⇰ Seventeen-year-old Alora has spent her life in the shadows of pain and betrayal. When she's torn from the only world she's ever known and thrust into the arms of a family she never knew existed, healing feels impossible. But as she fights to rebui...
♫"YOU DONT KNOW THE HALF OF THE ABUSE."♫ ⇢ Heathens, TwentyOne Pilots
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"Alora, I have some news for you," Leone announces, his voice steady as he meticulously cuts into his steak. The silver glint of his knife catches the warm dining room light, but I barely notice.
I sit there, staring blankly at my untouched plate. My appetite has been nonexistent for days, but even if it weren't, the mere idea of food would turn my stomach now.
Leone clears his throat, as though preparing for something significant. "You will be attending the same school as Xander and Matteo," he says, his tone calm yet final.
The words hit me like a freight train. My chest tightens, and my hands instinctively clench around the fabric of my dress. I try to keep my face neutral, but inside, panic surges like a wildfire. School? Again? I had endured enough of that nightmare back home. The teasing, the isolation, the suffocating weight of expectations. I thought I had escaped all that when I came here.
"What the fuck?" Xander's voice slices through my spiraling thoughts, sharp and incredulous.
Leone's eyes narrow, his fork pausing mid-air. "Language, Xander," he scolds, his voice carrying an edge of warning.
"That's wonderful, Alora!" Matteo interjects, his expression lighting up with genuine enthusiasm. His grin is wide, his tone almost too cheerful for the situation. "I'm excited. It'll be great having you there with us!"
"I'm not," Xander mutters darkly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. His sharp tone grates against my frayed nerves.
My jaw tightens as I focus on the rhythmic clinking of utensils against plates. I dig my nails into the palms of my hands, the slight sting grounding me.
Xander makes me more mad than upset.
"You've got to be kidding me," Xander continues, his voice dripping with disdain. "I don't want to have to bear the responsibility of her."
That does it. The floodgates burst. My head snaps up, and I glare at him, heat rising to my face. "Just shut up already!" I spit, the words flying out before I can stop them. My chair screeches against the polished floor as I shove it back and rise to my feet.
The room falls into a tense silence. All eyes are on me, but I don't care. My chest heaves with anger, and my hands shake at my sides.
"I'm so done with you," I add, my voice low and trembling, before storming out of the dining room. My footsteps echo in the long hallway, each step harder than the last as I try to keep the tears from spilling over.
Behind me, I hear the faint murmur of voices, but I don't stop to listen. Matteo's soft voice, probably trying to smooth things over. Leone's measured tone, likely attempting to restore order. And Xander... I don't care what he has to say.
