The Inheritance Book 1

Ch 3 Linger Longer: Sione Lavaki [Monday, Week One]

The bell that rang out in the hallway was an actual, real metal ting-a-ling bell. Sione had been expecting electronic pings like at school. He had been so busy exploring all the interesting lighthouse decorations in his bedroom, he hadn't even opened his suitcase yet. But he was starving and it was time for lunch! What kind of food would they have here? And, more importantly, would there be enough?

He opened his door and stepped out into the corridor. His next-door neighbor, Jittery Jarrett, the super tall reddish-blonde kid, was just coming out of his room too. Sione greeted him with a lift of his chin and eyebrows. "Ready for this?"

"Lunch? Or this?" Jarrett rotated his arms in a wide circle around the castle.

"Yes."

"Lunch, definitely." Jarrett chuckled. "Not sure about the rest. I have a feeling I'll be eating better here than at home though. I usually live off of pb and j's, ramen and cereal all summer."

Sione motioned for Jarrett to go ahead of him. "Same!" He gave Jarrett a firm, friendly pat on his back. "And I'm not complaining either, but I can't wait to see what the food is like here."

They hustled down the double staircase with the other kids.

"Anyone ever tell you that you look like Maui from that one movie?" Jarrett said. "Without the tattoos, obviously."

Sione hurried to keep up with Jarrett and those long legs of his. "Moana? All the time. He's my cousin, that's why."

Jarrett laughed. "Nice, I want to meet him sometime."

"Yeah. For sure. If we had our phones, I would call him so you could say hi."

Sione and Jarrett reached the bottom of the stairs at the same time, beating all the other kids. Not that it was a race or anything.

Miss Haversham, with a clipboard in one hand, stood waiting in the middle of the foyer.

"Right this way." She marched them past the parlor, and a hallway leading off to the left, and into a dining hall the size of a school cafeteria. One incredibly long table stretched down the middle.

Sione counted the chairs down one side. 16! At the head of the table was a throne-like, purple velvet chair inlaid with glittering purple jewels similar to the one in the parlor. It was obviously for Auntie Allora.

"Seating is assigned, please find your place. And do not switch seats with anyone," Miss Haversham said as she reached behind her head and pulled a pencil out of her hair bun. She looked as though she was just daring someone to break the rules so she could mark it down.

Wow! Meals were so formal here. Napkins made of cloth, not paper. Gold-edged antique plates, with matching gold utensils. A name card for each of them, written on fancy paper.

Sione was seated next to Kind Kellyn on his right and an empty place on his left. Kellyn shyly looked his way once, but her attention was mainly focused on the big, loud girl on her other side.

Two women--one older, one younger--each stood behind a serving cart loaded with domed-lid platters, ready to make their way around the table. The older lady was introduced as Mrs. Carter, the cook and housekeeper. She reminded Sione of Aunt Bee from that show they'd watched on the bus. The younger one was her daughter, Kara.

Lunch was amazing and they could eat as much as they wanted. He had double portions of roasted chicken with rice and gravy, and three hot buttered rolls. And to be polite, two sprigs of steamed broccoli. For dessert, a large bowl of fresh berries with whipped cream.