Sweet Like Honey

33.

"So, what are you doing for spring break?" Cruz asks Lennen. It was the Friday before spring break and everyone had been talking about their plans for the past few weeks, just waiting for this time to finally come. Miles and Margo were heading to Florida, Dorian was going to Australia, Cruz and Jonas were going to Cancun, Sawyer and Holden were going to Hawaii, Ellis was going to Fiji, but no one knew where Lennen was going. They had asked and asked, but she had refused to answer. 

"We're going to Brazil," Lennen smiles and watches as their jaws drop. They all had the money to travel, but no one traveled as much as Lennen did, and sometimes they got jealous because she had gone to some amazing places that they had only dreamed of. 

"Just your family?" Sawyer asks, unsure if the Petty's were going to be joining them. She was sure that they were because those families never went anywhere without each other. To this day, she was still a little surprised that the Petty's had switched schools, though it was only like ten minutes away from North Shore. 

"No, the Petty's are coming too," Lennen answers. She couldn't remember the last time they had traveled without the Petty's, seeing as it had been years of them going everywhere together. 

"Hey, tell Duke that we need to catch up again. I think the last time I saw him is when we went to Santa Monica," Miles says, missing one of his best friends. They were both busy with their own sports and getting ready for college, that they didn't have the time to hang out as much as they would like. They used to go surfing almost every weekend, but it had been almost two years since that had happened. 

"I'll relay the message," Lennen laughs and then heads home with Oliver, needing to get ready for their flight tomorrow. 

"Welcome to Brazil, kids," Steve says, when they touch down in Rio De Janeiro. "The hotel is about a thirty minute drive, and our car is outside waiting for us. So let's get a move on, shall we?"

When they pulled up the hotel, all of the kids jaws dropped. It was a beautiful hotel with an even more beautiful view. Right across the street from the hotel was the beach that might have had the bluest water Lennen had ever seen. "I have a feeling that I'm going to have a hard time leaving this place," Lennen says in awe. This was her first trip to Brazil and definitely not her last. She had only been in the country for less than an hour and it has easily become one of her favorite places in the world. 

"You guys are free to do whatever you want this week, just make sure to check in througout the day, and you do have access to the car service if you want to go anywhere," Graham tells them. The reason why the parents were so relaxed was because they knew they were good kids and wouldn't get in trouble. 

"I don't know about you guys, but the first thing I'm doing is going into the ocean," Lennen says, as they make their way up to their rooms. The hotel was even more beautiful on the inside, but nothing was going to beat that view of the ocean. Lennen held no love for like the love she had for the ocean. Most people who knew her always insisted that she was actually a mermaid. 

"I think I'll have to second you on that," Duke agrees. The ocean was too beautiful to not take a swim in this very moment. 

"Make sure you guys do some sight seeing and I know you guys like hiking, so be sure to try and find some trails," Joyce tells the kids, hoping they would do more than just stay in the ocean all week. 

After changing into their swimsuits, the kids made their way down to the beach, ready to explore what the ocean had to offer. They had all been scuba certified years ago, allowing them to explore the depths of the ocean with no problem. They had rented some dive gear and headed into the ocean, each of them bringing in a gopro to catch some great footage. 

They had passed this amazing coral reef while heading farther down and they made note to come back to it another time while they were snorkeling. The kids had always been passionate about the ocean, ever since they were little. Everything about the ocean was just so fascinating to them and always left them in complete awe. 

Duke and Lennen sat on the beach, talking, while Kiana and Oliver were surfing. "So have you decided on what college you're going to yet?" Duke asks her. He knows that she had still been undecided for the past few weeks, not really sure where she was going to see herself in the fall. 

"I think so," Lennen tells him. She had made a lengthy pros and cons list between her final two choices, Stanford or Harvard. The schools had a lot of similar aspects and were very similar in the course load for her major, but there was just one thing that put the deciding the school ahead. 

"And where are you going?" Duke knew that she would excel at any college she chooses because she was the smartest person he knew. She had always never failed to amaze him at anything she did. He also knew her better than anyone else did, which gave him an inkling to which she had chosen. 

"You'll have to wait until graduation," Lennen laughs, not giving away her college selction just yet. She spent months on this decision, always unsure if she was going to make the right choice or not, but now she was certain that she had made the right choice.

"You're awful," Duke laughs, thought a little annoyed that she wouldn't tell him. They told each other everything, it's who they were. 

The week had went by to quick for anyone's liking and Lennen was already wishing that she was back in Brazil instead of at school. Brazil was paradise to her, never wanting to leave, almost finding herself in tears when they were taking off to come back to California.

"So, Brazil looked amazing. You actually used Instagram like a normal person and posted almost everyday," Ellis says, laughing, slightly making fun of her friends lack of social media use. 

"It was amazing, and I have so much to show you guys," Lennen tells her friends, taking out her phone. They were sat around at their lunch table, talking about what they got up to during their spring break. Lennen had showed them pictures/videos from when they had gone into the ocean, whether it be from diving, snorkeling or surfing. They had hiked up to the giant Jesus statue, which was much bigger in person than any picture on the internet makes it out to be. 

"Oh my god, you look like an ant next to that thing," Jonas laughs as she passes around her phone. 

"Thanks, Jonas." Lennen rolls her eyes at her ridiculous boyfriend and takes her phone away from him. Even though she had come home yesterday, she was already missing it like crazy and looking through the pictures didn't make it easier. She had this weird thing where she never felt at home when she was in California. She would always much rather be out exploring the world than being at home. There was still so much she wanted to see and being stuck at home wasn't helping.