As they pulled up to the large house, Hazel couldn't help but be nervous. She had been like this for the last two days. The fights allowed her to put her energy into helping her teammates and making sure they were ready. When the last fight ended, she had a distraction in the form of Frank.
When they all went out to dinner after the fight, it had been a quiet occasion. Something had soured Reyna's mood, and she talked even less than normal. She didn't really eat her food either, just picking at it like a child bored at dinner. She opted to take most of it home as leftovers. Frank was still grumpy the entire time, and the only indication of his silent anger was how aggressively he cut his steak.
Hazel knew that Frank wasn't a sore loser. He would be disappointed by losing a fight, but he wasn't someone who would go around making a list of excuses that would take longer to read than the length of the fight. He wasn't someone to sulk and scowl after losing. Hazel knew that the loss stung, but if she had to guess, it hurt Frank more for how quickly he had lost.
The official fight stats had shown that Frank landed a total of two hits against Kahale's forty, and Frank didn't even make it a full minute. Hazel tried to console him, but he clearly didn't want to be comforted. At dinner, Annabeth tried to keep the conversation up, but she read the mood around the table and silently conceded her efforts.
Will had even joined them for dinner at Lupa's insistence. Hazel ended up asking him a lot about himself and learned that he had moved halfway across the country for the chance to work with Lupa. He told them plenty of stories about his mother and clearly had a great love and appreciation for her. Hazel really enjoyed learning about Will, and he had been able to clear a few of the rain clouds around the table.
They all went their separate ways after that. Lupa would have the gym closed for the next week. Hazel knew that all of her teammates were going to Lupa's for Thanksgiving, and part of her regretted missing out. When she admitted it to the retired fighter, she had been told that under no circumstances could she pass up meeting her family after all those years.
Hazel and Frank spent the next two days packing. She was beyond grateful that Frank was going with her, but she did feel bad about taking him away from his grandma, even if just for a short time. Grandma Zhang was apparently the one that told him to go though, and the three of them would have a small Thanksgiving afterward.
Their flight left on a Monday, with Nico driving them to the airport. He hugged Hazel and told her to be safe and have fun. Hazel invited him to come down first, but he had politely declined. She didn't try to convince him after that and instead went to Frank.
"Thank you," Hazel said as she looked at their Uber driver. It was her family that told her to just get a taxi and had given her an address. Hazel wished that they had offered to pick her and Frank up, but she understood they had to be busy. It was just trying to navigate a new state.
"Have a good one folks," the driver waved in the rearview mirror. Hazel smiled back at him, paying with cash and promptly getting out of the car. Frank was already retrieving their suitcases from the trunk when Hazel hurried to help him. With their luggage in hand, the two of them walked towards the entrance of the house. Hazel slowly examined it as she and Frank approached the front door.
The house itself looked like it was starting to fall into a state of disarray. Some of the windows had shallow and inconsistent cracks in them, and a small pile of broken chairs and cupboards had cropped up out front. It was as if someone didn't want to carry it a hundred feet down the driveway, past the two cars parked there, and to the curb.
Hazel studied the eroded white paint that coated the walls of the old house. She knew her aunt was getting up there in age, but did she not try to hire someone to repaint the house? Had anyone offered to help her clean? Hazel finally made it to the front door and pressed the button for the doorbell. She didn't hear the ring from inside alerting the residents, but still she waited. When a minute had passed, she gently knocked on the door.
Hazel already texted her cousins that she was there, but they must not have seen it yet. She heard footsteps approaching them and focused ahead. As the door creaked open, Hazel felt her heart sink into her stomach a little bit. She was beyond nervous to meet her extended family. Frank gently grabbed her hand to squeeze it, giving his friend comfort in her uncomfortable situation.
Hazel tried not to look rude while studying the woman in front of her. She looked to be many years older than Hazel and was just a shade darker than her as well. Her face was set in a seemingly permanent scowl, and her brown eyes sized Hazel up.
"Hazel," the woman said with a thin layer of contempt. "Come on in."
Hazel desperately tried to remember her name, but she didn't have any recent pictures of her family. The woman's eyes glossed over Frank, and they seemed to narrow in harsh judgment. The woman turned on her heels and marched back into the house. Hazel quickly followed behind with Frank in tow. She wasn't sure what to say. Should she compliment the house? Remain silent?
"Aunt Chloe," another woman called as she walked towards them. She was staring down at her phone and didn't even look up to acknowledge them. "There's a phone call for you."
"You two can put your things upstairs," the woman, Aunt Chloe, said with a dismissive wave of her hand. She walked away before Hazel could ask what room they were supposed to go to or where the stairs even were. The other woman was gone before Hazel could even look to her for questions.
Hazel frowned and looked around the innards of the ancient home. The floor seemed to be made of old, splintered wood that creaked every time they took a step. The walls were chipped and cracked, with the paint job in need of a touch up just like the outside of the house.
The two found the stairs and made their way up, with Hazel looking around in curiosity. One room seemed to be an old study covered in just as many books as there was dust. A bathroom that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years was to the right of it, and a few empty rooms full of cobwebs and spiders were just across the hall.
"How many people live here?" Frank asked. It sounded like he was trying to be polite.
"I'm not sure," Hazel admitted. She pushed open another room and couldn't believe her eyes. This room had a bed and a dresser on it. There was a suitcase on the ground that looked half-packed. There was also a small crib in the corner of the room. This place was covered in even more dust and looked like it hadn't been touched in a decade.
Hazel stared at the picture on the nightstand and walked towards it in a trance. She picked it up and wiped away the dust that disguised it. A younger version of her seemed to be smiling brightly as she was held close to another woman.
"Is that your mother?" Frank quietly asked. Hazel nodded and held the picture close to her chest. Tears came to her eyes. Frank gently rubbed her back. "She's beautiful."
"I don't have many pictures of her," Hazel began. She turned to leave the room, but halted when she stepped on broken shards on the floor. A closer examination showed that it might have been a coffee mug or glass at some point. Hazel frowned at the thought and stepped out into the hall with Frank.
They found a room that was semi-clean at the end of the hall but had nothing in it besides a singular bed. A small blush came to Frank's face as he set the bags down. Hazel looked around for a minute more, noting the bland emptiness of the room before turning to leave with Frank. They both walked back through the dirty hallway and downstairs. Hazel kept the picture clung tightly to her chest.
So many emotions and memories were running through her mind right now. The solid memories of her mother were from when the woman was on the verge of insanity. Paranoia ruled her as she thought vengeful spirits were out to get both of them.
Hazel still loved her mother though. She just wished she had enough good memories to outweigh the bad. The two made it towards the dining room. The large table in the middle was made of mahogany, with a dirty table cloth covering it and plates encircling the center.
An old, decrepit lady sat at the head of the table. Her head was lolled forward, and it seemed like she was asleep. Hazel slowly tried to walk by, but the floor creaked, and the eyes of the old woman snapped open.
"Marie?" the old woman questioned aloud. She brought an ancient hand up to brush Hazel's hair out of her face. Whatever teeth the woman had were long gone, and there were wisps of white hair on her head. Her green eyes were dull and tired. "It's been so long, dear."
"I'm not Marie," Hazel said almost breathlessly.
"Come here, daughter," the old woman cooed. She studied Hazel's face and gave her a toothless grin. "You're just as beautiful as the day you left. Where is baby Hazel?"
"I am Hazel. I'm Marie's daughter," Hazel whispered, but the old woman didn't seem to hear or maybe she just couldn't understand. Strands of memory tugged at Hazel. This was her grandmother: Mabel. She hadn't heard much of her grandmother nor of the rest of her family.
"Oh, dearie. I'm sorry they ran you out, but I'm glad you were able to make amends," Grandma Mabel whispered. "Be a doll and get me some tea."
Hazel nodded stiffly and was still reeling from what she heard. What did her grandma mean by that? Did the rest of her family do something to Hazel's mother? Or was it just the ramblings of an old woman who lost her mind long ago?
Hazel walked towards the kitchen, with Frank quickly following behind. He had been silent for a while and looked like he was lost in thought. Frank suddenly stopped walking, but Hazel kept her pace all the way to the kitchen.
"Hazel, we were just looking for you," Aunt Chloe greeted. She smiled, but it didn't seem to reach her eyes. "Jade will be here soon, but Trish and I wanted to talk to you first."
"Grandma Mabel wants tea," Hazel slowly said. She pried the picture from her chest and slowly placed the frame down. A look of distaste crossed Aunt Chloe's face, but she quickly covered it.
"I'll make some," Aunt Chloe said as she grabbed an old tea kettle and began filling it with water.
"Are you dating anyone, Hazel? Please tell me it's not the white boy you brought with you," Trish commented. Hazel felt her jaw drop in shock. Rage and disgust instantly filled her.
Who was Trish to make a comment like that? Who was she to turn her nose up at the thought of Frank and Hazel dating? And who was she to call Frank white as if it was an insult when he clearly wasn't? Why did it even matter to her what color Frank was?
"He's not white," Hazel corrected after a few moments. "He's half-Chinese."
"That's even worse," Trish commented, and her nose crinkled in disgust.
"Now now, Trish. Don't be like that. Marie was always a little more… adventurous," Aunt Chloe asserted sarcastically. "Hazel can't help it if she was taught wrong."
"Wrong?" Hazel slowly repeated, and she felt herself stiffening. Disgust and something she couldn't identify brewed in her chest.
"That doesn't matter though," Aunt Chloe dismissed as she started boiling the tea kettle. She turned towards Hazel and placed her hands on the counter. Hazel focused on the woman's perfect nails and the rings that lined her fingers. A golden necklace adorned with a diamond danced against her clothes.
"See, Hazel, money has been tight around here for mother. It's really affecting her lifestyle," Aunt Chloe cooed to Hazel and grabbed one of her niece's hands. "Mother used to be rich and vibrant. She controlled all the farms in the area, but after your whore mother ran away with you, she changed."
Hazel snatched her hands away from the older woman. She spoke angrily, "My mother wasn't a whore."
"Your mother was a hussy and a disappointment," Trish chimed in. "Falling for a foreigner!"
"And having a baby out of wedlock! Such a disgrace. And then, she pretended to speak to the dead. Told mother that was how she earned her money. We all know she earned that by being the town's favorite harlot," Aunt Chloe continued.
Hazel felt her hands balls into a fist, and tears of rage brimmed in her eyes. She couldn't speak up though.
"You owe us for all of the grief that your mother put us through," Trish professed. Hazel seethed between her cousin and aunt. Two people were supposed to be family, but the way they spoke left Hazel sick to her stomach at the trash she was hearing. "Money won't completely fix the stain upon our honor and legacy, but it can be a bit of penance."
"Why would I pay you anything?" Hazel demanded, and she started to shake from her pent up rage. There was this fierce anger that she had never felt before. "I don't owe anything to either of you!"
"You owe us for what your mother did," Aunt Chloe hissed. She placed the kettle down. "Driving my poor mother, your grandmother, into a state of grief. Dishonoring and staining our legacy."
"Just because you got lucky with your fighting career doesn't mean it will last long," Trish added as she poured herself tea. "That luck will run out, and you'll come crawling back to us."
"Hey, Hazel," Frank called as he stumbled into the kitchen. He seemed to sense the tension and froze midstep. "Is something wrong?"
"We're leaving," Hazel decided. She turned and snatched the picture frame from the table. Hazel turned and hurried up the stairs to grab their luggage. Frank was right behind her.
Tears filled Hazel's eyes as she grabbed her bag. Frank gently took it from her and watched her in concern. His question was unspoken, and Hazel shook her head. If she tried to talk, she would just cry.
As Hazel made it downstairs and was halfway to the door, a hand grabbed her arm tightly. She turned on Aunt Chloe, and the older woman spoke, "You're acting just like your mother. You can't handle the truth and are running away."
"My mother was right to leave you," Hazel snapped. She tore her arm away from Aunt Chloe and stormed towards the door.
"You won't be welcomed back here," Aunt Chloe warned.
"I never was!" Hazel yelled back to her without turning. She stormed out of the house with Frank close behind her. Her hand shook as she tried to grab her phone.
"It's going to be okay, Hazel. Come here," Frank whispered. He pulled Hazel into a tight hug. She crumbled into his chest and cried miserably. "We can get a hotel."
"I just want to go home," Hazel cried. Frank gently rubbed her back. "I don't want to be here anymore."
"Let me call a ride," Frank whispered, taking the phone from her hand to call for her. "We'll get plane tickets on the way."
Hazel nodded and tried to stop crying. Frank just continued to rub her back and try to calm her down. Hazel didn't know why she agreed to come to a whole new state to be with a family that never tried to reach out to her before now. They just wanted money from her. All Hazel wanted was to learn more about her family and become close to them. Instead, she learned that her family didn't truly care for her at all.