After the call with Alessio, I decided to talk to Antonio. I went to his room, where he was, as usual, engrossed in work. "Tony," I called out to him, and he turned to look at me with a smile. "Hey, bambina. What brings you to my room this fine evening?"

I took a deep breath before speaking. "I was thinking, maybe it's time for us to go back to school."

His expression hardened instantly. "Not yet," he said curtly.

I tried to reason with him. "Tony, we've skipped so many weeks of school. You don't want to admit it, but you know it's not good for our education, especially Stephano. If he keeps skipping, he might not graduate."

Antonio looked at me for a long time, his eyes searching mine. Then, he sighed, ran his hand through his hair, and set his work aside. "Bambina, you got poisoned at school. None of you are safe anywhere outside this house. Why can't you understand that?" He spoke with a desperate look in his eyes, his voice laced with concern

"I know, but we can't continue living our lives in fear," I said, my voice shaking. "We've done that for too long; it's enough now, Tony. We can't keep hiding. I'm tired of running." Tears fell from my eyes as I spoke.

Antonio's expression softened, and he pulled me into a hug. "Okay, okay, you can go to school. Just please don't cry."

I wiped my tears away, surprised by his sudden agreement. "Really?" I asked, and he hesitated before nodding.

"But there would be guards all around the school, ready to intervene if something were to happen," he added, his eyes serious.

I opened my mouth to protest, but he glared at me. "That or nothing," he said strictly.

I nodded, knowing I had to compromise. "Can we go have dinner now? Stop working so much," I said, pulling him with me.

"The mafia is still number one thanks to my work," he said cockily.

I rolled my eyes. "I know that, but it doesn't mean you'll ignore your health for it. You have eye bags; did you sleep yesterday?" I asked, concern etched in my voice.

Antonio remained silent, avoiding my gaze. I decided to drop it for now and focus on dinner.

When we got to the dining room, everyone was already seated so we took our seats

"This looks amazing" I said looking at the art on my plate

"Thank you" Emilio said softly and I clamped my mouth shut, silently cursing myself for saying anything

"You guys are going to school tomorrow. So get your things ready" Antonio said and it was quiet for some time

"Fuck yes" Xander said and we all stared at him in shock

"This kid has never been excited to go to school before. Are you okay?" Xavier said looking genuinely concerned for his twin

"Shut up. I'm tired of staying at home all day everyday. If going to school means I can go out then I'll take what I can get" Xander said

"We can really go?" Matteo asked

"Yes bud" Tony replied plainly, I can tell he really doesn't want us out of the house

"We can't protect them at school Antonio" Ales said

"I'll place some men at every corner of the school, they'll be safe" he said softly and started eating

That was a sign for everyone to drop it. He wouldn't change his mind about the issue, thankfully

After eating, I took a shower and went to bed. I hope I can get some answers from Alessio

~~~~~~~ "Bambina" I felt someone tapping me and I opened my eyes tiredly

"I suggest you get up now if you don't want to be late on your first day back at school" Ales said

"Five more minutes" I mumbled, burying my head in the pillow

"Absolutely not. Get up right now" he said sternly and pulled the covers off me

"Alright" I said and reluctantly went into the bathroom

I took a shower and went into my closet. I got dressed in a crop top and cargo pants

I went downstairs but the boys weren't down yet. So much for wanting to be early

I went to the kitchen and made some toast and a coffee for myself. I finished eating but they weren't down yet

Dom came downstairs and looked around before his eyes fell on me

"Where are the boys?" He asked and I shrugged

"Unbelievable" he muttered, shaking his head and going back upstairs

Soon after, the others began to trickle down. I waited for them to eat and we finally left the house and headed to school with the guards following us closely in another car

When we reached the familiar building, we were late so no students were in the parking lot.

"You guys be careful. If you spot anything suspicious, call Antonio immediately" Stephano instructed and we nodded before walking into the school

We parted ways and I knocked on the door to my english class, a sour tone barked from inside, saying 'come in' and I just knew I was already in trouble

I entered the class and came face to face with my angry looking english teacher.

"Why are you late to my class young lady?" My english teacher asked, looking at me with a sneer etched on her face

"There's no excuse for my lateness. I'm sorry it won't happen again" I said not wanting to start an argument with her

My response seemed to please her and she nodded and continued teaching. I scanned the room, hoping to catch my friends' attention but they were all engrossed in their conversation so I took a seat in the front row.

I tried to concentrate on the lesson but my mind kept on wandering, Alessio isn't here, he should be here.

The bell rang and I watched my friends walk out the door and I frowned. What's with them?

The day went by quickly and soon it was lunch. I didn't want to go to the cafeteria so I just stayed in an empty classroom with my lunch

The door opened and the person I had been looking for this entire time graced me with his presence

"Hey," I said, unsure of what else to say.

"I see you're eager to know what I was talking about," he said with a slight smirk.

"Yes, I am," I answered, not bothering to deny it.

"Your mother's boyfriend is coming after you" he said seriously

That's old news but how does he know?

"You're confusing me. How do you know that?" I asked.

He sighed and blurted out, "Your brothers are the Italian mafia."

"What do you mean?" I asked, playing dumb

"I mean, they're the Italian mafia. I know this because my brother is the capo of the Spanish mafia. I found out Luke is after you because he contacted an assassin from our mafia to take you out."

I feigned shock. "Wow."

He tried to reassure me, "I know this is a lot to take in, but I promise I won't let anyone hurt you. Your brothers won't either."

I studied him for a moment, trying not to laugh at his serious expression. I couldn't believe he called me just to reveal this.

He noticed my calm demeanor and raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem so surprised."

I shrugged. "That's because I already knew all that."

His eyes widened in shock. "Wait, you know someone's after you?" he asked, and I nodded.

"How the fuck are you so calm when you know someone wants to literally kill you?!" He snapped, his voice laced with frustration, and I rose my eyebrows at him, taken aback by his outburst.

"I'm sorry for my tone, it just doesn't make any sense to me," he added, shaking his head.

"My brothers told me about the mafia when I first got here, so I knew from the beginning what I was getting myself into. I knew Luke was trying to kill me because he texted me some months ago, the usual bullshit threats and intimidation tactics," I explained, my voice nonchalant, and he nodded finally understanding my calm demeanor.

"So, what are they doing to keep you safe?" he asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

"If you need any help, I'm willing to speak to my brother for you," he offered, his tone sincere.

"I'll think about it and talk to my brothers first," I said, appreciating his willingness to help. He nodded, seeming satisfied with my answer.

"I saw your friends at the cafeteria," he said, a knowing glint in his eye.

"Don't they know you're back?" he asked, curiosity etched on his face.

"They're mad at me," I admitted, feeling a twinge of guilt.

"Why?" he asked and sat down next to me.

I took a deep breath before explaining, "I've been so caught up with everything that's been happening lately that I forgot to talk to them. They feel like I ghosted them, which I didn't intentionally do. My mind has been in so many places; I didn't even have time to think about them." I looked down, feeling a bit ashamed.

"Is that why you came here instead of going to the cafeteria?" he asked, his voice gentle. I hesitated before nodding.

"Get up," he said, standing up and looking at me expectantly. I looked at him in confusion.

"Why?" I asked

"We're going to eat at the cafeteria," he said, a determined look on his face. I shook my head, feeling anxious

"I don't want to face them yet," I said, my voice barely above a whisper

"If they're truly your friends, they wouldn't jump to conclusions or make assumptions. They'd approach you directly and talk to you as soon as they saw you in class, instead of being petty and ignoring you."

He kind of did have a point but I feel like it's mostly my fault. Every time they wanted to hang out, I couldn't because of the constant threats. I'm largely to blame for their cold behavior towards me

"If you're still unsure, apologize to them when you get there. If they don't forgive you, then you'll know for sure they're not the right friends for you," he said, pulling me up from my seat. He held my hand, ensuring I wouldn't back out, and led me to the cafeteria.

When we arrived, I saw them sitting at our usual table. He gave me a gentle push in their direction. "I'll be waiting for you. Just say what you need to, no pressure," he said, then walked away.

I approached their table, and they all turned to face me. I stood there for a moment, collecting my thoughts. "Hey, guys," I said, breaking the silence.

"Hey." Blake was the only one who responded

I took a deep breath and continued, "I know you're all mad at me, and I don't blame you. I want to apologize for unintentionally ghosting you guys. A lot has been happening with my family, and I got caught up in it all. I'm sorry if my distant behavior hurt you guys."

"I can't speak for the others, but I was never mad at you," Blake said with a slight smile. I returned the smile, feeling a sense of relief.

I looked at the others, but they remained silent. I sighed and turned to leave, feeling a bit defeated. But then, I felt someone grab my hand. I turned to see Aria smiling at me.

"I forgive you, girl. Sorry for ignoring you; it was Ethan's idea," Aria said, and Ethan's mouth dropped open in surprise.

Blake spoke up, his gaze directed at the others. "Are you guys going to continue pretending to be mad at her?"

Nathan and Kyle chimed in unison, "I'm not."

The twins and Ethan still refused to acknowledge me. I realized I couldn't force them to forgive me. I had apologized sincerely, and that's all that mattered.

"Thank you" I said to the others and calmly walked away

The day ended quickly and we could finally go home. Thankfully, nothing happened today

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