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The man steps back and hits a button. The gate swings open.
“Should I be scared of Sophia?” I ask. The guard sure seems to be.
“She’s the queen of the castle.” Marco laughs. “Her husband doesn't care for anyone upsetting her. She might be the queen, but she’s a sweetheart.” He glances to me as the car rolls to a stop. “I’m really sorry about this, too, but it’s better to get this over with.”
“Get what over with?” I barely get the question out before my door is flinging open. I don’t have to ask to know this is Sophia standing beside the car. I can see her resemblance to Marco. “Come!” She grabs my hand and pulls me from the car. “She’s here, Nick,” she calls excitedly and leads me to the doors of the massive home. It looks like a castle.
“Wow.” I gaze up, trying to take it all in.
The Bradford manor is stuffy, and you feel as though you can’t touch anything there, but this place has a different vibe. Warmer. As Sophia leads me into their home, it actually feels like a home even if it does look like a castle.
“I’ve set you up a tray in the kitchen. You can have snacks while you study.” She doesn't let my hand go as she continues talking a mile a minute. “Or we can say fuck it and go swimming.” I look over my shoulder at Marco, who’s following close behind us. He gives me an I’m sorry shrug, his lips in a half smile. I don’t know why he’d be sorry. I’ve known Sophia for two minutes, and I think I already like her. She’s outspoken, which works well to offset me. I often need that in my life, because I tend to be shy.
“You have a pool?” I ask. I worry my lip between my teeth. I love to swim, but we aren't allowed to use the Bradford pool. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to take a little swim. I’m ahead on almost everything at school. I’ve been flying through my homework and getting everything done. The coursework is posted online, so that allows me to get ahead.
“A pool, yep.” Sophia grabs a lemonade, handing it to me with a small sandwich. “Come to my room. I’ll get us something to wear. You’re going to need extra sunscreen. You look like the beautiful girl from Game of something-or-other that Marco and Nick always used to watch.” She looks to Marco for the answer.
“Game of Thrones.”
“Right! Daenerys Targaryen.”
“You remember her name but not the name of the show?”
“You always remember the ones that matter.” She winks at me. “Plus, she had dragons. That shit was cool.”
I laugh even though I’ve never seen the show but kind of know what she’s talking about. “It’s the hair and skin tone,” I admit. It always grabs people's attention. My bright blue eyes make them stand out even more.
“It is, but that’s not the only reason I thought of Daenerys Targaryen when I saw you.” She smirks. “So soft and sweet.” She leans in close. “But would walk through fire for the ones you love.”
I swallow, but I know she’s right. I’d do anything for someone I love. “People mistake gentle kindness for weakness. They soon learn the sweet ones can be the most worthy adversary or opponent when crossed.”
I stare at her, her words resonating inside me.
“Come. We’ll be best friends, and drive my brother crazy.” She pulls me from the kitchen, the snack tray forgotten. “He deserves it for all the heartaches he’s tried to give me over the years. You see that scar on his lip? Let me tell you about that!” She carries on, and I think she’s right. We might be best friends.
