Author Note: Sorry for the slow update. I'm going through a rough week and had some writer's block with the dialogue, characters and rewriting. And for the record, I am not lazy. As a writer, I do my best to do my homework, create and write a good chapter. But I'm also a human being. I have other obligations and things to do. But this is one of my priorities. Don't worry.

We all turn to see my mom, not holding Enrique and Barbara. They look the same as when I saw her an hour and a half ago. But they look exhausted and irritated. Leonardo and Pablo are the first to run into the manor. Then, we follow and walk inside, and Diego walks ahead to talk to his aunt and introduce himself to Barbara. Since Mom sent everyone to prepare for dinner, I finally had the chance to speak with my friends in Douxie, Jim, and Toby's room. Archie and Nari were there and stayed the whole time we came here. I asked why did Douxie bring them. Not that I didn't mind or scowled at his reason. Douxie said he couldn't leave them alone in Arcadia. I couldn't put my finger on it, but his expression felt slightly nervous, and his eyes looked worried. What is Douxie hiding? Could this be from what the creature meant? I didn't have time to ask as Dad came in and told everyone to get ready, be on their best behavior, eat everything offered to them, don't say no, don't excuse themselves from the table, and all the basic etiquette rules of Hispanic dinners. We don't have to dress fancy but look presentable. I freshen up from school, the car trip, and going to the mall in my room, but I still keep my clothes on. I like my new outfit, but mostly because I wanted to piss off some of my family.

"Bring me something to eat, would ya?" NotEnrique asks me as I place my hand on the doorknob.

I feel bad for NotEnrique to spend all his time here hiding, and I nod and agree. It's not dinner yet, and I carefully walk to the kitchen to find something for NotEnrique. I see some of my cousins, aunts, and parents cooking. They greet me warmly and ask me why I'm there. I knew I couldn't tell them about NotEnrique or that I wanted to have a snack. So, I tell them that Douxie has a cat and wants food. I remember Kyra owning a cat when I was 12 and wouldn't let anyone touch it but Olivia or Elena. Aunt Stella told me there was some cat food in the spare kitchen.

I smile and thank her, but Dad grabs my arm and leans into my ear. "Saw one of your friends go in there." He whispers.

I turn to him with a confused look while he grins. Why would any of my friends go into the spare kitchen? Sure, you can go in there without entering the central kitchen, but the only time I remember we used that area was when there was a big event at our house. Sure, having guests over is a big deal here, especially when it is a party of 15 people, but it's only for holidays, celebrations, and birthdays. The main kitchen is hot and buzzing with activity, not seeming to need more space. I shrug my shoulders and nod to Dad before leaving the kitchen to the spare. As I reached the door, I could smell something good. The main kitchen had so many spices that overwhelmed me, but this smelled like guacamole and garlic. I open the door, and my eyes widen.

I see Jim humming to himself and cooking something. He's not wearing his usual blue jacket and white shirt. Instead, he's wearing a blue and white, plaid, button-up shirt. He's so busy he doesn't seem to notice I walked in. I take this opportunity to tip-toe to him and wrap my arms gently around his waist. Jim gasps softly, and his body tenses up, but he sighs and relaxes as I nestle my head against his back and rub his stomach. I inhaled the air around me. Of course, I smell what's cooking, but I sense my boyfriend's nice pine and Vanilla scent.

"Hey, Claire!" Jim says softly and gently covers one of my hands with his.

I let Jim go and walked to see him and what he was making. "What are you doing in here? It's almost dinner!" I ask and chuckle, placing my elbow on Jim's shoulder.

"I, um, wanna make something to impress your family." He replies.

I see a bit of a frown on his lips. I start to frown, take my elbow off him, and look at him with concern. "Jim, did something happen while I was gone with the girls?" I ask sweetly. I place my hand on his back, rubbing it gently.

Jim takes a deep breath but shakes his head. "Oh no, Claire. I'm just really nervous about your family. They still don't know about us, and it doesn't feel very hospitable. I don't know... I think it's just nervous jitters." He says clearly.

I feel a bit sad and cup his face. Jim drops the cooking utensils and turns his body to me to place his hands on my waist. "Jim, it will be ok. I'll be by your side and won't let anyone say anything bad about you. I promise." I say softly, caressing Jim's cheek with my thumbs.

We lean our foreheads together and kiss. I want it to last long and passionate, but let it be short and tender before pulling away. We rub our heads together and look into each other's eyes.

"I love you so much, Claire," Jim says softly and smiles. "And I love your earrings."

I smirk at him in return. "I love you so much, too, Jim," I reply. The smell of guacamole and spice hit my nose, drawing me away from my boyfriend's gaze. We let go, and I turn to look at the table. "What are you cooking? It smells good." I ask with excitement and complement while wrapping an arm around Jim's waist.

"It's quesadillas and chips with red salsa and guacamole." He chirps.

I clap my hands together and lick my lips. "Mmmm, looks good to eat. I bet it's yummy!" I reply, smiling.

Jim chuckles and pecks me on the forehead.

"Is that you, my little Claire?"

Jim and I hear a frail old woman's voice behind us. We turn around, and suddenly, everything in my chest disappears, causing my face to light up. "Abuela!" I shout happily and rush up to hug her gently.

Abuela returns it and kisses my cheek. "I've missed you so much! How's my Netia?" She asks sweetly.

"I'm doing fine, Abuela. I missed you too!" I reply, smiling.

Abuela is young for a grandmother. She had Mom when she was 20 and turned 50 when I was 11, but she does look frail and wrinkly. Her grip is still firm, and she appears to be in good health, but after I turned 15, I heard from Mom, who Abuelo told me that her health started to deteriorate a bit—acting delusional and crazy, but I don't believe that. She has Mom's eyes and lights brown hair with slight big grey streaks, swept in a loose high bun. She wears a red dress that flows down to her ankles.

We let go, and Abuela grabs my hand to examine it. She does this a lot. Her frail, wrinkled but warm fingers lightly touch my palm and trace the creases like a fortuneteller. She looks up and smiles sweetly at me. "You were only 12 when I last saw you. So small yet strong and resilient. Now, you look like a beautiful woman."

"Thank you, Abuela!" I smile.

She gasps as she sees what is on my neck. "Why, your mother's necklace!"

I roll my eyes and grab the pendant. "It was yours before." I correct her.

"Yes, you're great-grandfather, father, and mother, going back to the 12th century." Abuela laughs, making me laugh with her. "I'm sorry I couldn't see you when you arrived. Abuelo and I were busy." She says apologetically, frowning.

I shrug my shoulders. "It's alright! Diego and Kyra didn't see me until an hour after we arrived." I say clearly.

She smiles again. She looks over my shoulder, and her smile widens. I turn around and see Jim. He bites his lip and looks a bit nervous but straightens up.

"Claire, is this the boy you told me about two weeks ago?" Abuela asks with curiosity.

I blush but nod my head. "Yes!" I reply, smiling sheepishly.

Jim smiles and walks next to me. "Hi! I'm Jim! Claire's and your granddaughter's boyfriend, Señora." He says politely and wraps an arm around me. He extends his hand for her to shake.

Abuela perks up and takes his hand. "Nice to meet you, young man, but please, call me Maria or Abuela." She says warmly. "After all, you're the one who stole my granddaughter's heart."

We glance at each other and smile awkwardly, but I giggle and lean my head on his shoulder.

Abuela lets go of Jim's hand and sniffs. "What's that good smell?" She asks, looking around. Abuela spots Jim's food project, and her smile widens. "Claire, did you make this?"

I blush but shake my head.

"Umm... I did." Jim speaks up.

"You did?" Abuela asks kindly.

Jim nods. "I like to cook and was trying to teach Claire how to, but to no success." He half-lies.

I playfully swat him on the shoulder, making him laugh and hug me tighter.

Abuela laughs at our moment. "May I?" She asks sweetly to Jim, gesturing at the food.

Jim seems to read her expression and what she's asking. "I don't mind." He says nicely.

Abuela takes a piece of Jim's food and dips it in guacamole to eat. Her eyes widen. "Wow, Claire! Where did you find this one? You have yourself a real steal!" She says with excitement. "I wish my husband could cook like this."

I blush, nervously giggling, and hide my face on Jim's shoulders.

Soon, the moment is ruined by Mom walking into the room. She glances at all of us until walking toward us. "Mom, Claire, Jim, what are you guys doing here? Dinner is almost ready." She asks sternly, crossing her arms.

Jim and I looked at each other and were about to answer until-

"Hello, Ophelia! I was just talking to your daughter and her boyfriend. He made a nice dish to add to dinner." Abuela speaks up.

I almost face-palm myself, and I feel Jim tense up. Why didn't Abuela just let me say something? I rub Jim's back and quietly shush him to comfort him.

Mom raised her eyebrow. "Is that so?" She walks over to the other side of the table and looks at what Jim made. She smiles with amazement and looks up at us. Specifically to Jim. "Well, Jim, I'm impressed."

I feel a weight come off my chest. That is the first time I've heard her say that to Jim. I also feel Jim sigh of relief and see him smile. "Thanks, Ophelia!" He replies calmly back.

"Come on! Dinner is almost ready. Claire, did you find the... cat food?" Mom says and asks stoically.

Abuela and Jim look at me suspiciously. I wanted to explain why I'm here, but Abuela is in here and can't know about the troll or that one is in her house. I shake my head. "No."

"Cat food? For who?" Abuela asks kindly.

"One of Claire's friends has a cat that he brought with him. He asked for some cat food because he didn't bring any." Mom spoke up, and I thanked her for saving me once in my life.

"Oh. There should be some over there." Abuela pointed to a corner of the room where there was clutter everywhere. "What's the cat's name?"

"Archie," I reply.

"What a beautiful name for a cat." Abuela sighs with a smile.

Mom rolls her eyes and scoffs. "Anyways, Jim, Mom, please get out. Claire, stay here and help me find it." Mom orders.

I roll my eyes. Jim kisses me on the cheek and takes his dish before following Abuela out the door. As the doors closed, I turned to Mom, smirking at me.

"You lied about why you came here, didn't you?" She asks clearly.

My initial reaction would lie if it were six months ago to lie. But Mom already knows about NotEnrique, and it's ok. I nod my head. "NotEnrique is hungry and asked me for food," I say softly.

Mom gestures to where Abuela pointed. "Let me handle NotEnrique while you get the cat food for Archie." She replies and winks at me.

I thank her as I rush over to get to the corner. I pour two cups of cat food into a bowl as Mom gets something for my troll brother. I walk out to meet the buzzing activity in the courtyard. People move around, carrying decorations and food. There is a long table in the middle with 20 seats and at least ten circular tables with eight chairs, and all of them are filled with bright candlelight and delicious food. There are colorful lit-up lanterns suspended off the ground by the string hung on the railing. I look up and see the clear but no star sky. It's a beautiful spectacle. I see Douxie, Jim, Zoe, and Nari a few yards away. I ran to them and talked to them. I explain to Douxie about the cat food. He thanks me, and I kneel to give Archie the bowl. Archie thanks me and gets right in the bowl, causing me to chuckle. I pet Archie, making him purr. Dad calls me over to say hello and to reunite with Abuelo. He's more weak and wrinkled than the last time I saw him. He looks more squat and sad than Abuela, with dark hair and hazel green eyes. How the hell did Abuela find him attractive? He is ten years older and is the polar opposite of her in every way, but Mom says they make it work. He greets me warmly and immediately wraps his arms around me, but it didn't feel good like Olivia and Kyra's. His touch wasn't nearly as warm and comforting as Abuela's, but I rolled along with it and hugged Abuelo in return. He's about half a foot shorter than Dad. So, about my height.

"How is mi nieta?" Abuelo asks with a warm smile.

"I'm good, Abuelo!" I reply and smile, but like Olivia, I can't tell if it was fake or happy.

"I'm glad to here. No puedo esperar para conocer a tus amigos." He response.

Dad and I walked him to introduce some of my friends to him. Like Olivia and Lucas, Abuelo was not impressed and asked me why all my friends were white in Spanish. I hate when my family talks in Spanish like that; it makes me feel embarrassed, and my friends feel like idiots, but thankfully, Mom walks up to us with Enrique, and Abuela hisses at him. Abuelo greets her with open arms, but Mom leans in and kisses him instead of me, making me roll my eyes. He looks down at Enrique and gasps in happiness. He asks to hold my brother, and Mom agrees. I feel better when Abuelo holds Enrique than Olivia, but I still don't like it. Barbara walks up to us, making Abuelo and Abuela smile at her. "Barbara, is it?" Abuela asks nicely.

"Yes! Nice to meet you!" She says sweetly.

I carefully watch the two as my heartbeat quickens and my body tenses up. They talk a bit as I slowly walk away to my friends again. After about five minutes, we hear a bell ring. We all quiet down and turn to see my Abuela and Abuelo in the courtyard's center.

"Welcome, everyone! Thank you all for coming and making this amazing dinner for our visitors and the return of our daughter, Ophelia, and granddaughter, Claire. Your hard work is much appreciated on this beautiful night!" Abuela speaks to everyone in the room. All eyes fall on me, making me blush, but I hold my head up. Abuelo spots me in the crowd and smiles sweetly at me.

"We all missed you and hoped you could stay a little longer," Abuelo says nicely.

I start to feel sick of hearing that sentence. I know Abuelo, Olivia, and everyone missed me, and they want me to stay, but this is a vacation, and I don't intend to stay. I feel most of the people who come near me only put up a façade. They don't want me for me. They want me because I'm the firstborn. Abuela and Diego are the only people who will let me live my life.

"¡Vamos a comer!" Abuela cheers, making the whole courtyard roar.

People walk to their tables. The long middle table is reserved for me, Abuelo, Abuela, my parents, Diego, Olivia, Lucas, Uncle Sebastian, Barbara, Jim, Mary, Darci, Toby, Zoe, Douxie, Daniela, Kyra, Tulio, and Miguel. The rest of my friends and family sit at the circular tables. We can sit anywhere, but Mom, Dad, and I have to sit next to Abuelo and Abuela. Jim stays close to me and grabs a seat next to me. Toby sits beside him, then Darci, Mary, Zoe, and Douxie. Mom sits beside Dad, Barbara, Diego, Olivia, Kyra, Lucas, Uncle Sebastian, Daniela, Tulio, and Miguel. There is a high-top chair for Enrique in between my parents. I hear commotion around me as we pass down food, and I see Jim's dish in front of Abuela. I look up and see a smirk across her face, making me chuckle and roll my eyes. As all of our plates are filled and finished passing down, we start to eat. Silence fills my side of the table for an awkward couple of minutes, making me wish to sit at the positive side with Douxie, Tulio, Miguel, Zoe, and Darci, but Jim and I share cute glances at each other.

"So Claire..." I hear Abuelo speak up, making me turn to him. "How's life been these past five years in Arcadia?" He asks sternly.

I don't know why, but I hesitate. Maybe it's because of what I heard from Daniela, Kyra, Emiliano, and Mom's two siblings? Perhaps because of everything terrible that happened in Arcadia these past few weeks? Or year? I take a deep breath and smile. "It's amazing Abuelo! I've had an exciting sophomore year!" I say excitingly. I glance at Jim, and I wink at him. Abuela looks at me with a smirk and raised eyebrows. I froze when I saw this. Abuela made me feel investigated and suspected. Something deep down in my gut told me there was something she knew that I did, but what?

"That's good to hear." He replies, but I feel and hear tension around us. "Speaking of. ¿Cómo está la escuela?"

"It's great! I'm in junior year and on the honor roll! I'm hoping I'll be able to take a college class next year." I say proudly. Abuelo groans and gives Mom and Dad a disgusted look. I felt confused. Why isn't he happy I'm doing well in school?

Mom gives him a stoic look. "Papá, drop it!" She hisses.

Abuelo huffs and tries to think of a different subject or topic to talk about. "So, Kyra told me you have a boyfriend."

I tensed up and almost choked on my food. Shit! That little skank tattle-tailed on me. I saw her smiling sweetly and waving at me at the table. Thinking about what she said in the garden, she probably told Abuelo about me dating, but not who. I glance at Jim in the corner of my eye and see him slightly worried. I can't touch his hand, or Abuelo will see. So, instead, I just gave him a reassuring but quick smile. I'll handle this.

"Yes! Yes, I do!" I say and smile proudly at Abuelo.

Abuelo perks up but finishes his bite of food. My stomach flips as I notice it's the food that Jim made, and Abuelo doesn't know it. A grin appears on his lips, showing he likes it. "Really?" He says curiously. "¿Cómo es?"

I blush. I look at Mom, Dad, and Barbara. They look nervous and know what's coming if Abuelo knows who my boyfriend is. I look in the corner of my eye at Jim. I couldn't imagine talking about him to a family member while he was beside me, but he gave me a small smile, giving me the strength to continue.

"He's amazing, Abuelo!" I reply to him. "He's kind, responsible, understanding, patient, smart, funny, and caring." I stop myself at the right moment, blushing. Of course, I'm listing off the innocent and grandparents' appropriate language, and I don't want to give away too many hints. "He treats me well, Abuelo." I finish and smile happily. I turn to my parents, and they and Barbara smirk, making me blush harder.

Abuelo smiles in approval, making me relax. "He sounds like a nice young man." He says sweetly and turns to Mom. "¿Lo conoces?

Dad glances at me with a serious look, and I start to feel a bit guilty. Since Abuelo wasn't looking, I squeezed Jim's hand, and he reciprocated, but I could sense some hurt in him.

"Yes, Javier and I have. It took some time, but we like him." Mom says nicely.

Abuelo nods, and as his eyes turn to me, Jim lets go of my hand. Maybe he knows what I'm doing, but I feel sad when his touch leaves me. "I like to meet him," Abuelo says.

He's right here! Next to me! But I'm glad he didn't ask for my boyfriend's name.

"Is he a Lantio or Hispanic?" I hear Kyra shout. Again, I turn to see her charming little face.

I almost face-palm myself and groan. Everyone also turns to her in shock.

"Seriously, Kyra!" Diego snaps at his sister. "That was rude!"

"What? I'm just asking." She replies innocently.

Ok! When I get the chance, I'll slap her pretty bitch face and make her regret that sentence. I turn to Abuelo's confused face. I just give him a fake but convincing smile. "Why does it matter? I love him, and he loves me." I say confidently. There is no way I will answer that question and act like a coward.

"But nieta. ¿Lo es?" He asks.

Before I answer, Mom shoots me a stern glare, and I shut my mouth. I don't need to answer.

"Julio! That was rude!" Abuela hisses, giving Abuelo an angry look.

Abuelo gives up on the topic and decides to talk to the people around him. He talks to Barbara and Jim. He likes her but holds an aura of hostility toward Jim. But it ceases when he mentions he made the food Abuelo was eating. Abuelo raises an eyebrow but gives him an approvable smile. There were times in the conversation when Mom or Abuela had to shut it down on Abuelo's end because he made the people around him uncomfortable. I wish I could sit with Zoe, Darci, Mary, or Douxie right now. All this time, while it was happening, I exchanged glances with Abuela. She looks just as sad and worried as I do in her eyes, but I can't tell if it's due to pity or that she's already met Jim. Knowing Abuela, she would do the ladder.

"I can't wait for the 21st, Claire!" Abuelo says excitingly.

I just smile at him as I twiddle the necklace on my neck.

I think Abuelo notices it because he sends Mom a concerned look. "¿Por qué lo tiene?" He asks sternly.

"Papá, I already told you this. I wanted Claire to have it without the ceremony." Mom says softly.

"Pero se supone que debe recitarlo cuando sea el 21. ¡Es traditción!" He protests.

"Julio!" Abuela hissed.

Mom groans and turns away, looking angry. "Let's not talk about it." She hisses.

The dinner ends after hours of talking and eating. Thankfully, I could grab a bite of Jim's food and smiled widely when it touched my tongue. Everyone is full and a bit exhausted, and I just hope they have enough energy for the rest of the night. Thankfully, thanks to Mom's intervention, no throats were cut or any embarrassment. Even though I wouldn't admit it, I'm thankful she did that. We started to help clean up, but Abuela told us guests shouldn't insist and relax. We felt terrible, and some of the adults in my family growled. But Abuela, Mom, Dad, Diego, and Uncle Sebastian were insistent and shooed us away. I take Jim's hand and lead him to an area in the courtyard without tables.

"Man, the adults in your family can be pushy," Steve whines as he walks up to us with his arm around Aja.

Soon, all of our friends join as well.

I giggle and smile. "I'm sorry, guys and my family just wants to know who I've brought here, and that's how they get to know people," I say apologetically.

"No, we mean they nitpick everything and glare if you give any answer." Eli corrects me.

"And they talk in Spanish when talking to each other like they think we're stupid."

I frown, feeling hurt and sad when hearing how rude my family is.

"What's with your family Claire?" Steve asks.

"I'm so sorry, guys, for my family being rude. My parents and I are trying to prevent this from happening, but don't worry; they'll warm up to you." I reply. "It means so much to me that you guys came," I say softly.

"No problem, girl!" Zoe says sweetly. She walks up to me, and we hug. We let go after a moment, and Zoe wraps her arm around my shoulders. "Right, guys?" She asks sternly.

"Yeah!" They all cheer, making me smile on the inside and out.

"Tomorrow will be better," I say, gently pushing away from Zoe. "Tomorrow, we'll go to the beach and have so much fun!" I say excitingly, grinning from ear to ear. I couldn't stop the excitement flowing through me.

Most of my friends chuckle while some shake their heads. "Claire, sometimes you are way too pure." Darci jokes with a smirk, making us laugh.

Soon, something draws my attention away from the group—noise from outside. I leave the group to get a better listen, hoping it's just us. Yup! It sounds like noise, but not us. Thunderous noises from outside, almost like talking and laughing. That's strange. Who could be close to the manor this late?

"Claire, you good?" Zoe asks, a bit concerned.

I don't turn to look at her but freeze. The words catch in my chest as I try to find my voice. Why am I nervous? A minute ago, I was happy as a clam. I take a deep breath and clear my throat. "Yeah. I'm fine! Just... I need to check something." I reply hesitantly and walk to the door. The closer I get to the door, the louder the sound is. It doesn't go away, and it doesn't move or decrease. It stays in one spot and makes my heart beat faster in my chest. I'm not drawn to the noise like a moth is to a flame. But I am curious about who is there.

After taking a deep breath, I reach the door, push it with all my strength, and gasp in shock. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

Author Note: To all those who wanted more action, it will be in the next chapter. Again, I am really sorry for the slow update. This is one of the slowest updates in this story and I didn't expect it to be that long. I wanted to put some things in it that I couldn't fit. But it turned out less messy than I thought. Please review.