Unintended Side Effects

Chapter Two

Adrienne was sitting in the courtyard after the first three classes of the day with her lunch. A simple turkey and cheese sandwich, an orange, and a chocolate eclair. Unlike her mother who orders extravagant food, Adri preferred more simple foods with good taste. Besides certain things in her wardrobe, her lunch is the only thing Adri has control over.

She was about to bite into her sandwich when she spotted Cristiano walking towards them with the new girl behind him. Running past them were Zola and Asahi. Once they reached Adri, Asahi sat next to her while Zola and Cristiano sat on the other bench next to them while the new girl sat on the ground near Cristiano. As he unwrapped his wrap, she reached into his bag and pulled out an apple. If Cristiano minded, he didn't say anything. 

"Hey, Adri," Cristiano addressed her while they ate. "I don't believe you've met my cousin. This is Ayita." He gestured over to the new girl, who was currently eating the apple while the juice dripped down her chin. She quickly wiped it away and waved. Adri waved back, now seeing the similarities between the two. 

"Ayita," he turned to her, who was now finished with the apple, "these are my friends. You've already met my girlfriend, Zola." The dark-skinned girl waved and continued eating. 

"As well as Asahi." The pale boy, mouth full of cookie, waved with the wrapper still in hand. 

"This is Adrienne, but she prefers Adri." The blonde girl waved back at Ayita as she reached into her cousin's lunch bag for something else to eat. 

"So", Adri began, "I know you two are cousins, but who is related to who?" 

"Well", Ayita explained, "My dad and his mom were siblings, her the older one. She studied abroad in France while she was in college. After graduation, she decided to move to France legally and married Cris's dad." 

Zola decided to ask a question as well.

"How was life in the United States?"Ayita froze as if she didn't know what to say. She furrowed her brow and tensed her face. Cristiano noticed this and leaned forward.

"Ayi, you okay?" She nodded, took a deep breath and continued.

"Life was okay. I never knew my mom, so it was just the two of us. We lived in a cheap apartment in Tennessee while he worked in a machine shop. He loved doing it, even though it wasn't the highest paying job.

"A couple years ago, when I was fifteen, my dad died in a car accident. Since my uncle Ricky didn't want me, I was placed in foster care, where I spent about a year and a half. While I was there, my aunt Eve found out and was angry at Ricky for putting me in foster care, since it's not a very good system. The next thing I knew, I was being shipped on a plane to Europe." After she finished, the group was dead silent. She shrunk a bit, but then Cristiano spoke up.

"I never knew my uncles very well. All I knew was that my mom had younger twin brothers in the United States. She would always tell me that Harris, Ayita's dad, was very charismatic and charming." Cristiano intimidated him by flipping his hair and speaking dramatically, which caused everyone to chuckle. "Richard, on the other hand, was a stick-in-the-mud prude who never went out even for a little bit." He then arched his back forward like an old man while he snarled and hissed, causing everyone, even Ayita, to fall into a fit of laughter. 

After everyone composed themselves, he continued. "Anyways, whenever my mom would talk about her family that meant she as in a good mood because, well, she never talked about them. When Harris died, she was in tears and almost didn't leave the house for almost two weeks." He paused after that bit of information, trying to collect himself. He then continued.

"About three months ago, my mom found out that not only did Harris have a daughter, but that she was in foster care. She was fuming when she found out and nearly yelled at Richard over the phone for placing her there and not letting her know. Once my mom proved that she as the biological aunt of Ayita, she was placed on a plane and sent here. So, here she is!" Cristiano gestured dramatically towards Ayita.