the sweetness of her words. "Thank you Ma'am, that's really sweet of you," I mumble shyly, all confidence going down the drain. Come on Annaliese, don't give up now. "I.. I really like your dress! It's pretty."
"You can have it," She blurts out, almost eagerly. My eyes widen at her offer. Is this.. normal?
"That's alright, it looks like it was made for you," I decline politely. The woman relaxes signifcantly and for the first time since we began talking, offers me a real smile.
"You're much different then your family sweetheart, thank you. I'm sure we'll enjoy having you in our class for the rest of the year," The teacher cheerfully states, taking her seat in a rolley chair behind a heavy desk. "Why don't you stay up here and introduce yourself when the bell rings? I'm sure the rest of the class will love to hear about you."
The lady turns to her computer afterward, leaving me to watch the other students stroll in while casting me intriqued and bored looks. Are you for real? Introduce myself? This is way too much, way too fast. I want to go home. Why can't I be homeschooled?
Darn it, stop it Annaliese. Pull yourself together. You're 13 years old now for goodness sake, a teenager. They handle stuff like this all the time. I force myself to take a deep breath right as the tardy bell rings and the last few students take their seats. All eyes are on me.
"Good Morning kids, welcome back. Starting today we have a new student joining us," The lady states to the tired class. One or two students have already laid their heads on their desks, while multiple yawns have created a chain throughout the room. "Annaliese, sweetie, introduce yourself."
I clear my throat and try to imagine the confidence that Allessandro would feel. He wouldn't be intimindated by a class full of 13 or 14 year olds. They'd be intimidated by him. "Uh.. Hi, My name's Annaliese Invernizzi, but you can call me Anna or Annie. Um, I've been homeschooled so far, so this is my first time coming to a real school with other people. It's really nice to be here and meet you all."
"Invernizzi?" A boy blurts out, blinking as though cold water had just been poured over him. The whole class seemed to have sat up straighter, their undivided attention clearly set to me.
"Yes," I confirm with a friendly smile. "You might've heard of my brothers - Valentino and Marcello. They're real nice."
"Nice?" Another girl mutters in shock, her eyebrows raising to her friend in disbelief.
"Yeah!" I reply more confidently. I couldn't help but brighten when I thought of my family, even if they were upset with me right now. I kind of miss them a little bit.
"Any more questions for Annie?" The teacher asks the class. A stunned silence follows, almost as if anyone was too afraid to ask any questions. "Okay then. Annie, you can just go sit next to Nora. Nora, raise your hand."
The name rings a bell in my head and I grin widely to find the girl from the bathroom raise her hand. Nora Bloom, the girl who informed me about periods. I'm so lucky to sit next to her!
She took out the box braids she had in last time, her hair styled in a cute afro instead. She sends me a small, familiar smile and I giddily grin back. Plopping my bag at the leg of my chair, I excitedly whisper, "Hi!"
"Hey," Nora whispers back shyly. I bite my lip to try to contain my happiness. Maybe today won't be as bad as I thought.
ββ
I lied. I lied. I lied.
I tried for it to be a good day, I really did. Why did I seem oversensitive today? My period. It's almost like meeting Nora again was a sign.
The worst part? My period's irregular, so I wasn't ready to have pads in my bag. I found out about said period when I went to the bathroom in between classes. It was quite the jumpscare.
The next bad part of the day: Valentino and Marcello completely disappeared at lunch. Had I really done something to make them that mad? Plus, I only thought Valentino was mad at me. Now they both might be.
Third bad part: My phone's dead. I didn't charge it for long enough last night and it died roughly around second period.
My brother's have disappeared, it's the end of the day and I don't know how I'm getting home. What's weirder, everyone besides the friends I made before school have been avoiding me. It's like they're scared to get close to me. Have I been mean without realizing? I really don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
Although all these things are bad, I'm sure there's still something that can make today better. I bring my knees closer to my chest on the concrete curb, sighing as I lean my forehead between them.
Anxiety swirls in my stomach as I recall what happened last time when I waited to be picked up. The man, the explosion, the month of bed rest. The scar burns that still litter my skin - the nightmare that comes every now and then to remind me of my gullibility.
I sniffle and take a deep breath. I can't think about this right now. I don't even know if I'm being picked up - I need to think clearly. Allessandro always makes me pack emergency cash in my bags just in case. I can just hail a taxi back home, I have the address written in my planner. I wrote it there when I was filling it out for this week.
I slap my hands against my cheeks and stand. Going into a taxi can be just as dangerous as walking down the street. I really need to be aware of my surroundings and note where we're going while on the ride. I can't come across as friendly as I want to - I need to be colder, intimidating.
I hate this already.
Forcing my face into a deadpan, I walk up to a nearby taxi cab and knock on the window casually. It rolls down and reveals a man in his mid 30's with a scowl on his face. I slightly imitate the look. "I need a ride."
"You got cash?" He asks bluntly, his eyes narrowing into slits judgementally. I hold up the roll of cash I had stores in my bag. He stared at it for a few moments before cocking his head towards the back seat. "Get in."
When the man turns away, I let out a silent breath of relief. That's one step over and done with. I slide into the backseat coolly and keep my expression stern, my eyebrows hold a subtle glare that screams don't mess with me. It seems to work when the cab driver immediately adverts his eyes from mine. I quietly tell him my address.
I cross my arms nonchalantly while throwing one leg over the other. My stance is cold - mean, almost. As it needs to be. I focus my attention on the dirty window, tracking every familiar building we always pass on the way into the city. With every second that passes, my stomach nauseates worse.
How could they? How could they make me this person? I want to help people, not scare them or make their day worse. For them to put me in a situation where I have to revert back to someone I'm not proud of.. It's infuriating.
I don't drop my facade until the taxi's stopped in front of the gate. Mr. Luke, the security guard on Tuesdays, has a surprised expression when I step out the car. "Keep the change," I tell the driver, dropping the wad of money in the back. Slamming the door behind me, I ease my expression as I walk up to Mr. Luke.
The taxi speeds away as I do so. "Mr. Luke, how was your day?" I ask politely, forcing a small smile on my lips.
He looks at me shocked for a couple more moments. "Uh.. it was fine miss. How was your day?" He replies, touching a few buttons to open the gate for me.
"It's better now that I've gotten to talk to you. You should come eat with the other staff in the morning, they really miss you in there," I tell him honestly. Mr. Luke seemed to be the more antisocial type. He only shows up for work to work. He should really talk to everyone else more. Maybe he'd enjoy his job more.
"I'll make note of it miss. Do you want me to call a driver?"
I clench my jaw unnoticeably. "No thank you, Mr. Luke. I'd like to walk. Please stay safe and have a good rest of the day," I tell him nicely. He looks as though he wants to argue but shuts his mouth with a nod.
I need the walk to clear my head. No matter what argument I give in place for my brothers, the anger doesn't simmer. It just builds and builds, to the point that when I arrive at the front step it can barely be controlled.
I open the door with a spare key and close it behind me quietly. Taking off my shoes, I neatly place them between Valentino's and Marcello's school shoes. How lovely to see they're at home.
My footsteps don't make a sound as I walk through the house. Loud, boisterous laughter comes from the living room. I clench my hands by my side as I approach it.
Luca is the first to lock eyes with me, to notice my deadpan look. He smiles at me brotherly and opens his arm for a hug, but I don't run to him like I usually would.
Allessandro takes a sip of his coffee and is reading something on his tablet - probably work related. Valentino and Baylor are playing video games on the TV, a gun game. Of course. Marcello's taking a nap with his stomach facing upwards.
So, they're all fine.
"I'm home," I mutter, the raw anger I feel keeping my voice in a low tone. At the sound of my voice, Valentino stiffens and glances to me worriedly. His eyes are begging me not to tell what happened.
The only thing I can think is: Why the heck shouldn't I?
"As you've been," Allessandro replies, swiping on his tablet. I hold back the urge to scoff. No, no I haven't been buddy.
"Principessa, why don't I make you something to eat? We can continue the fun like we had on the car ride," Valentino suggests desperately, tossing his controller onto Marcello's stomach. He doesn't even flinch. I watch blankly as Valentino hurries to stand. Allessandro looks up from his tablet to watch him, as if his big brother intuition
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