Senna's POV
Mum and Peyton come running down the drive before I've even had a chance to get out of the car, just as I had imagined.
"Woah, Champ! I've been gone all of a moment and look how much you've grown," I say pulling my not-so-little sister in for a bear hug.
"You've been gone for almost a year," she says sarcastically while nuzzling into my neck.
I squeeze her tighter and kiss her on top of her head which now comes up to my shoulders, "I missed you kiddo."
She pulls away and looks up at me "I missed you too, Senna. And I ain't no kid, I'm 14."
"Come on, Son. Let's get you inside," My Mum calls out over her shoulder, interrupting our reunion. I watch as she drags one of my suitcases up the gravel pathway towards the door. The wheels clicking and scrapping as they roll.
I wrap my arm around Peyton's neck, "Come on, PeeWee. I wanna hear about everything." She hates that nickname but she smiles warmly. I give it a day before she's back to screaming at me.
Like me, her eyes are green and she has a small dimple on her left cheek. They're the two features that my Mum said first caught her eye when she first met my Dad. She also says she is now reminded of him every time she looks at us, knowing that we share this part of him, so I guess that's a good thing.
PeeWee's hair, like mine and Mum's, is dark and curly. When I left a year or so ago it was just past her collarbone and now it's halfway down her back. It scares me how fast things change when you're not around.
It's not like I haven't been home for a year, I have. Just for one night here and one night there. Nothing like now though when I have a few weeks off with no plans. A few weeks to really get back to reality and where my sister can fulfil the younger sibling duties and annoy the shiitake out of me.
As I walk through the front door I am hit by all the familiar sights and smells. I am relieved to see that nothing has changed. The family photos we took a year before my Dad died are all still on display on the wall directly inside the entry, the old lounge just to left of that. The spot when I knocked over the reading lamp and burnt a hole in the fabric with the hot glove on the arm of the chair is still visible.
I follow my nose and the sweet smell of home cooking. Making my way to the kitchen I find my Mum standing at the bench already icing a cake. Her curls messily restrained in a clip at the back of her head. She wipes her hands on the edge of her frilly apron and cuts three pieces, placing them each on the white ceramic plates we've had a long as I can remember.
"It's my new red velvet recipe. I need your opinion," she says sweetly and as she places the plates on the island bench.
Mum has always been a good cook, but she really only started to focus on it after Dad died. Whenever Jax and Beckett were over for band practice she would make us her taste test dummies, which I am pretty sure is the only reason the boys kept coming back because to be honest when we first started Gate Thirty Four we weren't very good.
I sit down on the bar stool at the edge of the island bench directly next to Peyton who is already halfway through her piece of cake. I notice the fabric on the chair is worn through.
"Mum I know you said you didn't want a new house but could you at least let me buy you some new chairs?"
I can see her thinking about it as she takes a bite out of her peice. Mum has always been very stoic and never wanted to take advantage of my success. I have argued with her so many times that I owe her my success and that everything I have achieved is her success too- but she won't have it.
When we got our first big royalty check I had tried to buy her a new house but she had insisted that the memories were too great here, to "just pack up and leave". I guess that's why she's kept the same lounge suite, the same crockery and the same chairs. Part of me is grateful too, I mean it always feels like home when I step through the doors and not just another Hotel or Serviced apartment.
"Okay," she says after a while. "One condition."
"Name it!" I reply confidently between mouthfuls of cake.
"Before you leave, promise me you will have those boys over, just like old times. The house feels far too empty when you lot are gone." I watch as the edges of her mouth turn downwards.
I sometimes forget how hard it is for our families when we're away. I mean if we're lonely being out there doing what we love, imagine being the ones left behind. Then imagine seeing and reading all the made up stories about us, and in many cases not finding out the truth until we have time to call which can be days at a time.
I get off my seat and give her a hug. "I'll ask them Mum. I'm sure they'd love to see you," I answer truthfully.
I message the boys on our group chat, each of them replies within a few minutes. They all said yes, which wasn't a surprise. Jax always said he felt more at home and my house than he did his own, and he even calls my Mum, Mum.
Beckett, I think, just likes being away from his dominating Mum. And as for the twins, well they just like food and since my Mum is a feeder it works in their favour.
We exchange a few messages back and forth. Jax's Mum, thankfully, is currently single. The twins are already off on some crazy farm adventure. Meanwhile, Beckett is already asking if he can go back on tour to escape him Mum. Home sweet home, I think as I close my phone and ask Peyton about school.
"I guess it's pretty good. I mean it's pretty easy to make friends when you're brothers a rock star," she answers with a smirk.
"I see."
"The only sucky thing is that they all want to date you," she says as she scrunches up her face in disgust.
"Well, I know all about that. If I recall correctly a certain sister of mine has a thing for one of my best friends," I say in reference to Peyton's long-standing crush on Beckett.
She picks up her forks and flicks a piece of cake at me. "Shut up!"
"You better clean that up young lady," my Mum says with a smirk.
Round one Senna, I think as I clear the plates.
I take my suitcase with me as I head up to my room. Unlike the rest of the house, my room has changed somewhat in the time that I've been gone. For one thing, it's finally clean, and for another, I was able to afford to upgrade my single bed to a double. The blue race car curtains I've had since I was five are, however, still firmly in place across my window.
As I step across the floor I feel the familiar feeling of the cream coloured plush carpet beneath my feet. I sit on the end of the bed and fall back down on top of the pillows, looking directly up at the glow in the dark stars and planets that still line the ceiling. I must have been six or seven when my Dad gave them to me. He looked me straight in the eye and made me promise to always aim for the stars. It is memories like this that make me understand my Mum's resistance to moving or renovating.
Laying there in the quiet I consider taking a nap, despite the fact that is only just past 1 pm. After all, what is a holiday for if not for napping? As I close my eyes all I can think about is Harri. I haven't spoken to her since before we took off. I pull out my phone to check in with her.
"Hey."
"Hey." Even though its only one word, it's still enough to make me smile.
"What are you doing?"
"It's lunchtime. As per the best friend brother relationship agreement, I am sitting at Theo's table with Jazz and his friends."
"And texting me." I write cheekily.
"Well texting you is much more enjoyable that listening to the Lacrosse Team recount last weeks win. Then again, what isn't?
What you are up too?"
"Just got home. Laying on my bed, thinking it's about time I got rid of my blue race car curtains."
"You're home? That means we're in the same time zone."
"No comment about the blue race car curtains?"
"Well, I was going to let it slip by but since you mention it..."
"Lol."
"But you're home. Feels weird to know where you are.
Oh Gouda cheese! That sounded creepy. What I meant was, it feels weird to know the town you're in, not like exactly where you are." I imagine her snorting with laughter.
"Lol. Stalker much? Don't get used to it, I'm off again in a few weeks."
"I stalk because I care... ;) At least that's what Jazz always says when I catch her out.
But seriously you're always traveling. Aren't you tired?"
"Yes. In fact I'm just about to take a nap."
"It's only 1pm. You can't nap through lunchtime!"
"Good thing I'm not at school then." I tease.
"True, napping during in class is generally frowned upon, but I was more worried about missing lunch. I mean I live for food." Me too I think as I read her message.
"Haha. Don't worry about me. My Mum is making sure I'm well feed."
"Good! Can't have you wasting away on me. Lol."
Little does she know that if ever there was a fate I was destined for at home, starving to death would not be one of them.
"Sorry SJ. Have to go. Time for Science with Mr. Grayson. Chat tonight?"
"It's a...." shiitake, do I say date? Do I not? Think quick, Senna. I tell myself." FaceTime date."
"I'll call you when I finish school. Enjoy your nap."
"I will.
Enjoy Science!"
"I won't! ;)"
"<3"
Not even ten minutes later I'm drifting off thinking about how much I love holidays.
———
Hey everyone,
Sorry it's been a little longer today get this one up. I struggled a little bit but I really wanted to show Senna's relationship with his family. His Dad was a pretty big influence in his life.
Good news -I've already started the next chapter which should be up in around 24 and then one after that a day or two later.
Which means that by Friday the moment we've all been waiting for (yes I'm talking about Serri finally meeting) should be up. Yeyyy!
As always let me know what you thought of the chapter.
-Trudz