My Mafia Leader

Chapter 1

"Briar, it's time to get up," mum whispers as she rubs my exposed bare shoulder; I only sleep in my boxers and sleep pants year round.

"Mmm, five more minutes, please?" I mumble into my pillow as I snuggle deeper into my comfy bed and under my warm dark blue bedding.

"Sorry baby but you can't," she gently chuckles; groaning, I crack my left eye open to peer at her and she's softly smiling at me as she runs her fingers lightly through my disheveled hair.

"I'm sorry baby," she says standing from the side of my bed where she was sitting.

Rolling over, I throw my covers off my lanky body, stand on my feet and dig my toes into the fluffy, dark brown colored carpet and stretch my tired body.

"Breakfast will be done in fifteen minutes, okay?" she says walking out of my bedroom; nodding as I walk to my dresser to pull out fresh clothes - black ripped skinny jeans, black boxers and socks along with a long-sleeve lavender colored shirt before showering in my private bathroom.

Let me introduce myself - my name is Briar Henley Brown, yes, I'm aware some people might think my first name is 'femaine' but I don't care because I love it. My biological parents are Braylen Hope Brown and Brent Hanson Brow; my parents divorced when I was 2 years old and mum remarried when I was 6 years old to Bailey Anne. Yes, my mum is bisexual and no, this isn't the reason they divorced.

Over the years mum and mama adopted four children - Kamari Lynn, who is 12 years old and was adopted when she was 5 years old. Then there is Tatum James, who is 9 years old and was adopted when he was 2 years old. Kyrie Lei is 6 years old and was adopted when she 2 years old and last but not least is Rylan Cole, who is 2 years old and was adopted the day he was born.

Oh, I'm 17 years old and gay and bite me if you don't like it but please, don't literally bite me. I have one friend, my best friend and his name is Hadley Johnson, who is also 17 years old and bisexual. We're four months into our senior year, making it December 2020. After graduation, neither Hadley or I know what we want to do and we need to decide soon if we're going to college so we can apply to college. Leaving my bedroom with my backpack, wallet, cell and car keys, I join the rest of the family in the kitchen to have breakfast before we start our Friday.

"Alright, make your plates and eat," mama says to us, except for Rylan, who cann't make his plate; we have a table big enough for ten people, so there's three extra seats.

"Briar, do you have any plans for Christmas break in two weeks?" mama asks.

"Not really, Hadley and I will probably hang out and that's it," I blush.

"Briar, you should hang out with some of Hadley's friends, too," mum says.

This thought has my pulse and heart racing, my face is becoming flushed and my breathing is becoming harsh; I hate being around people and unfamiliar people and situations especially. I was diagnosed with social anxiety when I was 7 years old and I hate having this disorder.

"Briar!" mum hollers, catching my attention.

"I can't breathe," I gasp for air as mum crouches down in front of me, bringing my left hand to her chest as she takes deliberately slow breaths in and out.

"Follow my breathing, in and out," mum instructs and several long minutes later, I finally calm down and my face is on fire from embarressment.

"I'm sorry," I murmur avoiding mum and mama's gazes.

"It's okay, Briar, I'm sorry as I shouldn't have pushed the subject," mum softly returns as she brushes my sweaty hair from my forehead.

"I promise I'm trying," I promise her, hoping she and mama knows that I really am trying to control my panic attacks.

"We know you are, Briar," mama assures me as she tells the others to finish eating.

Shakily I finish my food before driving Kamari, Tatum and Kyrie to their schools and then myself to the high school. Mum drives Rylan to daycare on her way to work at the doctors office, she's a doctor and mama is an editor for a fashion magazine, so she picks Rylan up on her way home. Now, you might wonder how I can function at school and thankfully my school is small in total studen amount, my graduating class is only sixty students and that includes me, so my classes only have fifteen people in each.

Carefully thumping my forehead off the steering wheel after I've parked and turned the engine off and leave my head where it is for a few minutes until someone taps on my window. Snapping my head upwards, I find Hadley standing outside my car with a goofy grin until he sees my pasty complection.

Climbing out of my black 2015 Chevy Avalanche, shut the door and locking it with a weak smile at my best friend; "Hey Had."

"Hey yourself, what's wrong?" he worridly asks as he gives me a side hug.

"Nothing, I just had a small panic attack this morning is all," I shrug while we walk to the front door of the brick building.

"Dude, why the hell are you here this morning then?" he gasps taking my elboy into his right hand.

"I need to be here, duh," I shrug as we enter the school and head toward our lockers, which are next to each other.

"Bri," he sighs exsaperated as we open our lockers to grab out our supplies for our Biology class.

"I'm fine, I promise," I quickly try to assure my 6'2" tall, bulky, dirty-blond haired and blue eyed friend; people who are outside of our small town think that Hadley and I are brothers since we look similar - I have dirty-blond hair and blue eyes, too but I'm only 5'7" tall and lanky.

"Okay but if I think you're not fine, I'm yelling at you," he counters and I know he will, too.

The two of us make our way to our biology class and start our day of hell, oh I mean school and I won't bore you with the day there.