"Marcelo?"
"And what are you doing here, mafia princess?" He put on a cocky grin and tried to hide what was in his hand. "Came to spy on me, huh?"
"I won't give you any answers. You're too weak and vulnerable right now."
"I'm not..." He stuttered, adjusting his hood and looking away. The bloodied knife with a green handle dropped to the ground with a clatter.
"Why are you doing this to yourself?"
"I... I..."
"You don't have to speak if you don't want to," I waved my hand, staring at his face. It was strange to see such vulnerability in Vespa. But we're all humans, and we all have emotions.
"I... excuse me..." What he did next, I couldn't have anticipated... He fell to his knees and started sobbing. I couldn't move, I just stood there, watching him. The brunette pressed his forehead to the cold ground and cried. It must have been excruciating for him. And I just stood there, watching. What was I supposed to do? I was in complete shock, unsure of where to go. Why is everything so complicated? My inability to support people suddenly became evident.
I sat down next to him and looked up at the stars. I yawned and removed the mask that had been chafing my skin. When he finally calmed down and lifted his gaze to me, wiping his face, I had been observing him throughout the whole scene.
"I'm ready."
"For what?" Vespa wheezed, looking at me.
"To listen to you."
"Do you think I'm going to spill all the crap that's built up inside me onto you like some child?" He looked at me with a mixture of annoyance and self-consciousness.
"You were crying in front of me, so why can't you talk about it?"
"I'm not..."
"Don't deny it. You know that if you let the weight accumulate, you might do something worse than cutting yourself with a knife, right? And appreciate what you have. For instance, I haven't been able to shed a tear for a year now, I want to, but I can't. So tears are actually a good thing." I chuckled and rubbed the spot between my breasts.
"Does it hurt?" I remained silent and simply looked at him. Did it really matter if something hurt?
"Alright, I'll tell you." He did exactly that. Marcelo told me about his parents, his plans, how he's suffering, and his fears. I smiled when I heard that the brunette is terribly afraid of loneliness.
"Listen to me, you don't have to be your father, the perfect example, got it? You're different individuals, you don't have to do everything he says. And overall, just have fun while you're young. Find yourself a real girl, take your time exploring things you genuinely enjoy. You're not your father's shadow; you're you, completely different people. Be yourself and don't be afraid of anything, because life's the same for all of us." I added, "For example, I can't remember the last time I cried, even though I want to. So tears are actually a good thing." I chuckled and rubbed the spot between my breasts.
"Is it painful?" I stayed quiet and just looked at him. Was it even relevant whether something was painful?
"Alright, I'll talk to you," he suddenly said after a few minutes of silence. "Can I hug you?"
"No," I responded abruptly, but it was too late. Marcelo moved closer and hugged me tightly, resting his head on my shoulder. I exhaled. And what was I supposed to do in such moments? The guy murmured and lowered his head. "Take your hands away, or I'll stab you with your own knife," I threatened.
"You can say whatever you want, mafia princess, but I won't believe that you truly want this," Marcelo muttered after a moment of silence. "You're not like other girls. You're strange."
"Oh no, please, let's not go there. I'm just like everyone else, I just happened to be born into a mafia family," I protested. It's so annoying when you're separated from others. "Special people are the ones who can fly or... I don't even know."
"Do you think anyone would love you if you weren't in the mafia? Would you be a completely different person?" Vespa inquired, finally letting go of me. I shrugged and contemplated. We talked for a while, and when it was time to leave, I reminded him to wear a bandage and wished him luck in finding himself. That lightness disappeared as I stepped onto the staircase, and the Mort's gaze took over.
* * *
"Well no, now you won't escape," a loud grumbling was heard. "What did you say to Julian that made him like this? He came out all red and didn't say a word the whole way!" Morta exclaimed, bursting into the living room where his sister was supposed to be sitting. "Oh...
Deimi, in a lounging position, sat on the chair and gloomily examined some sheets of paper. She had just returned from a school tour and was trying to calm down and relax.
"I didn't say anything!" She snapped back.
"Oh, come on, I saw you! And I felt it!"
"Oh, who's Julian anyway?" Wendy asked with gleaming eyes. "Who's that?"
"A mutual friend," Grace waved off, piercing me with a look. "You're not planning to answer?"
"If you don't shut up within six seconds, then..."
"Demi doesn't have mutual friends," Michael slyly squinted as he adjusted his glasses, looking up from his laptop. It's better to listen to family gossip than this work. "So who's this guy who won your friendship, Grace? Well, come on, Grace, tell us. I'm actually curious now."
The girl pushed aside the documents and responded to her brother's prying gaze with a cold and icy one, which he tried to avoid somehow.
"Well, don't look at me like that," he grumbled. "Am I guilty?"
"Demi, did you make another new friend?" Danny was surprised and scooted closer to his sister on the couch. "From the internet?"
"Not from the internet. And he's not a friend at all," the brunette sneered. "Is that enough?"
"A friend from school, it's just amazing with your character," the older one continued. "If Chris knew, he would undoubtedly be proud of you."
"Forget about it," the gamer growled at him and tapped his earring with his finger.
"Why are you guys so quiet? Won't you tell us?" The sister huffed and adjusted her wavy hair.
"Am I imagining things, or weren't you interested in our friends before?" Demi snarled, straightening up. "No one's going to tell you anything."
"Little sis, don't be such a grump. We're family, after all," Danny flashed his teeth and tried to reach for her hand. The girl gave Morta a furious glance and shot a menacing look with her eyes.
"I had no plans to say anything, but..." the brunette continued proudly.