The Spades and Scorpions

Pizza (2)

I waited until an hour after Mom went into their room when I knocked on the door. Mama opens the door open a crack so I can only see her flushed face. I raise a questioning eyebrow before she smiles. 

   "What is going on baby?" she asks as I hear giggling behind the door. I smile as I realize that they are definitely not fighting anymore. 

   "Just wanted to check in on everything and ask if Pizza from that once Italian place across town is okay for dinner?" I say and she smiles and nods. 

   "Sounds fine honey. Just make sure to buy enough for the guards and a pizza for your sister. One she chooses!" She says as I turn to walk away. I laugh and nod. 

I barge into Sky's room as she shoves Tanner away. I stand in the doorway with my arms crossed over my chest. 

   "Boundaries, much?!" she yells and I chuckle. 

    "I don't think Mom and Mama would like it if they knew you had a boy on your bed with the door closed," I say and raise an eyebrow. She groans and Tanner chuckles from his seat on the floor. I look over at him. 

   "What did you even come in here for?" Sky asks irritated. 

   "We're getting pizza for dinner, what do you want?" I ask as I glare at Tanner. 

   "From that amazing little Italian place across town?" she asks dreamily. Tanner looks at her funny. 

   "You never talk about me like that," he playfully whines. I hold back a gag. 

   "You're not amazing Italian pizza," she taunts him. I shake my head and look at Sky exasperated. 

   "Hot Sausage and Ham," she says simply. I nod and Tanner looks at her funny. 

   "That is a weird combination for pizza," he states and I grin. 

   "That is Sky for you. Weird combinations in everything. I mean, have you seen her room colors?" I say to him and he nods as he looks around the room. I look at him and then look at Sky. "Door stays open or I tell Mom and Mama and you'll have to stay out in the living room with seven guards watching you at all times. I bet that would be a mood killer," I chuckle as Sky groans and throws one of her smaller decorative pillows at me. 

Everyone seems to be in a relationship but me. I groan and grab the money. Our total came out to nearly two-thousand dollars. We have way too many people, it's a good thing we make that much every thirty minutes. I hand the delivery guy the money and a tip of over one-hundred dollars. I like tipping people who have to serve us larger sums because I mean, who actually has to fill a whole backseat and passenger seat with pizza and bread sticks and brownie bites? I sent him away as I turned to the huge table pilled with boxes. I call everyone in to eat as I take my two boxes of pizza up to my room. 

Mama came into my room around an hour after I had finished shooting practice with Mom and sat on my bed. I looked over at her in curiosity from my couch and put my book down. 

   "'Sup Mama?" I ask her as I put a bookmark when I was reading and sit up. She smiles at me and smooths down my neatly made bed. 

   "I think we should talk," she states simply before making eye-contact with me. 

   "And here I thought you just wanted to make sure the maids made my bed today," I say jokingly and she smiles. 

   "I wanted to ask you something, but know you don't have to answer right now. You can think on it," she says avoiding my eyes again. I brunch my eyebrows together. 

   "Mama, what is going on?" I ask her and sit next to her on the bed. She looks up at me and gives me a sheepish smile. 

    "If you don't want this life, you don't have to be in it. Our family has had this mafia for a long time and we'll still be rich for generations to come. You don't have to run this mafia. You can turn it down and someone else that we trust can take it over. I just want you to know that you have choices," she gives me a small smile and a single tear rolls down her face. I pull her into a hug. 

   "Mama there is no reason for me to not want this life. I was raised to be a mafia leader, and I don't really want anything else out of life. I can handle this, and when I am of age it will be long overdue for Mom to get a break and get to just be an older woman that shops and spends time with her family. Really Mama, I am fine with this and I want you to be too." I look at the wall behind her head as she breaths deeply. She sighs and pulls away from me before lightly placing her hand on my cheek. 

    "Nothing is written in stone, Mi Amor. You can still back out and renounce the title. I will understand if you decide to take the mafia from Mom, but just know there are other options, you're not stuck in this position just because you are the heir." I give her a small smile. 

    "That's exactly why I cannot turn it down, Mama. This is my right as your child, and I don't want anything else. There is not a single thing in this world that I want to do, so the mafia is my true calling, Mama." She gives me a small smile before nodding and lightly tapping my cheek. She straightens herself out and starts looking like a mother again. 

   "Don't forget tomorrow is your first day of Senior year. Make sure you have everything packed. Sky and you will be riding in separate cars since your schools are on opposite sides of town, as usual," she looks over my clean room and nods. 

    "I still don't understand why Sky has to go to a girls' only private school across town when the public high school on this side of town is just fine," I groan and Mama chuckles. 

   "You had the choice to go to an all boys' school too, you just never took up the offer," she states and crosses her arms over her chest while standing up. I groan. 

    "And have to deal with only stupid teenage boys and never get to see a cute girl? I think that would be death, Mama," I say in fake agony. She rolls her eyes at me and smiles. 

  "I'll see you in the morning, kiddo. Get some sleep," I nod and she leaves the room. I sigh and flop back on my bed. I don't understand why Mama is so adamant on me turning down my right as leader, I mean she brought kids into this knowing full well what that would mean for them. I groan and clap to turn off my lights before closing my eyes.