Back at the Smith's house, Ariel was happily talking to her elder siblings as they waited patiently at the door for Rachael to come over and pick them up. Kyle scooped up Ariel as the car stopped right in front of them.
Alex nodded to both of his parents before heading to the car. Aurora smiled and waved happily at her parents and said, "Bye Mummy, Daddy, Ariel."
"Goodbye, sweetheart," Sayuri replied while Ariel waved vigorously at her elder siblings. Seeing them enter the car, she sighed loudly as the car left the compound.
She tilted her head towards her father and looked at him with her wide, innocent eyes.
Kyle raised an eyebrow, kissed her on the forehead and said, "Not today, Rie."
Ariel pouted a bit but did not say anything. Kyle put her down, then reached over towards his wife, put his hands around her waist, and pulled her close.
Ariel just sighed again, softly this time, and took Pip's hand and entered the house, leaving her overly demonstrative parents to say their goodbyes to each other.
Ariel felt that today was going to be a really boring day, for not only could she not go out with her father, her mother told her that there would not be any secret class either. Something about having to deal with something or other today.
No elder siblings, no Daddy, no Mummy.
Horrible.
Pip, noticing the rather down mood of the youngest, squeezed her hand and said soothingly, "It'll be okay, Rie. We'll have lots of fun together today."
Ariel nodded mechanically, and gave a small smile.
She couldn't wait to grow up and go to school. She could be with her brother and sister all the time then!
✿ Author posts on WN and neovel ✿
Ariel wasn't the only one that was slightly down.
Ziad, naturally, was as well.
He couldn't quite get over the fact that his father was happily finding ten bride candidates for him.
Alex noticed his friend's downcast mood and remembering his promise to himself yesterday that he'd be more attentive, he waited until Ziad said down in the car before he asked, "What's wrong?"
Ziad pursed his lips.
Aurora looked at Fleur (who had been waiting with Ziad) and gave her an enquiring look. Fleur put both of her hands up while shrugging her shoulders, indicating that she didn't know either.
Ziad had not been willing to talk, and Fleur didn't push it.
But now, Ziad looked at Alex - the normally stoic guy - actually asking him and looked genuinely concerned, he opened his mouth and told him what his father had planned for him.
The entire car was deathly quiet, and one could imagine that one could even hear a pin drop.
Alex looked at Ziad, Ziad looked at Alex.
Suddenly, there were peals of laughter from the back seat.
Both set of male eyes turned to look at the two girls who were now laughing uncontrollably, their hands on their stomachs, and tears were even forming in their eyes.
They then looked at each other, then back at the two girls before settling back down at their seats.
After what seemed like ages, the laughter finally died down and Aurora, out of breath, said, "I-I'm so sorry, Ziad but .. but … that's just …"
She stifled the laugh that was threatening to come out, which only made her apology quite insincere.
Ziad didn't answer, his lips pressed down in a thin line.
Fleur wiped her eyes and took several deep breaths, "Really, Ziad. We are sorry, but we can't help it. It's just so funny."
"To you, maybe," Ziad said seriously.
At that, it was as if a bucket of ice-cold water doused on the two girls who then bit their bottom lips.
This time, when Aurora spoke, there was no more laughter in her voice, "We're really, sorry, Ziad. We didn't mean to laugh at you, but it's just so ridiculous to us that Uncle Ali would actually do that."
Fleur nodded, although Ziad couldn't see it. The guilt in her heart increased as her normally serious brother really looked upset at this.
"Baba Ali is serious?" she asked tentatively.
Unlike the others, Fleur called Ali and Sofiya Baba and Ummi respectively, instead of Uncle and Auntie, since she was milk siblings with Ziad.
"Yes," Ziad replied, "Have you ever known Baba to joke?"
Fleur huffed then, and crossed her hands in front of her chest. She couldn't understand why Baba Ali would do this.
She had found it hilariously funny at first, because the moment Ziad had told them about the bride candidates, she had this vision of those 'reality' shows on television she watched.
The Bachelor, whereby one man would have several women vying for his attention and/or to cultivate feelings for the purpose of marriage - and the image of the Bachelor being Ziad, surrounded by ten little girls had been too much for her to handle.
However, when she put herself in Ziad's shoes, she found that it wasn't so funny after all.
Sure, she had crushes and liked her idols - and even jokingly said that she'd marry them one day, but this was the real deal.
Marriage was something so far in the future that it seemed funny to want to set it now.
"Don't worry, Ziad," Fleur said with determination, "Rory and I will drive them away."
"No," Ziad replied.
"Huh?" Fleur gasped it out, leaning forward, "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, no," Ziad repeated, "You don't have to do anything; but I do thank you."
"Why?!" Fleur nearly shouted it out, clenching on the car seat.
Ziad sighed and placed his chin on the palm of his hand as he stared outside. After a few seconds of silence, he explained, "It won't solve anything. Even if you do succeed in getting rid of these ten, Baba will just choose ten more. It will go on until I finally settle on one."
Alex stared at Ziad's stiff back, thinking that though Ziad seemed upset, he was taking this relatively well. If it was him, he'd be raising such a ruckus.
Not that his father would dare do such a thing.
Or would he?
Alex wasn't so sure now, thinking how close his father was with Uncle Ali.
And his parents did get married while they were very young as well.
So did Uncle Sam …
Suddenly, Alex felt like perhaps he should be warier about these things. He wouldn't put it past his father to do something as ridiculous as this, for no other reason than to piss him off.
Or perhaps that is the real reason why his father insisted on them coming 'out' and learning to socialise with people?
So that he would be more amiable and 'marketable'?
Alex pursed his lips when these thoughts filled his mind.
Well, he'll just cross that bridge if it comes to it.
For now, the important thing was to be his friend's support. Ziad said that Uncle Ali wouldn't force the union, but even then - just the thought of meeting these ten girls who would be quite a headache.
Alex felt girls would be different than boys.
Boys really wouldn't be thinking of such boring things but he didn't think girls would brush it aside like they would. From what he's seen so far of the girls around him, they can be quite serious about it.
Alex felt Ziad was the perfect boy, the one that any girl would rush to marry.
As for those girls who seemed to want to get to know him in that sense as well? Alex didn't think they were really looking at him, but at his father. He honestly felt that they were just attracted to his face, and that it was really the 'aura' of his father that they saw.
Not him.
Well, except for Isaura.
She was the only one - so far at least - that seemed to see him.
Albeit, whatever weird image she had conjured about him in her mind. But whatever it was, it was still about him, Alex Smith.
Not Alex, the son of Kyle Smith.
Alex didn't even realise the smile that formed on his lips as he thought of that little chatterbox.
He wondered what she was doing right now.
Back at the bus, Isaura sneezed.
She rubbed her itchy nose, and pursed her lips, saying with a slight complaint, "Just who is talking about me right now?"
The thought went out of her mind as the bus stopped and Ms. Candy shouted, "Alright, we're here. Line up properly and go out carefully, you hear?"
Isaura turned towards Shane happily, careful not to grab his hand though she wanted to. She could tell that Shane wouldn't be comfortable if she did it, so she didn't.
Alex may look like he would not be comfortable with it, but Isaura felt she knew better. He only pretended not to like it, but his heart was a heart of gold. He would never brush her aside.
With that thought, Isaura practically skipped out of the bus, unable to wait to see Alex again.
Alex is her happiness.
Well, Alex and Zue, that is.