Bella and I went back inside laughing while the atmosphere inside felt damp and heavy.
"Who died?" Bella asked with a slight giggle and her children looked at her questioningly,"There is no need to sit like this. It's just your grandparents visiting."
Gill must have felt insulted being called a grandparent from the look on her face. We sat down and Ray brought a deck of cards for us to play.
"Okay. Let's make it a little bit more interesting. The first one to win gets to ask anyone a question and the game resumes and the next person to win gets to dare anyone except the first winner. Sound good?" Michael said smiling brightly.
"What about the other winners?" Felicia asked.
"What if the truth and dare interchange until the last two and then the last two arm wrestle to end the game?" Daniel suggested thoughtfully.
"Okay. Let's start. Do you know how to play grandma?" Daniella asked cheerfully.
"Of course I can play! And don't call me grandma. I'm not old."
"Its not about age. You inherited that title when you married our grandpa." I said.
She glared at me and I smiled at her and we started the game. It was then that I realized I don't know how to play. I looked at everyone else and they all looked concentrated that they didn't even notice how lost I was. I looked at Bella beside me a watched what she was doing.
"Why are you peeping? Are you trying to...?" she asked then stopped herself, probably realizing that I had no idea what I was doing.
"I have never played before." I said sheepishly and unexpectedly loudly.
An awkward silence fell and it was Gill who made noise first.
"Hahaha! You can't play and yet your dear sister was asking me. Hahaha."
"That's okay Dee. I can explain the rules to you while they play." Bella said smiling at me.
"I won." Daniel said yawning,"My question is for you Gill....I mean grandma."
"What?" she asked urging him to continue.
"What do you love most about grandpa?"
"His....his eyes." she answered hesitantly.
The room fell silent again as they resumed the game.
"You have to attain four cards; two that have the same number and two that follow one another."
I nodded my head and saw picked up a card and I won. I had two aces and a king and queen. I already knew the basic order of the cards so she didn't have to tell me that.
"I won." I said and I put the cards down,"Daniella I dare you to sing for us."
"What song?" she asked and she cleared her voice.
"Just a dream." Bella whispered in my ear and I said the same thing.
Daniella smiled and cleared her throat again. She had a beautiful voice and she knew exactly how to control it. Even though I have never heard the song I know she has sang it better than the original. The game resumes and in the end it was Bella and Gill who remained. Ray brought a small stool that they used to arm wrestle on. Bella started off nice but she got too full of herself from all the cheers she was receiving and Gill managed to win. We clapped for our grandma and she looked pleased with herself at least until Ray left her an annoying compliment.
"Yeah! Power of the ancestors!" he shouted and everyone started laughing.
Gill stomped her feet on the floor and left to go back to her room. We retired to sleep and in the morning, we all got ready to go to go to school while Gill and Luke were the only ones who were going to be at home. I just found out that Bella is a dance teacher and the girls are all ballet dancers. We were very early for school and Ray and I waited outside for Penelope and Riley to come. Christine arrived in a black Porche car that I hadn't seen the previous day and I know why. It was Mr Guilder's car and he had brought his daughter. But why is she here today when Christine had told me she was coming next week?
"Oh look! There he is!" Christine exclaimed excitedly pointing at me.
Mr Guilder smiled at me and so did his daughter. They both came closer and I also moved closer so they wouldn't look desperate. We shook hands and went to Christine's office.
"I'll be back." I said to Ray and.he frowned in a playful manner.
"You'll probably be away till the fourth session so forget about it." he said and then he walked away.
Mr Guilder and Christine spoke to each other in low voices as we walked while his daughter took the opportunity to introduce herself.
"We didn't have the chance to talk the last time, did we?" she asked hesitantly and I hummed in response,"I know your name is Vermont Delsaloriota McGuire but you don't know my name."
"I know your last name is Guilder at least." I said and she smiled while nodding,"What is your name?"
"Penelope Melody Guilder. Most of my friends call me Mel."
"Penelope?" I asked alarmed.
"Yeah. You can call me Mel. I prefer Mel to Penelope."
I looked away from her for a second or two then turned back with a smile.
"Pleasure knowing you Mel."
"You too. So ah...What should I call you?"
"Dee."
"Just the letter D or maybe it has a spelling?"
"D and two Es."
"Oh. You're really tall it makes me feel like a kid." she said giggling while I was in the process of zoning out thinking about Rose.
"Really?" I asked and she nodded,"Hormones I guess."
"Yeah."
An awkward silence fell and I started listening to what Christine and Mr Guilder were conversing about.
"I will personally make sure she is comfortable at all times. With the recent incident I'm sure she feels unsafe around males." Christine said sadly.
"We had her male servants changed after that. She was even considering being home schooled up until I found out Vermont was coming to this school. She came only for him."
"He fights well. He put down a bully just yesterday. She's in good hands."
"Dee?" I heard Mell say beside me and I looked down at her.
We stopped walking as Christine's office was just in front of us. Christine opened the door and she walked in with Mr Guilder.
"Mhhm?"
"Were you listening?" she asked looking panicked.
"No. I...I zoned out a little. It happens often.
"Oh thank goodness." she sighed relaxing,"Let's sit there. There's really no need for us to go in."
"Sure. After you."
"You're a gentleman all round. That's lovely." she said giggling shyly for complimenting me.
We sat down on a bench in front of the office and I put my bag down while she chose to keep hers on her lap.
"What grade are you doing?" she asked looking straight into my eyes.
"Twelveth and you?"
"Eleventh. I guess I'll be alone next year."
"You would have made friends by then I'm sure."
"I don't want to make new friends. I'm not sure if I even want the old ones."
Her tone was suddenly sad and she was practically breathing out the words. The image of her bloodied and lying naked on the bed popped into my mind and I had to blink back tears.
"Are you afraid they'll judge you?" I asked carefully and she nodded,"I know my friends won't. Could you try to befriend them for my sake?"
"Well....it depends....I... I'll try....for you." she said hesitantly.
"Good. I have a friend named Penelope." I informed her and her eyes seemed to become even sadder as she looked at me.
I guess the way I spoke about Rose hi Ted to the fondness I had with her and it made Mel insecure.
"Is that why you asked about my name earlier?" she asked trying to smile but I could see right through it.
"Yes. I hope you two will get along well. My other female friends are Riley and Susan. Riley is Asian American and talkative. Susan is quite reserved and closed up for the most part, you probably won't even meet her because we don't sit together at lunchtime."
"You only have female friends?"
"No. My male friend is Nixon."
"The one you were standing with outside?"
"Nah. That guy is my brother."
"Well....I can't wait to meet them. They all sound like great people."
"They are and so are you."
Mel blushed and Mr Guilder walked out of Christine's office and she followed behind him.
"Have a great day sweetie." Mr Guilder wished his daughter with a sad smile.
"Thanks dad."
"Take care of her for me Vermont. She's counting on you." he said looking at me.
"She can count on me to infinity." I said and his smile brightened while Christine's smile looked like it would cut her face in half.
"Vermont, could you please show her to class 11E?" Christine asked enthusiastically.
"Sure. Let's go Mel."