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Chapter 31

Valeriana's pov

After the principal gave Lucian detention she let us go to class. Aurelio stayed in the room with the principal when we left. I don't know what he was going to do after we left. During lunch I told Miss Wells why I was gone. She asked me if she even wanted to know how I managed to get shot and I told her no. So she didn't pry. We just finished our lunch and talked about what I planned on doing after school.

So here I am about to walk into detention. I didn't get detention earlier but I figured I shouldn't let Lucian suffer alone. I had a bag of snacks and drinks. As I walked into the room there were a few others sitting at desks. Lucian had his top half of his body leaning on a table as he stared out of the window. I plop down next to him causing him to look over. I give him a smile.

"What are you doing here?" Lucian asked. I place my bag on the table.

"Decided to keep you company. Also I brought snacks. Lots of snacks," I say, unzipping my bag and dumping the contents out. The table had a pile of snacks by the time I was done. I open another zipper and pull out drinks.

"You are the best little sister anyone could ask for," Lucian says. I smile at that before looking out the window.

"Why is the window open?" I asked.

"Your brothers tried to get detention but Mrs. Allen refused to put them here no matter what they tried. I think she'll be off your back after whatever Aurelio did or said to her. She wouldn't even give Verena and Aristo detention and they aren't related to you," he says.

"That doesn't explain why the window is open," I chuckle.

"They were stopping by," Lucian says. I nodded my head before standing up when I saw them. I poke my head out of the window.

"You know you can just walk in through the door right?" I asked as they got closer.

"You can do that?" Valerico asked. I nod my head.

"I literally just did it. The teacher didn't care," I mutter.

"Whose class is this?" Aristo asked. I shrug my shoulders.

"I don't know but Miss Wells is in here watching over the class. She loves us. She wouldn't care we aren't assigned to be here," I say before looking at Miss Wells. I hear my brothers rushing away from the window to get inside. I plop down in my chair and grab a small pack of cookies. Lucian was eating gummy worms. My brothers were loud in the hallway as they ran into the room.

"Miss Wells! I am back!" Aristo yells. Miss Wells chuckles.

"I wasn't even aware you were gone," she says. Aristo glared at her, causing her to smile and laugh lightly. "I'm joking, Aristo, you made it extremely clear when you were leaving. Now why were you not in class today?" Miss Wells asked. Aristo smiled.

"I had buddies to visit?" Aristo asked. "I actually went home to retrieve my work I completed while away and then my nonna who came back with us noticed it was close to pranzo and wouldn't let me leave fino I had eaten two full piatti of il cibo she made for mia famiglia," Aristo says. Miss Wells' eyebrows furrowed.

"Nonna, grandma. Pranzo, lunch. Fino, until. Piatti, plates. Cibo, food. Mia famiglia, my family," I mutter as I open a juice.

"So where is this work?" Miss Wells asked.

"I left it on the table. Mia nonna è distracting when she gets cibo pazzo," Aristo says while shaking his head. My brothers laugh.

"Dude, you're speaking in English and Italian to an English only speaker," Valentino chuckles while patting his friends back.

"Spiacente," Aristo says before groaning. "Sorry. I've spoken Italian for two months, no inglese so converting back to English is weird. I'm trying my best. When I stepped off the plane the English speakers confused me for a few moments before I remembered I speak English," Aristo says. His cheek tinted a light pink in embarrassment.

"Aw, that is so cute! Le tue guance sono rosa," I mutter. Aristo narrowed his eyes on me. I raise my hands in the air. "Woah, I tend to say what's on my mind. No filter, sorry," I said before I went back to eating.

"Why do you have so many snacks?" Valerico asked. I look at my hoarding pile. I wince before looking at my brothers.

"I don't know, it's a habit. To collect food in case there is a time I don't have access to it anymore. I know it's not going to happen now, but I still catch myself doing it. And yes I do keep it in my school bag," I say. I put my cookies down. No longer having an appetite for them. "It makes me feel prepared," I say. I take a drink out of my juice.

"Then keep doing it, Valeriana. If it makes you feel safe then we aren't going to stop you. We want you to feel as comfortable with us as possible," Matteo says. I bite the inside of my cheek. My hands were starting to shake. Talking about this didn't bother me before, why all of a sudden is it weird. Is it the other people in the room? My brothers, their friends and Miss Wells I trusted enough to talk about this with. There were other students in this room that I didn't know or feel comfortable with them knowing.

"We'll stop talking about it," Lucian says while placing his hand on my shoulder. I jumped from the unexpected contact.

"Don't touch me!" I snapped. Lucain jerked his hand back. "I'm sorry. I have to see and know if you are going to touch me," I say.

"I understand, sorry. I'll remember for next time," Lucian says. I nod my head. My hand shot out and grabbed my cookies before I began eating them again. My leg began to bounce as I stared out the window mindlessly. I feel like I was supposed to do something after school.

"Oh shit. I gotta go. I forgot I told my papà and dad I would be over after school. I will catch you guys at home... Are you done with this?" I asked Lucian, pointing to my snack pile. He nods his head. I push my snacks into my bag while leaving a drink out for him. I rush from the room before popping my head back in the room.

"See you tomorrow, Miss Wells," I say.

"Bye, V," she says while smiling at me.