Finders Keepers

My eyes scanned around the place as I was pushing the trolley filled with my bags and luggage and those things. So I was looking for that guy, he was supposed to be here.

My eyes scanned every spot in the room and watched as people saying hi’s and goodbye’s and sharing hugs. While I was standing here, waiting.

God, he wasn’t here.

Knowing I would make myself look like a fool - standing in the middle of a bunch of people - I went toward seats, pushing the trolley along as I did so. And then I sat, pulling my out my red iPod nano-chromatic from my bag as I did so. I plugged the earphones into my ears and it played Mr. Brightside by The Killers in shuffle as the first song.

After a few minutes of watching people, I suddenly felt self-conscious. My eyes darted off toward the outfit I was wearing. I looked okay, though. Why did I need to be self-conscious about my look anyway? Pennington Trucia was never self-conscious about how she looked.

…Well maybe she was now. It was her first time in America.

I was bobbing my head to the beat of Gossip by You Me At Six, when I saw the familiar figure a few metres in front of me, his face looked panicked while he turned his head left and right. A silly grin played on my lips as I walked toward him cautiously so he wouldn’t notice me. And then I wrapped my arms around his neck and then he startled.

“Hey brah!” I screamed.

He turned around. “Penny? PENNY!” And he pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.

“Yeah, I missed you too,” I patted his back. “Why didn’t you come on time?” I pouted after we pulled away.

He scratched the back of his neck. “Ergh, traffic.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “Why don’t you have a better reason? I know you woke up late,” I pointed out, my thick British accent slipped as I was talking.

He grinned. “You still have the accent.”

“And you lost it.”

He shrugged. “Seventeen years living here, what do you expect? But I still have it a little though.”

“Oh yay,” I said unenthusiastically.

And then I noticed a girl standing next to him, watching our conversation going earlier.

“Oh, meet Lisa,” my brother Alex grinned. Lisa smiled sweetly at me – a bit nervous, I bet. Meeting her boyfriend’s little sister for the first time ever? Yep.

“Hm,” I said, staring at her up and down. “Turn around.” She did. I placed my hands on her shoulder; she seemed to be a bit surprised when I did that. “You are my soon-to-be sister-in-law!” I grinned and hugged her.

I had a feeling she was a really nice girl.

I felt her tense body relaxed after knowing I wasn’t that kind of cocky, cold bitch when she returned the hug.

We heard Alex led out a chuckle after we pulled away. I turned around and saw him with a trolley filled with bags.

“Alex, what are you doing with that?” I asked, eyeing the trolley.

“They’re yours, right?” he asked.

I shook my head slowly. A girl poked his back.

“I’m sorry, but those are mine…” the girl said to him.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry,” Alex apologized as he returned the trolley. Lisa and I cracked up after the girl left with her trolley.

“Shut up!” Alex said, his face was as red as a tomato.

“My trolley is there,” I pointed at a trolley near the seats as I was laughing. Alex walked over it and about to push a trolley, when I shouted, “No, Alex, the other one!”

His face were now was bright red as he finally took the correct one as Lisa and I’s laughter grew louder.

“Shut up,” he muttered as he walked passed us with the trolley.

Lisa and I kept giggling as we followed him outside the airport and into the parking lot. We helped him stuffing my bags in the trunk once we approached his sedan. Once we were done, Alex slipped into the driver’s seat, Lisa in the passenger’s, and I was in the backseat. After a few minutes of driving, we finally arrived at his house. And Lisa’s.

They had been sharing the house for a year now, and I was moving in with them. When I told him six months ago that I was looking for a place to live in America, he offered to live with them, and gladly Lisa didn’t mind.

After he parked the car in the driveway, we piled out and took my bags. I was really glad that Lisa was Alex’s girlfriend; she was really helpful. I told her before it was okay for not helping, but she insisted to. Ah, I was glad that I would have a really nice sister in law.

Well I wasn’t sure they were getting married or even engaged, but I really hope they would. Lisa was really sweet. She was like my sister now already.

We entered the house after Lisa opened the door. A tall, skinny guy with black hair attacked her with a tight hug.