— tayen's pov, 3:20pm
airport, edmonton alberta 𖦁ׅ ࣪ ׂ ៵

TAYEN HAD JUST GOT OFF THE PLANE, the cool air of her hometown brushing against her skin as she took a deep breath. It had been months since she'd last been here, months filled with the chaos of filming for Netflix. Yet, as much as she loved the thrill of her career, there was something irreplaceable about being home. She and Eliana had been planning for three days, carefully working out every detail to make the most of her short visit and to figure out the youtube video.

As Tayen walked out of the airport, her older brother, Takoda, walked beside her, carrying one of her bags, while their younger brother, Tarlo, skipped ahead. Their parents trailed behind, carrying the rest of their luggage. The five of them stood on the curb, scanning the lot for their grandparents' familiar blue Jeep.

"There it is!" Tarlo shouted, pointing enthusiastically.

The sight of the old, slightly dusty vehicle sparked a smile on Tayen's face. They all piled in quickly, squeezing their luggage into the back and settling in for the drive to their childhood home.

As the Jeep rumbled along the winding roads, Tayen leaned back in her seat, the city's familiarity washing over her. The trees lining the streets seemed taller, the houses just the same as she remembered.

"God, how I missed it here," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the hum of the engine. Her phone buzzed in her lap, and she quickly texted her friends:
Just landed. On my way back to my house. Come pick me up soon

The family arrived at their old house soon after. From the outside, the home looked much the same weathered wooden siding and a slightly sagging porch but stepping inside revealed a warm, inviting space. The furniture and decorations hadn't changed much, and the familiar scent of lavender candles made Tayen's chest tighten with nostalgia.

"Alright, kids," their mom said, breaking the moment of quiet as everyone stood in the entryway. "Remember, we're only here for the week, and then Tayen has to head back to Toronto for filming."

"Yes, Ma. We know," Tarlo muttered, already halfway up the stairs with his suitcase in hand.

Tayen giggled at her little brother's impatience as she grabbed her own luggage and hauled it toward her old bedroom. Takoda followed, carrying his duffel bag with ease. Once everyone had settled in, they came back down to say goodbye to their grandparents, who were heading home.

"Just so you know, Mom," Tayen began as she adjusted her phone in her hand, "Eliana and Sunday are coming to pick me up soon. I'll probably be back around 7:30 at least."

Her mom nodded, settling onto the couch. "Alright, sweetheart. Just make sure you let me know if you're running late."

As Tayen started to head back to her room, Takoda called after her. "Hey, can I come? Dawg, all my friends are busy right now. Of course, the one time I'm home, they all have plans."

Tayen rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Yeah, sure. Let me just tell Eliana."

She dialed her friend's number, and after two rings, Eliana answered. "Hi, Tayen! What's up? I'm almost there."

"Hey, Takoda wants to tag along. His friends ditched him, and he's got nothing to do," Tayen said, keeping her tone even.

"Yeah, that's fine," Eliana replied without hesitation. "But I've got a couple of other people with me right now."

"Really? Who?" Tayen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My childhood friend Elijah and my other friend Kacen," Eliana said, her voice casual but loud enough for the two boys in her car to yell a quick, "Hi, Tayen!" in the background.

Tayen laughed softly, shaking her head. "Well, alright then. Me and Takoda will be ready when you get here."

"Perfect. I'm like two minutes away. Come outside," Eliana said before hanging up.

Tayen turned to her older brother, who had been leaning against the wall. "Alright, grab your stuff. She's almost here."

As they stepped outside, the golden light of the late afternoon illuminated the quiet street. Tayen felt a flicker of excitement. She was home, even if only for a week, and she was ready to make it count.

— tayen's pov, 3:57pm
kalogeras household 𖦁ׅ ࣪ ׂ ៵

"HOLY SHIT YOUR HOUSE IS HUGE" Takoda said, craning his neck to take in the towering Kalogeras mansion. His voice carried the kind of awe that made Tayen giggle

"Oh, this?" Sunday said softly, glancing back over her shoulder. Her curls framed her face, and though her tone was quiet, there was a hint of pride in her words. "Just wait till you see my room."

Tayen glanced at her brother and raised an eyebrow. Takoda just shrugged, grinning.

As they climbed out of the car, Tayen watched Eliana push her curls out of her face, her movements quick and effortless.

Eliana cleared her throat as they gathered by the car. "So, um, just so y'all know," she said, looking between Tayen and Takoda, "a few other friends are gonna be coming over. Hope that's cool."

Tayen caught her brother's eye for a brief moment before turning back to Eliana. "That's fine. I'm always up for meeting new people," she said, letting her words come out easy and warm.

Eliana hesitated, her eyes flicking to Tayen for a fraction longer than necessary. Tayen wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a hint of color rise to Eliana's cheeks before she turned toward the house.

Tayen adjusted her jacket and fell into step beside her. "So, you're the youngest, right?" she asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it from Eliana herself.

"Yeah," Eliana said, glancing at her briefly. "Sunday's the oldest, then Demitra, then me. Why?"

"No reason," Tayen replied with a shrug, slipping her hands into her coat pockets. "You don't seem like the youngest, that's all."

Eliana stopped walking for a second, turning to look at Tayen fully. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Tayen tilted her head, a smile playing on her lips. "You seem... I don't know. More grounded. Mature."

Eliana raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable. "You've known me for, like, 6 days and all of the conversations have been on the phone. That's a bold observation."

"Call it a gut feeling," Tayen said smoothly.

Eliana's lips twitched into a small smile, though she quickly looked away to hide it.

By the time they reached the front doors, Sunday was already holding them open, her gaze darting between Tayen and her brother as if unsure what to say. "Um, you guys can just come in. Demitra's setting up the camera in the living room," she said quietly, stepping aside.

Inside, the house was even more impressive. Tayen glanced around, taking in the high ceilings, gleaming floors, and soft lighting from the chandelier overhead.

"Okay, yeah, this might actually be the fanciest house I've ever been in," Takoda said, clearly impressed.

"Right?" Tayen added, turning to Eliana with a grin.

Eliana shrugged, trying to appear casual. "It's not that fancy," she said, though the pride in her voice was unmistakable.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that," Tayen teased, her grin widening.

Eliana shot her a look, her curls bouncing as she tilted her head. For a moment, Tayen thought she might snap back with something sharp, but instead, Eliana just smiled, almost as if she was amused by Tayen's confidence.

They made their way to the living room, where Demitra was adjusting a ring light while Sunday lingered by the couch, fiddling with the hem of her sweater. Tayen noticed the way Sunday seemed to hang back, as if she was happy to let Demitra take charge.

"So," Tayen said, turning to Eliana, "what's this video about? Am I walking into a trap ?"

Eliana leaned casually against the arm of the couch, her curls brushing her shoulders. "It's a Q&A" she said, her tone light. "Maybe some bold questions."

"oh hell nah, now I'm scared" Tayen said, raising an eyebrow.

Eliana smirked, crossing her arms. "scared?"

"yes dude I haven't filmed for a YouTube video in a fat minute " Tayen replied "I think I can handle a YouTube Q&A tho I hope"

Eliana studied her for a moment, her smirk softening into a smile. "Fair enough."

Sunday's quiet voice cut through the moment. "Um, Demitra says we're ready," she said, her eyes darting between Eliana and Tayen before quickly looking away.

"Great," Eliana said, standing up straight and motioning for Tayen to follow her. "Let's make this fun."

"oh god" Tayen said, her voice light

Eliana glanced back at her, and for a second, their eyes met. Tayen swore she saw something unspoken in Eliana's expression

And just like that, Tayen knew this night was going to be more interesting than she'd expected.

JEN SPEAKS

I hope this chapter makes sense

this is my longest chapter with 1496 words 😭