Chapter 11:
1536 Words
Ariana...
I was dead on my feet by the time I got back home at four in the morning.
But just as I was about to plop my head on the pillow and go to la la land, Lina struck.
"Pyjamas, Ria, Now !!"
" No ooo, I am too tired." I grumbled, my voice muffled by my pillow.
"Don't make me come push you out of bed, silly."
"Oh my gosh Li, take a chill pill, will you" I said as I dragged my body out of bed.
" sh*t !!" I exclaimed as my feet got tangled in the sheet and I fell heavily on my knees.
"Language Mija." She warned sternly.
I love my sister to bits, but sometimes she can be a kill joy.
"Who stays up till four am, just to make sure I come home.?" I asked, knowing she could hear me , through the paper-thin wall separating our bedrooms in our tiny apartment.
"I didn't stay up, I was expecting you home, anytime from three am." came her swift response.
I threw my five hundred dollar Gucci ace embroidered sneakers to a corner of my matchbox sized room.
Then struggled in my haste to take off my deep blue, ripped designer straight cut jeans.
I tripped and fell on my butt with a heavy thud.
"Ria, whats the rush?
"Gosh, you are so clumsy, when you are super tired. Do you need help?" Lina asked.
"No, I got it go back to sleep, Li."
I abandoned the jeans on the floor, took off my six hundred and fifty dollars shimmering low v neck navy blue wrap top and flung it somewhere else.
when I am this tired you can call me a sleep zombie or a sleep monster.
It's not that I have excess money to spend on five hundred dollar clothes.
Craig provides theses clothes for me, be because I need them dresses to look the part for my events. So yes I have a few choice expensive clothes that I use for business.
They might not be super expensive, like the ones the super rich kids wear, but for a girl like me five hundred dollar clothes is the sky.
I went to my makeshift box of clothes got out a cream colored nightie and plopped back in bed and got under the covers.
I had little make up on, but that can be handled tomorrow.
I closed my eyes and let sleep take me away.
Thirty minutes later, (it was actually Five hours) but I needed more sleep.
Lina was shoving me awake.
"Li please let me sleep , please Li."
I begged groggily, my words slurred by sleep and muffled by my pillow.
"I'm sorry Ria, but you need to get out of bed now, boss needs you for the meeting again today."
I stiffened and screamed into my pillow.
I screamed again and again, as tired tears fell out of my eyes.
"I just came back." I grumbled.
"I know Ria, let me make you a cup of coffee to go."
"Thanks Li."
"Oh yeah and Ria, boss says to dress better, this time, no boy clothes." she quickly added before leaving my room.
I ignored her, turned and stated at ceiling, before dragging myself out of bed again. I took a quick shower, pull on my jeans from last night, roughly blow dried my hair and put on a light fitted milk colored sweater top.
I slipped on my Nike classic cortez and quickly gulped down the warm coffee, Lina made me, then raced down the stairs,to the entrance where everyone was waiting for me.
I pick up everyone's bags and place them in their respective cars.
But when I tried to go to the Hyundai, I drove yesterday, Julio stopped me.
"Ariana, you're hitching a ride with the boss today."
"What?!!!"
I hated complications and I swear I have done nothing wrong.
This. Is. Not. Good. At. All.
This. Cant. Be. Good.
What the f*ck, I protested loudly in my head, hyper ventilating about being in the same car, with cruel Craig.
it's no honor, I'm not looking for a position in the crew.
I know Craig doesn't like me much.
I don't know exactly why.
but I could take a pick from a gazillion reasons.
He tolerates me more since I started bringing in money for the crew.
But that's it.
No like lust, just an intense dislike for me.
This could stem from one of many reasons, like the fact that I can't cook to save myself, (big fat lie) , I've beaten up his son , his all important heir on numerous occasions until the fool learnt his lesson and avoids me.
And the main guys in the crew absolutely detest me for a lot of reasons too.
One of them is that, Li protects me, so they can't touch me, no matter how much they want to.
They can't disrespect Lina because the boss would have their balls if they do.
I personally don't know or understand what their issue is.
I get into the black SUV, and find myself seated beside Craig.
I held on tightly to the door beside me, maybe it would make me invincible.
or Craig would forget my existence till we arrive.
But I wasn't stupid.
I might not know what it is, I know I am riding with the boss for a reason.
I stole a glance at the soulless man, he was dressed in a very expensive dark mauve suit.
Looking like a very successful business man.
Craig's wife, Estelle, is fine as hell.
But she's got nothing on Lina.
My sister is a freaking beauty queen, model slim with curves to die for.
Lina has beautiful light chestnut colored hair, and a face like Antonia Lacobescu, but with Lina you'll need to throw in a lil more dash of sexiness.
So naturally, Estelle hates my siblings and I with a capital H.
Not that Criag loves her less, it's just he has this unexplainable obsession with Lina.
I always wondered why I was a five seven, size six blonde.
When Lina was a five nine, size four.
My curves are the most embarrassing thing about my existence after the Craig and his crew.
My curves are the reason I fell in love with oversized men's clothing.
My clothes are at least one or two sizes too big, so I can hide my well rounded butt and overtly curved hips.
Lina says I look like the blonde version of Meika Woollard, and my perfect face had the right mix of fragile and innocence.
But I just tune.off when she start gushing over how beautiful she thinks I look,
Because I know there is no way, I remotely look like the shadow of the beautiful Meika woollard.
But then, to every parent, their child is the most beautiful. Their judgement as always is affected by their sentiment.
I know I am not ugly, but there is no similarity between Meika and I.
Trust me I have checked, and no matter
how long I stare in the mirror, I just don't see it. It's just not there.
I jump slightly when the car door is slammed shut by Julio. He slammed the. door to the drivers passenger side,
dragging me out of my thoughts.
The driver turns the ignition, starts the car and we peel out of the parking space.
There is an uncomfortable silence in the car for about five minutes, before Craig speaks.
"Ariana, tell me, something. Why did you spill your guts about, your ventures to the Uno's men?." He questioned in a loud dangerous snarl.
I jump slightly when the car door is slammed shut by Julio. He slammed the. door to the drivers passenger side,
dragging me out of my thoughts.
The driver turns the ignition, starts the car and we peel out of the parking space.
There is an uncomfortable silence in the car for about five minutes, before Craig speaks.
"Ariana, tell me, something. Why did you spill your guts about, the crew's other ventures to the Uno's men?." He questioned, his voice low and dangerous.
My brows furrowed as instant deep confusion dawned on me, like a blanket, before shock followed.
Why on earth will I go discuss Lethal's business with some unknown stranger, even if they are Marchetti's.
Why would I seek them out?
I turned to look at him, as I made an attempt to clear his mind of the silly suspicion.
"Boss I didn't do that, I swear.
I didn't even speak to any strangers yesterday."
"Told you she didn't, she just couldn't have, the guys were watching her throughout the meeting." Julio chipped in.
"Shut up Julio." He snapped.
"Then why did we get the call we got, huh?" he asked pointedly
" Boss, why don't you let the poor girl be, it could be something else ,boss."
Julio answered, while rubbing the back of his neck.
"Just don't mention it to anyone, what we do or who we are, are we clear?.
Not. A. Word." Craig spelt out, with a slightly worried look on his face.
"Yes boss." I replied
- Writer
