"Please Aunt Ava please"
"No I have enough going on all ready. Besides you're not old enough to be part of that exchange thing."
"But Bradin is come on he can just sign up please."
"Nikki I said no!"
"Grrrr!" she stormed off
"Exchange student, her craziest idea yet."
But Nikki was determined. After only two days of driving her poor aunt crazy she cracked.
"Alright, but just know we might not be chosen to house one of the students and Bradin still has to say if he'll enter."
"Really! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Nikki walked off
"Bradin!"
"What?"
"I need you to sign something."
"That depends on what it is."
"It's for an exchange student program. I filled out everything and you just need you to sign here, here, and here."
"Trying to send me off?"
"No not you. For a person to come here."
"You know were probably not going to get chosen but fine."
"Oh thank you." she gave him a hug and ran off to her room.
A few weeks later,
"Bradin you have mail."
"I do," he said with a mouth full of frosted flakes.
"Yea from Italy." and the word of something coming from outside the U.S. Nikki came running.
"Maybe it's the exchange program."
Everyone just looked at each other but Nikki had a huge smile on her face.
"Open it, open it, open it."
"Alright, alright." he ripped open the seal and pulled out a hand written letter with a picture attached.
Dear Bradin and family,
Ciao, my name is Loretta Martello, and I am from Naples Italy. I will be you exchange student and boarding with you for a whole year. I am skilled in English so there shouldn't be a big language barrier. The information enclosed is travel information and other legal stuff pretty much saying you wont like kill me while I'm living with you lol. I should be arriving in two weeks. I sent a picture of me just so you know what I look like. I can't wait to meet you.
Loretta
"OMG WE WERE CHOSEN!" Nikki said in complete joy.
"OMG we were chosen." said Ava in shock.
"What's going on why is there some girl from Italy coming here?" asked Derrick.
"She looks like Ashlee Simpson sort of she has the hair." said Bradin.
"Give me that." said Nikki snatching the picture. She looked at the girl that would be living with them for the next year. She had long layered very dark brown almost black hair, olive skin and brown eyes the picture wasn't the best one of those school photos.
"Well we have two weeks till she gets here," said Ava.
"She'll have a month and a half of summer left to hang and get to know everyone."
Jay walked in and got a cup juice.
"So what's new today?"
"We were chosen to have an exchange student come stay with us." Jay almost choked on his juice he was drinking.
"What?"
"She's from Italy." said Nikki.
"What, where?"
"Italy you know just north of."
"No not that I know where it is when is she coming."
"Two weeks." said Ava.
"Well we better start getting ready."
"Oh she can bunk with me. I won't mind it will be like having a sister!" said Nikki.
"Well what do you say we plan a shopping trip for when she gets here. We'll get a bed and sheets now and, then when she gets here she can pick out a comforter and some pillows. Oh we can get that night stand out of the garage. That could be a project for you two you can paint it and decorate it."
"Susannah we're getting a littlie too into the decorating here." yelled Ava.
She looked around a bit embarrassed.
"Sorry little carried away there."
"Well how about today we do start getting ready for her to come."
"Okay." everyone replied.
---Two weeks later---
"Where is she?" asked derrick.
"I don't know," said Nikki.
Susanna looked over the paper again.
"What's her flight number? Maybe we have the wrong gate?"
"No, B27 were right." said Jay.
"Wait I think that her." yelled Nikki.
A girl walked off the gate and looked to see a group of people holding a brightly colored sign saying 'welcome Loretta'.
"Oh my god." she said "I'm moving in with the Brady bunch." she took a breath and
walked up to them.
"Oh My God! You have to be Loretta!" said Nikki as she ran up and hugged her.
"Hi everyone." the girl said in a sight Italian accent.
"Hi, I'm Bradin."
"Hi, you're the one who signed up for the program correct?"
"Well sort of."
"Hi, I'm Jay."
"Hi."
"I'm Derrick."
"Hello."
"Hi I'm Susanna."
"Ava and this is Johnny."
"Hello all."
"Well how about we all get going home so Loretta here can get shown around."
"Yea sounds fun." she said with a slight smile.
Nikki was giving Loretta a tour of the house.
"Here is where yore sleeping you are bunking with me."
"It's beautiful. The view so calming but my side looks so blah."
"Yea we need to go shopping. Susanna said it would be a good idea if you pick out like, the blankets and stuff. Oh and this week you and me can paint this." she said pointing at the night table.
"Sounds like fun, you are on holiday right."
"Yea, another month and a half."
"Ah."
"Nikki! Loretta!"
"Yea." Both called.
"Can you come down here a minute?"
They ran down to meet Ava.
"Yea?"
"I was thinking, as a little welcome celebration we all go get ice-cream and get to know Loretta here what do you say."
"Sure sounds fun." said Nikki.
"Yes that does sound fun." replied Loretta.
"Well okay, Nikki go get Bradin and Derrick and then were on our way."