𝑴𝒚 𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒚 ~ JJ Maybank

𝑶𝑵𝑬

"Oh chico.." (oh boy) Aria whispered to herself.

Her scuffed red converse dug into the scratched floorboards as Aria Covelli turned her body in a slow circle, analysing the small home she could now call her own.

It had taken her exactly five hours and fifty three minutes to locate a house for sale, buy it, and drive backwards and forwards between Figure 8 and the Cut, moving her things. Record time if she had anything to compare it to.

The brunette ran her slender fingers along her  kitchens battered down, wooden island. She walked around it, counting the cabinets in a light whisper, taking in every crack and dull marking scratched all over the small room.

Even with all her furniture and belongings taking up space in her limited home, it still looked bare, one out of the two bedrooms being completely empty due to her lack of possessions.

The young girl smiled to herself, this was hers. She didn't have to worry about anyone here, nobody even knew where she was, not that she necessarily had anyone to tell.

Throughout her sixteen years and ninety four days of life, the Covelli girl had been alone. However, not how others would see alone  to be, it was more like she had been alone inside.

Having Daniel as a father, he was always wary of the truth getting out. After all, the last thing a well-known, wealthy business man would want is his clients finding out who he really was, how he really treated his own daughter.

Regrettably for Aria, this meant she had no connection with anyone. None.

The only other family she was even aware of was her biological mother, and she didn't even know her first name never mind where she was or if she was even still alive. Hope of finding her had left Aria a long, long time ago.

And then there were friends. Friends was tricky. Daniel, her father, hadn't exactly said no all together, though finding anyone who was never allowed over, never allowed to see her outside of school, and just never allowed to be with her in general was impossible.

The only person she'd ever, ever  been close to was Josie in the fourth grade, but that hadn't ended well.

As Aria took in the surroundings of her home, the pure happiness she had been feeling didn't last nearly as long as she had hoped for. The deep reality of how fucked she really was set in, rushing through her brain in waves that didn't seem to stop.

Aria sank to the floor, back against the wooden wall, bringing her hands up to her head, latching onto her hair and tugging at it fiercely. Splinters poked through her green hoodie, scratching at her skin.

"I'm not going to last here. I'm going to be broke in a matter of weeks. I can't stay here. I can't go back. But I can't stay. But where do I go if I can't stay here or go back there?!" She whispered repeatedly, chewing on her gums in thought.

Her short fuelled temper caught up with her, causing the girl to shove a sleeve from her hoodie in her mouth just in time to muffle the unpredictable, bloodcurdling scream which erupted from her mouth.

Her head lay back against the wall, and her eyes her blinking rapidly. 

"mierda.." (shit)

Forcing her weak legs to push her body up from the ground, Aria managed to grab her phone and wallet and sprint out the door before she could second guess her actions.

The brunette threw herself into her car and drove away. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she couldn't sit at home and wait for everything to be alright. She had to do it herself. On her own. Alone. Again.

△△△

"-I can cook, clean, and serve. I am a fast learner and a hard worker. I live nearby, so i-i can get here quickly if you need-"

Aria's sturdy rambling was directed towards a dark skinned middle aged man. He looked confused, as if no one had ever asked him for work. Which would be surprising seen as he was the owner of the diner she stood in.

Aria had kept driving until she came across a diner with a 'help wanted' sign splattered across the side of the building in messy red paint. If the Earth was giving her a sign, that would have probably been it.

She looked eagerly up at the man, who's name tag read Mike Carrera. He was leant against a countertop, the early morning sun outlining deep lines of thought on his skin. He squinted at her curiously as she continued to ramble, frustration growing into amusement.

"Mr. Carrera I really think-"

"I'll hire you kid.. If you stop talking." He spoke suddenly, cutting Aria off mid-sentence, a hand running down his face.

"What?" She blurted. It had never been this easy to find work back in Detroit.

The man rose an eyebrow. "We're low on staff. I've found from experience the younger employees work harder, for your own sake you best hope you'll work up to my expectations."

The flustered brunette shone her signature grin, relief rushing through her veins. Maybe she could hold onto her house a little longer than anticipated.

Mr. Carrera rest his palms on the table, he too, seemed to be relieved to have the pressure of hiring staff lifted off his shoulders.

His face looked stern, though she could see his kind, tired eyes behind the wall he'd built. It made her wonder what path he'd taken to get here. Maybe it was like her's. Doubt it.

"So miss.." He rose an eyebrow again, snapping her away from her pointless daydreams and back to the face of reality.

"Covelli. Aria Covelli." Her grin widened, reaching out to shake his rough hand.

He returned his palms to rest on the counter. "Miss Covelli. Let's talk hours."