The long winding roads of Palma Village made Veronica dizzy. The car whizzed round the bends effortlessly, and people often commented on their car. Veronica did not care at all about vehicles and such, but her father did. Sometimes it felt like it was all he lived for, and it annoyed Veronica that every second weekend her family would go on a two hour trip to a fancy place that serviced her fathers Astun Martin DB9. She didn't get the big deal. A car was to get you somewhere, to get you from A to B. But her father thought other. "What are you talking about? He would ask her every time she would ask him what the big deal about. "A car is a smooth, sheen, speed machine, and it can take you wherever you desire" he would say, as though it was the most obvious thing ever. Veronica's mother agreed with her father, but Veronica knew that her mother went with the flow. Her mother tried to avoid disagreements as much as she could, and that involved agreeing constantly with her father's outrageous ideas. For instance, last month her father suggested (more like demanded) that they go to Spain to visit some long lost cousins, and her mother couldn't agree more. "Why of course!" she had exclaimed, pretending to look excited. But Veronica wasn't as excited as her faux excited mother. She had been to Spain twice in search for their 'long lost cousins' and she was beginning to think there was none and that it was an excuse to go to Spain. The Astun Martin DB9 pulled into a large garage that was where their car was serviced. A man in blue overalls and black gumboots smiled and waved towards her father, and he waved back. Every time Veronica saw him she couldn't help but think of her fifth grade teacher, Mr. Kernal. She attended a private school called St. Carquet's primary and was currently in her final year. There was a somewhat large amount of students; 593 to be exact. "Here for the usual service, Paul? The man in overalls asked, and her father nodded briskly. "And maybe an extra wax, considering we're entering that monthly competition." The man agreed, and the men exchanged a few details about the competition. Her mother tried to look fascinated and nodded her head in some parts, but Veronica could tell her mother couldn't care less. Veronica sighed with boredom as the adults discussed the latest engine in the latest Ferrari. She reached down into her designer bag and pulled out her dsi 3-D. Her father had managed to get her the latest gaming device from Nintendo, which was due out in exactly 7 months. She went onto the internet (she had it on her dsi 3-D) and signed onto msn. Jamie, her best friend, was on. "Hey" she wrote and added in a smiley face before sending it. "Hey, what r u doing?" she replied a few moments after she sent it. "Nm, just waiting in the car, it's getting serviced like it does every fortnight." Veronica, get out of the car, it's getting serviced now" her father called. "G2g, bye" she wrote quickly and turned off her dsi 3-D.
Claire awoke to a dog licking her nose. A stray, probably she thought. Just like me. She clambered out of her few dirty blankets and stretched, taking in the weather. It was a sunny day, and the bins seemed extra full. Claire walked over to the nearest bin and started prowling around in it. She often got funny looks from people, and some people were kind enough to give her some food. Today, she found a half eaten pastry of some sort, and ate it happily. Today had already been a good day food and weather wise. So far she had had a little bit of a thrown away apple and half of a pastry and the weather was sunny. She was thinking hard if she should visit her friend, Maxwell, when a very fancy car drover past. Claire couldn't read well, but she could just tell what it said on the back. "Astun Martin DB9" she read slowly, and as she was about to turn away a window rolled down and a girls face looked out curiously. When the rich girl spotted Claire, disgust washed her features. Then sadness appeared on her face as she watched me pull food out of the bins and beg people for money or food. "Here you are lad, buy yourself something to eat" an older man offer her a five dollar note, and all thoughts of the strange girl in a fancy car vanished. Claire thanked the man numerous times and started to look for a store to buy some food. It was not often that Claire would go into a store to buy food, but when she did she tried to visit the same place due to the fact the man who owned it gave her discounts. She slowly entered the old 711 and savoured the feeling of money in her hands.
"Come, Veronica" her mother called as she walked out of the small clothing boutique named Sugary Sweet. "The car will be finished by now, Honey". "Ok mother" Veronica called back, putting a black leather three quarter jacket on the rack. She quickly exited the shop, nodding slightly at the saleswoman. There was a smallish town close to where her fathers car got serviced that had some good boutiques and shops, and it was a spot where her mother and she went shopping on a fortnightly basis. Her mother hailed a taxi down and they both hopped in. Bags covered with different logos engulfed the back seat of the taxi, and her mother was already pulling out her new necklaces and tops and admiring them. It wasn't that Veronica and her mother needed new clothes; in fact it was quite the opposite. Veronica's mother was obsessed with shopping and was a regular at Gucci and Channel. Before she knew it, the pair was back at the garage. Veronica was like that, she easily got lost in her thoughts. Like how people on the streets lived? She often wondered what it was like to live on the streets, and not have a real home. "Something wrong, Sweetie?" her mother leaned over, concerned. "Fine" she said, breaking out of her thoughts. "Just wondering if I can grab something to eat?" She asked, her stomach rumbling. "Sure, whatever you feel like, Hon". "I was thinking along the lines of Subway, but is there one nearby?" "No" her father answered for them both. "But there is a restaurant nearby that is four stars, so we may as well check it out" he said eagerly, rubbing his hands together. A restaurant was not what Veronica had in mind, and by looking at her mothers face she knew that her mother did not feel like it either. "Sounds great, Bill" she said, walking towards our car and getting in. "Off we go!" he proclaimed, and Veronica slid into the backseat and sighed.