The Solace household was a completely different scenery. Starting with its external appearance, it was the only house with a colonial style of the neighborhood, with neat white walls, red roof tiles, and travertine marble pillars. There were lanterns on every corner of the garden and in the center an illuminated Greek fountain in which there was some god unknown to Nico.
"It's Apollo" Will clarified when he saw Nico staring at it. "Dad's a fan."
"Of landscaping or of the Greek Gods?"
Will thought about it for a moment.
"Both?"
"My father has a similar situation with Hades"
"God of the Underworld?"
Nico nodded.
"Cool"
«And that is why our garden is so dead,» Nico thought.
The inside was even more disturbing. At the entrance was a rug that said: «Leave your footwear here ⇨». Nico followed the arrow with his eyes and noticed it pointed to some kind of trunk-like box, where everyone else left their shoes.
He had to do so, too. Meanwhile, Mrs. Solace put Nico's aviator jacket on the coat rack. When she touched his skin, Nico shuddered violently.
"Did I scare you?"
"No. I'm just not really used to physical contact."
Mrs. Solace opened her mouth to ask about it, and then closed it without pronouncing a word. She gave Nico a warm smile and guided him to the dining room. There was a rectangular mahogany table with twelve seats under an old chandelier.
Nico's stomach made a funny noise, he was starving. Something smelled delicious, like...
A clearing of throat caught his attention. Mr. Solace was holding a wicker basket lined with a red and white fabric. It looked like he'd taken it from Little Red Riding Hood.
"It's strictly forbidden to have cellphones at the table" he informed.
Nico tightened his grip on the phone.
"And if my father calls?"
"Then you'll come here and answer."
Nico observed Will and his sisters set up the table like the perfect team. One put the placemats, another put napkins and cutlery, another placed glasses and Will had plates with food. Damn it, it was spaghetti.
Not having his phone in his pocket wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. But the actual dinner was. All attention was focused on Nico. The place where five pairs of blue eyes stared at. The victim of all questions.
Do you share Biology classes with Will? Why did you choose that subject? What career will you study after school? Which university are you going to? What are your hobbies? Sports? What were you doing under Will? (Sofía got sent to wash the dishes after that question) Why are you blushing? (The second sister, Danuska, suffered the same punishment)
Half an hour later, Nico felt like he couldn't stand it anymore. Food was delicious, but his plate was almost untouched. Nico was used to eating by himself, with no one analyzing how he does it as if he were an experiment. He needed privacy.
"I think I'd better get going," he said carefully "my father is probably worried."
"Aren't you going to finish?" Will asked.
"I'm not hungry" Nico lied. His stomach definitely disagreed. He hoped no one noticed.
"Well you better come to Will's birthday party with appetite," Lucía said. "It's a barbecue" Nico frowned, confused. "You knew that Will's birthday is in two weeks, right?"
YOU ARE READING
It's curious the way destiny plays. Two peculiar people among others and related to each other can live in the same space for an hour each week and not know of the existence of the other. Until there is a break in the routine of one of them and the...
