Althea
III
The second the investors left I could finally take a breath.
"Oh my god do you think I fooled them?" I breathe out and pull my hair down. Luciana chuckles and side hugs me reassuringly. "Think they thought I was older than nineteen?"
"You did great and I'm pretty sure the whole 'Isla only likes me' bit got them," she remarks and I grin.
"What can I say? Isla only likes me," I brag saucily.
"It's true, we are lucky your mom allows you to stay here," Claire murmurs as she reads something on her phone.
"I'm nineteen, legally she can't stop me," I remark and shake out my hair. "I'm going to change really quick and then we can go see Isla with Mr. Masrani."
"We will meet you in the control room," Claire says and walks away with Lucy.
Slyly I pull out my brand new dress. I bought the tight pink number from a boutique in the downtown area of the park.
I've been dying to wear it and today is the first day in awhile where I won't be seeing mom. She can be so controlling despite the fact that o know she doesn't care. She's barely around, but when she is she pretends to be a mother to me.
I have a high paying job, my own insurance, and my own living space. I'm completely independent of finally but her investment in the park has her around more often.
Today, however, is my day, I'm in charge. Whenever it comes to Isla I'm in charge.
III
Luciana
III
"What are you going to tell your nephews about me?" I ask gently and Claire stiffens.
"I haven't even told Karen about us yet," she admits.
"That's okay, you can call me your assistant for as long as you need," I assure and give her a smile. She frowns and shakes her head.
"No, you deserve better and I'll tell Karen and the boys sometime this vacation," Claire says and I grin. Claire and I have been together now, mostly in secret, for three years. "I'll call Karen first and then I'll tell them."
"They'll be supportive I'm sure," I murmur and let my fingers burgs against hers. We're still in public so we have to be discreet but I can still do small things to show my affection.
"If they don't I won't care, as long as I have you I'll be fine."
"Alright, I'm ready!" Althea announces and skips up. My eyes widen at the dress she's wearing but I say nothing. I'd hate to upset the Indominus trainer. "Let's go see my baby!"
III
Persephone
III
Crowds of people fill the street leading towards the Innovation Center. Gray is running enthusiastically up the steps of the building with his brother and Zara trailing behind. I keep up with him as I should, being the best nanny in the business.
"Come on!" Gray calls impatiently.
"Relax," Zach grumbles.
"Come on!" Gray persists.
"Dude, chill," Zach grumbles.
Gray lurches forward and with my help pushes open the heavy double doors to the innovation center. The doors are bronze with carvings of dinosaurs on them. Zach slips in behind us and Zara just barely squeezes in after him.
The interior of the building is a flurry of activity. A statue of John Hammond stands tall toward the back of the building.
The place is covered in activities for people of all ages.
"Welcome to the Innovation Center, where technology meets prehistory. Join us on an exciting journey 65 million years into the past."
In the center of the lobby is a holographic platform, currently displaying a life-size projection of an Apatosaurus which roars right at us.
Announcements continue over the P.A. from both male and female speakers of different languages.
A documentary plays on screens in a corner of the center where many children crowd.
Close to the large screen, now playing film of an asteroid striking earth, sits a holographic globe displaying where different dinosaurs lived before extinction.
Gray runs past the fake archeological dig site, the holographic projections of different dinosaurs, and right up to a DNA game. I follow him and resist scoffing at the name: The Mr. DNA Show.
After a three second look, he quickly begins pushing buttons and reciting correct answers.
"Cytosine, guanine, adenine, and thymine. The same four things in everything that ever lived," he informs and a 3D cartoon of Mr. DNA appears on the screen to congratulate him.
Zach sidles up to us, still grumpy.
"Hey, don't wander off, all right? Mom's not paying me for babysitting," he deadpans and I roll my eyes.
"You're right, she's paying me," I say flatly. "So he can run as long as I can keep up. And you to you Mr. Grumpy I suggest an attitude fix."
"Gray, is that you?"
Gray whips around excitedly while Zach and I just turn at a normal, non-head spinning pace.
It's their Aunt Claire, she's descending a spiral staircase down to the main floor with a blonde woman and a younger girl.
"Aunt Claire!" Gray cheers and runs over to her.
She continues down, still talking on her phone, but now in a hurry to finish the conversation.
"Okay, yeah. No, I'm gonna have to go. My nephews are here," I hear her mutter as we approach.
As she hangs up and reaches the bottom, Gray dashes up and hugs her. She is clearly overjoyed but unsure of how to respond and awkwardly hugs him back. I raise an eyebrow at the action, has she never hugged a kid before?
The blonde woman and young girl hang back on the stairs.
The holographic projection has now changed from an Apatosaurus to a Parasaurolophus next to them which seems fitting.
Zach ambles up, still looking moody and emotionally distant as usual, hands stuffed into his pockets.
Zara, however, is nowhere in sight.
"Hi!" She laughs nervously and pulls from the hug. "Oh, oh, my gosh, you're so-- you're so sweet!"
She turns and looks at her other nephew and me as Zara joins us, having finally caught up with us.
"This is Persephone, my nanny!" Gray introduces and I smile politely.
"Nice to meet your Ms. Dearing," I say and shake her hand.
"You can call me Claire if you'd like," she invites then turns to Zach.
"Whoa, Zach! Last time I saw you, you were like..." she trails off and holds a hand down to roughly Grays height. She's surprised at how much he's grown in seven years.
"That must've been, what? Three, four years ago?"
"Uh, seven. Seven years. But, you know, close," Zach remarks sarcastically and Claire frowns slightly.
"So I see you already got your wristbands and uh-Lucy?" The blonde woman quickly steps up and hands Claire an envelope. "Oh, I'm sorry, so rude of me. Boys and Persephone this is my g-personal assistant Luciana and this is an asset trainer Althea."
Luciana gives a half smile and back steps away again. The younger girl springs forward and gives us a huge smile. She appears to be about the same age as me.
"It's so great to meet you!" Althea gushes. "How long at you staying? I would love to hang out with some people my own age."
"That's right, Althea is the youngest trainer here," Claire adds. "She's nineteen like you Zach and Persephone?"
"Zach is eighteen but it's close enough, and I'm sure we can ride some rides together before we leave next week," I reply making Althea light up.
"Oh great! Just call me, Ms. Dearing can give you my number," she says, but Claire nods to Lucy who instantaneously texts Zach.
It's quiet for a minute while Claire nervously glances at Luciana. The personal assistant vaguely gestures to her wristwatch and Claire gives the slightest of nods.
"Anyway this is for food," Claire informs and hands the envelope to me. "I'm sure you can take care of this."
"I take care of almost everything," I whisper in response and wink making Claire chuckle. "And Zara here is going to take great care of you along with Persephone until I'm doing working tonight, okay?"
Zara glances up from her cell phone, looking uninterested. Gray, however, appears gloomy at this revelation.
"You're not coming with us?" Gray questions sadly.
"Oh, um, I really wish that I could, but tomorrow I can take you into the control room, show you behind the scenes and all of that. That's... that's gonna be cool, right?" Claire stammers as she tries to get the frown of Gray's face.
"And maybe I can show you my dinosaur," Althea chimes in.
Zach rolls his eyes while Gray averts his gaze from his aunt and stares at the door. Claire's phone rings a second later and she jumps to take it.
"Okay, so I will see you tonight at, uh...uh, six," Claire remarks Luciana shakes her head.
"No, no, don't forget you have the.." Zara trails off but Claire gets the message.
"Right, of course. I will see you tonight at eight. What time do you go to sleep? Or, or, do you go to sleep at different times?" Claire asks and I resist rolling my eyes. Oh, this woman is helpless when trying comes to kids and teens.
The boys don't respond. They're stone faced. Her phone continues ringing insistently and she checks it.
"Okay, so, um, have fun." Claire turns to Zara and gives a pointed look. "And take very good care of them."
Smiling, she walks off through the holographic dinosaur and picks up her phone.
"Yeah. No, I'm here."
"She's nice," I remark nonchalantly. Gray doesn't say anything, his enthusiasm has dampened. I bend down to his height and ruffle his hair in a comforting manner. "Hey, pouty boys don't get to go to the petting zoo."
His excitement immodestly returns and he takes off once again.
"And that is how it's done."
