Dangerous Games

DRAMA AT THE MADDEN'S

Giovanna walked into the house, and Kali nodded in acknowledgement. The girl was a wreck. Her face was dampened by what Kali believed to be tears. But Giovanna looked more composed than sorrowful, so she must have collected herself on the way there.

"Go to the patio. I'll be with you soon. Grab my jacket. You look cold."

Giovanna followed his instructions without a fuss. Kali stood from the floor and walked to Samuel so she could whisper. "Why is she here."

"I don't know, but she came with a bag."

Her eyes widened as Samuel dragged a suitcase into the house.

"No. No." She argued beneath her breath, uttering each word through clenched teeth. "Does she want to move in with us or something."

"Beats me." He replied. "I'll hear her out, and we'll figure things out from there. Calm down."

"Samuel!" She called after him, but he only repeated she should remain calm.

Nervous, Kali returned to the table, picked up the plate she had neglected during their conversation and climbed up to the sofa. The glass doors to the patio were open, and even though they were far away, she could hear strings of the conversation from where she sat.

She didn't intend to come off as uncaring. Giovanna wouldn't show up at night, dressed in barely any clothes and with a suitcase for nothing. But there were millions of reasons to doubt the girl. The first was how close she was with her mother. Of all the Madden siblings, Giovanna was the only one under the influence of Ysabel. She saw her mother on a pinnacle and was rarely ready to see anything else.

"What?" Samuel spat, stepping closer and saying something Kali couldn't pick. "How could you do such a thing?"

To her credit, Giovanna did look distraught as she tried to explain the situation to a seemingly bashful Samuel.

Kali stalked closer, not trying to hide the fact that her interest was peaked. She kept a reasonable distance as she watched the siblings argue back and forth. Samuel's voice was higher, so she caught more from his side than from Giovanna, who, clearly agitated, kept her voice low.

As the conversation winded down, Samuel finally ushered her back into the house, shaking his head in response when Kali, without words, asked what was happening.

"Have you eaten?" He said to Giovanna.

"No. I didn't feel like it at home."

Samuel exhaled, exasperated, burying his knuckles in his eyes. "Fine. We have some food here, but it's mostly pizzas and chicken. Is that okay?"

"It's fantastic."

"Good. Go sit and eat while I talk to Kali."

"Alright."

Giovanna rushed to the coffee table and immediately began setting up a plate for herself. By the looks of things, she wasn't hungry; she was starving.

"Come on." Samuel coaxed, in a tone that told her everything she already needed to know. He must have noted the scepticism in her eyes because he instantly melted into a smile. "I'll make it painless; I swear. Come on."

They went to the patio, and, this time, Samuel took the initiative to lock the doors.

"I know you don't want her here."

"But you want her to stay, don't you?"

He shrugged. "I can't send her away. Doesn't seem like a joke. It is a little silly, but it's the first time this has happened."

"What happened?"

"She had a serious argument with my mother."

"About?"