Sorellina | ✔️

Chapter Seventeen

I sit up, wiping the sleep from my eyes and look around. I'm laying in my bed, I look around my room, it's barely light out, the clock lets me know it 7:23am.

I climb out of bed and get my uniform on, brushing my hair out and pulling it into a ponytail.

I walk downstairs as I button up my school cardigan, deciding against the blazer today.

Alessandro is sitting at the kitchen table, "Good morning, Maddie," He says.

"Good morning," I say hoarsely, yawning and going to find something small for breakfast.

"Sit. I'll make breakfast," He says, standing up from the table and dropping 2 slices of bread into the toaster.

Once the bread is in, he crosses his arms and leans back against the counter. His eyes burn a hole in me as he analyzes me. I don't dare make eye contact with him though, I'm never good with eye contact let alone with my most intimidating brother.

I feel the need to justify what happened last night when I had a minor panic attack. "I don't do well with blood," I say softly, "Or just...Violence in general. And then Elijah had blood on his shirt...Why did he have blood on his shirt?" The sight from last night haunts a corner in my mind, "His knuckles were bruised. He hurt somebody," I say.

Alessandro continues watching me intensely, staying silent for a few seconds as if he's picking apart my brain telepathically. He turns back to the toast, taking it out, "Someone attempted to rob him on his way home from work last night."

Of course. That makes sense and it makes me feel stupid for getting so worked about it. "Right."

"Here. Eat. You're riding to school with Xander and Carlo," He sets the toast down in front of me, taking a sip from my glass before setting it down in front of me.

I never voiced my sheer appreciation that they adapted to my request for them to try it first. It's to the point where they don't even think about it anymore and I appreciate it more than I could ever actually say even though it's a small thing and probably dumb in their eyes.

Xander walks into the kitchen scrolling on his phone, he grabs one of my half slices of toast off my plate and eats it, walking back out of the kitchen.

"Xander," Sandro says sharply.

"She wasn't gonna eat it anyway," Xander calls back in.

He's right. I wasn't.

About 15 minutes later, I'm in the back of Xander's car with Xander and Carlo on the way to school. When we arrive, I climb out of the back of the car, sliding my bookbag onto my back and shutting the door behind me.

"Have a good day at school," Carlo says ruffling my hair.

"Thanks," I say.

I walk into the school and drop my things in my locker, someone closes it for me, I jump out of the way before my hand gets crushed in it.

The blonde from yesterday is standing there, same strawberry lip gloss. I fight the urge to roll my eyes so hard if only for Xander's sake.

"Who are you?" I say.

"My name is Emma, and I'm Xander's girlfriend. I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but I would highly advise you stay away from my boyfriend, I don't know if you're trying to screw him, or steal him, but regardless-"

"He's literally an upperclassmen, I'm 13. And plus, he's my brother," I say.

She rolls her eyes, "I don't remember asking if he was your brother, because I literally don't give a fuck. Just stay away from him, okay?"