Vacation

Chapter Five

"Why do you keep visiting that old lady?" Allison's mom asked. Allison had come downstairs and told her parents that she was visiting Patty again.

Allison shrugged. "I don't know. She just seems really nice."

"Alright then," her mom said. She handed Allison some money. "Don't forget to eat breakfast. Here's some money if you want to eat at the restaurant."

"Okay, bye," Allison said, leaving the hotel room. She left the hotel and walked across the street to the restaurant.

She was surprised to see Josh and Patty sitting together at a table.

"Hey, Allison," Josh said. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just about to ask you that," she said. "I'm here to visit Patty."

"Oh," Josh said. "Patty is my great grandmother."

Allison remembered that Josh had told her that he was in Florida to visit his great grandmother. She also remembered Patty had said she had to see her family that had come down to Florida.

"Come sit down," Patty said, pointing to the seat next to Josh.

"Okay," Allison said, sitting down. "Do you know if I can get a coffee?"

"I'll get you one," Patty said, going into the kitchen. Allison handed her two dollars.

"I didn't know you were friends with my great grandmother," Josh said to Allison after Patty had left.

"Yeah," Allison said. "My family and I came here to eat one night, and I've come back to visit her every day. She's really nice."

"She is," Josh agreed. "She's really funny, too."

Patty come back with Allison's coffee and then sat down.

"So how is everybody liking Florida?" she asked.

"It's great," Josh said. "Very warm. And not rainy. Plus, there are lots of palm trees." He winked at Allison.

"Indeed," Patty said, not really paying attention to what Josh was saying. Instead, she was squinting her eyes and looking between Allison and Josh suspiciously. "Is there something going on between you two that I should know about?"

Allison felt her cheeks flush. "No. Of course not."

"Mmm hmm," Patty said, not believing it. However, she let it drop. "So, today, Allison, for our believing in yourself project, I have a good plan that will allow you to have proof."

"What?" Josh looked confused. "What is the believing in yourself project?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Allison said quickly. She didn't want Josh to know about her problems.

"It's not nothing. It's very important," Patty said. "Ally and I's believing in yourself project is my way of teaching her how to believe in herself. She gets bullied at school, so she needs help believing in herself and not listening to what those bullies say."

Allison wanted to pour her coffee over Patty's head.

"You get bullied at school?" Josh asked.

Ugh, no, please, I don't want to talk about this, this is so embarrassing, please go away, Allison thought. Instead, she said, "Yeah, sometimes."

"Why?" Josh asked.

Allison shrugged. "I never did anything to them. They just..." Allison didn't know what to say.

"Are bullies and pick on sweet, sensitive people, like Ally," Patty finished for her.

"Aww. I'm so sorry," Josh said. He put his hand on her arm.