𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 | ✓

𝐗𝐈𝐕 - 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

(edited)

The first four hours were absolute torment. The teachers barked orders like drill sergeants, their voices sharp and unforgiving. The students, in turn, were absolutely chaotic! Shouting nonsense, laughing at nothing, and entirely unfocused. Hannah and I had all three classes of the first period together, except for French. She had opted for German.

Now, I was alone in French class, watching the clock with desperate anticipation. 'Ugh, I already know the articles! Why are we going over this again?' I silently screamed at the teacher, though I kept my face still, feigning interest. I felt invisible, irrelevant, until I heard the sweetest sound imaginable: the bell.

A jolt went through the room as students sprang from their seats like something had bitten them. They rushed toward the door in a frenzy, leaving me blinking in stunned silence. 'They're worse than my class back in Greece...' I chuckled to myself, gathered my belongings, and headed out.

But as I stepped into the hallway, I froze.

Dylan, Cole, Alex, and their entire crew, were standing outside my classroom. And just a few meters away, Hannah sat curled into herself, visibly tense, her body language screaming discomfort. She must have noticed my brothers and their friends before I did. Her arms were crossed tightly, her posture guarded.

I gave my brothers a small, polite wave and walked toward Hannah, who looked more anxious than ever.

"Shall we go?" she asked quickly, her voice low and urgent. She was clearly eager to escape. I couldn't understand why. Sure, Dylan could be intense, but Alex and Cole? They were harmless. Sweet, even.

Still, as I glanced back, I noticed Alex and Cole watching me with admiration, like I was Captain America or something. Dylan, however, was glaring, even though I couldn't tell if it was at me or at Hannah. The whole situation was... uncomfortable.

Hannah grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the cafeteria. It was already packed, but thankfully, no one paid us any mind as we entered. I exhaled in relief. Being the center of attention was my personal nightmare.

My brothers and their friends, mercifully, didn't follow us, which seemed to ease Hannah's nerves. We picked up our lunch and found a quiet table tucked near the windows overlooking the schoolyard. Sunlight streamed in, casting patterns across the table, but Hannah's face, normally pale as snow, was flushed a deep red.

'Why is she so jumpy?' I wondered. 'Have my brothers done something to her? Are they bullies? Should I be worried too? No, they're my family. They'd never hurt me... right?'

Before I could untangle my spiraling thoughts, Hannah broke the silence. "Why did you smile at them?" she hissed, her tone as if I'd just given a serial killer a high-five.

"Um... I was just being polite?" I stammered. 'Good job, Nef. Keep questioning yourself like a lunatic'. I mentally smacked myself again.

Hannah stared at me like I'd grown a second head. "You mean you don't know who they are?"

I blinked. 'Yeah? They're my brothers? The real question is: why are you so afraid of them?'

I leaned across the table, lowering my voice so no one could overhear. She mirrored my posture and whispered "They basically run this school. People don't cross them. They've beaten up anyone who got in their way. Almost every girl here is in love with them, and the rest, including some teachers, are just scared of them!" she glanced around, leaned in even closer, and whispered so quietly I barely heard her "I've even heard they're in the mafia."

I couldn't help it! I laughed straight into her face. Thankfully, not too loudly. 'My brothers? In the mafia? What are we, a Wattpad fanfiction'? The idea was laughable. Dylan might be intimidating, sure. But Cole and Alex? They were giant teddy bears. Whoever started that rumor had a very vivid imagination.

Still, the tension in Hannah's face didn't ease. She looked at me like I was insane for not taking her seriously. Just as she opened her mouth, probably to bombard me with more outlandish evidence. the cafeteria doors swung open.

The room fell silent.

"There they are!" Hannah breathed into my ear, straightening up as if on cue. "The Agostino brothers and their crew."

I followed her gaze. There they were. Cole, flanked by two friends. Then came the twins, and another unfamiliar boy beside Alex. They moved with the kind of swagger that made it impossible not to look at them. Just like in the movies

Two Barbie-clone girls immediately latched onto Dylan, who threw an arm over each of their shoulders like he was some kind of dark prince. The group moved toward the center of the cafeteria, occupying the most visible table, completely unfazed by the stares they attracted. One of the twins smirked like he knew exactly how much power they held. Guess who!

In the corner of my eye, I caught a familiar face. The same girl who had been at our house earlier, her expression twisted with envy. 'Take that, Barbie' I thought with a smirk.

To be fair, their friends were good-looking. Too good-looking. And despite myself, a tiny part of me started wondering if maybe... just maybe... Hannah's warnings weren't entirely unfounded.

My gaze was fixed on them until Cole turned his head. His eyes scanned the room. And finally locked on me.

I looked away quickly, facing Hannah, whose expression said 'I told you so' even if her face barely moved. She had a damn good poker face. I couldn't tell whether she was smug or genuinely worried.

I grinned and mouthed 'shut up' at her playfully. Her eyes widened in alarm, and before I could question why...

A tap on my shoulder.

I turned.

Cold, piercing brown eyes met mine, intense and unreadable. But they weren't Dylan's. They were Alex's.

My breath caught.

He wore a faint smile, but his eyes told a different story. A warning. A silent message I couldn't quite decipher. I glanced at Hannah. She looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"Hey!" I managed weakly, my voice unsure. 'Come on, Nef. He's your brother. Talk like a normal human being!' I internally groaned.

Alex's smile deepened ever so slightly as he placed a hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Then he bent down, lips near my ear, voice low and firm.

"After school," he said, the warmth stripped from his tone, "we need to talk."

___________________________________________

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Pleeeeeease!!

Lots of love, Nefeli 💕