The Street Racer's Loner

FOURTEEN

Chapter 14: The Dinner pt. 2

Rikayne Olivera

I was nervous.

Ezra Rivera was at my house. When I opened the door I didn't think he'd actually show up. But there he was looking as handsome as always, with his black shirt and blue jeans. It was my first time seeing him without a hat on covering his pretty eyes.

He was an intimidating guy, with cold blank stares and stiff posture most people at school were afraid of even just looking his way. Ushering him in, I noticed the looks on my cousins faces as they saw him outside of school halls. They were shocked. In fact they didn't believe Candy when she was telling them Monday evening and thought I was making it all up for attention.

Aunt Rosetta called me to the kitchen and I stayed in there as long as I could to avoid Ezra just a little longer. I've had a crush on Ezra for the longest time and it took all my courage to talk to him that day in the library. I remember Candace used to tease me about crushing on him and how he seemed like a bad influence. But the more I interact with him I realize he's just socially unapproachable but is a good guy on the inside.

Doing anything and everything Aunt Rosetta asks to try and avoid going to the living room while Maddie sits on the bar stool and plays on her phone is the perfect excuse for me.

"So Ricky when did you guys start going out?" Maddie asks suddenly still looking at her phone.

"Well we kept bumping into each other and talking to each other it just kinda happened," I answer vaguely.

"How long has it been since?" Aunt Rosie joins in the questions, should I say the truth or make something false.

"A month now," I decide to go with the truth incase Maddie decides to dig a little deeper.

"Wow really and he's already meeting the crazy family, you must really like him mia Cara," she says as she checks on the garlic bread in the oven, before going back to the stove and checking on the chicken piccata and the pasta.

I nod as I finish making the stuffed peppers for everyone who's coming and put them in the microwave for the cheese to melt. Maddie and I begin setting the table for the family members who said they'd show. We planned to have dinner outside in the backyard because the dining table wasnt big enough to seat 20+ people.

When we finally finished and headed back in the kitchen waiting for the garlic bread to be done, we heard more voices in the living room. Ah the rest of the people were here.

A few minutes later, Aunt Ella(Mariella) and Aunt Janice came through the kitchen door and hugged their sister in law Aunt Rosie. After they finish hugging they turn to me.

"My favorite niece how are you?" Aunt Ella gushes and hugs me, Maddie scoffs in the background. She laughs at Maddies's response and turns to hug her whispering very loudly "I was obviously lying you're my favorite of course," which has Maddie grinning.

She's done this everytime we meet her and it never gets old. We know she's messing about because c'mon it's Aunt Ella, last born of the Olivera family. My Uncle Mike is the oldest, then my Dad then Uncle Ricardo, then Uncle Niccolo and then finally baby Mariella.

Uncle Mike is the only one who doesn't have kids which everyone teases him about. Uncle Rick married Aunt Janice and had Diego who's 9 and Serafina who's 6, Uncle Niccolo married Aunt Isabella and had Arianna who's 12, Rosalina who's 7 and little Nicki who's 5. Aunt Mariella recently got married a few years ago and has toddlers Marco who's 5 and Elena who's 3. I'm an only child but with all these cousins it really doesn't feel like that around here.