Older Brothers | Mafia Overprotective

chapter seven - first day of school

this one's a long one, get ready.

The shrill sound of the alarm pierced through the quiet room, jolting me awake. I groaned, realizing that it was time to get ready for the first day of school. Still half-asleep, I reached for my phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up with an incoming FaceTime call from Annabelle.

I answered, and Annabelle's face filled the screen, her hair in the middle of being combed. "Morning, sleepyhead!" she chirped. "What are you wearing today?"

I rubbed my eyes, still trying to shake off the grogginess. "I'm thinking of wearing that long-sleeved top with the low cut and the low-waisted jeans with the hearts on the back."

Annabelle's eyes lit up. "Ooh, cute! Are you gonna wear any jewelry?"

"Yeah," I nodded, as I stood up and made my way to the bathroom. "I'll wear the silver design earrings and the cross necklace you got me."

"Perfect! You're gonna look sooooo good," Annabelle said with a big grin.

I couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. "What about makeup?" she asked, tilting her head slightly as she continued to comb her hair.

"Maybe just some concealer," I replied, grabbing my toothbrush and squeezing out some toothpaste.

"Concealer? Girl, I'm doing full-on face makeup today," Annabelle said with a playful eye roll.

I chuckled as I brushed my teeth, finishing up quickly before reaching for my perfume. "Thanks again for the Miss Dior perfume, by the way," I said, giving myself a few spritzes.

Annabelle smiled, giving her own bottle a spritz. "You're welcome! I've got the YSL Libre today."

"Nice," I nodded approvingly. "We're gonna smell amazing."

As I hung up with Annabelle, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves start to build up. It was the first day of school, and I wanted to make a good impression. With Annabelle's encouragement and a little bit of extra effort, I felt ready to face whatever the day had in store.

I was just finishing up getting ready when I heard three knocks on my door. I turned around to see Dante and Lucian standing there. Dante smiled warmly. "Mind if we come in?"

I nodded, gesturing for them to enter. Lucian stepped in first, looking a bit apologetic. "Sorry we didn't see you yesterday, Isabella. I had college, and Dante was at work."

I waved off their concern. "It's fine, really. I figured you both were busy. And I know why Vincent didn't come home until late—he got into a fight with Nero, didn't he?"

Dante nodded, a flicker of concern crossing his face. "Yeah, he did. But how are you feeling about your first day of school?"

I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "I'm not really worried. Annabelle told me what to expect, and she's going to introduce me to her friend group, so I should be fine."

Dante smiled, a little more relaxed now. "I'm glad to hear that. Just make sure you text me every five minutes, okay? And if absolutely anything is wrong, I want to know immediately."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "You're such a worrywart, Dante. I'll be fine."

Lucian leaned against the doorframe, looking a bit more serious. "I'm sorry Dad isn't here to send you off. He should be, you know?"

I shrugged again, but this time with less humor. "I'm kind of glad he's not. I... kind of hate him, to be honest."

Both Dante and Lucian frowned at that, exchanging a confused glance. "Why?" they asked almost in unison.