Presidents, Spies, and Boys, Oh My!

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Guys! I'm home!" I announced as I flew through the front door of my home.

"Ember!"

"Ember's back!"

"Get off your lazy ass, Kyle! Ember's back!"

I laughed as a chorus of shouts responded to me. Two little twin girls, five years old, came sprinting into the foyer, hugging me around the waist tightly. I laughed and hugged them back. The two youngest girls in my foster home, Crystal and Mallory. Their blonde hair were pulled up into matching ponytails that swung happily when they moved. Garret stepped through the door next.

"Be careful, you two. She's still fragile." Garret said as he placed his keys on the small end table next to the door.

I rolled my eyes. Crystal and Mallory let go of me and stepped back, accepting a kiss on the head from Garret as he skirted past us into the kitchen. Addy followed, still reading frantically on her iPad. Jeez. She must really love whatever that is. Two more people walked into the foyer, smiling and greeting me with hugs. My thirteen year old sister, Tiyana, and my eighteen year old brother, Kyle. Where Tiyana had dark hair and eyes with rich latte colored skin, Kyle was light haired, light eyed, and pale. He was tall nonetheless. Reaching nearly six foot six inches, he beat everyone. Including Garret, who is six foot one. 

"It's good to have you back, Em. How has the assignment been going? Well, before the accident that is." Tiyana asked, looping her arm into mine and waltzing me into the living room. 

Sitting on the white leather sectional, facing the plasma screen HD TV mounted on the wall and playing a particularly heated game of Black Ops, were three more of my brothers. Oliver (sixteen), Noah (fifteen), and Aaron (twenty). They each had headsets and were punching the buttons on their controllers furiously, cursing when they got shot down. Crystal and Mallory covered their ears. Garret walked into the living room at that time, seeing the two little girls. 

"Please watch your language, boys." he threatened in a loud voice so they could hear him.

"Whatever."

"Oh, sh-um, I mean sugar."

"Shut up old man!"

Garret put a finger to his lips, signaling Tiyana and I to stay quiet. The look on his face was mischievously evil. Tiyana and I nodded, clapping our hands over our mouths and snickering. My shoes squeaked against the polished wooden floors of the living room. Damn. Suddenly, the TV switched to Pandora radio, which blasted a Justin Bieber song. Noah, Oliver, and Aaron threw off their headsets, groaning and yelling. Garret laughed. Tiyana laughed and danced along to the music. I rolled my eyes and laughed. Crystal and Mallory laughed, picking up their Barbie dolls and walking over to their dollhouse. Garret finally muted the TV.

"Dad?!"

"I asked politely, didn't I?"

"No, you threatened politely." I said through fits of giggles.

Garret mock glared at me. I made a face back at him. He smiled.

"You're lucky you just got out of the hospital, young lady." he answered, walking back into the kitchen while Noah grabbed the remote and shut off the song.

Tiyana stopped dancing, still laughing, and followed Garret into the kitchen.

The sounds of pots and pans hitting together and sizzling meat meant only one thing. Dinner! Food! My stomach rumbled. Noah seemed to notice me for the first time, along with Oliver and Aaron. I smiled at them, waving. They hugged me and said their hellos. Noah looks like Tiyana, minus the latte colored skin. Oliver is a ginger, like me. And Aaron had the random mix of white blonde hair and blue eyes. 

"Hey, Ember. Feeling like crap?" Noah asked.

I shrugged.

"Not really."

"Aw, I was hoping you'd say yes."

I rolled my eyes, placing my hands on my hips and glaring at my younger brother. He still hasn't gotten his growth spurt and it still shorter than me. 

"Shut up." 

Noah walked away, sitting back on the couch and pulling out his phone. Aaron went outside with Oliver, yelling something into the kitchen to Addy about playing football in the backyard. Addy responded with the usual, "Okay! Just remember, dinner's ready in ten!" The sliding glass door shut before she even finished talking. I smiled. Yup, I'm home. Minus Kris. He's in Stanford though. I'll see him for Christmas break.