Let me teach you, Rosa

𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽.* :☆ﾟ. ───

Chloe shot the gun in her hands and took a deep breath. His grunting stopped and she kicked him twice to make sure he was really dead before moving through the rooms. This wasn't Chloe's job- no- far from it. Chloe was at the top of the tree, well, almost. She did the ordering. It was her capo's job to do this shit but they were so incompetent. Last week, their friend TJ died because of their rookie mistakes and Chloe obviously blamed them. Earlier that day, they attended TJ's funeral and were all 'too upset' to handle the dodgy drug dealing mess they got themselves in. Chloe headed over as soon as heard it was getting messy- armed and ready to fight.

Suddenly she was launched forward by a boot. Finding her feet, she stumbled and turned. Facing a small man, covered in tattoos, she scoffed. He threw himself at her and she backhanded him, knocking him to the ground. She stood over him, boot on his chest. However, the quick gleam she saw in his hand forced her backwards. He jumped up, a smirk evident on her face and she faced her gun at him. She pulled the trigger with no hesitation but no bullet shot. Fuck. She was out. How was she out? She spotted the bullet case which had fallen out of the gun a few metres away then saw the guy advance towards her again, knife in hand. Thinking quickly, she ducked and rolled towards the case. He landed on her back as her hand wrapped around the case and she groaned, standing up. His legs wrapped around her hips, making her struggle. They both threw about their arms, trying to injure one another. The sharp blade made contact with Chloe's left wrist, cutting her gear and drawing blood. She screeched loudly, out of anger and pain before running backwards against a wall. She slammed the man into it. He screamed loudly in her ear as a crack echoed through the concrete chamber. He dropped from her back and slumped to the floor. She quickly spun, clicked the bullet case back in place and sent a single shot through his head before leaving. She grabbed the money bag from the open safe before jumping in her car. She reversed out of the car park and into the evening.

"You could have gotten yourself killed for christ's sake!" Emilia screamed at her in Italian after Chloe quickly explained why she needed her arm bandaged by her little sister at two o'clock in the morning.
"Will you keep your voice down, it's not that big of a deal," Chloe scorned back, covering Emilia's mouth. She knew she shouldn't have gone and she knew the risks but she also knew the risks of misbehaviour from her father. She hated him. She hated every inch of him- yet had the deepest desire to please him. She wanted to make him the proudest father in the whole world and sometimes that meant putting her life at risk. She learnt that at a very young age.
"Not that big of a deal? Chloe! How am I meant to survive without you?" Emilia cried. Chloe felt a pang in her chest then. All her life, Emilia had looked up to her with so much admiration. At fourteen, when their father decided it was a good idea to get his girls involved in his dirty business, Chloe demanded she took Emilia's place. She promised to do more work as long as Emilia didn't have to. Emilia was her little sister, her sweet little sister and she knew she had to live for her.
"I'm sorry Em. I am. But I have to do this to stay in his good books!"
"No, no Chloe for goodness sake. I've told you so many times that you don't."
"Emilia!" Chloe practically shouted at her sister. The younger girl flinched but held Chloe's wrist tighter, making pain shoot through her. "If I don't get myself killed then he'll kill me himself."
Emilia stayed quiet for a moment, finishing the bandage. "I hate him," she practically spat.
Chloe took her newly bandaged wrist from Emilia's grip and went to pull her in for a hug but a sudden gasp forced both girls to turn their heads quickly. Chloe caught sight of the heel behind the corner and pushed herself off the wall.
She watched a door close and cursed. Emilia stood beside her and let out a little chuckle. Chloe glared down at her: "who sleeps in that room?"
"Rosa St James."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽.* :☆ﾟ. ───

Taking a seat in her office chair, Chloe yawned. She didn't get any sleep last night, unable to sleep from anxiety. Had Rosa heard anything? She knew that even if Rosa had, she most likely didn't understand Italian but that was beside the point. She would have seen her injury and she knew Rosa would not let it go. Part of her liked Rosa's stubbornness and curiosity but the other part of her just wished she'd keep her nose out of other people's business. There had been multiple occasions where she'd have to deal with behaviour issues (also known as cat fights) which involved Rosa and her persistence. Not only had Chloe had to remind the girl to keep her opinions to herself but she often found herself telling Rosa to back off. She often didn't get the hint.
She tapped away on her computer and began selecting some emails. As well as being the underboss for her father's mafia family and having to deal with all of that shit- she had to run a school at the same time.
It was hard because Chloe knew the school's dirty foundations. It was a private boarding school and although quite a good chunk of the fees was paid towards good services, she also knew where the rest of the money went. Whilst dealing with dodgy drug work and murder left right and centre, she had incompetent students, ridiculous parents and very, very snobby teenage girls. They were the worst. Although, she adored her job. She loved watching the kids grow and develop from timid children to strong, confident young adults ready and prepared to face the world head-on. She adored interacting with the other teachers, each expert in their subject- all intelligent and able to keep up with her high functioning mind. She enjoyed watching the school unite for meals and hearing the familiar bustle of voices and groans along with excitement and squeals. There was nothing Chloe dreamed of more than to have her own school. One which wasn't under the jurisdiction of her father. She wanted out of that world. She wanted to go somewhere safe with her little sister tucked under her wing- ready to take on another school away from the bad men.

The drawer began its familiar vibrating again and Chloe audibly groaned, throwing back her head in exasperation. Fifteen minutes into her day and she was already in over her head. She opened the drawer and took out the phone. It was Jackson. She answered and held the phone to her ear with a shoulder whilst typing a reply to a parent.
"Boss? Are you okay?" He pretty much shouted down the phone.
"I wouldn't be answering your call if I wasn't okay, Jackson."
There was silence before he answered. "There was blood on one of the guy's knives boss. Was it yours?"
"Blood? Jackson, do you think I still go out and get cut? It's definitely not my blood." She tried to sound as offended as she could.
"Okay boss. Sorry boss." Silence fell after that. Just then, a knock came on the door and Chloe's secretary's voice came through the intercom. Rosa was outside. Of course, she was.
"Come in," she said loud enough and then turned her attention back to the phone. She could hear Jackson breathing on the other side of the phone.
"Is that everything?" She asked.
"Oh yeah, sorry boss. We've cleaned it all up. Did you get the money?"
"That's not for you to know. Don't call me again unless one of you is about to take their last breath." Chloe ordered and hung up. She threw the phone in the drawer, slammed it shut and then addressed the girl in front of her.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽.* :☆ﾟ. ───

Rosa's mood was instantly piqued when hearing the end of Mistress Colombo's conversation. Who was dying? Did it have something to do with where she went yesterday? The cat suit? Rosa walked in and took a seat at Mistress Colombo's desk.
"Take a seat, Rosa," Mistress Colombo mumbled, rolling her eyes. Rosa only smiled, her 'I know things you don't' smile and crossed her legs.
"It's nine twenty-one," Mistress Colombo said, folding her arms over the desk and leaning her chest forward. Instantly, Rosa's eyes gravitated downwards. Her t-shirt was open slightly, revealing her black bra and Rosa gulped. A cough brought her eyes straight back up. "Why are you here?"
"Fredric wants nothing to do with me," Rosa yawned, stretching her arms backwards and forcing her own chest out. Two could play at that game. However, rather than doing anything, or even saying anything, Mistress Colombo simply began typing away at her computer.
"His name is Professor Celly," she told Rosa firmly.
"Either way. He wants fuck all to do with me. I'm not allowed in his lessons anymore- he said so himself."
"Mind your language, Miss St James." Rosa shuddered, why was she so grumpy today? She hadn't even cracked a smile yet!
"Tired, miss?" Rosa asked, diverting the conversation.
"I think I should be asking you the same thing, Rosa." Rosa gulped. She did see her. She did know. She could play it off.
"I don't know-"
"What were you doing outside your dorm at two o'clock this morning?" She turned back to Rosa and blood began thumping in her ears. Mistress Colombo knew she was ear wigging.
"I went for a walk."
"A walk at two am?"
"Yes, miss."
Rosa felt awful. She liked Mistress Colombo and Emilia and if they knew she was listening then they wouldn't like her anymore.
"I know you're lying to me." Rosa's heart beat was going a million miles a minute. She really didn't want to upset her. "Tell me the truth or your punishment is going to worse," Rosa stayed quiet. Another punishment?
"Remember I have access to every camera in this school, Rosa."
"I went out into town. I'm sorry I just felt suffocated and needed to breathe. Please don't give me another punishment, miss!" Rosa begged. Mistress Colombo nodded and sat back in her chair.
"You stay here and do some office work for me in every one of your English lessons until I sort you out a sub. If it happens again, you're going on report." Rosa only nodded, feeling relieved it wasn't much worse.

To lighten the mood, after a few minutes of silence, Rosa spoke up again.
"Your cat suit was pretty cool." Mistress Colombo did crack a smile then though. Rosa felt butterflies in her stomach, nervous flutters. Nervous for what? She made her smile.
"I'm quite a good cat woman cosplayer," Mistress Colombo chuckled, throwing her curls over her shoulder, making Rosa laugh this time. Their eyes met and both girls laughed lightly.
"What were you really doing though? Is your arm okay?"
"Yes," Mistress Colombo raised her sleeve, showing Rosa the bandage, she leaned forward to see it but was quite disappointed. It was only a white plaster- a big one though. "Emilia helped."
"You two seemed to be quite angry. Are you okay? What happened?" Rosa couldn't help the questions out of her mouth. She was a curious cat but the expression on Mistress Colombo's face let her know that she had intruded. "Sorry," she mumbled and leaned back.
"Why don't you go and dust the bookshelves?"

Rosa sighed and got up out of her seat. At least she was in the presence of a pretty woman, although one who was extremely grumpy today.

After two hours of cleaning, Mistress Colombo excused Rosa to her Classical Civilisation lesson. It was Rosa's favourite although she hoped and prayed Emilia wasn't as grumpy as her sister.