COMPLETED
All 16 year old Avianna Moorson wanted was an easy flight to sandy and beautiful Australia. No talking, no company and no distractions. But what happens, when the person forced to sit next to her leaves her at a loss for words?
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Hour Twenty Five
"Avianna, you must eat something," her grandmother pushed another bowl of porridge towards her.
Why the woman needed to fill Avianna's stomach until she'd burst, she'd never know.
"I'm not hungry, Gran," Avianna played with her spoon daring not to put it in the plate for fear of commiting to another steaming, fiber filled, nuisance. She already had two bowls and wasn't too keen on getting a third.
"But you must eat. I'm pretty sure you don't get enough real food up in Canada, what with the igloos and snow." Gran's grey ringlets bobbed courtesy of the salty air from the opened window.
As much as she loved her Gran, Avianna had to admit the woman had her geographical regions mixed up.
"It's true that I miss your cooking, Gran, but honestly we don't all live in igloos," her feet slipped off the edge of the stool and she landed as gracefully as she could, balancing the bowl in one hand.
The old woman had a mixture of disbelief and stubbornness all rolled into one. "I beg your pardon?"
"Well you see we actually have winter four months a year-that is if our November's aren't too bad. Right now, if you can believe it, we have summer."
"That's a load of--"
"Gran! Language!"
"Avianna! Lighten up!" her grandmother mocked, placing her outer palm on her hip.
She couldn't argue with that. From the time she left the Melbourne airport, her mind had been fuzzy. And tipsy turvy and fluttering on the edge of uncertainty.
"Je t'aime."
Those words actually came out of her mouth. It actually astounded her, never before had she been so bold.
"We're going out," Piper yelled from the bottom of the stairs.
Gran, Avianna and Gram, whirled their heads around each sporting a look as daunting as the last.
"We?" Gran lowered her glasses onto the bridge of her nose. "Your mother did not send you two out here for dates. Did I make myself clear?"
"Yes ma'am." The two girls bowed their heads, a tinge of redness creeping up on them.
"Gran, will you relax? I'm not dating anyone." Piper's tone brought a silence upon the room. The frown was replaced with a smile as she dragged her sister closer to her. "I'm taking Avianna out of the house for the day. She hasn't left since I don't know, we got here."
Avianna's eyebrows creased and she wished she could wipe the know-it-all smirk across Piper's face.
"That would be delightful!" her grandmother clasped her hands against her mint green t-shirt and cardigan. Her hands reached for the bread and began spreading four slices along the crowded brown counter. "Let me just make you sandwiches for your trip. This is so wonderful, my granddaughters getting along."
"Thanks Gran," Avianna said through clenched teeth while Gran slipped the plastic wrapped sandwich into her hands and kissed her cheek.
"Don't mention it. Now be on your way," she hurried them out the door and left them standing on the doorstep.
"Is it just me or did she really want us out of the house that badly?" Avianna squinted. It was barely noon and here she was getting baked by the sun. If her Gran truly loved her, she wouldn't have been so cruel and hasty to send her outside.
"Pipes, where are you taking me? I hope it starts with in and ends with side," she bounded from the cold shaded cement into the searing gaze of the sun.
"No," Piper replied. "You are going to experience all the world has to offer starting with the water."
Soon she was in the garden shed causing a calamity. Plant pots crashed to the floor, dust seeped out into the clean air and Piper's once straightened hair began to act up.
"Found what you were looking for?"
"As a matter of fact I have." Piper's hair peeked under a sailor's hat that suited her flower print boyfriend shorts.
"Why do you have Gram's sailor hat?"
"Because," she put a rusty telescope in her pocket, "we're going sailing."
~~~~~
"I can't believe Gram lent you the boat."
Piper shrugged. "As long as I have it back by three, we're fine."
Author's Note
In case anybody is wondering, Canada is awesome! Actually the 🌎🌍🌏 (whole Earth) is pretty awesome!
To help you understand Canada better basically whatever weather New York is having, we're having.
