A Second Glance

4: "I'm getting out of here"

Before graduating from high school, Gianna always wanted to get out of Lansing and go to college and pursue fashion design, but when her papa got killed, her dream got killed as well. She held her father's last words, 'look out for your mama and brother for me'. So, when other students are filling up college applications, she was filling out job applications. She would do part time at a record store, or even in a boutique, but none of those jobs can pay to keep her father's grocery store. Whenever her mother sat at the table looking at bills, she would cry and whenever Drago's people come to the store to collect their protection money, she would cry even more and plead for forgiveness. Gianna could not stand to see her mother in that position but yet she's frustrated to see her mother that weak. Even though she's frustrated to see her mother could not stand up and do extra work to support the family, she could not blame her cause most of her life papa handled the financials and his business, mama  was just at home being the perfect housewife to her little family so all of this responsibilities surely overwhelmed her and she had no idea what she's supposed to do. 

So one day after school, Gianna decided to meet Drago. She was shit-scared to meet the person who killed her father, but right now Drago is slowly killing her mother too and she wants to put a stop at it. She went to Drago's restaurant, D's. At that time, she balled up all her energy like it was a do or die situation and went up to Drago's table where he was smoking his cigar and talking to other men. She held a pepper spray in her pocket for protection if any of the guys came close, she walked up to Drago's table and said loudly, "Drago, we need to talk". 

Drago and the other men looked at her and laughed, Drago took a puff from his cigar and pull it out of his mouth with his fingers. He looked at his men by the side, "who is this lil' chica? I don't think I've ever done business with a little girl". "You killed my father", she said while gripping the pepper spray tighter in her pocket. Drago squinted his eyes, trying to figure out who he killed. "Not to toot my own horn lil'chica , but I don't keep a fucking log book for the deceased on my account". 

Gianna stepped forward with tears in her eyes, "you killed Julio Gerez, Julio Gerez is my father". Drago opened his mouth realizing who the hell was she talking about, "ah! Julio! I am sorry for your loss, lil'chica but business is business. Your father knows that very well". In front of the other men, Gianna hit the table with her free hand, "I want you to drop the protection fee from my father's grocery store! My mother could not afford to pay and I don't want you to kill my mama too!". One of the men stood up and she automatically brought out the pepper spray and sprayed the man right in his eyes. The man screamed in pain and dropped down to the floor, and from that the other men around the table and the men standing in the restaurant started walking towards her. Gianna's hands were shaking and she moved the pepper spray from left to right, aiming onto the other guys while stepping backwards. 

"Para!", Drago screamed from his seat. All the men stopped their paces and Drago stood up from his seat, "follow me into my office, lil'chica". Gianna hesitated to follow him into his office, "are you going to kill me?", she asked with a shaken voice. Drago chuckled, "No, but I should because the way how you disrespected me but I'm in a good mood today so you want to talk? Let's talk in my office", he motioned her to follow him but Gianna wouldn't want to be in there all alone with him and with only a pepper spray. Gianna looked over at one of the men's belt and there was a gun in it, "I want his gun", she told Drago. Drago looked at the man, "give it to her". "But boss, she's just a little girl...", the man exclaimed but Drago instructed again sternly, "give her the damn gun! She just wants to protect herself, I'm not gonna disallow a girl that is trying to protect herself". The guy handed the gun to Gianna and she slowly walked with Drago into his office.

As Drago sit down on his chair, Gianna hold the gun upright and aimed it on his forehead. She never held a gun before and her hands were shaking but she's going to maintain cool about it, cause she was almost on getting to her objective coming to Drago's place. "You don't settle down, don't you?". Drago chuckled. Gianna didn't say anything, she just looked deadly in his eyes. "Okay lil'chica, let's get this straight...".