The Green Girl ✓

Wakey wakey

"Alissa? Alissa, honey, you must get up!" I heard Aunt Rose's gentle voice.

"Stop pampering the girl,"  Aunt Azalea reprimanded sternly. " Alissa, get up this instant!"

I knew that tone of voice: it meant no objections were allowed. So reluctantly I opened my eyes to look at my aunts.

Aunt Azalea, Flora and Rose were my mother Elanor's sisters. My mother and Azalea were very much alike – tall, with brown hair, green eyes and extremely strict. Aunts Flora and Rose were different – they had the same hair and eye color but they were short and really, really kind and gentle. Especially Aunt Flora. She had a childlike innocence about her. Speaking of her...

"Where is Aunt Flora?" I asked and couldn't hold back a yawn.

"She is making breakfast. And cover your mouth when you do that!" Aunt Azalea added rigidly.

I perked up immediately at the mention of food. I was short like aunts Flora and Rose but I really liked to eat. I got off the bed and ran to the kitchen.

"No running in the house!" Aunt Azalea reprimanded me once more. She was always criticizing everyone about everything but I was used to such behavior because of my mother. "Actually, you shouldn't be running at all, it is not ladylike" she added following after me. " And you should've made your bed and changed your clothes before going down for breakfast!"

"Oh, I already made her bed!" Aunt Rose piped up catching up with us.

"Rose! What on Earth made you do that? This isn't a hotel, the girl should make her own bed."

"But it's her first day here!"

"That doesn't mean you should spoil her!"

"Then maybe I shouldn't have made a special breakfast," Aunt Flora joined the conversation as we were now in the kitchen.

"Oh, Aunty Flora!" I sat on one of the stools and pushed my long brown hair out of my green eyes. "The food looks amazing!"

"I would appreciate it if you do not use the word "aunty" when you address us, Alissa!"

Of course it was Azalea who objected.

"I actually like it!" Flora said smiling at me.

"And so do I," Rose agreed with her. "Now eat up and we'll take you on a tour around the town."

"Cool!" I answered grabbing a plate and attacking the food that was made for me.

*****

In the end it was only Aunt Rose and I who went out and we were currently driving around the town. Aunt Flora was extremely shy and didn't want to be around people if she could help it, with the exclusion of us of course . That suited Aunt Azalea just fine because Flora was a bit dense and could be easily manipulated by strangers. Actually, I'm pretty sure Azalea stayed at home to keep an eye on her youngest sister; the later could be really clumsy and forgetful as well. But that suited me just fine.

Now don't get me wrong! I loved all of my aunts, including Azalea. But she reminded me too much of my mother and Elanor and I weren't exactly the best of pals right now which was why I was here in the first place.

Before we left Azalea reminded Rose to take me to "the proper places" - the library and the local museum, and to show me where the school I'd be spending my last year at was. What Aunt Rose did was to drive by those three destinations before heading to the mall.

"I know you're not a big fan of such places," she started as she parked the car. "But our town's mall is much smaller and less crowded than the ones you're used to in your city. And it has some really charming stores as well."