I zoomed into the large kitchen expecting the entire Callister family to be there in time for the most important meal of the day, breakfast and smirked when I was right. While the housekeeper and the chef prepared the meals, my uncle, Nicklaus was looking through the morning paper through his tablet as he drank his black coffee, and my aunt Juliana was tying Yenet’s school tie. She was their youngest daughter, which left one person out…

I frowned as I turned around and suddenly a holler came from the hallway. I smiled knowingly as Mackenzie entered the kitchen with her phone practically glued to her face. She was my age; 20, and we both attended the same university. When Mackenzie bumped onto me at the door, she just gave me a haughty glare and walked into the kitchen.

“Guess what, guess what, guess what!” She sang as she settled down at the contemporary glass dining table.

Because Nicklaus had his own tech company, he shifted all that tech and gadgetry to the house. I had never lived in such a place where the tech went as far as dictating what colour clothing, I could wear that morning! I didn’t mind the tech because it made everyone else around the house a tidbit lazier but it was a little too much for me and I felt the pollution just sinking into the pores of my skin and leaving me with the bitter taste of the deterioration of humanity.

Everyone turned to the overly excited Mackenzie.

She cleared her throat theatrically and swept the golden-brown bangs from her face as she sat up straight as if she was about to announce something very important—like how they found a cure to cancer.

“I have just received my invitation to the Seacrest Party!” She turned her phone and dangled it in everyone’s face.

Yenet rolled her small eyes and Juliana forced a smile. If there was someone else as clueless about technology in that house as me, it was my aunt, Juliana.

“That’s great, honey.” She said lightly.

Mackenzie sighed in exasperation and frowned. “Well, why don’t you sound excited about the news. This is Theo Damien Seacrest we are talking about here!” she reached forward and took a plate of fruit, but Nicklaus looked up from his tablet and smiled lightly at her.

“That is mine, sweetheart. Go and get your own.”

I pursed my lips to hide my smile but unfortunately, my dimples betrayed me. The little suckers dipped low on my cheeks and had Mackenzie scowl at me for being insensitive.

Score 1 for Uncle Nicklaus. I thought to myself as I went to sit beside Yenet, pulling her into a firm hug and placing a large kiss on her forehead.

The ten-year-old squirmed and cringed visibly. “Eew, Raya! You have your lipstick and saliva all over my forehead!” She exclaimed flailing her hands about to dislodge me but I was against her like a barnacle.

I chuckled as I took a sausage from the plate and bit into it. “I know you love it.” I teased the young girl.

Yenet rubbed her forehead until it turned red. She hmphed in annoyance and crossed her arms. “I don’t.”

I greeted my uncle and aunt before turning to Mackenzie. “Congratulations on the invitation, by the way. Though I do not understand why Theo took such a long time to send it to you. I guess he was contemplating on the benefits he would be getting for inviting you.”

Mackenzie glowered at me. “You’re just bitter because you’re not invited.”

Now, it was my turn to clear my throat theatrically as I removed my phone and scrolled down to the customized invitation, then showed it to Mackenzie. “Can you check the date and time it was sent, please?”

Mackenzie leaned in and when she saw that it was sent a week ago in the morning, she got up and made a snort-like sound before collecting her car keys and bag then called out, “I’m heading off to school.”

Nicklaus made sure Mackenzie was out of the kitchen before he fist-bumped with me.

“You two are evil,” Juliana stated lightly as the housekeeper handed Yenet a glass of warm milk and a plate of nutritional bread that tasted like cardboard.

I wondered how that little girl managed to keep all that crap down. I had lost my appetite just looking at it.

Aunt Julian paid awfully close attention to what Yenet ate because ‘she was a growing child and she needed to put in the right nutrients to grow well'. She made the chef make a strict diet for Yenet as well as the time schedules the little girl was allowed to eat.

I thought my aunt was too obsessed with it, so I sneaked Yenet some chocolate, bacon, and the occasional milkshake every once in a while.

“Not as evil as she is. Did you know she took the dress you bought for me two weeks ago? She claimed that she accidentally put it in one of my bags. Not to mention she used up all my perfume!” I protested with a frown on my face.

“There is too much estrogen in this house, I can say.” Nicklaus teased and Juliana turned to him with a flat expression on her face.

“You can always move to the pool house if it gets too much.” She teased him back and gave him a dry smile.

Nicklaus chuckled and turned to me. “Your director tells me you have a new professor coming in.”

I shrugged lightly as I poured myself a glass of juice. “It’s news to me.”

“Yeah, he is the son of the late Javier Magner.”