Chapter eight

Well, dinner was...

Interesting.

Sylvia has a new haircut with one side longer than the other, mom has her makeup smeared all over her face, dad's busy putting out some fire in the backyard and best of all...

Not only did I get grounded, but I now have some random guy falling in love with me.

Yeah...very interesting indeed.

Well to get the gist of what really happened, we're gonna have to go back to five hours ago.

***

Looking myself up and down through the full-length mirror, I couldn't help but admire the reflection.

I was wearing a violet dress reaching above my knees with a small, thin black belt hanging around my abdomen.

The dress was a bit tight around the breasts but not too much that I wouldn't be able to breathe. The bottom half flowed down like a curtain.

Just for the heck of it, I wore a small tiara gold headband cause I felt like a mother-fudging queen!

"Clover, finish up and help me set the table!"

My boisterous mother called from downstairs.

"Coming!"

Reaching down for a pair of my black and violet pumps I put them on completing my look.

Smiling once more at my reflection I gave it a sweet air kiss and a flirty wink and left the room to help my mother.

Climbing down the stairs I heard the loud clanging of plates and pots banging against one another.

Not gonna lie that did not ease my anxiety for the coming night at all.

Deciding against running into the kitchen to assist my mother with one of her, "abominations" I went to set up the dinner table.

Two minutes later, the soft pitter-patter of tiny feet came running down making me look up from the table set.

Sylvia stood at the foot of the stairs with her hair draped down her shoulders like a dark curtain.

She wore a frilly princess dress with a sparkly belt to match. And because she was Sylvia, one who was for the dramatics, she wore ballet shoes instead of pumps.

I'm sure mom wasn't gonna allow that and I should be a good sister and tell her that but...she's just so adorable!

Squealing like a little kid in a candy store cause I couldn't help it, I quickly took out my phone to take a pic of the adorable little woodlen.

Yeah, I said it. My sister is a little woodlen creature. Why, you ask?

Cause she's just that cute, damn it!

"Clover, are you done with the dinner table?"

"Yeah, just a sec"

Putting the finishing touches on the table, I made my way to where the noise of pots and pans clanging came from.

"You, you need help?"

I warily asked my mother who seemed to be struggling to move a large pot full of soup.

"No, I got it. Thanks, hun."

She wheezed out. Because I am such a good and loving daughter, who always listens to her mother and helps her in any way possible...I followed her instructions.

"Okay"

I know she was struggling to get everything, but I wasn't about to argue with her.

Last time my dad insisted on helping her, he ended up in the hospital. Okay, it was due to a back injury but still!

Who knows, mom could have been the one who pushed him down the stairs or something.

"Hey kiddo"

The sudden voice made me jump in surprise. Turning to the stairs I saw my father...in a suit.

A freaking suit!

What? Why? How?

"Dad...you're wearing a suit."

I stated with a shocked expression. He raised his brow in confusion.

"Yes, I am. And?"

"Dad, you never wear a suit. I've known you for seventeen years of my life and this is the very first time I've seen you so well dressed."

He rolled his eyes at me and slowly made his way to where my mother was.

"Alright, I'm going upstairs real quick to change into my outfit. You, you help the girls with the rest of the seating alright?"

"Yes honey"

Leaving him to fend for himself mom made her way up the stairs to go change into her outfit.

Looking over at my father I could see the stress in his eyes accompanied by sleep deprivation.

"Soo...who are they?"

He looked up from the dishes set on the kitchen counter and rubbed his temples in frustration.

"Huh?"

"The neighbours, who are they?"

"Oh, just some family your mother wanted to associate herself with. Apparently, she met the wife at the supermarket. They clicked and now here we are."

I raised a brow at that. So we were inviting a bunch of strangers into our home?

What the heck mom!

For all we know they could be serial killers or human traffickers or worse...vampires!

Those blood-sucking mosquitoes are not getting any of my precious blood. Never!

"Alright, where's Syl?"

"She's in the sitting room watching some princess show"

I said pointing towards the little person dancing around in the next room.

"You better get her then before your mom-"

"Sylvia, go to the dining room and you two join her"

Mother dearest ordered while pointing to both me and dad. Where did she even come from?

Like an obedient little puppy, dad bowed his head down in submission and made his way to the dining room.

"Yes dear"

He answered in a tired voice.

Wow, dad, you really got yourself a good one there didn't you?

"Alright is everything done? The plates, tableware, food and drinks?"

My mother asked while checking every little detail.

She seemed to be slightly panicking and that was in no way helping my theory of the neighbours being some rich, arrogant pricks forcing my mother to throw this "get together"...a cover-up for vampires!

Dad walked up to her, placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and gave her an assuring smile.

"Honey, calm down. It'll all be fine. You prepared a great meal and the kids look decent. We'll be fine. I promise."

He said all with a calm and soothing voice. The complete opposite of my mother's loud annoying one.

"Okay, you're right. I just have to calm down and-"

*Ding-dong*

"Oh my gosh they're here"

Pushing my dad aside like he was a sack of potatoes, she rushed off to the door.

"So much for calming down"

Dad gave me a look and I just shrugged in return. He heaved a heavy sigh but masked his frustrations with his wife.

He did after all have plenty of time to practice, about twenty years to be exact.

"Welcome, please come in"

"Oh my what a lovely home you have."

Unfamiliar voices came from the hallway, my mother made small talk with the unknown guests.

She sounded unusually sweet and had a rich wife pitch in her voice. You know, that fake voice midwives use to seem friendly but in fact, they aren't?

"Honey, come here and bring the kids"

She called out to us. What are we, extras?

"Well guess we're being summoned"

I laughed at my father's joke as he smiled down at me.

Taking Sylvia's hand we walked behind our father to greet these neighbours of ours. Coming around the corner I looked up to see a tall woman with long, blood-red hair with light freckles running across her nose to both of her cheeks. Wide, bright green eyes reminded me of the greenest leaves.

Noticing a man about the same height as her standing next to her I carefully observed him too. He had a sharp jawline, sharp deep blue eyes and dark, wavy brown hair.

Okay were these people models or something, cause I swear they looked way too good to be true.

"Oh, Margaret this is my husband Keith,"

"A pleasure"

Dad gave the two exotic beauties a handshake.

"And these are our two daughters, Clover and Sylvia."

Mom gestured to both of us. I stood dead in my tracks while Sylvia held onto our dad's pants.

In the corner of my eye I saw mom give me a look that said, "greet them and be polite or else I'll unbirth you"

I didn't wanna seize out of existence so I put on the best fake smile I could muster and walked up to give the two adults a handshake.

"A pleasure to meet you both"

Sylvia soon followed after me, of course, she didn't shake their hands. That would be too profound for her.

Instead, because she was such a drama princess, she gave a cute curtsey.

Immediately after doing so she ran to my feet and hid behind them for safety.

In the corner of my eye, I could see my mother's eye twitch. It took all I had in me not to burst out laughing right there and then.

"Oh my goodness. How adorable, such a lady ."

The woman, Margaret commented on Sylvia's gesture.

"Oh, I suppose we should also introduce ourselves. I am Margaret Thomson, this is my husband Thomas and these..."

She stepped to the side revealing three other people with her. Who by the way looked really good looking!

"These are our three children, Vanessa, Michael and Lukas"

Vanessa was as beautiful as her mother with the same hair colour only shorter but had her father's eyes instead.

She seemed to be a little older than her brother, Michael, who was a replica of his father. Same jawline, same sharp eyes and wavy brown hair. Just had his mom's eyes instead.

Looking down to where the third child was, I did all I could not to swoon over the cute little boy standing in-between his two siblings

Fuzzy, red hair bounced on his head, big blue eyes stared at me and a patch of freckles decorated that chubby baby face. That must be Lukas.

He looked like a mix of both his parents only cute as hell!

Oh my gosh, he was so freaking cute with those bright blue eyes! I just wanted to pinch those chubby cheeks up.

"Please let's move to the sitting room. Dinner will be served soon."

Mom escorted the adults to the sitting area while shooing us kids outside to the backyard.

Walking with Sylvia in hand I couldn't help but notice two very disturbing facts.

One, since the time I met them which was no more than five minutes ago, Michael has been staring at me like crazy and two, his sister's just been glaring daggers at me.

I mean usually, I'd love it if a cute guy stared at me and gave me all his attention but I've already got three guys in my heart and four is a crowd.

I'm no whore, so he best look away before I make him.

"Hey Syl, why don't you show Lukas your toys?"

"Okay!"

She gave a wide smile and ran up to the little boy. They exchanged a few words and soon they were off to her playhouse in the yard.

Okay then, now what?

I had two people I had to entertain and I'm pretty sure one of them already hates me for some unknown reason.

"So, Uhm...."

How do you spark a conversation with two strangers at the same time?

"Listen, I only came here 'cause my mother dragged me. I don't need to be nice and frankly, I don't wanna. So do me a favour and don't bother me. Kay"

Vanessa declared with a very smelly attitude. Like damn girl, what the heck? It's not like I kidnapped and murdered your bunny jeez.

Walking away, the new cast of mean girls sat down at a chair near the pool.

"Don't mind her, she's just naturally mean"

I looked at Michael and gave a grateful smile. That seemed to trigger him because the next thing I knew the dude was all over my personal space.

"Uhm...do you mind backing up a little?"

"Ah yeah sure...is this better."

All he did was literally take one step back. Great now we weren't five but ten inches apart. Yeahp personal space being invaded.

"Uhm...anyway let's go sit by the pool."

I tried to get some space between us but that didn't seem to work at all. What was he, glue?

Taking a seat across his sister he took it upon himself to sit right next to me...extremely close might I add.

I looked to the side a bit uncomfortable. The brush of a hand over mine caused me to slightly jump in surprise.

Looking at Michael with eyes wide open, he gave me a closed eyes smile.

The next thirty minutes were spent with me trying to distance myself from the overbearing person but only ended up sitting even closer than before.

Finally having had enough, I got up from my seat and basically shouted out the first thing that came to mind

"Bathroom!"

That wasn't even a sentence, but who cared!

Washing my face off in the bathroom I looked in the mirror. The only thing written on my face was fatigue.

Ugh...can this just be over already?

Walking out I bumped into a sharp shoulder.

"Oh, Vanessa sorry I didn't see you th-"

"Listen here you squirrel-sized midget,"

Okay ouch, I'm short but not that short

"You better stop flirting with my brother got it?! He's not to be played with, there have been others like you. I won't let you or anyone hurt him"

"Wait hold up, it's not me! He's the one who's been-"

"Oh yeah blame it on my sweet and innocent little brother. Don't you dare pin your disgusting habit on him. And don't you dare taint him!"

What the fu- was this girl crazy or insane?

"The only person good enough for my precious little brother is me, so you stay away from him!"

Wait what?! Did she seriously just say that? Is she obsessed with her brother or something?

What the hell!?

"Clover honey, can you come down and help me?"

Great now I have a bipolar mother to deal with.

If I'd known dinner was going to turn out the way it did, I would have taken my chances with food poisoning.