this chapter is dedicated to BritishGirl13 because she's awesome and cool.
Four hours and three books later, we finally made it to Apple Valley. The weather looks great from what I can see from the oval shaped airplane window on my left. It was sunny even thought it was just eleven in the morning. In all of my flying experiences, I've always loved to sit by the window seat. It always makes me relax.
"Welcome to Apple Valley our beloved passengers. My crew and I would like to thank you for making this trip easy for us and thank you for choosing Harleton Airlines. We hope you enjoyed this trip. If you're transit passenger, please stay seated. Welcome to Apple Valley once again and we hope you an enjoyable trip"
Everyone around me started unbuckling their seatbelts and some started taking their bags from the room above. Luckily, I didn't get any carry-ons with me; I only had a cross-body bag that was beside me the whole trip. I unbuckled my seatbelt and stood behind the people that were waiting in line for the doors to open.
Just in few minutes, two of the flight attendants stood beside the door and opened it. People started getting out, and the line was getting shorter and shorter. I smiled at the flight attendants and went down the ladder and got into the bus. The bus started to fill up as people got outside the plane and shortly after, it started moving.
After I passed the security, I made my way to the restroom. Standing in front of the mirror, stood a girl with dirty blonde short hair and freckles splattered over her nose and cheeks. A scar, from when I fell from the bed and hit the bedside table was on the left side of my forehead. My lips, which were a little bit chapped from the airplane, were formed into a pout.
Was I ready to see my sister and dad? What will they think of me? Will they like me? Will they like my personality? What if they don't? I haven't seen them in a lot of years. Yes, we skyped before but I haven't seen them in real life for such a long time. My mother didn't let me, and when I asked she just said her famous words, 'Its none of your business'.
A ringing from my cross-body bag took me out of my reverie. 'Emily' was written on the screen. I smiled, then took a long breaths before answering.
"Hello?"
"Hey! I'm right outside, where are you? I can't see you."
"I'm in the restroom, I'll collect my luggage and call you, yeah?"
"Alright! But don't be late, the policeman is giving me the stinky eye because I parked in the handicapped parking."
"Emily! How many times did I tell you not to do that? I'm not getting out until you park in the right spot."
"Alright, alright. See you in a bit?"
"Yeah, love you."
"Love you too, now hurry up."
And with that, our phone call ended. I got out of the restroom with such confidence knowing that someone is here for me. I followed the signs to the luggage claiming area as fast as I can, so I can finally see my sister.
***
I looked around the parking lot not finding Emily's yellow beetle. I called her for the ninth time, and I was directed to her voicemail. As soon as I made myself comfortable on top of my bags two muscular arms wrapped around my waist. I jumped from the sudden contact.
"I've missed you so much, Pooh bear." I turned around, tears falling onto my cheeks quickly as I whispered the words I've been waiting to say in such a long, long time, "Dad?"
We stayed in each other's embrace, crying for what seems like an hour. Of course, a very annoying person interrupted the beautiful moment.
"Uh hello? I've been waiting for you for like, ten minutes and this is how you repay me?" I pulled away from my dads embrace and open my arms. Emily smiled and hugged me.
"I missed you so much, I'm so happy that you're here." I looked at her. She changed a lot. She wasn't' that girl with two blonde piggy tails and glasses on her face. She was a woman now, a beautiful one. Her blonde hair was now brown. Unlike me, she had a little bit of make up on her face. I looked at dad, drinking in his new look. He used to have clear face, but now he grew a beard and it looked pretty good on him.
We started walking to Emily's car, talking about different things. As painful as it might sound, it never felt like home there in Charlestown. I was ready to forget that past and be ready for the future. But I was so glad that I was home again.
***
"Remember this one time," Emily said laughing as we ate our dinner that day. "When Penelope thought it would be funny if woke you up in the middle of the night just to say she's a cat? Ahh, that was the best day of my life." Tears started falling out of my dad's eyes, his mouth wide open, laughing at my kid self.
***
September, 12 years ago
"Meow." I whispered softly in my dad's ear. "Dad, wake up." He moved slightly. "Daddy!" I half yelled in his ears, which earned a yelp from him. He looked at me and shook his head.
My dad sits down on his bed, rubbing his eyes. "Pooh bear, what are you doing," he looked at the digital clock on his bedside table. "At three in the morning?"
"I'm a cat daddy. I turned into a cat." I let out a giggle. Dad furrowed his eyebrows and frowned. "Meow."
"Who told you that baby girl?" He asked, standing up. He put his hands under my arms and carried me. We got out of their bedroom and he took me to Emily's and I's room. I pointed at Emily, answering his question.
Dad placed me on the bed before laying down, beside me for our daily cuddling session. Emily was on her bed, pretending to be asleep, just so dad wouldn't scold her. He pulled me into his chest, and started singing the lullaby. My eyes started to close slowly, as he continued singing.
***
The next day, Emily and I decided to go to the beach. I was applying some moisturizer on my face when she came into my room with a Starbucks drink in her hand.
"You're taking a lot of time, let's go." She pouted as she sat on my bed. "And, by the way," Emily looked at me, "there is some sort of bonfire happening at the beach at seven and we are going."
"I'm not going," I said, putting some cash in my wallet. "I want to explore the place." I stood up, walking to the door. With my back facing the bedroom door, I looked at Emily and said, "Are you coming or what?"
***
"This is amazing!" Emily said, taking another bite from the burger. After three hours of sun bathing and swimming in the beach we got pretty hungry.
"You never tried this before?" I asked, my eyes widen at her comment. Emily shakes her head. "Why? You basically lived your whole life here."
She shrugged her shoulders not knowing what to say as she took another bite of the burger.
***
"So who's the lucky guy?" I wiggled my eyebrows. Emily was trying on a drss for her date that was in two days.
"James." Her eyes lit up as she said his name.
"Is he the one you told me about few years ago?" She shook her head.
"No that was Andrew." Emily goes back to the changing room.
"Oh." I mumble to myself.
***
"Today was eventful." I whispered to myself when I finally reached my room. After we got the dress for Emily's date, she decided to go to the mall that was fifteen minutes away. Of course I tried to tell her that I was still tired from all of the moving, but she insisted saying that she missed me and we need our sister time. I know that I will feel guilty if I didn't go with her so I did.
We reached home as soon as the clock hit 9 pm. Every inch of my body hurt from all of the waking we did. Yes it was fun but I wasn't used to this. At my old town, we used to take the car everywhere since everything was at least half an hour away.
I put my bag on my bed and walk to my window. What I really liked about my room is the view of the beach. It was really beautiful; it never fails to not take my breath away whenever I look.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" My dad said from behind me. I turn around to see him leaning on the doorframe.
"Yeah, so beautiful." I replied, looking at the moon. I could feel my dad coming closer, so I moved a little bit to the right so there can be space.
"When I first got the house, I was going to make this room my room. I even decorated it, but when I was on the bed getting ready to sleep, your words kept ringing in my ears from when you were little," he smiled at the memory.
"You always used to say that you wanted a room that had a huge window. And when you stand by the window, you have a beautiful view of the beach. So I got up from the bed, and slept on the couch in Emily's room. The next day, after I got back from work, I moved my furniture to my current room. Then, I took Emily to the furniture store to help me make this room the room that you dreamed of. We had so much fun painting the walls, and putting pieces together. The only thing that was missing was you." He looked at me with tears in his eyes. "Thank god your mom signed the papers or I was going to go crazy, I couldn't live without you that long pooh bear, I couldn't."
It broke my heart seeing my dad like that. He took me into his arms, and we stayed like that.
"Pooh bear," He whispered in my ears.
"Yes daddy?" I whispered back.
"Can I sing you the lullaby like the old times?" He asked still hugging me. I nodded my head and we both lay down on the bed with my head on his chest. My dad opened his mouth and started singing me to sleep, just like the old times.
***
New chapter!
I'm so sorry this is too short, but I hope you like it. What are your thoughts on this chapter? On Penelope and Emily's relationship? On Penelope and her father's relationship? Do you like this book? I REALLY hope you like this as much as I do because I'm so in love with this book, the characters , the plot. I also love and enjoy writing it so I don't plan in deleting this book anytime soon.
And I recently watched The DUFF, I loved the relationship between Bianca and Wesley, they're so cute and adorable and gah. I got the book before but didn't read it. But a lot of people told me that the movie was a hundred times better than the book.
This chapter is not edited.