The Mystery Girl
Chris D'Amico was sat at the table eating breakfast with his Mum and Dad, Frank and Angie D'Amico. He was reading a comic as usual, something his father generally didn't feel too enthusiastic about but put up with it for the sake of his sons happiness and silence. Chris was dying to be a part of his Dads operation and really wanted to learn about it but Frank always dismissed him.
"Apparently someone is moving in, in the apartment downstairs" Angie announced.
"Downstairs? That place was for sale?" Frank asked.
"Yes, I heard it's a couple and their daughter, they're from Ukraine" Angie said.
"Where do you hear all of this stuff Ang'?" Frank said, shaking his head.
"Well, I do have friends you know" Angie said.
"How old is the daughter?" Chris asked. Previously completely uninterested in anything outside of his front door and atomic comics.
"She's the same age as you Chris" Angie smiled. She loved Chris so much, he was her only child and her pride and joy. She hated having to tell him to sit back down when he went to follow Frank, dashing his hopes of ever finding out what was really happening behind the closed doors of his father's office. Chris perked up at the thought of someone his own age moving in.
"Don't even think about it Chris" Frank said, seeing the look on his son's face.
"What Dad!? Am I not allowed to have friends?" Chris whined, shutting his comic and putting it on the table.
"Not unless they are in my operation and under my supervision, I can't have anyone ruining my business" Frank said.
"It's always about your business though Dad!" Chris cried. Angie ignored them. She had given up trying to break of their arguments years ago.
"That's because my business pays that damn bills and let's your sorry ass have whatever you want!' Frank yelled.
"Please Dad! I feel so lonely all the time!" Chris whined. He was nearly eighteen and had never had a friend of his own. He was desperate. Frank dug into his pocket and through some money across the table at him.
"Biggs' take the kid to buy a stack of new comics to keep him company. He feels 'lonely'" Frank said.
"C'mon Chris, let's go" Biggs said. Biggs had been Chris's bodyguard since he could remember and he hated his guts. The amount of times he had been close to having a friendship and he had told them to 'go away' or as he also put it 'fuck off'. He got up from the table sulkily and followed Biggs. If he couldn't have a new friend, comics were the next best thing. To look at Chris and know what he had, you would think he was the luckiest kid in the world but he was the complete opposite. He was so lonely. He had no one to talk to. When they got to atomic comics (Chris's favourite comic store in the entire universe) Chris tried to get as far away from Biggs as possible. This of course never worked as he was Chris's body guard and needed to stay by his side. He felt he didn't need a bodyguard and could take care of himself now that he was nearly eighteen but his father obviously thought otherwise.
"Biggs, can't you just go over there or something please?" Chris huffed.
"No kid, I don't get paid for doin' nothin' you know" Biggs said. Chris sighed and turned his back on him. He started flicking through the comics, finding a couple that he liked and paid for them. They went back to the car and drove back. When they walked through the glass doors into the lobby, Chris noticed a strange family there. A man, a woman and a girl. Then it dawned on him that they must be the new occupants of the apartment downstairs. They got into the lift with them. The girl was beautiful. She had icy blue eyes and jet-black bobbed hair. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He felt his mouth open just gazing at her. He noticed that she looked very upset and almost alone, like he did. Except, even her parents didn't seem to pay much attention to her. They stopped on the floor before Chris's.
"Come on Irina!" The man yelled, shoving the girl out of the lift doors.
"I'm sorry father" The girl uttered. The lift doors closed again. 'Irina' Chris thought to himself. He liked that name. It was pretty and it suited her. He felt so sorry for her though, being treated that way. He knew that neither of his parents would ever hurt him unless they were out of their minds. He had to become friends with her, even if it was in secret. He wanted to keep her away from hurt and fear, distract her a little. Maybe they would be more than just friends...
