1996 [harry au]

I. Cherry

[idea came to mind, and i really liked it so here it is. peek at 1996]

"I'm excited to have you here this year," Nonna gushed to me happily. "I know there isn't much to do in Clarkesville, and you rather be traveling the world for charities with your parents, but I promise this --" 

My Nona blabbered about the different things that could possibly excite me as I lovingly smiled at her with glistening eyes of pure excitement.

She drove from the airport to her little house of two bedrooms and only one bathroom. The one with the flowery wallpaper and walls aligned with priceless china. 

"I'm glad to be here, too, Nonna." I replied lightly, smiling when she continued to ramble about her eagerness. 

We arrived with much time left in the day considering the hot sun burning in the bright blue sky. I inhaled the smell of freshly-cut grass and opened the rusty truck of her light blue truck. The old thing smelled like cat inside and looked like a rusted metal contraption on the outside. 

"I'll take my bags into my room." I told her, not finding the need for her to help me. It was only a two duffle bags, a backpack full of necessities included.

Nonna frowned with humor. "I may be old, but I have some strength." 

"Some," I teased her with a chuckle. "Save it, Nonna. You need it for better things." 

"Yeah, like dealing with you," she sassed haughtily. 

My mouth fell agape with laughter. "Hey!" I whined while I walked up the steps of the old, wooden porch I'll probably be re-painting with her this summer. "I'm not a handful. I'm grown." 

Hearing her laugh made me happy. Ever since last year when Grandpa passed away, she was never the same woman. Being for so long with someone and suddenly losing them and their love must be one of the hardest curve balls to dodge that life throws. 

"Only poking fun at you, Alexis." 

I placed my things in the bedroom that I will be occupying this summer. Its walls were covered in a faded wallpaper of flowers. I smiled at the much remodelling we'll be doing. I know my grandmother, and she will not tolerate a lazy teenager eating chips all day. 

I also spotted the dent in the closet door. Shaking my head, I began to unzip my duffle bag and unpack. Many of my clothes were hung while other things like jeans and undergarments were folded and closed into the dresser. 

With an hour spent on unpacking and getting comfortable, I walked down the stairs to find Nonna rummaging through her things in her fridge. 

"Hey, I finished unpacking." 

"Great," she said into the fridge before pulling out bag of vegetables. She stood straight and turned, holding a hand to her lower back. "I'm going to have back problems in a couple of years." 

Her warm brown eyes found mine and they wrinkled at the sides when she laughed at herself. I shook my head, grinned plastered on my face. 

"You're too young to have back problems," I assured her. 

"Stop shitting me," she warned with a playful glare. 

I held my hands up defensively, trying not to seem amused, although this woman could never fail at putting a smile on my face. The rest of the afternoon was spent dipping oven nuggets in ketchup and catching up. 

My hand reached for the fridge after watching three episodes of Clueless. I frowned and called to the woman sitting on the couch.

"You knew I was coming and you didn't get cherries!?" I questioned amusingly.