Mafia Connections

Forty Six

Rya's POV

Here we go again.

Another new school. Another new house. Another new start.

I run my hands through my hair and my fingers get caught in the untamable curls. I let out a growl and yank my hands from my hair. I probably should have brushed it this morning but I really couldn't be bothered.

Brushing it meant curling or straightening it afterwards so it wasn't that weird half wavy, half straight that mum somehow managed to rock.

My mum. She's a character and a half.

Every time I see her, I'm amazed by how she looks amazing. Orange is not everybody's colour.

It's been fourteen years that I've had my whole family together under normal circumstances and not have a glass sheet between us.

I adjust the bag on my shoulder and look around. This was mum's school when she was my age. This is where she came every day for five years.

The class I'm about to walk into is probably hers too.

"Rya! You're here" The teacher says clapping her hands. She's a short round woman with a tight bun on her head. She looks a lot like one of my previous babysitters.

Miss Marple was a lovely woman. I was just a brat. The poor girl had to put up with my endless tantrums, horrible attitude and other forms of torture. I believe the only reason she stayed was so she could flirt with Artie. He was having none of it however and it was usually Alexander looking after me when she arrived.

I could just tell the woman in front of me would irritate me.

"Class. This is Rya Guerreiro" A few gasps went around the room. Guerreiro was a name that doesn't leave many people's minds. Even nearly a decade and a half later. "Why don't you sit next to Sadie over there"

I decide that this class must be a science class from the bunsen burners set up around the class. I smile at a memory.

One day I decided to try out lighting the spray of a deodorant on fire, just to see if it would work. Turns out, it does, and armani suits are extremely flammable.

I'm not sure what was funnier, Alexander's scream or the fact that when he got the flaming trousers off, he had to walk back to his room in only his underwear, a pair of black socks and a scorched shirt.

What wasn't funny was the amount of trouble I got in from Dad. He was furious and told me I was grounded until he decided otherwise. It lasted a week before he gave up trying to get me to stay in my room.

I sit down next to the girl. Sadie has short blonde hair and she scowls at me as I sit. "Hey" I say and slide my bag under the desk.

"Your mum killed mine" she hisses.

I sigh. This was the first time I've ever met the offspring of one of those criminals my mother rid the world of.

You're probably thinking that I've been brainwashed into thinking my mum was completely innocent and that she was a hero.

I haven't. You can't blame me for putting my mum in a good light. I don't think she's innocent. She got everything she deserved and I'm not going to say otherwise. The people my mum killed were bad people though. All of them had seem criminal background, some were even wanted.

I look up at the girl "I'm not going to apologize because I didn't do it so what do you want me to say?" I ask.

She ignores my question "She was working to look after me. I was only a week old! She thought it was an honest job..."