Chapter 45 - Little Cousin
And collided right into a pair of dark eyes.
It had been a few days. Jax looked like he'd lost a little weight. The weather had turned cold. He wore a black long-sleeved jacket, zipped all the way up, hands in his pockets. He was tall and lean, and the jacket looked especially good on him.
The stocky kid tugged a plushie in one hand and gripped Jax's sleeve with the other, mouth puckered.
Luna paused. She glanced down at the wronged-looking kid. "This is your brother?"
They looked nothing alike.
Jax's features were sharp and defined. A straight nose, clean lip line, and especially his eyes. Stunning, with outer corners that narrowed just so.
This kid was all round head and round face. Not a trace of resemblance to Jax.
"Cousin."
"Oh." Luna nodded, then looked back up at the boy's face. A second later, she looked away.
Another empty grab. Mila smacked the claw machine in frustration, then turned her head a beat late, looking around in surprise. "What's going on?"
Jax looked down and gave the kid a light nudge with his foot. "Tell them what happened."
The kid sniffled. "They were bullying me."
"Hey." Mila tossed her hair and crouched down. "You little brat, why are you making things up?"
The kid stared at her for two seconds, then threw his head back and wailed. "Waaah! She's threatening me again! Waaah!"
Luna was so exasperated she laughed. She crouched down to meet the kid at eye level. "Kid, you really know how to romanticize things."
Mila held out her hands, explaining to him. "I didn't mean to threaten you. I was simply asking a question. You understand what asking means?"
Jax lowered his gaze, eyes clear and light, landing on Luna's face.
Whenever the heiress smiled, it was never wide. Two deep dimples pressed into her cheeks, and her eyes curved just slightly.
But Jax had only seen her smile a handful of times. And every one of those times, she'd been smiling at Hayes.
"Brother." The kid clutched Jax's sleeve. "I'm scared."
Luna: "..."
"That's enough." Jax reached out, curled his fingers, and knocked on the kid's head. "These two are my classmates. Drop the act."
The kid blinked. Then a slow "Oh." The wounded expression vanished instantly.
Luna was floored. "Impressive."
Mila said, "This kid should be an actor."
Luna tilted her head up. "Has your cousin been like this since he was little?"
The kid's ears were red. He pressed himself against Jax's long legs.
Jax rubbed the top of his head with one hand. "He's been like this since day one."
Luna asked, "What's his name?"
The kid answered, "Mochi."
"Cute name." Luna said.
Mila rubbed her chin. "Come here, come here. Tell your sister, how did you catch that plushie? Any secret technique?"
"No secret." Mochi explained earnestly. "It's all probability. I'd been watching this machine for a while. Before you two tried, someone else played fifty times. Then you two played forty-nine times. The hundredth try is the guaranteed win."
Mila and Luna fell silent at the same time.
What Mila couldn't accept was that she'd tried so many times, and the one time it would've come out, she'd given up.
She asked, "So if I want to catch another one, I need to play a hundred times again?"
Mochi hesitated, then nodded.
He instinctively hid the plushie behind his back.
Mila clicked her tongue. "Nobody's going to take it from you."
Mochi asked tentatively, "Really?"
"Really." Mila said.
Mochi giggled. "Okay then. If there's a plushie you like, I can help you catch it."
"Didn't you say it's all probability?" Mila asked.
"Skill too." Mochi's round face was dead serious.
"Fine." Mila said. "Get me this little chick."
Mochi took the basket of tokens from her, and the two of them stationed themselves in front of the claw machine.
Luna and Jax locked eyes.
She tried to make conversation. "Did you bring your cousin out today?"
"Yeah." He replied.
Luna rubbed her nose. "Oh. I figured someone as cold as you wouldn't like kids."
"Don't." Jax said, following her lead. "But letting him stay home is even worse."
The hall was crowded, but his tall, lean frame and striking features stood out in the entire side wing. Plenty of girls walking by sneaked glances his way.
But in Jax's eyes, there was only Luna.
Luna felt a little self-conscious under his gaze, though she couldn't pinpoint why.
She'd chased Hayes for a long time, but when it came to feelings, she was completely clueless.
"...Oh." Luna replied.
She figured the conversation was over. Jax could go do his own thing.
But he was still looking at her.
Luna touched her earlobe, then her neck. She asked, a bit unnaturally, "Why do you keep staring at me?"
"..."
Jax probably hadn't expected her to ask so bluntly. He froze for a good while, then cleared his throat. "I was going to ask, did you finish your holiday homework?"
"..." Luna's face went deadpan. "No."
She'd been running around having fun the past two days. Homework was a distant memory.
Jax: "If you get stuck on anything, come to me."
That sounded a lot more reasonable.
Luna agreed without hesitation. "Okay."
That night, they came home loaded with loot.
When Luna got back, she carried a big bag of plushies through the door. Helen came out of the kitchen. "Miss, you're back?"
"Yep." Luna changed her shoes with a grin.
Helen said, "There are mini cakes in the fridge."
Luna said, "Too late. I'll eat them tomorrow."
"Sure thing." Helen acknowledged, then went back to the kitchen. She was planning to make wontons tomorrow morning, so she needed to prep the filling tonight.
Luna first brought the bag of plushies to her bedroom, then picked out a few of the ugliest ones.
She cradled them in her arms and knocked on Leo's door.
Leo opened up quickly. He hadn't gone out all day. The room was warm. He wore a tank top, his blonde hair messy from sleep, falling across his forehead. An over-ear headset hung around his neck. "What?"
"For you."
Luna lifted her arms, showing him the plushies in her arms.
Leo frowned. "Don't want them."
"Too bad, you're taking them." Luna said curtly.
She pushed past Leo and let herself in.
The desk was a mess. A game was paused on his computer.
Luna scanned the room, then tossed the plushies onto his bed.
She explained seriously, "Your big sister caught these with her own two hands."
"Heh."
Leo scoffed. "You thought they were ugly and didn't want them, so you're dumping them on me."