ATHENA RUSSO:
It's been a few days now.
Every morning we have breakfast and when it's seven pm we have dinner. They don't question me when I don't eat all of my food anymore. The food is delicious don't get me wrong but I'm just not used to eating that much food. But after I eat I just go into my room and stay there for the whole day.
I've noticed they've got maids and guards everywhere. What do they even do for a living? I'll ask them later.
Apparently, today is the day we are going to the mall. Well, actually I don't know whose "we" is because I have no idea who's coming.
I change into something comfortable. Since I don't have many clothes and all I own are jeans, sweatpants, hoodies, and sweaters, anything I wear is comfortable.
I go into my bathroom and quickly cover the bruises on my neck. Thankfully I don't have any on my face and since my clothes cover the rest of my body I don't need to cover anything up.
I put my shoes on. I stare down at my untied shoelaces.
Yeah, I don't know how to tie my shoelaces. I never learned. My, teachers at school when I was little gave up on trying to teach me how to do it. I guess I should've learned how to because the number of times I've tripped on my shoelaces is quite concerning.
I go downstairs and see Lorenzo, Elijah, Marcello, and Ares. Where are the twins?
As if Lorenzo could read my mind he answers it for me, "The twins aren't coming."
I nod.
Elijah looks down at my shoes and frowns.
"These are the only shoes I had," I say, embarrassed.
He shakes his head, "No that's not it. Don't you know how to tie your shoelaces?"
I shake my head. "No. I don't," I admit. I feel my cheeks go red in embarrassment.
My "kidnappers" never taught me how to do it and my teachers were sick of me trying to teach me so they gave up. Eventually, I just tucked my shoelaces into my shoes.
Lorenzo shakes his head mumbling something. Elijah kneels down and starts to do my shoelaces.
With wide eyes, I stare down at him.
Ares snorts, "Not another Dom."
Elijah chuckles, "Let's hope she doesn't cause trouble like him," he looks up at me, "ain't that right, Athena?"
I look down, "W-What?"
What type of trouble?
"Domenico is a troublemaker. She's nothing like him," Marcello states. Oh. I nod. Lorenzo coughs, "Can we get going now? I don't have all day." I look at Lorenzo and I can tell he's getting agitated.
Elijah stands up once he's finished trying my shoelaces. "I'll teach you how to tie your shoelaces once we get home," he tells me.
I smile at him. I follow after my brothers as they walk to the driveway.
"Marcello Ares and Athena you're going in that car," Lorenzo says, pointing to a black matte fancy car. Then he walks with Elijah going into a Ferrari.
I'm just going to pretend the fancy cars are not here.
"Come with me guys," Marcello says. Ares walks beside me as we follow Marcello. Ares gets in the passenger seat and Marcello gets in the driver's seat. I get in the back. I'm glad I don't have to sit in the middle. I put my seatbelt on and lean back.
"Shall we go?" Marcello asks, looking at me through the rearview mirror. "Yeah!" Ares exclaims. Marcello frowns, "I was talking to Athena, you imbecile."
"Oh," Ares says.
I just look out the window as the car begins to move.
✩ ✩ ✩
"I regret coming."
I look at Lorenzo who is standing beside me. I haven't actually bought anything myself. Elijah and Ares have gone crazy. Dragging me into every store and anything I look at, they buy it for me. But right now me, Lorenzo and Marcello are standing outside a random shop while Elijah and Ares have disappeared.
"You can leave if you want, I'll look after Athena," Marcello tells him.
Lorenzo gives him a sharp nod, "Alright. Sarò alla base. Chiamami se hai bisogno di qualcosa."
Thank god Marcello told me they speak Italian because I plan on learning it sooner or later.
Lorenzo leaves and I look up at Marcello, "Can we sit down somewhere?"
"Yeah come, there's a bench over there."
He guides me to a bench and I sit down. I look around. When are Elijah and Ares coming back?
"Don't you have a phone?" Marcello asks me. I look up at him. He hasn't sat down next to me but he's standing beside the bench. I shake my head, "No I've never had one."
"When Elijah and Ares come back we will go get you one."
"No, it's fine. I don't need one."
"Well since you are living with us, you do need one. "
I sigh and nod.
After a couple of minutes, I see Elijah holding shopping bags. I swear there weren't that many bags before. Ares comes running behind him holding loads of bags that I can't even see his face.
What the fuck. How did they buy that much stuff?
Elijah comes up to us and sits down next to me, "I wish Ares falls."
I chuckle but then gasp in shock when I see Ares trip and fall down on the ground face-first, screaming. People walk past Ares giving him looks.
Marcello steps forward, "Seems like that wish worked brother, mind wishing us to get out of here?"
Elijah grins, "We've got more shopping to do. So I'm afraid you are gonna have to hold some extra bags for us."
Marcello glares at him, "I should've left first so Lorenzo would be stuck here with you guys."
"Guys?"
They both look at me.
"Ares still hasn't gotten up from the floor," I tell them.
They both shrug.
"He'll live," Marcello says, patting my shoulder.
I shake my head and stand up and walk to Ares. He's still laying on the floor with shopping bags piled on top of him.
I crouch down and grab some shopping bags so I can see his face.
"Ares?"
He rolls onto his back and looks at me with his big blue eyes. His light brown hair is ruffled. I quickly fix his hair. He grins, "Hi Athena."
I smile at him, "Hi Ares. Are you gonna get off the floor?"
He shakes his head, "Nope. It's so comfy."
"But it's dirty," I point out. Immediately he jumps onto his feet and starts wiping invisible dust off his shoulders.
I chuckle and start grabbing the rest of the shopping bags. Thankfully nothing fell out. Ares grabs a few and we walk back to the bench. Marcello glares at Ares, "Why are you making her carry most of the bags?"
"He didn't," I say.
He shakes his head and grabs the shopping bags out of my hands. Elijah shakes his head at me, "Never do that again."
"What?"
"You could have tripped if you carried those bags for any longer."
"But I did and only Athena cared!" Ares exclaims.
Marcello gives him a look, "Start acting like a man now Ares because I fear if you don't, you will never become one."
Ares groans and I smile.
"Oh yeah, Marc we already brought her a new phone, laptop, and some other electronics so we can just head straight home," Elijah says.
I sigh in relief, "Thank God."
They all look at me and then Ares and Elijah laugh but Marcello stares at me.
"Why are you staring at me?" I ask.
Ares uses my shoulder as an armrest, "Don't worry about him dear, he's probably just having a malfunction."
I look at my shoulder and then at him.
"Shut up. I'm not having a malfunction."
"Whatever you say Mr. Robot."
"Ares—"
Elijah cuts in, "Stop it. You can do this somewhere else, just not in front of Athena."
I grab Ares's arm and shove it away. Since he was leaning on me for support, he stumbles forward. "Can we go now?" I ask casually.
Elijah smiles, "Yeah come on."