Misbegotten

Four

One word. Buffet.

There was a buffet for breakfast, a buffet for lunch and a buffet for dinner.

I was in food heaven. I sighed pleasantly as I piled more pasta onto my plate already filled with steak, mashed potato and an array of salads - including my all time favourite pasta salad. The beauty of buffets is that the food on your plate doesn't have to make sense together. You can just eat whatever the hell you want. However I came dangerously close to spilling my plate of heaven when Cameron bumped my shoulder as he passed me. "We're over there," he told me when I glared at him. I looked over to the table he was pointing at and saw Florence, Chelsea and dad with Mr and Mrs Jacobsen. I huffed but followed him over anyway. I had avoided everyone all day long, so I figured I better make an appearance sooner or later. I took a seat the next to Cleo who was digging in happily to her spaghetti bolognaise.

"Hello Sofia, we haven't seen you yet, how was your day?" Amanda Jacobsen asked me as soon as I sat down. She was smiling over at me, but it wasn't a usual friendly smile. It had a tinge of pity in it. I hated pity, but I knew she was only trying to be nice so I attempted a smile, although I'm pretty sure it failed miserably.

"Fine, thank you." I looked back down at my plate and started eating. I didn't want anyone ruining my food paradise, but Amanda didn't seem to catch the 'don't-talk-to-me' vibes I was radiating.

"Your father was telling me that you have a part time job at a café, that sounds like fun?" she tried. It was such a typical adult statement I almost didn't know what to say. I wanted to laugh.

"Um, yeah," I answered. She finally got it and left me alone after that. I was eating in pleasant silence until Declan placed his plate down across from me.

"Hello," he greeted everyone. A chorus of hello's chimed back at him.

"Got enough food there?" he asked me eyeing the variety of foods that covered my plate.

"Maybe, I may go back for seconds," I told him honestly. He laughed like I was joking, I really wasn't. I liked food.

Unfortunately, I was not left alone to enjoy my food paradise. Instead David Jacobsen decided this was the perfect time to bring up the family bonding part of the trip.

"So are we all excited for tomorrow's bonding?" he asked smiling so wide it looked like his beard would fall off his face.

"Bonding?" Florence asked confused turning to my dad. His shy smirk made it clear he already knew. I almost spat out all the food in my mouth. He purposefully dragged me along to bond? I didn't know whether to feel loved or hurt that he thought the only way to fix me and his family was through stupid trust exercises in some remote country.

"Um yes," he said slowly. Florence's mouth slowly formed its tight line and for once it wasn't directed at me.

"Oh yes," Amanda jumped in eagerly. "It's why we come here. It's a five day course."

"What?" Chelsea snapped. "Bonding? As in spending time with my family? As in all my family?" she said not so discreetly eyeing me off.

"Yes," Amanda replied full of enthusiasm either genuinely oblivious to the growing tension or choosing to be. "It's a four day course," she continued. "The first day – tomorrow- is trust building activities like group activities. The second day is more team building games – usually involving the water. Day three is an orientation course, which is a competition between the other families. Day four is more low-key and are called mending sessions where issues are talked through, usually around a bonfire. It's my favourite part."

"That sounds like hell," Chelsea groaned dramatically.

"Come on, it'll be fun," Dad tried.

"Robert, how could you not inform me of this minor detail?" Florence asked my dad attempting to restrain her anger but doing a very terrible job at it.