A loud alarm rang from the side table, the sweet scent of pancakes and waffles waft through the door lingering ever so softly. BZZ BZZ BZZ the chime of the alarm went.
the soft rays of the sun hitting almost perfect untouched skin, her lips as soft as ice-cream and pink as roses.

SNOOOORE!~ HUK HUK SNOOOORE! SNORT

“Huuuuh…” a soft voice mumbled as sleep was still in her eyes, she sleeplessly reached toward her alarm trying not to get the warmth of the bed escape, as it was the middle of winter, sadly unlike in America it does not snow in the city of Emerald.

THUMP! CRASH!

“Uuuuugh” Valmet our main protagonist grumbled her almost perfect visage of sleeping Beauty ruined by the fact she fell face first into the hard concrete floor of her room the only padding, a simple rainbow carpet.

"Papa… I need coffee," Valmet groaned, still tangled in her blankets as her father peeked through the door.
"Not until you brush your teeth. Coffee and minty breath—it’s a magic combo," Juneper teased, flicking his ponytail like a proud stallion.
"Come ooon," Valmet whined, burying her face in her pillow.

“its time to get up and get to school!” he said as he skipped back to their kitchen ponytail waving in the air and twirled around in delight, to be honest if anyone looked at him the would think he looked like a knock off Keanu reeves so that’s now an image you have to live with.

“YAAAAAAWN!” Valmet sighed as she got up and scratched her back, slowly making her way to the kitchen the smell of breakfast leading her to the desired location of the pancakes “OH YUM!, Smells so good!” she said forking a mouthful of delicious and wonderful syrupy pancake just like shaggy from Scooby doo.

She gave a pause and looked at her father some pancake, egg and sausage still in her mouth. “how’s work?” she said finishing the last bite she had to continue eating the rest “well” Juneper her father started saying, he looked awkward and fidgety, Valmet stared intently as if analysing his very being “its ok, you don’t have to tell me” she waved the idea off as if it were nothing, but she knew exactly what had happened, after all her dads job was one no normal person would wish for, a Mafia Executive for Marina Corp. they kingpins of the underworld within the city, she stared blankly at the food scraps on her plate.

“Its fine! Uhmn…..yer it was…good I guess… Penny had accidentally sawed off some guys arm off! Then attached it on the wrong way in a panic” Juneper laughed as if it was a joke, in fact that man died due to carelessness and was that only funny part of that story, “oh my god…no wonder she works there, guess she’s not very handy!”  Valmet joked about that man’s misfortune and DR. Penny Vice’s lack of experience as a doctor to make light of the situation “she’s not that bad, just …ok she’s a bit bad, but trust me she’s at least she still had his right foot” they both laugh at the terrible jokes they made bot dark and stupid.
then an awkward silence, it was something incredibly quite for a moment.

“…I better get to school…” she stared blankly then looked at her dad

"Love you more," Valmet muttered, fork halfway to her mouth.
"Love you to the core."
"Love you… whatever," she smirked, letting him win this round.

“I wont~” she said as she walked into her room closing the door, walking past a motorbike helm hidden in the small closet.

“Huh… Another day” she said under her breath, knowing her life is always on the line as the executive daughter.

Valmet Sophia Jones. Sixteen, high schooler, mafia executive’s daughter. She liked to think her life was simple, but deep down, she knew better. People didn’t know her temper. They didn’t know the things she did to keep the calm façade in place. Sometimes, even she couldn’t blame herself for the way she was.

As she tugged on her school uniform, Valmet’s mind drifted to her father’s past. The nights he spent working the streets, and how that old life clung to him, even now. She learned to read before most kids—numbers and biology, too. But it wasn’t because of school. It was because of the women who taught her the real art of survival. And manipulation.

THUMB!

valmet hit the floor hard, scrapping her knees on the ground.
“OH FOR FUCKS SAKE YOU MOTHER FUCKING PIECE OF SHITTY DAYS!” she yelled to the sky then took a deep breath “fuck” she mumbled as she calmly stood up just because she has anger issues doesn’t mean she can’t control it.
“AUG, I hate this” she looked down her winter uniform scuffed and her stockings ripped with a bit of blood on, she started shaking in anger at her stupidity but then remembered what her father always says “ Tiss but a…” she started “scratch?” a husky voice still trying to develop said as he hugged her from behind and walked Infront of Valmet as if he were a golden retriever.
"Steven!" Valmet startled, though the warmth of his hug had no effect on her cold irritation. She forced a smile as he nuzzled her cheek, too perfect, too kind for his own good. Too easy to use. “Good morning too babe!” he said as Valmet rubbed his hair making it mess and unkept “your being silly in this cold morning?” they both smiled as she pretended to be more cold then him as she said that watching his response as he put his school blazer on her.
“did you forget your Spanish homework?” steven started
“what Spanish homework?” Valmet looked pale “LA RE PUTA MADRE QUE TE PARIO! I didn’t….” she looked sad but steven held her hand
“we can do it together then” he said nuzzling her cheek lovingly “by the way…what does that mean?”
“better not know that sweetheart…” Valmet laughed and walked closer into him as they walked to school together.

As Valmet and steven were close to the school they could hear the busy life of the city, the sounds were more chaotic than a parade in New York city, “oh?” Valmet mumbled under her breath “Seems like the Emerald City Goats won the baseball game” steven said as he snuck a peek at Valmet’s phone “Melody would be happy! her whole family owns them now, right? The midnight eagles the wild piglets and now the goats” Valmet explained remembering how Melody’s family would only buy the best sports teams and sponsor the best athletes and put them on a strict schedule and diet.

As Valmet scrolled past he edge lord posts and cringe videos “their pretty good I guess, pity Melody is such a b with a big itch” she smugly said as she started to scroll down.

Valmet’s fingers froze mid-scroll. A sharp jolt of dread surged through her like a live wire.
Fear. Rage. Her heart pounded, and the edges of her vision blurred with white noise as her mind struggled to process the headline staring back at her from her screen.

“Val?” steven whispered “are you ok” he put his hand on her wrist gently stroking it to make Valmet feel better not know why she looked the way she did, Valmet swallowed the bile rising in her throat. She couldn’t let him see—couldn’t let anyone see.
"It’s nothing!" Her lips curved into a too sweet smile; her eyes bright with feigned cheerfulness. "Just the usual crazies in town."
But her hands shook, her grip tightening around her phone as though crushing the glass might release the fury simmering beneath her skin, steven oblivious to her wraith.

“Oi steven” she started “help me up, would you?” she pointed at the school fence wanting to avoid Melody, steven try’s to pick Valmet up trying to balance himself as he struggled to push her up the fence “ AAAH aww” steven huffed as he pushed Valmet closer to the top

"Just a bit more, Steven!" Valmet grunted; belly pressed to the top of the fence as Steven struggled beneath her.

"You’re—"
Smack. Her shoe hit his face.
"Ow! You're kicking me!" Steven protested, rubbing his chin as another shoe caught him off guard.
"Hold on, babe!" Valmet called, but Steven’s wide-eyed blush said his mind had already wandered somewhere else.

“ow ow ow! Are you…” he started as he looked up to see little pug boxers in a hot pink colour, Steven was blushing bright red and started mumbling his hail Marys and asking God for forgiveness for seeing her that way.

That distraction was enough for steven to accidently let go “just…a bit more!!!” valmet stated as she was about to use her legs to stand up on the fence but, she slipped falling to the ground on the other side “ AAAAHG!”

PLUNK

Velmet hit a flower bush to cushion her fall “owwww…” she moaned as she rubbed her head, she then quickly recovered and darted her head around to see if anyone saw, Valmet crouched low, slipping between the building’s shadows like she was born for this kind of stealth.

Her heart raced—not from fear, but from the irritation of knowing Melody was close.
That smug little brat, Valmet thought, flattening herself against the wall as she heard the familiar, whiny voice.
"That’s when I told Veronica her outfit was, like, three years ago," Melody drawled, her tone dripping with fake superiority.
Valmet held her breath, waiting for Melody and Steven to pass by, her eyes narrowing at how uncomfortable Steven looked in her presence.

Melody's voice drifted around the corner, sharp and obnoxious, the kind of tone that grated on Valmet’s nerves. 'Veronica’s outfit was, like, so three years ago.'
Steven nodded along, clearly out of his depth, looking like a lost puppy in a conversation he didn’t care about. Of course, Valmet thought with a bitter smile. He’s too sweet for his own good.
She clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay hidden. Confronting Melody would be a waste of time right now. Steven was just too clueless to see through her act. Not yet, anyway.

Valmet, having barely avoided Melody earlier that morning, tries to settle into her usual spot at lunch with Steven. As they sit down, they hear the sound of loud laughter coming from Melody’s table, where she sits surrounded by her rich friends and teammates.

"Hey, Val! I heard your dad didn't make it to our game last night. It's too bad—I'm sure he would’ve enjoyed seeing us destroy the other team. I mean, not like your family's into sports anyway, right?" Melody stated in a bitter sweet tone, Valmet stiffens. It's a typical Melody remark, dripping with passive aggression. She knows Melody’s baiting her, subtly reminding Valmet of the class and social gap between them. After all Valmet lives in the slums of the city for her own protection and goes to the most elite school too so things don’t add up for many knowing valmet.