Highschool

JOSEPHINE

"That would be all for today. Please remember to bring your book presentations tomorrow, yes Jackson, I'm mostly talking to you, and Josephine, could you stay for a moment?" Miss Walters glanced at me briefly to make sure I had heard her, and I swallowed. What had I done wrong? Oh God, I hope I'm not being sent to the principal's office. It must be about my missing biology homework.

My heart pounding, I slowly began packing my bag and saw Maya and Janu signaling that they'd wait for me. Thank goodness. The classroom was emptying out, and reluctantly, I walked up to the teacher's desk. "Yes, Miss Walters?"

"Josephine," Miss Walters began gently, "I just wanted to remind you that I'm still waiting for a response regarding the parents' ball. It's really important that we get an answer from you, so we can finalize the details. I hope everything is alright."

I felt my stomach tighten. I hadn't forgotten about the invitation. In fact, I had deliberately avoided giving Vito the invitation, since I was sure he wouldn't want to attend. After all, it wasn't like him to get involved in such formal events, and he surely had more important things to do than a stupid ball. So, I had kept quiet, hoping the matter would fade away.

But now Miss Walters was looking at me expectantly. I tried to smile, but it came out more as a nervous twitch of my lips. "I- I'm sorry, Miss Walters," I stammered. "I haven't had the chance to talk to Vito about it yet, and I think I lost my invitation."

She grinned knowingly. "Well, lucky for you, I still have one here." She reached into her bag and handed me a new invitation. I muttered a soft thank you as I took it from her. "That would be all from me," she said, her tone lighter now. "Do you have anything else to add?"

I hastily shook my head, eager to leave. "No, nothing else," I mumbled, still flustered, glad to be escaping the conversation.

"Alright then," she said, her voice warm. "Oh, and Josephine, I want you to know you're doing really well. You're keeping up with the others, and you're doing great."

I froze for a second. The unexpected praise made me feel a little lighter, and a tiny spark of pride flickered inside me. Miss Walters had always been kind, but hearing her acknowledge my efforts, especially when I was feeling overwhelmed, meant more than I realized. "Thank you, Miss Walters," I said softly. With that, I turned and left the classroom, the door closing behind me with a soft click. As I walked down the hallway, the invitation still clutched in my hand, I felt a mix of relief and unease. I was going to have to talk to Vito about this soon, but for now, at least I didn't have to worry about it anymore.

As I rounded the corner, I spotted Maya and Janu waiting for me by the lockers. They grinned as I approached, both looking at the blue paper in my hand. "So, what are you going to do about the ball?" Janu asked, her tone light.

I shrugged, not quite sure how to explain myself. "I haven't even talked to him yet. I think he'll probably say no, though. He's not into that kind of thing."

Maya nodded slowly, then sighed. "I get it. I'm having a hard time with it too, to be honest."

Janu raised an eyebrow. "Why? You're not planning to skip, are you?"

Maya shook her head. "No, I'm going. But my parents are divorced, and they can't stand each other. I don't even know who I should take. If I ask my dad, mum will probably be mad at my dad. And if I ask my mum, it'll be the same. It just feels— I don't know. Like I'll be making everything worse no matter what I do."

There was a sadness in Maya's voice that made me feel a bit guilty. I had never really thought about how difficult it must be for her to navigate situations like this. "I'm sorry, Maya," I said softly. "That sounds really tough."

Janu also grew serious, thinking for a moment. "What if you ask your grandma or your godfather? Just because it's called a parents' ball doesn't mean only parents have to come. Look at Josie, for example." Then it seemed like she realized what she had said, and she turned red. "Sorry, that was thoughtless of me."

I smiled softly. "No problem."

Maya's expression brightened a little. "Yeah, maybe that's an idea. I never thought of that. Thanks, Janu."

"You're welcome. Oh shit, is it really that late?" Janu glanced at her watch and sprinted off toward the sports hall. Maya and I exchanged a knowing look as we watched her go.

"I should probably go find Riccardo before he starts looking for me." I asked Maya.

"Yeah, you'd better, but I don't think you need to look for him anymore." She nodded behind me with a knowing look.

I turned around hastily, and sure enough, Riccardo was marching toward us. "I'm not late!" I called out before I even reached him, quickly waving to Maya before walking over to Riccardo. "You said we'd meet at 10 past, and we did," I said, checking my phone quickly. "Nine minutes past."

Riccardo grinned. "Not bad, but I'll take it as a victory. You're still here, and that's what counts." He winked playfully, and I rolled my eyes, a small smile tugging at my lips.

"Well, now that I'm officially not late, shall we get going?" I asked, trying to sound more confident than I felt. My brother shook his head and took my bag off my shoulder.

When I got home, my nerves kicked in full force. I had barely set foot inside when I started pacing around the living room, trying to figure out how to handle the situation with Vito.The house was quiet, and it didn't take long to realize Vito was not in his office at that moment. The perfect opportunity. I grabbed the invitation from my bag, feeling its weight in my hand. My heart was racing, and I was already regretting not taking care of this sooner. The house seemed so quiet now, but I knew I had to move fast. I tiptoed through the hallway, holding my breath as I neared his office. The door was slightly ajar, and I could see he wasn't there. This was my chance.

I took a deep breath and pushed the door open just enough to slide inside without making a sound. I made my way toward his desk while my pulse was thundering in my ears, and I felt my hands begin to tremble as I carefully placed the envelope on the edge of his desk, making sure it was visible but not too obvious. I almost felt like I was leaving behind a secret note, but I knew it was just a piece of paper with an invitation. Without giving myself a chance to second-guess, I quickly turned around and headed for the door. My heart was pounding, and I couldn't wait to escape. The last thing I needed was for him to notice me now.

I hurried down the hallway, almost running to my room. Once there, I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, trying to catch my breath. My hands were still shaking, and I couldn't believe how anxious I was just from leaving an invitation on his desk. I had done it. Now all I had to do was wait and see if Vito would say anything about it.

As it turned out, I didn't have to wait long at all. I only had to get through dinner.

The smell of pasta filled the house, and the sound of my brothers' chatter echoed through the kitchen. I tried to focus on the food in front of me, but all I could think about was the invitation still sitting on Vito's desk. What if he didn't even notice it? What if he thought I was being ridiculous for leaving it there?

"Tiny, pass the salt," Domenico said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I handed it to him without really looking up, my mind still preoccupied with the conversation earlier. That was when Vito's voice cut through the noise at the dinner table.

"Speaking of Josephine," Vito began, his tone more serious than usual and this time his words made everyone fall silent. My throat tightened as I looked up, feeling all eyes on me. I froze when Vito reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out the invitation, handing it to me. "I hope we can still register," he said, his voice low but firm.

My heart skipped a beat as I carefully took the envelope from him. The room was eerily quiet now, with all my brothers watching the exchange. I could feel the weight of the situation, but I didn't know whether to be relieved or nervous. I unfolded the invitation, my hands slightly trembling, and read the words printed there. My breath caught in my throat. We are attending together. It was simple and clear—Vito had confirmed it. We were going, both of us. It wasn't just a vague idea anymore. This was happening. The realization settled over me slowly, like a heavy weight lifting from my chest.

"May I ask why this invitation only found its way to my desk so late?" Vito's voice broke the silence, and I stiffened, startled by the sudden directness of his question.

I hesitated, trying to find the right words. My voice came out quieter than I intended. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to go," I admitted, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Vito's gaze softened, though his expression remained serious. "Of course, I want to go with you," he replied firmly. His words weren't just an answer; they carried an unspoken reassurance. He was doing this for me, but he was also doing it because, despite his usual reluctance, he had agreed without hesitation.

I felt a weight lift off my shoulders, but there was still a knot in my stomach. I hadn't expected him to be so certain, to sound so sincere. In a strange way, it made me feel both comforted and anxious. Vito wasn't one to do things without a reason, and the fact that he had agreed to attend the ball meant something—something more than just obligation.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice almost a sigh of relief, but also laced with a sense of uncertainty.

"There's no need to thank me." Vito's tone softened, but then he turned more serious, his gaze shifting toward the invitation in my hand. "But I do have one question. It says 'annual parents' ball' on the invitation. I know it's been held every year since Domenico and I were in school, so I have to wonder why I didn't get an invitation from any of you three." He glanced at Valentino, Matteo, and Riccardo, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I was suspended," Valentino raised his hands in mock surrender, his face a picture of innocence. "Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't have missed the brother-brother dance."

Vito snorted, not impressed by his excuse. "And you two?" he asked, turning his gaze to Matteo and Riccardo, who exchanged a quick look before answering.

Matteo shrugged, looking a little sheepish. "I must have forgotten to ask you."

Riccardo, who had been quiet up until now, leaned back in his chair and grinned. "Yeah, me too," he said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Vito raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced by their reasons. "Huh. Seems like everyone has their own excuse." He paused, his gaze lingering on his brothers for a moment before he turned his attention back to me. "Anyway, I am honored, Josephine."

The unexpected words caught me off guard. Vito wasn't exactly one for expressing his emotions openly, and hearing him say that made me feel both touched and a bit nervous. His expression softened, but there was still that underlying seriousness in his tone. I blinked, unsure of how to respond. "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.

He gave me a small, almost imperceptible smile. "I mean that it's important to me and I'm glad you want me to go there with you."