ARELLA (A Mafia Story)

Fourteen

Alessandro

My therapist and I once had a long talk about coping skills on my third visit with him. He wanted to change me into somebody I wasn't. Instead of teaching me how to cope with the problems inside my head, he wanted to turn me into a totally different person.

When we had private our sessions together and I was just a little boy, he would put me into uncomfortable situations and expect me to know how to react appropriately.

If I couldn't, I would be punished.

So when I hear Mom and Dad talking about therapists for Arella with each other, I do everything in my power to make sure she never sees that shitty therapist.

They think I still have biweekly appointments with him. While I'm locked in my room supposed to be doing my therapy, I'm actually digging up whatever dirt I can on him.

Mr. Craig isn't a good man. He hides behind his profession for protection. Craig likes to gamble illegally and has a penchant for watching illegal material online.

He covers his ass surprisingly well. It took me a while to find that tiny bit of dirt on him and I'm one of the best there is. That can only mean one thing; Craig is just a pawn in a bigger scheme.

There's no way he could single handedly cover himself that well. As I sit here in the small bedroom of our private jet, I dig and dig to try and find whoever is running the website Craig watches his illicit material on.

My foot bounces in threes as my frustration increases. Numbers, ones and zeros, race across my screen. Grunting, I reach up to twirl my hair.

Mom and Dad are mad at me again. I didn't join their dinner with Ares, Natalia, their kids and their parents. I had to stay upstairs and figure out who's running that disgusting website.

When we boarded the jet again to return home, I headed straight to the bedroom to continue my work.

One. Two. Three taps of my foot on the floor.

Pause.

Repeat.

It's not working. Nothings coming up. I can't protect Arella if I can't figure this out. She needs me to protect her. She's like me. Except she doesn't have a voice she can use.

I hate to talk and hate touching people even more. People are disgusting. They carry germs and diseases. They don't wash their hands after using the bathroom and pick their noses.

Do you know how much bacteria is under a single fingernail? Thirty-two different bacteria's are under the average person nail. Twenty-eight different fungi are also present.

Just the thought makes me want to jump in the shower and scrub my skin until it's raw. It's the only time I'm fully clean.

I don't like the way my throat feels when I speak. My words don't come out right and I can never say what I actually need to.

But if Arella wanted me to speak for her, then I would. If she wanted me to give her a hug, I would at least try.

Because we're the same. She's like me, so I have to protect her. The only difference is I have a voice and I can try to use it.