A little love goes a long way

12=

How a woman that old could walk so well in as high of heels as she was wearing - it would remain a mystery for seemingly all of eternity.

Up the gravelled path she went, the crunching noise following her every step, accompanied by three pairs of more hurried steps. When they got to the door, Sophie finally examined the building - zoning out the knocking.

Two storeys tall, with windows in the roof - presumably an attic - with pristine slates atop a quaintly cobbled exterior, bushes and ferns growing along the side of the building and above the door. There were quite a few windows on the face of the building, she had no time to count them though as the door opened - was that a greenhouse she saw? - She couldn't tell as Rose took her gently by the arm and led her inside, the man who opened the door smiled warmly at Rose and kissed her on both cheeks - and for some reason he didn't do the same with Brian, but they shook hands and laughed - odd, she pondered - is this how all adults act?

He had black hair that - though neatly combed at the top - turned into a shaggy mess further down the nape of his neck, stopping before his shoulder blades. He seemed to be in his late twenties or early thirties possibly? This must have been Jun - the avid strawberry buyer and Karma's father? His attire matched Brian's, though, with black slacks and dress shoes, they laughed once again.

Rose stood to the side, hanging her coat on the rack - Sophie followed suit, now she could see her outfit. It was a floor-length white gown with a slit going to her knee, paired with her dangerously thin heels, Rose had remodelled herself from the sixty-year-old Nana Sophie had grown up with, into a young woman, not a day over forty. Rose blushed scarlet, apparently, she had said that out loud. Her pearl necklace, earrings and hair slide all complimented her outfit. She was beautiful.

Jun lead them all to the right, though a large pair of double doors of a chestnut colour with - were those engravings? This home was extremely large, almost like a mansion - perhaps it was. She would ask one of her Grandparents later.

Looking at her brother, he seemed to be enthralled with the home too, walking into a column. The dining room - it seemed to be - had a hollowed out upper floor with bookshelves, so you could practically read a nice book upstairs whilst observing the people below you eating, and Sophie thought she saw someone doing just that, though the figure disappeared just as soon as it appeared.

The table they stood by was vast with fourteen seats, six either side, one at each end, though only eleven plates were set out, maybe some people wouldn't be coming? Time would tell, she thought. Instead of empty seats though, some personalities decided to show themselves: Stress, Anxiety, Hope and Fate, though Fate was not sitting, she stood imposingly, resting against a column, the same one Jake had absentmindedly bumped into. They were all glowing - though Sophie never really understood what made Fate glow, she glowed anyway - green, yellow, light blue and silver accordingly - she opted to ignore them and try and settle her nerves.

Jun led them into a room adjacent to the dining room - an engraved gold plaque read the 'drawing room.' Mistakenly, Sophie assumed they would be drawing in there, her hope's raising slightly, but falling as there were just love-seats and settees in front of a small fire. It seemed Brian had thought the same thing, as Sophie caught sight of his drooping shoulders, and Rose bending her body to kiss his cheek comfortingly.

Inside the room, there were a few heads scattered onto the seats, five - she counted. They all had quite an odd shade of hair colour - most of them bearing red hair, though one with half red - half white, another with purple - she assumed they were dyed, but would most likely not ask at risk of offending her possible new friends...? Acquaintances? Other?

Most likely hearing their footsteps, one of the redheads stood and turned - Karma. He had a giddy look upon his face as if he had been waiting all day - which he might have, who knows. He opened his arms as a gesture to the people around him, and as a welcome - since he didn't know Sophie that well, he thought it best not to initiate physical contact with her, other than bumping into each other at supermarkets.

"Sophie! Hello, welcome. And Sophie's family - Jack was it?" Jake shook his head, "Jake? Jake! Rose and Brian, nice to meet you both." The other males around him gave him questioning glances, Sophie didn't mind. He seemed nervous so she gave him a smile and took one of his outstretched hands, shaking it hello. More odd glances - as most people would normally respond, Rose and Brian did, before seating themselves on a vacant love seat, Jake wandered off to sit next to half-and-half hair, who also had heterochromia eyes - she had read about it in one of her biology textbooks, needed for psychology.

Sophie sat next to Karma - she didn't want to show outwardly that she was relying on Jake, Rose or Brian as a crutch - she didn't want to be their shadow - this was a night to make friends, at least she hoped. Karma sat with another boy, the purple haired one, he looked up only once, and that was when he felt Sophie's eyes on him - she quickly averted them, it was deemed rude to stare - she heard him laugh though, at her or not, it was a start.

Karma leaned in closer to her and lowered his voice, "I'm sorry about that - honestly I've got no idea what just happened - I'm not always like that, Dad just said be formal and -" he laughed halfheartedly at himself.

"It's okay. I can't be formal either - not really - I always got told I make things awkward or I annoy people." Overshare, overshare, he's going to think you're crazy - she kept telling herself, scolding herself verbally, digging her nails into her palms - they weren't that long. Karma smiled, slightly comforted. The boy on Sophie's other side was looking at her curiously now - the other boys immersed in their own small talk, one just completely silent whilst another seemed to pester him, half-and-half was having a polite conversation with Jake, and Jun was talking to Rose, Brian sketching.

The boy to Sophie's left spoke, he had more enthusiasm in his voice than one would expect. "I'm Ciel, you must be Sophie right?" He dragged out the last word, Karma sent him a glare. Sophie still shook his outstretched hand regardless.

"He's lying, he does that. His name's Kokichi." Said male made a whining noise, Sophie was half tempted to cover her ears, but that would be rude, Karma sported a grin.

"Did you really have to spoil my fun? Spoilsport! Spoilsport!" Karma reached over Sophie and flicked Kokichi's head, making him squeal and bury his head in his hands, Karma moved back and looked slightly apologetic.

"He's always like that - just so you know, odd, compulsive liar, spurts a bunch of nonsense. Just - just ignore him." He grinned, satisfied as Kokichi went silent, then looked up pouting. She was stuck in between two downright children - it was quite funny, and Sophie couldn't hold back a laugh at their antics. She caught sight of Rose turning her head, not really noticing the satisfied smile sent in her direction, or the fact that Brian erased a part of his image to capture the sight of Sophie holding her stomach, giggling to herself - she never really did that, not in front of others.

They all looked at her, it was hard not to, Karma and Kokichi both started laughing too, forgetting the minor dispute between them, Jake smiled at his big sister - finally making some friends, relaxing, loosening the reign she held for herself, it made him proud.

There was more idle chatter until finally Jun picked up a small bell and rung it three times, the boys stood, Sophie, scrambling up after them, almost falling back down but catching herself in the process. They all followed behind him, as he took his seat at the head of the table - the rest of them looked at the dainty placeholders with their names in calligraphic writing - not Rose's, it was scratchier, the writing more hastily did yet still neat.

Sophie found her seat and - like everyone else was doing - stood carefully behind it until Jun rung the bell thrice more, allowing them to sit. On her right sat half-and-half, on her left, the boy with mint eyes - the one that was being pestered by a twin - or the one that looked a lot like him, across was Jake, an empty seat and Karma.