The visit

I sat in my room, my headphones hanging around my neck like a necklace. In front of me was the huge piano by my bed, and I was tapping at the keys, trying to copy the song in my ears. Every time I hit the wrong note, my face scrunched up like I'd just eaten something sour. But when I got it right, I beamed like I'd won a gold medal!

But... I just couldn't focus. I was so mad. Not that it really mattered. My bad mood just slipped into the music, turning it into a loud mess of clashing sounds.

It wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't juggling a million things in my head. For starters, school was a total disaster. Waking up way too early just to wrangle a bunch of confused newbies was, like, so not fun.

And then, there's the school head. Ugh. She was like a ghost in my mind, her creepy voice whispering in my nightmares. She wasn't the kind of headmistress who asked you to do stuff politely. Nope. She liked to blackmail us. It was like a game to her, seeing how much she could make us squirm. It was soooo annoying!

A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I stopped playing, grumbled, "Activate door open," and heard it click open. There stood Officer Bernice, her face all serious but her eyes twitching because she clearly wasn't a fan of my musical "talents."

"Your dad said you need to visit your grandma soon," she said, all business-like. "He's waiting downstairs."

I nodded and quietly closed the door. Oh no, I totally forgot about that! Not that I was really at fault; my brain was a mess. I sighed and got ready for the visit—quick shower, favorite velvet top and designer pants, black leather boots, and brushed my hair until it fell like silk down my back.

When I saw myself in the mirror, I thought about Maxwell, my eight-year-old cousin who had tricked me out of a thousand bucks last summer. I still didn't tell anyone about it. If I did, I'd never hear the end of it.

Another knock! This time it was Dad, with that giant grin he always wore. "What's so funny?" I asked, frowning.

"You look cute when you're mad," he said, laughing.

"Oh, great," I muttered. "Even my anger's a joke."

Dad chuckled and threw an arm around me. "If you're really that frustrated, maybe I should put a punching bag in the game room," he said, trying to be funny.

I smirked. "Nah, I want one of those dolls that screams and bleeds when you hit it. Very therapeutic."

Dad's grin slipped just a little. "You know, we could always talk to a doctor-"

"A shrink?" I shot back.

"Doctor," he said quickly, dodging my glare.

"Psychologist," I insisted.

Dad raised his hands like he was giving up. "Okay, okay. Psychologist."

I just scoffed, and we headed downstairs. After the usual routine of passing through a bunch of military gates and waving at soldiers, we finally reached the Phoenix mansion. It looked as grand as always, with its fiery-colored walls and fancy flower gardens.

When we stepped out of the car, Uncle Mike and Aunt Aggy greeted us with big smiles. Uncle Mike pulled me into a hug that almost squished me. "Ada, you've gotten so tall! What are they feeding you?"

I crossed my arms. "I'm still shorter than you, so don't get too excited."

Aunt Aggy laughed, guiding me inside while Dad and Uncle exchanged a weird look. It was all tense and awkward. I could tell something was off, and it wasn't just because I had a family of goofballs.

I plopped onto a cushion in the living room, letting out a huge sigh. "I'm so tired," I groaned.

Aunt Aggy sat next to me and asked, "What's been tiring you, honey?"

"School, piano practice, and then there's Dad." I shot a side-eye at him. "He keeps going on about how much he misses you guys. It's exhausting."

Uncle Mike finally broke the silence, raising an eyebrow at Dad. Dad's face turned all red, and I could barely hold in my giggle.

Before I could enjoy Dad's awkwardness any longer, my twin cousins, Maxwell and Ikenna, barged into the room. Maxwell, always the little troublemaker, gave me a smug look. "Good evening, old lady," he teased.

"Good evening, big sister," Ikenna said sweetly, smiling like he was a little angel.

Maxwell rolled his eyes. "She's just desperate for attention."

I clenched my fists but didn't say anything. And then—bam—Chioma walked in, my cousin and number one rival. She crossed her arms, staring me down. "You missed my birthday."

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "I couldn't make it."

"You couldn't make it?" she snapped back. "You chose to watch some random kid play golf instead of coming!"

"She wasn't random!" I yelled. "She was crying, and I couldn't just leave her there!"

The argument escalated, and everyone started laughing. Chioma stormed off like she always did, and I collapsed onto the cushion again, exhausted.

"Let's move on to the family meeting," Grandma's voice boomed, cutting through all the chaos. She entered, looking as regal as ever, and handed me a glittering green diamond necklace. "This is for you," she said.

"Thanks, Granny," I whispered, peeking at Chioma to make sure she saw the box.

And, of course, Chioma looked so jealous.

Grandma nodded like she was pleased with my reaction. "Now, let's talk business."

The room got quiet as everyone settled in, ready for another round of Grandma's famous meetings. Every month, she gathers the family, and we all pretend to care about her ideas. She's the boss of the family's diamond business, and one day, I guess I'll be in charge. I just wasn't sure I was ready.

Granny cleared her throat, and the whole room went silent. "Adanna," she said, staring at me like I was supposed to do something amazing. "I trust you've been paying attention to the business. Tell me your thoughts."

I rolled my eyes. Here we go again. "Yes, Granny," I said, like I'd practiced. "I've been looking at the expansion plans. I think we could move into tech and energy, especially with everything going green and the market changing."

It was all stuff I read in a journal, but Granny didn't need to know that.

She nodded, but didn't seem impressed. Everyone else stayed quiet, watching me, especially Chioma. She was probably happy I looked dumb.

"Well, Ada," Granny said slowly. "Bold ideas need results. You'll have to prove yourself before I even think about passing the torch."

I nearly rolled my eyes again. Does she have to be so dramatic?

"Now," she continued, "let's talk specifics."

I zoned out during the rest of the meeting. The adults were talking about boring things, and I couldn't help but daydream. I kept thinking about that vampire guy who called me his one and only and how we were probably already married in my daydreams.

When Granny finally finished, I stood up, ready to escape.

"Adanna," she called, stopping me at the door.

I turned, feeling weird. "Yes, Granny?"

She gave me this long, serious look. "Remember, you may be the future of this family business, but you must learn to master your emotions. That will be the key to whether you can lead."

I felt all squirmy inside. Was she like, psychic or something? How did she know about Rowan, my vampire boyfriend? I'd need to keep her away from him.

But whatever. I was done thinking about it. The principal was still on my mind. Tomorrow was going to be so long.