Sorry it took so long to post this one! I've been really busy
lately. If you're reading this, please review, I need to know what you
think!
Chapter 4: Are we there yet?!
It wasn't too hard to get ready to go. They were so excited, that they had
packed for the trip by the first day. Now all they had to do was get the
money to pay for the plane tickets.
They decided to put Amy in charge of the money once they earned it, because Serena also volunteered, and well, you get my point. Lita had already saved money for the trip, but she still helped Mina recycle bottles and cans. It didn't get a lot of money, but it helped all the same. Raye and Serena started mowing lawns. This is where most of the money came from, so everyone helped with this too.
At the end of each day, spring break came closer, and they came closer to the amount they needed. Every night at study buddies, they would count the day's earnings. Then, two days before break started, Amy said that they finally had enough. This meant for the plane tickets, but they still needed money for food, and of course Mina couldn't pass up shopping for crazy American styles.
When the day of departure finally came, everyone was so excited. They had slept over at Serena's again, so no one would be late. Amy went over her checklist of luggage in the living room for the 3rd time. Mina was hogging the bathroom to get her hair brushed and nails done and all. Raye rummaged in her trunk for her plane ticket. Serena glanced at her reflection in the mirror, while Rini tugged at the hem of her skirt. "Serena, are you sure you have everything?"
"Who are you, my mother?!" Serena snapped.
Everyone met in the kitchen, where Lita was packing her famous triple- decker roast beef sandwiches into little bags. Serena stayed behind when her mom tapped her on the shoulder.
"Are you positive you have everything?" Her mom asked.
"Jeez! I'll be fine. It's not like I'm irresponsible," Serena replied.
"Well, you'll be far away, I just don't want to get a call from you, 12 hours from now, saying that you forgot to bring clothes!" She joked. "Anyway, just remember to be serious about this. You've never been to America, so I do want you to take good care of Rini too," Serena's mom slipped her a fifty, "and have fun. Remember, this is your spring break."
Serena told her thanks for the cash, which would definitely come in handy. She gave her mom a hug, and joined the others in the kitchen. "Let's get this party started!"
:::
They had to take a bus to get to the airport, but they wanted to get their early, so they would all get window seats, if they wanted. Lita wasn't thrilled about riding in a plane from the very beginning, but she agreed as long as she didn't get a window seat. This surprised everyone, because Lita is usually not scared of much, but she reminded them that her parents had died in a plane crash.
The attendant at the front desk directed them to their airplane. Not many people were there because it was such an early flight, but it was going to take them a long time to get to America. Luna and Artemis had to be packed below deck. They weren't too crazy about this, and found it degrading. But they knew that they had no other choice.
When they finally boarded the plane, they found that there were only 2 other families with them. Serena and Rini took the left front seat, with Serena at the window. Mina and Lita were in the seat horizontal from them. Mina was already checking out spring fashions in an American magazine. Raye and Amy sat behind Lita and Mina.
The trip was a fairly uneventful one. It was long and boring. The silence was often broken by Serena's loud snores, Raye and Lita's conversation on which they thought was bigger: Tokyo or New York, Amy typing in searches on the answer, and Mina asking Amy to translate certain English that she just couldn't figure out.
::::::::Many Hours Later::::::::
By this time, everyone was asleep. It had been such a long plane ride, that no one could stay awake for very long. A clerk came in the isle and woke them all up by saying that the plane would land soon. They packed up all the things they had been using during the flight, but got too distracted by the huge cityscape coming into view below. "That's New York," Amy said as she brought up a map of the city on her computer.
"What's that down there?" Raye asked.
"Oh, that's where the world trade center used to be," Amy said. They passed over it and flew on towards the airport. "Finally," Mina sighed. The plane began to taxi on the runway. They felt their stomachs lurch as they airplane came to a stop.
Serena rushed to get out first. She wanted to see the place where she would be staying. Everyone was eager to see the city, so they wasted no time getting their luggage, finding a bus, and getting to their hotel. It was an expensive looking place, with a great big red carpet. "I feel like a movie star or something!" Mina said.
Amy checked them in at the lobby, while the others marveled at the comfy couches and free food awaiting them farther down the hall. "Tell me again how we could afford all this?" Raye asked.
"Don't worry about it, I found this website that gives you plane tickets cheap, so we had enough left over to go to a more luxurious hotel."
"What would we do without you Amy?" Lita said as she grabbed one of the keys from her hand.
They decided to put Amy in charge of the money once they earned it, because Serena also volunteered, and well, you get my point. Lita had already saved money for the trip, but she still helped Mina recycle bottles and cans. It didn't get a lot of money, but it helped all the same. Raye and Serena started mowing lawns. This is where most of the money came from, so everyone helped with this too.
At the end of each day, spring break came closer, and they came closer to the amount they needed. Every night at study buddies, they would count the day's earnings. Then, two days before break started, Amy said that they finally had enough. This meant for the plane tickets, but they still needed money for food, and of course Mina couldn't pass up shopping for crazy American styles.
When the day of departure finally came, everyone was so excited. They had slept over at Serena's again, so no one would be late. Amy went over her checklist of luggage in the living room for the 3rd time. Mina was hogging the bathroom to get her hair brushed and nails done and all. Raye rummaged in her trunk for her plane ticket. Serena glanced at her reflection in the mirror, while Rini tugged at the hem of her skirt. "Serena, are you sure you have everything?"
"Who are you, my mother?!" Serena snapped.
Everyone met in the kitchen, where Lita was packing her famous triple- decker roast beef sandwiches into little bags. Serena stayed behind when her mom tapped her on the shoulder.
"Are you positive you have everything?" Her mom asked.
"Jeez! I'll be fine. It's not like I'm irresponsible," Serena replied.
"Well, you'll be far away, I just don't want to get a call from you, 12 hours from now, saying that you forgot to bring clothes!" She joked. "Anyway, just remember to be serious about this. You've never been to America, so I do want you to take good care of Rini too," Serena's mom slipped her a fifty, "and have fun. Remember, this is your spring break."
Serena told her thanks for the cash, which would definitely come in handy. She gave her mom a hug, and joined the others in the kitchen. "Let's get this party started!"
:::
They had to take a bus to get to the airport, but they wanted to get their early, so they would all get window seats, if they wanted. Lita wasn't thrilled about riding in a plane from the very beginning, but she agreed as long as she didn't get a window seat. This surprised everyone, because Lita is usually not scared of much, but she reminded them that her parents had died in a plane crash.
The attendant at the front desk directed them to their airplane. Not many people were there because it was such an early flight, but it was going to take them a long time to get to America. Luna and Artemis had to be packed below deck. They weren't too crazy about this, and found it degrading. But they knew that they had no other choice.
When they finally boarded the plane, they found that there were only 2 other families with them. Serena and Rini took the left front seat, with Serena at the window. Mina and Lita were in the seat horizontal from them. Mina was already checking out spring fashions in an American magazine. Raye and Amy sat behind Lita and Mina.
The trip was a fairly uneventful one. It was long and boring. The silence was often broken by Serena's loud snores, Raye and Lita's conversation on which they thought was bigger: Tokyo or New York, Amy typing in searches on the answer, and Mina asking Amy to translate certain English that she just couldn't figure out.
::::::::Many Hours Later::::::::
By this time, everyone was asleep. It had been such a long plane ride, that no one could stay awake for very long. A clerk came in the isle and woke them all up by saying that the plane would land soon. They packed up all the things they had been using during the flight, but got too distracted by the huge cityscape coming into view below. "That's New York," Amy said as she brought up a map of the city on her computer.
"What's that down there?" Raye asked.
"Oh, that's where the world trade center used to be," Amy said. They passed over it and flew on towards the airport. "Finally," Mina sighed. The plane began to taxi on the runway. They felt their stomachs lurch as they airplane came to a stop.
Serena rushed to get out first. She wanted to see the place where she would be staying. Everyone was eager to see the city, so they wasted no time getting their luggage, finding a bus, and getting to their hotel. It was an expensive looking place, with a great big red carpet. "I feel like a movie star or something!" Mina said.
Amy checked them in at the lobby, while the others marveled at the comfy couches and free food awaiting them farther down the hall. "Tell me again how we could afford all this?" Raye asked.
"Don't worry about it, I found this website that gives you plane tickets cheap, so we had enough left over to go to a more luxurious hotel."
"What would we do without you Amy?" Lita said as she grabbed one of the keys from her hand.