Chapter 5

Homesick

"Wow" I looked up at the Cohen mansion and was amazed.

"Yeah, I know, why do they need a house so big for only four people, huh?"

"Ok, so let me get this straight. Sandy, is Kirsten's husband and they own the house and let me stay here. Seth, is your adoptive brother and if they adopt me, mine too. Marissa used to be the next door neighbour but her parents broke up and now she lives with her Dad who is the scandal of the town because he is a crook but really not that bad. Marissa is also your girlfriend, which is extremely hard to believe." I scoffed at my last remark as he gave me a look

"Ok, ok, stop making that face, sorry ok. Alright." I said smiling and gaining my composure. "Ok, Summer is your friend and Anna is Seth's girlfriend, which you told me is hard to believe. Oh, and my favourite of them all."

"You haven't even met them yet."

"Well I am going to soon."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Are they inside waiting for me?"

"Damn." Ryan looked defeated as I smiled to myself and continued but now we were walking up the path instead of just standing in front of the house.

"Well, Clayton, as you say is the cool guy that I'll really like and get along with. Apparently, his taste in music doesn't suck and he is actually a very nice, smartassy kinda guy."

"Well, I believe we've reached the end of the route here kids." I said in a mock bus driver way because Ryan was just staring at the door.

"Hey, you live here, I think you should be the one who should open the door huh?"

"Um, yeah, sorry, I'm just thinking."

"About?"

"You, and how you're going to cause a division between the townsfolk." I laughed and he eventually pushed the door open.

"This, is it. My new life." I mumbled quietly under my breath.

As we walked inside I noticed the noise coming from out back. "Strange," I thought, "I guess I better get used to people who like their music loud."

"You can be so stupid sometimes Chels. They're having a party."

"A party, what for. It's not Christmas last time I checked."

"For you, you dimwit."

"Hey!"

We continued walking down what seemed like an endless hallway.

"So, how am I to be introduced, Jeeves."

"Jeeves?

"Yeah, Jeeves, you know the butler?"

I could see the end and that we were nearly going to reach the backyard where the party was.

"Ryan, stop" I said, pulling back on his t-shirt.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. I'm just not good at first impressions. And these people, they're rich, and they'll have expectations. I just don't feel comfortable meeting the entire town, only to have them give me the once over and decide just because my clothes are different that I'll be a trouble maker."

"Firstly, it isn't the entire town, it's only Sandy, Kirsten, Seth and my friends, all of who are not stuck up rich people. Seriously, they'll love you, just use that Atwood charm."

"What Atwood charm?" I asked walking again "You don't have any charm, it's a miracle you even have a..."

"Hi, I'm Marissa, Ryan's girlfriend." A skinny girl said, cutting off what I was saying to Ryan. Suddenly, everybody's face turned towards me and they must've thought that I was happy to see them all because my face was still in its laughing/sarcastic state from what I was saying to Ryan.

Ryan gave his girlfriend a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Marissa, this is my younger sister Chelsea."

Thankyou Ryan, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. At least now I didn't have to introduce myself.

"So how was the trip Chelsea? That's such a pretty name, and I love what you're wearing. Where did you get it from?"

"Well, the trip was fine, thanks for asking, and I got the top from me. I made it."

"Wow! That's great, did you like sew it and everything?"

"Yeah. It's great, because I never have the problem of having nothing to wear, I can always just whip up something if I need it."

So far this is going well. Ryan's girlfriend likes me and she hasn't dissed my clothes, she thinks they're great. Then some guy got up onto a wall.

"Hey. Chelsea right? I'm Seth, you're new step brother." Seth shouted. "My parents have cordially invited you to come and eat and be merry."

He jumped down and walked across towards me with who I thought were Sandy and Kirsten behind him.

"Hey!" he said, and hi-fived me. "Ryan says you can beat me in Halo, so come and show me." (AN: I know that before, Ryan only said that she could beat Seth in Halo to Chelsea, but let's just say that in the small talk made about a nameless Chelsea in the past, the fact that she could actually beat him was mentioned, ok?)

"Seth, not now, later, we're just going to eat." Kirsten said.

"Hello Chelsea." She said warmly. "It's so wonderful to finally meet you."

"Yeah, we're so glad to have you come and stay with us" Sandy said smiling.

"Ryan hasn't said much about you, so hopefully we can get to know you better. Come we're just starting you eat."

She beckoned me towards the table on the other side of the yard that was set with a beautifully white, clean tablecloth and cloth sky-blue napkins. Ryan told me to sit down at the end of the table and I did so willingly. As soon as I sat down I felt the fabric between my fingers and I think Ryan laughed at me.

I looked up from the cloth and noticed that everyone was watching me.

"Oh, sorry. I probably look weird feeling your tablecloth and all but it is really pretty fabric. What kind is it?"

"Sorry, guys, she sews, so she likes the whole fabric thing."

"That's perfectly fine Ryan. It's silk."

"Wow, you use silk for the tablecloth. It's only me you know, you didn't need to go all out on a tablecloth."

Everybody laughed at my remark and started eating the food that was placed in front of them by the maid. (AN: I'm assuming that they have a maid because how else would their house be so clean if Sandy and Kirsten both work all the time?)

After the entrée had been served, immediately after the barbecues foods and salads were brought out. Now this seemed more normal. Everyone taking their own food and placing it onto their plates and not having it pre-prepared for them on the plates. As far as I knew Sandy had cooked the food and it was definitely good.

"Sandy, did you cook this, it is seriously delicious?" I asked genuinely

"Why thankyou Chelsea, I did. Unlike my wife here I can cook."

Everyone sniggered and laughed.

"Hey!" Kirsten replied in her defence "I'm not that bad!"

"Yes, mom, you are. Reeeally bad." Seth turned to face me. "Last Thanksgiving, we made a pact to keep her as far away from cooking anything as possible. In the end we ordered Chinese."

"Let's just say that, that was the worst Thanksgiving ever." Summer added.

Ryan laughed. Ahh yes, an inside joke. This brought me back to my depressed state. Ryan and I used to have 'inside' jokes. The jokes only we knew were funny. But now, we had none and they had them all because they got to spend 7 months with my brother and I was left to rot in hell with my mother all this time.

I quickly excused myself from the table.

"Umm, Ryan, could you tell me where the bathroom is?" I asked, practically in tears.

"Yeah, just go down the hall and turn left at the second door."

I rushed off without saying thanks and found myself on the floor of their perfect little bathroom.

Why was this affecting me so much? Why am I so jealous? I am here with Ryan now, we can have all the inside jokes we want now. But no, it isn't really about the inside jokes. No matter how bad my life was, I still missed it all.

I missed the little things, and the small embarrassing memories.

I just had to get over this. I stood up and looked at myself in the mirror. All my mascara had run down my face from the tears. I quickly splashed the cold tap water onto my cheeks and gently washed off the stain with a tissue and reapplied the mascara. Luckily, I had it in my pocket.

I re-entered the outside entertaining area where everyone was chatting.

"Hey Chels, what was wrong."

I quickly swiped for my cheeks in case some mascara was left and I didn't realise it.

Nothing was there. "Nothing, nothing was wrong."

I took my seat again and just watched everyone interact. The one person who caught my eye though was definitely Clayton. I didn't look like the rest of them. There was something about him. As far as I could see he was about 6"3 and had a broad chest. Definitely good looking.

I smiled to myself then realised he was looking at me staring at him so I turned away.

I guess this won't be too bad after all.