Change Of Mind

Lessons are going well, even wonderfully, and the quarterly exams are fast approaching, whilst the relaxing evenings are multiplying with each passing day.

Parents find themselves with their backs against the wall, facing that good old time of their children's adolescent crisis that turns everything upside down. There's nothing to say, it's nerve-wracking!

Each and every one of them proposes a theme, an idea, some more creative than others, as if their little heads were a factory producing foolish things disguised as good deeds.

The weekends are becoming increasingly significant, busier than the schedules of the President and the King of England combined. They all eagerly await these moments with such impatience that they get cramps. And every day has its share of silly moments, laughs, and headaches.

Last weekend, after a day at Kaeli's pool with alcoholic cocktails, they were all expected at Céline's for a famous and very relaxed sleepover.

Céline, who is no longer their director but a mother, their comrade's mother, asked Kaeli's mother, who entertains much more often than she does, to help her with the evening. Céline is new to preparing social gatherings for today's teenagers. Celine was reluctant to refuse her daughter's request, especially after her mistake with Eli.

And when Jules found out that Celine had asked Kendra to help her prepare a slumber party for about twenty teenagers instead of her, she was annoyed and showed up at the preparations with petits fours and all kinds of snacks for the evening, whether they liked it or not.

Celine and Kendra understood the trick as soon as she rang the doorbell with that smug look on her face. Kendra is not a hysterical bitch who does everything to attract attention, of course, she makes herself beautiful, but it is for the sake of her relationship with her daughter and her husband who does not hesitate to support her in all her decisions.

So Jules' presence does not bother her, even if that was Jules' intention. On the contrary, despite the insolence she showed during the meeting, Kendra said to herself that another hand would only be welcome.

She was there to help these young people and her daughter keep their libido and wild desires under control, not to compete with an eccentric mother who lacked sexual activity. As long as they know where they are and what they're doing, that's fine, instead of letting them do anything, anywhere, with anyone, that was Kendra's goal and nothing more, and she's sticking to it.

Besides, it's not her fault that Jules looks like an ant, with her legs as thin as two noodles and her large, badly shaped bum in danger of dragging itself across the floor at any moment if she's not careful, whereas she's the complete opposite, looking like a doll made with the greatest care without being extravagant or vulgar.

Jules should have chosen her doctor more carefully and had more refined tastes to get a result as sumptuous as Kendra's, but no, she did everything in complete vulgarity. It's not Kendra's fault if she becomes a laughing stock after her cosmetic changes, and worse, she keeps digging where she shouldn't, trying to fix things when everything was ruined in the first place.

And if she doesn't stop, she risks flying like the great Ibijau, and the laughter will no longer be made in secret but in her face, but she persists, she shows no signs of stopping any time soon.

While Jules takes charge of the evening's preparations, she shames her children without a care in the world. Kendra, on her part, doesn't care much about her presence and her supposed knowledge of young people's activities, concentrating on doing what she knows best and ignoring Jules as if she were nothing but wind.

Kendra knows and admits that she is no longer young, but as long as she is alive and has the chance to be closer to her daughter, she will do anything to make these days pleasant.

She also talks about all the things that frighten her, all the things she thinks she's missing as a mother or as a person, which makes her a wonderful person and ten thousand times better than Jules, who thinks she's the Queen Mother.

She doesn't boast, she knows her shortcomings and weaknesses, but she's willing to learn, unlike some people. Kendra did not have a pampered and loving childhood, she was always relegated to the background as her half-sisters took an important place in their father's life. She was four when her mother died and a year later her father remarried.

Her father's new wife already had a nine-year-old daughter who became very close to Kendra, but unfortunately, Kendra was just a paw, and her mother in law didn't want her daughter to be stuck with her husband's late wife's daughter, who in turn constantly shunned his own blood on the pretext that Kendra reminded him too much of his late wife and it was unfair she wasn't with them anymore.

What a hypocrite! Why didn't he take the time to get to know his daughter, to pamper her, to cherish her, and to savour every moment spent with her to compensate for the loss of his wife, instead of rushing into another marriage? Or perhaps the new wife was always there, hanging around like a straw waiting to be picked?

In fact, why didn't he give his daughter the attention she needed until they both got over their loss? It's incomprehensible!

The poor little girl was left alone from the first day of her mourning, with a handful of servants who fortunately took care of her, but who would not last long with the arrival of her mother-in-law. This cantankerous, diamond-crunching woman.

What is often difficult for some to understand is how someone who reminds you of someone you once loved can cause you to ignore them, mistreat them and push them away, leaving them at the mercy of vicious, heartless people who have nothing to do with them.

Kendra was being abused and her servants could do nothing for her as they were the only ones who looked after this child left alone in the world and cared for her well-being. The sudden arrival of the Witch changed everything in this once warm and loving home.

The witch had reduced the staff under the guise of helping her husband, as his late wife was too extravagant for her tastes. Anyone close to the child, Kendra, was out of reach. Her half-sister hated her to an extent that was beyond comprehension, how could a child have so much malice and hatred in her? A real scourge, but what do we want? Cats don't do dogs anyway.

She did everything she could to keep the girl away from her no-good father. How can a child of five abuse a child of nine? Can anyone explain this phenomenon? What's worse is that Kendra's father believed every lie told to him by his daughter-in-law and his wife.

Mother and daughter made it their mission to get rid of the poor little girl so they could claim her inheritance. What they did not know was that Claude did not own a barge or any shares in the company, everything was in his daughter's name, his wife was the one who owned everything and as her husband he was enjoying the privileges of his late wife.

This good woman did not allow herself to be blinded by love and entrusted everything to the good care of her husband. She was cautious because she had been in fragile health since her early childhood.

Their surprise was great when they discovered the pot-au-rose. In Fiji, where they spent a happy holiday, little Kendra, only fourteen at the time, had been sent to boarding school from the time she was old enough to go to school, so she rarely came home and no one really cared.

It was there, at the girls' boarding school in Switzerland, that she met her husband. Elias's mother, Kaelie's father, ran the school, and her elder sister was the only friend Kendra had to this day.

While her father plundered the funds of the company her mother had worked so hard to build, her new little family lived the good life, far from any agony that Kendra could cause. She was a great thorn in their side, and had they not feared being brought to justice, they would have done all they could to discreetly get rid of her.

That evening, they never thought reality would catch up with them so cruelly, when the receptionist at the five-star hotel they were staying at called them to their princely suite to inform them of the incident with their payment, as they wanted to extend their stay by a week.

It was too good to go back home after only one week, the new sister always complains at the end of the holiday. Sometimes she even goes so far as to blackmail her parents into extending their holiday.

In the clause of the contracts that governed Kendra's inheritance, it was written in black and white: no amount of money exceeding the cursed sum of five hundred thousand dollars per day could be spent before Kendra was twenty-two.

Ah, her mother was considerate and her solicitor was a good and loyal man who didn't care much about money, who respected the ethics and professional conduct of the profession. When he noticed the suspicious activity on the company's account, he had all the cards cancelled.

Even from the depths of her grave, this considerate deceased woman made a good joke of it.

Everything relating to Kendra's school fees was in a special account at the bank, and her mother had pre-paid everything up to university, including any expenses or unforeseen events that might arise in connection with her daughter's studies.

Kendra's school career was closely followed by the bank and the solicitor, and they did a great job. The solicitors have been like bosses, and hats off to Kendra's mother. She vowed not to leave another Cinderella behind and her plan to protect her daughter worked like clockwork.

It must be said that all these precautions did not bother Claude when he read them, on the contrary, it was better for him, one less burden on his conscience. But when he understood why his wife was taking all these precautions, he was not happy at all.

The sickly bitch was out to get him, so she fought like a mad dog to write those clauses and take all those damned precautions before she drew her last breath, and he laughed like a damned madman when he got the joke. His late wife was a hell of a woman!

His new family had been given a good beating after the lawyer had left the premises of the meeting that had followed their forced return from the Paradise Islands, and he hits them every time he thinks about how he had lost everything; they should have done a better job of accepting and tolerating Kendra.

The news took him by surprise as he hadn't bothered to check the whole contract twice or thrice, too preoccupied with himself and the power he thought he had over his dying wife.

He did not have the inheritance, but a mere role of guardian, which he did not even know how to carry out properly. If he had behaved well and followed the instructions, perhaps his new family wouldn't end up penniless and could live in opulence for the rest of their lives, as they had planned. However, they counted well, but calculated poorly.

When he began to read the documents carefully, he was fascinated by the way she had played him, and he was being played like a bitch. He realised too late that the only person who could help him was a stranger to him.

A girl he had never bothered to care for, to love. When his wife saw there was no way out, she wanted Kendra to resume her studies at Wood Hill, as her late mother had planned, but she refused, and her solicitor agreed with her decision. Their house was no longer a safe home for Kendra and they feared she might have an accident while in their care.

Many people ignore the saying that "whatever we do on this earth, sooner or later we will pay the consequences on this same damned earth, whether for good or evil." What was extravagant or disgusting about loving and caring for another person's innocent child, hm?

Kendra's mother, Ketty, already knew that Claude was not what he wanted her to see, and over the years she discovered his true nature. Claude made the mistake of underestimating her because of her poor health, but he did not know that she was not easy prey, he should have thought about that aspect more often instead of eyeing the woman's money like a vulture.

He realised it too late, and Kendra inherited her late mother's traits of being smart and quick-witted.

By the time they discovered who the real princess of the story was, it was too late to correct the mistake. Her stepmother's daughter turned out to be her father's biological daughter, her half-sister. Cloudya understood her mistake and began to change her goal, which was to regain the trust and friendship of her sweet, dear little sister by any means necessary.

She couldn't stand the beatings her father gave her every time he remembered that she was largely responsible for his current state of being unemployed and penniless. He spent ten years of his life planning his move and it all fell apart because his bloody selfish wife wouldn't compromise just a little longer.

But if her half-sister had not been such a bitch to Kendra, and if Kendra had not met Elias and his sister Zoya, she would have fallen for it. This foster family showed Kendra what it was like to be loved and cherished, they took her in unconditionally and loved her like family before they even knew who she was.

No one should ever take for granted the kindness and understanding people show to them - if they can, so can you - you have nothing more than them, after all, you are all human.

The preparations are going well, despite the antics of Jules, but Kendra is used to being intimidated, abused morally or physically, or underestimated because of her quiet and calm nature.

So what Jules does doesn't bother her one bit, she has nothing to shake Kendra off, she just watches her carefully and takes careful notes for herself.

Jules doesn't deserve her attention, much less her well-managed energy. She lets her do what she feels like doing, which apparently makes her feel strong or whatever it does to her.

She helps Céline to clear her large room to make room for the night ahead, without showing a single sign of annoyance on her face or in her movements.

She is in control of herself, having long since mastered the art of hiding her emotions and ignoring the unimportant.

The twins hadn't planned to join the evening; they knew that H's speciality was to refuse everything that was offered to him in a group, and they didn't really want to be stuck in a closed room with a dozen other kids going through puberty.

It has to be said that this jogging with H and his father completely revitalised Aike and changed his perspective on the evening. Afterwards, he was in the mood to try something different - that's the impression he left.

Marc encouraged his son to do the same, to blend in with others without forgetting who he is and, of course, where he comes from, as he often reminds Howie. Blending in is not a bad thing if you always remember who you are and where you are going.

Howie found himself stuck between his father and these two intruders who were pressuring him to agree to attend this cursed evening. And Aike was so excited about the evening that the others were dazzled by his sudden enthusiasm. He was second only to Howie, who didn't see the point of sleeping on the floor of someone else's house with dozens of people. It was absurd, he thought.

This sleepover was, in his opinion, a more than absurd and far-fetched idea, and here he was, all revitalised, pleading for the cause of this damned night of misery that Howie avoided like the plague.

Ayke was surprised by his brother's enthusiasm, but at the same time, he thought it was a good thing that Aike wanted to take part in an activity of his own free will. But none of them knows where this sudden urge came from, they only wonder what could have possibly changed his mind.

After putting his heart and soul into persuading H to go, he finally took pity on them and agreed to go, but on the condition that his father wait for him for at least two hours before leaving him there alone, because he could change his mind at any time, depending on how he adapted to the people around him. Putting up with their antics at school is one thing, but putting up with them at someone else's house for a sleepover or whatever was another matter for Howie's patience and tolerance. These unruly creatures are things he would have gladly traded for a few more dogs if he could.

Well, everyone expected him to have a "but", but not this particular "but". Still, it's better than nothing. If he is well after two hours in this mess, then he will go through with the adventure, which means he can even wear pyjamas and his dad can go home and sleep in peace.

Marc accepted his condition without hesitation and with a light heart, too happy that Howie had at least considered going. You can see the contentment radiating from his face.

The twins have noticed that every time Howie agrees to something new, Marc is so happy that they wonder what's so special about these "yeses"... and what still surprises them is how Marc devotes himself body and soul to his son. It's as if he lives for Howie, and it's not hard to see why: he has a beautiful child.

They have often said to themselves: so this is a father's love? One thing they've noticed since they've been visiting H's house is that his father does whatever is asked of him without batting an eyelid, as long as there's no risk involved.

He is willing to give in to his son's every wish as long as he does not cross the line and respects the rules they have laid down, and he scolds Howie severely every time he does something stupid.

The slightest change in Howie's mood worries his father; sometimes it's H who tells him to take a rest, not to worry too much and to be careful. But that doesn't stop Marc from always being on the lookout, like a hunting dog.

And the same behaviour he has towards his son is naturally directed towards the twins, who accept him as if it had always been the case.

They accept his attention and devotion as if they had the right to enjoy his love without reservation. Marc never mentions their parents, except to ask when they're expected back, and they never hear him talk about money or anything like that in front of them or with Alfred, so they know that his concern and care for them are genuine.

In the first days of their intrusion into the Huckleberry home, the twins did not understand how a father and son could be so close, and how a boy could be so moody and demanding.

Their experience in that house led them to discover that all people, without exception, regardless of their standard of living and ability, need a sympathetic ear to listen to them, arms to rock them, shoulders to hold their tears, and mouths to encourage and comfort them in difficult times.

Man is not an unfeeling machine who always gives one hundred percent of himself, who always gives his best, whatever the time, whatever the hour, whatever the day.

On the contrary, the human being, strong or weak, healthy or not, has the right to let down his guard, to rest, to be himself, to take a break from time to time, to take time for himself, to let others take care of him and worry about him.

He has the right to want to leave everything behind and run away like a thief, and he has the right to make mistakes in order to learn better or not, basically that's what being human is, that's the cycle of life, otherwise no one would be talking about a robot, a virtual assistant, a psychologist or any other possible form of assistance to help him stay on track.

The twins have even got into the habit of bringing their personal belongings to Howie's house, it's as if they're settling in bit by bit, and as we speak they already have a few things of their own at H's, like changes of clothes, their uniforms, their homework notebooks, books, toothbrushes, etc., everything they need to spend days in the countryside or on holiday.

H's house has become their own home and, believe it or not, no one is willing to gossip about their escapades away from home or the fact that they haven't been home for days.

Alfred and the rest of the staff who look after their house have agreed to let them experience these moments of pure happiness as they wish because the result is very pleasant. They laugh, they talk more and even start to argue about the choice of their dinner and other things. They are alive!

Marc does their laundry as if it were Howie's. He treats them the same. Alfred has told him about the boys' relationship with their parents, and he has allowed himself to do his own research.

He doesn't spy on people he doesn't have any business with, but he has a son to protect and his safety is paramount. He needed to know who he was dealing with, for example, if the Morgensterns were involved in any shady business that could endanger his child or anything else.

Although early morning runs weren't Aike's cup of tea, he loved running with Howie in the morning breeze, and the feeling of the wind in his hair was even more refreshing.

Throughout their morning jog, which Aike had developed a taste for, Howie never stopped to watch his steps. He felt responsible for making sure Aike didn't get a sprain or two, since they were running on a dirt track.

It was a lot more fun than Aike had imagined and he planned to do it again if Howie let him join him in the next few days. It was the first time he had Howie's attention all to himself.

He said 'if' because he knows the character well enough now to know that he's not always in the mood to put up with other people. And Howie tolerates animals better than people, except his father of course, and it's even worse when it comes to Aike.

Ayke, for his part, woke up a few hours after they had left and when they returned, he was waiting for them to explain how and why he had ended up in the guest room without the slightest human warmth to lull him to sleep.

As soon as Aike and Howie had passed the gate, he ran towards them like an impatient child and followed them when they didn't pay any attention to him, while he scolded them like a hysterical lunatic.

He was angry because he was the one sleeping alone in a big cold bed while his brother took his place in Howie's bed, a place Aike refused to share with them, too prudish to find himself in such a compromising situation with two other boys in bed, no matter how big it was.

He whined like a crazy old woman while Howie laughed incessantly as he took off his clothes one by one without paying the slightest attention to him. He doesn't take his bullying seriously; he too knows the character too well to calculate his whimsy, always doing a lot for nothing.

How exactly does he do that? he asks silently, following their banter attentively without saying a word.

It's as if nothing happened last night, just as Howie predicted. Or at least his brother has forgotten everything that happened, he thinks.

He looked at them in turn, Howie laughing on one side and Aike pretending he hadn't jumped on Howie's lips like a rabid vulture pouncing on its prey with claws outstretched. What exactly is going on here? Aike continues to wonder in amazement.

"Seriously, what's going on with you two?" He finally breaks down and asks aloud as they reach H's room.

Both culprits turn to him with a surprised look on their faces, as if they didn't know what he was talking about or had forgotten that he was there.

Aike looked at them, waiting for him to explain what was going on, but in the end he found them absurd and decided to say nothing more. "They're doing this on purpose, it's not possible," he muttered to himself, a little frustrated by all this.

He looked at them worriedly before closing his eyes, and then began to shake his head vigorously as if he wanted to get rid of something in his head that was bothering him under the whimsical gaze of his companions.

He turned on his heel to leave the room, but as he reached the door, something stopped him from leaving without a clear head. He refused to let go until he knew if Ayke had forgotten that he had kissed Howie hungrily last night.

"So how was the kiss?" He asked his brother directly, who was a little startled by his question. Then, without warning, Ayke started to smile and blushed for the first time.

He blushed so much that Aike feared his head would explode and splash across the room like an overcharged light bulb.

A flash of concern crossed H's and Aike's eyes at the same time, seeing him in such a state. They'd never seen anyone blush so aggressively before, so they exchanged a few worried glances at their brother's current state.

Howie approached him and put a hand on his shoulder, whilst Ayke rushed over with equal concern. To their astonishment, Ayke let out a small cry of excitement that made them both jump in fear before he started laughing like he was possessed.

Without warning, he jumped on Howie's neck, wrapped his feet around his waist and kissed Howie on the cheek, shouting excitedly.

"Dude, you tore everything apart inside me, it was too much. I didn't expect that kissing a boy could be so overwhelming, you've left your mark on my soul for eternity".

Aike let out a small sigh of relief that his brother had not done anything complicated, but still rolled his eyes in annoyance and stormed out of the room when he heard what he had said.

Honestly, there is no one or something more confusing than his brother, he thinks as he leaves the room, leaving his brother still hanging around H's neck like a straw doll that weighs nothing.

Ayke continues to stare at his friend's face with a flirtatious look, and a seductive smile that almost makes him look foolish, not caring about his brother's hasty departure or the fact that he is a little confused and annoyed at the same time.

"It's alright, will you stop now?" H asks him, still staring at the door Ayke had just disappeared behind.

When Ayke didn't react or make any move to show that he wanted to climb down from his human perch, Howie looked over at him and saw his ridiculous expression. He couldn't help but laugh and pinch Ayke's cheeks tenderly.

"What's that look again?" he asked him, laughing.

"It's my loving look," Ayke replied without thinking or feeling embarrassed, and they both giggled happily like two toddlers.

"Hey, now tell me, seriously, why did I get kicked out of your bed last night?" Ayke asked in a serious tone this time.

"Because you were naughty and I wanted to punish you. Why did you kiss me so suddenly?" Howie replied just as seriously.

"Ah, that. Even I can't explain it, and it's your fault. You're so seductive and attractive, and your lips begged me to taste them, so I did," Ayke cooed without a hint of embarrassment.

Howie looked at him attentively before replying in the same flirtatious tone as his interlocutor, "You know what, there must be a few fuses blown up there because your head isn't working too well, or at least they're totally dry." He placed two fingers on either side of Ayke's head and closed his eyes.

"No beeps, no crackles," he said with a frown, "they're all toast."

"If you're the one saying it, it's probably true," Ayke replied, pronouncing each word with infinite tenderness.

Howie burst out laughing and set him down on the floor before walking away from him towards the shower. "He's completely crazy," he said, laughing to himself.

Ayke jumped onto the big bed as if it were a swimming pool. He rolled onto his back, arms crossed under his head, legs crossed, a mischievous smile on his face. He closed his eyes to relive the kiss and little by little a broad smile appeared on his lips, revealing his white teeth.

"Oh! How good it was," he murmured, lost in his memories of last night.

Howie takes a bath, thinking about the look on Aike's face before he fled the room. Something about what he saw bothers him, but he doesn't really want to think about it right now, but that doesn't stop Aike's face from popping up in his head like a nasty virus.

He finishes his shower in record time this morning, he usually takes his time with his bath because he loves the feel of water on his skin. But this morning he was preoccupied with the look of a certain person who was running away as if the devil were after him, so he couldn't concentrate on his bath and enjoy it as usual.

When Howie and Ayke came down for breakfast, Aike was already downstairs with Marc and the puppies. They were chatting and laughing, whilst Aike was happily playing with the puppies, who were licking his face and nibbling his fingers as he tried in vain to hold them back.

He was completely different from the last image he had left in H's mind, preventing him from concentrating on his shower. His eyes were sparkling, and he smiled beautifully, like a heart, when their eyes met for a long moment. He greeted Howie with a small nod, which H returned silently without taking his eyes off him.

Ravi nibbled on his chin, causing Aike to look away and return his attention to the puppies in his arms. "He's changed," Howie remarks quietly with a pang in his heart; he doesn't even know why it bothers him, it's annoying!

Then the room comes alive again, joyous laughter spreading in all directions as Marc soaks up the atmosphere. They move from one topic to another until they get to the sleepover.

Howie pouted childishly when he heard Aike say those two words, which he avoided like the Spanish flu.

Then the discussion started again, this time around those two cursed words that Aike had the misfortune to slip into the middle of what had been a rather pleasant conversation.

"Who else wants to come to Eli's sleepover, it's going to be a blast from what I hear," he announced innocently.

"Certainly not me," Howie replied grumpily.

"Why are you making that face if you don't even know what it's going to be like?" Aike asks him sulkily.

"I don't need to know all that, the important thing is that I'm out of my element and that's what matters." He replied, still with that bored look on his face that didn't even detract from his beauty.

"Because you sleep naked like a worm," Aike teased.

"That's one of the reasons," Howie admitted with an apologetic nod, "but there's more to it than that..."

"You'll try it for a change," Aike replied promptly. "Last night you made an effort, who knows, maybe you can do more today? Don't you think so?"

"It won't be the same and sleeping with many people around me is..."

"Come on, son, you can give it a try..." Marc interrupted his son, knowing that whatever Howie was about to add to his sentence was not going to be pleasant to hear.

He looked up at his father who gave him a discreet nod. Ayke, who had said nothing until then, wondered what must be going through his brother's mind to change his mind about this evening.

Without thinking for too long, he raised his voice to drown out the exchange between father and son. "I want to experience it too, because if we're going to do anything, it's now." He comes to support his brother, whatever he has in mind, he knows it is not dangerous for him or Howie.

"I agree with you, lad." Marc agrees and ruffles his hair, they only have one adolescence. They may have other crises in their lives, but they will never be like adolescence and people will never see it the same way.

"Go and follow your friend's state of mind, you are young, you should live as such. There will come a day when you will not even be able to see yourself in a mirror or through a video call. You'll be too busy, too absorbed in the tasks of adult life to think about having fun, so it's now or never," Marc added to increase the volume of his support.

He continued with his little pep talk and the boys began to plead with Howie, who finally got bored of their pleading looks and granted their request. After all, he had gone to the trouble of wearing tracksuit bottoms to bed last night, so he could do the same today, right?

He said yes, on one condition, which his father accepted, and the three of them jumped for joy, proud of their work. They managed to get him to lower his guard.

The rest of the day passed very quickly, and they went out with Marc to buy sleeping bags or air mattresses. Howie and Aike detest the thought of sleeping on the floor at someone else's house due to it being unhygienic.

But they're fine when they're at home, Marc meets them anywhere on the floor of the house as if they were more than three boys that they are... in the dining room, the kitchen, the playroom or the library, without hearing them complain or anything. Sometimes he has to be very careful not to tread on them, it's like having five puppies now plus the other six dogs.

But the idea of doing it in someone else's house is extremely repulsive to them. However, it was the twins who convinced Howie to sit or lie down on the carpet, before he categorically refused to sit on it.

At seven o'clock sharp, they were in the driveway of Céline's villa, where she and her daughter greeted the new arrivals with a warm smile, accompanied by games and all kinds of fun to make this evening unforgettable.

Marc and his son arrived in their car when, a few minutes later, the twins' limousine appeared with their driver at the wheel; they got out of the car while Alfred took care of their luggage.

They were both wearing an extravagant black ensemble with the brand's gold lettering and a pair of extravagant black trainers. They were charming and attractive, as always, with a neutral expression on their faces. They politely greeted their headmistress, who was just their host for the evening and the mother of their classmate.

"I'm delighted to see you," Celine says to the twins, whilst Eli whispers something into their ear, just out of reach of her mother. Out of nowhere, Raphaël jumped to their side, happy to see them on a free evening. Marc tried to calm his son, who no longer wanted to take part in this charade, or whatever it was called.

"It's not a masquerade, it's a party among people your own age, please make an effort," his father begged, "and you have to keep your word, I'll be here until nine, if you still don't feel comfortable I'll take you home as promised and we'll have a little evening for the two of us, what do you say?"

Howie looked at him tenderly and smiled, wondering where Marc got his patience from, despite how unbearable he was, he never got angry with him. He nodded his head in agreement to let his father know.

Under his father's affectionate gaze, he took a deep breath and got out of the car. He put his hands into the pockets of his black jogging bottoms, inserted his earphones as usual, and adjusted his black crew-neck T-shirt of the same brand as his trousers so that he would stay flawless.

His hair was pulled back in a bun, letting out a few rebellious strands that made him look almost inhuman, so much so that he was shiny, wildly seductive. Black looks regal when Howie wears it, and he's stunning.

His dark period has just begun, from today it will be difficult to find him dressed otherwise. Howie is like this when he takes the trouble to match the colours he wears with others, it's because he's in the state of mind to marry them. But when we see him dressed in a single colour like black, white or grey, it's because he's just entered a resting phase. And he's very sensitive at those moments.

The other students who arrived at the same time as him, some with their parents who had come to drop them off to make sure they were staying at Eli's house and not the other way around, did not hide their surprise when they saw him.

The girls glanced at him discreetly, and others did not hide their surprise, uttering little cries of admiration that drew the attention of the twins and their host.

With his head down, Howie made his way through the surprised, jealous, and astonished young people, who devoured him with their gazes as he hurried to get away from them as quickly as possible.

"Bloody hell!" Ayke exclaimed, unable to control himself, as if it were the first time he had laid his greedy eyes on his temperamental mate. "But it's Howie," he said excitedly to his brother, who was lost in thought.

Ayke gave him a gentle nudge to shake him out of his torpor. "Are you all right?" he asked him worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine and you?" Aike replied a little lost, as if he had forgotten where he was for a while.

"I'm fine, if only you could see your face. It looked as if you had seen a ghost." Ayke replied lightly.

"Stop talking nonsense, I was just thinking about something. Why did you hit me?" Ayke replied with a light push.

"No, it's nothing... don't worry," he replied, feeling that something was wrong with his brother.

Aike went through the door with Raphael, who had his eyes glued to H, who was wondering why he had agreed to come to this damn pyjama meeting or something.

"Wait for me here, man, I'll see if Howie wants to join us." And without even waiting for an answer, Raphael set off to meet H, even though he could have waited for him in front until he reached them.

Marc got out of the car to collect his son's things, watching him walk towards the entrance without any enthusiasm.

"Sometimes he really overdoes it," he said to himself, "he could have put a little enthusiasm into his approach," he complained, this son of his is something.

He grabbed the suitcase he had prepared for him and followed him with a big smile on his face. At least he's here, it's a good start, even if it's a small victory that turns out to be a very good one. And these two boys have something to do with it, he admits.