The family I have been searching for

chapter 20 - Video games

Third person's POV:

Over the next two weeks, Eleanor spends her time studying, taking her exams, searching for any possible clues on her mother and calling her friends.

During these two weeks, she had more one-on-one encounters with the members of her family, excluding the eldest four as they had left for their own houses to give her space.

When she wasn't studying, she sometimes went to the at-home gym or library. She uses the gym to vent her anger and stress and the library to find peace of mind. She also used the library to see if there was anything else to find and know about her supposed family.

She would search the books that looked to have information about the Italian mafia. To no such luck for her, she didn't find anything she didn't already know.

Luckily for Eleanor, she finished her exams over these two weeks, her last exam being yesterday. Her friends were a little bummed that they couldn't celebrate the end of exams with her, but she assured them that when she flies to London for their graduation they'll have a proper celebration then which lifted their spirits.

All she has to do is talk to her father to fly her to London to graduate, she is determined to graduate there. She will not miss graduating with her friends like they imagined just because her 'family' says no. She'll find a way if they do.

As of right now, she's heading down to the kitchen. She passes by which she presumes is Braxton's room. The door is outlined with different breeds of horses and rugby balls, all painted by Braxton himself. Eleanor had a brief conversation with Braxton earlier this week and he talked about how he painted them himself to give his room his touch; starting from the outside.

The door was open just enough to peek inside and see the area where the TV was and the bean bags in front of it. She could see that inside with Braxton there was Brody and Leonardo, all playing a video game.

When Leonardo loses the other two start laughing at him and making fun of him. "I hate you both." Leonardo shoves them off their bean bags.

They just laugh more though Brody manages to get a few words out between his laughter. "Why? We're lovely." He wiggles his eyebrows.

"More like ugly," Leonardo smirks. At that the triplet brothers, Brody and Braxton, gasp, hands going over their hearts in mock offence and hurt.

"Excuse you, brother?" Braxton stands up and walks over to his elder brother. Towering over him since Leo is sitting down. "You do know your genes are inside me yeah? It means you're calling yourself ugly." He smiles smugly, thinking he's got his brother good.

Leo leans back into the bean bag with his hands behind his head shrugging to say 'It's okay'. "Oh trust me, brother, I'm very self-aware. The question is, are you?" Leo throws the insult back onto Brax.

All the while Brody has begun wheezing with all the laughing he's doing. El has a hand on her mouth as she watches through the peep in the door, the situation admittedly humorous.

The two brothers continue to go back and forth and El gets more and more invested in their banter. She leans in closer to the door trying to get more of their conversation and get a better view.

She doesn't notice when the door moves away from her and she stumbles inside Braxton's room. When the brothers notice her they all stop talking, pin drop silence falls on them like a cloak.

El looks at them, trying to hide her embarrassment of being caught. She crosses her arms, clearing her throat, "Hi- sorry for uh... snooping. Wasn't polite of me." She apologises, looking at them to gauge their reactions.