The Hierarchy

Chapter 4:Forced Into Fun

I step into the main hallway and it falls silent. You could hear a pin drop from miles away. Eyes are on me.

"Queen of the school is naked from her crown." some junior remarks.

People laugh at me. Sneer at me. Look at me with disgust. Some whisper that I deserve what I got. That it was payback or karma for all of the bad things I have done. It has been like this for a whole week. At least I've lasted a whole week. I'll be fine tonight. It's Friday. There's no football game. So lucky me, I can stay home for the first Friday in my life.

I walk up to my locker and pop it open to fish out the books from inside. I quickly stack up one on top of the other and shut it.

"Hey, Reecie." A too familiar voice says and once I see his eyes, it becomes clear. 

"Liam, go away," I say forcing myself not to cry in front of his smug face.

"Oh, come on. You know it was just a little joke." He nudges my shoulder and I take a step back.

"A little joke? A little joke. You think that was a little joke? You must be insane because it literally cost me everything. My reputation. My life. My friends." I spat with tears springing to my eyes.

"Come on Reece, you're over exaggerating this." he insists. "Hang out with me."

"You?" I shake my head and shuffle past him. "I'll pass."

I overhear his footsteps following behind me. "Come on. Just three hours. You can leave after three hours."

"I said no, Liam. Go away."

"It'll be fun, trust me." He perceives me.

"Bye Liam!" I call waving my hand from behind me and stepping into the classroom.

"I'll pick you up at eight."

***

"Is this right?" Angelo asks me at home later that night.

I look over at the pasta sauce he's been making for mom. I smell it first but when that doesn't satisfy me I take the spoon and lick it before dropping it back in the pot. I grin at him. "è delizioso, assolutamente fantastico!"

He laughs and puts some more oregano in the pot. " I love when you talk in Italian."

I learned Italian at a young age and so did my mother and grandmother. My mom became so preoccupied with me and Lorenzo that she never got around to really teaching Angelo and Leo. They understand it, but they don't know how to speak it.

"Well thank mom."

"Thank mom for what?" She asks coming into the room and leans against the counter with her hands on her hips. Her hair is messily thrown up and her blue-gray eyes are vibrant and vivid. She is wearing an off the shoulder sweater and mom jeans. She's wearing little to no makeup and she still manages to look stunning. My mom never wears makeup. Her beauty comes naturally.

"For being the wonderful Italian you are." I singsong. I kiss her cheek and she smiles. It mirrors mine.

"Mommy! Enzo took Herbie and he won't give him back!" Leo cries running into the room.

Mom bends down and picks him up. Lorenzo lazily saunters into the room whistling like nothing is wrong. His eyebrows shoot up and a sly smile appears on his face. The same smile dad gives mom when he sees her looking absolutely stunning. "Oh, hey mom."

She raises an eyebrow and narrows her eyes. "Don't 'oh hey mom' me, mister. Where's Herbie?"

Herbie would be Leo's turtle blanket. It's one of those weird blankets that's half stuffed animal half blanket.