"You have the math homework?" Amara asked, setting her bag down next to me as we waited for our other friends.
"Yep. It was tough but I got Luca to help me," I grinned.
"He's your middle brother, right?" Amara asked, once again shocking me at just how much the students at this school knew about my family.
"I'm just gonna ignore how stalkerish that sounds," I smirked.
"Hey! If anyone's the stalker it's Clar-"
Before Amara could finish snitching on her friend, a sudden voice from behind us caused me to jump.
"You're in my class, right?" a gruff voice asked, making me immediately twist around as I flinched on instinct. In front of me stood a boy who I recognised from math. He looked like your typical jock, his ginger hair quiffed to the side and wearing an Adidas jacket and joggers.
"Oh um, yeah," I stuttered, unsure of where this conversation was leading.
"Good. You're smart. You done the homework?"
Oh shoot. Please tell me this wasn't going where I thought it was going. I really didn't want to share my answers, especially considering how much effort I put into it and how it would also make me feel guilty for selling Luca's work off.
I knew I could have just lied, but then he would have discovered I had done so in class, and I was scared of the consequences. The bullies in my old school had taught me a lot.
"Yeah," I sighed.
"Good. Give it," he growled, genuinely scaring me despite being the same age as me.
On one hand, I could have given him my homework and let it stay on my conscience forever, or I could not have given him the answers and potentially been beaten up.
Option one sounded best.
"OK," I sighed. "Do you have your sheet with you?"
"Why should I?" the dude spat. "Just give me yours."
"Hold up," Amara said, just as what he was seeing properly registered in my mind. "That's not fair. Then Gabs will get in trouble."
"So? I don't give a fuck. Just give it to me," the boy growled.
I quickly scanned the cafeteria, seeing if my brothers were there and would have been able to help me, only to be met with two empty seats where they usually sat. Goddammit.
"I'm not going to-" a harsh slap across the cheek cut me off, immediately causing my hand to fly up to my face as I let out a yelp from the sudden stinging pain.
Our table was in the corner of the cafeteria, and so far the exchange between us and the jock had gone unnoticed, due to how everyone was more focused on their own thing.
"Hey!" Amara exclaimed angrily, although the boy just ignored her.
"Give it," he growled.
Despite being so used to pain after being abused for a year, I wasn't exactly immune to it. A slap still hurt me, especially one which was so sudden and hard. That was why I kept my hand to my cheek, which was still throbbing and burning, making me wince.
"OK," I sighed, knowing I didn't really have any other option.
"Good girl."
REUNITED
We had a supply. Luckily. It meant that she was unlikely to even know that we had homework due today.
"Can everyone get their homework out so you can give it to me after class," the teacher instructed, her face set in a serious expression.
Welp. Screw that thought then.
She looked like the kind to give you a detention for breathing too loudly. Miss Winsor had dark brown hair, pulled back into a neat bun that seemed to pull at her forehead, making her scowl seem less prominent. She wore horn rimmed glasses and a grey suit that, no matter how much I loved her character, gave me Amy Santiago vibes.
I felt myself tense, nerves racing through my body as I chewed on my lip. Today was only my fourth day and I wanted to make a good impression on this teacher since we would probably have had her again at some point.
Not only this, but not once in my fourteen years of living had I ever had a detention. There was no way I was prepared to get one now.
"Courtney?"
"Yes miss."
"Marley?"
"Yes miss."
"Gabriella?"
"Yes miss."
"Daniel?"
"Yes miss."
"Sophia?"
"Yes miss."
"Alexander?"
"Yes miss."
"Good. Now I'll come round to get your homework."
It was at this point where I felt most anxiety, my heart dropping and leg bouncing, my stomach sinking at the feeling of the trouble I was going to be in.
Miss Winsor had reached the desk next to mine, the girl sat there handing in her sheet and placing it on the pile the teacher was already holding.
And before I knew it, she was stood in front of me.
"Gabriella? Where's your homework?" she asked sternly.
"I, um, I- I don't have it," I stuttered quietly. I was a major introvert around people I didn't know.
"Detention after school today," Miss Winsor said coldly.
I just looked down at my desk, feeling her heated gaze burning into the top of my head, before she appeared to move on, despite the fact I kept my gaze downcast.
"Thank you James," Miss Winsor said, her tone now a lot sweeter as she moved onto the next student.
"You're welcome, miss," an extremely familiar voice said smugly. I glanced up to see the ginger haired guy from lunch, giving my homework to Miss Winsor.
It was official. I hated him.
REUNITED
The seconds ticked by, just not quickly enough. Each moment sat in that tense room just added to my uneasiness, especially due to how I was worrying about my brothers reaction to my detention.
It had been ten minutes since I had arrived, and Miss Winsor had given me the homework sheet, telling me to complete it now and then or she would talk to my mom.
That stung.
Of course, I hadn't corrected her, not wanting to get myself into a worse situation, and just took the sheet. I was already nearly finished it due to how I now understood it after Luca's help. It also helped that I remembered most of the answers.
"You should be writing. Not staring off into space," Miss Winsor snapped, cutting me out of my thoughts.
"Sorry miss," I mumbled, hurriedly returning my gaze back to the work in front of me.
I just hoped this was over soon.
Actually, scratch that, no I didn't. I wanted to put off my brothers and dad finding out for as long as I could.
Suddenly, the sound of the door being slammed open caught my attention, and I flinched back at the loud noise instinctively.
My head snapped up and my eyes widened, my heart rate picking up. Stood there, angry, stone cold glares on both their faces, stood my two youngest brothers.
And they looked furious.
"Gabriella Irene Bianchi!" one of the twins exclaimed angrily. Due to their similar stance and expressions, I could hardly tell them apart.
"Yeah- yeah?" I stuttered with fear, my voice shaky and clearly betraying my nerves.
"Why the fuck did dad just ring me saying he got a call that you were in detention and I had to come pick you up?" he yelled angrily.
"I- I'm sorry. It wasn't my fault," I mumbled.
"And how exactly is it not your fau-" Kyle growled, only to be cut off by his twin.
"Calm down, bro. There's always two sides to every story," Caleb reasoned. This was why he was one of my favorite brothers. Not that I had favorite brothers of course.
"Well I can't wait to fucking hear it," he hissed angrily at me.
I instantly flinched back, his tone one I was all too used to. "I- I did the homework," I stuttered, "but then someone took it from me."
Kyle was silent for a moment as if contemplating what I had said, before finally nodding slowly. "OK. I believe you. Now tell me exactly what happene-"
"No! You can't believe her! She didn't turn up to class with it so obviously she didn't do it!" Miss Winsor exclaimed angrily.
"You. Fuck off," Kyle spat, glaring at her and effectively silencing her.
"I did do it. Just call Luca. He spent about an hour helping me with it," I quickly defended myself, staring at my brothers and silently pleading them to believe me.
"Don't worry. We believe you. Now tell us exactly what happened," Caleb smiled gently at me.
"You can't just come charging in here and-" Miss Winsor once again began, only to once again be cut off by Kyle.
"I said fuck off. What's your name? I'm sure my dad will be interested," Kyle growled.
"I'm sure he will," Miss Winsor spat rudely.
"Yep. Roman Bianchi would be extremely interested in how rude you're being to his children," Kyle hissed.
At this, the teacher's face instantly paled and her eyes widened with shock. "I- I'm sorry," she stuttered immediately. "My name's Karen Winsor."
"Noted," Caleb nodded, before turning his attention back to me.
"Now tell us what happened."
"I was at lunch when this boy came up to me." I noticed how the twins both instantly froze at my first sentence, Kyle's face setting into an even harsher expression. "He told me to give me my homework and I said no so he took it off me," I said.
I decided not to include the whole slapping thing before they both went on a murdering rampage.
Kyle was glaring coldly at my desk, seeming to be lost in thought, while Caleb was staring at me intently.
"There's something else," Caleb said slowly, instantly snapping Kyle out of his daze.
"N- no there isn't," I stuttered. Dammit. Usually I was pretty good at lying but in this situation, clearly I was crumbling.
"Gabby? Tell us now," Kyle growled.
His steely gaze was enough to make me want to spill everything. He was so Intimidating it was hard not to say no.
"Um. The boy might have slapped me lightly," I mumbled, not particularly wanting to snitch on him.
Sure, I really didn't like the boy for hurting me, but that didn't mean I wanted him to be murdered.
"That fucker! What's his name?!" Kyle practically yelled, causing me to once again shrink back in seat.
"J- James," I stuttered. "I don't know his last name though."
"What did he look like?" Caleb asked, his face a lot softer than his brother's.
"Jock. Ginger hair. Annoying face," I muttered, listing off everything I could remember about him.
"And he's in your class?" Kyle asked.
I gave a small nod and noticed Caleb pull his gaze away from me and turn to face Miss Winsor.
"Do you know who she's talking about?" he snapped, his kind face completely gone.
"Y- yeah. His name's James Philips," she replied quietly, not looking my brother in the eye.
"Right. Now that's sorted. Let's go home, bambina."
Ok. It took me 3 days to update. That's not too bad is it?
And I updated on the same day of my other book so I had to do A LOT of writing this evening so my hands are now hurting 😅
But anyway hope you enjoyedddddddd
-Elin