Home Sweet Home

Chapter 1- Leaving Home

PROLOGUE

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Summer hurried towards terminal one with her most beloved possessions crammed into three mint polka dot suitcases. She looked at her watch and at the people sat and headed over to the Costa shop around the corner to get a bite to eat.

“All passengers to board now” said a lady in a maroon suit addressing the cluster of people sat in the departure lounge.

“Excuse me, but is that your flight?” said the Costa man pointing to the entrance that people were starting to file in to.  

Summer jumped and cursed as her hot coffee spilt on her cream dress decorated with little black hearts. Dropping the cup to the floor she grabbed her suitcases and ran as fast as she could to the entrance.

“Boarding pass please” said a woman with a stern voice. Summer winced slightly at her harsh tone and quickly fumbled in her pocket. She addressed the woman with a folded piece of paper, as the lady opened it a square piece of paper fell to the floor; Summer quickly bent down to pick it up.

“Aww how adorable!” gushed someone. Summer flinched at the voice which happened to be rather loud.

“That’s the cutest baby I’ve ever seen!” cooed someone else.

Summer quickly stuffed the picture into her bag and tried to make a hasty escape before she was pestered with questions she did not want to answer.

“Is she your niece?” asked a girl that looked about the same age as her. Summer growled quietly and frowned at the girl.

“Yes” she answered, as soon as she said this she realised how awful it felt to say that Annalise was her niece. Then she quickly ran off before anymore questions could be asked.

Summer sank down on the seat next to the window, her heart crumbled as she remembered the trip she and Alex were going to make to the states for their honeymoon. That’s the only reason she should have been on an aeroplane, for a holiday; which meant she would return home to Annalise where her sister Skye would have been looking after her.  

Not flying off to Australia alone, on a way one ticket.  Summer tried to block out all of those thoughts and soon she fell asleep.

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“I hate you!” Summer shrieked bursting into tears. Her face was bright red matching her eyes.

A tall figure was standing at the end of the hallway leaning in the door frame. A woman stood with her face done with bright rouge lipstick and silver eye shadow not suiting her pale face and wrinkles.

“You walk out of here young lady, don’t think it’s your home anymore, never come back, do you hear me? Never” she said, her beady eyes speaking volumes.

“Let me take her!” Summer cried pleading and begging with her eyes.

“Absolutely not! You must be mad, she is not leaving with you, how on earth would you look after her? She will stay here with her with all of us”

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A sudden jolt woke Summer from her uneasy nap; she rubbed her eyes and noticed that the sky was now covered in a blanket of stars. She was miles away from home. It’s not home anymore a voice in her head said. She shook her head in attempt to rid the thought.

“Excuse me, but do you know long it is until we land?” she asked the person seated nearest to her.

“About an hour” he replied smiling “Going to visit family?” he asked.

“Not exactly” she answered. Then she plastered a smile on her face so as not to be rude. After all the old man was not the cause of her troubles “are you?”

“Well I live in down there, I've just been on some businsess in England." he paused and gave a sad smile

“How old are you?” he asked her.

“Nineteen.” she answered.

Then the plane moved abruptly and Summer grabbed hold of the seat in fear.

“It’s just a patch of turbulence,” the man said in an attempt to reassure her. Summer wished that the flight would be over.

“Do you want one?” the man asked Summer as he held out a Twix.

Summer’s face brightened at the sight of the chocolate that just happened to be her favourite.

“Thanks” she said biting into it.

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“We will be landing at Brisbane airport in fifteen minutes, the temperature outside is currently twenty-six degrees Celsius.

“Finally” muttered Summer.

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As Summer stepped out of the airport she stopped to look around, she had chosen to come to Brisbane in Queensland as it was a big and busy area. As she climbed into the taxi she decided that she would make her life here as good as she could and she would not spare any thoughts for her unloving, cruel family back in England.