GUYS IT'S BEEN A WHILE.

But I'm back, hello hi...um yeah.

*Crickets chirping*

So sorry for not updating sooner! I just sort of was unsure how to write this one but I think it turned out okay, I have 6 nearly 7 weeks off so I think I'm going to be giving you guys a fair few chapters for Mafia Girl and also Not So Bad. :) 

I'm off to Greece this time next week, so when I'm sunbathing I might write a bit in my iPhone notes, just like good old times with TSIWF and ROS :D

My Summer has so far consisted of...listening to music, deep thinking, freaking out, lying on the floor thinking about life decisions, experimenting with my hair, a little bit of shopping, leaving the house rarely, being anti-social, looking after my sister, trying to be healthy, browsing the music channels and watching TV shows that have me hooked :) So Greece should do me good then...

So...oops sorry aha!

-Lx

---

~Elliot~

Something hits me square in the chest, I groan and stare down at my graphics folder, rolling my eyes at the sheer stupidity of my best friend. I fold my arms and lean back in my seat. Having the whole row of seats to myself really does suck but I kind of life the privacy, our class isn't too small but there are only 16 of us. Mostly boys except for two girls who always pair up with each other, who both are always giggling whether Hugh and I walk in. Which Hugh seems to like but I however really don't.

Another ball of paper flies into my chest and bounces to the ground by my feet. I sigh and look up to see Hugo grinning like an idiot. I rest my head into my chin carefully, my eyes momentarily looking down at my heavy folder that I have been working on since the middle of year 10 then glance back up at his mischievous smile. I raise my eyebrows, waiting for an answer, not really bothered to actually talk to him.

"Oi El, what's up?" he asks, frowning at my gesture, clearly not understanding what I meant by it. I hold my forehead and close my eyes as I huff through my mouth. I gradually straighten up to look at him with narrowed eyes as I fold my arms again.

"Nothing. I just keep thinking about Jenny" I mumble, raking my fingers through my hair. His eyes turn from playful to bored as he rolls his own eyes and shakes his head in disapproval.

"Oh come on mate! You need to move on from her once and for all! She left for a reason you know, and no offense or anything, but she isn't going to come running back to you anytime soon"

I nod slowly, lowering my head in a sort of shameful way as he continues to watch me from where he has turned in his seat and I massage my forehead with one hand. He gets up to clump me on the shoulder supportively and bends down onto his knees in front of the desk to look at me in a better way.

"You're right Hugh, you usually are to be frankly honest" I say, looking up at his smiling face. He nods quickly saying: "That's the spirit!" before patting my head and standing up to stretch his legs with a rather nasty crack. Someone's going to have to hit the gym later.

"I'm not a puppy Hugo" I complain and he groans at my complaints yet again but then smirks at the context of it, he laughs but I cut him short with a: "what?!"

"Oh nothing. Just I've heard some girls in the maths corridor comparing you to just that- a Puppy" he laughs loudly, a few people turn to look at him in shock that such a laugh has come from such a person and also in annoyance as he has seemed to disturb a few eager classmates of mine that have started work early.

"MR SULLIVAN!" a voice that could make anybody turn in their grave or in our case scare us into all studying so hard we get A's booms loudly. His eyes widen and he freezes in place, looking at me with frightened brown eyes and a tight lipped grimace.

"Miss Peterson! What a delightful day to see your beautiful face" he swoons, batting his eyelashes in a flirty way and running a hand through his hair slowly as she huffs in exhaustion and bangs her closed fist onto her wooden desk with a very angry face.

"Hugo sit down this instant! I have had it with your disruptions, one more pop from you and I can fail you for this entire class with just a click of my fingers"

"Yes Mam!" he raises his hand in salute and I stifle my laugh with my sleeve as she opens her mouth, looking ready to scream the house down.

"Um Miss!" Kieran Black, a boy sat the same row as Hugo yells and Hugo breathes a sigh of relief with me and slumps into his seat with a silent thanks to Kieran as Kieran continues: "We're already 10 minutes into the lesson, don't you think we should start um...learning?" he visibly cringes at the last word and quickly meets Hugo's eye. Hugo grins widely at him in thanks to which spurs Kieran on to look back at Miss Peterson bravely.

"I guess you are correct Mr Black. Okay then so what did we do last lesson?"

"We started the page on logo ideas" Kieran strikes up again and she nods steadily, walking over to the white board and clicking off the lid of a blue white board pen as she begins to write out the learning objective.

"So today we are-" her tiresome drone of a voice is cut off by a rather rapid and firm knock on the door causing us all to look up and her to throw her head back and growl in exasperation. "Come in then!"

The door opens hesitantly, someone steps in, hidden behind the door only to be seen by Miss Peterson who plasters on a cheery smile. "Hello there, can I help you?" she greets in a sickly sweet tone. I look up from the page I have taken out of my folder, pencil in hand, curious to see who is at the door just like the rest of us.

Heels belonging to the knocker click against the polished floor as someone steps out from behind the wooden door, their petite hand gripping the black plastic handle tightly, with what I expect is nerves as her knuckles turn white from the pressure. My mouth gapes as I watch as she rather timidly walks up to the desk where Miss Peterson watches her inquisitively, tapping her blue biro against her wooden desk.

Everybody else around me seems to vanish into thin air as this stunning mystery girl turns to look at us all, nervous yet amazing hazel eyes staring at us in a frightful way. Dark brown waves frame her bronzed face combined with some sections of intense electric blue that really do make her deep blue stand out, such a contrast to her tanned skin. She looks like she is from somewhere exotic from that tan, unless she travelled somewhere recently. Let her smile, I bet her smile is breath-taking.

My stomach seems to become light and tingly, my heart almost leaps from my chest with how fast it beats, my breath gets caught short in my throat as I continue to gawk at her slim form. I can't stop looking at her. But I...don't really want to stop in case she disappears when I blink or something.

"So everyone this is..." but they are the only words I catch from Miss Peterson as I zone out again, watching as the girl turns, clutching her simple black leather bag towards her torso, then she begins to saunter towards me. Wait a minute. She's coming straight at me. Okay don't panic Elliot! Stay calm, be cool!

She gradually pulls out the bright dark blue office-style chair and gently sits down beside me, ignoring me completely, as I try and smile at her. I feel slightly deflated as I turn back to the board. So much for that then.

***

"Mate. I saw the way you were looking at Clara" Hugo says as I leave the uncomfortable atmosphere of the classroom where he leans on the wall opposite, arms folded over his broad chest, seeming very unimpressed.

"Clara" I repeat, emphasising each symbol, her name suiting her pretty petite self perfectly, it rolling off my tongue like something I have been rehearsing my whole life. I smile as the word leaves my mouth, satisfied that such a nice name belongs to such an attractive girl.

"Please tell me this isn't happening again. Don't go falling in love again okay? It's not healthy for you" he scolds, waggling his thick finger in my face as I stare at it bewildered, leaning away from it, pushing it away to furrow my eyebrows at him.

"Who said anything about falling in love? She was just really striking"

"Yeah and she didn't talk to any of us. Seems dead interesting" he snorts, smirking at my blasé face as he begins to laugh at my expression.

"She was probably just shy, it was her first day, give her some credit!"

"Looks like you had more than giving her credit on your mind" he wiggles his eyebrows and I groan and glare at him intently as he howls with laughter again, drawing miss Peterson from her classroom who is now purple faced with the anger she has bubbling up for Hugo.

I whack him in the arm scoldingly as I pull him away and we continue down the long corridor towards the lunch hall where maybe I can get away with throwing a tuna sandwich in his face.

*A few hours earlier*

~Clara~

To say I have never been more nervous in my life is an understatement. This level of nervousness is worse than sitting in a meeting with the very scary Russian Mafia boss, or the time the helicopter we were in exploded when we only about 5 meters from it, throwing us off our feet to be taken to a hospital where they knew who we are and we had to escape. Now that just proves my point.

A real school. With real teenagers. Some of which may have knowledge of the Mafia. Especially since I am doing modern history! I might as well hand myself in now and let them kill or torture me when I don't give them information.

Okay...so maybe not as worse as that, but you get the picture.

"I don't think I can do this Nona" I whisper, gripping her fragile arm tightly as we step up the drive towards the daunting brick building. She turns to smile at me as we draw closer, tapping my smallish hand with her slightly wrinkled one reassuringly.

"Clara" she sighs, shaking her head carefully, her wispy grey hair moving gently in the breeze as she brushes it back with her free hand. "You have spent all of your life so far living amongst the most wanted men in Italy, listening in on heists that have made the Mafia notoriously infamous. I think you will be just fine"

If I had a euro (I live in England now so...pound) for every time someone said notoriously, infamous and Mafia in the same sentence I would be a millionaire

"I hope so"

"I know so" she reassures, patting the sleeve of my brand new plum coloured duffle coat that I know Nan spent a lot of money on but she denied it and told me I was being silly and her face filled with glee when I tried it on for her.

I tread unhurriedly into the reception of the main building, each step feeling like a step towards like a sudden death or something horrible. Every limb of my body is shaking, so much so that Nona has to practically drag me towards the main desk.

"Hello, a very fair welcome to Browe High, school of excellent achievement and an academy in sport and art. How can I be of assistance?" a kind, loving little plump lady with a thick black crown braid crossed over her head says, smiling wide at me.

"Good Morning, my name is Adalina Johnson. I'm here to drop off my granddaughter, it's her first day" Nona speaks confidently, reciting her newer name as if it has been said a thousand times.

"Ah, you must be Clara. Don't worry Ms Johnson, Clara is in safe hands. It really is a lovely school if I do say so myself, now I believe someone from the school council is here to show you around and take you to your first lesson. Bare with me one second" The polite receptionist disappears in the room behind the desk and Nona smiles at me encouragingly and I return a tight lipped, worried one. She runs her hands through my hair and by the look on her face she still dislikes my blue highlights.

The door to my far right swings open and a confident blonde girl strides in; in contrast to me this girl looks absolutely flawless, wearing our purple uniform like it's the newest fashion trend, adorning a silver and purple shield-shaped school council badge on her blazer and silver hair band is slotted into her long fair hair neatly.

She bounds right up to me and shakes hands with my Nan as the receptionist returns. She flicks her hair over her shoulder and puts a hand on her hip as she surveys me with a bright smile on her face, I feel intimidated, even if she looks to be a pleasant girl. She shakes hands with my Nan again, her smile meeting her eyes right away with no falseness behind it.

"Ms Johnson, Clara is safe with me. You needn't worry about her. I will take care of her" Nona nods, she turns to me and presses a kiss to my cheek and a fonder more concerned one to my forehead. I inhale her old-fashioned perfume for a final time as she bids me farewell with a matching wave and leaves the building, leaving me still terrified.

"Hi there, I'm Chloe Anderson, Senior Head Girl and school council representative. Welcome again as I'm sure Patricia here has already said, to Browe High"

"Um thanks" I keep my words short, Dad's written words clear in my head. "I'm Clara...Johnson" I hesitate at my surname but she doesn't seem to realise, she shakes my hand formerly and I follow her out of the reception to what looks like a coat area outside of a library.

***

"So Clara. This is where I leave you" she says, rather sadly and panic begins to rise again as we stop outside of a classroom. Chloe did not stop talking as she guided me around the school, me not saying a word but occasionally nodding my head in reply to her few questions. Right now I'm outside my new Graphic Products/Design classroom, my very first lesson.

"I hope you enjoyed my tour and I hope you enjoy your time here. I really do hope to see you around" I smile weakly, a tragic attempt in response to her wide pearly grin. "You have Miss Peterson now, she is...fairly nice" I can tell she's trying to make this woman sound nicer than she is and I have a horrible feeling in my gut again. "I'm sure you will fit right in, okay good luck" she surprises me in hugging me, my eyes widen and I simply pat her back and she turns and skips down the corridor.

What even is this place?!

I knock on the door, whoever is talking inside is silenced for a moment as a scratchy voice says: "Come in then!" in an annoyed tone, I gulp nervously, gripping the handle as I open the door to my sudden doom.

"Hello there, can I help you?" an old batty woman smiles sickly at me, I walk over to the desk and introduce myself quickly as Clara Johnson, new student. She nods and gestures for me to turn around "you have a bit of catching up to do, but it won't take long" she whispers then says in a louder tone: "Everyone this is Clara"

The class mumbles a greeting and I feel the need to dash out of the door, but I stay put out of fear. Miss Peterson directs me to an almost empty row except for a brown haired boy who seems to be staring at me at a much greater depth than anyone else.

Well that's kind of creepy...

I sit myself down next to him, ignoring him and everyone else around me except for a nod or shake of my head, which may seem rude, but I'm not doing anything wrong particularly.

I'm following Dad's orders. That's all that matters.

---

A/N- I feel like I'm portraying Clara's Dad as a really bad, selfish and overprotective  guy when really he just wants to protect Clara.

Above is a gif of Elliot :) Forgot to mention that if anyone was confused aha.

-Lx