Hungary stepped into the bus and immediately felt the air conditioning hitting her with a blast of cool air. It was the middle of summer, and it was sweltering outside. She went to the back of the bus where she usually sat and closed her eyes, anticipating the long ride. She leaned back against the seat and fell asleep. When she fell asleep, she started dreaming.

There was a little boy, younger than she was. He was being studied by what looked like scientists, one was a man, and one was a women. He was given pills hidden in his food.

Hungary suddenly woke up, but she couldn't remember what she had dreamed. The dream had left her with an eerie feeling that she couldn't get rid of. She opened her bag and took out some kifli she had brought so she wouldn't get hungry. She bit into the sweet pastry she had made herself and thought of the dream she had.

"There was a girl, right?" She wondered aloud. But that's all she remembered. She tried to keep awake, but a wave of lethargy washed over her and her eyelids grew heavy. Her eyes closed again and she rested her head on the empty seat beside her.

Hungary couldn't quite grasp why they were putting pills in the boy's food. The boy looked up at the scientists with big, brown, trusting eyes. He smiled and happily ate the pasta that they scientists gave him.

"Pasta?" Hungary thought to herself, "When did I last have pasta?" She had no idea why she was having thoughts of pasta at such a random time.

The bus seats had suddenly become quite uncomfortable. The seat covers that had felt soft before were now itchy and uncomfortable. She reached up to readjust her headband and looked out the window. They were just getting to her destination: Zürich. It was a pretty city, with big buildings that weren't too towering. She always felt that the buildings America built in his cities loomed ominously over her. But Zürich was different. The one big thing here was Lake Zürich, but even that was pretty.

Hungary got off the bus and walked to the huge lake. She leaned against a tall tree and felt the breeze in her hair. There were children splashing in the water and their parents were on the sides of the lake talking. Her brown hair blew in the wind and she inhaled the smell of the lake. It smelled fresh and invigorating.

She walked up to where the children were playing in the water. There was a small black notebook on the grass. One little boy ran toward Hungary and bumped into her hip.

"Oh, sorry ma'am. I hope I have not disrupted your well being in any way," The boy said, almost too polite for his age.

"Uh, it's okay," Hungary replied, taken aback at how well-mannered the little boy was. He couldn't have been more than eight years old, but he was acting extremely mature. She picked up the black notebook "Is this yours?"

"Yes, ma'am, it is. Much thanks to you," The boy replied. The notebook was opened to a page with scientific figures that were barely understandable to her. Hungary widened her eyes at the complicated writings in the little boy's book.

"Did you write that yourself?" Hungary asked skeptically.

"Yes. My father is a scientist, so he teaches me many very imperative things about science."

"Oh, okay then…" She raised an eyebrow, looking confused. How can a boy so young act so mature?

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you," The boy picked up his notebook, nodded at her, and went to sit beside a woman Hungary guessed was his mother. Then he jumped back into the water and splashed with the other children. From just looking at him as he was in the lake, Hungary would never have guessed that he was extraordinary in any way.

But she had to get to Switzerland's house. After all, she did have a job there. Hungary dreaded having to go back to the itchy bus seats, so she decided to walk to his house. Though it was extremely hot outside, there was a breeze that cooled the city down. She approached the big house and rang the doorbell. A boy with blonde hair and a green jacket opened the door.

"Hello, I'm Hungary. I'm working at your house for the summer, remember?" She said.

"Oh, yes. Come this way," He ushered her into the house. The yellow walls were bright with sunshine peaking through the huge windows. They ascended up a beautiful staircase with marble stairs and a black iron railing. They finally went into a room with the same pale yellow walls. A young girl was looking out the window; she heard the door opening and turned to face them. She wore a pink dress with a purple bow in her chin-length, blonde hair.

"Your job is to take care of my little sister, Liechtenstein, for the summer," Switzerland said, "Make sure she doesn't get into trouble or get hurt. If she does, I am the world's largest supplier of guns, I can easily use one." He glared at me.

"That's my only job?"

"Yes, and it's a very important job."

"So you'll shoot me if your sister gets hurt?"

"Yes."

"Okay then," Hungary said calmly "So can't she take care of herself?"

"Well," Switzerland said, "I tried to teach her some self-defense, and I drew figures to help her understand it better."

"And?"

"She commented on how cute my drawings were."

"Ah."

"But brother, they were adorable! I hung them up on the walls," The girl pointed at the wall by her bed, which had cute drawings of animals hung on them.

"Well, Liechtenstein, right?" Hungary asked the girl after Switzerland had left.

"Yes," Liechtenstein looked at her with big, green eyes.

"I'm going to teach you some self-defense," Hungary smiled, "Okay?"

"But brother already taught me…." Liechtenstein looked confused

"Yeah, but I'll teach you better," Hungary replied, "Your brother doesn't know self-defense other than guns."

"Oh, okay…." Liechtenstein said hesitantly.