Adelina's POV:
I sit quietly in the car while Ms.Martin chatters about some television show she watched the night before at the hotel. We had left earlier this morning since she approved them. She spoke a bit with me over the phone last night. She kept going on and on about how they seemed so nice and had been looking for me. How they were so happy that they found me.
I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't that. I couldn't fathom those words coming from them and couldn't accept them once they were said. I still can't.
I don't want them to be real, I don't want them to be reality and from the bottom of my heart reject those words. In my heart they are set in stone as false.
The scenery is beautiful out here. My eyes never stray too far away from the window of the small vehicule. The trees fly by but it's like I can see them all individually. They turn into a blur but if I try hard enough I can see each leaf, each branch or each bush.
So I spend the drive trying. I spend it trying to see every leaf, branch and bush. Eloise keeps blabbering while I give an occasional nod or hum of agreement. She takes that as a sign to continue but I'm not complaining. I dislike the silence.
The rough material of the bag scrapes against my bare leg causing slight irritation but I don't move it. If I bring too much attention to the bag someone will realise it's here. Right now, to everyone, it's simply a background prop while to me it's my sanity.
Surprisingly no one questioned me about where it came from. Ms.Martin probably assumed the Porters got it for me while June and Jack didn't seem to care too much. To anyone, it looks like the bag was carelessly thrown into place while in reality it's being clutched by my legs.
The drive is only about an hour and a half. Normally I could sit this long but I need to stretch my legs.
I didn't know how to feel after the phone call. I wasn't sad, I wasn't nervous but I was sure as hell angry. When I cut the call I didn't feel anything. I pulled the phone away from my ear and just stared at it for a while. The bracelet on my wrist dangled infront of me and the attached memory of my mother resurfaced.
That was when anger consumed me. They didn't care. They let my mother become what she was. It's all their fault.
I turn my head to Eloise and after a short conversation and a couple minutes we pull into a gas station so I can use the restroom. She doesn't question why, girls bring bags to the washroom. Connect the dots yourself. She also gives me ten dollars to get snacks if I want.
I hastily walk into through the doors and find the bathroom pretty quickly. I lock the door and turn to find a fairly dirty and grimy room but I couldn't care less. I take out my vape and throw the bag onto the ground after closing it.
I sit on the bag and take my phone out of my pocket and set a timer for five minutes. I spent those five minutes with my fruity juice and offline games before heading back out with the ten dollars in hand.
"Everything ok?" Ms.Martin asks.
"Yea" I say with a small smile, not in the mood for talking, and handing her the money back.
Then we were off, I play the nature game and she goes on about anything she could think of.
We get there far too soon yet right on time. I refused to look up at our surroundings for fear of nostalgia in the past fifteen or so minutes and don't really want to now that the car is parked in their driveway.
Eloise nudges me, probably thinking I'm asleep, and I look up at her. She gives me a small but excited smile telling me it's time to meet my brothers. I probably look nervous to her, but I'm not. I'm angry at myself for getting stuck in this situation.
I get out of the car, my head still down, and pick up the bag before taking a couple steps to be next to Eloise.
I finally pick my head up, my stone face on, and stare at the house. Nothing is familiar about this house. I don't remember this house, this house hasn't existed for me.
I've heard people say that coming home after a long period time feels like you never left. The nostalgia fills you to the brim. I don't know this house. I am a stranger to it as it is a stranger to me.
This house is wealthy, it's elegant and modern. It's in a rich neighborhood, the structure reflects money, but very much unlike a celebrity's estate.
This house shocks me, it wouldn't even exist where I was before. This house has no home there like I have no home in this house.
This house is money and huge. Home of the people I don't want to see. This house is cold but pretty and I've never seen something so fitting.
I look at Ms.Martin to find her already staring at me. Trying to gauge my reaction and looking sympathetic towards of my lack of one.
Everything happened fast, the reassurances, the hugs and the doorbell ringing.
Eloise is standing straight by the door, her professional attitude showing while my back is leaning against a wall not too far. A couple seconds go by and a bit of commotion can be heard from inside.
I've decided to erase my memory of them completely, at least that's what they'll think has happened. I'll never forget but for them I'll never remember. The italien that they tried so hard to teach me will have never graced my lips to their knowledge though I now speak it fluently.
I've returned to the mindset of survival. I'll begin noticing the small things, like I had to before. It'll be unintentionl, simply a force of habit. A slight shift in the mood, the smallest change in tone of voice, the lift of an eyebrow or quiver of a lip, I will know. It's knowing how to read emotions while hiding mine. A gift and a curse because it became something I could not control.
Suddenly the door opens but I refuse to look or hear. I tune everything out which is also a very efficient skill I've learnt over the years. Small talk was made before I'm ushered in by the social worker pushing my buttons a little too much.
We walk down a large hallway into what I think is the dining room. The doors are glass but my head went down before I could get a chance to see.
"Oh honey!" Ms.Martin calls "Come sit here" she continues, patting the chair next to her.
I walk over to the chair slowly, subconsciously counting the presences at the table. 7 people are sitting around the table.
They talk for a bit but I can't hear. Eloise and I repeat the process of being left in a room and she gives me the same talk.
She eventually leaves and the table turns quiet. A small smirk makes it's way to my lips and I finally look up.
Six men sit infront of me. The sight is quite jarring. They look the same yet so different.
We all stay silent, no one knowing what to say.
"Well this is awkward" I say, the smirk never leaving my lips.
Some of the boys snap out of it while others look embarrassed but don't stop staring.
"Right well, " I start "no one's going to talk?"
No one knew how to start a conversation.
I roll my eyes and slightly sit up.
"You do realise I don't know any of you and having strangers stare at me is not one of my kinks"
They all look taken aback at what I said and I could see who I believe to be Valentino and Francesco snickering while Valerio hides a smirk.
Who I think is Angelo leans forward slightly and asks with a voice just above a whisper and a glint in his eyes "Can I hug you?"
I stay silent for a moment before leaning back into the chair, a semi-serious look plastered on my face.
"I'd rather not actually. No offense, I just don't know you and I don't give hugs to strangers who I've just met and have been creepily staring at me. It's kinda a rule I have with myself to avoid getting murdered."
This time Valentino barks out a laugh while Angelo looks disappointed.
Francesco decides to speak next.
"Do you not remember us tesoro?" he asks staring at me intensly.
I look at him, trying to understand what he's trying to figure out. He's trying to read me.
I put on a confused face.
"Should I?" I reply.
He stares at me, looking conflicted but accepts my answer. I don't miss how he glances at the head of the table and gives the slightest of nods, seeming to say ok.
Domenico, I think, who is sitting at the head of the table is then next to speak.
"Allora sono Domenico, tuo fratello maggiore" he says. (In that case, I'm Domenico your oldest brother)
I completely understand what he's saying but play dumb.
"Ok I know that was Italien, at least I hope it was, but do you really take me for a cultured individual who knows anything but english? I'll answer that for you, I'm not. Would you do me the absolute honor of repeating in a language I can understand?"
There were crickets while Domenico looks towards Francesco once again.
Is he the lie detector of the family or someting?
"Please?"
___________________________
I'M SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER. School got absolutely crazy but this chapter is a bit longer.
She's offically living with themmmm
Did you expect her to act like that?
Comment your thoughts!
See you guys next week, I'll try to actually update on time lol.
Muah <3
Bye loveliesssssss.