Chapter 15
House of Stories
No one answered Colton's question quickly, so I finally just grabbed the pen. How hard could this possibly be? I just needed to tell a story, any story, well not any story, a meaningful one, but same difference.
"Okay then," I told them with a gulping breath. I'd grabbed the pen, but I really didn't know what I was to say. What was the defining moment in my life? I considered offering the story of how I found out who I really was, but something in my gut said that wasn't it. No what I needed was much older…so old I'd almost forgotten about it.
"My first day of kindergarten my mom had a meeting," I began apprehensively. "She's always in meetings so it was nothing new, but that day I was miserable because everyone else's parents were there to see them off and I only had Kitty, my mom's assistant. Right before I'd left home that morning my mom promised me she'd be there right at 3:56 to pick me up and while everyone else said bye to their parents I clung to that time. Kitty left quickly and I found my rug before even the teacher was in the room. When she finally came in we didn't talk and eventually everyone came and we began our day. When the end of the day came around I dashed outside excited to see my mom but found no one there. I was sad, but figured that she was just running late and would be here soon. One by one kids got to be picked up until I was the only one left. The teachers were really annoyed because they couldn't leave until I did so they finally had me call my mom around five. She didn't answer the phone at first so I called Kitty and asked her where my mom was. I was devastated when I found out that my mom had left for Baltimore at lunch and would be there for a few days. Kitty came and picked me up of course, but I don't think I stopped crying the whole time. My mom had promised me she'd pick me up knowing that she'd be out of town. To this day I still can't understand why."
Unclamping my hand I felt the pen roll to the floor. That was not the story I'd planned on telling, not by a long shot, but somehow it just came out. Shaking my head I realized that it probably was some weird Du'at magic making it so you only give the right story. I tried cracking a smile at my companions, but it fell short when I reached their horrified faces.
"No wonder you were so willing to accept Nina as your mom," Colton finally told me gently. "No offence Eve but your mom sounds like she stinks."
I could only nod my head. He didn't know the half of it.
"Well I guess that makes it my turn," Claudia, who seemed calm now that she wasn't the first to go, told us. Snatching the pen up in her hand the girl began speaking quickly. "My story is much more fun. When I was 11 the house had some nasty juniors in it. I hated them. Well one day they decided to have a party at the house because my parents had a meeting at the school all night so I was left to call them should anything go wrong. Knowing that I'd be calling if anything happened they locked me down in the cellar because there's no reception. They didn't bother Mollie, but since she had just turned 6 I think they felt bad doing that. Well after trying to find a way out I actually looked around the cellar. Sure I'd been down there a few times, but never for long and never alone. I realized just how much this cellar was like the one from all the Chosen One stories I was told as a kid. I knew the idea was ridiculous, but I figured that if my parents had based the fictional cellar off of the real one maybe some of the features, like the secret room, actually existed. I found the study and devoured the books in it. By the time my parents finally found me down there I already knew what that had to say. I already knew it was all real. Though I will admit I thought that made me the new Chosen One, but thank the gods I'm not."
Claudia was right, her story was much more fun. "Only you would find a secret room knowing there was a tunnel system right behind it and stay to read the books," I teased my sister with a poke. I looked to Colton for his response, but he seemed to be staring at the pen. Realizing his apprehension, I gave his hand a tight squeeze. "Go ahead. This is a no judging zone."
Colton smiled, but the grin disappeared before his thumb even reached the pen. "Ironically, my story starts the same place Eve's did: my first day of kindergarten. My mom had been away all weekend on a business trip, so I was shocked when both her and my step-dad were there to drop me off. They didn't linger of course, that's not like them, but I was glad not to be that awkward kid who came alone." Before continuing on Colton shot me a 'sorry' glance, but I just shrugged. I was still hung up on the fact that Colton had a stepfather and I'd never realized it. Maybe I knew him from the connection between the Chosen One and Osirian spirit, but I was realizing how little I actually knew about the guy's past.
With a deep breath the boy continued, "The day was going well, but to be honest I was an obnoxious little kid. The teacher had already told me to stop talking fifteen times and it wasn't even lunch. When lunch finally came, I had no friends yet because everyone thought I was annoying, so I went to sit alone. On my way to the table I tripped and spilt my food all over this one really annoying girl in my class. With my incredible luck she just so happened to be the one kid around with a peanut allergy and I'd dumped my peanut butter and fluff sandwich on her. She was fine, but I got in huge trouble because she said it was on purpose. My parents we in D.C. for work that day and they had to drive all the way back to pick me up. Suffice to say they weren't happy. What really stuck with me about that day though was the teacher telling me that I couldn't do this or I'd be considered a trouble maker forever. The thing was I could see in her eyes that she already had me pegged as the trouble maker, and I figured if that was what people would think I am I might as well be so."
Colton clearly felt ashamed of his actions, but I gave his shoulder a tight squeeze in support. "Think on the bright side," Claudia offered with a grin. "I bet you got to miss a ton of school because you were always suspended."
Colton was grinning too now, "You don't know the half of it. Some of my mom's employed said that they should just make me the Sunny Suntan spokes boy I had to go to work with my mom so often."
"Your mom works at Sunny Suntan?" I told him with a laugh. What a small world. "She won't be happy when she finds out you're dating the boss' daughter now will she?"
Colton seemed confused when he turned to me. "Wait, what?"
Figuring he was only confused because I'd never mentioned that my mom owned Sunny Suntan, I continued smiling, "My mom is your mom's boss. She's everyone's boss."
"Not my mom," Colton countered obviously still confused. "My mom doesn't have a boss."
Now he was just being ridiculous, "Of course your mom has a boss. Everyone but Sunny has a boss."
Colton's eyes were wide as he bobbed his head, "Exactly, my mom is Sunny. It's her company."
"My mom's Sunny," I told him annoyed by the lie. If he thought I was that stupid…
Colton's mouth opened and closed for a second like a fish, "That's not possible Eve because if you're telling the truth than that means…"
"We have the same mom."