Ares ; A Mafia Romance ||✓

Chapter 1

Callista Miller

I was met by the hustling and bustling corridors of the school the moment I step my foot inside. Piercing gazes of the students who bothered to look at my petite figure squeezing through the crowded hallway made my skin prick, making me nothing more than to reach my locker as quickly as possible.

Squeaking out a small sorry whenever someone or I bumped into the other unintentionally, I finally took a breath of relief when my hand touched the cold metal surface of my locker. I quickly put my bag inside, taking the required books and notebook out for the first class. Hastily I close my locker door feeling eyes of the bystanders creep on my back. I was looking down at the white marbled floor avoiding the spooky eyes of the people, mostly because I was a lone person although I have friends I prefer to stay alone at times like this, I have become introverted because of bullying. I have been a victim of bullying since childhood because of racism, I am Indian American, and my father is American. I still get bullied over it even in my last year of high school but it's less compared to my younger self. I would easily get anxious, and scared, if someone raise their hands for anything I would think of it as them trying to hit me in fear. I will immediately cower back, my heart would beat a mile per second, and my breathing would turn irregular. It was all because in middle school my bullies used to beat me. I remember how afraid I was one time to attend school because of how bad it got. At last, I changed my school to Norton high school, NYC, where I am studying till now.

I sighed, vivid images running in my head like a broken record of my helpless younger self crying and begging for the bullies to stop but they never did, and they still never do. At last, I learned to avoid them refraining from saying anything to them. I closed my eyes to stop myself to think anymore about my past. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes and turned to go to the first class when my friend Becky Benjamin comes running to me engulfing me in a tight hug which I return with a soft smile.

After pulling back she says while opening her locker beside me, and taking out the books for the math class which she happens to share with me,

"Calli, I saw you were about to go to the class without me. You traitor!"

I gulp nervously. Darn it! She knows me too well but I can't tell her how suffocating I felt in the hallway packed with students. Crossing her arms across her chest she turns to me narrowing her eyes at me. I shift on my feet nervously under her scrutinizing gaze. After not getting a reply from me, she speaks up in an unbelievable tone,

"Don't tell me you again tried to hide in the classroom before the bell rings?"

Just when she said that the bell rang making relief flood my tense body. I smile at her sheepishly and in return, she looks at me incredulously. But before she can say anything further I hold her wrist, dragging her along with me to the class. I was silently thanking the bell, as it rang at the right time saving me from getting drilled by my best friend who was huffing beside me. I smiled fondly at her, she has countless times told me to get over my anxiety and somewhat fear of staying in crowded places and enduring my bullies silently whom she fought for me several times. I was grateful for her, she was my genuine friend since middle school. She helped me once against bullies after which we have been inseparable good friends. She was the one I have always confided to.

Upon reaching the class, we sit on our usual seats in the middle with me by the window and her beside me. She sighs, before looking worriedly at me, voice dripping with concern,

"How long are you going to be like this?"

I look down guiltily. I don't want to worry her so I say, my voice coming out in a small whisper,

"You know how I feel, B. I can't help it. That's how I am. It's not like I want to stay like that either."

She places her hand comfortingly on my shoulder, her gentle voice and touch soothing my demented and loopy insides,