Sienna Bruno.
Beautiful, stylish, and perfect from head to toe.
I'd never really thought about if Alex had other family members. I just assumed it was Antonio, him and his mother when she was alive.
Now like a hurricane in Doc Martens, Sienna Bruno has swopped into the kitchen, gushing about her latest travels.
"Then I was in Morocco doing charity work. I also booked a job there taking photos for websites for very important travel businesses," Sienna explains.
She's running around looking for plates in the cupboards.
"Alex, where are they?" she asks.
Sienna talks at about a million words per second.
"Top left," replies Alex, his focus not leaving the pasta he is scooping onto his plate.
"Right...here they are everybody!"
Sienna turns back to the kitchen bench with a stack of full of plates in her hands. With a huff, she hands one to Lily who is impatiently tapping her foot.
"Thanks," Lily quips.
Sienna flips her dark red hair over her shoulder. "Now next I was in Greece and my God it was beautiful! Remember when we went there when you were, like, ten Alex?"
Alex purses his lips and nods. He is still moving around the pasta in the large pot with the ladle.
Sienna smiles a full, white smile and holds out her arms.
"Oh, I just can't believe how big you have grown! It has only been two years!" cries Sienna, throwing her arms around Alex.
Alex's jaw tightens and he locks eyes with mine. They are icy and I can tell he hates this hug with a passion. I thow him a smirk.
"Excuse me please," Lily mutters to Alex, trying to get to the pasta.
With Sienna still hanging on like a baby Koala, Alex hands Lily the ladle. She fills up her plate and twists around in a flurry and comes to sit next to me at the kitchen table.
"And of course I get to see my favourite zio!" cries Sienna, finally letting Alex go.
Antonio walks past with a plate so Sienna can give him a kiss on the cheek. "Preferito zio? I though that belong to Uncle Lorenzo. Anyway we are so happy you are here Sienna. Aren't we Alex?"
"Uh-huh," he replies. I'm not sure if Alex's coldness is because of their earlier fight or if he isn't pleased to see his cousin.
"I'm just so glad to be home and to be back in Australia," Sienna laughs.
"God, her energy is over the top," Lily mumbles in my ear, sliding into her seat.
I look away from Alex and chuckle. "Don't you like her? I think she is great."
Lily chokes on her food. "Really?"
With my knife and spoon, I twirl my pasta. "Yes, really. She is worldly and has a lot of stories."
Lily scoffs.
"Also I can't believe my baby cousin has a girlfriend!" Sienna says.
I look up from my food and smile at Sienna. She looks me up and down.
Then she smiles.
Lily groans. "I hate fake people."
"What do you mean fake people?"
"That girl, whoever she is, doesn't like you."
"Seriously Lily. We just met, of course, she doesn't love me yet," I grumble.
"I'm just saying look out for her," Lily says, putting more pasta in her mouth. "I saw the way she greeted you. Sienna is not too happy that you are dating her cousin. She doesn't like you."
I frown, trying to brush Lily off. Maybe she had a point though?
When Alex and I had come downstairs, hand in hand, there Sienna was hugging Antonio. When she looked up and saw Alex she was happy and smiley, that all changed when she saw Alex and I's hands together.
Her eyes turned the same ice colour, Alex's do when he's upset.
She basically shoved me off Alex so she could hug him. When Alex explain who I was she did look happy but the hug she gave me was awkward and to the side.
Lily is probably wrong. Maybe Sienna Bruno just doesn't like strangers?
"Wait who doesn't like Maddie?"
Will slides onto the bench seat next to Lily.
"Sienna," she replies, taking another bite of pasta.
"Wha-Lily!" I hiss.
"Sorry!" she mumbles through a mouth full of pasta.
"Wait, Sienna doesn't like you?" Will questions.
"Yes."
"No!" I correct. "She is just probably surprised that her cousin is dating someone."
"True," Will agrees.
"No," Lily protests, shaking her head. "She gave her a side hug and just then looked her up and down."
Will sucks in air with gritted teeth. "Yikes. Doesn't look good Maddie."
I groan and slap the table.
Can I get no one's support?
"Don't tell anyone, Will," I warn.
In an exaggerated slap, Will puts his left hand across his chest and his right hand in the air. "Scouts honour. Nothing gets past this man!"
"Wrong hand, dummy," Lily smiles, kissing Will on the cheek.
"Terribly sorry, m'lady."
"And," Lily continues, "she has done a lot of charity work. I don't think we can trust her."
"Wait, your logic is she is a bad person because she does charity work?!"
"Yeah, bit weird babe," Will laughs.
Lily shrugs. "Hey, she is a photographer. That can't be paying the big bucks. So how is she doing all this travel? Also, have the time to do charity work? Apart from if you are Princess Diana if you are doing charity work you definitely have underlying issues or something you are trying to hide."
Will and I glance at each other.
"Hey, Maddie!"
I turn around to Sienna.
"I love that necklace you are wearing! I have a thing for gold jewellery," Sienna says.
She adjusts the gold septum ring in her nose.
"Did Alex give that to you?" she continues.
Quickly I glance over to Alex who is eating in the kitchen quietly then back to Sienna. "Oh-um-no it was my sister's."
"Aww, doesn't Alex buy you gifts?" she replies.
Her tone makes me feel a bit uneasy. It is mean but not quite nice either. Almost like she pities me.
I nervously fidget at the necklace, looking between Alex and Sienna. He clenches his fist and goes to step forward, probably to say something but I interject.
"No-I mean-yes, he does but this was my sister's."
Sienna raises an eyebrow. "You have a sister? Well, she has good taste."
I don't correct Sienna to say had instead of have. She doesn't need to know about Margo's riding accident.
"Thanks," I mumble.
I take the last final bites of my pasta and get up and step out of my seat.
"I'm gonna go adjust my band-aids," I announce, placing my plate up onto the kitchen bench. "Thanks for dinner, Mrs. Ramirez.
"I'll go with you," Alex quickly says.
I shake my head. "No, stay here. I'm okay."
I disappear into the hallway.
I had to get out of there. Lily's words about Sienna have really gotten into my head. It was getting too stuffy in there anyway.
"Wait, Maddie!"
I stop and fold my arms around myself.
Sienna comes running to my side. I face her.
"I didn't run you out of there, did I?" she asks.
I sigh.
I can't do this right now.
"No," I reply. "You seem really great Sienna. Why would you?"
Sienna gives me a smile. A pitying smile. "Well... Antonio just explained to me the situation about your sister."
My eyes drop to the ground. Of course, he did.
"Don't mention it. I'm used to it."
"Well, since we are going to be family, I don't want you feeling awkward around me," Sienna sighs, holding her hands out to me. "'k?
I take them. "Don't worry I don't."
The thought of being a part of the Bruno family does worry me a little though. I try and not to let it show on my face.
"Great!" Sienna exclaims.
Her accent is a mix of Australian, Italian and a few other European countries.
Suddenly she has her arms wrapped around me. I tentatively hug her back. Something didn't feel right.
Letting go she says, "You seem great."
Sienna then starts to walk off. She whispers something under her breath as she travels. It catches me off guard.
"Sienna, what did you say?" I question.
Sienn stops, clutches her fists and turns around. "Oh nothing."
I press my eyebrows together. "You sure? I swear you said..."
My words trail off. I can't tell Sienna that I swear I heard her say can't believe Alex likes her.
Lily has really gotten into my head.
"...I just thought you said someting."
Sienna shuts her partly opened mouth. "Oh right! Sorry I was just saying I can't believe I get to come on this cool trip with your guys."
Wait, what?
"What do you mean?"
Sienna crosses her arms. "Why do you think I'm here? I'm travelling around Australia with you to be the photographer."
My mouth falls open. I don't care if it looks rude. Why didn't Antonio tell us?
First exchange students, now Sienna. This trip is getting more and more crowded.