Just Me ✔

Chapter 7

I slowly wake up once I realize my bed is moving up and down.

"What the hell?" I mumble as I sit up and rub my eyes. The bed shaking becomes harsher causing me to tumble onto the floor. I hear cackles coming from my bed. "What the hell?" I whisper again as I hold my elbow, definitely contracting a bruise already.

"Jayden!" a high pitched voice calls. I look up towards my bed and see Kate popping her head over the side I fell from.

"Kate?" I ask, still half asleep.

"And Ethan," he comments sticking his head over the side of the bed as well.

"What, why did-" I ask, speechless. I'm so confused. I'm an only child, I don't know the things siblings do.

"Mommy said to wake you up for dinner, so Ethan wanted to jump on your bed to do it!" Kate giggled.

"Oh!" I exclaim. So my bed isn't haunted. That's a relief.

All 3 of us walk towards the kitchen for a family dinner. It's my first real family meal since I got here, which makes me a little apprehensive.

"Hey, Jayden," Beth greets as I enter the kitchen.

"Woah, it smells good," I exclaim as the scent instantly hits my nose.

"Thank you," Beth chuckles, "I've always loved to cook. Everyone around here has their own personal chef, but not in this house."

"Well, in my opinion, this is always the better tasting dish," I comment referencing to the home cooked style.

"I think so too, thank you Jayden!" Beth beams at me. I return her smile and get seated for dinner.

"So Jayden, we don't eat as a family too often. John and I travel a lot for work, or just late nights at the office. Usually, I'll leave money for you guys to order in, or I'll have something ready for you guys to just pop in the microwave or oven." Beth smiles, as she dishes everyone's plates up.

"Oh, okay. That's perfect, thank you." I say.

"You're too kind," Beth smiles at me.

I hear Ethan grunt from the other side of the table, as he looks irritated.

Kate laughs, "You look funny, E!"

He shoots her a tight smile, "Do I?"

"Yeah," she giggles.

"Why is that?" He asks in a low tone.

"Your face is like this," she said before proceeding to attempt to copy his face.

"Kate, don't make fun of your brother." John says sternly, but he was clearly amused by the situation.

"Sorry, dad." Kate apologizes.

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to Ethan." John says.

"Oh! Sorry Ethan." Kate says sincerely.

"It's okay, Kate."

~*~*~

Dinner went by smoothly, and Beth and John seem to like me, which is very refreshing to know.

"Come on!" Kate ran, as she pulled my hand with her.

"Okay, okay," I laugh.

She takes me though a few rooms, before landing in what I assume is her playroom. The walls are purple with pink unicorn, fairy, and butterfly silhouettes scattered all over. She had hundreds of toys it seemed like.

"You be Emma, Lily, and Claire. And I'll be Ariel, Mary, and Sarah." Kate said as she scattered dolls in front of me and her. "Oh, and you can be Eric. He is the prince for Ariel, so we will get married. Okay?" She asks as she looks up to me.

"Okay." I smile as I pick up my dolls.

"So first we will be in the castle where Prince Eric lives. Lily and Mary are his sisters, Claire is the mom. Emma and Sarah are Ariel's best friend. But right now pretend, Eric doesn't know Ariel is coming in the castle, and then Ariel rings the doorbell, but goes to the dungeon, right here. Emma and Sarah find Eric to go save her." Kate says as she lays out the story that I try to keep up with. I don't think this is how the story of The Little Mermaid goes, but I guess it's an adaption?

I grin at Kate, before I prepare all my dolls to play. I haven't played with dolls for as long as I could remember. I could tell this would be fun.