I knew the moment my grandmother stormed into her office, I was in trouble. A hurricane brewed in her eyes as she sat across from me. Her gaze would have scathed a different kind of person but, never me.

"Why? Every time I bring someone new here you become belligerent." Her weathered hands rested in her lap.

If it were any other person I would have ignored them or flipped them off. However, my grandmother was the only one who took care of me when my own life went to hell. I closed my book, mentally noting my last page. Every time a new gangster, or addict waltzed in to her facility she became attached. Every last one of them gave her a spark of hope, and every time they broke my grandmother's heart.

"Because I am tired of seeing you hurt." my voice was cold, nothing could warm it anymore.

A soft sigh escaped between her lips and she leaned back. "Mienna, you forget. You were once as troubled as these children. In a way you are still in turmoil. Instead of judging them you should understand where they come from. And also where I come from. I like to help ones in need and in trouble. Just as I help you." She spoke softly.

A spark of emotion erupted in my chest before I tamped it down. She had promised never to ever mention what happened again. Every day I held her to that promise. I didn't want to understand these idiots and I refused to try. My turmoil had nothing to with drugs, or guns, or stabbing people. So why should I understand where they come from. They were not molded from the same cloth as me.

I stood, tucking my book beneath my arm. "Just don't become attached to this one." I murmured turning my back to leave.

"Non dimenticarchi lei รจ." Her voice stopped me in my tracks.

How could I ever?

I sat outside, waiting for my grandmother to finish her rounds inside before we left for home. Feeling the cold seep into my skin, I pulled my jacket tight around me. My breath fogged in front of my face. When I was younger, I always loved doing this. I always enjoyed the cold, waiting on bated breath wondering if it would snow. Bundling up so my dad would take me to the beach to watch the water. My heart panged slightly at the thought of my father. God, how I hated that man.

I pulled my knees to my chest, forcing the thoughts from my head. I stared indefinently at the moon until the sound of footsteps behind me broke my concentration. I stood, prepared to tell Jagger, the skinny white boy who was addicted to heroin, that I would not even be looking at him if it wasn't for the fact that I had to be here everyday.

"Look," my voice cut off when I spied the new boy looking at me with something like amusement on his face.

"I didn't realize you wanted me to chica. Although you look like you could go for some Mexican right now." He was trying to egg me on.

My arms crossed at my chest and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Maybe I am but, you are too cheap for my taste." I answered back, nearly biting back the urge to smirk.

"Perra." He cursed unfolding his body from underneath the roof of the porch.

"Really? Is that supposed to hurt my feelings? You're not the only one who has called me a bitch you know." I raised my eyebrow at him. At this rate we could play this game all night.

"I wonder why. You seem stone cold. How many guys tried to get you until they realized there was nothing there." His eyes glinted maliciously.

I stiffened visibly and a grin spread across his face. He knew he had hit the right button to severely piss me off. However, I didn't care enough to give him the satisfaction of a full blown fight. I wiped the emotion from my face and took a step towards him.

"How many girls tried to get you until they got tired of saying 'Is it in yet?'"

His eyes darkened and he took a step to match my own.

"Thats enough!" My grandmother's angry voice wrapped around us.

My grandmother stepped in between us giving us each a glare guaranteed to knock anyone to their knees. She pointed to Luis, "You are a guest and you will learn that this behavior is not acceptable." she turned to me, "And you damn well know better. I raised you better than that."

Luis opened his mouth to say something but, I silenced him with a death glare. Anyone that talked back to my grandmother became the victim of my anger. And I can do anything to anyone when I am angry enough.

"Fine" he murmured, turning his back to us. Before he reached the house he looked over his shoulder at me. "We will continue this later, amante."

God, I was beginning to hate that cocky bastard.