Rafael Rossi

[Dewey]

Rafael Rossi

Birthdate: February 26, 1989
Height: 5'11
Weight: 155 lbs
Eye color: dark brown
Hair color: black
Race: Sicilian
Occupation: Bedford College 3-2 Pre-Engineering Student, Mechanic at Joe's Car Shack.
Friends: Gabi, Cal, Nate, Morgan
Enemies: None

Of all his brothers, Rafael is the most gentlemanly and respectful. He's soft-spoken, too, which makes him an easy target for dominating personalities--like those Tobias or Anthony tend to exude. Therefore, Rafael tends not to defend himself in the face of ridicule or criticism; he merely withdraws entirely and says nothing. Though he's popular at school because of his talents on the baseball team, he's a quiet young man, and finds a good time in the simplest of hobbies: working on cars, eating Burger King food, or watching "guy" movies. He's quite the romantic, too, and loves to shower affection on those he loves: usually his mother, and his girlfriend Gabriella, are the only ones who see this side of him.

[Dewey]

Whenever I saw previews for those stupid college movies where people were getting drunk all the time, sleeping with each other, and having these ridicolous parties, I never believed it. That's not the part of college I was familiar with. My senior year at Bay Ridge, I toured a lot of campuses, trying to find the right fit for me. All I saw was the academic side. Students in the classroom or walking across campus, carrying books. Libraries filled with scholars hunched over their laptops, bookstores filled with customers trying to find the required texts for their classes...etc etc. When I got to Bedford, most of my assumptions were true, too. Being in the pre-engineering 3-2 program, though, what else are you going to see, right? Studying was all I knew. I didn't understand how people had time to party. I had some friends who rushed our first year, but I wasn't interested at all. I decided I had better things to do with my time. Problem was, I started to think those things weren't better after all, especially when I realized I wasn't really making any new friends, and didn't have "plans" for the weekend like everyone else did.

So, when second year came around, I decided to just go for it. It's not like I had anything to lose. If it wasn't my thing, I could just drop out of rush. Well, let me just preface this by saying that I'm a legacy. It means that my dad was in a fraternity before me, and that this now makes me something of an 'heir' to that same fraternity. And what do you know. It just so happens there's an Alpha Sigma Phi chapter at Bedford. What a small world, right? I met a lot of other fraternities at Bedford, but they were either too party-esque or extremely...nerdy, and I didn't want my version of a party to be sitting around in a circle discussing the 100th digit of Pi. The guys at Alpha Sig were pretty cool, too. I won't lie. It probably had a lot to do with my namesake, and my being a legacy, but whatever.

So, I went through with the rest of Rush, and at the end of it all, accepted a bid from Alpha Sig. Nice happy ending, right? WRONG. Because despite Bedford's Panhellenic Council claiming that there's 0% tolerance against hazing, it still happens within the fraternities. It's like a rite of passage as far as they're concerned. So whatever, I developed tough skin and went through with it. Sure, there were times when I wanted to back out and tell these guys they were absolutely nuts, but my desire for friendships completely overrode whatever rational I had going in me. And then it got to the point where I stole a car for initiation. My argument is that it was just a prank between frats (it was our rival's president's car). I mean, it's not like I was going to keep it. But the cops didn't see it like that. I was arrested. And charged. With grand theft auto.

Funny aside: I actually called Tobias to ask him how I could hotwire the thing. Go figure. I almost wish he would've asked me what was up and talk some sense into my head. I mean, granted I completely lied to him and told him I just needed help starting my own engine, but whatever. I knew my dad would kill me, and I doubted Joey had money for bail, so I called Mr. Conelli. Needless to say, he was pretty pissed. And he was making me tell my dad no matter what. Come on, though, I'm 19! I'll be twenty in a few months. Does my dad really have to know all that I'm doing? Besides, I'm in college now. All that stuff should be confidential...

But considering I could lose my scholarship, be expelled from the school, and all that great stuff...I figured I'd have to tell. I told Joey first. We had a little argument about it but have since made amends. I told Gabi...well, not all the details, but the basic gist of it. I was so embarassed. I didn't want her to think she was dating some developing mini version of Tobias. Like Mr. Conelli said, this isn't who I am. I don't go around committing crimes like this. And now my flawless nonexistent record has a grand theft auto charge on it! I don't want us to have to use contacts to erase it. I'm going to put in my community service hours and do it the way everyone else has to. I'm tired of the priviledged life. It's just not fair.

Anyway...I finally told my dad. Needless to say, he was pissed. He didn't really have any ways to ground me, though. I mean, I bought my car and own it. I don't live at home because I have my own apartment. And it's not like I have to pay for my tuition because I'm on full scholarship. So he asked me what would be a fitting punishment for myself. And I guess that's what I've been trying to figure out. The obvious answer would be to not be able to join Alpha Sig (since he'll be the one paying the membership dues). I know that's the conclusion he wants me to come to, but...I don't know...

[Dewey]

Sometimes, I really hate Anthony Iaconelli. He thinks he's better than anyone else who hasn't gone to Halifax. More specifically: me and Tobias. Look, I'll be honest. I can understand why he hates Tobias. If it was Mona dating someone like Tobias, I'd be all over it, too. And I know Anthony hated it every time Mr. Conelli helped get Tobias out of some trouble the past two years before Dad came back. It was almost like Tobias was runing both the Rossi and Conelli name. But I'm not Tobias! I don't know how many times I have to tell him that.

He holds grudges like you wouldn't believe! He still remembers the whole Tagliatti thing which was ages ago, it seems. And I didn't even want to be involved! Uncle Johnny and Tobias were the ones who drug me into that, and Mr. Conelli bailed me out. And I haven't done anything since. Just the Alpha Sig stuff. And I know it was stupid. And I'm sorry! And because of it, I'm doing my community service every Saturday, from 7 AM to noon, and I'll always have that fact on my records because I didn't want to depend on the Rossi name to just erase it, and I'm paying my dues to Alpha Sig on my own because Dad doesn't agree with me staying with the chapter (and those dues are crazy high in price!). So I'm being responsible and mature and owning up to my mistakes.

But does Anthony see that? No. Anthony sees these hyped up stories about fraternities, and he automatically assumes that I must be doing drugs and getting wasted every night just because these guys are. Well it's not like that. Sure, some of the guys get out of hand, but I don't make that apart of my social life. That's one thing I definitely don't compromise on. Like at Bay Ridge, when everyone was doing tobacco and I wouldn't budge. I've never done drugs, and I don't plan on doing them ever. But Anthony is just determined to make me into some creep that Gabi shouldn't be dating, and I'm tired of it. It's bad enough that I've disappointed Mr. Conelli. I don't need the whole family to disapprove of me.

I honestly think Anthony's just dying to get into a fist fight with Tobias. The both of them want that. I can't honestly say who might win.. Anthony's a lot bigger. But, considering how crazy Tobias can get, he should really watch his mouth...

[Dewey]

Anthony is crazy. I swear, he's going to kill me one of these days. I can already see it. Visiting Gabi at her parents' place is like having a death wish. She's going to start coming to my house now. Or my apartment with Joey. Which will be better, I think. Maybe Anthony will just forget that I exist that way. I don't know what's gotten into him. Whatever, though. He's going to have to get over it eventually. It's not like I'm going anywhere.Gabi and I have been together for a long time now. This isn't anything new. And so I made a mistake. Isn't there such a thing as forgiveness? It's not like I stole some random car. It was the rival frat! They probably expected us to do something. And it's not like I was going to keep it, either. We're not stupid. We would've jsut made some treasure hunt out of it or something. I know Dad and Mr. Conelli aren't exactly thrilled about it, but it's behind me and I'm just trying to move on. Yeah, I'm still in the fraternity, but there are other guys that are cool to hang out with, that aren't troublemakers or into the drugs or alcohol. Besides, I can't just go through college with my cousin as my only friend.

[Dewey]

Tobias really outdid himself this time. I can only accept the blame myself, though. I should've told him straight out to just drop the whole matter, to let it go. But no. I let him talk me into something yet again. How do I let this happen?? Every time he gets me. And I don't even see it coming. Ever! I'm nineteen, and my big brother still manages to puppet me around. Well, not anymore. I'm honestly through with all of this. I'm tired of being caught in the middle between him and Anthony. Before, it was between him and Luca, and I got the blunt of it from Tobias because I wouldn't break up with Gabi. This time it's kind of different. He claims that he's just trying to stand up for me and all that, but it's more like what Joey said. Tobias is just pissed that someone outside of the family is giving me trouble and pushing me around, because Tobias is supposed to be the one doing that.

To be honest with you, I rather it be Anthony, because at least I know I won't have a black eye or be talked into workign for some crime syndicate--both of which Tobias has managed against me. But the bad part about it being Anthony is that he keeps telling Gabi and hsi dad lie after lie about me. Every day, I wake up, and I just wait for a call from Gabi, telling me it's not going to work out or something. It's like I've comlpetely lost of self esteem. I hate that I have to be the one, cowering to Anthony or Mr. Conelli with my tail between my legs, apologizing for something I didn't even do.

But I know Tobias isn't going to pay for the damages he did against Anthony's car, and I can't have Anthony press charges because Tobias would be arrested, and then what would happen with Tobi, you know? I know my brother isn't a saint or anything, but he's trying. You should've seen him two years ago. Two years ago, he was just...out of control. Pulling guns on people, getting arrested every other week, dealing drugs, beating the crap out of me like I was his own personal punching bag, not coming home for days at a time, getting into fights with Luca over Desiree, getting expelled from school when he pulled that one stunt on Luca with a knife, working for Uncle Johnny, etc etc.

Ever since Dad's come back, though, he's really come around. Anthony doesn't see that, and it kind of makes me upset when he talks about Tobias like he's the devil incarnate. For all the trouble he's caused, Tobias really loves our family, and he'd do anything to protect any one of us. People always say they'd take a bullet for their family, but let's face it, 99% of them are all talk. Tobias, though? He's the 1% who really would give his life for one of us. And something like that just makes you forget about all the bad stuff. Besides, he has a kid now. Tobi's turning two, and Tobias is trying to just move on to the next chapter of his life.

So give us a break, Anthony.

[Dewey]

10-18-06

Oh man.. last night just crashed and burned, and it crashed and burned bad. I had just gotten off work at Joe's when Gabi called me. It was late, and I didn't think it would be a big deal for me to come over because I figured everyone would be settling down to sleep or something. Bad call! It started out all right.. her ma was in the kitchen and her father was in his office. We just hung out in her room. I mean, it's not like we were doing anything, really. And then the worst thing that could've happened happened. Anthony knocked on the door. God, he scares the crap out of me sometimes. I feel like he's going to throw down with all that marine stuff he learned at Halifax. Sometimes it looks like he really is! Like last night...

See, apparently my keys had slipped out my pocket or something, I don't know. So they were on Gabi's bed!! When I saw Anthony notice them and pick them up, I was freaking out. Well, to make a long story short, he found me hiding in the closet. It was a nightmare. He dragged me out (and man, my arm still has a bruise on it) and then yelled for his father to come over.. and when I saw Mr. Conelli.. it was just.. so humiliating. I couldn't even find the words to speak or anything, so I pretty much said nothing unless he directly asked me a question.

*sighs* I guess I knew her family would find out about us one day.. but I was hoping it wouldn't be anytime soon. I wonder if Mr. Conelli's going to make us.. break it off... I don't know, maybe I should ask.. I just, I feel so embarrassed now...

[Dewey]

10-20-06

I'll have good news and bad news. I'll start with the bad news, because maybe the good stuff will remind me I have something to be happy about.

Well ma invited the Iaconelli family over for dinner. I would've been pretty psyched, except I'd gotten into a little trouble, of course, since Mr. Conelli and Anthony had found me in Gabi's room the other night. At dinner, Anthony brought it up, too, which didn't help at all. But what really got to me was the way he treated Tobias. Where does he get of talking to my brother like that? Talking to any of us like that.. in our own home! He thinks that just because Halifax made him close to our father that it means he's closer than the rest of us! And that because of it, he can just bash us and talk about how we're awful and it's our fault our father's dead.

Well he really went too far. He told Tobias something like "no wonder your father's gone. He was probably too busy thinking about your crap that he couldn't concentrate in Geneva and ended up getting killed". Everyone around the table just froze and stared at him. Tobias, too. Except when Tobias just freezes like that, it's a bad thing. It's like.. the prelude to a murder spree for him. Mr. Conelli interrupted, though, and told Anthony to step out with him. I don't know what he said, but.. I hope Anthony got his butt kicked.

All right, now the good news. Gabi and I are officially dating. Our ma's were talking to us last night about it, and how they wanted us to be honest about the whole situation and how it'd be okay if we wanted to be more than friends, so I asked if they really meant that, they said yes, and when I asked if it was okay then if we were in fact considering dating, they said yes. Well.. not really.. they actually got all girly on us and started hugging us and talking about homecoming and prom. Oh goodness...

But I'm glad. This means I don't have to hide my relationship with Gabi anymore.. I can come over specifically to see her instead of saying I came just to talk to Mr. Conelli.. and best of all, Anthony can't get on my back about me being in her room anymore.

[Dewey]

11-6-06

College college college college college college college college.

I'm a senior! It's supposed to be the number one thing on my mind, right? Wrong! Too bad Gabi's the number one thing on my mind.. Ha. Homecoming is this weekend. Yeess. Her dress is pretty nice; she'll look good on Saturday night, and I'm the lucky guy who gets to take her. Now all I have to do is convince Mr. Conelli to let us stay the whole time.. until 1 a.m., that is. Come on, it's not like we're going to do anything. I'm the nice brother.. not Tobias..

Speaking of Tobias.. none of us know what his problem's been the past week or two! He's gone into crazy Tobias mode. We thought everything would be okay once Uncle Johnny was here.. but things have gotten worst. I don't know what it is.. but Tobias has turned into the Third Reich. He bosses everyone around, he curses us out, and he starts fights with me and Carmine. The other day I wasn't so lucky.. I crossed him, he got pissed, and decided he'd beat me. I'm just glad it wasn't one of the girls or Mickey, though. Oh man, if it was Mickey..

Whatever. I'm over it. How much more simple does my answer have to be? I don't want to be involved with the family business. I don't care if Carmine or Tobias want to, but I don't. I wish they'd respect that. Uncle Johnny's still trying to persuade me and it's driving me crazy. I just want to do something that would make my father proud...

[Dewey]

11-7-06

Last night I went to talk to Mr. Conelli about college and about taking Gabi to homecoming. Good news first: He said it was okay that I take Gabi to the dance on Saturday, even though it's until 1 a.m. I was really worried he wouldn't. I know how close he and Gabi are, and I know Anthony hates me and Tobias so... I thought the chances were slim that he'd let all this go down. But I guess Mr. Conelli likes me.. thankfully. If only I could convince Anthony now that I'm nothing like my brother.

Okay, bad news? I still don't know where I want to go to college. Arcadia, Rochester, Bedford, Halifax. I know ma wouldn't want me to join the marines but.. I want to do something heroic, and I want to be more like my father. I hate it that my ma has to deal with Tobias doing all these stupid things.. and I want to be the son she can brag about, you know? I want to give her something she can take pride in I guess. I don't know..

But Uncle Johnny and Tobias want me to join the family business. I'm only 17! But they say I have a lot of my father in me, and that I'm smart, and yada yada. I couldn't see myself even holding a gun, though, and they want me to be a gangster? They're crazy. I think I'm going to talk to Uncle Johnny about it later today, and Tobias, too. I really don't need this pressure right now.

[Dewey]

11-9-06

Tonight's the meeting. I'm.. not sure how I feel about it. I guess I can't weasel my way out of it, after all. I really don't want to be there. I don't want Mr. Conelli to think any differently of me. I told him I didn't want to be involved and he said I needed to stand up to Uncle Johnny and Tobias, but.. that's so hard.. they're like SS Officers, I swear. If they were old enough, I think I'd guess they were involved with the Furor in the United States. I just won't tell Mr. Conelli I was at the meeting, that's all. No one has to know. If I told Ma, they'd just think I was a wuss anyway. So it'll be our little secret. But I'm not doing anything else! I'm not talking, I'm not going to help plan, nothing. I'm just going to take up space tonight and that's it.

[Dewey]

11-11-06


Man...

Uncle Johnny was pissed about Thursday night. Me leaving and all. I don't get it. It's "family business". So family's supposed to come first, right? Which means the Iaconelli's come first if they need us. And that's more important to me than a meeting. They didn't need me there. I wasn't even allowed to talk, so what was the point? But Gabi? She needed me. Anthony was in a motorcycle accident and now he's in a coma, and she was home by herself and I wnated to be there for her. Is that so wrong?

But according to Uncle Johnny and Tobias, my priorities are "out of whack" (as Tobias put it), and now my uncle's going to make me work for the Tagliatti family. I don't even know what to think or say or do. I don't want to tell ma because then I'd be a wuss in their eyes, and if I tell Mr. Conelli, he might make me stop dating Gabi. If I tell Gabi, she'll tell her father. The guys on the team don't know jack about what my family's into. Ramona would tell ma. Carmine would complain to Uncle Johnny, who'd just look even further down on me..

*sighs* I guess I'll just suck it up and.. do it. I don't know anything about the Tagliatti's. I'm supposed to go see them either tonight or Sunday or Monday. I don't know what to expect. I'm in the middle of college applications here.. things were stressful enough.

Tonight's homecoming, though.. I'll just try to relax and take my mind off things. And hope for the best, of course.

[Dewey]

11-13-06

Homecoming wasn't all that bad. I won homecoming king.. jeez, I really didn't see that coming. Wow, I just said coming three times. Well, four now, I guess. Anyway, that was pretty cool. It was a good time, and hopefully Gabi had a good time, too. Hopefully she did. I know she's been down because of Anthony and all, and I know it's hard. I guess I just feel really helpless. I mean, if I could do something about it, I would. I wish there was some way to wake up Anthony or at least to make this easier for the famiy, but I guess that's pretty stupid to wish anyway. When my father died, there was nothing anyone could do to make me feel okay about it. Because it's not okay. It hurts. All I can do is pray, and I've been praying up a storm for the longest. I hope God just gives them a sense of peace or something, and comforts them. Things don't look too good. Anthony's in a vegetative state, and.. well, you know..

Aside from that, I also have problems with my uncle and Tobias. Like I said, they're going to make me work for one of the families that committed on Thursday. The Tagliatti's, too. They're like.. a whole family of Tobiases. How am I going to deal with that? What if they make me do something I don't want to do? I'm supposed to meet them tonight. I guess I'll see how it goes..

[Dewey]

11-15-06

So now I'm working for the Tagliatti's. It's miserable. If my ma ever found out about this, she'd.. I don't know what she'd do. Maybe I should just tell Joey about it.. then maybe he can tell his dad, who'd get Uncle Johnny off my back. I'm just.. I don't know. I don't want to let anyone down, you know? Uncle Johnny and Tobias make it sound like without me, the family business is going to go down in flames. They're always talking about how I have all this potential and all these smarts, on and on and on. And it makes me wonder what they're talking about, and I guess in some way I'm kind of curious about it and I want to see what I can do. But on the other hand, when it comes down to it, it's just wrong. I don't want to have anything to do with guns and drugs and all the stuff Tobias is into.

[Dewey]

11-18-06

Whoa! Gabi said the L -word over the phone. Like in a voicemail! The L word! I was pretty surprised. At first, I didn't think I'd heard right, but I listened again, and it was as clear as day. She said it. She loves me. Aw.. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't really freaked out or anything. I actually felt pretty good.. like walking on air or something haha. It pretty much made my otherwise crappy day a whole lot better. I mean, let's face it. It's almost been nine months now or something, so one of us was bound to say it. Besides, I already know I love her, too. So I called her back, and I said it, and it felt pretty good. It feels good to tell the person you love that you love them! lol. And even better, Anthony woke up. So I'm happy because she's happy. It sucked seeing her worry and all, and knowing I really couldn't do anything but pray. So here's to an all around good day!

[Dewey]

11-21-06

Man.. last night sucked. I had to go on an assignment with the Tagliatti brothers. They're crazy. Especially that Andre guy. He repeats like.. everything. His ADD reminds me of Mickey.. *rolls eyes* I thought we were just going to talk to people, you know? But they killed someone! Some guy who was conspiring against their uncle. They just up and shot him. Well Dominic did, but I doubt Andre minded. Then we went to some other guy's place, and I felt bad for him because he had no money to give them, and Andre wanted to pawn some ring the guy had bought for his fiance-to-be. Well, Dominic was nice enough to just look through the other jewelery first. And while they were doing that, this guy Merrick, he pulls out a gun out of nowhere! And he's about to shoot them! And I'm thinking.. well, I really wasn't thinking, it was just so quick. I just knew I had to stop him so I took out the gun Dominic had given me and I shot at him.. my aim blows, though, so the bullet just grazed the guy's skin, but it was enough to make him fall. I just knew that if something had happened to them, Mr. Tagliatti would be on my back about it.. if I even managed to survive, though. What if Merrick had shot me, too??

I don't know how Tobias handles this kind of stuff. He must have tough skin or something, I don't know. But the moment I saw that dead body, I wanted to throw up. And Dominic just killed him like it was nothing! I mean, that guy probably had a wife and kids back home, you know? He probably had a family, too. I don't get how this business works at all. Why couldn't we just talk to the guy? Why couldn't we work something out? And then with Merrick.. then they just beat him up, and now Andre's so mad he's going to pawn that engagement ring. It just all felt wrong. I felt like a criminal. I pulled the trigger of a gun on someone.. and I don't ever want to do that again.

So I went to the Conelli house afterward, and Gabi was there. Everything seems ten times-no, a hundred times better.. whenever she smiles. It's like I know everything's going to be all right. Mr and Mrs Conelli came home from the hospital, and Anthony's doing good. Mrs. C said he got his appetite back, and that's like.. Anthony's trademark personality trait lol so I guess he really is back. I mentioned maybe we could have a small Thanksgiving in his room or something. I don't know. I'm not sure how big those rooms are. Maybe I should go pay him a visit or something.

Anyway, I talked to Mr. Conelli about the Tagliatti situation, and I'm just.. like seriously grateful he's going to take care of things for me. I hate to burden him, because I know he's not my father (as Anthony hasn't failed to mention whenever he has the chance), but.. I kind of feel like he is nonetheless. We might not have the same last name, or have the same blood, but.. Mr. C's always been there after my father died. He's always taken care of us, and he was always there to give me advice and to support me, so.. I do kind of see him like a second father. And now he's going to take care of this for me and I'm so glad.

I don't want to be like Uncle Johnny. I want to be like my father, or like Uncles Mickey or Giovanni. They help people, and they save lives. That's what I want to do.