Trap
POV: Elena
I go down to breakfast feeling exhausted.
I couldn't sleep after everyone left my room; I was afraid I'd have nightmares again.
I find all my relatives gathered in the kitchen for breakfast.
I grab a piece of fruit and sit in the chair next to Nicco, who looks at me with a worried look.
"You can barely stand," he says quietly, just so I can hear.
"Mind your own business," I say in the same tone.
I leave the table to grab my backpack and meet the boys at the entrance.
There I discover that Giovanni, Giorgio, Ângelo, and Antoni go to school with us.
Eloisa stays close to our cousins and decides to ride in the same car as them. She seems eager to prove she's perfect, to prove she's better than me.
When we get to school, I feel something is wrong. I can't put my finger on it, but something is very wrong.
I get out of the car and walk toward Ana and Breanna, who are waiting for me in the driveway.
"You look awful," Breanna says, sizing me up.
"Tough night, full house," I say with a groan, and she laughs.
I look at Ana more closely. Yesterday, my brothers mentioned her last name while talking about the mafia. Does she know about the family business?
"My brothers will be excited to see their cousins again," Ana says with a grimace, and I can't help but laugh.
"They'll be here until the end of the semester," I say, laughing, and she groans.
Breanna goes to her economics class, and we go to our biology class.
I talk to Ana for most of the class. She tells me that her parents are planning a party for her sixteenth birthday, which is next week.
My whole family was invited, but she invites me as a friend and begs me to impress Eloisa by going.
During lunch, the feeling that something isn't right hits me again. I look around and try to pinpoint what's bothering me so much.
"Guys, don't look now, but one of the new kids is coming here," Carla comments, and we all turn to look.
Angelo approaches the table and smiles at me.
"Can I stay with you?" he asks, and I nod.
"Do you know him?" Liam asks, sizing up my cousin.
"It's Angelo, my cousin," I say, and everyone gives him a scrutinizing look.
"The other guys' tables were too full, and those girls won't leave my side," Angelo complains, and this comment immediately earns him acceptance into the group.
No one here is a fan of the cheerleaders. They start talking about Angelo and my other cousins' lives, but I'm incredibly uncomfortable, feeling like I'm being watched.
When I look back for the third time, my cousin grabs my hand and pulls me into the hallway.
"What happened?" he asks me outside the cafeteria.
"I don't know, I must be paranoid," I say, scratching my neck. "I feel like something's wrong, like someone's watching me."
He looks at me for a second and then takes out his phone. He texts someone and soon receives a call.
"Check the property's cameras and send me what you find," he says seriously.
I hear someone nod on the other end of the line, and he hangs up.
"Elena, if anything happens or if you don't feel safe, let us know immediately and we'll go home," he tells me, and I'm surprised he took my suspicions seriously.
"Okay," I reply, and we return to the cafeteria. I notice my other siblings' postures are a little more tense. Ângelo's message must have been for them.
The bell for the next class rings ten minutes later.
Ana and I are walking to the other building for math class when the cheerleading squad appears in our path.
"Two outcasts from their own families," Alana says, and the others laugh.
I spot Eloisa among them, a look of superiority on her face.
"I thought you were grounded," I say coldly. "Lorenzo will be happy to know you disobeyed him."
She glares at me and comes closer.
"You'll pay for hitting me that day." She grips my chin tightly.
I remove her hand from my face, hold her wrist, and match my tone.
"I'm looking forward to it." I push her out of the way and follow Ana to my class.
Ana doesn't comment, but I see her hands trembling slightly and pull her into the bathroom before she can freak out.
"What happened?" I ask worriedly.
"I-I," she begins, and then bursts into tears. I calm her down and ask if I should call one of her brothers.
She nods, and I run to find one of them. Ana's brother, Joel, has the same classes as Sandro and Leonardo, so I run to their classroom.
On the way, I run into some of the players: Alana, Sheila, and Eloisa.
They're making out in the hallway as if they're going to rip each other's souls out with their mouths.
"Look, another Valentini," one of the boys comments, and I ignore him.
I walk past them, but Alana's hand tightens around my wrist.
"We're talking to you," her tone is harsh and mean.
"I'm busy," I say, twisting my wrist to free myself.
Her grip tightens, and I'm sure I'll bruise.
"Eloisa told us you like the guys on the soccer team," Sheila says, and I glare at Eloisa. "So Gael didn't mind staying with you when we asked," Alana says and pushes me into the arms of one of the boys.
That Gael grabs me by the waist and pulls me into a room next to the lockers.
The room is filled with books and school documents.
I slap my hands on the boy's chest to get him to let me go, but he gives me a mischievous smile.
"You feel so comfortable throwing yourself into our cousins' arms that you won't mind being with Gael," Eloisa comments, standing in the doorway.
I feel Gael thread his fingers through my hair and press my mouth against his. His other hand runs down my back until it touches my butt.
I hear the sound of a cell phone taking a picture, and my blood runs cold.
"Have fun," Alana says, laughing at Eloisa, and closes the door.
I bite Gael's mouth hard until I feel blood. He glares at me and slaps me across the face.
"You slut," he growls.
"If my brothers find out, they'll kill you," I say irritably, but he just smiles. "I don't think so, honey. Leonardo himself said you two were two whores looking for money," he says, and my eyes widen in shock.
"That's not true," I say, pulling away from him.
I look around and have nothing to defend myself with.
He approaches me, looking at me with lust.
"I'll scream if you try anything," I say, fear evident in my voice.
"You can scream, no one's been here for a long time," he says, cornering me against the wall.
His hand pulls my hair and he turns me around forcefully, making my chest slam against the wall. His hand goes down to the button of my pants, and I start begging and hitting him.
He whispers in my ear, telling me to relax, that I'll start to feel better soon.
Gael abuses me as I try to pull away and free myself.
I let out a cry of pain, and he laughs and praises me, telling me I'm perfect. His hand slides over my chest while the other pulls my hair back.
He groans in my ear as I shiver with each thrust. When he finishes, I feel something warm on my back.
"You were perfect, darling," he says, kissing my mouth as I sink into my misery. "Maybe I'll want to do that again soon."
He straightens, and when I see I'm not moving, he pulls up my pants and adjusts them too.
His arm drapes over my shoulder, and he pulls me out of the room.
Alana, Sheila, Eloisa, and the other boys are outside, smiling as we leave.
"Elena, I didn't know you were like that," Eloisa scoffs, and I snap back to reality.
Giving them all a glare, I push Gael away from me and run.