— RORI —
𝙰𝙿𝙿𝚁𝙾𝚇𝙸𝙼𝙰𝚃𝙴𝙻𝚈 𝙵𝙸𝚅𝙴 𝚈𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚂 𝙰𝙶𝙾 . . .
"Happy birthday, Sorellina. How does it feel to finally be in the double digits?"
I look up, only to be met with the emotionless eyes of my eldest brother. Shrugging my shoulders and offering him a small smile, he gives me nothing in return.
"I got you a gift," he says, as he hands me a small, neatly wrapped box.
My eyes find his once more, a bewildered expression on my face.
Zephaniah has never cared for birthdays, nor celebrations.
Zephaniah has never cared much for anything.
That means that there must be an ulterior motive behind this gift.
"Go on," he urges. "Open it."
Sending him one last look of suspicion, i hesitantly untie the satin ribbon that rests on top of the elegant box. The lid pops off and, much to my astonishment, a classy, golden locket lies inside for me.
"Possessions aren't permanent but family is. This is just a reminder of that. Happy tenth, Sorellina. I'm proud of you."
Zephaniah leaves the room before i can thank him, leaving me alone with my thoughts and my now most treasured possession.
Inside of the locket is a picture; one of the only pictures there are of me and him.
I am a baby and he is a young boy of around twelve. It is quite a funny sight, to say the least. Here was my most intimidating of brothers holding a tiny, little me in his hands...and when i look closer, i can almost see the trace of a smile on his face.
I can't help but smile to myself when i catch sight of it, gazing down at the photograph with an unforeseen fondness.
"Possessions aren't permanent but family is." his words ring in my head.
Zephaniah is proud of me and he has blessed me with a beautiful new necklace.
Best. Birthday. Ever.
𝙿𝚁𝙴𝚂𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝙳𝙰𝚈. . .
"Stupid, godforsaken, cursed little locket," i seethe, my fist colliding with the punching bag between words, as though to emphasise my contempt.
Five years ago today marks the night my two eldest brothers abandoned us.
What would have been my tenth birthday has now turned into my fifteenth, yet they are still not here; they are still not home. They don't care about us. They never will.
During my ten years of living with Yakov, i never got to know him all that well, which was undoubtedly a result of our age difference, as well as the fact he generally had zero interest in spending time with me.
Overall, he was quite different from Zephaniah. In fact, they were opposites in many ways. This didn't seem to hinder their relationship. Rather, they balanced each other out.
I did like Yakov once upon a time, even though he holds little to no place in my heart anymore.
I cannot say the same for Zephaniah, unfortunately.
I always disliked him, and he always disliked me.
"Ria?" the sound of Vinnie's voice echoes from the corridor. "Ria, are you down here?"
I fail to acknowledge my brother's presence, relentless as i deliver one punch after another to the helpless punching bag.
Though i am playing at boxing, i do so in one of our spare rooms on the ground floor, as opposed to the more appropriate option of using the room purposefully designated for carrying out such physical activity.
"C'mon, Ri. Don't ignore me on your birthday, of all days." i hear my brother sigh as he enters the room.
Begrudgingly, i lower my hands and step away from the punching bag as Vinnie's face comes into view.
I begin to cry and he begins to console me.
I continue to hurt but he can do nothing to ease the pain.
I tell him that i hate our eldest brothers and he agrees with me.
He wishes me a happy fifteenth birthday, and i leave the lacklustre room alongside my mourning for the past.
— SUCKER PUNCH —
I join my twins on Seamus's balcony after Vinnie informs me that they were previously searching for me.
Seamus has brought cigarettes with him this time, and he even offers me one.
"You shouldn't have given her one of those, you know," Quentin scolds our older brother, not for the first time this evening. "If anyone finds out about this, i'm as good as gone."
"Not my problem." Seamus nonchalantly shrugs.
My expression is unmoving as i stare straight ahead at the oak tree we used to play on when we were younger.
I follow the movements of the small leaves as they gently brush against one another in the wind.
I take a drag of the cigarette in my hand and bask in the relief i feel when i exhale the smoke.
Closing my eyes, i feel at peace once again.
"Nobody's gonna find out, Quentin," i reassure him.
"They better not," he grumbles.
The cool air breeze gently hits my face, making my baby hairs sway in different directions, and all i can think about is how i want to stay captured in this moment forever.
I feel safe and secure with my twin brothers by my side, though i know both are a rare occurrence.
"Happy birthday, by the way," Quentin speaks softly, beginning to play with my curly strands of hair.
The action makes me feel sentimental about our younger years, during the time when i sought comfort from the two of them.
Those stormy nights where all of us would huddle by the fireplace and Seamus and Quentin would remain by my side the whole time.
It never used to be such a rare occurrence for us to be seen together, but nothing has been the same for five years.
"Happy birthday," i respond, my voice just as light.
I open my eyes, thus stopping myself from drifting off to sleep, and watch as a small, sad smile graces Seamus's face.
I know this day is just as hard for them as it is for myself. Though, luckily, we only have to suffer through it once a year.
Seamus efficiently puts his cigarette out and turns to face Quentin and i. For a moment, he just looks at the two of us in awe before whispering a barely audible "happy birthday" in return.
We continue to sit there in silence for the rest of the evening, easing into our fifteenth year.
No fear and no drama.
Just the three of us and the midnight sky, promising a better tomorrow.
Promising a well deserved second chance.
I go to bed feeling nothing but hope for my future. Hope that this year will be better and hope that i can mend the relationships i have broken.
I am going to make this year my year and i'm not going to let anyone hold me back from that.
— SUCKER PUNCH —
At six am, i abruptly wake from the sound of my curtains being drawn.
"Get your ass outta bed, Ria. You can't be late on the first day of school."
Just one day after my fifteenth birthday, Sophomore year is beginning. And it's safe to say i'm not at all looking forward to it.
"Watch me," i speak in a muffled voice, rolling to my right and pulling the covers back over my head.
"Nah, ah, ah, Ri. Get up," Xavi chastises. "High-school ain't waiting for no one. Up. C'mon."
"But—"
"I don't wanna hear it, Rori, just be down in five minutes!" he calls back, having exited my room, and i release a loud groan to show my hatred towards him for interrupting my most cherished time of the day.
After another few minutes of transitioning in and out of my sleepy state, i eventually manage to haul myself out of bed.
Shortly afterwards, i step into the shower, where i sing my heart out to One Direction, in the attempt to cheer myself up about the day i've been dreading for weeks.
I wash my face and do my usual skincare regime before getting changed into my school uniform. Though it must reflect our school colours, i like to switch it up from one day to the next. Well, as much as i can when such restrictions are imposed.
Today, my outfit consists of a thin, burgundy cardigan and complimentary ribbon which attaches to the neck of my shirt, the traditional but surprisingly not hideous plaid skirt, as-well as well as white socks and black Prada loafers.
With little time to spare, i simply leave my unruly hair as it is before i make my way downstairs and head to the kitchen. There, i find only my youngest three brothers and Xavi.
"Oh look, it's Sleeping Beauty," Quentin teases.
"Should've stayed asleep," Teddy grumbles under his breath.
I roll my eyes at them and head to the fridge, where i find my caramel iced latte waiting there for me in all of its glory.
"Where is everyone else on this fine morning?" i ask no one in particular, sarcastic joy evident in my voice.
"Well, Val and Vin have already headed to work and Wyatt is M.I.A., as per usual. So you haven't missed much at all," Xavi replies, with a forced smile, sighing in stress due to our twenty-three year old brother who hasn't been seen for several days.
Xavi and Wyatt are a lot like Zephaniah and Yakov were, in the sense that they are under two years apart in age and get on fairly well. Lately, however, they've started to get on each other's nerves more often.
I have a feeling it has something to do with Wyatt's regular absences. Though why said absences are occurring is another question...
"How are you guys feeling about today?" Xavi asks us, his own mug of coffee in hand.
A chorus of unintelligible complaints resonate throughout the room, the exception being Quentin who wears a bright smile on his face.
Quentin's morning-person persona mixed with his love for school absolutely sickening.
"Figures," Xavi says, laughing at our misery. "I'm just glad i'm not in your position."
After breakfast, the four of us pile into the ostentatious blue sports car that Teddy acquired as a sixteenth birthday present, and, before we know it, we arrive at school. Of course, before we can even set foot out of the vehicle, our older brother all but shoves us out as he demands that we get lost.
Upon collecting my schedule in homeroom, i am elated to find out that my first class of the day is English, being that it is my favourite subject.
As i enter the classroom, i decide that my safest bet would be to sit somewhere near the back, on the end of the row. That way, i won't get called on too much.
I begin to empty my bag of its many stationery items, when, from the corner of my eye, i notice the formerly empty seat to my left has been taken by none other than Christian Taylor: Seamus's best friend and a boy i never thought i'd lay my eyes on again. At least not on school grounds.
"Hey, it's Rori, right?" he teases, a smirk forming on his face at the sight of my blatant bewilderment.
"Christian Taylor, you son of a bitch. I thought you were moving?"
He and i started out on the wrong foot years ago and never really grew out of the stage of complete annoyance for the fact the other one was still breathing.
Well, not until the end of Freshman year when he told me he was moving back to Canada; his homeland. I was surprisingly affected.
"My dad changed his mind," he reasons. "He admitted that it never made much sense to begin with. Not to mention, my brother is still living in New York."
"Fair point," i say. "How are you, anyway?"
He locks eyes with me, a small smile adorning his lips.
"I'm better now."
I scoff, averting my attention to the front of the classroom.
"I thought you'd be pleased to see me." Christian nudges me, gently.
"I am..." i trail off, shuffling in my seat at this newfound awkwardness i feel.
"Then why so pouty?"
I send him an incredulous glare.
"It's the first period, of the first day back. I have the right to be pouty, Christian!" i seethe.
He quirks an amused eyebrow at me.
"It's English," he points out. "You love English."
"But what i don't love is sitting next to you," i say through gritted teeth.
"So...you want me to move seats?" he queries, now confused by my conflicting words.
When i remain silent, Christian releases a sigh of disappointment.
"I just want this year to be different for the two of us, Ria," he leans down, speaking in a hushed voice. "I want us to be friends."
Involuntarily, my head swivels to the left and i look up at him with doubtful eyes.
"Friends?" i repeat, and he nods with a softened expression.
"Friends."
— SUCKER PUNCH —
Walking through the door of Aunt Tosca's cafe, i bask in the familiarity of the place.
My best friend, Annalise, and i arranged to meet here after school for a catch up, since she and her family were vacationing in Europe throughout the summer. This was the first summer in a long time that my family went absolutely nowhere. With Xavi working even more so than usual, Vinnie and Uvaldo at his beck and call during Wyatt's absences, and the rest of us doing our own thing, there was simply no opportunity to.
Annalise and i have been friends ever since i moved here and went to the same elementary school, middle school, and now high school.
She's my only friend, really, but Annalise, herself, has lots of them.
I've never been good at making friends, nor keeping them. Especially not girls.
In fact, i'm surprised she has stuck around as long as this.
Not that i'm complaining.
"So, how was your day?" i ask her.
"It was great. Honestly. I made friends with this guy Mikey who just transferred here," she says, before adding, "He's really hot but i think he's gay."
I snort a laugh, which causes me to choke on my herbal tea.
"How have you already worked out that he's gay?" i question her, amused.
"I have a sixth sense when it comes to things like this." she shrugs, unapologetically, and i struggle to keep a straight face. "I'm serious!" she insists. "Just like i predicted that Christian would show up today. I'm like a psychic or something."
"Okay, Karen Smith, calm down," i mock her.
"You don't believe me." she huffs, looking me up and down with clear judgment.
"Predict something," i challenge her.
She ponders for a moment, glancing past me and then smirking.
"I predict that Wyatt works here."
Sending her a confused look, she gestures for me to turn around. I do so, and there, clad in work uniform, is none other than my older brother Wyatt, his back to us as he speaks to a customer.
"What the hell is he doing here?" i mumble with wide eyes.
"Working...obviously," Annalise answers, causing me to roll my eyes.
"No, but...he doesn't work here," i say. "He works for my brother."
"Maybe he needed another source of income," she innocently suggests, causing me to send her a sharp glare.
Once upon a time, my brother
would've needed the extra cash. But not anymore. Not for the last seven years, at least.
I feel offended that she would suggest such a thing. Not that she knows any better. I'm not exactly open with people about my past.
There is a lot that my best friend is unaware of when it comes to me and my family.
"You know damn well that isn't why, Annalise. My brother pays him more than enough as it is," i respond, my tone sharp.
Even though i say the words with confidence, i start to consider that maybe Annalise is right...That's the sad reality about growing up on the breadline. Even if you fall into wealth, as my family have, the stress of not being able to make ends meet never quite leaves you.
As i dwell on my friend's unintentionally ignorant comment — a sign of her lifelong privilege and a reminder that we will never be the same — my phone begins to violently buzz in my hand as notifications flood my screen.
I notice that there are several missed calls from a handful of my brothers, namely Seamus and Quentin.
I guess i forgot to let them know i wouldn't be coming home straight away. Teddy clearly couldn't care less whether i was left behind or not, however, seeing as his name doesn't once appear on my screen.
Between Wyatt suddenly appearing, and the fact my brothers will inevitably be pissed off with me for not disclosing my whereabouts, i promptly excuse myself.
We exchange our goodbyes — Annalise comparing me to Serena Van der Woodsen in the process — and then i hurriedly exit the cafe, debating in my head whether or not i should spy on Wyatt.
I mean, he doesn't show up for over a week and then suddenly i bump into him as he's working at Aunt Tosca's? Of course i'm suspicious.
I sneakily make my way around the corner of the building, standing in the doorway of the side exit that i sometimes see people use to shelter from the rain while they smoke a joint, while i deliberate further.
When i notice Wyatt leave the cafe, i instantly make my mind up, quickly sending my location to Uvaldo, who called me most recently, in the hopes to appease him.
I pocket my phone before i begin following my brother. The usually bustling avenue is rather quiet for a Thursday evening...well, as quiet as any avenue in Santa Monica can get.
I quicken my pace to catch up with his long strides and watch him look back and forth before he crosses the road and rounds the corner. I hear the familiar roar of a motorcycle engine behind me, but pay no attention to it as i keep my focus on Wyatt.
When i reach the corner, i realise that it leads to an alleyway almost identical to the one adjacent to Aunt Tosca's cafe. Nothing but trash containers overflowing with litter fill the space, accompanied by cardboard boxes scattered here and there, which i assume people living on the streets have used previously.
Due to the lack of light in the narrow space, i find myself moving as if i were taking part in some type of obstacle course. The slippery texture of the cobblestone beneath my feet is enough to throw me off balance more than a few times, but i eventually find my bearings.
However, i am suddenly startled when i see the unmistakable beam of headlights as a car turns into the alleyway, and hastily position myself behind one of the nearby trash containers in the hopes that the driver won't notice me.
As the road comes to an end, the car stops and a figure approaches it.
My brother.
I narrow my eyes in bemusement as he opens the passenger door and steps inside.
As the vehicle reverses out of the alleyway, i reach for my phone, with the intention of taking a picture of the license plate, only to realise it has ran out of charge when i am met with the battery symbol.
I am overcome with relief as the car disappears round the corner, but also concern for my brother.
I head towards the avenue with careful steps. However, as i reach the very end of the road, i feel a strong arm grip mine.
"Don't move a muscle."
(Edited)
A/N: (29.09.23) I feel the need to add this for any new readers: if you are wondering why there are so many comments but they don't appear when you are reading, it is because i am a perfectionist who constantly feels the need to revise each chapter 😅.