Madelaina :
I lower my mirror and slowly turn around, plastering on a neutral face.
I notice Lucas's head shoot in my direction, right before Angel runs over to me and wraps his arms around my waist, lifting me up.
"Oh my....God!"
He spins me around in the air and my arms wrap around his neck in an attempt to not fall.
"Angel!"
"Did you say something, Princess?"
"Put me down!"
He stops spinning but doesn't let me go.
I turn to see the other two have come out and are stood in front of us.
Beside Lucas is someone unfamiliar.
Dark blonde hair with brown eyes. The same height as the other two.
What do these guys eat?
He's definitely not as lively as Angel and one can only hope he's not as entitled as Lucas.
He doesn't wear a smile on his face yet he also doesn't look unhappy.
Lucas on the other hand, looks as though his monthly allowance of seven hundred-thousand dollars has been reduced to merely five.
"Put her down, Angel." His voice is hard and commanding.
Angel however, just tsks and hugs me to him.
"Aw, come on! I haven't seen her in forever! I've missed her."
Although I may have started off slightly nervous and awkward, I can't help the laugh that breaks free, nor the grin accompanied by raised brows.
"You saw me a week ago"
"Exactly! Way too damn long!"
Another chuckle escapes me before he gently puts me back onto solid ground, holding onto my arm to help steady me.
"What are you doing here?" Lucas's sharp question cuts through the short happy spell that washed over me.
"I go here now, remember?"
He takes a step closer.
"I mean, what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be in homeroom?" The way he speaks is as if I'd done something to purposely aggravate him.
I glare up at his stupid face.
"Hey! Don't be mean. This is my best friend you're talking to." Angel slings an arm over my shoulders and gives me a tight side hug, leaving his arm there.
I don't miss when Lucas's eyes narrow at the movement.
Does he seriously not like me that much, that he doesn't want his friends near me?
"I thought they were your best friends?" I ask. Not getting anxious at his remarks as it's obvious he's joking.
...I think.
"Meh, they get kinda boring after a while."
I shake my head, a smile still on my face.
How did he do that? Make me smile when all I felt not five minutes before was utter sorrow?
"What are you doing here?" Lucas repeats.
"Got lost." I reply simply.
"You got lost."
"Yep."
"How long have you been here?"
Shrugging my shoulders, I say, "Maybe half an hour."
"And why didn't you ask someone for help?"
I bite my bottom lip.
I can't say it.
Then, as if it dawns in him, he nods his head.
"Right."
"What?" Angel asks him.
"Nothing."
"Well, we'll help you, Princess." He looks down at me.
"No we won't."
We look over to Lucas and I notice his eyes still glaring at Angels arm around my shoulders.
"Yeah, we will."
"No, we won't."
"Yeah? And why not?"
"You know why."
What does that mean?
"Seriously, dude? This is about our reputation?" Angel asks, incredulously.
"It's more complicated than that and you know it."
He just rolls his eyes and gives Lucas a pointed look.
"She's no different than us."
"Which is precisely the reason why we can't." His voice is calm and yet I can't help a chill run down my spine.
"No one's around. We can take her to the office and show her to her homeroom. It's not a big deal and no one's gonna see us." Angel's voice becomes noticeably lower.
Okay, what's......?
Oh.
I think I know.
"Is this about......our families?" I ask, tentatively.
"Keep your voice down." Lucas looks at me.
"Yeah." Angel answers my question.
"We can't risk people finding out." Lucas says.
"How does showing me where to go risk anyone finding out?"
"Because."
"Because what?"
"We're not exactly the helping type." This comes from Angel.
I give him a puzzled look and he explains.
"We don't help people. We don't really hang out with or interact with anyone accept each other but everyone seems to want to know everything about us. I mean, I know we're amazing, more me than these two in my opinion..."
"Get to the point, asshole." Lucas rolls his eyes.
"Right. So if we're seen helping you, people will come up with all sorts of bullshit stories and find out who you are. When they do that, they'll want to know more about you and how you know us."
"Which leads to them possibly discovering things that they shouldn't." Lucas finishes.
Of course. That makes sense.
"But..." Angel counters. "Like I said before, she's one of us."
"So what?"
"So, I think we shoul keep her."
"Keep me?" Dio, I feel like my brain is melting.
Also, should my feminist side switch on at the work "keep"?
"No." Lucas refuses.
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes. Gio, back me up here."
We all look over to the third guy, who hasn't spoken a word.
He glances at Lucas.
"I don't see the harm in it."
"You're fucking kidding me, right?"
He just shrugs and shares a look with Angel.
"Unbelievable."
"Aww, is little Lucas mad because no one supports his reasoning?"
"I will throw you off the roof."
"About time! I couldn't wait to step out of this hell hole since I arrived twenty minutes ago."
"We're not doing this."
"Sorry, bro. Two out of three cancels you out."
"We can't chance it. Not to mention she's a junior."
"So what?"
"So, what happens if people do find out? What'll happen next year when we're gone and she's still here?"
"Careful there, you're sounding like you care about what happens to her."
Lucas clenches his jaw.
"I don't."
"Well there's no problem anyway. We're all staying here for college aren't we?"
I think Lucas may break his jaw if he clenches it any harder.
So I'm guessing he's been beat.
And maybe has some slight anger issues.
"Then it's settled." Angel announces. "Let's go."
He guides me, his arm still around my shoulders, back into the building. All the while, I can hear Lucas behind us, mumbling incoherently.
Though I did catch a few very colourful words.
"So, Princess."
Uh oh.
"How are you liking it here so far?"
"Um, it's nice I guess."
"You guess?"
"Well, it's change. But I think it's growing on me."
"Is that so? What parts in particular would you say are growing on you?"
What?
"The weather?" He drawls on. "The scenery? The people...?"
Oh.
"You're talking about yourself aren't you?"
He rears back and places his unoccupied hand to his heart. The picture of innocence.
"Who? Me? Why would you even ask such a thing? I was obviously referring to our community as a whole. Our shared knowledge of a specific community in particular."
"Obviously." The sarcastic response slipped past my lips.
My eyes widened in surprise.
How had I been able to say that?
How had I been comfortable enough in his presence to react in my own nature?
I am brought out of my self questioning, when I hear the deep chuckle at my side.
"Beautiful and a good sense of humour? We're definitely keeping you."
Again. Should I be wanting to punch him right now?
Then it hit me.
He called me beautiful. And said I have a good sense of humour.
Did he mean that?
Or was that a joke?
Was that just what he says to everyone?
Or am I overthinking again?
Or am I right in thinking overly?
Or am I wrong in thinking overly and right in over thinking?
That wording was right. Right?
Oh no.
It's happening again.
Okay. Breathe.
In .
Out.
In.
Out.
"You good there, Princess?"
My head whips up to meet Angel's eyes.
His are different from Lucas's but just as enticing.
Whereas Lucas's are an enchanting green with little specks of gold, Angel's are a deep blue. They are darker in the centre and then swirl like a whirlpool and lighten to the edges. It feels like I'm staring into the ocean, the sky navy and the moon at its peak. It's as If those shining waters were transferred to his eyes and spelled to allure everyone who ever looked into them.
"Princess?"
"Yes. Yeah. I'm fine."
"Nervous?"
"A little."
"You've got nothing to worry about. Besides, you've got us now."
"No she doesn't."
"Lucas, can't you see the adults are trying to have a conversation?"
He walks up next to Angel and punches him in the side, causing Angel to laugh and shove him back.
How old are they again?
We come up to the same room that Sophia had shown me.
I feel bad that I just ran off like I did. What if she doesn't want me to sit with her now? What if she doesn't even want to talk to me?
"Here's the office." Comes Angel's voice.
We walk further into the room and up to the desk that I saw before.
A woman sits behind it, typing away on the computer in front of her.
She looks to be around in her sixties to eighties. Hair that's almost fully grey but not so many wrinkles you would expect.
"Good morning, Agnes."
The lady, Agnes, looks up from her device at the sound of Angel's voice and smiles like a schoolgirl.
Why am I not surprised?
"Good morning, boys. What can I help you with?"
"Well, Mrs L." He rearranges his arm so that both of his hands are placed on both of my shoulders and moves me in front of him. "This beautiful girl here, is a new student. She needs to collect her schedule."
"I see." Agnes nods her head and opens a new tab on the computer.
"What year are you in, sweetie?"
I swallow and answer.
"I'm a junior."
"Okay. And what's your name?"
"Madelaina Ferrara."
"What a lovely name. And how exactly do you spell that, dear?"
"Um, M-A-D-E-L-A-I-N-A, F-E-R-R-A-R-A."
"That is a unique spelling isn't it?"
I just smile and shift awkwardly.
My parents didn't use the traditional spelling of "Maddalena". Said that my name should be one of a kind. Just like their daughter.
The lady clicks a few keys, then stands from her brown leather chair and walks over to a printer, where a few pieces of paper are spat out before she carries them back to us and hands them to me.
Although, Angel takes them from me just as I reach out.
"Monday. Math, bio, break, free, Italian, English lit."
I gesture for the schedule and he holds one end while I hold the other.
"Hey look at that! We all have the same math class. You got a big brain inside that little head, Princess?"
I swat his hand, that began to knock onto my skull like a door, away and take the paper in both of my hands as he instead leans over my shoulder.
I feel another presence on my other side, look to my right and come face fo face with a pair of green eyes.
I look back down to the paper and ignore the puffs of warm breaths on my neck. From both boys.
They really have no sense for personal space do they?
"We're in the same bio class as well!"
Why is he so excited about this?
"You're in the same business and language classes as Lucas too. Italian guys. Really? So much for challenging yourselves." He rolls his eyes and a small smile plays on my lips before I realise what he just said.
Me and Lucas have two of the same classes together. Well technically three, including math. But still.
It's not like we have to sit next to each other though.
Dio, I would rather take my chances with the roof than spend the next school year sat next to an arrogant stronzo.
"None with Gio apart from math." Angel informs.
I look over to the third party member, only to find him with his hands in his pockets and his gaze locked out of the window.
The loud noise of chiming makes me jump a little in surprise.
"That's not a normal bell."
"Yeah. Old man principle thought this would be less irritating. I guess he was kinda right."
I nod my head and look down at my paper.
"I guess going to homeroom is pointless."
"Yeah pretty much. Well..."
Next thing I know, I'm being lifted, once again, but this time over Angel's shoulder.
A sudden yelp escapes me as I'm flung upside down.
"...off to math we go."
"Angel." Comes Lucas's low voice for the first time in a while.
"Angel! Put me down!"
He dramatically sighs before setting me down again but takes my bag from my arm and hooks it onto his own.
"You guys are no fun."
This time, I roll my eyes but allow him to take my other arm.
"Thanks, Mrs L!" He yells over his shoulder before we walk out into the hallway.