Beyond the Brick Wall

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

*Xavier Smith*

        I watched Lilly's expression as she took in her surroundings. She looked especially beautiful in her silver satin dress that stopped directly above her knees. With her hair bun right up, she really looked like someone James Bond would go out with.

        "Well, I must say that your family is enormous, Smith," she gulped, watching as my many relatives ran and walked around here and there in the dining hall. They usually only open up the garden and the hall for reunions, but for this reunion they opened up the balcony as well. My eyes swept across the room and a grin formed on my lips as I spotted two of my cousins wrestling dangerously near the fountain in the middle of the room. They were a little bit too close from falling in it.

This is my family.

        As much as I know I couldn't say it out loud; I love them.

        "Why, thank you Miss Collins," I replied, turning my attention back to my beautiful date.

        "I didn't mean it as a complement..?" she asked me skeptically.

        "Well, I sure took it as one," I told her. After a short silence, I pulled her along with me. "C'mon, let's go look for my parents, girlfriend."

        "I am so not going to another family's reunion ever again," she mumbled.

         I laughed and greeted anyone who recognized me, still pulling her along. Just then, a voice boomed from behind me.

        "Xavier! You didn't bother telling me anything about your date!" I didn't need to turn around to know it was Tom, approaching me and Lilly.

        "At least I'm not acting like a hypocrite, Tommy."

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*Tom Carstairs*

        I chuckled as I approached Xavier and his date. Her attire was almost as nice as Zoey's.

        "Hey! I'm Tom, Xavier's cousin… obviously." I outstretched my arm towards her so we could shake hands.

        "Lilly," she replied, shaking it.

        Xavier sent me a puzzled look. "Where's your date?"

        I grinned evilly. "She's hiding. See you later, brah! Oh, you too Lilly!"

        "Thomas Daniel Carstairs! You come back here! I..." Xavier's voice faded as I left the dining hall and ran straight into the large garden. I smiled as soon as my eyes landed on the most beautiful girl on earth, who was talking to my grandma.

        "Thomas! I was just talking about you with Zoey," my grandma informed me, showing off her pearly white dentures.

        Zoey laughed through her nose. "Yeah! Mrs. Peytons told me about that time when you were nine and you were playing with your Gameboy in your bathroom then you dropped it inside the toilet. I never knew that you're afraid of bringing electronic stuff to the bathroom!"

        My face heated up as the pair burst out laughing. "Gram!" I complained.

        "Yes dear?"

        "Why…?!?!" I couldn't even seem to be able to put my rage into proper words.

        She returned her attention back to Zoey, who was nearly crying 'cause of laughter. "Oh dear, if that makes you laugh so hard, wait 'til I tell you about that time when he poo-"