"Jakob!" Trystin called, running down the stairs towards me. They must have heard the car outside.

"Wow, you've gotten so big!" I exclaimed as I set my bag down and hugged him. I must admit, I was glad he was taking nicely to me.

"I was only ten the last time you saw me."

"And now you'll be sixteen in three months. How have you been?"

"Good." He smiled as we let go of each other. 

"School?"

His smile got bigger, forming a grin. "Better than Amri."

"That's not very nice."

Trystin shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Krystena is still a better student than everyone."

"She's even beaten me?"

"Not yet," he laughed.

I took a look around the living room and could see into the kitchen from the door. "Where is everyone else?"

"Dad's at work, Kry is in my room upstairs, and mom's in her room working on plans for tonight."

"What's going on tonight?" I asked, curious if we'd just walked in on the middle of something.

"Once she saw you outside, she wanted to plan something fun for your friends." Trystin looked behind me at Cameron, Zeke, Dien, and Nick. I turned to introduce them, but was cut-off before I got the chance. Then again, my younger siblings have been following Bloody Winter since the beginning, so they knew who everyone was.

"We thought we heard your voice," Krystena said with an identical smile to Trystin's as she appeared at the top of the stairs, then descended. "Welcome."

Her face shifted quickly and I knew we weren't talking to Krystena any more. "Damn you, Krystena!" Amri said. "I wanted to welcome them."

"But Trystin already beat us both."

"I hate you, Trystin."

"Why did you drag me into this, Krystena?" Trystin asked.

"It's true, isn't it?" she replied. "Do you think I want to get yelled at?"

"Both of you shut up," Amri demanded. 

Anger had always been the most difficult emotion for Trystin to control, and he flared in a second. "Don't tell me what to do!"

"Hey!" I said, raising my voice to be heard. "Who wants to show us where we'll be sleeping? Unless you'd rather we got a hotel."

"No, no," said Trystin. "You're staying here. Kry, you can show Zeke-"

"And I'll show Nick," Amri interrupted, going over to stand next to him. I could tell she had a crush. 

"I'll show the rest of you. Come on."

Trystin took Dien to Krystena's room, the only one downstairs. Krystena would be taking Juely's room because Juely would be alright with Krystena in her room as opposed to a stranger if she happened to come home during this week, unlikely; she'd left the family behind before I did. The rest of us went upstairs, Zeke and Nick getting the guest room, and Cameron would be bunking with me.

"Wow, you weren't kidding about your family," Zeke said as the others came into my room, Trystin and Krystena downstairs. 

"And I think Krystena likes you, Nick," Dien laughed.

"No, it's Amri that likes him," Cameron corrected, laughing with the rest of us as Nick turned red.

"I think someone has a crush of his own," joked Zeke, playfully punching Nick's arm.

Nick pushed him gently, joining in on the fun. "Shut up. She's fifteen and Jakob's sister."

"What are you trying to say?" I asked with a chuckle. "You don't wanna be brothers?"

Nick sighed and rolled his eyes before ducking to avoid my arm as I went to put him in a headlock. Maybe this week wasn't going to be so bad. 

Ha! Fat chance.