“It’s been a while, Rosy” said the guy looking me directly in the eyes with a bright smile on his ethereally handsome face.
“Oliver” skipped my lips without me noticing.
Oliver Blue is the only kind human being in the whole Blue family! He is my only cousin, well not really, who is very polite and I can talk to him anytime.
“How are you?” he asked, his Hazel green eyes looking straight in mine.
“I am good. What about you?” I asked with a shy smile.
“Great” he replied smiling.
I thought he would be mad at me when I didn’t meet him when needed me the most but he didn’t look angry.
He just stood there staring at me.
Uh-Oh, Oliver has stopped working. I looked here and there and Mark was looking at our small interaction.
“Ahem ahem” Mark cleared his throat but it had no effect on Oliver.
“I think my brother is calling” I said with a nervous smile.
“Oh? Oh!!” he said with surprised eyes and then turned towards my brother.
Awkwardness and embarrassment in the air~
My parents were meeting my uncles in the meantime. After we were done with the introduction, we started moving towards the cars.
I heard my Uncle Pete talking slowly in my Uncle Levi’s ear.
“I Am telling you, this b*tch brought Brother Mike just to stop us!” said Uncle Pete accusingly.
Even though, he was far away from me and talking literally in Uncle Levi’s dirty wax-filled ear, strangely, I could hear them very very clearly.
I looked at my clueless brother who was walking like nothing happened! Where is that strict dominating brother support when you need it the most!!
I turned around to see my mother who was having a bit uncomfortable expression on her beautiful face but in comparison, my father was as clueless as Mark.
How can these two be so clueless? I personally think it’s a guy problem.
I felt an arm around my shoulder. I looked at my side and found Oliver smiling at me. The care in his smile was melting my heart.
I smiled back and started walking quietly without making a single sound.
“Now this little b*tch is seducing your boy! She started her bewitching skills and she will steal your boy at the end. Her b*tch mother must have taught her that” said Uncle Pete again.
I was about to turn and give him the peace of my mind but Oliver’s arm around my shoulder tightened.
I looked up at him, he gave me a small smile with a look which clearly said No, Don’t turn around.
“You heard him, he…” I was about to complain but he cut me off by saying,
“He is not worth your attention!” he said in a hushed tone with a small smile.
His hand was tighter around my shoulder but not too tight to hurt me, comforting me in a gentle and calming way possible. For some reason I listened.
We sat inside the car. My parents went with my uncles in Uncle Levi’s car and Mark, Oliver and I went to Oliver’s car.
Oliver was driving, Mark was sitting next to him and I was sitting in the back seat behind Oliver. I saw him adjusting the mirror to where I was sitting and I could see Mark also observed it.
How can he observe this but never listen to the cruel words they say! This guy makes my blood boil!
After traveling for another hour, thanks to the undone village roads, they can barely be called roads though, we reached our destination, ‘My Own Private Hell!!’
My b*tches for the Aunties and b*stards for uncles were standing there with fake smiles on their ugly faces to welcome us to the Firepit.
From this moment, my eternal punishment begins.
I saw weird creatures standing behind them, whom I forcefully call my cousins, coming in front of our cars.
“Oh Boy! Now, I have to go through this all over again” I said in an annoyed tone.
As always, everyone’s favorite Mark Blue laughed at my statement.
“You are overreacting, again” Mark said like its no big deal.
“Easy for you to say you look more like them. You guys look like you are from the same forest” I replied with a chuckle.
I wasn’t entirely wrong. Mark do look like them more than me. Except for having out mother’s Emerald eyes. He looks entirely like Dad with dark brown hair, almond-shaped eyes, diamond diamond-shaped face, thin nose with a medium nose bridge whereas I am a walking talking carbon copy of my mother.
A soft voice snapped me out of my thoughts, “Don’t worry, it will be alright. I am here with you” Oliver smiled at me gently.
Those last five words were everything to calm me down.
“Thanks” I replied with yet frustrated and undeniably forced smile and he chuckled.
Such a nice chuckle it was to see, Thank God, he did not get his looks from Uncle Levi. Well, about that…
Oliver got out of the car and opened the car door for me. Such a gentleman!
The baddest of b*tches came towards me. Oh, Wait! I can’t even rank them. They all are so bad!
“Hello, Rose. Nice to meet you again” said Laina with a fake smile putting her pearl-white teeth on the show. She has inherited fakeness from her father, Uncle Pete.
Being fake is her hobby!
Some strong genes, I tell you!
“Hey, Laina. Same here. Looking good, Hah!” I said plastering the brightest and widest smile. My smile was so wide that I might be looking a bit creepy.
My words were dipping the purest form of honey.
I will not repeat my previous mistakes again! They do all the fake acts and I was always real. Hence, they look so polite and I end up being the bad guy.
Looking at my utter smiling face, Laina and others were taken aback a bit.
‘Haa! Two can play the game. On your face bitches!’
“Same to you. You are looking really pretty” said Laina but her disappointment at my no chaotic behavior was quite visible.
You thought only you can act? I can win an Oscar if I start!
“Thanks” I replied with a fake shy smile. Hearing her statement, I wanted to puke on myself but it was not such a gentle idea though.
I didn’t let the chance go and corrected another mistake of mine.
“Hello, Uncles and Aunties. I hope you have all been well” I said plastering yet another gentle smile on my face.
At this point, along with everyone, even my parents, Mark and Oliver were shocked.
Correction, Mark was terrified.
“Hello, dear Rose. Nice to meet you too” replied Aunt Stella, Oliver’s mother. The only little kind lady in the house.
“Hello, Rose. Welcome back” they said one by one to me which didn’t sound so real though but they kept up with their fakeness somehow.
“Rose is looking quite thin” said Eva looking at me from top to bottom. There comes a malicious comment from my uncle William’s creation.
The torture has begun! They can’t keep their fakeness for long.
“That’s the trend these days. Slim fit with hourglass curves. I bet you didn’t know because you live here… in this village. Don’t worry, I won’t take it in the wrong way” I said in as polite tone as possible, the horrible smile never leaving my face.
Her optimistic face dropped in seconds after hearing my comments.
‘Fifty points to Gryffindor’ I imagined myself saying while wearing Dumbledore’s clothes and beard.
“Yeah, it is” Mark added with a brotherly smile and winked at me.
“Oh, I see” replied Eva a little lost for words.
“In my personal opinion people shouldn’t be following the trend, they should be creating one, what do you think, Rose?” said Nova, Eva’s twin sister.
Before I could reply, which I couldn’t think of any, a familiar voice said,
“Yeah. I agree. But Rose hasn’t changed much from the last time I saw her. Except for the fact she is more beautiful now” replied Oliver coming to stand beside me like a supportive piller.
“Beautiful..?” asked Olivia, his own sister, her voice laced with jealousy but she somehow she sounded like she agrees to it.
I like the sound of it.
“Yes, Beautiful, my little munchkin. She has the clearest skin, a perfectly toned body, a feminine oval face with delicate features, and the most beautiful emerald green eyes. What else can you ask for?” Oliver said in such confidence that no one can object without straightforward calling me ugly and offending my family.
I was stunned to hear that. He sounded like he noticed every part of me. It was a bit creepy to be honest but I still like that.
On the other hand, everyone was having a minor heart attack hearing so many compliments for me in a single statement.
“I see, my son is right. Rose has grown into a very beautiful young woman” said Aunt Stella with a warm smile.
Woah, this was new.
“If we are done with meet and greet. Let’s go inside. You guys will be tired from the long travel” Uncle Levi said not wanting to hear any more compliments for me.
‘Jealous of beauty, uncle?’ I thought with a creepy smile on my face.
“You are right, my love. Please guide Mike and Mary to the room” said Stella and turned towards her children,
“Oliver guide Mark, and Olivia show Rose her room” Aunt Stella commanded and all three of them immediately followed.
“Okay” said the three of them in unison.
I was genuinely happy that it wasn’t Laina or Eva but Olivia. Olivia sucks slightly less.
“Come with me” said Olivia turning her back to me.
I followed her. The old and rotten house was still the same but there were some noticeable changes like they painted the ceiling of the house. There were new windows but the old door.
Olivia took a sharp left turn and I followed her like a lost child. It’s been ten years since I last came here and I feel like I deleted the memory of this city myself, hence, I can’t remember much.
From the very beginning, I was never a fan of staying here anyway.
Olivia turned around for a bit with a creepy smile on her face.
‘Uh-Oh! This won’t end up good’ I thought but still blindly followed her.
She opened the last door of the corridor.
She moved her hand in the dark and switched on the light and I saw stairs leading to the basement.
I felt like all my memories have been revived.
‘Those stairs leads to…..’