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four

"Why is your shirt too small?" Lucien questions me with a glare. Looking anywhere but him I shrug my shoulders. "Go change then because it's cold outside."

Tears sting my eyes as I look down again. I would wear a different shirt if I had one. I have gained the attention of my other three brothers. They look at me with a mix of curiousness and concern. My heart starts to pick up as my body starts to panic.

They all stare at me. Lucien wants me to change. But I don't have something to change into. I can't tell them that because I can't speak to them and I know they are not going to let me go.

Lucien pushes his stool out and starts to walk out of the kitchen. "Follow me Florence." He demands, his voice echos through the house seeing as he's already out of the kitchen. Quickly, I follow him not missing how Massimo, Emilio, and Dominic watch me leave until I'm out of sight.

Catching up to Lucien proves to be difficult seeing as my legs are shorter than his and clearly he is speed walking. Finally reaching him I am at his door to his room. I don't dare step inside his neat room unless he tells me too. Staying far away I watch him quickly enter his closet before stepping out with a dark green sweatshirt. Walking up to the door with an unreadable expression on his face he hands the sweatshirt to me.

"It's too cold outside for that." He gestures to my too small shirt with an angry look in his eyes. "Try not to stain it."

With that he shuts the door in my face. Stepping away I look down at the really soft sweatshirt in my hands. A small smile lifts on my face at the gesture.

-

"What about this?" Emi asks as he holds out a dark blue long sleeve shirt that has three buttons. Giving him a singular nod he throws it on top of the stack of clothes on his arm and moves through the stacks of clothes.

It's been fun the past few hours shopping. I've learned a lot about my brother. Apparently he loves cats but is allergic to them, he likes his socks to either have funky patterns on them or for them to be miss matched.

So far we've been to every store in the mall and we are finishing up in this one. I had enough clothes six shops ago, even eight. When I tried to get him to stop he said: "We are going to shop until we drop."

So that's what we did. But I dropped ten stores ago. He looks like he could go to another fifteen. The tiredness is getting to be too much these days. As well as the head aches. They come and go, I am just grateful I haven't had any since moving in with my brothers.

"Okay let's eat." He grabs my hand as he carries at least ten bags. Five on each arm. Yet he somehow keeps his left hand free for me to hold. It helps ease my anxiety of getting lost. There is a lot of people here today.

"Point to where you want to go to." He says to me when we reach the food court. Scanning my options I make sure to check out each place before deciding. Not too hungry seeing as I ate three pancakes for breakfast, I point to the New York Fry only a couple of food shops down.

"Good choice." He praises as he drags me to the French fry place. We stand in line silently as we wait for our turn to order. Getting our food was easier than I thought it would be. I pointed to what I wanted on the board and Emilio ordered it. He asked if I wanted more but with a shake of my head I silently told him that I was good.

My day out with Emilio was nice. It made me realize that maybe I am wanted in their home. I mean he didn't have to buy me a whole wardrobe, yet he did. He didn't have to take me out and spend the day with me but he did. Maybe this won't be so bad.

-

This is so bad.

The second I got home Massimo came down from his office and told me to folllow him. I rack my brain for everything I did wrong. I made sure my room was clean. I didn't stain Lucien's sweater. I wasn't rude. I didn't—

I wrote on the napkin.

Why would I do that? Just because I am in a new house and I have new guardians doesn't mean the rule wouldn't apply. How could I be so stupid? I shouldn't have ever wrote on that napkin. Now he might force me to speak or punish me for not. I can't talk to them. I just can't.

"Sit." He points to the chair across his desk. With trembling hands and an anxious stomach I sit down in the chair and bow my head.

"You show respect to your elders by looking down." That was what my mom told me. I had looked at her wrong and in return she slapped me so hard that my teeth ripped the inside of my cheek. It took a long time to heal and it left a gross bruise on my face. Since then I've kept my head bowed.

It used to be out of respect but now it's comfort. Knowing that I don't have to make eye contact with someone feels safe. Same as not talking. The less interaction with people the better.

"Look at me." Massimo orders me in a flat voice. I don't want to. It takes everything in me to keep my head down. Moms voice ringing in my ears. If I look at him I won't feel safe, and if I look at him it'll be disrespectful. But he told me too.

During my internal conflict Massimo, who is clearly aggravated with me takes a deep sigh before speaking again. "Can you look at me Florence?That way we can have a conversation." He rephrases softly while he waits for me to look up.

Biting my lip, I know I have to look up at him. When I make eye contact with him he gives me a small nod before sitting back in his chair. "You aren't in trouble if that's what you were worried about." He waves his hands as he grabs a few papers out of the massive pile on his desk. Sliding the first paper over to me I wait until he tells me to look at it before I do.

"You need to go to school. It's required and it's the law. You'll be attending the private high school Dominic and Lucien went to. I have signed you up for grade ten." Scrunching my eyebrows together I look up from the course selection sheet and stare at him in confusion. It says that I am in grade eleven math, biology, and chemistry.

"I saw your transcript from your old school. You're too smart to stay in those lower classes. I figured that you would want to pick your own elective's. You have four. I signed you up for grade ten English. Would you like me to switch that to eleven?" Shaking my head no, I scan my eyes over the course selections.

"Choose electives you'd enjoy." He says as he hands me a pen all while making sure he doesn't touch me.

Quickly circling the four electives I want to take I slide the paper back to him. I chose visual arts, gym, food and nutrition, and media arts. Nodding, he puts the paper back into the pile.

I don't know what to do so I do what I do best. I look down. My hands are far more entertaining than anything Massimo is doing across from me. The shuffling eventually stops and he sighs again. "Someone will take you to get your uniform and school supplies soon. You start school on Monday." Todays Friday, I only have two more days to prepare. "You can go now, I am pretty sure Dominic is waiting to help you put your stuff away."

Standing up as fast as I can I ignore the dizziness that washes over me before speed walking out of his office. The place feels suffocating. It is the type of suffocating where if I make one wrong move, someone will come around the corner and kill me.

"I hope you are settling in okay Florence." I freeze with my hand on the door handle. He seems sincere through his flat voice, and it takes all the courage I have to turn around and give him another nod.

He's looking at me with his unreadable eyes. I can't tell what he's thinking half the time. What I do know is that he is most likely judging every single thing I do. So, not giving him much longer to judge me, I leave the room and speed walk down the hall.

Only when I am out of the hallway do I feel air re-enter my lungs as I finally let myself breathe.

A talk with Massimo is equivalent to torture.

-

Hey besties! Sorry it's been so long, I have had a crazy week. I will probably update Maggie either tonight or tomorrow but don't take my word for it.

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

🤍