𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐚 ✓

02 | Pinky Swear

Turns out the cops are shipping me off to an orphanage, apparently they're too lazy or too shit at their job, and considering I already know I have blood relatives out there. I'm not going to say anything yet though so I bite my tongue at their incompetence.

I'm not looking forward to this at all, I don't want to be adopted or put into the foster care system but I need to be patient and get more information before I find my family. The Russians are planning something, I need to find out what that is before I return home.

The cop car pulls up to this ugly-looking building, the nice gentlemen named Scott opens my door for me, I politely say thank you and follow him up the stairs. We make our way to the reception area, I tilt my head up so I can just see the lady behind the desk, I scrunch my nose up in disgust when I see lipstick staining her teeth but I don't comment. I put on my innocent look and grab the officer's hand, as he looks down at me he smiles.

He continues his discussion with the lady behind the desk while I look around, bored and tired. I need sleep. Once Scott is finished he hands me off to the lady but not before wishing me luck.

I follow the lady down the hallway, silently taking in my surroundings. "Look for possible exits and cameras make a mental note" my mother use to tell me. I take a mental note of all the exits and cameras insight. Finally, we make it to a room full of other kids like me, laughing and playing all together.

Though I spot a kid around my age sitting near the window looking out to the fields, I make my way over slowly trying not to startle him. I stand behind him looking out the same window and seeing a field of beautiful flowers, reminding me of when I was used to playing tag with Dom, my favorite brother. I feel something wet on my cheek, moving my hand to wipe the single fallen tear remembering the past.

I miss him, I miss all my brothers.

I snap out of my daze when the small boy in front of me turns around, he has tears flowing down his chubby cheeks. I send him a small smile and walk away to look at some books, not wanting to disturb him from his thoughts.

D I A V O L A

I've been at the orphanage for a week now, it's depressing being here watching kids getting dropped off and kids getting adopted. Tears and screams every night and laughs and giggles during the day, I asked the lady that I met on the first day if I could go outside but she always said no. So I did want any person would do, I snuck out.

I would lay in the fields of flowers looking up to the sky thinking about my mother and how much I missed her, I would do this every day to clear thoughts from my head that were always troubling me.

Sitting in the playroom reading a book, I take notice of the boy sitting by the same window I saw him sitting at the first day I arrived here. Again I could see the tears falling down his chubby cheeks, I make my way towards him after marking the page in my book. Gently I lay my hand on his shoulder and give him a reassuring squeeze, he looks at me over his shoulder and frowns at me so I gently stroke his cheeks wiping away the tears.

"Are you okay?" I whisper.

"Y—yeah, I've been here three weeks now and n—no one has e—ever asked met—that." He stutters.

"What's your name? I'm Valentina but you can call me Val." I send him a warm smile and cup his cheek.

He gives me a toothy grin, "Nathaniel but you can call me N—Nate." He hiccups at the end which I giggle at. This kid is cute, I think to myself.

"Okay N—Nate, I think you and I are going to be the best of friends, don't you think?" I laugh at his adorable pout after I teased him about his little stutter.

"Okay Val" he whispers.

D I A V O L A

Nate and I have been inseparable now for the past two weeks, we both have been sneaking out to the fields outside it becoming a daily tradition for us both. I would ask him questions about his life before he came here or what he could remember and he would ask me questions.

I told him everything, including my mother's death, including things about my family and who they are, including being trained by my mother. He told me about his parents and how they didn't want him, that he was a mistake so they dropped him off here at the orphanage not wanting to deal with him anymore, he never said they were abusive physically but I knew mentally they had hurt him. I constantly reassured him that he wasn't a mistake and that I will always be with him no matter what, and that we are best friends.

I came up with a plan for us both to run away together from this shit hole, he agreed to come with me and I was happy. I've grown attached to Nate. I explained to him the plan and that we're leaving tonight after lights out. I told him we have to leave because I need to find out information before we find my family, he was hesitant about finding my family but I told him my family would love him as they love me.

I was laying in my bed when I felt a dip, turning around away from the wall I see Nate sitting there.

"Val, can I lay with you until we leave?" Nate whispers.

"Of course." I pat the bed making room for him to lay beside me, I turn to the side so we're facing each other. I grab his tiny hand in mine and intertwine our hands together, "Nate, we are always going to be together I hope you know this. Where I go, you go."

I cup his cheek with my other hand, "Nothing will happen to you guance dolci, you're stuck with me forever."

(Sweet cheeks)

"You pinky swear Val?" Nate holds his pinky out for me, I connect my pinky with his, "I pinky swear Nate." I whisper.