JM BENAVIDEZ

After I had showered and changed into sweatpants and a tank top, I decided to figure out a date schedule. I pulled a notepad and a pen from the drawer in my kitchen, poured myself a drink, grabbed a snack and sat down on the couch to think. The first matter at hand was to figure out the order. I figured out who was closest in age to me and then figured out the repeat dates and came up with the following order; Amadeus, Nathanael, Salathiel, Elijah, Zuriel, Lael and then Etienne, followed by the repeat dates for Elijah, Lael and Etienne again. I chewed on my pen as I looked down at the list. I guess it all depends on when they wanted to start the dates. The dinner bell rang and I pulled the paper from the pad, folding it and tucking it into my pocket along with the pen. I slipped on my black fuzzy slippers and then shuffled my way to the dining hall.

It was nice to see the usual groups split up and new groups forming. There was no longer an age divide among the kids. The adults however, were still sitting at their own table; to which I think we were all a little secretly grateful. I sat down next to Aimi, Khitt and Xoana as usual as Azrael said the evening prayer over our meal and then we were dismissed to get our food. I stepped up behind Amadeus in line and he turned to smile at me. "I figured out the order for our dates and you get to be first." His smile grew even bigger. "When would that be?" I shrugged. "When would you like it?" He looked down at our empty plates and then up into my face. "How about after dinner?" He had caught me completely off guard. "Wow, uh? Sure, if you want." He nodded. "I've been thinking about it since earlier and you wouldn't even have to change. We could go just like this." I looked down and giggled as we were wearing pretty much the same thing. "In that case, I'd love to." He nodded and turned back towards the food line.

After dishing up my plate I turned towards the tables and my suitors flagged me down. "Meira, over here." I shook my head giggling as I approached them. "I said I'd have everything for you tomorrow." Amadeus laughed. "Yeah but I told them that the first date was tonight and they got excited." Zuriel smiled. "So where's the list?" I sat my plate down on the circular table and slid into the empty seat they saved me. "Who said I have a list?" Zuriel gave me a knowing glance and I pulled it out of my pocket and handed it to him. "Amadeus, Nathanael, Salathiel, Elijah, Zuriel, Lael and then Etienne." He read out loud and then looked up at me. "And then some of the names repeat." Elijah nodded. "Yeah, we won the race so we got double the number of dates." Nathanael was sitting directly across the table from me and he piped up quietly. "So I'm second?" I nodded. "Yes. When would you like your date?" He smiled. "Can I have mine tomorrow morning?" I nodded and looked to Salathiel next. "Do you want tomorrow evening then? And then we'll just trade off morning and evening; leaving the afternoons free until all of the dates have been finished?" Salathiel nodded and the guys counted down when theirs would be. Etienne smiled. "So my first date is on the evening three days from today?" I looked over Zuriel's shoulder at the paper. "Yup."

The table quieted down as everyone got lost planning their dates and eating. Zuriel handed me back the folded list. "Evening of the day after tomorrow." I nodded and he leaned over kissing my cheek. "I'll see you then and try and give you so peace in the meantime." I looked at him curiously and he picked up his plate, changing tables. Salathiel raised his head, meeting my eyes. "Can I ask you a question that is really none of my business?" I swallowed my bite of food and nodded. "Sure, but I can't promise I'll answer." He smirked and the others watched quietly. He wiped his mouth on a napkin and then turned towards me with a more serious expression. "I noticed there weren't any of the uncles on your list. You were the one who had a dream about one of them last night and I'm just wondering, why is that?" I nodded understanding why he approached the subject so tentatively. "It was a mutual decision to give me a chance to date people my own age first before complicating things further." 

Bao came bounding over to the table. "Guys! Dad just said they are planning a talent show! So we have four weeks to come up with acts and get practice in!" I smiled and Amadeus called me on it. "You don't look surprised." I nodded. "I'm already penciled in for an act." Nathanael's eyes met mine across the table and I smiled. "I hope that you all will enter. It will be fun to see all the creativity." I turned towards Lael. "And you sir, must talk your dad into doing a double fire dance with you. I absolutely insist on it." He grinned, puffing out his chest slightly. "Well then, I'll have to make sure it happens." Bao grinned at Amadeus. "You are going to dance with us right?" I raised an eyebrow and Amadeus grinned. "Of course." 

Zebulon stepped up next to me at the table. "Hey Meira. We want to get a co-ed dance for the talent show, will you dance with us?" I turned to face him. "What kind of a dance and who is dancing?" He shrugged. "Something fast and synchronized, the stuff you're really good at. Right now I have Xoana and Matthias for sure." I looked over at Bao and Amadeus. "What are you guys doing? Could we team up?" Bao grinned. "Hell yes we could!" I nodded and turned back to Zebulon. "Do you want even co-ed or offset?" He shrugged. "Whatever we can get." I nodded. "I'll get Aimi and Khitt to join us, so that will be four and four." Zebulon threw his fists in the air. "Yes!" I grinned at his excitement and he pointed at me. "You are the best!" I chuckled as he ran off to tell the others. 

Amadeus turned back towards Bao. "We should still do a guys dance. We'll need Zuriel though." Bao nodded. "We'll get Zebulon in on it too, that kid has both moves and heart." I turned to Amadeus. "Why haven't you ever danced with us before?" He smiled at Bao. "Because I've always danced with the big kids." I stood from the table and Etienne shook his head at me. "Amadeus is just teasing Meira." Amadeus' head snapped towards me and I grit my teeth. "I'm sorry Meira, did I say something offensive?" I shook my head. "No, it's fine." Etienne shook his head again. "I offended Meira earlier because she tends to act differently around the younger kids than the older ones. We had finally cleared everything up, but she's still sensitive about it."

Nathanael crossed his arms over his chest. "She has a right to be and Amadeus just proved why. There is a very definitive line between us and you. Amadeus lucked out, because he is the only one that is really able to straddle that line." The entire table turned towards Nathanael, who usually kept his opinions to himself. He shook his head. "You called Zebulon a kid and yet he's older than me and one below Meira. What does that make me? Or her?" I sighed, sitting back down in my chair. "Nathanael, it's awesome to hear you speak up in my defense because we never hear you speak up at all." I shook my head. "But there is a difference here. Even I call Zeb a kid. I call Matthias one too, because they act like one. But I have never called you one or Seosamh or Xoana either. On rare occasions I may refer to Aimi or Khitt as kids but usually when they are being extremely immature." 

Nathanael leaned forward, setting his crossed arms on the table and looking into my eyes. "Ah yes, but what you don't see is how many times he's publicly laughed off how much those little jibes hurt him and he acts with more maturity than any of you give him credit for." I set my chin on my fist looking at him as I thought about what he had said. "You're right. We don't see that. Each of us has two sides. The one we show everyone and the one we are when we're alone. We don't give even ourselves enough credit to be real. So how can we be expected to give anyone else enough credit?" The rest of the table sat silent, dumbfounded by our intellectual discourse as Nathanael nodded. "Perhaps it's time for us to start being real then. Because this kid shit is really getting old." I sat back in my chair laughing. "Yes Nathanael, it is." The rest of the table looked at me and I shrugged. "Well it is." 

I turned towards Etienne. "Don't you want people to see you as who you are first and think about you being the oldest as an afterthought?" He nodded. "Yes, I would." I turned towards Lael. "And you? Don't you want people to take you seriously rather than just being his shadow?" His eyes met mine, knowing that I understood him completely. "How do you know that's how I feel?" I snorted. "Because it's how I feel." Elijah nodded. "It would be nice to not always be seen as the other twin." I nodded. "Right?" I looked at Salathiel and he nodded. "I live under the large shadow my dad casts. I'd like to be seen as me first." 

I held my hands out and turned to Amadeus. "Would you like to air your dirty laundry?" He nodded. "You're right. I'm straddling both sides of the line and trying to be cool enough to fit both. But really I don't feel like I belong anywhere except maybe my dad's library." Lael snorted. "Are you kidding? Look at yourself, you could belong anywhere. You're a handsome guy, everyone loves you. You even get to have the dream with the girl we all like." Amadeus nodded. "Yeah, but as an afterthought. She was Zuriel's first. And once again, I fall under my brother's shadow. Just like you do." Bao scratched his head. "I know I'm not really sitting at this table, but none of you ever take me seriously. I'm not just a joker and I'm pretty smart too." I stood from my chair and threw my arms around him, hugging him. "Yes Bao you are." He gently pushed me off. "Stop it now, you're embarrassing me." I giggled and let him go.

I looked around the table. "So let's make an effort to be more conscious of how we treat the people around us in addition to trying to be a little more like ourselves and not who everyone thinks we are." Everyone nodded and I smiled at Nathanael who looked eager to leave. "I look forward to seeing you in the morning. I'll meet you here for breakfast." He nodded. "I can't wait." I sighed and turned towards Amadeus. "Now that I'm done being hostile, do you still want to go on that date?" He smiled. "Of course I do. I'm just sorry I made you hostile to begin with." I nodded to the rest of the table. "See you all at breakfast." They nodded and I reached out, taking Amadeus' hand in mine. "Lead the way."