Nikolai

9

Kiara POV

I roll my lips inside my mouth as my gaze goes to Nico who is stepping down the stairs.

'He looks hella fine in a suit...'

Before he could see me checking him out, I turn my head and look at Xahria who is wearing a bracelet.

"Wow... Who is this beautiful?" Nico said. I look up to see him looking at Elora aunty with his hands placed on his heart.

Elora aunty flipped her hair, "Elora..."

Xahria and I laughed along with aunty. He hugged aunty, kissed her cheek whispering something in her ear before pulling away.

"You all are here, I thought I had to wait," Nico joked.

"Haha... You took more time than us," Elora aunty joked.

"Is dad home?" He asked standing beside aunty.

"Yes, he went into the kitchen to get the water bottle," aunty replied.

"How we are going?" Xahira asked.

"We are going in one car. Cyrus and Isabelle are coming with Kreo and Aubree," aunty spoke looking at us.

My gaze meets Nico's who is looking at me. He does a quick check before that teasing smile is back on his face.

"You girls look beautiful," he complimented.

"Thanks, you look cool in dad's suit," Xahria said.

"Thank you."

"You wore my suit again?" Xavier asked walking into the room.

"Always... You got a good collection, dad and it doesn't matter if I steal one," Nico said winking at his dad.

Xavier uncle shook his head handing the water bottle to aunty. "Everyone ready? McKenzie's already left," Xavier uncle said.

"We are ready to go, we were waiting for Nico and he is here," aunty spoke.

"Let's go then." Xahira stands up from her seat and holds my hand. Xavier uncle and Elora aunty walk first with Xahria and me following behind.

Nico followed us out. I'm wearing a red sundress while Xahria wore a mustard yellow sundress.

"I will drive," Nico said once we all are in the driveway.

"Nah, I will drive. Your mother will sit in the passenger seat. Kiara and Xahria in the middle and you sit in the back," Xavier uncle said.

"Fine," Nico replied sighing. Uncle unlocked the car, Nico got in first then Xahria followed by me.

"How long is it going to take dad?" Xahria asked.

"Probably forty minutes."

Uncle started driving, aunty connected her phone. "What song should I play?" She asked.

"Anything."

"I will play Tollywood songs," she said.

"Yup."

"Yup."

"Okay."

I laughed when Xavier uncle started singing the lyrics but stopped when aunty playfully slapped his hand.

"Stop, I want to enjoy the song and lyrics," aunty said.

"Xahria," Nico called.

"Where did you take this picture? The location looks dope," he said showing the graffiti wall where Xahria, Aubree, Kreo, Elwen and I went last week.

"It was near our school road. We went there last week, location doesn't have any name but I pinned the location on my phone," Xahria explained.

"Share the location," he said.

"I should post a picture on i********:. The last time I did was in January," Nico spoke.

"Haha..."

"Kiara..." He called. I turn my head and look at him.

"Are you on i********:?" He asked.

"I'm."

"What is your Insta I'd?" He asked.

"Kiara underscores Singhania," I tell him.

"I will share her profile to your inbox," Xahria said.

"Do that."

I check my phone to see the following notification, I follow him back. He started going through my feed as I started receiving the liked notifications.

"Nice pictures and locations," he said.

"Thank you."

"Should I also create an i********: account?" Uncle asked aunty.

"Dad, mum already created your account. She even handles your account and posts pictures," Xahria said and Nico laughed loudly.

"Even you handle his account and posts pictures," aunty said looking at Xahria.

"I only write the captions," Xahria replied.

"How many followers do I have?" He asked.

"Let me check," Nico said.

"2,378 followers. We follow each other on i********: dad. I thought you are the one who uses the account," Nico said.

"How many do you guys have?" Uncle asked.

"I have 4,688 followers," aunty said.

"10,879," I replied. All of them are my brother's little fans and fangirls.

"Mine is around 303k," Xahria replied.

"50k, thanks to everyone in the Sniper's group. Their followers follow me even when I don't post a thing," Nico joked.

"Haha, some of them followed you because you are hot and handsome like a snack," Xahria said.

"Snack isn't handsome," uncle said.

"It's slang dad," Xahria replied.

"Your dad doesn't know internet words," aunty said.

"Why do have so many followers?" Uncle asked Xahria.

"Because I'm a dancer and I post my dance videos, tutorials and workshop videos on i********:," Xahria replied.

We talk and laugh all the way. Before we know it we reached the place. I got out first followed by Nico.

He stretched his legs standing beside me. He is quite tall like other males in the Sniper's group.

"Let's go, everyone is waiting for us."

Xahria, Nico and I follow aunty and uncle. I look at the mansion we are at, the whole mansion is filled with people.

"By the way is Xaiden attending the party too?" Nico asked Xahria.

"I guess so, he is close with Matlinda. He will be there," Xahria replied.

"See you, kids, later," aunty said. We nodded our heads as they went to the other side.

"Nikolai! What a surprise man," someone said.

"Patrick," Nico said wandering over to the group of men.

"Aubree and Ezarah are standing over there," Xahria said holding my hand.

We wander over to where Ezarah and Aubree stood with Elwen and Kenric.

"Hello," Ezarah said.

"Hi," I say hugging her. I didn't hang out a lot with Ezarah as she has school and regular classes.

But she is Kreo's best friend and vice versa. They fight a lot but they hang out a lot too.

"Hey girl," Aubree said hugging me.

"Hey."

"Hey Elwen, hi Kenric," I greet them.

"Hello," Elwen said.

"Hi, Kiara," Kenric said.

"Wassup with the face? Why so serious?" Xahria asked Kenric.

"I don't want to be here and dad dragged me here," Kenric replied shaking his head.

"Same," Ezarah said.

"You two siblings are the same," Elwen said. While Ezarah and Kenric rolled their eyes.

"Where is Kreo? I didn't see him," Xahria asked.

"He went to the restroom, someone spilt their drink on him accidentally," Aubree said.

"Kenric, come with me. Let's go and meet Phil, heard that he is with his boys," Elwen said after reading his texts.

"Phil? Sure." Kenric and Elwen left.

"I will go and meet John uncle, wanna join anyone?" Xahria asked.

"Nope," Ezarah said.

"I will come with you," Aubree said.

"And you Kiara?" Xahria asked me.

"I will stay with Ezarah."

"Okay, we will be back soon," she said. I nod my head and they leave.

“Who is John?” I asked Ezarah as she is the one who stood beside me.

“He is one of the business associates and close friend with our fathers,” she said.

I nodded my head looking at everyone. I didn't want to join but I would be home alone so Xahria and Elora aunty made me tag along.

“What you wanna do after high school?” I asked Ezarah. Her eyes sparkled in sudden excitement.

“I want to join a music institute, I already met some of the music producers and directors through my mum and they liked my work. I need to improve my skills a bit,” she said.

“That’s great!” I said with a smile on my face.

"Did you take any music lessons before?" I ask her.

"Yup, I started learning music when I was five. I first took piano classes with my brothers, now I take regular vocal classes."

"Interesting." Ezarah and I talk about her music, I have heard her voice before but didn't know that she wants to make a career in music.

Ezarah is the youngest one in the Sniper's group. She has a radiant smile that dawns everyone towards her.

She is sweet, calm but also easily gets irritated.

"Kiara..." I turn my head to see Xaiden.

"Hey, Xaiden," I say hugging him.

"How are you?" He asked hugging me.

"I'm doing good and you? How is your training going on?" I question him.

"It's going good," he said.

"I just met mum and dad, they said you were here too," he added.

"You already met them?"

"Yeah, I met everyone. I came an hour ago but didn't tell mum and dad," he replied.

"I will go and meet Nico. I didn't see him," Xaiden said.

"Yup."

"Yup." Xaiden left.

Aubree and xahria returned to us after meeting and greeting their friends.

"Let's sit somewhere, I'm done standing and talking," Aubree said.

"Same," Xahria said.

"They arranged tables outside," Ezarah said. We wandered outside and occupied the empty table.

Xahria stopped the server and politely asked him to bring the starters.

The party isn't that boring, maybe because of the girls.

"I heard that Florence is here," Ezarah said.

"Florence? Did you see her Aubree?" Xahria asked.

"Nope, I heard too. If Nico knows she is here, he would hide somewhere," Aubree replied.

"I saw her parents, they were talking with mum and dad," Xahria said.

"Then she must be here."

My eyes went to Nico’s who is standing in the corner with Xaiden and two other guys. He is talking with them with a flute of champagne in his hand.

"She is here, she is making her way towards Nico," Aubree said.

"Poor Nico," Xahria said.

I watched as a beautiful woman with short hair and a radiant smile walked toward Nico. She tapped on his shoulder, Nico turned over.

I couldn't see his expression but the lady spoke in excitement before hugging him.

"Who is Florence?" I ask them.

“Florence was Nico's classmate, she studied in the same school as us and she loves Nico from school time," Xahria said.

"Nico only sees her as a good friend. But it kind of turned into an obsession from Florence side. So Nico tries to avoid her for their betterment," Aubree said.

“Nico got a lot of admirers,” she said. Xaiden walked to where we sat.

"What you girls are talking about?" He asked taking the seat beside me.

"Nothing."

“You don’t drink?” he asked me.

“No, I don’t,” I replied.

“Are you liking here?”

“You mean this party or college?” I asked. He laughed.

“Your stay and college.”

“Yeah, I'm happy here. Elora aunty is taking good care of me, everyone is welcoming. College is good except the glares from girls,” I said, he laughed at the last part.

“You don’t have to worry about anything. You got us now, we won’t leave you no matter what,” he said teasingly but you can hear the truth and seriousness in his words.

“True!” I said.

"I miss home but those practise sessions are making me stay back or else I would've been home."

"When you will be coming back?" I asked him.

"I won't be coming back until the football session ends. Maybe after three months."

I asked him about his upcoming matches, his matches will be starting in a month. They won the game last year, this year they want to win the game. I told him how my brother watches his games.

“You have to come with others to my matches,” he said.

“Sure.”

“Are you coming home for Ganesh Chaturthi?” I asked him.

“Yeah, wouldn’t miss that for anything,” he said making me laugh.

I looked behind me to see Nico talking to some other girl now. I turned back to Xaiden and started speaking about other topics like our favourites.

“Have this, they are yummy,” Xahria said pushing a small crunchy ball into my mouth.

I ate it, I liked the crunchy texture, then the soft chicken inside.

“Yummy right?” she asked. Kenric, Kreo and Elwen joined the table.

I nodded my head before going to the table to have my plate. Xaiden and I filled our plates before going back to the table.

“Where is dad?” Kenric asked Ezarah.

“He is with Lorenzo uncle and Cyrus uncle,” she said.

“Okay, I will go and talk to him,” he said walking away.

“What are you eating?” someone whispered frightening me. I turned around to see Nico.

“You scared me!” I glared at him.

“No, you get scared easily,” he said. I rolled my eyes and continued my conversation with Xaiden and Ezarah. Nico got a plate of snacks.

"Elwen, sit there," Nico said.

"Yeah." Elwen shifted his seats and Nico sat on my right.

“Why did you leave Florence? She is pouting and looking at you,” Aubree said.

“She is getting touchy,” Nico said.

“Don’t you all like getting touchy?” Xahria asked.

“You may like it sister, some of us have dignity and decency,” he replied sarcastically. I can’t help but smile at it.

“She better not come here, Nico. I don’t like her talking,” Xaiden said.

“She won’t,” Nico said.

“I don’t understand why you run away from all the proposals?” Aubree asked making Nico laugh.

“Not interested,” he said.

Xahria and Aubree snorted at that. “That’s the common line said by you guys.” I laughed when Xaiden imitated the line.

“But tell me brother when you gonna date a girl?!” Xahria asked.

“When I find one.”

“But there are plenty of girls for you,” Kenric said.

“Can you guys stop about my dating,” Nico said eating his chicken wing.

“Why do I feel like our parents are planning for something?” Xaiden said looking at Xavier and others.

“They are going for a holiday, only parents,” Nico said.

“I need a holiday,” Xahria whined.

“Don’t say that in front of dad, they need a holiday alone. If you say that he will take you with him along with us,” Nico said.

“That’s true!” Xaiden said.

“They will be back before the festival because you know right Mumma planned so many things for the festival,” Nico said.

“Can’t wait for that,” Kenric replied. All nodded their heads agreeing to him. When everyone is busy talking together Nico wrapped his fingers around my wrist. I gave him a questioning look.

"Let's try sweets," he said pulling me along with him. We walked towards the muffins and cupcakes.

"Chocolate or strawberry?" He asked looking at the muffins.

"Chocolate," I said taking one. He took another one.

"This blueberry pie is good, try," he said placing the pie on my plate.

"I can't eat the whole thing," I tell him.

"I will eat the half and you eat the half."

"Okay."

I take a bite of the pie, "how is it?"

I look at him, I nod my head. "Tastes good."

He took a bite of it. We try different starters and desserts before going back to the table.