Chapter 4

Blondes & Blondies

Aunt Delilah pushed opened the door to her apartment, and I smiled, breathing in the welcoming smell of chocolate chip cookies, my favorite. The apartment had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a cozy kitchen, a sitting area, and the living room. It reminded me of Grandma's.......never mind.

"Home sweet home. Tucker, we're here!" Aunt Delilah yelled. She set my suitcase in the guest room, and I sat on the soft, queen sized bed. The room was pretty simple: bed, dresser, big TV, and a window seat.

"This is nice," I said, smiling.

"I'm glad you like it. Tucker, come over here and meet my niece, Claire," she yelled again. Suddenly, a guy my age entered the room. I couldn't see his hair, because it was hidden under a gray beanie. But when he looked up, I nearly screamed.

"Airplane Girl," Tucker grinned in an evil-like way. My face hardened, but Aunt Delilah's smile grew wider.

"You know each other? How'd you meet?"

"She sat next to me on the plane. Claire is super sweet," he said. I could feel the sarcasm in his voice, but Aunt Delilah probably didn't notice.

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure we'll be great friends," I mumbled, trying to smile. Inside I was screaming like there was no tomorrow. I want to kick Tucker to a place where the Sun no longer shines.

* * *

I woke up. I felt something wet rolling down my cheeks.

Somebody poured ice water on my face.

"TUCKER!!!!!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, jumping out of bed, looking at the boy standing next to me.

"God, you....are....so....hilarious," he laughed, trying to stop. I groaned, feeling how cold the water was. I ran into the kitchen to see Aunt Delilah, already dressed and ready.

"Claire, darling, you should be dressed! I sent Tucker to your room so he could tell you our plans, but..." she stared at my wet pajamas and stopped speaking.

"It was all--" I stopped, glancing at Tucker. His face was serious, and he kept shaking it, like he was telling me something.

"It was all my fault. I woke up, turned on the shower, and it was way cold. I guess I was just....surprised?" I mumbled. Aunt Delilah nodded, like she understood.

"OK. Just quickly get dressed. We're going to Blondies!"

* * *

Blondies, it turns out, is this amazing breakfast/lunch restaurant around the block. Like I said, it's amazing. I ordered three blueberry pancakes, like I was a little kid. So much for a diet.

"Hi, I'm Jenny. What can I get for you today?" a blonde girl asked, and Tucker slid his arm around her shoulder.

"Jenny, this is Aunt Delilah's niece, Claire. Claire, this is my best friend, Jenny," he introduced us. Hmm...he's acting all good around Aunt Claire and other people. But when its me and him, he wants to tease me.

"Nice to meet you," I shook the blonde girl's hand and she left. She seems like a nice person. But...why would they have a blonde in Blondies? Never mind...it makes perfect sense...