wonderlani

Chapter 23

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I hate how close everyone is, but yet I feel so... So cut off. I smiled softly at Nattie as she made a joke about Niall's hair, and how she wishes their kids would have her eyes and his smile. Zara and Lizzie cuddled into each other as they took turns eating out of their Chinese containers. Louisa paced back and forth in the background of the living room, speaking in a sweet voice but with aggressive vowels. I sat in the middle of their giant white couch, watching the images of 'The Princess Bride' flick through. 

"Mama Sitaki kupigana na wewe. Nina marafiki wanaotembelea nyumba. Fuck wewe mama, kwaheri," (Mom I don't want to fight with you. I have friends visiting the house. Fuck you mom, goodbye.)

Louisa hung up abruptly as she threw her phone down on the glass coffee table behind the couch. I jumped a bit and slid over an inch as she plopped down next to me, snatching the popcorn from out of my lap. I swallowed and crossed my arms, looking back from the bowl to the TV still flickering images. 

"... So, um... So that was, your mom... I assume?" I asked nervously, clearing my throat. Louisa glared over to me and then over toward Zara, who smirked at her and then turned her head back to the TV. Lizzie picked a piece of chicken out of their noodles and dropped it down in Zara's mouth. 

Zara chewed the chicken up with some simper on her cheeks, "... Swahili,"

My eyes widen toward Louisa, "What?"

Louisa gazed at me with soft eyes and a frown, "Some words suck ass in translation," Her left hand pushed through her loose black curls, "Yes that was my mother, who not only refuses to speak to me like a person but in English."

Nattie shoved a spoon full of noodles down her throat, "Does she not know, English... I mean you should be a bit more-"

"She knows eighteen different languages but she speaks in Swahili because she knows I can't speak in that tongue. I prefer French or even Mandakhin." Louisa deadpanned while staring back at the movie. I sat back more into the couch, wrapping my arms around my legs. Nattie swallowed the noodles, catching the few that fall from her mouth. Lizzie and Zara giggled with each other as they started to mimic lines between each other. 

There was creaking coming from the staircase, Daniel skipped into the living room with a giant grin. Lizzie and Zara peeked over at her with the same grin, Nattie took another spoon full of noodles in her mouth as she motioned to Daniel, who shook his head at her. Nattie shrugged her shoulders and chewed, eyes falling back on the movie.

Louisa's teeth grit, "Yes Munchkin?" Hard greys stared a hole into his small body. Daniel stood with the same bright smirk as he swayed from side to side. Louisa growled as she released a deep breath, "Yes Munchkin? What do you need?"

"I have a secret," He whispered to her, Louisa's eyes pierced a hole through his brain. I sat on the other end of the couch from them. Her brother plopped in the spot next to her. She groaned as she sat back into the couch; his smile bright as he leaned over and whispered loud enough for us to hear, "Your friends are so pretty, especially the one who sat next to you," 

Me?

My dimples glowed while I snuggled more into the couch, Nattie laughed so loud she shot noodles out of her mouth onto Zara. Zara gasped and jumped up from Lizzie, her food dropped in her lap as she groaned to Nattie. 

"Damnit," Zara flustered as her heels clicked hard against the kitchen flooring. Lizzie jumped up and raced after her with a soft glare thrown at Nattie. 

Louisa glared at her brother as he softly continued, "I get why you like her-"

"That's it." Her body shot up as he hopped from my spot, his feet padded out of the living room as she chased behind him, shouting curses at him in Swahili. Nattie and I shared a look as she slid over into the spot next to me. She held out the rest of her noodles to me, "No thanks," and the box was gone in under a minute.