Start Again

Chapter Two- Family Meeting

It took me ten minutes to unpack, to situate photographs of me and my mum across the dresser and chest of drawers and fold my lack of clothing in the chest as well as hang them up in the wardrobe, however, once I was done my clothing looked more lonely in the giant wardrobe than I felt. I sat down on the bed. I picked up the parcel that Max had got for me and opened it, it was soft whatever it was. I pulled it out the packaging, it was a hooded jumper, it was red and blue and on it the printed lettering spelt out 'REDHAVEN RAVENS' it was a school jumper, the Ravens must have been the mascot. I liked it, I decided to leave it on the bed though it was time for me to go explore my new accommodation.

I opened the door into the hallway, looking at the door beside mines there was a similar letter but instead of S this one was an M. This must be Max's room, I lightly tapped on the door. In one way I hoped he was downstairs, so I didn't have to make awkward conversation about how I obviously couldn't investigate the house on my own, and secretly wanted to stay with Max for the time being. However, another part of me wanted him to be in his room, so I could see how he lived. What kind of brother that he would be.

"Come in Shauni!"

I flinched, forgetting that obviously he would know that my name was Shauni, but it was the first time I had heard it quite so lovingly from someone's mouth apart from my mothers.

I opened the door slowly and quietly, I wasn't even sure what I was going to say, what I had even wanted when I had knocked. I gave him a small wave again. Such a dork why couldn't I just open my mouth and have a conversation. Instead I kept quiet, walking forward slowly I took in Max's room. It was navy and cream, similar to my room but more boyish. The dresser and drawers held CD players and a mass of CD's as well as models of cars and helicopters, the walls held rows of DVD's going from Disney's finest to the scariest films I had ever seen. His walls were taped up with military posters, guns and girls. It was a typical boys room and it made me smile, nothing out of the usual.

Forgetting that I had been rudely staring about his room my eyes went back too his, he was sitting on the edge of his bed engrossed in a game he was playing. Hands moving at such a fast pace on the controller, I was mesmerised, gaming was something I was never able to pick up, my left and right hands just didn't work in that sort of way.

"You settled in okay sis?"

I just stared at him, this family thing was going to be hard to get used to but I went with it, I really didn't want to upset Max he was being so nice. I sat next to him and like an annoying brother he ruffled my hair.

"Yes, I guess I'm as settled as I am going to get. What are you playing?"

Max looked at me, if he was surprised at what I sounded like or that I had even spoke to him, he didn't show it.

"Come on baby sis, you can't actually not know what this is! This is Far Cry 4, it's like the game of PS4!"

He looked at me pulling this sort of shock-horror face and I laughed, he smiled at me like he'd just accomplished the impossible.

"Max! Shauni! Tea is on the table"

We both got up, Max paused his game and walked out. I followed him, he had thrown on a hoodie, it was similar to mines but instead of being mainly red his was mainly blue.

As we made our way down the corridor and down the stairs I noticed that the walls were filled with photos of Max, smiling at the camera, posing in cadet uniform, posing in his football gear, his school uniform and just him as a baby. I wandered if he truly enjoyed the fact he now had a sister, or if he was secretly hating the fact he was no longer the only child.

We made it into the kitchen. The kitchen itself was very modern, black cupboards, and wooden worktops. The oven was huge and they even had a pizza stone oven. I felt myself tense, back at home with mum the kitchen ran along one wall. We lived from a small oven and a microwave.

Max dragged me over to the table and we sat down. Ron sat head of the table and Eleanor at the other end. She smiled brightly and small chatter began at the table, mainly to Max about his school project he was supposedly doing in his room while really he was playing his game. And then to me about how I was settling, as usual I just shrugged my shoulders, I was never one for long words and carried on conversations. Family meetings made me nervous.