Tainted Innocence

C H A P T E R 3

"I never had thoughts that controlled me, until something bad left me so lonely"

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Leilani

I wipe the sweat from my hands onto my pants. Despite me desperately wanting friends, I wasn't the most extroverted person. I had really bad social anxiety. So approaching a large group of people wasn't helping that.

"Hey I'm Matteo, this is my sister, Leilani," Matteo says introducing me. The group of people looked up at me, and I just gave them a small wave in return. Matteo laughed nervously "She's shy,' he added before nudging me softly. In return, I just gave him a tight-lipped smile.

My nerves were taking over me, I couldn't even speak, all I could do was stand there and look stupid, while Matteo conversed. I wish I was able to talk to people that easily, I thought. In the corner of my eye, I see a wave of blonde hair approaching me.

She looked familiar with her stained red lips and edgy eyeliner, must be one of mom's friend's daughter, I thought. My guess seemed to be true when she enveloped me in a hug. Her perfume instantly hitting me in the nose. She smelt like roses. "Hey Leilani, it's been a while since I have seen you what have you been up to?" She asked smoothly. I took in her appearance, she had on a plaid flannel with a white tube top, and baggy pants. Are those boxers? I thought. Her neck holds two necklaces and a choker. Why is she dressed like it's 2018? I thought it was weird, but it suited her nonetheless.

I could barely speak, stunned by her beauty. "Um nothing much, I just graduated high school the other day," I stammered out in one quick breath. She gave me a small smile before seating me down and making small talk.

"You should invite me over sometime Leilani," the girl whose name that I learned was Zoé said to me. I gasped, had I finally made a friend, I thought. I give her a nod before smiling at her.

"Leilani let's go," papá voice boomed from around the corner. I instantly shoot up from my seat, giving Zoé a small wave before scurrying off to Papá. Papá gives me a questioning look "I hope you weren't talking to that girl Leilani, she's bad news, "Papá gruffed out.

I looked at him confusingly, bad news? I questioned. "She is interested in the same sex," Papá spits out before adding on "I don't want you in the company of people like that."

Interested in the same sex? Did that mean that Zoé was interested in me? I thought. I didn't understand why papá was so adamant about me not hanging out with Zoé. Despite that, I just nodded because Papá was always right. "Leilani be ready tomorrow by 7:30 so we can head down to the church, you too Matteo," papá reminded.

Papá was very religious, he was raised in a catholic family, therefore he raised his kids as Catholics. From a very young age papá enforced the religion on us and made sure that we followed the Bible.

I nodded my head in response while Matteo made some weird grunt sound in affirmation. I never understood why papá was so adamant about religion, maybe it was just a sense of grounding. Soon we arrived at the car, papá unlocked the doors and then we began our journey home.

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Papá pulls into the driveway before unlocking the car doors. The tension in the car was thick. It wasn't thick for any particular reason though, papá just had that effect everywhere he went. Dominating a room with his presence until it was suffocating, that's why I didn't like to be around him for too long. So I instantly rush out of the car and into the house.

Upon entering the house I'm instantly hit with the aroma of spaghetti and sigh. Don't get me wrong, I love spaghetti but I'm just so tired of eating it. Mamá cooks more spaghetti than papá and he's the one who's freaking Italian, it's quite ridiculous. To make matters worst she makes enough soagethhi to last the four of us for a week, which instantly lets me know she's not cooking anymore this week.

"Spaghetti again?" Papá grumbled from under his breath. It seemed for once Papá and I were on the same page. "What's wrong with spaghetti? You should be grateful that I'm cooking at all," Mamá remarked with a small scowl on her face, and in return Papá just rolled his eyes before heading into his study.

"Can you believe that Matteo? Spaghetti Again?! I swear that man gonna make me hurt him," Mamá complained making quotation marks with her hands and everything. It was quite funny.

"Well for what it's worth I like spaghetti," Matteo sucked up before kissing mamá on her forehead. I rolled my eyes before heading upstairs, to my room.

While I'm taking off my clothes I feel something in my pocket, it was a crumbled piece of paper with numbers on it and I noticed a name on it.

The name read, Zoé.

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850 words

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Hey guys hope you all enjoyed this lil chapter

zoé is not THE love interest and she's definitely not A love interest . she's just a hot girl yfm.

also sorry Abt the whole spaghetti snippit I had a brain fart n didn't know what else to write😭I js knew that I wanted to end this chapter

whatchall think Leilani gon do w zoé's number? lmk

as always love y'all n drink water to have sum good 🤫