Chapter 2: Where's Mom and Dad?
The borders were shocked to see the little girl on the couch, all of them just stared at her wide eyed, until finally Grandpa spoke up and said "Arnold, who is this?" he asked with a confused look on his face.
"This….this is my sister, Amelia" Arnold said nervously not knowing what the borders would think.
"Your… sister?" Grandpa said dumbstruck, suddenly he looked at Amelia. "Where did you come from Amelia?"
"I… I came from San Lorenzo, to come live here… with Arnold, and you and Grandma" Amelia said, her green eyes going dull by the second, she did not want them to be mad at her.
The borders stood there as quiet as could be until Mr. Kokoschka stood up and said "Well, Grandpa, I think you and Grandma should be alone with Arnold and your new granddaughter" as he walked in the kitchen, the rest of the borders followed awkwardly.
Grandpa Phil and Grandma Gertie sat on the couch next to Arnold and Amelia not knowing what to say. Until finally Arnold spoke up who sent you hear Amelia, and how do I know you're my sister?" Arnold asked confused.
Amelia dug into her pocket and pulled out a photograph of Stella, Miles, and her. She handed it to Arnold as he looked at it he couldn't believe his eyes, the picture looked like it had been taken recently, they were all in the jungle all happy and smiling. "Where are they?" Arnold asked looking up at Amelia sadly.
Amelia looked at him no sign of happiness on her face at all. "We were all hiking down the mountains looking for rare animals for Mom and Dad's medicine, they just needed one more ingredient, the Impatiens Psittacina, or the parrot flower. If you mashed it up, it was said to cure any sickness especially the one the green eyed people had. The flower is very rare, but since that was the last thing we needed we decided to go look for it, and the minute the medicine was made, we would bring it to the green eyes, and fly back home to live in the boarding house with you guys , and we'd be happy….sadly it didn't turn out that way. There were snakes guarding the flower venomous snakes, but Mom, Dad, and I didn't figure that out until it was to late. You see, these snakes look like sticks, it's really scary cause you could pick one up and not notice till it bit you, the poison was so bad that you dies instantly" Tears began to well up in Amelia's eyes, but she chocked them back. "Dad was the first to get bit, and when mom tried to save him, she got bit right on the leg, it was a gruesome sight to watch, first there faces turn a gruesome green, there eyes begin and close and sweat is trickling down there head then there eyes close and….there gone. I had to jump over the snaked and put the flowers in the bad, saying a final goodbye to Mom and Dad. I had to figure out how to make the antidote by myself. When I put it on the green eye stone, it disappeared. As I walked away I had to tell the village the sad tale, there were a lot of tears, and I came here to live with Arnold and my grandma and grandpa… by myself. I'm really glad I finally get to meet you guys" Amelia finished with a weary smile.
Grandma went over and gave Amelia a big hug, with tears I her eyes "Oh you poor thing, I can't believe I have a little granddaughter now, you are the sweetest thing bless your heart."
"You're just like Stella was" Grandpa Phil said wearily as several tears fell down his cheek, hugging Amelia too.
Arnold on the other hand, just sat there staring at Amelia. He had lost his parents without even knowing them. He envied Amelia, she'd known them her whole life, while he sat around at school being the poor kid with no parents. No father to throw a baseball to, no mother to give him girl advice, no parents to sing to him at night when he was five and feeling lonely, or when he was seven with no one to see him ride a bike, but Amelia had that she had it all, she'd even been there for there last words last breaths, but he had to hear it from her, how he wished he could've been the youngest. As he looked at her with sadness in his eyes, she looked back with the same sadness. Amelia was just like him, in every single way. He tried to not like her, but she was his little sister, and he just had to learn to love her.
"You can stay in the guest room if you'd like sweetie, Kimba would you show her where it is?" Grandma asked with a sincere smile.
Arnold nodded and got up from his seat walking upstairs, with Amelia following close behind him. When they got to the room Arnold opened the door, and showed her new her new room.
"Thanks Arnold" Amelia said to him smiling. "I'm glad I'm getting to know you better I bet we're going to be the best of brothers and sisters"
Arnold made a smile chuckle at that comment. There goes that uncontrollable optimism. "Yeah maybe we will be Amelia."
"You can call me Amy if you want, that's what Mom and Dad used to call me" she said jumping on the bed playfully.
"Ok see you tomorrow Amy" Arnold said closing her door. He new it was only about ten in the morning, but he needed some time to think, because of all this stuff just being thrown at him, besides he had a big baseball game against P.S. 123, and he knew he needed some rest for that. As he laid in bed he wondered, maybe Amy wasn't so bad, and he guessed they were just going to have to get used to each other, after all they are brother and sister.