Five's A Crowd

three

I spin around in shock, falling off my chair in the process. What the heck? My eyes dart between Brandan and the newcomer- who is claiming to be my oldest brother, Matteo Bolivi. 

The young cop, Brandan looks fearful, and his entire face has turned an unusually pale colour. He shakes violently, and I can't stop the small amount of fear from seeping into my veins. 

If a cop is scared, then I have thirteen more reasons to be. 

"Correct me if I'm wrong, sir, but you're Matteo Bolivi, the man I spoke on the phone to, less than an hour ago?" Brandan says wearily, and his face looks shocked.

"That would be me." 

Oh my god! His voice is so deep and smooth but holds an edgy coldness to it. Like he has one hundred places he'd rather be. I stagger up from the floor, trying my hardest to play it off smoothly, but instead, I just seem awkward. 

"Well, as you probably know, I'm Hazel Bailey. But most people just call me Ze." I beam at my brother, and stick my hand out, wanting him to shake it.

But instead, he decides to leave me hanging. "I was the one to choose your name, so I think that I'll be sticking to it."

I slowly bring my hand down and feel as the tension rises in the room. It could be cut by a blunt knife. 

Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best thing I could have said. 

Brandan clears his throat loudly, before gesturing towards the stoic Matteo. His facial expression and posture haven't changed, and to be honest it bothers me. 

My mother may have just died, but since he is my full brother, doesn't that mean that his mother died as well?

"Sir, if you are going to take Hazel into your custody, I'm going to need you to sing the papers, just to say that you approve," Brandan says, and Matteo nods, not taking his murky brown eyes off my small frame. 

Well no, I'm not actually short, I would have to be around five feet and seven inches, but compared to the giants that I'm surrounded with right now, I can't help but feel intimidated. 

Matteo quickly signs the adoption papers, and I can't stop myself from sighing in frustration. Adoption makes me sound like an orphan, but I guess that orphan is the word to describe me now. 

"I would let you pick up important items from your home, but I know that we could buy you double of what you had back in that pig sty," my oldest brother exclaims with disgust lining his features.

I scoff in disbelief. This full grown man is trying to flash his money in my face. I don't even have a job, so how am I supposed to compare myself to him? 

"Nothing you buy me could ever mean as much as when it came from my mother, thank you very much," I sass him disrespectfully.

Matteo doesn't engage with me but instead focuses his attention on the wall ahead of us. Officer Brandan comes back from a back room and nods his head in approval as he reads over the adoption document.

"You're free to go, Hazel. Have a nice life," Brandan says, before shifting his body towards a bored looking Matteo. "Take care of her, buddy. She's a special one."

My oldest brother doesn't even respond. He just straightens his suit and walks out of the police station, expecting me to follow after him.

I quickly hug Brandan, showing how grateful I am, to have been in his care, before running after Matteo, who is now down the street.

If I had legs as long as his, I would have started sport by now. 

"We'll have to take a jet so we can get back to New York by morning," Matteo explains, and it seems that he is an entirely different person now. His voice is soft, and he talks to me gently. "You can sleep the entire time though."

"Okay," I say slowly, trying to take everything in. "So, Brandan mentioned that I have brothers. How many are we talking about? Like you and another one? Please tell me that he's little and cute!"

Matteo chuckles to himself, before answering my questions. "You have four other brothers- five if you include me. And the youngest as the twins, Chase and Charlie. They're seventeen, which makes you the youngest, I guess."

"Is our father in the picture?" I question quietly, looking everywhere, but at my older brother. 

He coughs once but shakes his head. "Unfortunately he died a couple of years ago. It was an unfortunate accident."

"Oh, um... okay," I respond, unsure what to say.

Should I apologize for bringing him up? Should I ask more questions since he is my father as well? Or should I cry because both of my parents are dead?

I choose option three. 

"I'm sure that he would be very happy that you are finally home," Matteo says with a small smile. 

We walk in silence for a couple of minutes, before coming across an abandoned park. A jet waits there passively, and my mouth opens in shock. 

What on Earth is happening? Why is there a jet in a children's playground?

My questions are quickly answered as Matteo pulls me towards the flying metal bird. 

"This is yours?!" I whisper-yell in surprise, pulling a crazy face.

"Well, I did say I have money, didn't I?" My older brother smirks at my reaction. 

I roll my eyes, and compose myself, before pulling my body into the private plane. 

"Please get comfortable. Make yourself at home, or whatever," Matteo mumbles, situating himself in a two person seat, towards the back. 

I approach his spot and sit next to him, answering his unasked question when he raises his eyebrows at me. 

"I may have a small fear of flying," I say quietly, and throw my brother a sheepish smile.  

After we are taken through the safety instructions, and all of the doors are triple locked, the plane takes off in the air. 

I squeeze Matteo's hand for support and glue my eyes shut for the first two minutes of the flight. 

"You can open your eyes now, darling," my brother whispers near my ear, as he strokes my hair. Very slowly, I pull my eyelids open and allow them to re-adjust to the brightly lit jet. 

"It's quite late, and you've had a very big night. Why don't you sleep for a little? I promise to wake you up when we land," Matteo suggests softly.

When I look out the window, I am surprised that is it pitch black outside. I nod my head in response to my brother's proposition. 

Resting my head on his muscular shoulder, I allow my mind to wander elsewhere, to a place where I have two parents who are alive, well, and love me more than anything in the world. 

I feel a heavy tear drop leak from my eye, as sleep takes me away. 

"Good night, darling. I know that the boys will be so happy to have you back," Matteo's voice whispers, as lips gently make contact with the crown of my head.

With that, I drift off into a much wanted darkness. 

A/N: Hey guys, thank you so much for reading. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE VOTE, COMMENT, AND READ WHEN I GET A CHAPTER OUT TOMORROW. I have a plan for where this book is going, I just need a little support. Also, thank you very much for 50 reads (I know that it's not a lot,) but to me, it means the world. Keep slaying in life, and I will see you tomorrow night- or day depending on where you live- when I update tomorrow. Bye <3