scars

Chapter three: meeting them

"You said dad died, did you tell Maria about it?" I asked after we had been on the plane for about fifty minutes.

"We told her when it happened, did she not tell you?" Alessandro asked me curiously.

"She wasn't exactly close to me, she probably forgot to tell me. I mean we barely saw each other, especially if I was in juvie she wouldn't have made any effort to come and tell me." I said completely honestly it made me cry the first time I was in juvie but after a week in there I stopped crying went to the gym and learnt how to fight, I learnt properly after two additional visits to juvie.

The plane ride was so long it took us ten hours to get to Spain from Texas at the three hour mark I got warm so I decided to remove my jacket and hoodie. Alessandro had fallen asleep but I didn't have anything to do but read the book, I had packed in my bag. I had four books in my bag at the eight hour mark I had finished all of my books but one. Alessandro woke up at the nine hour mark when I decided that laying on the floor was better than doing nothing.

"Ximena are you ok?" He asked me concerned.

"Yup just bored and I finished all five of my books half an hour ago." I sighed tiredly.

"How about you go on your phone?" He asked as if he expected me to have one.

"Bro you really think i have a phone, you have seen my criminal record and Maria never gave a shit so i never had one. Nigel used to just come and get me when he wanted a deal doing." I deadpanned.

"Oh shit right sorry. I will get you one as soon as we get home." He apologised profusely.

"Hey don't worry it's fine. I never had don't have to rush to get me one." I exhaled calmly before realizing we will be landing soon so it's probably a good idea to sit next to Alessandro.

The plane finally landed, Alessandro led me out of the plane and we got into a very similar car like the one he had in Texas.

"So does everyone know that I am home?" I asked nervously.

"No, I told Lorenzo that I was going to be in Texas for a couple of days and then I left." Alessandro said tensely so I stopped talking and let him focus on driving.

We pulled up to the house and I froze this is what Maria ran away from, I mean in Texas we lived in a ranch style home but it was never my home I was kicked out as soon as Maria and Paul moved in.

"This is your home?" I turned to Alessandro in shock, he just laughed.

We walked into the house and as soon as we walked I heard and saw the angry expressions of the rest of my brothers.

"No nos dijiste que traerías eso a nuestra casa. Piensa en cómo nos va a afectar esto hermano." Carlos shouted making me flinch.
(You didn't tell us you were bringing that into our house. Think of how this is going to effect us brother)

"Puede que no te lo haya dicho, pero solo te ha elogiado. Cada segundo que hemos estado juntos, solo te ha elogiado. sí, tengo un pasado y sí, no es bueno, pero déjame confiar en ti y entonces podrás saber toda la verdad. Estoy bajo su custodia ahora de todos modos, así que no tengo adónde ir." I said completely calmly shocking the brothers who expected their Spanish to fall on deaf ears.
(He may not have told you, but he has only praised you. Every second we've been together, he's only praised you. yes, I have a past and yes, it is not good, but let me trust you and then you can know the whole truth. I'm in his custody now anyway, so I have nowhere to go.)

"You're just going to let her talk to us like that?" Lorenzo said staring at Alessandro.

"Yes because if anyone is in the wrong it you guys, we all have a past. We don't know the truth behind everything that's happened and most importantly she is our sister. So she is to be treated with respect." Alessandro said while pulling me into his side where I hugged him.

Dante looked at me with sheer hatred and then shouted "I am the youngest here so I don't even remember you but i found your criminal record and I already knew how shit of a role model you are. No surprise someone tried to teach you a lesson with those ugly scars."

"Want to know something, these fucking scars hurt and having someone I loved call them ugly and say I deserve them hurts. I got this scar on my face for forgetting to close the front door, I got the thick scar on my back when I was nine and one of the other people in juvie threw me at an electric fence because they wanted to see how much fun it would be to throw me at the fence. The one on my neck was an inmate who went crazy she found a knife from the canteen and while we were being guarded she plunged it into my neck and the guards just watched I was ten and because they knew my story they decided that I deserved it. The two that go through my lip those were from my step father for trying to go into the home he and Maria had moved in to. The nasty scar on my arm is from when I was eight and I was cooking dinner for Maria and Paul. If you think I am acting out for the fun of it think again." I said calmly as tears slowly rolled down my cheeks.

"You may be my blood but that doesn't make everyone you have wronged and everything you have done okay and if you think coming here is away to mooch off us you have another thing coming." Carlos shouted at me.

"So everything she has just told you has gone in one ear and out the other, I am disappointed in you boys." Alessandro said guiding me to my room.

"The coward dies a thousand deaths, the brave but one ."