Chapter 1
As far as I can recall, we've spent all our holidays with the "cousins" – that's what we call them, and vice versa. Our family is an interesting type, given that my father's younger brother married my mom's only sister. This literally means the family bond between us is strong – or at least that's what I thought. Anyways, my name's Perry; my surname's not important right now. I have a younger brother, Jason. On the other hand, my mom's sister has a boy and girl child, both lookalikes but not twins. We're all around the same age, sixteen or more. Just kidding, Priya, being the eldest, is eighteen, while I follow in line at seventeen. Her brother and my brother are both agemates, fifteen, I think – I'm not really good at remembering stuff.
Life has been good and easy-going until this summer, and that's where my real story begins.
The Summer Holiday
As usual, the summer holiday arrives just after the second semester in campus. It's the longest holiday we ever have, running for about two to three months, depending on the circumstances. This year, it's our turn to go to our cousins in Frankfurt – we take turns every year. It's about a 12-hour drive down there, so to save stress, we booked a flight. Unfortunately, our dad was out on a business trip and wasn't sure if he'd make this summer holiday. For some reason, I just had this feeling that everything this summer was going wrong, and this was just the beginning. I won't lie; the major reason I was excited about this year's summer trip wasn't because we were spending the holiday with my cousins but because I was going to see my girlfriend. I met her on my third summer holiday, and we've been dating for nearly a year now. I trust her so much [or maybe I should put that in the past tense].
Arrival in Frankfurt
Yeah, finally, we're in Frankfurt airport. Not much had changed since my last summer here; it almost looked the same. But I guess people change. "Wow, you've grown so tall, Jason! I guess you'll soon be taller than Perry now," was the welcoming remark we received from Rusa, our mom's sister, while she flashed me a weird smirk. Looking back, my brother had always been compared to me in everything, but sadly enough, I'm always portrayed in a less favorable light.
My cousin's sister, Priya – a model of beauty and grace with a perfect round figure – sometimes makes me think too much attention was paid to every detail of her creation. Don't get me wrong; I'm not a pervert [at least not yet]. "Hey, Perry and Jason, how was your trip?" came Priya's sweet, melodious voice. "It was okay," Jerry said before I could even react. There he goes again, trying so hard to steal the show. It doesn't matter, though; it's nothing new. I trudged all the way upstairs, leaving him to blab to my cousin. I sank onto the bed in my room, the guest room specially reserved for me. My first resolve was to call Shyla, my girlfriend, but I thought better of it, so I texted instead.
Settling In
"Oh man, I'm so hungry! What do you have?" Jerry said, groaning in the kitchen. Sometimes I think he's a glutton; he really has a voracious appetite. As for me, I prefer light, delicate meals because I'm watching my weight. It's usually very funny when I say that because being plump is not a trait in our family, no matter how much we eat. Rusa offered to prepare a meat sauce and pasta dish; she wouldn't let us eat junk in her presence. "I wish she wouldn't be so naggy," said my cousin, Jades. I heard that, and Rusa's unanticipated reply was, "We'll see about that," but then we all cracked up.
"Wanna play a game? I got the new PlayStation," said Jades. My ever-quick-witted brother dashed off with him to his room without hesitation, leaving only me and Priya alone. I felt weird sitting with her, considering we're both introverts. She's not a talking type, neither am I, so we sat in silence, watching the sun go down in the western horizon of the sky. After what seemed like an eternity, Rusa cried out from the kitchen, "Dinner".