"It's true … even that fat girl Pink Scarlet won you in each race, and she could not run to save a snail," he confirms with a big smile.
It's true. Kiara was the only one slower than that cow - even before she broke her ankle. But Scarlet could wrestle the socks off a bull. Guess everyone has his own thing.
She ponders for a moment.
"Yeah, you're probably right. I'm more of a brainiac." She stacks more clothes on the ever-growing heap.
"Come to think of it," Kiara stops packing, "I still have that video of Jason … where he runs out of the building screaming like a girl, with the rest of our class following suit."
"It was funny … until it was not," Axel chimes. "If Damion hadn't come to help us, you would have been stuck in that hole for a long time." Until today, I don't know what he was doing there all by himself. He was not even in the same school. I asked him once, but never got a straight answer - he only said he was visiting. What exactly that means I don't know. But him visiting a demon would make sense.
"Yeah, he was pretty awesome that day," I say without thinking, earning me some knowing stares. But it's true. He jumped into that pit like a ninja, hoisted out Kiara with her broken ankle, and emerged as if he climbed out of holes all the time.
"You had such a crush on him then," Axel smirks.
"Well, maybe. But I didn't know back then what an asshole personality he harvested in that beautiful body." I try to explain. Kiara pulls her eyes at Axel.
Ug, I think I need new friends. Or, at the very least, Logan could definitely do with a new BFF.
"So you didn't see the gun-wielding demon monster man?" I revert back to the original topic. I've wondered over the years if the ugly face I saw that day still roams around that house. And if he still shoots his shotgun in the air whenever people walk onto his sticky tile floor. I never could figure out what the gluey tacky stuff on the ground was that my sneakers stuck to. And I'm not sure I want to know.
"No ghosts or demons … only the hobo. But he did say he sometimes heard voices on the west side. And he saw flickering lights on the top floor."
"I knew it!" I shout. "That place really is haunted." Axel chuckles softly.
"Ug," Kiara moans, "No matter how much time I put into you, you'll never change." She throws the book I was reading at Axel. He stares at the flamboyant romance cover pic.
"Her head is still in the clouds, I see," he laughs.
Kiara turns her palms up. "Exactly."
Now it's my turn to roll my eyes.
"Axel dear, is Damion still such a hunk?" Kiara wiggles her eyebrows at me and I pout.
"Don't know exactly what a hunk looks like?" Axel's mouth pulls up to one side.
"Is he still beautiful?" she tries again.
"You don't get a beautiful man," he says with a disgusted-sounding voice.
"Ug, never mind. More than nine years of girl talk and you still can't communicate with your feminine side!" She puts down the lipstick and claps her hands together, making me jump.
"Okay guys, how does this look!" Kiara is wearing a green dress with long sleeves that reaches mid-thigh.
"I think you look great." I give my honest opinion. Kiara always looks great but she likes to hear someone say it.
"What she said," Axel sounds rather bored as he stares up at the roof.
"So are you girls ready to be guppy freshmen?" he asks looking as if he's watching an invisible seventies western, starring Clint Eastwood, on the ceiling.
"I can't wait," I answer excitedly. I really can't. I'm eager to fall back into all the activities I used to do at school. "I need to do stuff again."
"And what stuff might that be?" he scuffs with big eyes still locked on the ceiling.
"Eh, I want to run again … and dance and ride my horse … maybe join the soccer team … and then there are the frat parties … you know … things students do," I explain.
"Oh, I see … you're going to be busy that's for sure. Are you at least going to have some time for that dimwit boyfriend of yours?" Axel pries. He's not my boyfriend, not officially, at least. And to tell you the truth, I actually didn't think about him. I'm not used to dating someone. I just want to experience everything I can while I'm young.
"Talking about Ren, what do you think about this newest relationship?" Kiara asks our friend, ignoring my stare.
"Can you ladies PLEASE keep me out of your love lives?" Axel holds up his hands in defense, "Honestly, I don't like the dude. But speaking as a completely objective third-party observer with no interest in the matter, I think Ren is a scapegoat because you're too scared of the devil you secretly want." Axel pulls an unsatisfying innocent pleading face and Kiara points a finger at him in an I-told-you-so motion.
"What I secretly want is new supportive and sympathetic best friends."
"With green eyes?" Kiara teases.
"Are you talking about my buddy?" Logan enters the room, followed by the rest of my brothers. I eyeball Kiara for creating a situation before looking into Logan's gray stare.
"NO!" I say a little too loud, "Eh … why would we be talking about HIM?" Logan shrugs his shoulders.
"Eh … I had a vision that you're going to fall madly in love with someone with green eyes … " I make up a lie to tease him.
"I don't fall in love, sis," my youngest brother smirks and leans his tall quarterback body against the wall. It's his 21st birthday today and we're all here to roister with him tonight. But judging by the overly happy expressions, and the smell of alcohol, the boys already started celebrating early.
Luckily there should not be any paparazzi around - Uncle John's house is like Fort Nox with all the guards outside. Mainly to keep the Blackburn Inc. offices, labs, and production sites safe - they're on the same property as his home.
Thus, hopefully, for once everyone will avoid controversy and the tabloids. And if we're lucky, no one will end up in the hospital. Definitely can do without visiting the ER for once. Birthday parties in this family tend to be a little rough and normally end in disaster.
Ilkay's eyes find mine and I can see he's worried about something. Nothing new. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty damn sure that one was born worried. He's responsible, reliable, calm, and clever, and I mean extremely clever, like a certified genius. At the age of 24, he is already finishing his internship, and starting the new year he'll continue his residency to become a neurosurgeon.
My eyes move over to the twins. Their faces look surreal, opposite carbon copies of the same mold. But as much as they look almost identical, that much do their personalities differ.
Enrique is a super successful international model and actor, who also shares ownership of a nightclub called 'Inferno' with Logan. A real playboy and ladies' man who can wiggle himself out of any situation. He's a lover and talker who loves to have fun.
Jackson on the other hand, plays hockey for the Sharks - a definite troublemaker badboy with a short fuse - easily pissed off and quick with his fists. And way too observant for his own good.
"We just came to fetch Axel," Jackson says, "the chef grilled some juicy, fatty, Espetadas."