Hailey's POV:
During breakfast, Crystal sat beside me with sunglasses. She looks like she's awake, but I could hear the snores once in a while. No one dared to wake her up.
I could feel the intense glare from Josh to my left.
Mrs.Greyson, Mrs.Martinez, and my mom laughed at some stories. Mr.Greyson, Mr.Martinez, and my dad went out for a guy day. The children went to the arcade. Somehow, the teenagers get stuck with their mothers.
"Crystal," Mrs.Martinez called for her.
She didn't respond.
"Crystal!"
Crystal groaned and lazily sat up, "Hm?"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She yawns, "I'm just...relaxing. Nice breakfast."
"Bet you had a nice midnight snack too," Josh inputted.
"Excuse you?" Crystal responded.
I could see lasers shooting from both sets of eyes, and I happened to be stuck in the middle of the internal war.
"Hailey," Mrs.Greyson called for me. "Aren't you going to eat your pancakes?"
I know she's trying to de-escalate the tension between her son and niece, but why does she have to throw the spotlight at me?
I smiled, "Of course." I grabbed the knife and fork then cut a piece. I put it in my mouth. "Yum."
I've been eating really well for the past few days - a bit too well. I've gained five pounds, and I can't seem to shred it off. There's no time alone.
It felt like everyone had their eyeballs on me.
Taniyah.
Ricardo.
Mr.Timberland.
Who else will find out?
It's my fault.
I need to be more careful now that my family is around.
My eyes went towards Josh, still glaring at a now asleep Crystal. I can't ever let Josh find out.
"Angelica!" Mom shouted.
Mrs.Winston and Ricardo arrive. Mrs.Winston smiles, "Good morning!"
"We've already ordered. I hope you don't mind," Mrs.Greyson said.
"Not at all," Mrs.Winston sat down beside mom. When Ricardo reached for the seat beside his mom, she said: "Ricardo. Why don't you sit over with your friends." She waved at us.
We're at a different table.
"Alright." Hesitantly, Ricardo made his way toward us as his mom happily chit-chatted with everyone else.
He sat down across from me. With a closer look, I can see the dark bags underneath his eyes. He yawns lightly.
"Good morning," I said.
"Morning," he responded.
Now, Josh's glare went toward Ricardo.
"What is it?" Ricardo asked.
Josh leaned inward, "I'm watching you."
Ricardo mockingly smiled, "Not interested."
Crystal is still asleep or maybe fake sleeping. I'm not sure.
Ricardo orders breakfast, and after it arrives, he eats it. Josh sips his coffee. He had already eaten his breakfast.
Finally, Crystal sat up straight. She looks around for a moment before she grabs the bacon from Ricardo's plate and eats it. Surprisingly, he didn't say anything.
The tension only got worse.
"You got your own plate," Josh's big brother lightswitch turned on.
"It's cold." Crystal takes another bite.
"Then, order another one."
"I don't wanna wait." She finished the bacon. I watch as Crystal grabs the piece of waffle on Ricardo's plate, takes it off, and eats it. She didn't even look away from Josh. "Yum."
Josh leans toward Crystal, "I will tell your mom."
She smiles, "Why don't you tell Hailey's mom too?" Crystal folded her arms, "Also, tell her that Hailey is your room-"
Josh grabs a piece of waffle from Ricardo's plate and shoves it in Crystal's mouth. "Eat your waffles."
Slowly, Crystal leans back while chewing on the waffle.
The glare between cousins resumes.
Ricardo slides his plate closer to himself.
After breakfast, the adults decide to go shopping. "You have to come with us," mom said.
Mrs.Winston chuckled, "Um, I'm not sure."
"You have to come with us, Angelica," Mrs.Martinez said. "We need a third person to really convince Nina not to buy anything horrendous."
Mrs.Greyson gasped, but it wasn't the I'm insulted kind of gasp.
"Mamma. We should go back," Ricardo said. "Papa is waiting."
Mrs.Winston's eyes travel around the room before she smiles, "I'll give your papa a call later. Let's go shopping."
Everyone cheers. Mrs.Martinez links arms with Mrs.Winston. Together, they went towards the elevator.
"You know what? I really like you," Mrs.Martinez says.
"Shit," mumbled underneath his breath.
"Why are you standing there?" Josh question. "Let's go." He's probably happy he's not the only guy here, mostly because he won't have to carry all the bags.
"Okay." I follow Josh towards the elevator.
When I looked back, Ricardo said something to a waiter. The waiter nodded, and off he went.
The mall was bustling with people, more than during the holidays. Everyone had an armful of bags and neatly dressed guards behind them. Parking lots were filled with fancy expensive cars. It was all so overwhelming.
Josh and Ricardo sat in the corner of the room with bags around them.
"You look so good in that," Mrs.Greyson said to Mrs.Winston.
Mrs.Winston flattens out the dress, "You think so?"
I didn't notice it since Mrs.Winston is always layered in clothes, but she's pretty skinny.
"Wow," Mrs.Martinez said. "You're all bones. Do you know what you need? Steak. Let's get some steak together tonight."
How can Taniyah say Mrs.Winston is a sly fox?
Mrs.Martinez likes her, and she rarely likes anyone.
"Oh. I don't know," Mrs.Winston responded.
"What do you mean I don't know?"
"It's...my husband. He doesn't like it when I go out for too long. He gets a bit...anxious."
"Give him a phone call," Mrs.Martinez said. "He'll get over it."
"He isn't the type of man who gets over things."
"Trust me, they all eventually get over it. You cannot imagine how many times Jackson and I bicker over something absolutely ridiculous. Eventually, he gets over it, and I win."
I'm sure Crystal got her personality from her mom. That would explain why they clash so often. They're too similar.
I noticed Crystal returned with two new bags.
"Where did you go?" I asked.
"Shopping."
Crystal waltzes toward Josh and Ricardo. She set the two bags beside Ricardo and left.
Josh groaned, "Stop shopping. Please."
They didn't stop. The days were filled with guards coming and going with an armful of bags.
"I'm telling you all. Kevin will have a whole farm later when he sees the credit card bill," mom said.
Right now, we're resting in front of a smoothie shop.
"Relax," Mrs.Martinez said. "He can sell one of the two flat-screen TVs in his man cave. Maybe, he'll finally get rid of that ugly chair too."
"I blame your husband," mom said to Mrs.Greyson.
My mind zooms out of their conversation. Josh leaned his smoothie close to me. I inch closer to the straw and pretend to drink it.
"Where did you go?" Josh asked Crystal.
"Shopping." She places the bag down.
"I'm starting to think you're filling some sort of void with all that shopping," Josh said.
"Yeah. My closet."
"Oh." I sat up straight, "Isn't that Mason?"
Mason wasn't too far away from us with a man. They both stared forward without exchanging a single word.
I waved at Mason.
He stops at our table.
Josh smiles, "Hey, Mason. Hello Mr.Everhart."
"Hey," Mason replied.
Mr.Everhart nods.
"You two are out shopping?" Josh question.
"No. Mom and Madison are shopping."
"Then, having some guys' times?"
"Yes." Then, silence. I don't talk to Mason often, but it would usually end like this when I do.
Josh stood up, "Where are my manners." They walked toward the adults' table who openly stared at us. "Mom. Do you remember Mason?"
Mrs.Greyson stood up, "Of course I do!" She hugs him, and he returns the affection, "How are you, Mason?"
He smiles slightly, "Good. Thank you for asking Mrs.Greyson." What a polite young man.
"Liam! How are you?"
"Good. And you?"
"Good." Mrs.Greyson turn towards the table, "Piper, you remember-"
Mrs.Martinez shakes her head in a fast motion before she smiles.
"Liam. This is my younger sister, Piper. Piper. This is Liam," her tone somehow deepens, "Gianni's brother-in-law. Remember? The man who makes our clothes."
Mrs.Martinez smacks her hands together, "Of course I do! I love Gianni and your designs! Your wife is an amazing runaway host. I attended the one in New York last year, and it was fantastic."
"Thank you," Mr.Everhart responds. "She will be pleased to hear that."
"Oh. These are our friends," Mrs.Greyson said.
"Hello." Mom stood up, "I'm Stephanie Vaughn."
Mr.Everhart stares at her hand for a moment before he takes it. "Pleasure." His eyes wander toward Mrs.Winston, "Good afternoon Mrs.Winston. It's nice to see you again."
Mrs.Winston smiles, "Likewise."
I shouldn't be surprised they know each other. It seems like Mason's dad is big in the fashion industry.
"Ooooooh. I should've been nicer to Madison and Mason," Crystal said.
"You didn't know about their dad?" I ask.
"No. I knew. It's just...he looks alot better in real life. I don't mind jumping that."
Ricardo scoffed, "He's old enough to be your grandpa."
Crystal grinned, "Please. Daddy at the most."
Now, there's a weird vibe.
After a brief conversational exchange, Mason and his dad left.
"Wow. Talking to that man is like talking to a brick wall," mom said.
Mrs.Greyson chuckles, "He's a bit socially awkward, but Mr.Everhart is a good man. Their family is all good people."
"I have a thing or two to say about that," Crystal mumbles underneath her breath.
We stayed at the mall for a few more hours to hit several more stores. Finally, everyone was tired, and we sat down again. Chairs in the mall are the best idea in the world. Well, it feels like that right now.
I rest my head against Josh's shoulder. Half of his body hung off the chair, and his head faced the ceiling. Ricardo had his head rested on the table and his eyes closed. Crystal is on her cell phone.
"What are you doing?" I ask Crystal.
"Shopping."
"Really?" We're at a mall, and she's shopping online? I can never understand Crystal.
Crystal tilts her head from left to right before lifting her phone forward. She puckers her lips before glancing at Josh. Josh was still staring at the ceiling. His soul is long gone. Crystal's nails tap against the table, and she slowly leans her chin down.
"What are you doing?" I lean in closer.
She clicks off her phone and jolts upward, "Nothing."
"I may not be the smartest person here, but-"
"Come on, HayHay. Don't put yourself down like that. You're smart in your own ways." She places a hand on my shoulder, "Okay?"
"Okay?"
She stands up, "Glad we had this conversation." She nods aggressively, "Well, bye!" She left again.
What...happened?
People come and go from all around us. Once I was settled in place without a single disturbance from the duo around me, I looked at my surroundings better.
Our parents are across from us with smoothies in their hands. They're laughing at something.
In the distance, I could see two men talking to each other. They laugh over something. They seem familiar. I'm pretty sure I saw them before.
And my memories didn't serve me wrong this time. I did see them in two of the stores we went to. It's almost as if they were following us.
One of them looks in our direction.
I pretended I was zoning out.
I think I got them fooled.
They wouldn't kidnap us in the middle of the day...right?
The longer we sat underneath the artificial light, the more tired I seemed to get.
Finally, we arrived at our next destination.
"Dinner? Of course!" Mrs.Winston cheerfully said. She coughs violently.
"Are you sure?" Mom asked.
Mrs.Winston waves it off, "I'm fine. Let's go."
Ricardo's face seems to worsen with each ticking minute. I wonder if he's tired from all the shopping.
When we got out of the shopping center, I couldn't wait to sit in the car and sleep. Maybe, if I fake sleep, someone will notice and take pity. They will send me back to my dorm room.
Sounds like a solid plan.
Everyone halts.
I move over to see why they all stop walking. In front of us was a dark car with a large man. I wouldn't say I'm the type who would be scared underneath the watch of someone - well, most of the time - but his stare engraved a different kind of fear inside of me. I step behind Josh almost as if it was a natural thing - a protective state.
His blue eyes roam around until they pin towards Mrs.Winston, "Mio cuore."
