Little Sweet Obsessions

Il Passato

Age 8-1971
Boston, Massachusetts

"Can I play?" Samira asked. She had her hair in two curly buns and she wore a pretty yellow dress with with polka dots.

She had always been the most well mannered and sweetest kid anyone had known. Always shared, always kind.

She smiled at her Godbrothers who were playing together with her two bottom teeth missing.

"Yeah!" Vincenzo smiled making room for her. Jovani narrowed his eyes as she sat next to him. "Hi Jovani." She smiled. Jovani went back to playing with the cars and moved away from her.

He didn't like her. He just didn't.

Anytime she came around Jovani, who barely interacted with people in the first place, would immediately shut down. His body refused to acknowledge her presence in a polite manner.

He purposely would only speak in Italian because she didn't understand it. Vincenzo would scold him for being rude but Jovani didn't care. He didn't feel like making friends.

"I drew you a picture." Samira blushed handing Vincenzo a picture of a flower. Jovani didn't like this interaction either. He didn't know why it just bothered him. It was like she was trying to steal his brother away.

Vince thanked her with a smile and Jovani just grew irritated as he angrily looked at the picture.

It was a yellow flower. Everything Samira wore or drew was yellow. He hated it.

"It's horrible." He snapped. Samira and Vincenzo looked up at him in shock that he even spoke English. Samira's lip quivered before she politely took the picture back and got up. She walked to her mother and sat next to her without saying a word.

"Why are you so mean to her!" Vincenzo yelled at him. "Because she's annoying!" Jovani snapped back.

"She's a nice girl J, I don't know why you talk to her like that." Vincenzo shook his head in disapproval. At 10 years old he was the voice of reason just like his father. He always had to be the one pulling Jovani off the edge when he would get in trouble in school.

"Do you have a crush on her or something?" Vincenzo asked. Jovani's face turned hot red and his eyes widened at the accusation.

"N-No! Never! Are you crazy?" Jovani sputtered. "You definitely like her." Vincenzo taunted.

"I don't stop it Vince." He was getting angry. Vincenzo laughed and shook his head. "Don't worry maybe she'll be my girlfriend when we grow up. She's nice to me." He said teasingly.

Jovani angrily picked at the grass. "I don't care she's ugly."

"Really? I think she's pretty." Vince egged him on. He watched his brothers little fists clenched and his breathing pick up.

"I said I don't care Vincenzo go away!"

Vincenzo smiled before running off in Samira's direction. Jovani looked at them playing together in anger. Who did this girl think she was?

He watched them giggle and play together as if he didn't exist. Jovani couldn't stand her. Why was she smiling like that at Vince? Why couldn't she just not play with Vince?

Once Vincenzo was gone Jovani marched right up to her. "I know what you're doing. You have a big fat crush on my brother. He doesn't like you and he won't ever like you."

"That's... that's not true." Samira felt her eyes water. "Yeah it is he told me. He doesn't want to talk to you. So stop talking to him." Jovani glared at her.

Samira stood up angrily. "Why are you so terrible Jovani Giordano?"

Jovani flinched at her words. "Why are you all wet Samira Howard?"

"Huh?" She was confused until Jovani pushed her and she landed in the little pond. Jovani thought he would feel satisfied that he won but the look on her face when she stood up didn't feel right.

He saw her lips quiver and her eyes look up at him afraid. "Samira I'm so-"

Her pretty yellow dress was stained with mud and her hair was all wet and frizzing out of her buns. Her picture she drew for Vince was ruined. Samira finally burst into tears
Running for the mothers.

Mage's eyes widened when she saw her baby girl crying her eyes out soaking wet. Jolene stood up with a scary expression on her face before she snatched Jovani up and took him to the bathroom where he proceed to get the beating of a lifetime.

Once Jo was done she squatted to face him. "Now you are going to go to Auntie Mage and Samira and apologize. I did not raise a bully, if you want to be mean I can get mean too."

Jovani swallowed and nodded wiping his tears. He begrudgingly walked to Samira and Mage. Mage frowned and Samira tucked herself into the comfort of her mothers arms.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled. "Speak up and use their names." Jolene sat back down. Jovani sighed. "Auntie Mage it was very wrong of me to push Samira in the pond. Samira I'm so sorry I was so mean to you, you can play with us. I hope you both accept my apology."

Mage nodded. "Thank y-you for apologizing, please don't do that again." She said sternly. Motherhood gave Mage a backbone and her stutter improved so much.

"Do you want to play with me and my cars?" He asked Samira. She shook her head no. It inwardly hurt his feelings but he brushed it off as another reason to not like her.

He ran back to his cars and began playing with his younger brother Donatello. Every now and then he would look back and see Samira coloring with Vincenzo. He didn't understand why he hated that so much but he was convinced it was because she was stealing his brother. She had to be secretly evil she just had to be.

Jovani didn't like Samira Howard.

____________________
Age 12-1976
Rome, Italy

"Well Samira how do you like Rome?" Gianni asked. She smiled. "It's beautiful Uncle Gianni thank you for letting us stay with you guys."

Jo gushed. Samira was such an angel. Jovani felt the jealousy creep in again she was after his parents now too, he but didn't say anything.

"Buongiorno signorina. Devi essere un ospite." A young Italian boy greeted Samira as she looked the at colosseum. "Huh?" She blushed. "I'm sorry I don't speak Italian."

(Good morning Ms. you must be a guest)

The boy smiled again and took her hand giving it a kiss. "Mi dispiace bellisma." He smiled. Samira knew what bellasima meant because of her uncle Gianni. She blushed a little bit.

Jovani pulled her back from the boy. "Lei non è interessata. Va al diavolo." He snapped.

(She isn't interested. Get lost)

The boy held his hands up in surrender before sauntering off. Samira exhaled her disappoint before frowning at Jovani and walked back towards the other kids.

Jovani crossed his arms and shook his head. He was just trying to help her. The kid was a beggar probably going steal her pretty necklace she had. But no Jovani is always the bad guy.

He rolled his eyes. Next time he swore he wasn't getting into her business ever again.