The Silver Spooners

Nine

She shrugged before mouthing back. Nothing!

He gave her a look that he was not convinced before running after Flynn and Wren as they started up the game again.

She pivoted around and stalked towards the house with as much confidence as she could muster to try to show Beckham that she was fine. Nothing was wrong or weird. Everything was absolutely normal.

Austen climbed up the steps on van Laurent's deck and let herself in through the back door. She was immediately hit with the warmth and smell of Frida's cooking. She had entered the kitchen.

The room bustled with noise and laughter. Vivienne and Lavender, Flynn's sisters, were sitting around a card table with Ivy and Quinn playing a game of UNO.

Six-year-old Lavender didn't seem to understand the concept that getting a "Draw Four" card played on you was a bad thing.

Her mother was tossing salad on one of the two kitchen islands while she and Frida gossiped about James Rochester's new wife, apparently her name was Annie and she was a nobody from Pennsylvania, which was "So incredibly odd." they had both whispered.

On her way past the kitchen, Austen waved at her father and Mr. van Laurent who were talking about some big poker game that Grey's dad had lost last weekend.

She settled into her favorite chair at their house, a big cushioned one that had French words embossed all over it. Every time she sat in it she felt like Victoria Grayson from Revenge.

She picked up her phone and called Maddox to chat for a little while, mostly about Grey's run-in with Brant yesterday and how shocked she was at the fact that Brant was dating Drew Sheridan.

"So, anyways, I just thought it was the weirdest pairing ever; Drew and Brant." Austen finished, after she had spent a good five minutes explaining what Brant's body language meant to Maddox.

Ever since she had started going to a yoga class in SoHo, Austen thought she was one with the universe. She explained her new feeling as 'being in touch with my, like, actual real spirit or something.'

"I agree." Maddox said. "Brant didn't even seem to be that into her. He's probably just doing it to piss Grey off."

Austen nodded before realizing Maddox couldn't see her. "Yeah, I mean everyone hates Drew, especially us. The whole thing seemed to bother Klaudia more than Grey, though."

"Right?" Maddox exclaimed. "But she hates Drew and what Brant did to Grey. And Grey was trying to stay strong, but I'm sure she was breaking on the inside."

"I guess, yeah." Austen said, chewing on her bottom lip.

Her mother's voice rang out from the kitchen. "Dinner is ready, everyone!"

"Hey Mads, I have to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Austen clicked the end call button before Maddox could even respond.

Swinging her legs out from under herself, Austen hauled ass to the kitchen. Frida's cooking was fantastic and it was also best fresh. She was determined to get there before the boys so she could get a bigger portion.

Just as she took her spot behind Ivy and Quinn the sliding glass door opened and the three boys bounded in with mud covering their multi-colored American Apparel t-shirts.

Frida scoffed. "Boys, you look disgusting. Go clean up."

"But, Mom, you called us in for dinner!" Wren whined, shifting his weight from one side to the other.

"Yes, dinner in my formal dining room, not at the local soup kitchen. Go clean up, you can get your food after the rest of us have gone through the line." Frida said sternly before motioning behind Austen.