Page 4 of The Surprise
Beth arches one eyebrow. “The ones at school are not housebroken. They love mud, and they eat anything, and it shows.”
And I’m laughing again. Mom gives me that look that means she’d like some adult time, and I’m old enough to know that doesn’t really include me. Not yet, anyway. I follow the other kids into the living room. Gabe and his friend are still in my room, making a huge mess, I’m sure. Normally, I’d head in there so I could get credit for keeping an eye on them, but not today. Not with Beth here.
“So you’re in high school?” Beth asks, looking at the girls she was tasked to keep an eye on.
Izzy shakes her head. “Not yet. Well, I wouldn’t be at home, anyway. I’m in eighth grade.”
“I’m in high school,” Maren says. “Starting my sophomore year.”
“I’m about to start my senior year,” Beth says.
That seems to annoy Maren, for some reason. Maybe she’s not keen on being replaced as queen bee. Like in Victorian England, maybe being older is somehow better?
“So you’re seventeen?” Izzy asks.
“I’ll be eighteen in January.”
“You’re almost the same age as Ethan,” Emery says.
Beth looks a little confused. “So you’re a senior too?”
“My birthday was two days ago,” I say. “I barely made the cut off for kindergarten—graduated from high school a few months ago.”
“But you’re basically the same,” Emery says.
Beth blushes, for some reason.
“Maybe everyone should introduce themselves,” I say. “It’s a lot of kids to meet all at once.”
“I’m Ethan’s little sister,” Izzy says, always quick to jump in and boss people around. “I’m next oldest in the family. And I ride horses a lot.”
“Okay,” Beth says.
“That’s my little sister, Whitney.” Izzy looks like an English teacher when she straightens up, her shoulders square, and points. “She’s still at the elementary school, but only for another two years. She’s in fifth grade.”
“You met Gabe already,” I say. “Or at least, you saw him.”
“He and Aiden went to play?” Beth asks.
I nod. “That’s the fourth kid in our family. He’s going into second grade. He’s seven.”
“And you two are. . .cousins?” Beth asks.
Emery nods. “Our dads were brothers. I’m Emery, and I’m in seventh grade.” She looks down at her feet. “It’s weird that I’ll be at the same school as Maren.”
Poor Emery. She always looks either elated or depressed. I guess we’ve switched to depressed for now. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up.
“I’m Maren.” She sighs heavily, as if everything around her is a huge imposition. “I’m a cheerleader.”
“Wait, already?” Beth asks.
Maren rolls her eyes. “The school told my mom that tryouts will be next week. I can’t imagine I won’t make it out here.”
Beth blinks, clearly unsure what to do with such a snotty reply.
Maren has that effect on people, but it’s not like I can explain with her standing right here.
“Who wants to play Twister?” Whitney yanks the box off the shelf and pulls the mat out. It’s her favorite game right now, and she begs people to play most days. Usually she’s stuck playing with just Emery, who never seems to be able to say no, even though she always loses.
