Perfectly Dangerous

Chapter one

"You have to go! No 'buts', 'ifs', or 'whats'. Your grandma is getting old and could use some help, and its only for the summer.

"Summer or not mom, I don't want to go! Why do I have to be the one to go and take care of her for the whole summer?"

"Because your father and I have to work, and I already told your grandmother that you would. So NO arguing. Your going like it or not. Now go to your room!"

So its settled. My whole summer is going to be spent taking care of my sixty year-old grandma. Yay. I'm so excited. I leave the kitchen, stomping my way up the stares to my room, and slam the door. Forty-eight more hours and my summer of hell begins. I lay down on my bed and pick up my phone to call Tamari, my best friend. She isn't very happy about the news. We had a whole summer of plans to do stuff and now its all ruined because I have to go take care of my grandma. Why??? Why does my life have to suck so badly???

After I tell Tamari and we hang up, I lay back down on my bed and debate on whether to start packing now or wait until an hour before I am supposed to leave. Finally, I just decide to wait. My mom pissed me off to much to think packing clothes. So I just lay back down on my bed and think about how all my plans for the summer are ruined. Then ruining my thoughts I hear a *knock* *knock* on my door.

"Yes?" I Call.

"Supper is done honey" my moms says.

"I'm not hungry" I say, knowing that it doesn't matter, she's going to make me eat anyways.

"I don't care if your hungry or not, get down here and eat." Told you.

"I don't want to eat! I said I wasn't hungry!" I say getting up from my bed.

"Annie, I said to get down here. I don't need any back talk." Yep. She won.

"Fine" I say as I start to make my way towards my door.

"Thank you." she says as I hear her head back downstairs.

Slowly, I start to head downstairs. Lasagna. I can smell it. I get to the kitchen and see that mom and dad have both already started eating. I walk over to the counter to grab my plate and mom stops me saying "I know this isn't how you wanted to spend your summer but your grandma could really use the extra help. And you could really use a new change of scenery. So will you go? For me?"

I think about it for a moment, and realize that there's no point in arguing because my mom wont take 'no' for an answer so I say "fine". then I walk over to the stove, get some lasagna, sit at the table in silence. Eating.  

When I am finished I make my way back upstairs to my bedroom, and back to laying in my bed. Eventually, I fall into a dreamless sleep.

I wake up the next day at noon. Half the day is gone already, and tomorrow I'm going to Arizona to spend my entire summer with my grandma. Can't you tell how thrilled I am?

I get up, get dressed, and make my way downstairs. My mom is in the living room reading the newspaper, and my father is in his office. I go into the kitchen, and start to make a bowl of cereal. When I am done, I decide to go back to my room and start packing. Its hard to pack enough clothes for a whole summer. I started to wonder about what will happen in California while I was gone. All the worrying over enough makes me sleep so I end up taking nap.

When I wake up its 3:30, and suddenly I hear my mom calling my name."Coming" I yell as I start to make my way downstairs.

"Yeah?" I say as I make my way to the living room.

"Are you packed for your grandmas? She asks me as I step into the living room.

"Almost. Why?" I say as confusion spreads over my face.

"Well your grandma called and she wants you there by Saturday evening, which means you need to get the next plane there. And the next one leaves at five o'clock"  She says to me.

"Seriously?! Not only is my whole summer ruined but I have to leave a day early?!" I yell at her in utter disbelief.

"Your grandma asked. I simply said yes. Now please go finish packing." She says as she picks up the newspaper again.

I turn around, and stop my way to my room, slamming the door behind me. I can't believe this. My whole fucking summer is ruined and my mother is making me leave a day early. I mean seriously?! Why??? Its not fair! I'm 17 and should be able to choose how to spend my summer not my mother!

I give up on trying to work my way out of not going so I decided to finish packing. I finish packing around 4:30 and make my way down stairs and see my mom getting her car keys.

"I was just getting ready to call for you. Its time to go. I have to stop somewhere before I take you to the airport. So lets get going, we don't need your missing your flight!" She says as she makes her way to the garage.

I mumble an "ok" And follow her to the car. I put my bags in the trunk and climb into the passenger seat. She backs out of the driveway and starts down the road. We end up stopping at the bank and then head to the airport. Joy. My summer of hell is just beginning.

As soon as get ready to board my plane my mother hands me three crisp one-hundred dollar bills. "I want you to have a good time in Arizona with you grandma. I love you and I will miss you. Have a good flight and call me as soon as you arrive."  And with that she hugs me, kisses me on my forehead and walks out of the airport.

I board the plane feeling tired and not looking forward to the four hour journey to my grandmas. My grandma wants me at her house by one o'clock . It's five o'clock now . It takes four hours to get there so it will be nine o'clock when I arrive in Arizona. My grandmother booked me a hotel. Its three hours to the hick town she lives in so I have to be up by ten and leave by eleven. Therefore I will arrive at one. So no, I'm not looking forward to the long trip to my grandmas.

I find me seat, and fall asleep suddenly. I wake up at 8:15. Forty-five minutes left. yay. I am so excited. not. But my legs are starting to cramp and I'm restless and bored so I actually can't wait until we arrive.  

For the next forty-five minutes I decide to look around at the people sitting near me. Across the aisle is an older couple reading something. Next to me is a man, probably in his late twenties, wearing a suit and tie, with a briefcase sitting in his lap. When he notices me looking he smiles, I smile, and then look away.

Finally, we arrive in Arizona. Its 9:30 when I check into the hotel. I head to my room, open the door, drop my stuff, and collapse on the bed, falling asleep instantly.

I wake up the next morning at 10:15. I get up and make my way to the bathroom. Great. How lovely. I've started my period. Joy. After I'm done in the bathroom, I head down stairs with all my stuff, and find my cousin John waiting in the lobby.

"Nice to see you again, Annie" He says as he takes my bags from me and walks to the car.

"Nice to see you again too" I say as I follow behind him.

With that we get in the car and start our three hour drive to grandmas house. Yay. More sitting.

And again, I fall asleep. I'm pretty sure I slept most of the way. And I dream about how much fun Tamari is probably gonna have all summer. I wake to fine that we have reached our destination.