Book 2 chapter 24

                                    

                                          
Alessia's POV. 

"I'll be cold" I tell him, trying to hide my panicked state. 
It's true but that's not the complete reason. 
"Well then I'll grab you another one so you can change but take this one off" Nono says gently 
"That's okay- I'll grab it myself. Go eat, you must be hungry" I say, "I'll be right back" I encourage Nono. 
"I really don't mind though and I'd rather wait until you were here to start eating" Nono tells me. 
"It's really okay" I tell him and leave before he can object any further, "I'll be back in 5 minutes" I call out. 
"Something going on with her" I hear Ace state as I disappear into the corridor. 
I try to hear the reactions of my brothers but I can't hear them anymore.  
I quickly grab a new hoodie and change into it quickly before I walk back to the table. 
I head to Nono first, "here's your hoodie- I'm really sorry I got it dirty" I apologize again. 
"That's alright- accidents happen" he says softly before he throws it onto the kitchen counter, "I'll clean it after dinner but let's roll these sleeves a little up so these don't get dirty yeah?" He tells me. 
"Okay but just at my wrist- I don't want to get cold" I tell him knowing I can't get out of this one. 
"Is there something going on munchkin?" Nono asks softly as he rolls op my right sleeve. 
"No- I'm fine. Are you okay?" I ask him, trying to change the topic. 
"I'm fine too..you know that if there is something going on you can talk to me right? I'll always be here for you" he tells me. 
I just nod my head while he starts rolling up the sleeve on my left arms now. 
"What's this?" Nono suddenly asks, trying to keep his calm. 
Oh no
I forgot about this bruise on my arm that reaches my wrist. 
No
No
No
"It's nothing" I quickly rush out as I pull my hand away and rush towards my seat at the table. 
I quickly grab the slice of pizza from my plate and push it into my mouth.  
"Munchkin...what happened to your arm" Nono asks too calmly. 
"What's on her arm?" Ace asks before he suddenly lifts up the sleeve of the hoodie even further. 
I gasp and drop the pizza slice before I push the sleeve down again.  
I grap my glas of water and start taking big gulps of it. 
"What is that?" Ace asks mad. 
"D-don't be mad at me" I whimper as I start to move away from him. 
Hurt flashes in his eyes before they turn to worry. 
"I'm not mad at you- I am mad at the person who did this to you" Ace explains. 
"Is there more?" Cye asks as he rolls my sleeve back up again so he can look at the nail imprints from Anna. 
I don't answer as my heart just pounds in my throat.
Suddenly Nono comes up behind me, "take off that hoodie munchkin" he tells me. 
"B-but" I start 
"No buts- I need to see if you have any more bruises on your arms"
I do what he says and take off the hoodie. 
A gasp leaves his mouth when he sees my arms covered in all types of bruises. 
"What happened to you?" Nono asks me as he turn my chair to him 
"I don't want to talk about it" I tell him softly. 
"Well you're going to have to munchkin. The person who did this to you needs to be punished and taken away from you so they can't hurt you again" he tells me.
"I won't see her again?" I ask him hopefully. 
"Never" he says gently while holding my hands in his. 
"Promise?" I take a deep breath. 
"Yes I promise" he says softly. 
"Okay- you won't be mad at me?" I ask him as my hearts pounds in my chest. 
"I won't be mad" he says. 
"And you?" I ask the rest of my brothers. 
"Will not be mad either, right?" Nono asks them while they immediately start nodding their heads. 
"Okay...okay so.." I start but I stop. 
"Who hurt you baby?" Leo asks me. 
I take a deep breath as I want to start fidget with my fingers but Nono has them is his hold, "A-..Anna did" I tell them as tears well up in my eyes but it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. 
"The girl you demanded money from?" Ace asks confused. 
"I d-didn't do that" I tell them hurt. 
"But Dominic said you did" Cye says confused. 
"I -..I didn't she- she" I can't get the words out of my mouth as my breathing just picks up at the thought of what she has done to me for the past two weeks.
"Alright calm down- take a deep breath munchkin" Nono says softly while wrapping his hands around me. 
He slowly lifts me up and sits on my chair instead with me on his lap. 
I cuddle softly into his chest as I do what he says. 
"Alright, now tell us everything that happened with Anna and Dominic" Nono says gently after a few seconds. 
"Everything?"
"Everything"
"I-..okay so well. The first day back to school after the fire my teacher asked me to stay after class and after that I-I... I went to the cafeteria to meet my friends but Anna just...she..she grabbed me so I asked her to let me go..she didn't. She-" tears start emerging in my eyes while Nono gently rubs my back. 
"She dragged me to the bathroom while I tried to make her let go of me. She pushed me to the wall so I got a little mad and I asked h-her what she was doing and that she couldn't just push me around like that...s-she ignored me and asked me to give her my lunch money. I told her no but she kept pushing me and then sh-she hit my inc-incision. After that she started h-hitting me more and more until I gave her the money." I whimper out crying, leaving out some details. 
I feel the anger in the room rising towards Anna but the comforting touch from Nono never leaves my side.