_ My name is Bruna, I'm Brazilian and I've been writing fanfictions for fun for years. Several people came to me for a message and suggested that I translate my stories of Prince William and Prince Harry into English, but I always lacked time. _
So I decided to give it a go with ‘Empire’ my Gangs of London fanfiction.
_The first part of Sean and Lexi's story is almost finished and it's not that long. So I decided to make the attempt to post the work in English, even though I'm not a professional and I don't even have formal knowledge of the English language. _
_ I count on your understanding if you find errors. Be sure to notify me and send me suggestions for improvements - both in English and for the story.Without further ado, let's go to the first chapter. I look forward for you to meet Alexandra and her family. _
We were just kids when we fell in love...
"Try and catch it, ugly girl"
"Give it back right now, Billy!"
The girl's squeal could be heard all over the floor of the house, however most of the adults were outside, where a Sunday barbecue was taking place the adults were probably engaged in some greedy conversation.
Lexi had always preferred to play indoors. She liked to sit on the carpet in her godmother's living room, brush the hair of her Russian dolls, and hum softly to herself.
Normally she could calmly spend her Sundays. There was no insane traffic of people inside her house, no parents coming and going at odd hours. Sunday was a holy day, according to her mother. They even went to a church service to thank God for their lives, and afterward they woul usually head to the Wallace's.
Billy Wallace was her godmother's son, and he was definitely the nastiest boy Lexi knew. Always pulling her braids, calling her bad nicknames and taking her dolls.
"I'll throw it out the window. You can catch it if you make it in time." Billy said with a devilish grin and approached the skylight. "Do you think you can make it in time, Foxy Lexi?"
The eight-year-old girl's fists clenched. And she honestly thought about attacking Billy Wallace in what he had between his legs. But she'd already done the same to Dmitri once, earned her a lecture from her mother and no dessert after dinner.
"I'll count to ten. See if you can catch it." Billy continued his malicious prank and psychological torture. "One... two... hurry up, girl! You're wasting time."
There would be no time. Lexi knew Billy, well enough too, to know he wouldn't keep his word.
"Five... six... seven... Oi!"
A tall, thin young boy emerged from the door near the window and took the doll from Billy's hand.
"Enough of this mess at my bedroom's door" he snapped, his voice slightly husky and his freckled face contorted in anger. "Stop being a pain in the ass, Billy. And leave Lexi alone! Ain't you ashamed? She's younger and smaller than you."
The thirteen-year-old held the doll out toward Lexi, not even looking at the girl. He was busy scolding his younger brother, as usual.
"Thanks, Sean" she said softly, just barely a whisper that Lexi doubted the boy had even heard her.
Billy burst into tears. He ran off after his brother's lecture to hide somewhere.
Lexi felt sorry for him. Billy always cried for everything.
"He got sad and now is crying" Lexi said looking at Sean.
"It shall pass. He's just being childish." Sean said, still annoyed.
She started to walk away slowly. Still a little stunned by what had happened, as Yelena had almost been thrown ten feet tall and Billy had had a sentimental fit.
But Lexi was especially stunned by Sean. She couldn't explain it, but the boy had always provoked her curiosity. He was friends with her older brother and was locked in his room because Dmitri and Alex still hadn't returned from boarding school for Easter break.
Her godmother justified as it was a "rebellious phase" wWhen Lexi's mother wanted to know what was up with him.
Lexi was thinking of going out into the garden to join the adults. She wanted some lemonade, as the day was particularly hot, but as the little girl walked towards tthe back of the house, where it would lead her to the garden, she heard sobs coming from the library.
Lexi was afraid the boy would do something mean again. Normally Billy couldn't stay more than ten minutes near Lexi without upsetting her, but she couldn't stand seeing other kids cry. When Dmitri cried, she always hugged him, even though her older brother sometimes pushed her and cursed her in Russian – he was the only one of the two who had been to Russia.
"Billy?" the girl called, sitting down beside him, squeezing Yelena tightly against her.
"Go away!" the boy roared, his face streaked with tears and his thin body shaking with sobs. "Y-get out of here, ugly girl!"
"I'm just trying to help" Lexi said softly.
"GET OUT!" Billy yelled tearfully, getting to his feet and pulling at his own hair.
Lexi curled up on the library sofa, feeling her eyes getting wet. At her house no one was allowed to scream. Her parents never yelled at her and neither Dmitri.
"Come on, little boy." They heard a voice coming from the door. "That wasn't very nice. We will have to talk in private, yes?
Marian Wallace was there. Tall, serious and Irish.
The girl watched Billy obey his mother and walk over to her, still rubbing his eyes and crying. Annoyed by the hostility of the moment, Lexi opted to make her way to the gardens.
Her mother, Tatiana, was sitting next to her father, Alexei. The two were leaning slightly toward Finn Wallace and Ed Dumani, listening intently to what appeared to be instructions.
She decided to keep her distance because she knew her parents didn't like "children meddling in adult affairs," but Lexi's godfather seemed to notice her presence and said.
"Finn... Finn, wait." Ed Dumani said in a low tone and then turned towards him. "Lexi. You can come here, darling".
"What's wrong, sweet girl? Finn Wallace asked with a sympathetic smile, but Lexi always had a bit of trepidation around her.
He wasn't always good with his own kids.
"I want some lemonade" she said softly so that only her mother would hear.
"Oh...I'll get it for you, honey." Tatiana answered, offering her daughter a hand. "I'll be right back, Finn".
"Take your time, Tatiana" Finn said with a kind smile "Our dear Lexi needs her mother. It's all right".
Lexi didn't say anything, just took her mother's hand and went to get the glass of lemonade.
"Is everything all right, Króchka?" her mother asked softly, smoothing Lexi's light hair, which slowly took on the same shade of blonde as her mother's.
"Billy took my doll. Sean took it back and scolded him. Billy came out crying. I tried to cheer him up a little, but he yelled at me and autie Marian listened. I think he is getting another scolding" Lexi confided in a tone of secrecy just to complete "It was my fault."
"No." Tatiana denied with a calm smile "It's not your fault. Yyou can only be responsible for what you do. Did you yell at Billy?"
"No. I mean...I ordered him to give me back my doll"
"But were you aggressive?"
"Billy didn't act nice, now Marian is disciplining him. When you do things that aren't nice, the two of us always talk, right?"
"Do not worry. It wasn't your fault. And your godmother loves her children, she would never do anything to hurt any of them."
Her mother asked her to join Jacqueline and Shannon. The two girls were doing their nails next to the pool. They usually didn't give much thought to Lexi, as they thought they were far superior for being almost teenagers.
It was a very lonely Sunday, Lexi thought with a sigh. She preferred it when she was at school, where she had several friends with common tastes and the boys were in separate buildings.
Her presence was not even noticed by the girls. She performed the ritual of undoing the doll's braids and starting them again when her godmother called the three of them for lunch.
"Lexi, before you eat could you come with me? Billy wants to apologize to you, but he's too embarrassed to do it in front of everyone".
She nodded and Marian smiled, taking her by the hand and leading Lexi into the house again.
Billy was in the library again, now curled up on the couch and reading a book when Lexi and Marian arrived.
"I'll leave you two alone." Her godmother said in a warning tone. "Lexi. Once you're done, come have lunch, okay? You too, Billy."
The two children were, again, alone in the library. They stared at each other a little sheepishly, as if all the Christmases, Easter holidays and birthday parties spent together hadn't ever existed..
The Wallaces and Dumani were in absolutely every Dragomirov photo album. They were on every birthday and every important holiday, like one big lonely family.
The edge of society. Russians expelled from their country, Irish and blacks breaking down closed doors.
"Your mother said you wanted to apologize to me" She said in a friendly tone.
"Yes." Billy agreed. "I am sorry for yelling and stealing your doll".
Lexi smiled and nodded her acceptance of the order and then was on her way to lunch – her belly was already rumbling – when Billy called her back.
She had never heard Billy call her by her name, let alone her nickname. It was always very offensive and unpleasant nicknames.
Stilt, for her long legs and arms.
Ugly, for her appearance.
Tooth, through her teeth.
"I told my mom that...the reason I steal your dolls is because I'd really like to play with them" The boy said, his cheeks getting very red and still not daring to look at Lexi. "They're so pretty and... could you let me play with them for a little while?"
In response, Lexi just walked over to the boy and handed Yelena over to him. She didn't take long, just gave the toy into Billy's hands and went bouncy to lunch.
From that day forward, a few things changed: Sundays were now readily waiting for Lexi to get to know her new best friend, Billy. Yelena had also abandoned the silly braids and now she sported unusual looks like mohawks and dreads.
