Family is a Four Letter Word

Natasha:

"Tashy!" Natasha sighed as her fourteen year old sister, Susan, yelled up the stairs.

"What do you want, Susan? I'm trying to study!" She attended Oxford University, but the holidays had arrived (not early enough) and she was at home with her family in their small London house.

"Phone for you!" Nathasha tapped her pencil irritably on the side of her desk. She would have to go down now.

"Coming!" She yelled. Dammit. So much for studying. She walked down the stairs and took the phone from her sister.

"Hello?"

"Tash!" a familiar voice came down from the other end of the phone line.

"Celine! Hey, how are you?" Celine was her cousin (Their mothers were sisters)

"Fine, fine. Look, I just wanted to know, what was the name of that book you recommended? It sounded really good."

"Oh right." Natasha remembered. The conversation went on for a while, as despite the large age gap—Natasha was 18—they were very good friends.

When Natasha finally hung up, it was time for supper. They all gathered round the table, and began eating. After about ten minutes Susan looked up at their mother an nervously said;

"I got a call from Gran today." Their mother's face harderned, and Natasha groaned inwardly. Wrong subject, wrong subject, wrong subject! Kira—their mother—hadn't spoken to her mother is fifteen years, the result of a huge family argument. She had told her kids that they were welcome to communicate with their grandparents, she just didn't want any part in it.

"Pass the salt would you?" Their father suddenly put in.

"Look, is that a bird?" Natasha commented,

"I do believe it is!" Her father replied. Their hasty talk went on for a few minutes, both of them desperately trying to avoid a shouting match.

Natasha sighed again. Why can't my family just be normal?

xxx

Ok, whaddaya think? Don't worry, the romance will be coming. I'm just trying to get in a little background info first.