Ella was on a mission. What kind of mission, you may ask? She wasn't sure yet, but the city of Amsterdam needed to be explored. Her visit to the city was made up of accidents (she fell off of the bike she rode), losing her wallet (someone stole it!), and spending time at the police station (because of said stolen wallet). Thankfully, she got her wallet back, and the thief didn't take any of her money. She was in desperate need of fun for her last day in Amsterdam, and she knew she would somehow find it. 

She stuffed her hands in her jacket pocket as she walked down a canal street, gazing out at the sparkling blue water, the sun glinting off the waves. The chilly afternoon air blew through the area, but she didn't mind. Ella was from the Midwest of the United States; she was used to Nature's mood swings. She sucked in a deep breath and smiled to herself, glad for booking this trip. She was surprised that her parents said yes to the trip, and even more surprised when they allowed her to walk all around Amsterdam by herself. She felt more mature, the confidence coursing through her veins. 

With a pep in her step, Ella turned the corner and nearly crashed into a young girl and boy, both around her age. She skidded to a stop and said, "I'm so sorry!" 

"You're fine," the girl said, waving her hand through the air. She giggled, brushing a piece of brown hair out of her bright eyes. "My brother, Sal, and I weren't watching where we were going."

"I was," the boy said, rolling his eyes. He nudged the girl next to him -- his sister -- and shook his head. He was cute in a nerdy way. "Anika, you never pay attention. You were texting."

Anika looked at her unlocked phone in her hands and grimaced. "Oops, sorry." She glanced up at the boy with wide eyes, shutting her phone off. "Oliver was texting me about how dotty Dottie was. You know, the usual."

"Right. Well, sorry," the boy said, pushing Anika out of the way. "Bye!"

"Wait, I didn't catch her name!" Anika said as the boy marched her down the street. She turned and looked back at Ella, who had remained silent and still through that whole strange encounter. "What's your name?"

"Ella!"

"I hope I can see you again, Ella!"

The boy and Anika disappeared around a corner before Ella could answer her. She stood there for a second, holding tightly to her purse strap. People in Amsterdam were nice, sure, but that girl was probably the nicest person she had ever met in her entire life. Ella blinked and then turned the right way, continuing to walk as if she just hadn't been stopped by two weird yet extremely nice people. 

Rows of townhouses spread down the sidewalk, almost like they guided her toward her destiny. Ella glanced out at the beautiful blue sky above her, the sparkling water of the canal, and the stately homes that rose toward the heavens. She could get used to living in Amsterdam, if her parents would let her move here when she got older. It was one of the best places she had been in (besides when her wallet got stolen).  

". . . draw you!" a boy's voice said from far away. The two words she heard him say piqued her interest, so Ella followed the voice toward a white and tan townhouse. Beside the stairs that led up to the townhouse sat two chairs and an easel, and a boy occupied the chair in front of the easel. He had an easy grin on his handsome face, and Ella immediately slowed down. She never acted right around boys, and if this trip was telling her something, it was that she was cursed. However, he looked right at her with that charming smile, his eyes flashing in the sunlight. "Miss, yeah, you there! May I draw you?"

She pointed at herself, a bout of nervousness running through her. She just had a strange encounter with two people around her age, and now she felt like she was about to have another one. "You want to draw me?" she asked, suddenly self-conscious. Her dark hair hung in curls around her shoulders, which was fine, but she wore a pair of leggings and a sweatshirt with a ratty jacket over it. She wasn't dressed nice enough to be drawn. 

"Of course! What's your name?"

He had an accent, but it wasn't from the Netherlands. Ella smiled nervously and sat down in the seat across from him, adjusting her purse so that it sat in her lap. Then, she ran her fingers through her hair. "Ella. Do you need me to move?" she asked, not looking the boy in the eyes. "Or am I good? And what's your name?"

The boy hummed, and she finally looked at him. He tapped his chin with a pencil, eyes squinting at her. "Tilt your chin up, Ella." She did as he asked, and he nodded once. "Perfect. Smile, and then I'll catch your essence." He winked at her, and she swore her whole face turned tomato red. "And, by the way, my name's --" 

The front door to the house opened suddenly, and out of the corner of her eye, Ella saw a girl dressed in a ripped leather jacket standing at the top of the steps. "You found another unlucky subject," the girl said, shaking her head. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Is Jake making you pay him?"

"I didn't get there yet, Tess," the boy -- Jake -- said, glaring at the girl. "Leave me alone."

"Whatever."

"So, I get to pay you," Ella said, smiling when he looked at her again. "Don't worry, I have money. How much is the drawing?"

"For you?" Jake stared at her for a second, his eyes traveling from head to foot. Her heart thundered in her chest at the amount of attention he gave her, and she wanted to look away from him yet couldn't. "Free."

"Oh, no, I can't do that," she said, shaking her head. 

"Don't move! You'll mess up the drawing!"

"You didn't even start drawing me yet!"

Jake started sketching on the canvas in front of him, a mischievous smile warming up his face. He remained silent as he sketched her, and she couldn't help but notice just how cute he actually was. His eyes were flicking back and forth between her and the canvas, and a serious look spread across his face. 

"I'm a world-famous artist," Jake said, smiling at Ella. He continued sketching as he talked to her. "My drawings are featured across Europe and even in America."

"He's definitely not a world-famous artist," the girl with the leather jacket said, appearing in the doorway once more. She snickered to herself before a younger girl with blond hair popped out with her. "Don't believe a word coming out of his mouth. Jake, stop lying to her."

"Tess, Evie, stop listening to my private conversation!" Jake said, glaring back at the two girls in the doorway. They both started laughing. 

"It's not really private if you're outside," the blond girl said, giggling. 

"Oh, come on, Evie, let's leave Jake alone," Tess said. She grinned at Ella, though her own face was burning for some reason. 

As the door shut, Jake turned back to the easel, shaking his head. "Those two are my sisters," he explained to her. "Well, two out of three of my sisters. They love to spy on everyone and anyone, especially when they're bored."

"You have three sisters?" Ella asked him, frowning. "That's a lot of siblings."

"Oh, that's not all," he said, laughing. "I have three brothers, too. Well, four if you count Anika's -- that's my other sister -- biological brother."

"Wait, I met an Anika before I got here," Ella said to him. "She had this nerdy looking boy with her. I think his name was Sal."

"They're my brother and sister!" Jake said excitedly. He grinned at her. "You've nearly met half the Hunter family already. All you have to do is meet Max and Daniel, and then you're all set."

Ella nearly shook her head again, but she stopped herself before he reprimanded her. Jake was still sketching her. She couldn't believe that this boy had that many siblings. How in the world did he do it? She didn't have any siblings at all, so she had no idea what it was like to share everything and anything, to wait for the bathroom, to have a built-in best friend. 

"So, are you from around here?" Jake asked her.

"No, I'm from America," Ella explained to him. "This is actually my last day here in Amsterdam."

For some reason, Jake looked a little sad about that. And for some reason, she also felt sad about that. She liked the way Jake spoke and acted. It was an added bonus that he was incredibly cute. "Have you enjoyed your time here in the city?" he asked her finally.

"Yeah, I have. I love it here. I wish my parents would let me stay here longer, but they're a little over-protective. I'm actually surprised they let me walk around Amsterdam today."

Before Jake could answer her, two guys walked up to the townhouse they were sitting in front of. One of them looked incredibly familiar, and it took her a moment to realize who it was. "Hey, you're the police officer that helped get my wallet back!" Ella said, pointing to the tall man. 

"Oh, my gosh, you've met more of my siblings," Jake said. He laughed a warm laugh, one that made her giggle, too. "Finally, the guy standing next to Daniel is my other brother, Max. You've officially met all of my family."

"Have you had any trouble after your missing wallet?" Daniel asked her.

"No, I haven't. Thank you for helping me."

"Our big brother is a hero," the other boy, Max, said, latching onto Daniel's arm. He grinned up at Daniel. "He's solved a lot of crimes, but he also solved how to steal our hearts."

Daniel shoved Max away from him, but he was laughing, too. "Have you gotten more insufferable, Max?"

"No."

"Hmm, I think you have."

The two of them said goodbye to Ella and Jake before heading inside with the rest of the Hunters. It seemed like all of the Hunters were kind people, though a little strange. Each of them had these little quirks to them, and she hoped that there weren't any more of them in that house that Jake was keeping a secret from her.

"My family is very crazy," Jake said to her, resuming sketching her. "But I love them. They took me in when I needed them most, and I don't think I can ever repay them for all that they've done for me."

"Wow, that's so nice," Ella said. 

"Yeah."

The two of them remained silent for the rest of the time that he sketched her. Finally, he slowly turned the easel around for her to see the picture of her that he had drawn. She smiled to herself as her cheeks started to grow warm. "Wow, you did such a great job," she said. The canvas showed her grinning back at herself. He had actually captured her essence, just like he had said. "Thank you so much!"

Ella stood up and took the picture from him. Jake stood up, too, and grinned at her. He held out his hand for her to grab, and she hesitantly did, feeling its warmth spread across her fingers. "Well, Ella, since this is your last day here in Amsterdam, do you want to go on a treasure hunt?"