Mr. I Don't Smile

09. unlovable

09. unlovable

Ciera

Something was wrong with my mom. More so than before.

My dad was white, while my mother was Hispanic. Her side of the family was much larger than my father's so I didn't know how she thought it was okay to throw out the fact that she was suddenly hosting a family reunion tomorrow.

When Clara, Theo, Rosalie, and I all returned home from school she broke the news.

"What?" Clara said. "Do you know how big this family is?"

"Don't worry. The whole thing will be on the third floor," my mom added like that made things better.

"As long as the—"

"The quadruplets are coming," she cut me off. "And guess what? You four get to watch them! Clean your rooms." Then she disappeared into the kitchen. Probably to go and cook way too much so we'd have leftovers for three days.

"I don't get it," Rosalie complained. "Why is it that whenever parents' friends come over they insist you clean your room? The party isn't in my room. Why does it need to be clean?"

I nodded in agreement. She then flopped onto the couch face first. "I hate kids," her muffled voice said.

"You are a kid," Theo reminded her.

"I'm a teenager. And I mean little kids. The ones who only scream and cry. They're monsters."

"Glad we're on the same page," Clara said. I didn't know what was up with Clara either. She seemed less irritable than normal.

"Kids like me." Clara, Rosalie, and my head turned slowly to face Theo. Had he just said that kids like him? I looked at Rosalie for clarification but all she did was nod.

"It's true. It's like some weird superpower. I hold my baby cousin, he cries. Theo holds him, he acts like the sweetest child in the world. He's so fake."

"Your baby cousin?"

"Yes!" Rosalie grumbled something and then grabbed her phone. I could tell she was done talking.

The doorbell rang and Clara and I rushed to answer it. I opened the door to see my own cousin. She grabbed Clara and I, and squeezed us in a hug. I could barely breathe.

My cousin Camila was a twenty-two year old college student and the only member of my giant family who I actually enjoyed talking to.

"Camila, we missed you," Clara gushed. I realized Clara said we and not I like she usually did.

"I missed you too! Now, where is my tía?"

"She's most likely in the kitchen cooking," I answered. Camila nodded and gave us one of her heartwarming smiles. Then she went to find my mom.

Clara sighed and leaned against the door. "I love Camila and all, but I hate it when the whole family comes over. They can be so . . ."

"Overbearing?" I offered.

"Exactly."

"Wait until Abuelita comes tomorrow."

"Oh no."

)()(

We were all sitting around the table. The little kids had a small table off to the side of the room. The rest of us, including my sister, parents, aunts, uncles, Abuelita, abuelos, cousins, Theo, and Rosalie were all sitting at a giant table that my dad only brought out for this occasion.