Mestiza

Chapter 8- Emilia

          The flight sucked, but as we came into Germany I was surprised to see how beautiful it was below. I guess I had forgotten, or never appreciated it's beauty. For a minute there, I started to think everything would be alright, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. At least not terrible!

I spoke too soon because only a few minutes after thinking that, it started raining and by the time we got out into the car that would take us home it was pouring and our suitcases, hair and clothes were soaked. 

It will be a long enough drive for me to take another nap, probably my last for the rest of the year. I have a feeling Mom will be keeping Maria and I busy, and I plan on spending most of my hours riding anyways. So I should take the opportunity right?

Unfortunately, it doesn't work out, because Maria's ear is being talked off by Mom who just 

WON'T

SHUT

UP.

          It's a long and uncomfortable ride, I can tell she's avoiding speaking to me, Mom I mean. It's probably for the best, she's spoken more to me today than I think she ever has in a day (or more). So instead of talking I count the raindrops on the window until we finally pull into a private road, surrounded by trees and greenery, that leads to the house. I shouldn't call it a house. It's giant, it's bigger than the huge house Vivian and I live in. Maria and I stare at it in silent awe as we pull up. There are already two people waiting outside for us to help with our things. I shuffle awkwardly into the house where I'm immediately greeted by a little boy with bright blonde hair and fair skin who nearly knocks me over.

"Whoa!" I stumble to gain balance with the little child still attached to my legs. "Hi there!" I laugh awkwardly and he looks up at me, little blue eyes shining brightly at me.

"You are my sister aren't you?" He asked in an oddly serious tone. I smiled, this must be my little brother. I am sad to say this is the first time I've ever met him, despite my visits. I think it had something to do with his father, my stepdad, and how he felt about it.

"I am! My name is Emilia, are you my brother?" I ask getting to my knees to meet his face. He squeals, putting his hands on my face. 

"I am your brother!" He exclaimed. "And I'm Anton!" He introduced himself excitedly. His eyes lit up once again when he looked behind me. He ran to Maria and I got to my feet. 

"Oh! Hello." She smiled when he hugged her next. 

"You're my other sister?" She nodded at his question and he raised his small fist in the air victoriously. "I am Anton and I am your other brother!" 

"I have two brothers?" Maria asks Mom cautiously, to which she responds

"Oh no, I think he means other sibling. Right Anton?" Anton thinks it over for a moment before standing straight and proudly proclaiming.

"That is exactly what I meant." My heart warmed at the sight of this little dude. I'm so happy to finally meet him and Maria and I'm actually starting to look forward to spending the year with them. My family has always been a mess, maybe my siblings and I can work it out together. "Oh! Hey, I have a dog. Actually two! Their names are Alpha and Joey. Come meet them!" He took my hand and Maria's arm and began to eagerly drag us around the gorgeous home. I looked back at Mom, to make sure she approved of us ditching the whole settling in situation to go meet some dogs. She looked honestly happy, almost in tears as we were pulled away from her by tiny Anton. 

          "This one stays in his kennel a lot." Anton told us as we neared a giant cage with a fuzzy blue blanket over it. I gulped, what kind of dog needs that big a kennel?! I'm a dog lover, sure, in fact I prefer big dogs over small, but if a dog in need of a kennel three and a half feet tall stays in his kennel a lot he's probably not very nice and perfectly capable of biting my hand off. Soon I heard growling and Anton sat in front of the cage. Maria and I inched behind him and bent down cautiously, only to jump back when a black and brown wiener dog starts yapping at us. I snicker at myself for being so nervous. 

"He seems..uh...nice?" Maria turned her attention to Anton who shook his head. 

"He's not. But he is!" I following to where he was pointing -cue the animated sweat drop- at a monster of a dog napping in the corner. Black and brown fur to match the dachshund's, I stared at the rottweiler in shock. Maria gaped at the dog and looked at me to see if I was as confused as she was.

"H-he's the nice one?" I ask my brother and he nods, smiling. "I'm guessing that's Alpha?" Anton bursts into a giggling fit.

"No!" He laughed. "That's Joey. The small one is Alpha." He tells us like it should be obvious, and I guess with their apparent behaviors, it was obvious.