Finding My Way

Chapter 1

ARIANA NICHOLS-DELGADO

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My name is Ariana Nichols, but everyone calls me Ari. I'm 25 years old and a successful entrepreneur living just outside of Atlanta. I was born and raised in Los Angeles with my father Elias Delgado, king of the Delgado Mafia, and my mother Juliana, their queen. That's right, I'm a mafia princess.

I'm an only child. There was a complication during my birth that required my mother to have a hysterectomy. My dad was never sad about not being able to have a son though. He said I was his princess and that my mom and I were all he needed to be happy.

He made up for not having a son by teaching me all types of things he normally would have taught his son. Like how to fight, use a gun, and once I was old enough, how to run his businesses and the mafia.

My mother was a fierce queen. Everyone respected her, and those who didn't, feared her as much as they feared my father, if not more. She was my everything...and when I lost her, my world came crumbling down.

- - - - - 10 years ago - - - - -

"Winter break cannot get here fast enough!" I sigh as I walk down the hallway with my two best friends Vivianne and Rianne.

"No kidding!" Vivianne lets out an exasperated groan. "Why can't they just let us off starting from Thanksgiving? Nobody is paying attention in class during this time anyway."

"Um...you don't normally pay attention in class Viv. What's the difference?" Rianne teases causing me to burst out laughing.

"Shut up!" Vivianne scowls, then reaches over and swats Rianne's arm.

We continue laughing as we walk down the hallway to the school cafeteria for lunch. We grab our food and head towards our normal lunch tables with the rest of the mafia kids. As we approach, I see Vivianne's twin brother Vince, her older brother Romeo, his best friends Liam and Aaron, and Amber, the only other girl around our age.

None of us can stand Amber though. She's so clingy and a complete bitch. She and her merry band of dingbats are always hanging around the guys, especially Romeo. I'll admit, the guys are all pretty good-looking, Romeo especially with his inviting eyes and warm smile. The problem with them is they know how good-looking they are and have no problem exploiting that gift to build their harem.

"Ugh...these barbies again." Rianne snorts and rolls her eyes. "Can we sit somewhere else? I'd like to not lose my appetite hearing them fawn all over the guys the entire lunch period."

"Ari, why can't you just use your mafia princess powers and shoo them away?" Vivianne asks softly so that only Rianne and I can hear her.

"There's no such thing as mafia princess powers." I giggle.

"Uh...yes there are, and you have them. You just don't use them." Rianne's tone is a mixture of sarcasm and annoyance. I roll my eyes and shake my head at her.

"Let's just sit here." I lead them to an empty table across from where we normally sit. I see Vivianne glaring hard at the girls around them. "Let it go, Viv. It's not a big deal."

"Can't you scare them a little Ari? Just enough so they'll stay away from them during lunch, and we can sit at our normal table?" Rianne pleads with me as she starts eating her lunch.

"I'm pretty sure they would hate it if I interfered in their love life like that. And besides, why would I want to do that anyway?"

"To save them of course. Those girls are like vultures attacking their prey." Vivianne growls as she continues to glare in the direction of her brothers. I glance over in the same direction and see two girls hanging all over Romeo. One is on his lap feeding him his lunch and the other is leaning against him running her hand through his hair. I don't know why, but I suddenly get the urge to pull them off him by their hair. I quickly turn back to Vivianne and Rianne.