The Lost Stone Ring

Visitors

"Mika? It's time to wake up. Dinner is ready." My eyes flutter open and I sit up groggily. Here it is a month after my trip home and I still can't do without a nap in the middle of the afternoon. At least Mari stopped trying to attack Aria for waking me up finally. Those first three weeks after moving here had been bad.

"Thanks Ari. I'll be down in a bit." She nods.

"Before I take Mari out I should tell you, we have company." I nod and stand up before walking into my closet to change. Aria has stopped laying out clothes for me unless something special is going on for the day.

"Ok, thank you."

As soon as I am dressed in my short jean shorts and a loose blue baby doll tank top I run a wide tooth comb through my butt length medusa curls and force them into a ponytail high on the back of my head, then, because they are now slightly frizzy, I wrestle them into a sloppy bun. Slipping my feet into a pair of flip-flops I rush down stairs to the dining room.

"Hi Mr. La... You're not Mr. Lagrange." I stand in the door looking at the most beautiful man I have ever seen. Tall and thin, but you can tell he is strong, his lean muscles rippling under his tanned skin when he moves forward towards me. Soft looking shaggy brown hair falling into his eyes as he moves just right, a sweet lipped mouth that is turned up in an amused smile, and beautiful blue eyes, the color of the Missouri sky in the middle of summer, that shine with laughter. His face is full of joy rising to his feet the moment I walk into the room.

"No." He laughs. "I'm Adrian. My parents were friends with your parents and your aunt and uncle." He states bowing slightly to me and offering me his hand. I take it and he brings my hand to his lips placing a light kiss on my knuckles making me blush. I look at his hair and realize that he is the boy from the funeral that I couldn't get a good look at.

"Oh. Ok then. Where are you from?" He smiles at me still holding my hand in his and I blush deeper.

"Cambridgeshire."

"Ok. I'm Mika by the way."

"I know." My blush deepens once more. "This is my friend Juri." I look up at the other boy that had completely escaped my notice because of the angelic one in front of me. Juri is slightly shorter than Adrian, his skin a warm caramel color. He has a wide friendly face, his full sinful lips turned up in a smile that clearly says 'I want to make you scream'. His dark eyes ringed in thick lashes held amusement with a hint of danger.

"A pleasure to meet you." The darker boy says with a thick accent.

"Your accent is cute. Where are you from?"

"Tokyo."

"Like Japan?" I ask him.

"Yes, unless you know another Tokyo full of Japanese people." I blush once more feeling embarrassed as he winks at me.

"We come to stay here when our families get to be too much." Adrian tells me turning my full attention back to him. "We hope you don't mind. We thought that you might like companions closer to your own age for a little while."

"Nice to meet you both. And no, I don't mind at all. I get kinda lonely and bored"

"You too." They reply together and wait for me to sit down, Adrian pushing in my chair for me, before they each take a seat on either side of me. The footmen bring out everything while Lottie supervises and explains the food. Once our plates are full of roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables, and lamb, and we have started to tuck in, I decide to break the silence.

"So you said you come here when your families get to be too much. If you don't mind my asking, how does that happen? I mean, I would give anything to have a family to bother me all the time." Both boys smile at me kindly. Adrian takes a sip of his wine before turning to speak to me.