Gods and Monsters (Mafia Romance)

T H R E E

Alicia's P.O.V.

Today is my first day as a senior in one of the most expensive International high schools in Barcelona. Honestly, I don't even know how I and both of my siblings had made it in here with a scholarship, but I'm so very glad we did, because it gives us many potentials and opportunities for our future, and we would be fools to pass on that. 

But, there are obviously some cons too. Those being mostly all the bratty rich kids... Still, Cheryl and I had managed to make a great school life for ourselves, for we had made our way to the very top of the popular-club. This of course comes with one hell of a price, such as fake friends. 

I've known Cheryl and Kylie, her sister, for as long as I've known my own siblings, so I pretty much consider both of them to be my sisters as well, and so do my actual siblings, and so do they. We always count on each other, and we know that this friendship is definitely more than real.

But Cheryl and Kylie are obviously not the fake friends I was talking about. Going in this high school has been quite hard for me, cause the only thing I have in common with all those kids, is my best friend being one of them. Sort of at least, because Cheryl is far from a snobby, disrespectful, selfish brat. But she still has much, much money and prestige, so you get what I'm saying; she fits the generalized rich-kid profile.

So thanks to Cheryl –and well, I would be a fool not to include mine and her physical appearance here as well- we both managed to get popular, pretty soon. On our freshman year, we got approached by the most popular group of girls here -those being Stacy, Daria, Sabina, Amanda, Mariana, Raquel and Isabella, with the first two being the 'bosses' off course- and a year later, I started dating Draven, one of the school's playboys -tall, hot, popular fuckboy, in the school's football team, and with a politician father- I think everyone understands where this is heading. 

Until last April, I was still with Draven, and Cheryl and I considered Stacy and Daria our best friends –maybe not sisters, like the two of us felt for each other- but they were definitely two of our closest friends. So, either by being naïve as f**k or by ignoring all the red flags, all we wanted was to have fun. 

That until I caught Daria hitting on Eric, Cheryl's current boyfriend, and one of Draven's team mates. Back then, Cheryl used to have a huge crush on him, so you can imagine my surprise and disappointment, when I found out what Daria –who we considered such a close friend to us, and who off course knew about Cheryl's crush on Eric- was doing. And after I found out that Eric also liked Cheryl, and Daria talked s**t to him about her, when she was supposed to be doing the exact opposite, and that not because she was feeling something for him as well, but just because she wanted to f**k him, I completely lost it and got into a huge fight with her.

And then Daria being Daria, basically snitched on Draven cheating on me with Stacy, which I later came to learn that was Stacy's idea so that I would break up with him and they would start dating for real. Which I obviously did; I mean who wouldn't break up after walking in on their boyfriend of almost two years, f*****g one of their best friends, and his only explanation being "A man has needs, babe!", right? 

Pretty messed up, I know... And it didn't even stop there, since Draven just kept trying to "win me back" by blackmailing me or drunk-texting and calling me. He had even come to my place once, drunk as f**k, to talk to me and when I rejected him again, he got so butt-hurt that he hit me. He hit me!  Then Cindy –who was eavesdropping, like she always does- told Jason, and Jason sent Draven to the hospital for laying a hand on me... 

Cheryl, Cindy, Kylie and I had to literally blackmail him, with things that we all knew could lead on him losing his football scholarship, so that he wouldn't throw my brother in jail –which of course he could do... However, this doesn't mean that he stopped trying to ruin my life, or that Stacy and Daria didn't go petty-mode with Cheryl and I, but at least summer came soon, and I spent three amazing months on vacation with my siblings and my best friends, away from all this drama.

Until now... 

❦❦❦

Cheryl and I were standing by our lockers, getting ready to go to class after the first break, when we saw Stacy and Daria coming. We gave each other that knowing look, and mentally prepared ourselves for them.

"Oh sorry, didn't notice you there in the corner!" Stacy said to me, with a fake- sweet smile, after 'accidentally' pushing me.

"It's okay Stacy. Your boyfriend does." Cheryl smiled at her, with the same attitude and I tried not to laugh. I love my b***h so much! She always has my back.

"What boyfriend? Draven? Who, left Alicia for her just after he finally f****d her?" Daria looked at me up and down, with her bitchy face. I have to admit that this one hurt a little...

"Oh hello to you too Daria! I see you didn't get enough vacation. Being this dramatic on the first day of the new school year..." Cheryl mimicked her tone.

"And I broke up with him, so f**k off." I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, because he liked me over you!" Stacy offered proudly.

"I think the word you're looking for is 'cheated' Stacy. Have fun dating a cheater, I bet you're very confident about this relationship, aren't you?" Cheryl came to my rescue once again.

"Besides, you can keep him, you actually did me a favor." I said uninterested.

"Oh you're so generous Ali! You always like to share, don't you?" Daria spoke again, just when I had started getting worried about the fact that she hadn't say anything for about 20 seconds. I raised an eyebrow and she continued. "Your clothes, your boyfriend, your nudes, yourself..." 

"Why are you two so obsessed with her?" Cheryl rolled her eyes and Stacy flicked her off.

"And honestly I don't even know what you're talking about, neither do I wish to find out, because I simply don't care." I sighed and turned around to leave.

"Oh come on now Ali! The whole school knows! Stop trying to fix your reputation, you can't! Who do you think believes you?" Stacy gave me a fake pitiful look.

"And besides, even the computer nerds have your nudes!" Daria sneered. 

My heart stopped for a second, but I quickly got over it, not letting them notice. "Ah, okay for the last time, I didn't have s*x with Draven, neither did I ever trust him enough to send him nudes! Are we done here now?" I didn't miss a beat.

Stacy took out her phone and searched for something, before turning the screen to me, showing me some pictures I had been trying very hard to forget. 

Cheryl moved Stacy's hand closer to her side so that she could see what she was showing me as well. "That's not Ali." She rolled her eyes.

Stacy raised an eyebrow and smirked, taking her phone back in front of her and searching something again. I turned to look at my best friend, but quickly looked down, biting my lips together, after meeting her gaze. 

Stacy held her phone right in front of my face once again, showing me screenshots from a group chat conversation.

"What is that?" Cheryl grabbed the phone from Stacy and started going through the screenshots, with me trying to take a look as well, from besides her. She finally looked at me and opened her mouth to say something, but soon decided against it, and closed it, biting her bottom lip. 

"Let me see!" I grabbed the phone from her, as she moved her gaze to the floor. Stacy and Daria had been looking at the two of us with some smug grins on their faces.

Draven: 50€ for each pic tomorrow

Miguel: FOR EACH PIC?!

Draven: It's Alicia Lainez, have u seen better t**s?

Damien: Or ass

Pablo: Her face better showing, I'm not paying that much for some googled pics 

Draven:

Miguel: Why would u show us her nudes now, u've been refusing all this time 

Draven: Stupid w***e shouldn't have broken up with me 

Leo: Is that it or because of her brother?

Damien: That motherfucker will get what he deserves too

Sergio: Do you have Stacy's boobs too?

Draven: Stace is my gf f**k off

Leo: Cheryl's ass pics anyone? 

Damien: That's a 10/10 too but Eric won't share

Sergio: Selfish fuckers

I bit my bottom lip and blinked a couple times, trying to stop the tears from leaving my eyes. I took a deep breath and handed the phone back to Stacy, who gladly accepted it, exchanged a satisfied look with Daria and they both walked away.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Cheryl hugged me and I started sobbing in her arms. 

"Alicia?" I heard Sabina's voice and buried my face deeper into Cheryl's embrace.

"Is she alright-" Some other girl asked, as Cheryl started caressing my hair. 

"Mind your f*****g business!" Cheryl snapped at them and I heard them walking away. 

"Come on, let's get out of here, okay?" Cheryl whispered in my ear and I nodded, with another sob. 

❦❦❦

"Why didn't you tell me?" Cheryl asked softly. 

We were locked into a toilette-stall, me seated on the toilet, and Cheryl bent in front of me, her one hand resting on my lap and the other one holding one of my hands. 

"I was embarrassed... And I didn't think he still had those pictures. I only sent them on snapchat, so that I would know if he screenshotted or saved them..." I patted the tissue on my under-eyes, whipping my tears, careful not to smudge my mascara. Thankfully It was waterproof, otherwise it would be long gone by now. 

"Shh, it's okay. And he's the one who should be embarrassed, not you! You know that you can tell me anything, right? I would never judge you Ali, you know that..." 

I nodded, cracking her a small smile. "Thanks carrot... I love you!" I bent and hugged her. 

Cheryl giggled. "Ew." I giggled too. "Promise that you'll never again keep something from me because you're embarrassed to tell me, okay?" She asked me a few seconds later and I nodded. 

"You too." 

"Babe, you know I couldn't keep something from you, even if my life depended on it. I promise!" She laughed, making me laugh again, even though the feeling of warm tears was still fresh on my cheeks.

"What do I do cherry?" My voice broke again, a few moments of comfortable silence later.

"First of all, you stop crying, let me fix your face cause your mascara is all over the place-"

"But it's waterproof!" I frowned.

"Then you're not buying this one again, cause trust me, it's a mess!" She raised her eyebrows. "Then you put deep into that cute little mind of yours, that none of this is your fault, and you go back out there, with a sexy smile on your face, showing everyone that you're a strong ass b***h, and not give them the satisfaction of thinking that they can take you down! Last but not least, you stop calling me after every fruit and vegetable that we know of. Got it?"

"Yeah." I laughed again.

"Good!" Cheryl hopped up and pull me to my feet as well. We left the toilette-stall and Cheryl helped me fix my makeup in front of the bathroom mirrors –it was true; I'm never buying this mascara again. "Ready?" She asked me, holding my hand. 

I nodded and we both walked out of the bathroom, heading towards one of the indoor gym, since we had P.E. on the next period. 

"Now go show those bitches who's the head of the cheerleaders, will you?" Cheryl told me, as we walked down the school's hallway. I looked at her, smirking. 

Game on, Stacy! Game on! 

❦❦❦

"No, no, no! Something's messing the whole thing up!" I tapped my finger to my chin, pretending to be thinking about it. "Sabina, switch places with Daria please." I smiled angelically when I met Daria's glare. 

"What?" She growled.

"You're like seven feet tall, and you're hiding both Sabina and Raquel behind you, so it would be much better if she was on the second line and you on the third one, in her place. It would look more... symmetrical that way, plus all of you guys would be showing." 

Sabina took a step forward but immediately stopped after meeting Daria's death-glare.

"Oh come on now Daria, grow up." I rolled my eyes. 

Daria bite her cheek and made a few slow steps towards her new spot, her death-glare never leaving my eyes. Sabina made a couple of hesitant steps as well, till she was standing on Daria's previous place. 

"Much better!" I smiled widely. "Let's go again! Three, two, one, go!" I pressed play and the remix of the popular songs, that the music class had made, changing the lyrics with some suitable for the school's team, started. 

I quickly got to my spot on the first line, between Stacy and Cheryl, and started dancing, with the rest of them following my moves. That until Stacy 'accidentally' pushed me, for the second time that day, if the incident in front of the lockers counts. 

"Oops, sorry!" She said, obviously not sorry.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, grabbing my phone and pausing the song. 

"Perhaps it would be better if Stacy got in the second line, in Amanda's place, so that she can be watching the steps from Amanda, Cheryl and I, in the front, and stop bumping on people, don't you agree girls? She has already bumped two times on Cheryl, and one on me, looks like she has forgotten the choreography a little!" I smiled at Stacy, as her face dropped. 

"I dance much better than Amanda and you know it!" Stacy growled, walking closer to me. 

"You used to, last year and that's why you were in the first line, but you obviously don't now. And besides, Amanda has gotten much better, from what I see." I said loudly for everyone to hear, smiling at Amanda, as some of the girls congratulated her. 

"This group was my idea, so don-" Stacy started again, but I stopped her.

"It was actually Cheryl's and mine idea, and the two of us started it with you and Daria, because we used to be best friends last year, otherwise you would probably not even be here." I snapped at her.

"Oh so you admit that you're only doing this because we're no longer best friends." She challenged.

"No Stacy, I'm changing your place because you're not following the choreography, and by being on the first line, you're confusing the whole group!"

"Maybe I should show your brother some particular body-parts of yours that you decided to photograph and send Draven, then." She growled in my ear. 

"My brother would never hit a girl, but do it and he might make an exception just for you!" I smirked, murmuring in her ear as well.

"Oh for f**k's sake Stacy, all of us chose Ali as the head of our group because she can dance better than the rest of us and she f*****g knows better! So shut the f**k up and get back there, or leave, cause we don't have all day!" Cheryl yelled and I smiled at her. 

Stacy flicked her off and walked to where Amanda was standing, pushing her out out of the way. 

"And stop being a f*****g b***h, it's not Amanda's fault!" I rolled my eyes at her, as Amanda took Stacy's place, next to me in the first line.