Luke stood up. "I guess-" His voice cracked, and he tried to suppress it with a cough. He started again. "I guess I should go help Ravi with his game. He's probably failing bad."
I nodded, rising to my feet. "And I'd better get to Zuri's tea party. Milly probably flaked out on her again." Luke smiled at my reference to Milly the Mermaid, Zuri's long-time imaginary friend.
I smoothed out my pink skirt which had wrinkled from sitting on the bed and straitened my blouse. I've got to look fancy for a tea party. Even the play type.
"Zuri's getting a little too old for tea parties," Luke said in an effort to clear out the slightly awkward atmosphere of the room.
Shrugging, I walked to the door. "It makes her happy. Besides," I say as I opened the bedroom door. "Zuri has always been a strange child."
"Hey!," A small voice called from the hall. ."I take offense to that." I looked around to see Zuri paused by her bedroom door, stuffed bear in hand, dressed in some of her finer evening wear. The purple dress hugged her small frame, flowing out at the waist in a flutter of sparkles and lavender. Around her neck was the diamond necklace Mom gave her for her birthday and a matching tiara adorned her black bun of hair.
"Oh, don't deny it," I say. "But that's what makes you so awesome." Luke nodded in agreement, joining us in the hall.
"Luke!" Zuri said, rushing over to us, big, brown, puppy dog eyes activated. "Would you like to join Lady Emma and myself for a glorious tea party at the castle? Sir Wuffton the Third is supposedly on the guest list." I looked down at her hands. They were covered by long, white evening gloves. I smiled down at her. She was so unique.
Luke looked like a deer caught in a headlight. Tea parties weren't really weren't his thing. He didn't really want to hurt Zuri's feelings though. Finally Luke sighed. "Do I have to wear a suit?" Zuri smiled, nodding her head yes.
"Fine. I have to go tell Ravi I won't be able to play for a while though," Luke said, head hung in defeat. Zuri jumped up and clapped, her dress floating around her.
Luke sulked into Ravi's room, shutting the door behind him. He sighed loudly from behind the door, making sure we could hear it. Zuri giggled.
I then went into my room to prepare for the party. I searched around in my closet, looking for something that would make Luke want me, yet still be decent enough for Zuri's semi-young eyes. Finally, I found it, tucked away at the back of my closet.
"Hello there, Gorgeous," I said to my reflection in the mirror. My blonde waves were pulled up in the an elaborate bun, with just a few strands left down on ethier side to frame my face. The blue-stone of the necklace that hung around my throat made my grey-blue eyes shine and matched the diamond studs I had placed in my earlobes.
My dress was a light shade of silver that nearly crossed the border into baby blue and was covered in tiny sparkles and diamonds. It was strapless and the top-half clung to my body tightly-almost too tightly- and show cased every curve, including my breasts. It flowed out from the waist down, however, allowing it an almost princess-like feel, and giving it back the innocence that the top-half had nearly stolen. I finished the look with a pair of glass heels.
"How very Cinderella of you, Emma," I giggled to myself as I crossed the length of my room and exited into the hall.
Bertram stood in front of Zuri's door, completely done up in his butler uniform. His expression clearly said, 'I hate my life.' I wanted to laugh, but it seemed mean.
From somewhere behind him Bertram pulled out a horn and blew it. "Lady Emma has arrived," he said loudly, returning the horn to it's previous place behind him.
Zuri opened the door slowly. "Lady Emma," she said, voice low with feigned authority. "You are late. Lord Luke is already here."
"I'm sorry, your majesty. You see, I had to prepare for an occasion as grand as this. And that takes time when your my age."
Zuri gave me the once-over, examining me. Finally she nodded and smiled, the gap between her front teeth on full display. "Well, Lady, you look beautiful. Sir Wuffton the Third is supposedly looking for a new wife. I could seat you next to him if you'd like." Zuri moved out of the doorway, allowing me entrance.
Slowly I walked into the room. There was an intake of breath from the corner of the room where Zuri's tea set was set up.
There sat Luke, dressed up in the suit he wore to home coming, black hair brushe out of his eyes for once, staring at me. I suppressed a smile. He blinked twice then looked away. It made me wonder if maybe he hadn't really been staring at me at all. Probably just glancing over me as Zuri had done. Something a brother would do. That thought hurt. I swallowed back the pain and walked to the tea table, taking a seat between Sir Wuffton, Zuri's prized stuff dog and Count Chocula, the stuffed vampire doll I had won for her at the school carnival. It also happened to be right across from Luke.
"Nice dress," Luke murmured nonchalantly. "Never seen it before."
I smiled up at him. "I was saving it for a special occasion. I got it in Detroit when we went there a few years ago." I paused, regretting my words. Mentioning Detroit reminded Luke of his life Pre-Ross. "I forgot what we went there for though." No I didn't. We had gone there for a check up with the adoption agency, making sure he was doing alright still. Luke knew it too, I could tell by the flash of pain in his icy blue eyes.
We were both silent for a second. Then Zuri took her at beside Luke. "Don't you just love Sir. Wuffton's new blazer, Emma?" She poured the tea, lifting her eyebrows repeatedly at me. "He bought it with the inheritance he received from his grandmother's passing." I stared down at Zuri, a little creeped out. Why does she imagine things like that?
I nodded, hiding my discomfort. "It's very nice. Don't you think so, Luke?" Luke looked at the stuffed animal and grunted. Zuri rolled her eyes and took a seat. She grabbed the teapot and began pouring the tea. Luke was the first to down a few drinks.

Once she finished pouring, she crossed her hands in front of her. "Now that I have the two of you here together with me, I'd like to make an announcement." She paused for a moment and looked at both Luke and I. "I have a boyfriend," she then concluded.

Suddenly, Luke spit out his tea and began coughing. "What?," he managed to sputter out. "Zuri, you're ten. Boys still have cooties."

Zuri glared and stuck out her tongue. "I'm not stupid, Luke. I'm old enough for a boyfriend. Plus he's really cute."

I couldn't help my giggles. It was so cute. Zuri had her first boyfriend. Luke's eyes were wide, like her couldn't believe what he was hearing. I watched as his fingers clenched around the tea cup handle, playing the typical 'big brother' role. It was so cute. No! I did not just think that. Control your thoughts Emma...

"Well," Luke said, setting down his cup rather roughly. "Tell this boy that your big brother would like to meet him."

Zuri pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips. "Oh Luke! How would you like it if you got a girlfriend and Emma insisted on meeting her just cause she's your big sister? It would be mortifying, right? You'd never put a girl through that."

Luke was silent, as was I. The thought of Luke getting a girlfriend made me see red a little, for some reason. It's because I don't want my little brother to get a girlfriend, I told myself. Yeah, that was totally it. My eyes slid over to look at Luke. Surprisingly, he was also looking at me, face red.

"See," Zuri said, laughing. "It would be embarrassing."

Luke turned his gaze away from mine. "Yeah. I guess it would. That doesn't mean I don't want to meet this boy though." As the words passed through his lips, Zuri sighed.