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"Kids!" Rosa's voice rang out as soon as we got home.
"Hi Rosa," Marcus smiled charmingly and kissed her on the cheek. We all
followed his lead, kissing her on both cheeks before putting our backpacks down in our rooms.
"You guys ready for game night?" She smiled.
"Yeah," We all grimaced. She continued with her jovial mood all the way to dinner.
We were eating quietly when she spoke up.
"Do you kids know how to play Poker?" Our mouths dropped, "Let's have a little bet, a bet for something,"
"Do you mean gambling?" Marcus stuttered.
"Gambling is such an ugly word, I prefer betting, or wagering," She smiled her sweet old lady smile.
"Auntie Rosa you are a gambler," I giggled.
"And a week ago you were pregnant," She snapped and I immediately shut my mouth.
Melvin bent over trying to control his laughter but failing miserably.
"Bottom line is you can label anything," Rosa smiled.
"I don't know Rosa, we can play monopoly or something," Marcus said cautiously.
"Oh that old game? That's a snooze, besides I know there's something you're just dying to ask me,"
"How did you-"
"I'm not as old as I look dear, you should have figured that out last time you tried to test me. Go on child, ask me,"
"We were thinking of throwing a little get together," Melvin spoke up in place of a very shocked Marcus.
"Speak plainly Melvin dear, don't sugarcoat, it's not professional," She interrupted.
We all had clearly underestimated my aunt, this attitude was definitely not what we had bargained for.
"We want to throw a party," Melvin said once more.
"How did we not see this coming?" Joseph hissed quietly to me, clearly shocked at Rosa's behavior.
"Maybe because you could barely pee standing up the last time we saw her," I hissed back.
"Well I don't know how well your parents would approve of that but maybe if you beat me in poker I will go on an overnight trip to a friends house," The devious woman offered.
"You have friends?" Melvin blurted.
"Shut up Melvin, what he means to say is we'll take it, we win we throw a party, we lose it's off," Marcus said elbowing Melvin in the stomach.
"Perfect, you four wash the dishes and I'll go set up," She smiled..
"We got this guys," Joseph said trying to pump everyone up.
"Yeah, how hard can it be to beat an old lady in poker?"
*After dinner*
"Royal Flush," Rosa said triumphantly placing her cards down in front of her.
"Goddamnit,"
"How the hell,"
"I don't even know how to play poker,"
"There are literally four of us here how did not one of us beat her,"
"Fuck my life,"
"How does this even happen,"
"Well that's it, we're screwed,"
"Goodbye party,"
"Goodbye hot girls,"
"You guys are gross,"
"Shut up Lydia,"
"Are you four done or is there more to this?" Rosa interrupted the Tonelli freak out.
"Damn it!"
"Yup got it out of our systems,"
"Okay well if you could excuse me I have to go call a friend, I'll be back soon," She got up and left, taking her chips and cards with her.
"That was awful," Marcus said once she had left. We all flopped down on the couch in front of the Tv, piled on top of each other in sad comfort.
"Stop talking about it and watch," Marcus said grumpily flipping on the Tv, he was possibly the sorest loser out of the family.
"This is pathetic," Rosa's voice came from behind us, she was in a night gown and had curlers in her hair.
"What is?"
"I will let you have your party," She laughed.
"What?" We were astonished.
"I was going to let you have it anyway, I just wanted to let you suffer a little,"
"Thank you thank you thank you Rosa!" Marcus was on his feet hugging the life out of Rosa.
"That's enough dear, just tell your kids about your cool aunt one day,"
We all laughed and she did a spin dance move and shot her 'finger gun", blowing the imaginary steam.
"I still got it," She licked her finger and put in on her butt and made the tss noise, and then walked back to her room, leaving us all with that image burned into our brains.
"That was terrifying," Joseph said.
"My eyes, they're burning!" I screeched.
Marcus clawed at his eyes while chanting , "That didn't happen," over and over again while Melvin rocked back and forth muttering to himself.
"I just forgot my-" Rosa walked in and took in our horrifies positions and rolled her eyes.
"Oh don't be dramatic, I'm still young and hip!" She said offended.
"Don't make it worse Rosa!"
*Later that night*
"What time is it there?" I asked Joseph.
"They're nine hours ahead," He responded and I walked back to my room with the laptop.
I was going to Skype Greg, this was the first time this week my brothers weren't busy and had time to video chat.
I waited impatiently as it rung, making that annoying plopping noise. I was tempted to shut it off when finally Greg's face came up.
"Lydia!" He grinned.
"Greg!" I couldn't help but grin back, I missed him terribly and it hurt to see him on video chat and not in real life.
"How are you Lyd?" He asked.
"I'm okay, Marcus is a pain in the ass but he's actually stepping up to the plate," I admitted.
"I can't believe it's only been a week that we've been gone," He marveled rubbing the scruff on his chin.
"Yeah and you've managed to grow a beard in a week," I laughed,
"You noticed!"
"It's kind of hard not to, you look like a homeless," I giggled and he growled jokingly.
"I am a handsome homeless though, you have to admit,"
"Eh, you could do better," I rolled my eyes and he chuckled, "So how is building going?"
"It's taking forever, we've hired other workers to help us but it's taking forever to clear the burned wood, you should see it it's," He trailed off into silence, looking distant with haunted eyes.
"At least everyone is okay," I said trying to make light of the situation. I could tell it was hard to see the monumental house in ashes.
"Yeah, grazie a dio, the boys are doing better, they were pretty upset at first but now they're excited to come to America.
"Oh the boys-" I started but was interrupted by Melvin coming up behind me.
"Greg!" Melvin grinned and shoved me over to be seen in the camera.
"Melv, how's it going buddy?" Greg grinned happily.
"I was skyping my brother," I grumbled at Melvin, annoyed I now had to share Greg.
"Sorellina, there's enough Greg to go around," Greg said, obviously pleased with the extra attention.
"How is everything," Melvin and Greg rambled on about their lives and sports and various other things I had no interest in.
I was starting to get annoyed, I felt like I was third wheeling their literal bromance. I was about to go when Michael and George came up on the screen.
"Mickey!" I screeched, my nickname for Michael.
"Lydia Bambino!" Michael grinned, I smiled at his term of endearment. These boys were my brothers.
"Che dire di me?" George asked what about me?
"Ti voglio bene anch'io!" I love you too I laughed.
"No we need to speak English, we are going to be Americans soon," Mickey said with only a slight hint of an accent.
"I can't wait," My smile faltered slightly when I was reminded of Damon but it fortunately went unnoticed.
"One big happy family, huh Georgie?" Greg grinned grabbing George by the back of the neck and strangling him affectionately.
"Where's Theo?" I asked.
"He's hanging out with Felix, he's too cool for us," Greg rolled his eyes. Oh god.
All the boys looked up to Felix and if Theo was spending time with him that meant he was being trained as a mini Felix.
"Hey don't judge, that was you a month ago, are you forgetting?" Melvin called Greg out.
"He's right Greg, it was hard to tell where Felix ended and Greg started,"
"Hey is this gang up on Greg Skype?" Greg laughed but we knew he had been properly put in his place, Melvin and I fist bumped under the computer.
"Where's Joey? He's always nice to me,"
"I'll get him," I laughed.
"Get Marcus too, maybe Theo will come if he sees someone his age," George said.
"I'm on it!" I walked out and went to Joseph's room.
"What?" He looked up from his computer.
"Family Skype, I'm going to go get Marcus too," I said and walked to Marcus' room.
Marcus!" I snapped when he didn't open the door after I knocked fourteen times.
I heard his voice murmuring from the other side of the door. What was he doing?
"Marcus I don't know what you're doing, and I don't want to know, but we're having a family Skype with the cousins, Theo's asking for you," I yelled and before I could back up the door swung open.
"Lydia shut up I was on the phone, don't be dramatic," Marcus shoved me and I stumbled back to my room where Joseph was greeting them all.
"Theo!" I shouted happily.
"Lydia!" He kissed his palm and pretended to chuck it at me like a baseball, an inside joke.
He always made fun of our American habits and we made fun of his Italian habits so he combined the two and since then it stuck.
I pretended to swing a baseball bat and he laughed.
"God you guys are weird," Marcus said sitting behind me.
"Marcus, brother how are you," Theo's accent was slightly thicker than the others.
We stayed up until twelve laughing and having a good time, if this was how it would be when they got to America I wanted them to come desperately.
When it was twelve thirty we heard Felix's voice yelling at them for keeping us up so we had to hang up. We all went to bed feeling satisfied and optimistic for winter break.
Everything was going great, we would have the party and once December came our cousins would move to America.
What else could go wrong?
I probably spoke too soon.
Heyy hope you liked it, above is a slideshow of who I think would fit all the cousins. At the end I left you with an ominous feeling lol but hopefully nothing will happen until after the party, I will try to get that up next chapter :)
Don't forget to vote and comment love you guys :*