𝐆𝐈𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐎, a young girl who's never known stability. Raised by a reckless, unstable mother, she spent her childhood caught between drug runs and police raids, ruining her right for a normal childhood. One night when her mother go...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
trigger warning
The smell hit me as soon as I stepped in the house. Alcohol, sweat, and a strong scent of weed. The bass from the speakers thudding through the floor and into my chest like a second heartbeat.
People push past me and Liv's already giggling at something and tugging on my wrist like she couldn't get inside fast enough.
The dress Sofia gave me clings, deep red and velvet-soft, with delicate floral patterns that catch the light when I move. It's short. And the thin straps dig into my shoulders, making me constantly aware of every pair of eyes in the room.
My hair fell down my back in loose waves, brushed and soft. My eyeliner was sharp, wings flicked just right. Sofia had layered on mascara until my lashes looked fake, and brushed a warm blush across my cheeks to make me look more alive than I felt. My lips were glossy and my cheeks shimmered.
But I liked how it made me look. And I liked how it made me feel.
Liv and Ariana were nice. Lively and upbeat but somehow still laid back enough that it didn't feel forced. Their energy was honestly contagious and with all of us together, I found myself feeling a little better about this than before.
My brothers were out of my mind tonight. At least that's what I'm hoping for.
Tonight wasn't about any of them. I realized that they can't just appear into my life and make demands, set rules, track my every move then call it 'protection'.
The truth is... I do care about them. How could I not, they're my brothers. Even if they feel like strangers sometimes.
I even find my heart sinking a bit when any of them are mad at me or when I argue with them even when I act like I don't care. I don't know why. I just don't want to lose them again.
But caring doesn't mean I have to let them control me. I'm not a kid anymore.
Before I can get lost in the thought, Sofia appears beside me, sliding in close. She takes my hand in hers, squeezing once for reassurance.
"Whenever you want to leave, just say the word and I swear, we're out of here," she says, glancing at me.
I nod, grateful, but force a smile anyway. "I'm fine," I lie.
She studies me for a second longer but eventually nods.
People were pressed together on the couch, half drunk, drinks in red cups. Someone was making out against the hallway wall. In the kitchen, where the smell of beer was sharpest, Ariana and Liv are talking to two guys, smiling and laughing without a care in the world.
I start to pivot, ready to vanish into the crowd of half-drunk strangers, when—
