Amara Knight

Arranging a family dinner once a month was a must in our family. My parents and their friends had been best of friends for ages, they were closer than blood relatives. I had grown up seeing them share their good and bad days.

This time it was uncle Daniel and aunt Eloise's turn to host the dinner and I couldn't hold my excitement to see everyone together. The bubbles of excitement erupted from inside when I saw Uncle Dan and Aunt Eloise standing on their lawn, waiting for us.
As soon as the car stopped, I jumped out of it and ran to them.

"Uncle Dan!" He was as excited as I was and hugged me with the same intensity as I did.

"My Queen, I've missed you." He kissed my forehead before releasing me. He then grinned. "I heard about the prank you played at school, although it was too much, I approve of it."

We did a hi-five, then I hugged Aunt Eloise.
"Aww, my sweet doll."

By now my parents and my brother had come to us. They all shared hugs.

"Ah, my princess, it's been too long since I saw you." Uncle Daniel lovingly kissed mamma's forehead.

"Oh, c'mon, we met, like, a week ago." Mom giggled. Dad secretively and possessively pulled mom out of uncle's hold and glued her to himself.

"Ari, your brother is just being dramatic, nothing else." Dad laughed and we all joined him in it.

"Hey, you all...having fun without us?" A familiar voice from behind grabbed our attention and look at him, uncle Daniel's smile knew no bounds.

"Sean babe! Oh, how much I have missed you!" Uncle Daniel lunged onto uncle Sean, making uncle Sean groan in response.

"Ugh, we saw each other at work today, drama queen, and when will you stop calling me babe?" Uncle Sean pushed him away, then focused on Aunt Eloise. "Eloise, I salute you for taking vows to tolerate this joker for life."

Lauren and Mom stepped in for Uncle Daniel's rescue. "Hey, don't be rude to him."

Smirking, uncle Dan puffed his chest. "Thank you, my sisters, for always having my back. I don't understand why these two men are jealous of Eloi's and my relationship." He said as he pulled Aunt Eloise to himself.

"Okay, I feel left out." This comment came from  Tiana who had her arms crossed across her chest and had her face puffed with air.

My eyes caught the sight of Ryan, who stood beside his sister and had his intense gaze fixed on me. I quickly sensed his motive to have a conversation with me, perhaps confront me for avoiding him? However, wasn't he the one who wanted me to ignore him? Huh, Mr. two-faced Peterson!

Royally taking my gaze off him, I smiled at Tiana. "Hey, Tiana." I rushed to her and engulfed her in a hug. We both girls were crowned as the troublemakers of the family. And were pampered like crazy, of course, Doris, uncle Daniel's daughter, included.

Tiana excitedly gushed. "Oh, Amara, I have so much gossip to share with you."

"Really?" I grinned, my wide eyes. We squealed like little girls when some grumpy soul decided to interrupt us.

"Family gathering isn't about girly gossip. Grow up, both of you." Ryan commented as he walked past me, deliberately bumping his shoulder against mine.

"Where's Travis and Doris, Aunt Eloise?" He asked and I dramatically mimicked his question, rolling my eyes.

"Oh, my Dorito and Burrito, both are in the kitchen." Uncle Daniel replied.

My sweet Aunt added with laughter, "Travis has taken over the kitchen. None of the adults is to set foot in the kitchen, and kids, your presence has been requested by him."

Travis loved cooking, maybe it was uncle Daniel whose love for food encouraged him to learn it from the best. His passion for cooking grew so much that ended up having multiple culinary certificates at the age of fourteen. He aspired to be one of the best chefs in the country.

"Alright, then we'll just head to the kitchen without further ado. C'mon, Tiny." Ryan waved at Tiana, gesturing for her to follow him inside.

I followed him willingly, however, Tiana did it with a groan. "Why does Travis have to inflict torture on me? I'm sure he's gonna refrain us from talking in the kitchen."

Once inside the kitchen, I was met with Travis who was busy stirring the pot while Doris, our cute little angel, followed his instructions. I saw Ryan approaching him but before he could share a handshake with him, I rushed to Travis and hugged him.

"Hey, my Travi boy!"

"Hey, hey, leave me, Amara, you're choking me." He tapped on my arm which I had no clue was clinging to her neck.

"Oops, sorry." I chuckled nervously before leaving him. I then pulled Doris to me.

"Hey, Angel, new glasses, huh? You look cool." I commented on her glasses while adjusting them on her nose. Doris was eight years old and due to some minor defect, her eyesight had decreased gradually.

"Thank you, Amara." She blushed. Yep, and she's shy.

"So fluffy, whatcha cooking?" Tiana exclaimed as she jumped on the barstool. Travis was a bit healthy, which led him to get bullied at school when he was younger, but I always had his back. I made sure no one bullied him about his weight. I brought his confidence, his smile back.

Travis glared at her but before he could school her, her brother, Ryan, did. "Tiana, don't be a bully."

Tiana rolled her eyes and unapologetically apologized. "Sorry, dad!"

In the expectation to lessen the crowd in the kitchen lurking over his head, Travis instructed Xyler and Doris to set the dishes on the table. Being the youngest of all they were given the easy task.

"You, Tiana," Travis pointed a finger at her. "If you want to stay in my kitchen, be of some help. Cut the veggies for soup."

Tiana, being one hell of a stubborn girl like myself, blew her nails. "Ask me politely, I might consider helping you."

"Fine, you asked for it. I'll tell tour parents that you're being a snob." Travis threatened her, to which Tiana glared at him in response.

I was enjoying the heated argument game but Ryan decided to spill water on my fun. Parry popper Peterson!

"Guys, stop arguing." He then approached his sister. "Tiana, my lovely sister, please help us with the cooking? Your brother is requesting you."

He had always been nicer to everyone except for me. I wondered what would he take from me for being just a bit, like a tiny bit, nicer with me.

To my luck, Travis instructed me to prepare mashed potatoes, for which he provided me space very next to Ryan on the island. He was given the task of making mushroom sauce whose recipe was dictated by Chef Travis himself.

Standing beside him, I minded my own business and kept my composure, keeping my ignorance game intact. I kept my eyes on my work, however, I felt his intense gaze on me from time to time yet I did not look up for him to win the game.

"Is highly unusual to see two silent when together. What happened?" Travis' comment and Ryan and me caught our attention, making me look at Ryan, whom I found looking at me.

"Must have taken argument too far. You both like two five-year-olds, fighting for their candy. Grow up." Tiana exclaimed, making me shoot a glare at her, while Ryan remained unfazed and turned his focus on the sauce he was making.

Ryan slipped away to grab something from the cabinet, while I tasted the mashed potatoes. I thought of having its taste to be checked by the chef else he would complain later.

I took a spoonful of mashed potatoes. "Hey, Travis, tell me if it's o—"

As soon as I turned with the spoon, I came face to face with Ryan, bumping into him. The spoon in my hand touched his mouth. Our eyes met and we stayed rooted in our place without making any effort to move.

"Hey, Ryan, could you please taste it for me?" Even Travis' voice couldn't interrupt our stare game.

Ryan yet had to react to Travis' request but he did not do it, so I bobbed my head and tilted the spoon, gesturing for him to taste the salt in the mashed potatoes.

Gradually, not breaking the eye contact, he opened his mouth and urged me to feed him. I licked my lips before gently shoving the spoon in his mouth.

He tasted and quickly walked past me, speaking, "Add a pinch of salt and it's good to go."

Sighing, I dropped my hands to my sides, then went back to work. Since I wasn't good with measuring things in the kitchen, I sprinkled some salt on the spoon, then extended my hand for Ryan to see and approve.

"Is this much fine?" I questioned. I had to talk with him or the dinner would have been ruined. My arrogance must not cost Travis's efforts to make this dinner success for him.

He eyed the salt in the spoon before picking up the salt dispenser and sprinkling the salt on the spoon. "This much." He muttered.

I added the said amount, then after mixing it, I tasted it. A huge smile appeared on my lips when the taste of mashed potatoes satisfied my taste buds. If it tasted awesome to me then others would find it delicious, too.

I was lost in admiring my fine work when I heard Ryan chuckle beside me. Without raising my head, I raised my eyes, only to find him shaking his head with a huge smile on his lips.

Ah, that freaking smile. Geez, my heart fluttered.

I wished for time to cease there so I could gawk at him a bit more, but my heart's wishes related to Ryan were barely answered.

Ryan seemed to have given a wave to his grumpiness because he tried talking with me.

"So, how was your day out with Tory?"

He questioned while still stirring the pot. However, as soon as those words left his mouth, irritation surged inside of me.

"He just dropped me home," I muttered, putting aside the bowl of mashed potatoes and grabbing the chopping board to chop the mushrooms he needed to add to the mushroom sauce.

He left the spatula in the pot and turned to me, his eyebrows raised, touching his short hair strands falling freely on his forehead. Hot.

"You want me to believe that?" He scoffed. "If I'm guessing it right, Tory had you drive his motorbike."

The knife which I had just picked up to chop mushrooms dropped on the chopping board and with eyes wide, I gaped at him.

"Shh, lower your voice or Xyler will hear you." I shushed him, looking behind him, making sure my brother hadn't heard him say that, or else he'd run to mamma to complain about my stunt.

"Then why do you do things that could put you in trouble?" He questioned. Cooking was long forgotten. "You are well aware how rash Tory drives, then why risk getting injured by riding with him? And the cherry on top, he gave you his motorbike to drive. He has hurt you once, Amara." He scolded me.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, mom, it was only once. And if you think Tory drives rash then you certainly haven't seen me drive "

"Why are you in the misconception that I don't know a thing about you? Well, reality check, I know way more than you know yourself."

His comment took me off guard and made me stare at him in bewilderment. Could it be possible he knew me more than I did myself or it was an attempt to play with my head?

He seemed to comprehend what he just blurted and tried to mask it. "Well, I..."

Travis interrupted us. "Hey, Amara, you are done with mashed potatoes?"

I jerked upon hearing his voice and nodded my head at him. "Yeah, it's done." I passed him the bowl.

"Okay, good. Lasagna is almost ready. Bread has been toasted. Ryan, what about the mushroom sauce?"

Ryan quickly picked up the knife I had dropped, gently pushed me aside, and began chopping the mushrooms. "It's about done."

"Alright." Travis went back to what he was doing.

Ryan took the chance to continue the conversation. "Tell me—" I stopped him.

"I have work to do. Later, alligator." I muttered before rushing to Doris to help her lift the soup pot. Unaware of the hotness of the pot, I reached for it and as soon as I lifted it, my fingers got burnt. Doris got startled and took a sudden step towards me, bumping into Tiana in the process who was walking past us. Tiana had a small bowl of clam chowder in her hands which she emptied on me to save herself from Doris.

"Oh, fuuuuuu" The curse got stuck in my tongue when two pairs of girly eyes gawked at me, waiting for me to complete the curse so they could go and sing it outside, in front of our parents. No matter how much my Tiana's thoughts matched, she'd never leave a chance to pull my leg.

"What? What were you saying?" Xyler came rushing to me with narrowed eyes.

I passed a sweet smile at him. "Funny. Funny dwarf of snow-white, what have you done!" I eyed Tiana while saying so.

"I'm so sorry, Amara. Come here, I'll help to clean it." She ushered me to the sink but I stopped her.

"No, it won't clean here. Doris, can I use your bathroom?" I asked and she nodded her head.

I rushed to her room which was on the same floor to clean myself up.

__________________________________________

Ryan Peterson

I saw Amara rushing to Doris's room before taking my gaze back to my sister. "You alright?" I asked her while Travis made sure his sister was okay.

"Yeah, I am good." She grabbed the tissues to clean the floor. I helped her with the cleaning while my thoughts stuck on Amara.

How could have I blurted that out? Yes, I knew her more than anyone but I didn't have to express it to her. For heaven's sake Ryan, what were you thinking! I scolded myself.

Also, I felt that the moment was excellent to confront Amara, to have her speak about something that had been bugging me since afternoon. What exactly I did that had hurt her. I wanted to know it now. I couldn't wait.

Amara was alone in the room, that could be my chance to corner her, or else she would sneak away easily.

Determined to have that smart mouth talking, I stood up and threw the dirty tissues in the trash bin before rushing to Doris's room.

"I'll be back guys."

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I'm so sorry guys for not updating sooner. Honestly, I was skipping the update today...but I couldn't leave you guys hanging.

Please excuse and correct the errors, if any. I wrote the chapter blindly.

I promise to give you an update in a day or two. ❤🙏