The mob leader's best friend is a nerd

Chapter 6.5: Spin-off

Hi gals and guys! Hope your day is/was wonderful.
Anyway, I though this chapter should be a spin-off. A 0.5 chapter.

It'll take place outside of the plot, but still about Valerio and Aria. I wrote it in an outsiders POV so you can read about both their thoughts at the same time.

Enjoy💙💙💙

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"VALERIO! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Squeals a 9 year-old Aria, as she run across the playing ground towards her beloved best friend. In her small handare his 12th birthday present, wrapped in a green and blue gift paper.

Since it's autumn, shes wearing a thin maroon colored sweater, which covers the bruises on her arms from her recent incident.

The birthday boy is sitting on a bench, by the outskirt of the sandbox.His head hung low and his eyes bored into the phone. His fingers were tapping like crazy. He looked sad and emotionless, but it all disappeared when he heard Arias sweet little voice.

Valerio tapped the final message before he shoved it into his pocket. Little did Aria know that her precious best friend was just texting his papain front of her. About something she could never imagine.

His grin widens more and more the closer Aria get too him and the bench.A goofy grin on her face so it's possible to see three missing teeth.

Neither of them noticed the other children staring strangely at them, because they were so enthralled in each other. When Valerio and Aria is together, they forget the world.

Aria jumps on the bench and sit beside Valerio. "Happy Birthday Valerio! Thank you for being born!" she gratulates him again and offer him his gift from her, the same time pushing her glasses backup her nose.

Valerio kept the happy mask on his face even though he wanted to cry at her statement. He didn't blame her for bringing it up. She knew nothingafter all.

"Thank you, Vita mia (mylife)!You are the best Aria!" Valero response and happy that she doesn't notice his voice breaking a little.

Aria lets out a mental sigh of relief, because her best friend didn't notice the multiple blisters on her hand. Valerio knows about her bullying, but she still doesn't like to talk about how she spent hours writing copies of her homework. She never will.

Aria urges him to open the rectangular and flat object. It is obviously chocolate, but Valerio still acts surprised when he opens it.

"WOW! Thank you so much Aria! I love it! This is so yummy" Valerio say excitingly and hug her. Aria, happy to please her best friend, hug him back.

Both of their cheeks are hurting from smiling so much, but neither stop by the pain.

"Do you want some?" Valerio asks, but move to open it already. Aria stops him immediately.

"No!This is my gift too you, so it is yours" She explains and smile.

"What if I want to share it with you?" he asks. Aria declines stubbornly and even turn her head away from him to prove her point.

The boy sigh and puts the chocolate plate in his pocket. He knows how much Aria loves sweets and won't torture her by eating the chocolatein front of her.

When Valero tells her it's fine she turns her head back and smile. The movement making her glasses slip down her tiny button nose, so Valerio reach out his index finger and pushes it back up. Aria smiles with a rosy blush on her cheek.

They talk and play from morning till evening, but then Valerio has to go home. He want to play with Aria longer, escape what waits at home which make his stomach sick. But he remind himself of why he is doing this and says farewell with Aria.

"You're going already?" his best friend in the whole world says and tuck her bottom lip out. She's sulking, but Valerio can't help but smile at her cute behavior.

"Yeah, but i'll text you later tonight. Ok?" Aria nods reluctantly and hug him with the last "Happy birthday" and then they separate ways.

Her, home too an empty and cold house. Him too his life-changing birthday celebration at home.

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Aria wakes up from her ringing Nokia phone. She had falled asleep with the phone clenched in her hand waiting for her best friends text. She was surprised when she saw he called instead, but didn't complain. She loves his voice!

"Valerio?"She says while trying to fight the sleep off.

"Aria"she hear Valerio say from the other end. Shes wide awake now after hearing Valerios crying voice.

"Valerio?! Are you ok?" she asks frantically, her voice dripping with worry for her best friend being hurt in any way.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm fine. Just wanted to thank you for the chocolate again.They're really delicious right now"

Aria doesn't like the way it sounds, and knows theres something else going on.

"Valerio...what is really going on?"

"...Nothing, Vita mia (mylife).I just woke up from a nightmare and the sweet chocolate are really hitting the spot"

Aria exhale loudly of relief, and a smile replace her worried expression. It makes her happy that her present are useful for Valerio.

"Are you home alone?" Valerio ask and changing the subject.

She nods, but then remember he can't see her and answers yes.

"Papa and mama been at work since morning and till midnight" she replies and glance at her clock on her wall in her room, 11:48PM. "They should be here 12:30 AM."

Aria has always been a quick learner and already in an age of 7 3/4 mastered both the digital and analog time.

Not having the energy on getting mad at her parents for leaving her home alone so long...he continues the easy conversation with Aria.

"If they were gone all day, how did you get money to buy my present?"

"By the money from the tooth fairy" She answers proudly. Aria has been saving up money for the first time.

Valerio, on the other side of the line, freezes.

Aria doesn't know, but he is drenched from head too toe in his black suit and leather gloves. Hes in his room now, not even undressed, when he felt the need to call his Aria.

Valerio did not freeze, because of his cold and wet clothes, but of how innocent Aria got the money to buy the chocolate plate. Tears run down his cheeks again, but his able to contain the sobs from Aria to hear them.

"Thank you....Good night, Vita mia (mylife).Ti amo (I love you)"he says and relieved that he contained the sadness from his voice.

"You're welcome, Velario! Good night. Ti amo tanto (Ilove you so much)"

The moment the call ended, Valerio dropped to the floor and hugged himself while crying. It pained him that he couldn't tell Aria. Not because hes lying, but that he really needs her comforting words and forgiveness right now.

But Aria doesn't know, and she never will. That in Valerio's 12th birthday, the birthday boy killed his first human for money.

Valerio screams when he remembers how he shot the man in the head after assaulting him. The horror and terrified look on his face and eyes is etched in Valero mind. The lifeless body's blood being drained with the pouring rain.

Valerio runs too his bathroom and throws up the chocolate piece he just ate. He will never eat that chocolate again. He can't enjoy something so innocent and pure, bought from something as simple as money from the tooth fairy, compared to how he got money tonight.

When his parents collected him after, they were silent. He was thankful that they understood and let him be.

Thankful that nobody saw him in this state in his room.

Thankful that the next day he met her, she still smiled and didn't notice. Didn't notice the empty and hollow in his eyes and the smiles that screamed for salvation from her.

She never noticed, and she never did.