"Aria Benedict, get down here right now," my Mum yelled from downstairs.
I rolled my brown eyes before pulling out my headphones out. "What is it," I yelled as I ran down the stairs. Slipping as my foot twisted on the last step I shook my straight black hair out of my face and untangled my mess of limbs on the floor. "Mum, where are you?"
Just then Mum stepped out of the living room and put out a hand to help me up. I blushed embarrassed, Mum was easily taller than I was but I hadn't inherited her elegance to go with it; I still hadn't out grown the gangly stage which had set in first when I had a massive growth spurt at thirteen. "Nothing, just needed to get a new photo for camp,"
I rolled my eyes. Mum had to make me come here and dent my confidence with my overwhelming clumsiness just to tell me I needed to take a photo. "Couldn't you use telepathy," I grumbled moodily.
Mum smiled affectionally at me when Geoffrey, my little brother he was 9 and a pain in the neck most of the time, bounded in. "Mum, I'm going to camp this year," he stated grinning. He was really excited about not much really given as camp really wasn't as great he thought it was. Three weeks of extra school and a few fun activities was all it was really. The only good thing was that it allowed you to meet up with other savants your age.
I groaned loudly and Mum shot my an exasperated look. "Yes, why?" She said smiling as she followed Geoffrey out of the corridor. She spun on one heel to look at me, "Aria, pack. We're leaving tomorrow,"
I nodded glaring at Geoff's retreating back. This would be the first time that I would have a sibling at camp. I mean I had always had a cousin with me given as Brogan was only 3 weeks younger than me and Caleb who was just six months younger than I was but it would be weird and I couldn't help hoping Geoff would be easy and not at all clingy. Besides his Pushing back in my headphones I nodded along to the song as I went upstairs.
When I reached the top floor I pulled suitcase out from above my closet and began tossing clothes I might want to bring haphazardly on my bed. The camp could take place anywhere in America so I knew from experience that I would have to pack heavy and light clothes. The parents would know where we were going but we had no idea. Chucking a turquoise bikini on to my bed I saw a notification flash up on my laptop. Ditching the packing for a moment with a few expert clicks I opened up my Skype to see Brogan Skype messaging me.
"Hi," I said smiling warmly at him. Brogan was annoying but we were so close in age we couldn't help but be friends. He also had 4 younger sisters which were combined made even Geoff look tame. The youngest was 2 and the eldest thirteen.
"Hi Ari," Brogan replied. He had tanned I noticed idly. Then again he had been in South Africa with Aunt Opal for the last two weeks given as his school had broken up abnormally early.
"How's life?" I asked curious. I had been to Africa once when I was 6and Geoff was a baby but when I had accidentally set Uncle Milo's prized plants on fire when I had gotten into an argument with his youngest son Brand and lost my temper. It was probably explanatory enough to say there hadn't been a return visit.
"Awesome, I met up with Misty and Alec and Dana went into hysterics over how cute their new baby was,"
"Did she stay visible," I joked. Dana was thirteen and had a gift for invisibility which came out when she got excited.
"No she stayed fully visible," Brogan confirmed.
"Kay. Just checking," I responded smiling. Just then I saw my mum stand in the doorway and lift one eyebrow quizzically at me. "Bye," I said hurriedly before powering my laptop down.
"Nice approach to packing" my mum said.
"I prefer to say individualistic," I joked.
A pair of wellies caught my eye and using telekinesis I lifted it onto my bed. My mum sighed patiently before sitting down and using a combination of telekinesis and her hands set to work at folding the mess of clothes. I sat down ruefully beside her feeling like I was a disappointment. "Sorry, but Bro called me and I haven't really talked to him for ages."
Mum and Aunt Diamond were sisters and dad and uncle Trace were brothers which meant me, Geoff and Lils had grown up almost like siblings to Brogan and his sisters. Admittedly Uncle Trace lived in Denver but we always spent our holidays and when we were eleven Brogan had even run away to us when he had been told that while Misty and Alex were visiting he would have to share with Dana who at eight had been going through a one direction and a pink faze.
"Mum," a plaintive voice said from the doorway. It was Lily my littlest sister and youngest sibling at just five years old. My parents had been contemplating names beginning with L to continue the family tradition when Lily George, my mother's longstanding friend died in a car accident tragically and had been named in tribute to her.
"I'm home," dad announced as he unlocked the door to home.
I checked my watch quickly it was only 5:30. Dad wasn't normally home for another 2 hours minimum but me and Geoff were leaving tomorrow for camp and it was Geoff's first time away from mum, dad or any of their siblings for more than a few nights.
I averted my eyes in politeness as mum kissed dad in welcome. "Gross," Geoff said running down the stairs from the first landing. My dad had been successful enough as a doctor and my mum as a fashion designer to afford a large house in New York with several floors and a garden as well as one in Colorado near grandma and grandpa.
My mum and dad were soul finders obviously and were still so in love it was almost awkward. I couldn't wait personally until I met mine given as most of my numerous cousins on my mums side were older than me and around half had already found theirs. My mum had the gift to find someone's soul finders but until I was 18 she refused to even give me a clue.
Soulfinders were well part of you. They're the equivalent in a way to life partners but they are just so much more. Two people in the world are conceived at the same time. Those two people are both Savants which means that they have something extra which can be anything. Geoff has a siren-like power as when he sings he is able to manipulate people, dad has a gift of healing which helps given as I am ridiculously clumsy. We all also have the gift for telepathy which is part of the reason why I didn't get a phone until a year ago as my parents where able to and telekinesis which is useful when I attempt to do household chores which invariably end in disaster.
The thing about soulfinders is that they can be anyone in the world. They could be anywhere in any country or any race. Every savants life until they find them is incomplete to say the least. Like living with half of you and your soulfinder has the over half. Mum's told us all about how she hated Dad when they first met but after a movie shoot in which they kissed multiple times they had slowly fallen in love.
It was a cute story but all savants experienced a feeling that everything was all right when they were with their soul finders and the majority experienced whirlwind relationship like Aunt Diamond and Uncle Trace's who had gotten married merely months after they found each other.
"Aria," dad said. "You looking forward to camp,"
"Y'duh," I retorted rolling my eyes at my dad. "This summer is going to be awesome!"
A.N. Here is the first chapter. This is just an idea I have been toying with for a bit and here is the first chapter. Cool idea I came up with is you guys make your own characters could be Aria's cousins given as she has a lot. I'm doing alphabetical theme as in Aria the eldest is A then there's Brogan for B and so on so if you create a cousin bear that in mind. You can also make fellow campers for her given as I want to have quite a lot. If you don't like this idea then don't but if you do post in the reviews. All will be accepted and incorporated so yeah.