Everyone is always talking about the supposed older sister of Mia Thermopolis. But that's just so their fictional character can be first in line.
However, the truth is, Mia's sister... was younger and she didn't want the throne either.
The next day, Melinda walked up to her desk and whispered, "We've got a demon."
Trixie whispered back teasingly/mockingly, "When don't we?"
Her phone buzzed and she responded immediately.
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The final bell of the day rang. "However, I have a thing with the grandmother I've never met. So... either tonight or tomorrow."
"Kay," Melinda consented.
*
10 minutes later, Trixie was following Mia, texting Melinda constantly.
"Found it!" Mia called.
Trixie tucked her phone into her blazer and looked up at the camera. It moved to face them once Mia pressed a button.
The older girl backed up behind Trixie. "You're turn," she said.
"The school tours are on Saturday, young ladies," he informed them through the intercom.
Trixie rolled her eyes. "You can't even see him." She pressed the button. "We're here to meet with our grandmother, Clarisse Renaldi."
Her phone buzzed.
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"Please come to the front door."
The gate opened.
Trixie walked through the opening and Mia pressed the button. "Thank you very much," she spoke.
Trixie rolled her eyes and walked along the pavement, her heels resounding loudly.
"Get off the grass!" a man yelled over a speaker.
Trixie looked up from her conversation on her phone with Melinda and glanced over at Mia who spun in a circle before running over beside her. She walked a hair behind her younger sister.
Mia glanced over her shoulder. "Demons?" she read.
Trixie quickly put her phone to sleep.
"Is Melinda okay?" Mia asked, automatically thinking inner-demons.
"She's fine. It's a project. For our spirituality class. You know, the one Phoebe teaches?"
Phoebe only taught once a week and she was very selective. In fact, Melinda and Trixie were the only ones Mia had heard of actually being in that class. When asked, Trixie would mention a Chris, C.J., Henry Jr., and Tamora and Kat. But Mia had never met whoever she was talking about. Actually, that wasn't too unusual as Mia was invisible and she preferred that.
The door was opened for them. "Welcome, Misses Thermopolis. We've been expecting you both."
"Then why didn't you know who we were?" Trixie snarked.
Immediately upon entering, a man started searching Mia's bag. However, Trixie wasn't wearing a bag or holding anything other than her phone. She turned her blazer pockets inside out. The other man nodded when he saw it. She turned them back in, placing her phone inside.
"Please don't crush my soy nuts," Mia requested.
"Your soy nuts are safe," the security man assured. Almost mockingly. He kept pressing various parts of her bag. He pressed the back like he was pushing her forward. "Ok," he told the other one.
The second one held out his arm. "Right this way," he informed.
Trixie followed where he was guiding. They came to a seated area.
Mia started messing with an urn.
"Please... make yourself comfortable," he startled her.
Trixie moved to sit on a sofa directly across from where they were standing. Mia sat perpendicular to her. She dropped her bag. The man had to jump over it.
Trixie sighed.
Mia's sparkly nails reached out to grab a pear from a flower. She just lifted it.
A blonde woman walked out she was talking about allergies. She hung up.
Trixie and Mia both stood up.
"Hello, Amelia, Bellatrix. I'm Charlotte, from the Genovian Attache Corps." The blonde held out her hand.
"Hi," Mia greeted, shaking it.
Charlotte turned to Trixie.
"Hey! You didn't run over me! Thanks again for that!"
"I rather think you got out of the way quick enough on your own. Are your knees alright?"
"Quite. It's nice to meet you, Charlotte." She gave the blonde a firm, single shake.
"Um... where are we?" Mia asked.
"The Genovian Consulate."
"You got pears in your-your flowers," Mia commented.
Charlotte nodded. "Genovian pears. We're famous for them." She had a powerful, confident voice. It basically drowned Mia's out. "Now, if you'll sit down, she'll be with you in a moment."
All three went to sit down, but "No! I don't need a moment" came ringing down and Charlotte popped right back up. So did the men at the front desk.
The woman from the previous day walked down the steps. She was now wearing a black blouse and skirt, dark stockings, a nice scarf, and black pumps. "I'm here," she sang. She smiled at them. "Amelia, Bellatrix, I'm so glad you could come."
"Hi. You've got a... great place," Mia commented.
"Thank you!" Clarisse stood in front of the girls. "Now... who's who? I'm so sorry we've not met before."
Trixie raise her hand. "I'm Trix-Bellatrix," she corrected herself.
Clarisse smiled at her before turning back to Amelia. Her smile faltered for a moment. "So, you're Amelia."
"Yeah," Mia replied.
"Well, met me look at you both," she commented.
Mia bashfully took off her glasses.
Trixie shifted.
"Bellatrix. You are turning into quite the fetching young woman," the woman complimented.
"Thank you. I love your scarf."
"Thank you," Clarisse replied, touching it lightly. "And Amelia."
Mia's chest puffed out a bit, expecting a compliment of the same degree of Trixie's.
"You look so... young." She obviously couldn't think of a better compliment.
At the look on Mia's face, Trixie covered her mouth and nose to let out silent laughter.
Mia tried to be nice in return. "Thank you. And you- you look so..." Clarisse looked hilariously expectant, "clean."
Trixie grabbed Mia's arm and corrected, "She means pristine."
"Right, pristine." She moved her mouth to whisper, "Which you'll define later?" while Clarisse asked something of Charlotte.
