Kids

~Poppy~

©Kids Hannah2014

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We made it here alive.

In the car ride from the airport, I almost killed Ivy and Leo. Little siblings get on my nerves, especially when all they want to do is fight or call their sister 'emo'. I am certainly not emo by most standards, but they heard the word at school and now try to slip it into every possible situation.

"That house is so emo." Ivy looked out the window. Dad chuckled, anticipating my response. "A house can't be emo, idiot." I respond. Mom budded in, "Poppy, don't call your sister an idiot."

Ivy, being her annoying ten year old self, responded "Yeah, Poppy. Don't call your sister idiot!" Leo and Ivy then erupted into giggles. It was a long ride.

But now we're here, and I couldn't feel worse. Missing a summer with friends in Australia to come here makes my heart hurt. I miss the town and the beaches already. 

We're in Maine for a "top secret" project for my dad's old band. He was the lead singer in 5 Seconds of Summer. According to my mom, he used to make girls, including her, cry.

I laugh every time she tells me the story of the time she saw them in concert and she passed out when my dad looked in her direction. My dad always tells me that was the best day of his life.

"Can we go in?" I ask Dad. He shrugs and looks around for someone. My mom is still in the car with Ivy and Leo, having them collect all of their toys thrown all around. A professional-looking woman approaches my dad and I with a clipboard in hand.

"Mr. Hemmings?" My dad nods at the sound of his name. He nudges me a little and I laugh. He doesn't like it much when people call him Mr. Hemmings. He says it's too formal.

"Where are the other members?" This woman begins writing on her clipboard profusely, but I have no idea what she could be writing. Dad responds, staring at her moving pen. "No, I haven't talked to them yet."

Correction: Dad hasn't talked to them in 15 years.

After I was born, Mom and Dad focused on our family. It became harder and harder for everyone in the band to keep in touch. When I was younger, Michael and his family used to come over often. Once they moved to New York, they stopped coming at all. 

My mom sometimes makes comments on how sad it is that they don't talk anymore. Everyone wanted them to be friends forever. Ashton is my godfather, but I haven't seen him since I was 5. Mom often reminisces on the past, and sometimes I think she'd rather be there than here.

Dad and the woman keep talking about the events that will take place over the summer, so I start to explore to grounds of the house where we will be staying.

This place is huge, which is very necessary considering the number of people that will be staying here. There are three Hoods, five Cliffords, six Irwins, and five from the Hemmings clan. That's a lot of people for one house to hold for three months.

I find a pond at the back of the house with nice bench facing toward it. I sit down and take a deep breath. I have to admit, it is nice here. I hear Leo and Ivy arguing about something in the front yard and Mom and Dad whispering about something. They always whisper.

Suddenly, everything gets quite and the crunch of tires on gravel interrupts all noise. Someone's here. I don't even bother to get up. It could be another professional person for all I know. I lean back into a comfortable position and pull a book out of my purse. Agatha Christie will forever be my favorite author. 

My eyes skim the pages of the murder mystery, since I've read it so many times before. I get so caught up in the dialogue of the book that I didn't even notice the 6 foot tall person standing over me.