“Mafia Princess: Dreams of Glamour

I walked down the runway confidently. Modeling was my dream job and I felt great doing it. The crowd was happy to see me and I felt proud to be the best model in the country. Suddenly, I heard a voice calling my name, “Diane, Diane, wake up! It’s morning.” I was annoyed that someone had interrupted my wonderful dream, but when I opened my eyes, I saw the face of my favorite nanny smiling at me. “Nanny Ann,” I said with a smile, “you just woke me up from the best dream.” I had always wanted to be a supermodel, but my dad was against it. I knew he would say there was no room for models in a mafia family. “You know all about mafia traditions,” I said, rolling my eyes. Nanny Ann lightly knocked my head and said, “Come on, your step mom is waiting downstairs.” “And where is my dad?” I asked. “He had an emergency meeting so he went out.” I sighed. My dad had never been my favorite person. I knew he was strict about the rules of our mafia family, and I had a feeling he wouldn’t be happy if he found out about my modeling dreams. Being the only child to a mafia household sucks. My stepmom, Jessica, was the only person I truly loved. In most stories, stepmoms are mean and evil, but mine was kind and loving. I lost my real mom when I was only one year old. My dad said his rival had killed her. I never had a close relationship with her because I was little when she died. Nanny Ann took care of be all those years. Three years later, my dad married Jessica. She couldn’t have kids of her own, so she loved me like I was her own daughter. I loved her just as much. I was brought out of my thoughts when I noticed Nanny Ann was looking at me. “Time to get ready for school,” she said. “Stand up and go to the bathroom. I’ll get your uniform ready.” I groaned. “Nanny Ann, I’m not a child anymore. I’m 18 years old. You don’t have to treat me like a baby.” I pretended to hate it, but in reality, I loved that Nanny Ann cared for me so much. I got up from my bed and walked to the bathroom. My hair was tangled like a bird’s nest, so I combed it out. After brushing my teeth, I took off my blue pajamas and got into the bathtub to soak. As I soaked, I thought about how my dad would react if I told him I wanted to be a super model, not a mafia princess. I was so deep in thought that I didn’t hear Nanny Ann banging on the door, telling me to hurry up. I groaned and said, “I hate school and Mondays!” I finished bathing, went into my dressing room, and saw my uniform on the table. I put it on, “As I checked my reflection in the mirror, I took in my features: pouty red lips, sparkling green eyes, fair skin, and slender body. My golden hair cascaded down in silken waves, reflecting the light from the window. I couldn’t deny that I was beautiful.” I put on a lipgloss and I styled my hair twin braid, I picked up my bag and went downstairs. When I walked into the dining room, I saw Jessica sitting at the table, eating and checking her phone. There was extra food on the table, so I knew she’d been waiting for me. I went over and kissed her cheek, saying, “Good morning, Jess.” That’s what I sometimes called her. Jessica smiled at me and said, “You’re looking beautiful today!” I replied with a grin, “Don’t I look beautiful every day?” She rolled her eyes and teased, “Jeez, you’re such a narcissist.” I sat down and my maid brought me my breakfast. I saw the maid serving my favorite dish—seafood fried rice. I took a bite, and a smile spread across my face. The flavors were just as delicious as I remembered. After finishing my breakfast, I stood up. David, our butler, informed me that my driver had arrived. I thanked him, then I waved Nanny Ann and Jess goodbye before I made my way towards my car. I stepped into the car, and James, my driver, greeted me warmly with a “Good morning, ma.” “How is your wife and kids?” I asked him. “They’re doing well, ma. Thank you for asking,” he replied. As I settled into my seat, I reached into my bag and took out my phone, which had eleven messages from Sofia, my best friend. “Where are you? Do you want to miss the first day of your last year in high school? Sofia was always a worrywart. ? I tapped open our messages and quickly replied, “Chill, Sof. I’m on my way.” My phone pinged with a response almost immediately: “Thank goodness! Hurry up, or you’ll be late for the first assembly!” I chuckled as I put my phone away. Sofia was always stressing about something, but I couldn’t help but love her for it. As the car pulled up to the school gates, I couldn’t help but feel a flutter of nerves. This was my last year of high school, and I knew it was going to be a big one. Not just because of my dreams to be a model, but also because my dad was putting more and more pressure on me to get involved in the family business. I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. Sofia was already waiting for me at the entrance, a worried expression on her face. “There you are! “Sofia, you were seriously freaking out over nothing!” I said, rolling my eyes. She gave me a playful shove and said, “Hey, better to be safe than sorry! We don’t want to miss the first day. Who knows what surprises this year might bring?� I laughed, knowing that Sofia was probably right. Just then, the school bell rang, signaling the start of the day. “We’d better get inside,” I said, as we began walking through the school gates. “Can’t keep the teachers waiting.” We made our way to the auditorium, where the first day assembly was being held. As we found our seats, I glanced around and noticed that everyone looked different. Or maybe it was just that I was seeing them with new eyes, now that it was our last year. Suddenly, a voice boomed over the speakers: “Good morning, students!