The kitchen was on the first level of the house. It was probably four times the size of the old orphanage's kitchen. All the cabinets were white while the counters, granite. It probably had every appliance you would ever need when cooking, baking, etc. To the right side was a door that led to where the garden was. Every corner of this mansion was beautiful...
The oven was turning into a pretty orange color as Macy's apple pie was getting baked. Serena's head was lingering over the big pot with her own recipe of Mozzarella Chicken soup that she loved to make. Since I was not a good cook, my job was to toss the salad in a huge bowl. Cooking dinner for a big family sure was getting messy.
"Macy! Pass me the seasonings please?" Serena shouted at Macy who was by the fridge looking for some missing ingredients.
"Here," She picked up the jar of seasonings and handed it to Serena. "Lily didn't go groceries shopping this week or what? There's nothing in here."
"What are you missing?" Serena asked but kept her eyes fixed on her pot of soup.
"Most of the ingredients I need for my dish!" She whined. "I want to make Baked Lemon Grass Salmon..."
"Because it's Brad's favorite dish?" Serena looked over at Macy. "Did you plan on bringing some to him tomorrow?"
"No!" Macy's cheeks turned bright red at Serena's tease. "Serena, stop!"
"Who is Brad...?" Curiosity overtook and I stopped tossing the salad to chime into the conversation. "Macy's boyfriend?"
"In her dreams, he is." Serena raised her eyebrows at Macy, whose cheeks were still red as a tomato. "Macy has a huge crush on Brad, ever since the 7th grade!"
"SERENA!" Macy shrieked and stomped her legs. "I do not have a crush on him! We've been best friends since Kindergarden!"
"Right, right..." Serena rolled her eyes before really stopping the teasing. "Back to your apple pie, Mace."
"You won't be getting a piece." Macy snickered grumpily. "Your consequence of being a butt."
"Colton and Elijah will destroy the whole thing and probably lick it clean before I even have a chance of touching it. They always do!" Serena put a handful of seasoning into her pot of soup before turning around, opening the cabinets to look for something.
"Do you guys need any help?" Wren's voice made me shiver. He was like a completely different person to me than he was to every one else. What did I ever do wrong?
"We're almost done," Macy answered, not even looking up at him. "Why don't you and Pennie go set the table?"
Wren walked past me without acknowledging my presence. He just went straight to the cabinet and took out two stacks of plates, picking one up before heading out to the veranda. I'm guessing we're eating outside.
I walked over and carried the other stack of plates to follow Wren outside. He set the plates down on the big outdoor table in the middle of the small part of the Monrova's huge garden. The eating area had a cement area big enough for the big table and moving room for the chairs and for walking around.
Wren and I set the plates out in silence, I didn't even look up at him, afraid of another "attack". I had no idea why he was so mean, but I didn't care to find out either. He walked back and forth, carrying utencils and glasses as well as a few bottles of different juices.
I take the utencils and set them neatly on top of each plate, the breeze makes me want to go swimming. It's hot, but the cool breeze balances the temperature, making it just perfect for eating outside. I wonder if they eat out here a lot because we hardly get to eat outside at the orphanage even though the kids always beg Miss Ester to go outside and eat.
"I got it from here." Wren walked over and took the rest of the utencils from my hands.
"I'm suppose to be helping..." I sighed. "I know you don't want me here, but can you not be so mean?"
"I'm not being mean," He shrugged off my comment as if it didn't mean anything to him. "I'm just being honest and straightforward."
"Right..." I whispered to myself before walking back inside to see if Macy or Serena needs any help because obviously, Wren not only hates me, but he despites my presence in general.
I walked inside to find Colton standing next to Macy, still in his clothes from earlier. He looked so much like Wren from the side, except for his hair. Colton turned around, his brown eyes heaped as I walked toward them.
"Pennie." Colton's voice was a deeper than Wren's, a lot more intimidating. Ironic because their personalities were the complete opposite. "Do you need my help? They don't..."
He pouted his lips while pointing his fingers at Macy & Serena, making it impossible not to laugh.
"By helping, you mean eating." Macy smacked her brother's hand that was reaching for the pie. "By the time we're done, all the food will be gone."
"Pennie, let's go outside for a walk." Colton eyes glimmered under the kitchen lights, making him look even more stunning. "Since we aren't needed here."
"Yeah, let Colton shows you around. We'll call you guys once we're done." Serena was thrilled to hear that the food theft now had something to do and had to leave them alone.
"Are you guys sure?" I felt guilty that I was of no help at all. My cooking skills didn't reach a level higher than fried eggs and occasional casseroles.
"Yeah! This is our area, don't worry. Plus, you're a newcomer, let us cook for you!" Macy was too focused on her food to care for my presence.
Colton and I walked out the garden, passing by Wren, who was pouring the juice into the glasses. He didn't even look up to say hello to neither of us. Colton led me to the path opposite of the dining area of the garden.
The silence was sort of peaceful; all I could hear was the sound of our feet dragging on the cement. Colton was walking next to me, so close that our arms brushed against one another at times.
"Pennie," He stopped and turned to face me. "Aren't you confused? You know, as for... Well, everything?"
"Of course..." Confusion was an understatement about everything in this house. "I'm confused with almost everything that happens around here."
"I'm here to help, hopefully, clarifying those confusions." He chuckled. "You can ask me anything you don't understand."
"Well..." I look around the garden, "I don't quite understand the successor boys situation..."
"Ah." He laughed. "Successor boys, the greatest source of envy and entertainment in the elite world. Ever since Wren and I were seven, we have been living in the Monrova's house and under their wings.
"We were chosen out of all the eligible boys in the wealthy society as the successors in training for the Monrova's." He paused, making sure I was getting all the information. "IRIS, your family's company, was single-handedly created from scratch by your Grandfather when he was younger.
"But like every big company, there is a Board of Directors that looks over things that are happening in the company to make sure everything is going smoothly." He gestured for me to start walking with him before continuing. "And they stated that only a rightful successor that has passed the successor test can take over IRIS if your Grandfather can't take care of it any longer."
"What?!" I blurted out, full of shock. Sure, dad briefly told me about this but I didn't know it was so important. "What about my Father? Isn't he illegible? Why must it be one of you guys?"
"Well, they always have to think ahead for the far future." He nodded his head. "Plus, your father is already overlooking the company now, it's more like who's going to take after him. I know Zach doesn't want to be CEO for that long."
"Oh..." It was becoming a bit clearer to me now.
"That's why we were chosen." He shrugged playfully. "We've been training since we were little. Elijah came a little after us. We all call him Grandfather, too. Just because it gives us a closer connection to him."
"I understand now..." I whispered as we walk past a huge bush of white roses.
"You know, your mother was really beautiful." Colton was looking ahead, but I could sense the sadness in his voice as he brought up my mom. "You look just like her, therefore, you are beautiful."
My cheeks burned at Colton's comment, but my heart felt heavy at the thought of my mother.
"What was she like...?" The words came spilling out. Did I want to know? I was only going to get even more sad of not being able to meet the wonderful woman everyone talked about, whom I had the privilege to call mom.
"Your mother... Maribella Van Waltz, was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life..." Colton was looking at me now. "She was more motherly toward Wren and I than our own mother was."
"Wren was the closest to your mother." He sighed. "He was always looking for her. Wren was a very shy and quiet child. Your mother was his favorite person; they were always spending time together."
"Wren was close to my mother...?" It was hard to believe given how mean he was toward me. I couldn't imagine him being close to an older version of me.
"When she passed away, he was devastated. He was like a lost puppy..." Colton's voice was filled with sadness. "If you didn't know better, you would think Wren was her son."
"She was very gentle." He narrowed his eyes, thinking about my mom and what he remembered of her. "Very caring and extremely sophisticated. She was the definition of a perfect Mistress. Your parents were in love, so in love that not even a needle could get between them."
The thought of their love made me smile, feeling grateful for having such amazing parents.
"Your mother used to get very sad whenever the Ariella that was found turned out to be false," Colton continued. "If only we found you sooner..."
Tears rolled my down my ears, thinking about all the things she would tell me if she were here... And how happier I would have be with her still here. I told myself I would not linger over the thought anymore but I couldn't help it. My mom was the greatest occupation of my thoughts growing up. I longed for her when I was sad and sick.
"Pennie..." He pulled me in his arms, putting my head on his lean chest. I felt my cheeks heat up as he rubbed my back in a comforting manner. "Your mom would've been so happy to have you returned home."
"I wish..." I sniffed, feeling pathetic crying to someone I had just met. "She were still here... I never even got the chance to meet her... I..."
"I know, I know," He whispered in my ear and hushed my crying.
"Thank you, Colton..." I pulled away, not wanting to show my tears anymore.
"Come on." Colton wiped my tears off my face. "Let's head back. They must be waiting for us."
We walked back together, in silence. Wanting to distract myself from thinking about my mom, I thought of what Colton said about the successors. The four boys were here to be trained and one of them would end up inheriting IRIS. It all sounded so unrealistic. In the world of wealthy people, inheritance and business seemed to be the most important things when having enough food to eat to pass the day was the most important thing to the lower class.
But, my thoughts still wandered back to what he said about my mother and Wren. He used to be close to my mom... Would he be able to tell me how she was really like deep inside...? I would never get a chance to ask... Wren hated me and I didn't want him to provoke him even more.