5 too many brothers

~ Second Time Around ~ 𝟛

Soon enough, a black Mercedes pulls up, I notice Frank the janitor loading my bags in the back while Eli carefully placed me in the back and put my seatbelt on. 

"I hate you" I mumble out in a croaky voice, my hatred for him has sky rocketed now. He didn't seem to care this time and instead shrugged it off and got into the passenger seat. 

That's when I saw him. Liam. My second eldest brother in the rear view mirror with a guilty look plastered on him. 

"Hey bean, long time no see" he smiled but I lowered my head again and tucked my knees up to my face to cry more. 

And with that, the car smoothly started up, before I knew it we had already driven more than half the duration since I slept. 

"Arianna, we missed you" Liam began before I interrupted.

"It's Aria". 

He glances at Eli who just rolls his eyes. "It's not up to Eli to say if he likes or dislikes my name, Liam" I say, sending him my biggest scowl. 

"I am your guardian so don't think I won't make those choices" Eli replies coldly, looking straight out the window. 

"I don't care! And Liam, shut up! You so didn't. In fact, I stopped missing you when I was 6." I know I'm being rude and obnoxious, but I want them to feel some pain that I felt and no way am I letting them slide back into my life like this. 

A glimmer of pain passed over both my brothers but immediately they return to their natural cold, stone face. 

This was all too tiring so I drifted back into a light sleep.

"Yeah she's in the back. Don't expect the old Arianna" a distant male voice chuckled, one that sounded somewhat familiar. 

As I slowly started to realise where I am; in the back seat of some fancy car. I rub my eyes roughly so I can clearly see who's out there. 

The engine wasn't running anymore so we were obviously home, and the opposite side window of the car had been left half opened. 

I move my eyes closer to the darkly tinted window and try to fiddle with the car door opener but it wouldn't budge. My loud efforts caught the attention of whomever were casually standing and smoking outside however. 

"I think someone's up" the same voice mumbles and finally opens the door for me. 

I stumble out and stand up, blinkly rapidly from the strong sun. 

"What the fuck? Locking me in the car?" I shout angrily, throwing my hands in the air as I still try to get my vision normal.

"Language Aria" he sternly scolds me. 

I scoff, "wow, if it isn't Jakob, oh how I didn't miss you". I give him a hard nudge to move out of my way and I strut to the door. 

"You were better when you were sleeping I see" Liam now speaks, a bit of sadness trailed his voice. Normally Liam is the happier one...Well at least when I was here back then, years ago. I was close with Liam, just like all of them but I don't care about that anymore. What's done is done.

"Welcome back home little bean" another familiar voice says as he opened the door that I stood impatiently infront of. And of course it's the other one, Lukas. 

Lukas and Jakob are twins, both equally as annoying and tall might I add. 

Lukas studies me up and down and acknowledges my other brothers behind me, actually no, he just wanted to signal them to pass the cigarette. 

I barge my way through his buff frame that blocked the entrance. My face mimicked their's; blank and expressionless. 

"Woah hold up little miss A" Lukas gently places his larger hands on my head and spins me in his direction in one quick motion. Now looking in my boring blue eyes that represented his too. "After all that time, no hug even?" he adds, cocking his head to the side, revealing an innocent smirk. 

I shove him back, almost as gently and glare right at him "No. I don't even want to be here". I know that came out more venomous than I anticipated but who cares. I continue to make my way into the beautifully decorated lounge room, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I heard his sad sigh in response. 

"Yeah she's been like that since". The rest of the boys followed suit, entering in behind me while I walked around the place. 

They had an extravagant amount of designer furnishings along with that minimalistic look resonating throughout the mansion. I remember how it used to be when I was younger but they've definitely done some touch ups. I run my hands across the satin curtains and leather chairs. And did a light run up and down the glass stairs which really gave it that modern look. 

I find my way in the old kitchen room, now turned 'TV room 2'. Flat screens everywhere and other technologies scattered too. As I venture through the luxurious room, a sudden something makes me stumble back roughly. 

"Oh shit, Arianna, I didn't see you there" he whispers out, catching my fall. 

Ah now we've done the full circuit. I probably wouldn't have recognised him if he had been first. 

"Xavier". 

He nods and smiles but I maintained my blank face, much like my cold voice. It really baffles me how all my brothers think that I would just rush into their arms and we'd share a family hug and move on with life while forgetting the past. 

"Liam, said you were in a mood" he chuckles and leaves me to stand there furious. Furious at the fact that I'm in a MOOD?! 

I was abandoned suddenly one day by all of them and now they think it's all rainbows and unicorns! 

"A mood Xavier!? A mood!?" I yell at the top of my lungs as I storm out to follow him back into the main lounge where my other brothers are. 

I couldn't box up my tears any longer.

"You guys chose to lose me, I chose to accept that and move on. Like I have been for the last decade. Don't pretend that I'd come running in your arms like some 5 year old. In the Mafia or not. I was your sister, now I want nothing to do with any of you!" I hadn't yelled that hard in well, forever. The orphanage was quite strict on discipline. Tears were streaming down, flooding my red face. My breathing became heavier but I still cried more and more. 

Xavier had turned around and his look softened immediately just like all of theirs. Eli almost looked guilty, they all held sympathetic expressions. 

"I'm sorry Arianna" Eli sighs after the long silence. "I'm so sorry". 

"Sorry isn't enough". I spin around to leave, this was all too much.

A warm hand grabs my wrist, Xavier's. "It's not like it seems" he mutters out, staring at the floor. 

I shrug my shoulders and escape up the glass stairs to my old room which surprisingly was exactly in tact. 

No more tears were able to form and I'm left with red buldgy eyes and a bad case of sniffles. 

With that, sleep found me.