The Promised

- Gaia's pov

When I was 14, I lived with my parents and brother in a small town in California called Forks. We moved there when I was six years old, before that we lived in Brazil, yes, I was born there and spent part of my childhood there.

When my mother got pregnant, we moved to California, and a new life and routine soon followed. After a while I realized that my parents were no longer the same, there was no longer that sparkle and love in their eyes.

As soon as Matteo was born, my parents' relationship got worse, with swearing and fights, everything happened in front of me, I always cried because I was afraid of what would happen next, and this went on for years and years.

On the day of my 16th birthday, when we were singing happy birthday to the guests, a woman burst into the party and revealed that she was having a "relationship" with my father, leaving me and my mother disappointed, so soon came the divorce, along with the fight for custody of me and my brother.

My father didn't get custody of Matteo, but unfortunately, he got custody of me. I didn't want to go with him and my mother tried to convince him to let me stay, but all he did was pull me out of the house, where I was forced to leave everything, I had, including my mother and my brother who had just turned nine, so that I arrived in Brazil with only the clothes on my body.

Rafael was absent, irresponsible, sexist, and insensitive towards his daughter, forbidding me to keep in touch with my mother and brother. He only allowed me to keep in touch with Pedro, my best friend from Forks, after much insistence on my part. Until Pedro moved here and we went to college together.

And after seven years...here I am, driving my car that I paid for with my sweat and toil, on my way to Forks, determined to find my real family again.

"Jesus, Gaia, we've been in this car for a century! I'm hungry as hell!" Oh yes, I forgot to mention that Pedro had come along and that I was about to throw him out of the window.

Pedro is the sheriff's nephew, his mother died in a car accident and his father abandoned his mother a few years earlier, leaving her pregnant and alone. Luckily, his uncle Noah Dixon decided to raise him as a son, together with his wife and son Pietro, but unfortunately, his wife also died after a while. It's all very crazy and confusing for both of us, I think that's why we understand each other so much.

"I told you to bring the fucking food, I'm not going to stop somewhere where we could risk being mugged, kidnapped, or even killed!" I complained because he's an idiot, hard-headed and proud who doesn't know how to listen to me.

"Did I mention that you're paranoid?" he asked a look of debauchery on his face.

At the thought that had crossed my mind, I smiled mischievously and slammed on the brakes, causing him to hit his forehead on the car's airbag and stare at me in sheer revolt.

"Sorry! It's just that I'm very paranoid and I wanted to check the car's brakes. You know how it is, right? Safety first!" As you can see, I'm a bit vindictive and spiteful. That's right, I'm very vindictive and spiteful.

"The maturity of a 22-year-old, my God!" the boy mocked as he searched for something in my bag, probably a cereal bar or chocolate.

"I'm seriously thinking of leaving you here in the middle of this dark road, and believe me, I don't care if you run the risk of being kidnapped and having your organs sold!" I threatened him, making him raise both hands in surrender.

After many conversations, fights, threats, and laughs, I finally see the sign on my right, indicating that in less than 100 meters I'll be entering Forks, which makes me press down hard on the gearshift due to nervousness and fear that my family won't take me back and I'll end up being rejected.

I seem to be confident, determined and secure, but to be honest, this is just a real façade, a barrier I've built to hide what I'm feeling so that people don't see what I'm feeling at the moment, or as I like to call it: "my weak point", I'm not very proud of it, but if it prevents me from getting hurt, I'll use it and take advantage of it whenever necessary.

My friend, who was standing next to me, must have noticed my nervousness, as he put his hand on mine and squeezed it as a form of support so that I would remember that he was there. I gave him a thin, short smile, then sped up the car, before I regretted it and ran away as quickly as possible.

After that, I only saw the outline of the green sign that signaled that I was coming. As soon as I passed it, I felt a chill run over my skin and sweat drip down my back.

I asked my friend to change seats with me, and after a lot of complaining and threats from me, if anything happened to my car, he agreed.

I got into the passenger seat and Pedro accelerated the car. Furthermore, I lowered the window and felt the cold breeze that was blowing through the city during the fall, along with the beautiful orange-leaved trees that gave the place an exceptional landscape.

The whole thing gave me a chill in my stomach. I missed this city so much, it was still the same.

Forks, you don't know what a pleasure it is to be back!

I've been in this car for over 30 minutes, staring at the house in front of me. Soon the memories and flashbacks hit my mind again, memories of me running with Matteo on the porch of the house, while Mom tried to catch up with us, when we sat on the steps counting the stars in the sky, there were countless beautiful memories.

- Gaia's pov

I had left Pedro at home earlier, who wished me good luck and said that if I thought about backing out, he would hunt me down and rub my face in the asphalt.

I took a deep breath, building up enough courage to get out of the car and knock on that door, I couldn't run away from this forever, I'd waited years for this, it was high time.

It was with this thought that I got out of the car and walked to the door, counting to ten in a failed attempt to control my breathing, approached the door, and raised my wrist, ready to knock.

But once again insecurity hit me, memories of Rafael coming home drunk and telling me that he had done them a favor by taking me away, or that I would get in their way, and that they would be much better off without me. Maybe it's true and he's right, it's been years, maybe they've forgotten I even existed.

I put my wrist down and press my foot back, turning around ready to leave, I can't do it. Suddenly I hear the sound of a door being unlocked and then opened, causing me to lock myself in place.

"Can I help you with something, dear?" a female voice asked I quickly recognized that voice, felt the tears in my eyes, and couldn't help but giggle. Destiny, you're paying me.

"I think so... I'm looking for Melissa Caccini," I replied, still with my back to her, as I wiped away a few tears with the sleeve of my black sweatshirt.

"It's me. Are you... all right?" the woman asked in a fearful and worried tone, and I slowly turned around.

"It's just that there's a girl who misses her family that was taken from her a few years ago, and she'd like to know if there's still a place left around here..." I saw the startled look on her face when I raised my head and looked in her direction.

"Gaia? Is that you? Is it you, my love?" the words faded from my lips and I could only nod positively, I watched the woman run towards me and soon I could feel her arms around me and squeezing my body.

I missed my mother's hug, her lap, and her affection so much that that moment didn't seem real, it was more like a dream, a dream I refused to wake up from.

"There will always be a place for you! You have no idea how much we miss you, my love. It's been the most agonizing seven years of my life!" declared the eldest, as she ran her hands through my now loose hair.

My mother grabbed my face and showered it with kisses, making me smile at her act. She quickly let go of me and asked where my bags were and practically ran to help me get them from the car. The woman was impressed by the beauty of the car and asked me where I had got so much money from, and I could only smile at her reaction.

We soon entered the house, which was still the same, the structure, the furniture, absolutely everything. I saw her nod towards the stairs and I immediately made my way towards them, where we stopped in front of a door that I recognized immediately.

My mother opened the door and I could see the whole room, everything was in the same place, just the way I left it, it was white with some gray stars drawn on it and a big waning moon on the ceiling, the fantasy books on my bookshelf, the closet that still contained some of my old clothes, and the double bed with a white pillowcase.

"I didn't have the heart to give away your clothes or sell your furniture or books, because it was the only place where I could feel close to you..." the woman said while disguising her sadness with a smile that was reciprocated by me.

"Where's Matteo?" I asked curiously, as it was late at night and he wasn't home.

I threw my suitcases on the floor and looked around my old room, imagining a decoration that was a bit more like my current style. I was a teenager when I decorated the place, and like it or not, I've changed a lot.

"You went out with Pietro, do you remember him?" Impossible to forget, he and Matteo always dragged me out to play detective, and I have to say that little Dixon was very good at it.

"Yes, I do, but what's with the face?" I ask when I see the look of anguish on her face.

"I forgot that you have the same gift as me..." Something I inherited from my mother is that we can perceive what a person is feeling as if we could see their aura, so we call it a "gift".

I sit down on my bed and tap the mattress twice, beckoning her to sit down next to me. She smiles and sits down, looking at me sadly, which I don't like at all.

"Your brother's been acting strange lately, I feel like he's hiding something. He's been arriving late, he's not interested in his studies, he's a bit out of it as if he's always worried about something..." I saw my mother sigh heavily, resting her elbows on her knees as she ran her fingers through her hair, a clear sign of tiredness.

"I can try to find out something, you know Matteo has never been able to lie or hide anything from me. Don't worry, I'll find out what this boy is up to, or my name won't be Gaia Caccini!" I put my hand on my chest like a soldier and saluted, causing both of us to laugh.

We were so tired that we were too lazy to tidy up my room, so I ended up going to bed with my mother, but first I decided to take a shower and wash my hair, putting on red plaid pants and a black T-shirt.

I was combing my hair when I heard some movement downstairs, so I hurried downstairs to check what was going on. I go downstairs slowly and I can see four figures, and I can recognize Peter and my mother, unlike the other two.

I see Peter and Melissa look towards the boy with his back to me and the other one in a plaid coat looks at me with a mixture of doubt and surprise.

"Matteo, I have something to tell you..." I see the boy in the leather jacket approaching me and I hold my breath, my God.

"Mom, can we talk another time? I need to talk to..." he tries to argue, but is stopped.

"It's about Gaia!" Well, done, Melissa, a great way to shut someone up and start a conversation.

"What do you know about her? Do you know where she is?" the brunette fired questions at the woman and I couldn't help but laugh, causing him to turn quickly towards me.

"Hi, brother..." I couldn't help smiling when he ran towards me and hugged me with an enormous force that made me let out a groan of pain.

"I'm sorry! My God, what? You look very different, look at that!" declared the younger man, pushing me away and watching my face with a few tears in his eyes.

I lifted my gaze to Pietro, who had one of his hands on my waist and his eyes filled with tears, and ended up smiling at the scene in front of me.

"Calm down, just give me a second!" said the boy with his hand over his mouth, causing everyone to laugh.

- Gaia's pov

"Come here, my favorite detective!" I said, opening my arms, ready to receive the hug from the boy who ran awkwardly towards me and I squeezed him in my arms.

"No stealing from my best friend, get out of there!" shouted Pedro coming towards me, hugging me with Pietro. My mother and Matteo also protested and hugged me along with the other two, forming a big group hug.

"Calm down, there's Gaia for everyone!" I said mockingly, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

After a while of chatting, Pedro and Pietro left and we all went to my mother's room, making jokes and talking about the time I'd been away. Finally, I've managed to fill the emptiness in my chest, I feel complete and truly happy after so long.

I wake up feeling the daylight against my face, making me grumble and move to the side, but I let out a scream as I feel a strong impact on my body. When I open my eyes, I realize I've hit the floor and woken up Matteo, who was watching the whole room intently.

I saw him stop his confused look at me, which changed to one of amusement when he saw my pillow on the floor, and then I saw his lips form a crooked line.

"Don't laugh! If you laugh..." I threatened him, but it was no use as he burst out laughing, scaring my mother. I tried to hold in my laughter, but it was impossible.

"What the fuck? It's still six in the morning, be patient!" I stopped laughing immediately, remembering that today would be my first day at work, together with Pedro, who would also be working at the school.

I'm a Spanish teacher and Pedro is a biology teacher. You'd think I was crazy to have chosen this profession, but I just love it. The feeling of sending a student to the board, or seeing their creativity in answering a question they don't know in the test, is unique.

"Oh my God, I have to be at school at seven o'clock!" I quickly got up from the floor, threw the pillow in Matteo's face, protested, and ran to my room.

I sorted out a white T-shirt, black high-waisted pants, my inseparable leather jacket, and a pair of boots and ran to the shower. Then I put on some basic make-up and hurried downstairs, taking care not to trip on the steps, it wouldn't do to have swollen feet on the first day.

"Are you going like this?" asked Matteo as he bit into an apple.

"Something wrong with my clothes?" I asked the boy, who looked at me with one of his eyebrows arched.

"No problem, we just expected you to wear something a bit more...formal," said my mother as she leaned against the kitchen worktop.

"I need to be comfortable enough to put up with those pests all morning!" Seriously, I don't have to spend all this time in a blouse, a blazer, heels and a social skirt. I can't even sit properly in pants, let alone a tight skirt.

"Okay, can you give me a ride to school?" he asked, and I nodded, picked up my cup, and poured myself a cup of coffee.

I need coffee to wake up and put up with other people as well as myself during the day, another fact about me, I hate crowds, I hate crowded places, and I hate people who aren't my family or my friends, which is ironic because I only have one friend.

"Come on, if we're not going to be late! And I certainly don't want to be, so I'll see you later, Mom!" I say goodbye to the eldest, who mumbles "I love you" and I give her a kiss in the air.

I get into my car and start it, then put my bag on the back seat and buckle my seatbelt. When I look out of the passenger window, my brother is staring at me, paralyzed.

I pressed the car horn to speed him up, making Matteo wake up and get into the car. He started asking me various questions on the way, while I was trying not to send him to that damn house if you know what I mean.

After a few minutes, I could see the crowd of students and the school, I parked in a space near the entrance and looked at the boy next to me who seemed to be... observing the area. He looked strange.

"You can go ahead, I'll just call Pedro and ask him where he is," I say as I search for the damn cell phone in my bag, I hope I haven't forgotten it.

"NO! I mean... I'll wait for you!" the boy next to me shouted, then acted as if nothing had happened 10 seconds ago.

"All right then..." All right nothing, I'm going to check him into the first mental institution that comes my way, and maybe I'll check myself in with him.

I finally manage to find the device and look for Pedro's name in the contact list, but I'm startled to see the figure appear next to me, knocking on the car window.

"What a fright, you pest!" I shout in hatred and get out of the car.

"Good morning to you too!" he sneers, while all I can think about is where I would hide a body if I were to snap at someone. Bullshit, I'd be arrested easily.

"Let's get on with it!" I said and followed in front of the other two and I could see glances at us, they were probably confused to see Matteo arriving in a flashy car with a "stranger".

The younger man asked Pedro and me to follow him, as he had to introduce us to important people. I don't particularly like meeting people, but if they're so special to him, I think I can make the effort.

After we enter the place, I can see Pietro next to a red-haired girl and a brunette, I don't know them, but I have to confess that they have style.

"Hi, guys! Gaia, these are..." the boy hadn't finished his sentence when the redhead approached and looked at me with excitement in her eyes.

"Amelia Martin and I love your jacket!" I gave her a big smile. I love compliments, especially when they admire the way I dress.

"Alisson Moore, it's nice to meet you!" said the brunette with a friendly smile, Matteo didn't exaggerate, she's very beautiful.

"So, you're the famous Alisson, better known as the girl who pierced my brother's heart," I said, giving a smile to the girl who had turned red.

"My name is Gaia Caccini, I'm the older sister of this boy here." I couldn't hold back a laugh when I saw the shock on both their faces, they were more scared than I was when I found out that babies don't come from the stork.

"What do you mean? You don't look anything alike!" exclaimed Amelia, still surprised by the news.

"Let me explain, otherwise you'll be late for your first lesson!" Pedro was indeed right, I still had to look around the room.

I said goodbye and headed for the classroom, only to realize that I'd forgotten my damn timetable in the car. I ran out of the building, crossed the street, and picked it up. I was in the middle of the crosswalk when I heard a car brake.

I looked calmly at the car in front of me and tried to hide my admiration. It was a black Camaro, this car is so beautiful that I wouldn't have minded being hit by it. I saw a tall figure with sunglasses get out of the car and walk towards me, God blessed me with the patience of Job.

"Have you gone mad? Can't you see that this isn't a catwalk for you to parade on?" said the man in front of me, looking furious.

"Of course, it's not a catwalk, do you see a red carpet here?" I retorted, giving a fake smile and making my way towards the sidewalk, while the stranger had his eyebrows arched.

"If I were you, I'd be more careful, miss..." he said, prolonging his speech to get me to say my name.

"You don't care!" I replied as I shook my head negatively and continued on my way, mad.

"If it didn't matter, I wouldn't be asking, you stress!" he said, causing me to turn my face towards him.