consequences of winning

part three

We turn onto our street to see much to my horror a moving truck outside our new neighbours house.

"Oh Kida once the truck has left you should invite them to dinner, we'll have Drew's amazing Pizza with the leftover pasta salad you made and a freshly baked loaf of bread." Mom declared excitedly from the front seat.

"Okay." I mumbled trying to cover my bitterness. Before I could even make it to the front door I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turn and see that Mom is gesturing to the house next door and how the truck has left. Crap.

"Just let me get changed first. I left in a hurry." And that's true we did but I looked good. I had managed to put on my best black skinny jeans, a cute baby blue T-shirt under my thick grey cardigan, a white pair of chucks (nockoff converse) that I had drawn an Iron man comic strip on with a black fabric pen, my hair feel in waves over my shoulders and lastly my favorite black snoode.

"Don't act stupid go say hello and invite them to dinner." She bossed as she busied herself with carrying everything we took with us to the hospital.

"Fine..." I sighed in defeat pouting.

I walked slowly over to the neighbours house, taking my sweet time, unfortunately they live right next door and I was there in seconds really. I knocked and waited for a second before the door swung open.

There with long legs and jet black hair stood a girl that looked around my age.

"Hi I'm Kida, I live right next door and I was wondering would you and your family would want to join my family for dinner?"

She smiled brightly and stuck her hand out for me to shake.

"Great to meet you. I'm Jet." We shock hands. "We'll be there, you just saved me from burning our new house down." Jet giggled and I couldn't help but smile. Her joy is contagious.

"There'll be four of us. My brother may take some convincing but everyone else will be all for it." Jet said smiling.

"Sounds great. Talk more over dinner!" I smiled asshe said goodbye and walked home to tell Mom the good news.

"Oh they're here!!" Mom sang putting the last plate on the doing room table, Mom had brought out two extra chairs making the usual six seating table set sit eight.

I smiled at her swinging off the barstool and skipping to the door. I had taken off my cardigan and scarf and swapped my shoes for my fluffy white slippers. I open the door to see four people, one I recognise as Jet.

"Hello, welcome, come on in." I smile letting them step past me and into our humble home.

"Thank you sweet pea we're the Peterson's." It was obvious it was Jets mother her hair and eyes were the same colour and she had the same cheekiness to her Mom smile. "I'm Clara, my husband is Anthony, my son hiding behind us is Damon and of course you've met my daughter Jet." Clara smiles warmly, a sweet mother smile. Andrew has dark brown hair, obviously a ressieve trait, but his chiseled features seemed dominant as they were passed onto his son, I could only see his jaw really thanks to his stupid hoodiehe had up. I realised from what I could see they all had the same deep brown eyes, slightly different for each person, though I couldnt quite see Damons eyes since he had his hoodie covering the top half of his face. I sighed inwardly, envious of their mysterious dark eyes and hair, while I was stuck with dirty blonde hair and electric blue eyes. Almost like Moms misty blue eyes and honey blond hair.

"My name is Kida. My Mom is Sophia, Mom waves from the table and my Dad is Andrew, Dad waves from the kitchen where he's supervising and my baby brother is Theo but he's sleeping." I smile leading the to the lounge where we have brought in another two chairs thank God Dad has a furniture friend.

"So Kida what year are you at school?" Anthony asks.

"Um I was homeschooled. I finished my highschool education a two years ago. I was offered a place at Yale but I haven't accepted yet." I smile trying to be as modest as I can.

"Yale. Well that's quite an achievement for a lady so young." Clara smiles.

"Thank you." I smile back awkwardly.

"IF you don't mind me asking Kida... Where are you from?" Clara smiles polightly and opens up her body language.
Stop being weirdly observant!! My mind comands.
Fine.. I grumble, there are times where being weirldy observant helps you know.

"New Zealand. We travel back alot to see family so I haven't lost my accent quite yet." I chuckle at the end rememebering how my family would tease me about how 'You can take the girl out of New Zealand but you can't take New Zealand out of the girl'.

"Do you find it difficult to communicate with others?"
Oohh somebody's a shrink.. My mind laughs.
Shut up!! Stupid brain.

"Not really mainly because I grew up surrounded by alot of different cultures and accents so I find it quite easy to understand people, though there are times where I would have to consiously slow down the speed that I talk at without sounding rude or condesending"
Nailed it!! We bet the shrink, haha!! My brain does a little victory dance as Clara's questions become considerbaly less shrinky (yes that's now a word)

I notice that when Jet looks around her eyes light up as she catches sight of the PS4 and the X-box (another one of Dads connections to "Santa" as if)

"You play??" She asks excitedly. Her hands figiting slightly in her lap, resistin g the urge to hold a controler.

"Go on." Clara encourages. Jet perks up at this.

"What games do you have?" She asks basically bouncing on the couch. I suppress my laughter. I had moved a few games up, replacing the dvd with the X-box a few days ago in case Mom needed me to get her food, since I can't hear her from the basement.

"Over on the shelf, you choose one and I'll get the beanbag." I smile as Jet runs over to the shelf hunting for a game. I jog up the stairs and into the study where we keep our large beanbag. Its big enough for three people so it'll be perfect for just Jet and I. I drag it down carefully, not knocking anything over and place it down roughly two meters from the TV which I turn on.

"PS4 or X-box?" I ask Jet who's still looking for a game.

"PS4." She mumbles. "You have so many options its not fair!" She sighs dramatically and I giggle. She finally tosses a game onto the beanbag when Mom calls out.

"Girls you can play later. Dinners ready." I catch Moms smile and it screams 'I'm glad your making new friends' don't get me wrong I have friends, from work mostly and we hang out all the time because why not? Besides you get to know your work mates pretty well with 6am service prepping and stock take. The thing is though Mom likes them she'd rather I had a best friend, that one person you know will always be there. Five bucks says she's hoping Jet will be my bestie.

"Mmm looks good, thank you Sophia." It was the first thing I have heard Damon say and I'm not gonna lie his voice sounds pleasant, like you wouldn't mind listening to it for a long period of time. We all take a seat. Clara and Jet on either side of myself, Dad and Anthony sat at the heads of the table, Mom sitting next to Dad and Damon sitting next to Anthony.

"Damon will you take that hood off at the table please." It wasn't really a question but there was no harshness to Anthony's tone.

Damon mumbled a fine and pushed his hood back, it took a while for me to see it though once I realised it was there I couldn't not notice. Damon's handsome face, (complimented by his chocolate brown eyes and inky black hair) had one nasty freaking bruise between his cheekbone and eye that was angled slightly towards his temple, a clear purplish fist marking his handsome face.

Not a sound came except for his mothers voice whispering.

"Holy hell Damon, what in the world happened to you??"