Chapter 12: Cousins From Heaven

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The whole school day goes by and surprisingly no one bullied me today.Mostly because the Astor brothers claimed me.

"You coming?"John asks me.I caught a ride with them today since they wanted me to ride with them.

"Yup!"I say and he puts a arm around my neck and we go to the parking lot.All my other step brothers are there waiting for us.

"We have soccer today!Extra practice for state!"Jackson informs me.

"Seriously!I wanted to go home but since Ava is there I don't think I want to go this early!"I say.

"How did that nine year old get a snake!"Justin says shaking his head.I told them that she did it.

"She is like The Great Artemis Fowl.Just that she is  three years younger than him!"I say and they all laugh.

"Dude drop us at the academy!"Jackson says to Jake who is supposed to be driving.My brothers come towards us and I notice their car is parked beside ours.

They scowl in my direction and go to their car whereas we go to our and they drop me and Jackson at the academy.They told us that they would wait here until our practice finished.Turns out it was for the game planning where the captain and co-captains and the coaches decide what to do.They also told us about the charity event and they will pick a team of four.Two boys and two girls.So they chose that they would go on with the captains and co-captains of the team!We have extra practice for this!Great!

"I am exhausted!"Jack exclaims.

"Me too Jacky me too!"

We reach the car and head home.All of them get inside and I get my bag and gears out.I am still in our team uniform.

Even the boys team has the same uniform

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Even the boys team has the same uniform.I get inside the house to be lunged on with two boys.

"Lucas Mike!"I say smiling and I hug them back.

"We missed!I haven't seen you in like three years!"Lucas says.

Lucas is seventeen year old and Mike is sixteen years old.I love them like my brothers.They are the best!

"I know!"I say and Aunt Mia and Uncle Ben come in and hug me.

"How is my favorite niece doing!"Uncle Ben says.I know I have always been his favorite.Sometime me and my cousins think he loves me more than he does my aunt and cousins.Thankfully Ava wasn't there and neither were my brothers.

"Why are you late again!"Dad says.

"Soccer practice!We have an extra charity game next weekend after the wedding."I reply.

"I am so proud of my niece!"Uncle Ben says and I grin.He is a professional soccer player.I started loving soccer because of him.

"Want to teach me new tricks later?"I ask him.

Jackson enters the kitchen and sees Uncle Ben.

"Wait your brother in law is THE BEN FOSTER!"He says.

I chuckle.We all talk for what seems forever.

"Wanna go for a walk!"Luke asks me.I nod and me and Mike go out of the house.

"So how is it going with your brother?"Luke asks.

"Worse everyday!But I got my step brothers!"I say.

"I am glad to hear that!But you gotta tell your brothers the truth one day!"He says and I know I should.Only dad,Aunt Mia,Uncle Ben,Uncle James and they know what happened!"

We reach the park and we three sit on the swing.Suddenly I can see a few boys and a small girl heading towards us.It is dark so I couldn't really make out their faces.They come closer and I can see my brothers and Ava!Great!I haven't seen them after the parking lot.

"Lucas, Mike!"Ava groans.They hate each other.

"Ava!"They groan.

"Everly!"My brothers groan.What is it with them groaning names?!

"Yeah, I am not doing the saying names thingy!"

"So Everly tell me how is your anorexia treating you?"Ava asks and I stare at her wide eyed.How the hell does she know?

"What!"My brothers ask her and then look at me concerned.I haven't seen that expression towards me from them in three years.

"Oh you didn't know!Ev has anorexia!She has had it for at least eight years!"She says.I have been trying to hide the truth from them for so many years and just in a sentence she broke all the efforts I made.

"Ava how did you know?"Mike asks the question I wanted to ask but I am frozen in place.

"Daddy was telling mommy!I heard it."Ava says with a smugness in her face that only I could see.She won't tell the entire secret because that would cause my brothers to come back to me and she definitely doesn't want that.

"Is it true!"Elliot asks and I can see tears welled up in his eyes.He looks at me in a pained concerned expression.I somehow miss that.

"Yeah!"I whisper and get up and head home.

I run to my room and to the bathroom and close the door and cry.No one to hold.

I hear a knock and I know it might be Lucas or Mike.I open the door after washing my face and I am surprised when I see Erick.

"What do you want?You can go spread it across the school and bully me with it!"I say.He looks at me in the most hurt expression.It breaks me.

"Why didn't you tell us?"He asks.I look at him incredulously.Is he kidding me!

"Really! You guys looked at me like I am a plague!"I say and shove past him to the dinning room to meet all my family members sitting for dinner.The rest of my brothers look at me and they all look hurt.I am not going to fall for it!

We eat dinner and I can see my brothers' gaze on me when I play with my food.

"So what is the surprise you both wanted to tell us?"I ask Aunt Mia and Uncle Ben.

"Well we are moving to the opposite house!"She says.

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