Ria:
I was talking to Cin over video on my laptop. We had been talking for a few minutes now.
Finally, she asked, "So tell me more about your roommate and these brothers."
"Well, I already told you she reminds me a bit of you. She is bubbly and outgoing. Doesn't really know a stranger."
I paused, so she said, "Okay, keep going."
I laughed a little, "she has 4 older brothers, Drago, he's the oldest, then there's Ash, Cinder, and Cole."
"Were their parents like firefighters or something, cause what is up with those names?"
"Not sure, Cinnamon Sugar."
She laughed, "Okay, point made, so what are they like?"
"Well, I have only been there once. They seemed okay. At least they weren't hella nosey."
I paused for a moment, "You've seen my roommate."
"Yeah," she shrugged. She had joined a video call a couple of days after I got here.
"Well, she doesn't look anything like them. They're all really tall, well-built, with dark hair and either blue or hazel eyes. She is blond with brown eyes. They could be step or sorta like us, but I don't know."
"Did you ask them any questions?"
I shrugged, "No, I wasn't sure what I even wanted to know. Natalia basically word vomits absolutely anything and everything. She talks about them all the time. Don't get me wrong, I like her, but it gets to be a bit much for me."
"I know, girl, you are not the social diva that I am. I miss you, hell, we all miss you. Beth has been baking, and I swear I've gained 5 pounds already." Beth had a tendency to bake a lot when she was sad or stressed.
I laughed so hard at that, then wiped laughter tears, and looked at her, "I miss you too. I am counting down until Winter break."
"So, what happened with the testing?"
"Oh my god, it was awesome. When I first went down to talk to them about it, the counselor was like all snobby, like I was a pain in her ass just for asking."
Cin nodded and hummed in understanding.
"Well, after the testing, I went to the office on Monday to get the results."
Again with the humming and nodding, "I almost laughed out loud when she opened the testing scores, and I aced everything. I wanted to rub it in her face so bad, but I controlled myself."
Cin actually laughed, "Did you tell them you are like super brain or anything?"
"Hell no, I don't want people treating me like a freak. You saw it happen before. I hate that fucking shit."
"I know, hon, but you're not a freak, you just happen to be uber smart, and your brain doesn't forget. Like an Elephant."
"Oh my god, did you just call me an elephant?"
She was laughing, "No, you dork, you know that saying, an elephant never forgets, that's what I meant."
"I know I was just giving you shit, it's my sacred duty as your sister."
She rolled her eyes. "No doubt."
"So, tell me about school. How does it feel to be a senior in high school now?"
I listened to Cin regale me with all her high school adventures. Part of me hated missing it, but another part of me loved being here and experiencing something so normal.
There wasn't much normal in my life, and having this now was a breath of fresh air. Yeah, the whole full-ride scholarship plus was freaky, but being here, actually being here, felt like I was just a normal 18-year-old girl. I loved every second of it.
Natalia was out at a lab she had to do, so, after I hung up with Cin, I decided to take advantage of the quiet and have a shower. Then, maybe I would look at my new course choices again. I was supposed to turn it in no later than Friday, and it was Wednesday. I knew what everyone said; I was having an internal debate.
I was able to take a nice, long, relaxing shower before I heard the door shut. Natalia must be back.
I got out and dried off. I didn't like having to stay in the bathroom to dry my hair. It took too long, and I hated feeling like I was hogging it.
Right about the time I was going to turn the hair dryer on, Natalia appeared at my door.
"Hey, roomie, my brothers want to take us out for dinner. They want to help celebrate you passing all your tests."
I sat there looking stupefied, "Ah, how did they know about that, and why?"
"Well, of course, I'm gonna brag on you. They know you don't have any family here, and since we are friends, they want to be your friend. Friends do nice things for each other."
I sat there and thought about it. I wasn't the best judge of what was normal. I would be a hermit if it were up to me, but even I know that wouldn't be good. Cin didn't think it was weird to go to their house, so this seems to fall into the same category.
"Ah, yeah, sure. Let me get ready, this is like casual, right?"
She smiled, "Yeah, absolutely. I'll be in jeans, and they'll probably be in jeans too. They will be here in an hour. Is that enough time?"
"Oh yeah, totally. I need to dry my hair and throw on some clothes."
She smiled at me and retreated to her own room. I finished drying my hair and braided it. Then threw on a pair of jeans, a decent dark blue top, and my Doc Martens.
Her brothers called her when they arrived, and we went out to meet them. Natalia had assured me they had a car big enough for all of us, and sure enough, it was an extended luxury SUV. I am not really a car girl, so I wasn't sure what kind it was, but it was nice. We girls got in the back, and we were off.
We ended up at one of those chain restaurants that has a little of everything. Which was great, cause probably 6 adults, 4 of which are big guys, need variety.
The hostess seated us, obviously drooling all over the guys the whole time. Either they were used to it or chose to ignore her.
It's not like I don't see the appeal. They are all really hot guys. I have a hard time getting past my personal hang-ups, so I don't really date.
I tried after I was living with Beth, but I always had panic attacks, or I was just not interested. So I gave it up. I figured if it was meant to be, someday there would be someone who would make me feel comfortable and take the time to help me move past my issues.
After a waitress came and took our drink order, we were all gazing at the menu, when Drago said, "Congratulations on acing your testing. So, what do you do now?"
I looked up at him from the menu, "Well, they gave me a list of available courses that I could take to replace the ones I tested out of. I have to make my choice and turn it in to the administration by Friday."
He nodded, and Cinder added, "Do you have any idea which ones you'll choose?"
"Well, I pretty much have it narrowed down to 6, and I need to choose 3. So, I figured between tonight and tomorrow I will make my final decision."
Ash looked at me, "Do you think it will be hard joining a new class that has already been going for almost 3 weeks?"
I smiled a little and turned to look at him, "No, not really. I am usually pretty good at catching up on work. I did a lot of my schooling basically on my own, so I got good at self-study. I am also a pretty fast reader, so with those, it helps to get caught up."
"Well, the admin probably wouldn't have suggested those classes if they didn't think you could handle them," Cole added softly.
Cole was the quietest brother so far. He reminded me of the saying, "Still waters run deep." He seemed to embody it.
Cinder was most like Natalia, with the bubbly, excited personality. He seemed like he'd be the guy who was the life of the party.
Ash was quiet, but not in the I 'm-shy way, more like the quiet watchfulness of a predator. There was something definitely predatory about Ash. He didn't scare me or make me feel threatened; I just recognized the vibe.
Then there was Drago. He seemed like everyone's protector. He took responsibility for the family, their safety, and happiness. He felt like he had a lot of weight on his shoulders. He was sweet and inquisitive, but like a huge boulder holding everyone up, their foundation.
The all seemed to balance each other out fairly well, but I hadn't honestly known them long. They gave me the feeling they cared about one another. Their easy banter that night at the house showed that.
I knew they were trying to include me. I was grateful in a way, because I missed my own family, but leery of trusting people. I mean, right now, their motivations seemed above board, but I knew that could change. So I would have to wait and see.
I wasn't averse to spending time with them. I preferred to do so as a family, with Natalia as a comforting presence. If I were alone with any of the brothers, that might completely change the dynamic. Not that I was planning to be alone with them, but things happen all the time, and it was part of my nature to constantly assess situations.
The waitress came and took our order. Then they talked amongst themselves for a bit, seemingly to help me feel more at ease.
Once the food arrived and we all started eating, Drago looked at me and asked, "Have you been able to tell your family about the testing?"
I nodded, "Yeah, I was actually doing a video call with my sister earlier this afternoon, and we talked about it." I was smiling, trying not to laugh, about what I told Cin.
Drago tipped his head and observed me for a moment, "What is that smile for? You seemed like you were thinking of something specific that amused you."
I thought for a moment, then told him, "I was telling Cin about the counselor I had to see to schedule the testing. She was very condescending and snooty about the whole thing. Then, when I went to her office to get the results, she almost swallowed her tongue when she saw I had passed everything. I wanted to be a bitch and rub her face in it, but I restrained myself."
They all laughed with me, "Have you ever done testing like that before?"
I looked at Cole and decided to answer him. Maybe this would be a way to test whether they were sincere in their dealings with me.
"Actually, yes, I tested out of most of high school, so I graduated at 14. There were some issues getting my diploma due to family matters. So it took me a while to get it in my hands and have it made official."
They were all kinds of speechless and just looking at me. I waited to see what they'd say.
"Wow, that's seriously impressive." Cinder was looking at me with a little bit of awe on his face
Everyone at the table was nodding, but they left it there. I was glad they didn't make a big deal out of it or look at me like a freak. I was glad it had just been relatively normal.
I was discovering I really, really liked normal.