"We're going to Vegas!" Maya called out as she saw me. Her lovely face beamed with happiness and her green eyes sparkled with excitement.

I just got back from school and walked into the kitchen. I didn't expect such crowds here as almost all the residents were present. Vince was sitting at the table with one hand wrapped around a mug of coffee, his eyes closed slightly at the sound of Maya's screech. Next to him, there was Uncle Monty, who gorged himself on Eugenie's freshly baked chocolate chip cookies at which sight Shane, who brought me home today, passed me by and immediately reached for two of them at a time. Will was standing at the counter in his sports clothes, making himself a cocktail. He must have just come back from his daily running because he was a little sweaty and hadn't yet calmed his breathing.

"How awesome!" I exclaimed, immediately picking up Maya's enthusiasm. "But why there?"

Maya gave me a mischievous smile first, then replied,

"Wedding! We'll get married there."

"Cool," Shane commented with his mouth full of cookies, holding his thumb up.

"Oh wow. Where did this change of plans come from?" I asked, settling in front of her, close to Vincent. I tucked my smoothly parted hair behind my back, ready to eat the food Eugenie immediately began serving to me and Shane.

"Well, I went to the doctor who told me that I'm stressing too much and that negative emotions are bad for my baby. I need to chill out, and I won't do it by planning a wedding and knowing that my dumb father can ruin everything at any moment," here Maya reached out to caress Uncle Monty's cheek tenderly. "That's why my teddy bear suggested we can't be bothered with such bullshit and that we should just get married in Vegas."

"Love the idea! So when are we going?" Shane asked, chasing the cookies with mac and cheese that Eugenie had just placed in front of him.

"You're not going," Vince replied, and took a sip of his coffee as calmly as possible.

"Of course I'm going!" The twin protested, his face as concerned as a kid who had just been refused a lollipop.

"You're not going," Will confirmed.

"Like hell I am."

He didn't go.

I later found out that my father had banned Dylan and the twins from going to Las Vegas until they were 21. Only after reaching this age, they can legally be carried away by this city and take advantage of its benefits, such as crazy parties in clubs or even just staying in casinos. My brothers were so spoiled that they'd surely want to have a good time there right now, which would result in trouble that Vincent would probably have to get them out of later. Well, the law in Vegas was ruthless, even for the Monets.

"Hailie, I wish you were my maid of honor," Maya chirped.

A smile automatically appeared on my lips.

"With pleasure!" I agreed enthusiastically, then glanced casually at Vincent. "Does that mean I'm going to Vegas?"

"You? To Vegas? A joke?" Dylan snorted, greeting everyone in the kitchen with his presence. He collapsed in the chair between Shane and his uncle, giving me a mocking look.

"Yeah, what the hell?" Shane joined, frowning defiantly.

And I, like a proud five-year-old, stuck my tongue out at them. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vince raise his eyes to the ceiling.

"It hasn't been decided yet."

"But Vince! You're not going to say no to the bride, are you? In addition, the pregnant one? I need a maid of honor," Maya said indignantly.

"Do you have no friends?" Dylan growled at her.

The woman rolled her eyes and waved her hand.

"Of course, I do. A whole lot. They're just all fake bitches, and I don't want negative energy at my wedding."

"Mine will be very positive, I promise!" I assured her, more and more excited not only with the trip and the wedding itself but also with taking my brothers down.

Finally, apart from me, the bride and groom, Will also flew to Vegas, which I was extremely pleased with. A trip with Will was something I'd wanted for a long time, even if it was just a short one-night break. Initially, Uncle Monty asked Vincent to be his best man. He'd represent our father as head of the family, but since Maya insisted on getting married this weekend and Vince, being Vince, had already planned two next weeks to the minute, Will took his place.

We flew in the Monets' private jet, and in addition to the four of us, Sonny for some reason joined us on board, along with a woman and a man who carried Maya's bags and wedding gown tightly wrapped in a professional cover. They didn't speak up unasked and were extremely polite so I immediately knew they had to be hired employees. During the flight, Maya endlessly planned her makeup with them, while Uncle Monty was taking a good nap and I was reading a book leaning against Will's shoulder as he worked.

We landed just in time for lunch. Dry, desert air hit us at the airport, although at this time of the year the famous heat here was not at all bothersome. It was just warmer than it was at home and I wished I had worn shorts.

We caught taxis immediately. I shared one with Will, absorbing everything I saw behind the window with great interest. I've never been to Vegas before. People come here to do crazy, exciting things and my life was rather boring before.

The city looked innocent enough during the day. The streets, crowded with groups of walkers, were bathed in gentle sunshine. We passed the world-famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, with numerous groups of inconspicuous-looking tourists waiting to have a photo taken with it. I stared at the nice smiles of the girls there and the grinning teeth of the boys, probably bachelors. All of them, ready for the party of their lives, will be sucked into the whirlwind of frivolous attractions in just a few hours.

There were also families here. Children shouted every now and then and pointed their fingers at the Ferris wheel or the bizarre hotels that pop up here in the center like mushrooms. Their parents, on the other hand, looked around with gentle smiles, simply enjoying the trip, only occasionally imagining how great it'd be to forget about all responsibilities for just one night and devote themselves to this city in the most wicked way, for a moment erasing from the dictionary the word "decency".

Returning to these hotels, I was speechless. Downtown Vegas seemed to belong to a different world. It was like a mythical land or a model designed by a high architect and it was hard to believe that it was a real city that had its place on the map and where everyone can come. One of the hotels looked like an exclusive black pyramid, guarded by a giant sphinx statue. Another imitated a vertical, gold bar. It was dazzling with its light when the sun reflected from it. The next building was unnaturally narrow, but very wide and stretched right up to the clouds. Right in front of it, there was this extremely famous, gigantic musical fountain, with a multitude of people gathered around it, eagerly awaiting the next performance. We immediately passed the huge Eiffel Tower. Damn, they even built Paris here! There was also a place for the Statue of Liberty, and then we drove into a narrow, well-groomed road that turned out to be a serpentine among bizarre palm trees and shrubs that grew so densely that for a moment I thought we had entered some room, for example, a greenhouse.

In fact, it was the original entrance to the hotel, because we stopped right in front of its fancy entrance. We were greeted by the bellmen who immediately took care of our small luggage as we entered the lobby. Although I'd love to try to describe what it looked like, hardly anyone would believe me. The ceiling here was several stories high, and one of the walls was covered with beautiful sparkling crystals that the water ran down on, to form an imposing waterfall. People were throwing coins into the shining paddling pool and dipping their fingertips into the transparent water. I was tempted to do so as well, waiting for Will to find me with our hotel card already received. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Sonny, trying his best to be discreet, watching my every move.

There was a huge hassle. Lots of people were passing by, taking pictures, staring at signposts, looking for specific casinos or show halls or exhibitions that every hotel in Las Vegas was full of. A casino must've been nearby, as the noise of the current tourists was mixed with the annoying melodies of the slot machines.

As Will finally closed the door to our apartment behind us, I took a deep breath and sank down onto the huge black sofa that was placed in the living room here. Vegas affected all my senses, and I was less and less surprised that people here were getting themselves drunk silly. After all, it was impossible to bear all these incentives while sober. Especially when you are completely non-party, almost sixteen-year-old miss perfect.

I looked at the phone and wrote back to Leo, with whom I had moved completely to text messages so far because talking to him at school was simply too stressful. Shane was already barely holding back from smashing his head, and I was very reluctant to try the same thing for Tony, who was a little less patient.

"Who are you texting with?" Will asked casually. He just pulled two glass bottles of water from the refrigerator and handed me one of them. Unfortunately, I got so scared that I automatically hugged the phone protectively to my chest, giving him a panicked look.

"With... with... with..." I started and mentally punched my forehead. "With M-Mona."

Will looked at me with a raised eyebrow. He didn't have to be Vincent to know I was lying.

"Hailie."

"No one important, really," I sighed, tilting my head back. Anything to avoid his gaze. I touched my forehead with a cold bottle of water.

"Hailie."

"No, Will," I groaned, now setting it aside. "I don't want you to be mad at me."

My brother closed his eyes briefly and shook his head, then sat down on the couch next to me.

"Please tell me who you're texting with."

I stared at him for a moment with such defeat written on my face, but he was adamant, so I decided to tell him the truth. After all, I had no other choice.

"With Leo," I whispered, biting my lip.

"That boy from the bakery?" my brother asked, frowning.

"M-hm."

"You like him?"

"Nhmumph."

"Sorry?"

"I don't knooow. Maybe a little. He's ok. Kinda."

My new goal in life had just become to dig a hole in the couch I was lying on, and I devoted almost all of my attention to it.

"Hailie, do you like him as a boyfriend? Or a friend?"

"A friend," I replied quickly, sensing the opportunity to defend myself, which I was going to grasp with my arms and legs.

"Can I see your phone?" Will asked politely, holding out his hand to me. I looked at it suspiciously and scowl.

"No, Will."

He lowered it and was now looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You know Vince has access to your messages?"

"What?" I gasped irritably. I'd been suspecting it already so I wasn't really that surprised, but that didn't mean I agreed with it. "I have no privacy at all!"

"You do. Just because he has access to them doesn't mean he is checking them. But he can start doing it. I'm not going to struggle with you, little one. Please explain to me what I want to know, or I'll find out the truth another way."

I gave him a gloomy look.

"I don't like it when you're like this," I confessed honestly, sighing.

"I don't like being like this either," he leaned back, the corners of his mouth trembled.

I got up on my elbows a little as I was on my way to completely slide off the couch to the floor.

"We text about everything. And about nothing. He helps me a little bit with school stuff sometimes. And he always has something interesting to say. And he's so ambitious, I adore it, Will. Most boys talk about partying all the time, and they only want to go to college to drink and date girls. And because that's what their parents expect from them. And Leo is different. He wants to study medicine, and Will, I guess I do too. He gets everything with hard work because he got to school thanks to a scholarship and he's also planning to get one to pay for college. Just somehow, I don't know, I admire him..."

Will stared at me, and I realized I was smiling a little foolishly at myself, and I instantly became serious. He suddenly sighed and covered his face with his hand.

"You're falling for him, huh, Hailie?"

"What? What? No! No, never, Will. No. We talk a lot, I like him and that's it. Nothing more," I assured him and myself. It was true. I liked him and that's it.

"And you just talk? Have you two kissed?" Will asked, effectively embarrassing me. I blushed.

"Well, once," I mumbled.

Will tilted his head, asking me to expand on my speech.

"We kissed once."

"Oh my," my brother sighed, hiding his face in his hand again.

I leaned over to him and grabbed his arm, suddenly very eager.

"But no, Will, it was really only one time, and a while ago. It was unexpected..."

"Unexpected?"

"Well yeah... And even Shane knows about it!"

Then I had to explain to Will how Leo was still alive since one of the twins found out about the kiss. I didn't know how I did it. Finally, our tiring discussion was interrupted by a phone call from Uncle Monty, who began to lament that he was literally dying of hunger and that we should go out to the restaurant with him. It was a relief to pick up on that idea, and fortunately, Will decided to let go of further investigation for now.

I changed from my comfy travel clothes to something I would not be ashamed to show up next to Will in the city where most people usually dress to impress others. I didn't dress up like a star, but my jeans and blacktop were pretty nice and, most of all, smelled new, and I noticed that the newer the outfit I wear, the better, more confident, and prettier I feel in it.

We met Uncle Monty in the hotel restaurant on the ground floor, where all the awful noises resounded. I stepped inside in the company of both gentlemen, passing tourists who looked uncertainly in the direction of the restaurant, wondering if the local prices would be affordable. Well, they wouldn't. If I were still living with my mother and grandmother, and I were to come here with them, my grandmother would grab a hold of her head when she saw the menu and exclaim something shameful. I also was ready to make a comment out loud, but I stopped myself. I finally had to get used to my family's preferences...

"Where's Maya?" I asked, needing the company of a woman in this male circle.

"She asked me to get her something to take away. She's busy with selecting eye shadows," Uncle answered me.

"Are you nervous?" Will asked him.

Monty shrugged.

"I just hope everything goes well and Maya will be happy. She cares too much. Charles isn't helping. Yesterday he sent her contact information to an abortion clinic. She pretends to be pissed, but I know she's fucking hurt."

"He's terrible..." I replied, genuinely worried. What kind of father is he?! I used to think that the one who abandons his child is the worst, but I can already see that there are many other ways to be a bad father.

"Yes," Uncle Monty confirmed and glanced at me. "Next time Hailie, if you want to throw a knife, make sure you aim Charles in the face."

"Don't encourage her," Will warned him, ignoring our laughter.

Starter, main course, dessert, and coffee later, Uncle Monty stood up with a deep sigh and said goodbye, ready to hand himself over to those who had supposedly turned his apartment into a beauty salon.

Me and Will, on the other hand, had a lot of time to kill. As he had to work a little more, we planned to do a little tour later. Instead, my brother took me to the roof of the hotel, where I got drunk with non-alcoholic drinks, swam in the pool, and relaxed in the jacuzzi to the accompaniment of beautiful views of the city, which was getting closer to wake up every hour. In the background, there were also great brown mountains so different from those covered with greenery, which landscape I knew well.

Will and I took a round bed that could comfortably accommodate four adults. He was stretched out with his laptop and only came twice in the pool, but that's better than nothing. By the way, I accidentally found out that minors are not allowed here. In fact, there were no children around, and I was definitely the youngest. I expected this to be the kind of problem my brother probably easily solved with a bundle of banknotes, but he managed to surprise me once again and I almost choked on the water when, in the pool, Will informed me that the hotel where we were staying, belongs to the property of our family.

It was unbelievable to me, and as Will finally closed his computer and we left the pool, I looked with even more interest at every wall and ornament we encountered along the way. Later, Will showed me a room that looked like the interior of a Viennese opera house, a casino where slot machines flashed wildly with all the colors of the rainbow, green card tables and other games that I couldn't even name were waiting for risk-takers. There were also a lot of souvenir shops here, which I visited and left with a few stuff.

We also went with Will to the hotel where Venice was copied. Even though I'd never been there, I googled the photos, not believing what my brother said, that part of the original Venice was rendered flawlessly in this hotel version. He was, of course, right. The road extended along the canal, there were bridges here, exclusive shops on both sides of it, artificial blue sky and white, delicate clouds stretched over our heads, and you could even buy a gondola trip. It was a total absurd! As soon as I could get my jaw off the floor, it dropped again at the sight of the hotel turned into a circus. Inside there was an impressive hall where acrobatic performances took place, as I could deduce from the bizarre structures extending above the stage to the very high ceiling. And when I saw that a huge roller coaster with loops had been built in the same hotel, I had nothing more to say. After all, how much can you get surprised in one evening?

Of course, we had a ride on the mentioned rollercoaster, and boy, that was fun! I was screaming and giggling alternately. I felt so good with Will! So at ease. It felt good to take a break from the teasing and perpetual banter. I also appreciated the fact that I was able to talk rationally with him, which was not always the case with my other brothers. We enjoyed a simple chat as we stopped at the cafe for a cupcake and drink while we waited for the next performance of the fountain, the musical one which I already mentioned.

When the time came, Will pushed harshly through the crowd of people and pulled me along so I could see everything. By the time the first tones began to sound, I was already in the front row. The fountain was so huge that I couldn't see the other end. But it didn't matter, because what I saw immediately was so spectacular that I didn't know where to look anyway. The water gushed so high that if the sky weren't clear anyway, it would have washed away all the clouds. The most popular movie soundtracks were played with the lights jumping to the rhythm, and water shooting out. I got goosey and enjoyed every second spent here.