Tap tap tap tap tap tap is all I have heard for the past four hours. My sister, Tris, has been texting all of her friends non stop. "god would you cut it out" I screech at her from the front seat of the car.
"you're just jealous I actually have friends not those three weirdos you hang out with" she stuck her tongue out at me
"you're thirteen, lord knows why mom got you a phone!" I roll my eyes
"if you two do not stop bickering I am going to pull over, give you a map and make you walk!" our mother shouts at us
"it's her fault!" Tris protests, my mother sighs rubbing her forehead
"Tris sweetie, wouldn't it be nice to talk to your family? We are going out to the country side to be with family, why not communicate with us?"
"because she's self centered and being associated with us would 'ruin her rep'" I air quote
"oh shut up, are we almost there?" Tris complains
"almost" mother states
"speaking of family, who is this Daniel Octavious Darling II?" I mock using the best English accent I can muster.
"he is your..." she pauses counting something out in her head "cousin I believe" she looks unsure
"great clarity mom" I say putting my feet up onto the dash
"well he is your grandmothers brothers son."
"so he's my second cousin?"
"I have no idea! Stop asking me such questions while I am driving!" my mother commanded
We had traveled to England from Canada in order to meet this man and I am still unsure of who he is. But apparently he wants to meet us and 'get back into our lives' which to me means nothing seeing as I have never met him, but my mother seems to like him enough to stop life back home and just come here.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap the noise in the back seat continues. "that's it!" I shriek unbuckling my seat belt and reaching behind me trying to pry the phone out of my sisters hands.
"hands off!" she screams
"give it to me!" I yell back
"Kaya let go of your sisters phone it is not your property!" my mother shrieks as I keep trying to get the phone. My sister tugs twisting my body and causing me to kick my mothers hand. She swerves off the road and into a field.
"sit down!" she yells trying to slow the car down
I immediately take my seat and buckle up. The car swerves over the rough ground causing our luggage to bounce around and one case fall into my sisters lap. The car hits a bump and almost tips over hanging on two tires for three seconds before falling back into its regular position.
My mother turns to look at me her eyes furious I laugh nervously "what can I say?" I smile weakly she opens her mouth to speak when I see a middle aged man running towards us.
"we're here" my mother says putting on a fake smile and getting out of the car.
"are you okay?" a man with a thick accent asks
"we are fine, just a simple road mishap" my mother answers
"Helen!" the mans eyes light up upon the realization of who we are.
"Daniel!" my mother exclaims as they embrace.
Tap tap tap tap tap my sister gets out of the car and stands beside me. I look at her, in her distracted state, grab her phone out of her hand and chuck it as hard as I can into the field.
"that was not necessary!" she yells at me as I sigh in relief
"oh but it was" I smirk
Daniel looks at both of us "you must be Kaya and Tris" we both nod as he hugs us as warmly.
"I am so happy to see you two have come along with your mother"
I smile, "we are glad to be here"
"yeah" Tris fakes a smile
I go around to the back of the car to grab my bags "let me help you with that" a tall stalky old man says, his voice sounds like he swallowed gravel.
"it's okay I got it" I reply
"I insist" he says he is wearing a suit with a bow tie.
"bow ties are cool" I joke seeing if he responds I laugh lightly as his face remains blank
"much amused madam" he states coldly
"what ever if she wants to carry her stuff let her, here" my sister barges through me and hands him her bags.
We begin to walk forward I follow in the footsteps of the tall man "so not a Doctor Who fan eh?" I say looking up at him
"no" he responds flatly
He stops in his tracks gesturing with his elbow forward "I will show you to your room" he says I look up to see a house bigger than I had ever seen. The front had clean cut bushes and and two large shiny wooden doors. The house was only three stories but was big enough to house most of Africa.
"oh my god" I say looking up awestruck Tris was beside me with the same expression.
"yes it is nice" says the man again with a blank expression.
"hell yeah!" Tris states running up to the house
"miss do be careful the tile has just been waxed"
"you wax the outside?" I question
"it is needed living in the country" just as the words leave his mouth my sister reaches the stairs to enter the house and fall down landing oh her butt. I break into laughter as she rolls on the ground in pain.
"shut up" she moans as I continued laughing while passing on my way into the house. The grand entrance was huge, with a golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling and large while marble stairs leading up stairs.
"your room is over here" said the man we followed him up stairs my sister holding her butt.
The hallways were lined with closed doors, so much to explore.
He lead us five doors down to the right and then at the end of that hall was a large window that looked out to a pool. I could see my mother and Daniel talking, no wait not talking, arguing.
"we're here" the man says. He opens a door to a room with two beds on either side, two dressers, a large couch with a flat screen tv in front of it and their are two vanities and full length mirrors on either wall. Also on either side of the room there was separate bathroom each with their own shower and separate bathtub.
"I have to share with her" my sister pointed at me in disgust
"grow up" I state
"yes madam, now my name is Gerald I am your butler for the time you are here, if you need anything feel free to page me simply" he walks over to a white box on the wall and opens it pressing two buttons and his hip rung "just press these two buttons and I will get a page letting me know you need something" he still has yet to smile
"thank you Gerald" I smile "I think we are going to unpack" he nods and walks away.
I close the door, "can you believe this?" I question looking around the room
"I can't believe I have to share with you" Tris sighs sitting down on a bed
"oh get over it, we're roomies now" I shout running up and tackling her before tickling her stomach
"STOP!" she screams through laughs
I stopped "you are so weird" she says
"you haven't seen the half of it" I smirk
"what does that mean?" she questions
"absolutely nothing" I look at her before eyeing the book shelf in the corner of the room.
I walk over looking at all the titles "someones into fantasy adventures" I say aloud
"what's he got?" Tris asks
"quite a few Peter Pan books, all first edition, he's got the journey to the center of the earth, a bunch on fairies, and a lot in what looks like Greek I think, maybe Latin"
"odd" she says now behind me
"must like to be elsewhere"
"what do you mean?"
I sigh "you read those kind of books to get out of your world and into a fantastical one filled with adventure and fun but you know it's safe because you're in your own home and just reading it's like a safe haven for the sad and lonely"
"why do you know this?" she questions me
"because it's what I do" I say
"you're sad?"
"and lonely" I respond scanning the book shelves once more.