After I finished unpacking my stuff and arranging the room according to myself, I welcomed the thirst with open arms. I walked out of the room and started walking downstairs.
"Little C! Wait up." I heard Carl call me and I stopped. We started walking downstairs together once he reached me. "Guess what room did I get?" He quirked an eyebrow. Before I could answer, he said, "Summer themed! It's filled with bikini clad girl's posters and that's fucking amazing!" He grinned.
"That's sick, Big C." I scrunched up my nose.
He rolled his eyes. "Yes, mom. Anyways, what room did you get? My guess is winter?"
I nodded. "Yup."
"I see you guys are done earlier than I expected." Josie met us in the kitchen.
Carl nodded. "And we're thirsty."
She chuckled. "Okay, yeah. Here." She threw two bottles of soda towards us and we caught it gracefully.
"What room did you guys chose?" She asked.
"Summer." I said while pointing to Carl, "And winter." I pointed at myself.
"Little C. " Carl said pointing to me, "Big C." He pointed at himself mimicking me. I slapped his arm.
Josie laughed. "Okay, well, Casey got her Barbie room and Seth has his hot wheels one."
"I bet she's still squealing in her room." Carl commented with me nodding in agreement.
"That, she is." Josie said and it was then that I noticed faint squealing noises, no wonder coming from Casey's room.
"Shut up!" I heard a groan and saw Seth enter the kitchen, an annoyed look plastered on his face. His hair was disheveled as if he had been pulling on them.
"Josie, make that obnoxious girl shut up." He said straight forwardly, ignoring our presence.
"Hey, that's my sister you're talking about, kid." Carl snarled as I held him back.
"Oh, my sympathies that you have to bear the same torture everyday at your place." He mocked and I chuckled unintentionally.
"She'll soon get bored." I said coolly to Josie but my comment was directed at Seth.
He looked at me and nodded, then turned to Josie. "Where are the rest of the guys? You said one hour and they're late."
"We're right here, Seth." Stella smiled as she entered the kitchen, Stefan and Samantha following close behind.
"And Colton?" Josie looked at me.
"He's been in the living room for the past hour." Samantha piped in and we all turned towards her. Embarrassed, she explained. "I forgot my school bag there and went to take it, that's when I saw him."
"Alright, then let's move in there." Josie clapped her hands like a coach again.
We all shuffled back to the living room where now a bored Casey was talking to an even bored Colton.
"Take your seat, guys. It's gonna be long and boring." Josie said.
Carl and I stood beside where Casey and Colt were sitting with Stefan and his siblings right across us. Josie sat on a recliner in between. "Okay, so as I'm going to be living with eight teenagers for a month, I've set up some rules for my sanity and my house's safety. These are to be followed, not arguments on that."
"Rule number one - try and refrain from causing fights and killing each other while you guys are living here. Two, I may not be living with my whole family but whenever we all meet, we do everything together. I do not expect that from you guys but breakfast and dinner will be eaten together. On weekends, we have lunch together instead of dinner because, of course, you kids will have plans."
"Three : the curfew should be ten as your mothers have told me but because I'm much cooler than your parents, you guys have to be back by midnight if you're partying. I may be cool but I punish severely. I work during the day, so please don't set my house on fire while I'm away. Four. You can bring in your friends but no parties in my house. Sleepover is cool but no parties. And the most important rule. Rule number five : no sex under my roof." She said making a sharp eye contact with everyone, specially Carl, making me snicker. "So that's that. If I remember anything later on, I'll be sure to inform you guys. I hope I'm clear."
"Is this a boarding school?" Stefan commented, bored beyond words.
Josie glared at him. "If that's what you want to call it. Knowing your family history with each other, this is all I can do to save myself and my precious house."
He sighed. "Alright, I get it." He raised his hands up in surrender.
"Any more questions?" Josie asked. Samantha raised her hand.
"What are with the rooms and the themes?"
Josie chuckled. "I was kind of expecting that. My grandfather was a very artistic man. He made sure that each room was unique themed which ended in four season themed rooms and the other two as sunrise and sunset themed room upstairs. The barbie and hot wheels room downstairs were styled for me and my brother - grandpa wanted a grandson too - but instead my younger sister was born. She was more girly so she got the barbie room and I was more into motorbikes and cars so hot wheels room was fun. The only two rooms in this house that are normal are the guest room and my grandpa's room - where I stay."
"Your whole family sounds cool." Seth commented.
"I think so too. Anyways. Remember the rules. You really don't want to mess with an angry Josie Cohen."
"What about the weekends. I mean, do we have to stay in?" Carl asked.
Josie shrugged. "I thought teenagers these days had their weekends planned? If you do then you guys can leave after lunch and be back by midnight. If not then we can have a friendly competition between you guys. Friendly being the keyword here."
"No thanks." Stefan commented rudely.
"You know, you can at least be nice to Josie. But then again, that's quiet impossible for you, right? To be nice to anyone?" I snapped.
He glared at me. "Don't test my patience Emery. I'm not in the mood."
I glared back. "I can lend you tampons if you're running short." I mocked causing my siblings to laugh.
"Stefan, Clara - specially you both have to control your temper against each other." Josie warned.
I looked away from Stefan, respecting Josie's words. Surprisingly, he didn't say a word to me either.
"Alright. Curfew is at midnight. Dinner and breakfast together with everybody. No parties but sleepovers are allowed. No fighting with each other. If that's it then I'll take my leave." He got up. After Josie's short nod, he walked out of the house.
"We'll go see mum and dad." Colton suggested looking at us. We nodded and walked out too, towards our house.
x x x
"Clara!" I heard my name being called and whirled around only to be pushed back into my locker by none other than my crazy best friend.
"Oh my word, Hannah! Are you trying to kill me?" I breathed as I wriggled out of her death grip hug.
She held me at an arm's length and pouted. "I thought you missed me too as much as I missed you."
I rolled my eyes at her. "We hitched a ride with Keith together this morning, Hannah. I don't know how much you can miss me in three hours that have passed since then." I said and shut my locker. We both started moving towards the cafeteria for lunch.
"Three hours is enough for old and grumpy teachers to bore me to death. Why don't we have any classes together today?" She huffed, matching my quick paces.
"We have three classes together a week, Han." I rolled my eyes yet again.
"And that is not enough! We're best friends and we're supposed to have all the classes together." She whined.
I raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah? Why not tell the principal your stupid logic and then we'll have same classes all days a week."
She rolled her eyes at me. "Only if he would listen to me." She muttered.
By the time she muttered how it's unfair for us to not have same classes for Calculus, Home Economics and Chemistry, we reached the cafeteria.
"Clara! Hannah! Over here!" Keith yelled and waved at us like a maniac from our usual table.
We both grinned at him and walked towards him. "I saved a seat for you both." He flaunted.
"Keith, nobody would sit at this table because they know this is reserved for us." I said.
"Yeah, all thanks to Clara and Stefan's continuous bickering that every other kid at school is afraid she'll snap at them too. Remember what happened last time?" Hannah said taking her seat beside Keith and across me.
"That was because she was on her period." Keith comments and I kick him under the table.
"Yeah, announce it to the world, asshole." I mutter making my two best friends laugh.
"Oh no!" Hannah groaned suddenly. Keith and I turned towards her, silently asking what.
"Devil and his posse." Was all she said and Keith and I both followed her line of vision to see Stefan and his best friends Drew Baker and the twins Emily and Ethan Rush entering the cafe.
"How obnoxious." I mumbled under my breath remembering the incident that happened today morning.
"Did Mr. and Mrs. James leave already?" Keith asked, still eyeing the Devil's posse.
"They must have by now. I saw them last at breakfast." I answered.
"So how is it living with the Satan himself?" Hannah asked, sending her attention to me.
I shrugged. "Nothing much happened yesterday. We just unpacked into the rooms allotted to us and Josie announced some rules for us to follow until we are living with her. Then we went back for dinner with mum and dad and slept at our place itself. Just in the morning Stefan annoyed Carl which is why Keith had to pick me up. And yeah, the devil started a fight with me for rooms but I kicked him out."
"That's not even the starter." Keith chuckled.
I glared at him. "Yeah, wait for the main course buddy." I said sarcastically.
"Well, from today you're gonna share the same roof as him. I'm excited for much spiciness in my life." Hannah said in a suggestive tone.
"I'm keeping my mouth shut." I smirked earning a groan from her.
"You can't do that to me. We're best friends." She whined.
"Yeah, and my life is a free entertainment for you, isn't it? I'm gonna buy something for me, my tummy's hungry." I said and got up.
"I'll share from Hannah's lunch." Keith said.
"No you won't. Go get your own lunch." I heard Hannah refuse by the time I reached the lunch line.
"Bad timing." Someone groaned from behind me making me groan too.
"Probably the first time that I agree with you." I muttered to myself.
Surely, he heard me. "You've got a point there, Emery."
I kept quiet, not wanting to argue with him again. After today morning's verbal assault Carl and Stefan caused each other, I don't think I'm ready to fight him, yet.
"That's strange. Got nothing to say anymore, Emery?" Stefan mocked.
I huffed. "I want to eat my lunch in silence, Stefan." I said and grabbed a tray. He did the same.
"Likewise. Oh look, Emery, we agreed on another thing." He sneered.
Honestly, him calling me Emery was annoying me but I knew how to keep my cool.
"What's taking you so long, Chase?" A high pitched nasally voice spoke and I knew it as Emily Rush's. I turned back slightly and unsurprisingly, it was her, running her fingers seductively on Stefan's arm making me gag.
"Oh, it's just Emery." He shrugged casually.
Emily frowned. "Emery? Who the fuck is that?"
Her words made me frown and Stefan frowned too. "Not your problem." He stated coolly.
Emily shrugged. "If you say."
I stepped forward in line and grabbed a slice of pizza and some fries. I paid for my food and walked away from Stefan and his sex partner for weekends.
"I gotta go see the coach. He has called for me." Keith informed me and walked away as soon as I reached my table.
"Good thing, your food is safe." Hannah whispered making me laugh.
I finished my lunch and walked towards the lockers with Hannah beside me. "Meet you after school?" I asked.
"Can't. Homecoming Committee Meeting." She said apologetically.
"That's cool. Guess I'll have to take the bus home. Keith has got practice too." I shrugged.
"What about your Track practice?" She asked me while I took out my Chemistry notebook.
"There's a new coach. Replacement of Mrs. Densie. There's a rumor that she is pregnant so we won't start until next week." I informed.
"And about the captain issue?" She asked again.
I sighed. "Mrs. Densie was a fair judge but I don't know with this new teacher. And if they ask team vote for it, I'm damn sure Stefan is gonna get the captaincy. They're his followers, after all."
"I hope for the best." She said crossing her fingers.
I chuckled. "Okay, yeah. See you later then." I said and turned towards my chemistry class, one that I shared with him.
"Bye!" She yelled and walked away to her Calculus class.
x x x
Hey guys!
I'm back again with these cuties. Did you like this chapter? What about the progress? Is the story going too slow? Leave me your opinions and suggestions and don't forget to vote!
Keith Rowens played by Nick Robinson in my head! Isn't he a total babe? Anyways, if you don't like my cast, feel free to imagine whoever you want to but I see my characters like I cast them, Specially Stefan and Clara. Because Dylan Sprayberry and Odeya Rush are love<3. And Victoria Justice as Emily Rush.
Vote and comment!
Love, Esme.