Anastasia

Chapter 1: Joanna

Time passed quicker than Anastasia expected, but that didn't mean that her family had left her alone with a peace of mind. No, her torment only just began, the night they kicked her out of the house and she wandered aimlessly until she made it down the hill. She thanked god that after she made her way into town that the local diner was still open for her to take refuge in.

The waitress at the diner felt pity as soon as she saw her. Well who wouldn't coming in from the pouring rain, eyes and nose red from crying, soaked to the bone, and scratchiness on her face and arms from slipping on the road she deduced.

"Would you like anything to drink and eat?" the waitress asked

"N-O I'm good." she said with the cold racked through her body causing her to shiver. Anastasia sat down in the booth basking in the warmth that the diner provided while she tried to compose herself.

The waitress left her alone for a couple of minutes, checking on orders of the other customers that were in the diner. Her eyes though were focused on the girl with silver white hair that was sitting in the booth. The waitress went inside to the back of the diner where she got changed. Grabbing the clean towel that was just washed off the rack, and a cup of Coco from the kitchen. She made her way back to Anastasia, as she set the things on the table.

"Here you look like you need these things more than Me." the waitress said

"Thank you, but I don't have money with me..." replied Anastasia while she looked at the cup of coco longingly, as she began to dry herself with the towel that was provided.

"Don't worry it's on the house." the waitress said, Anastasia was taken aback by her kindness, but thanked her nonetheless. She sipped the coco as warmth washed over body enjoying every sip of it.

The hours ticked by and one by one the customer's left and the diner emptied. Until only Anastasia and the waitress were left.

"Hey you got to leave we're closing down." the waitress said she looked down on the girl that still had the towel around her shoulders with a pink and blue pastel color bag that sat next to her.

"I know I'll leave." Anastasia got her bag from next to her and stood up to leave. While she was going to the door she quickly turned around and walked back to the waitress.

"Hey I know this quite rushed and without warning, but do you have a job available for a person like me or know a place that does." Anastasia was surprised at the courage she was able to muster to even ask.

"Actually we're looking for a person to hire, but since most people here don't need a job to gain money for this life and the next it's tough finding someone. What I wouldn't give for a life like that, but then again most of them are assholes." the waitress said with a dry sense of humor, while she cleaned the table in front of her.

"Does that mean that I get the job?" said Anastasia hopefully

"Yeah you got the job princess; by the way I'm Joanna." Joanna said "I'll tell you all the details for you tomorrow, and don't be late."

Joanna was taller than Anastasia standing at 5'6. She had a curvaceous body that suited her, lean muscles that framed her body. It looks like she attained it from regular exercise, while her olive skin shone under the bright lights of the diner. It made the scars on her body even more visible, but it only made her more beautiful in Anastasia's eyes, as they were a testament of what she endured. Her curls framed her face until it stopped, about to her shoulders. It was like she had found her polar opposite in looks and personality.

"O-O-kay I won't." Anastasia said when she went to leave Joanna grabbed her by the arm, before she went out into the storm again. Anastasia released a moan of pain where her bruised arm was held.

"I didn't grab you that hard princess, did I" questioned Joanna "Do you have a place to stay the night 'cause I don't see a car or someone waiting for you outside."

Anastasia looked down in shame as she couldn't answer her.

"No you didn't grab me that hard. Anyway I do have someone waiting for me. I just have to go in that corner and then turn left . My Uncle should be waiting there." Anastasia looked anywhere, but at her.

"Really" Joanna said sarcastically.

"Really" Anastasia now unsure

"Are you sure?" Joanna replied.

"Yeah..." the unease in Anastasia's voice is evident in her voice like clouds on a sunny day.

"Then did you know that if you take a left on that corner you'll hit a brick wall." with a dead tone in Joanna's voice. "You're coming with me princess then you tell me why you have a bruising cheek that's purple. That you're frantically trying to hide with your hair ever since you entered the diner. Capeesh. Capeesh" not even waiting for an answer from Anastasia, and all she could do was stare at Joanna in shock from her words.

That night Joanna took her to her apartment on the south side of town. The very one where her family, well ex- family, always warned her to never go to. She opened up to Joanna and told her everything that happened today wanting to have someone to cry with in her time of need. Joanna was uneasy with her when she learned she was from the Romano's family, but after a few months she knew that Anastasia held no ill will for her. Both of them started to get closer to each other as the months passed. No longer being stranger's, but getting close to sisters. Anastasia was glad that she had her in her life, even with the unfortunate circumstances that they have met.

Out of the kindness of Joanna's heart she let Anastasia stay in her apartment, but having to pay half of the rent's money with her. Her apartment had one room that could only fit the twin sized bed and a small dresser. The paint on the walls of the apartment was chipped and yellow, where they once were white as the bedroom connected to the living room. It was actually the living room and the kitchen at the same time, and the only other room left was the cramped bathroom.

They only had the television as entertainment, but they made due. There was a small window that looked upon the streets, but they stayed away from it as gunshots and violence always happened on their street, as it was the main one. It was safer to stay away in fear of one of the bullets fired from the gun to ricochet and hit their window. No one would even care if one of them got hurt that's why it was better to look out for one another. Anastasia used to sleep on the lumpy couch in the living room, but now Joanna didn't mind sharing her bed with her once they got to know one another. Joanna told her it's to save on the electrical heating bills ,but she knew she didn't mind snuggling with her as they got all cozy with each other.

In Joanna's life she always had no one to look after her, looking at her with good intentions, she never had that until Anastasia came into her life. Her parents killed themselves with an overdose of h****n when she was a young kid in the bar that was on the South's side. Here they have a saying that says born and raised in the south side, will always come back to the south side. How those words hold true for everyone. She took to the streets always jumping from one foster home to another until she aged out, but she always went back to the south side. True it was a piece of s**t but they were like a community you don't trust anyone and they don't trust you, but once an outsider tries to take a hit out of one of them, well let's just say no ever gets to tell the tale. No family ever tried to take over the south side, no one ruled over them. It's just them against the world and in Italy it was as they say family first.

Joanna just knew that she felt protective of Anastasia; she saw her as the family she never had. She was 2 years older than Anastasia, her opposite side one would say and all opposite attract. She completed her in every way that matters and accepted all her faults. At first Joanna took pity on her and didn't want to get close to her and trust her with her life. You don't grow up in the south side of Italy trusting people. No you backed yourself in the corner so your back isn't exposed, and with a knife to all those who come near. Best to say that it was the best decision she made in her life.

In the extreme measure of how much she hated and loved the Romano's family for sending princess her way. She doubted that they would have met any other way if she had not entered the diner. On the other hand she hated how they marred her princess face and arms with bruises from that night. Glad it didn't leave a mark on her skin, but it certainly left one on her mind. How could anyone do that to her princess? How could anyone believe that she could betray her family, for god sake she doesn't even know who her family actually is and the power they hold or what even the ometra was. Her blood boiled when she thought of that family and what they did to Anastasia. Discarding her like a piece of trash whenever they wished, they don't even deserve her.

Truth be told she felt uneasy when she knew her princess was from that family. She thought she was joking with her, how an angel like her could belong to that tainted world she never knew how. She waited a few months to see if she was f*****g with her or if she held any ill will, but to her relief nothing happened. Her princess wormed her way into her heart and stayed there. Who wouldn't when she acts like a literal angel always seeing the good in people, not knowing if they're two faced bastards.

Then she figured out those bastard's the Romano's were grooming her in whatever they wanted her to be. She spoke 5 languages, and of course she danced ballet. That's why her figure was lithe without any fat on her body. It did explain why she ate so little, to the point where Joanna thought she was anorexic. Over her dead body will anything happen to her princess, if they wanted her back well too bad she's hers now.

Joanna only felt helpless when her princess still went to that fancy school of hers. The Romano's couldn't do anything to revoke the scholarship that she applied for, from how well her grades were. They thought the alternative was to torment her for her last year of school. Especially that ex's of her Dante and her cousin Emilia where a thing now, she hated them both with a passion when she saw how it broke her princess fragile heart. After her princess told her of that day she could see that Emilia was a two faced b***h, plain and simple. Even though she never met her she could smell a rat from a mile away, and to think that she called her princess a snake. They even crossed the line when they found out her princess worked at the Diner and began going there to torment her. That is where she drew the line, their boss didn't mind as long as things got done around the diner and no trouble was brought in.

Joanna and Anastasia figured how they could work around her schedule while going to school, so the Romano's were never there on her shift. Anastasia began to learn a whole other art form from Joanna, her shift began in the afternoon to night; she had to wait for Joanna to pick her up while she closed the diner and register. It was safer to go together to the apartment, and the moment she stepped in the South side the Romano's knew nothing of her. It was crazy to think how safer she is here than with her family, but what can you say this was her life now.

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Opinions please.

How do you like our new character ❣️

She take no Bullshit though. Sooo

I wish I had someone like her in my life though

We know a bit of her back story. Don't worry she teach Anastasia how to be a bad ass soon enough.