Too Close

Chapter Eleven

Brandy chuckled as she stirred the insides of the pot. "Gigi, be honest. You just want to come to Europe with us."

"Of course I do! When have y'all ever been on vacation without us?" In all 22 years of her life, Gianna hadn't been away from her parents for more than a week and a half. And now that they were leaving for weeks on end, she didn't like it.

"Never and that's exactly the point." Gino, her father, came from the basement and placed a kiss on his wife's cheek. "Three weeks without you and them three other ones sounds amazing." Gino placed his hand over his slightly protruding belly and smiled at the thought. He loved his daughters and granddaughter to death but dealing with all those women on a daily was making the grey hairs come faster than they should've been.

Brandy lightly slapped across his chest. "Stop." Gianna didn't do anything but roll her eyes at her father. She was used to his brutal honesty.

"I won't miss you either daddy." She waved him off, playing the same game he was.

"Why your hair look like that?" Gino joked on her hair which was currently braided down with an Aztec clay mask lathered into it. His laugh made Brandy giggle as well.

Gianna folded her arms together, not finding the joke funny. "It was raining last night and my straight hair got messed up so I'm doing this so my curls don't be stringy. I'd offer you some but you're bald." She gave him a tight lipped smile.

"My bald head deserves some love too, Lil G." Gino said making Gianna laugh even though she wasn't trying to. "And it was raining at three o'clock last night. You was outside that late?"

"Yeah I was leaving that diner I always study at." She told him sweetly, knowing she was leaving out some details.

"You need to stop doing that before something bad happens." Gino warned her and she nodded. Too late she thought to herself.

"Oh Gianna! I've been meaning to ask you how's your class going with Miles Delgado? You haven't talked about it since you told us you got in." Brandy asked, making Gino's attention focus on her since he wanted to hear what she had to say as well. Her timing couldn't have been worse.

"I-uhh. It's um going good." She got herself together after clearing her throat and drinking some water. Her parents gave her a look as if they wanted her to continue and elaborate. "My writing is improving and my grades are great as well." Gianna said, hoping that was enough to get them off of her back.

"Well of course but how is he as a teacher? With him being your favorite and all?" Brandy questioned as she simultaneously stirred the pot of gumbo.

"It's going good mama. He's great." Gianna got up from the barstool to grab herself a snack out of the pantry. After browsing all of her options, she settled for two packs of Gushers.

"He remembered when your phone went off?" Gino teased her making Gianna roll her eyes. Her father was just hilarious.

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The day that Gianna was dreading the most rolled around. Tuesday morning.

As much as she tried to, she couldn't stop playing what she imagined what would happen when she walked into class.

Her and Miles being escorted to the chancellor's office, she'd be facing expulsion and Miles being fired in an instant.

The scene was so realistic in her head but it would never happen in reality. No one was there to witness it and even if they did, they wouldn't even know it was something that was supposed to be reported.

Gianna was too caught up in her phone, texting back and forth with Raven, to pay attention to what, or rather who was alongside of her. Both Miles and Gianna walked up to the door of the arts building together and she didn't notice he was there until he held the door open for her.