Best Day of My Life - American Authors

Chapter Seventeen: Sightseeing

Nora and I got a ride with my brother and her parents to the airport on the 28th of December. When she had told her mom and dad that I had gotten her a trip to the Harry Potter resort in Orlando, their faces damn near literally dropped to the ground in shock. I almost expected them to object to the idea but all they did was calmly ask me if this was what I wanted to do and I said yes it was. It was my gift to Nora and I wanted her to have it. They said nothing else after that.

"You guys have everything you need? Chargers? Identifications? Medical cards?" Josh started looking through the zippers of my suitcase where I'd never keep anything of importance like that in there.

"I do. Now stop rooting through my pouches like a weirdo." I slapped his hands out of the way. He stopped long enough to sigh and make a face before I squished his cheeks with my hands. "Joshua. Stop. I'm fine. I have everything, okay? I'm packed and ready to go."

He sighed again and nodded. "I'm just making sure you're ready. God is this what it's going to feel like when you're away to college? Or when Jesse is away at school?"

I laughed and hugged him. "Shut up. I'm coming back, remember? It's not permanent."

"I know," Josh kissed the top of my head. "I just want you to be safe out there. Tell nana I said hello."

"Will do. Call me if anything changes with dad."

"Will do." He kissed my forehead again. "Be safe but more importantly have fun. And take care of Nora."

I glance over at her. She was hugging her parents goodbye with a broad smile on her face. "Duh. I'm not just going to dump her ass as soon as we land. We're on this trip together."

Josh nodded. "Right. Well have fun and take lots of pictures. Anya expects your Instagram to blow up with photos of everything so make her happy and post lots of stuff for her, okay?"

I nodded and got one more hug from him. Even Mary and Peter gave me a hug, both telling me to have fun and be safe too. All three of them waved as Nora and I boarded our plane to go on the adventure of our lives.

Our seats on the plane were perfect; in the middle aisle on the right hand side. Our third guest in our row was a golden retriever so that was an added bonus for us. His name was Gus and he and his owner were flying back home to Florida. Gus was a very good boy and panted happily when we pet him.

"Is he used to plane rides?" I asked his owner.

The woman, Agnes, scoffed. "He loves to travel. I've had him flying in planes since he was a small puppy. He's used to being in more planes than cars. He's comfortable in the sky. It's where he belongs."

Our trip went as smooth as a flight was going to get. There was some turbulence, which kind of spooked Nora and she clutched the arms of the seat so hard I thought they were going to break. She eventually calmed down when Gus leaned over and put his chin on her lap. Such a good boy.

When we landed, we grabbed our carry-ons from the compartment above us and went inside to get our suitcases. I could see in the distance my Nana holding a big glittery sign with mine and Nora's names on it. She waved enthusiastically when we approached.

"Laney! Hello! It's me! Your Nana!" She called out. Her accent was still thick despite the fact she's lived in the U.S. for nearly 30 years and she was known for slipping into Chinese every now and then.

"Hi Nana," I hugged her tight in greeting. "You know you don't have to remind me of who you are, right? My mind is still intact."

"Oh you," she chortled. "You're so beautiful! It's been a long while since I last saw you. Your hair is blue!" She kissed both my cheeks before turning to Nora. "You must be Nora. My goodness I love your eyes. They're so blue!"

Nora flushed. "Thank you, Mrs. Lee. It's a honor to meet you."

Nana scoffed. "Please. Call me Nana. You're one of the Lian family now."

Nora shot me a confused look. "Lian?"

"Lian is my dad's Chinese last name. He officially changed it to Lee when he moved to America. My grandparents still go by their Chinese names because they're strong believers in keeping tradition."

Nana snorted. She was walking a few feet ahead of us and heard what Nora and I had said. "If nobody kept tradition then the old ways would've died out a long time ago. That's why some cultures have gone extinct. They didn't keep tradition."

I rolled my eyes. We were both in for a long trip if she was going to keep this up the entire time. If Nora thought that Nana was bad, wait until she met my grandfather.

The drive to Nana's house wasn't as long as I remembered but it gave us a chance to point out some interesting sights for Nora. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw a gator just chilling on the sidewalk, taking in the sun's rays.

"Is that even allowed?!" She gasped. "I'm sure there's a health and safety law being broken there."

"It happens all the time. Gators come up from the swamp to sunbathe. Don't be surprised if you wake up one morning and there's one in the pool," Nana chuckled. I forgot how funny she thought it was to have gators in the pool.  

When we pulled up to the house, my grandfather stepped out into the porch, a cigarette in his mouth. He saw me step out of the car and raised a hand in greeting. He was so much like my dad that it was almost scary. They shared the same stern face and gruff voice, the eyebrows slanted downwards into an angry appearance. Where my dad had a beer belly with a head of dark hair, my grandfather was slim and had a full head of greying hair. He also wore glasses that were too big for his face.

I stood in front of him and bowed formally. "Grandfather. Long time no see."

He looked me over for a moment before a soft smile took over his wrinkly face. "Laney. You're all grown up now."

"I'm 5'5. This is as grown up as I'm gonna get," I smirked as he ruffled my hair. "Grandfather, this is my friend Nora Lovegood from school. She'll be staying with us too."

Grandfather nodded, a puff of smoke spouting from his mouth like a dragon. "Yes, yes. Your nana told me you had a friend coming along with you. Is she the Harry Potter fanatic?"

Nora glanced at me as if to say "What the hell did you tell them about me?"

"That she is, grandfather. She's very well read when it comes to books. Her grades are practically perfect." I grabbed my suitcase and helped Nora with hers when we went around to the trunk of the car. "We're working on an English project together so this trip is actually good for the both of us."

Grandfather nodded in approval. "Education should always come first. Then recreation second."

Nana gave him a small slap on the arm. "The girls will do whatever they want on their trip, Lian Jin. It's their holiday." She then turned to face us with a broad smile. "Come inside. I'll cook you a nice big dinner. You must be hungry after that long flight. Especially you, Laney. You're too skinny."

Oh geez. Here we go. "Yes Nana. Look at me. I'm withering away. Josh is actually starving me back home and tosses me table scraps every now and then."

"Don't speak to your nana like that," Grandfather grumbled. "Sarcasm is the lowest form of humor. She only meant that you could use some meat on your bones. Speaking of your brother, how is he doing?"

While Nana cooked in her small kitchen, I updated them on how dad was doing in the hospital and told them all about how Jesse knows all his ABC's and Anya was pregnant again. They were pleased with everything they heard, especially Nana when she heard that Anya was pregnant again. She dropped her spatula in shock and started to yell in Chinese.

"Was anyone planning on telling me anytime soon?! I'm going to be a great grandma again!" She began to sing in her native language wile Nora watched on the living room floor with a big smile on her face.

"I'll have to give your brother a call later to give him a piece of my mind. Not telling us that he's having another kid. Unbelievable," Grandfather kicked his feet up in his recliner, looking so much like my dad that I had to look away.

"I'm sure he was going to tell you eventually. A pregnant woman is pretty hard to miss." I opened up a box of Smarties that Nana had bought as a welcome gift before I arrived. "They've just been so busy lately that I don't think they had time to actually sit down and really tell anyone about it. With dad in the hospital and all...."

Grandfather grew quiet. "I understand, Laney. There's a lot going on in your lives right now that you don't always have time for the things you want to do." He leaned forward in his chair while placing a hand on my head, smiling. "I'm glad you came, child. You needed to get away from the negativity back home anyway."

Dinner was delicious; it had been a nice while since I had a genuine home cooked Chinese meal and not the gross stuff you get in restaurants. As we ate my grandparents would entertain us by telling old stories about their childhood back home in China. By the look on Nora's face, she was completely enthralled by their words.

"I first met Miko when I was drafted for the army. She was hanging up clothes on the clothesline as my military bus was driving by her home. I remember a gust of wind picked up and lift her dress high in the air and all the boys saw her underwear-"

"Jin!" Nana turned so red in the face I thought a blood vessel was going to burst somewhere on her. "You didn't need to tell them that!"

Grandfather laughed. "Of course I did! That was the moment I fell deeply in love with you and wanted to marry you."

I smiled as he kissed her hand and stared deeply into her eyes. "How did you propose to Nana?"

He smiled at this. "After my draft was over, I went right up to Miko's door and asked her father for her hand in marriage. He only said yes because he saw my Medal of Honor and knew I was an honourable man but at that point I didn't care. I was about to marry the prettiest girl in all of Hong Kong. That war was the most important war I ever won."

Nora cocked her head. "What war? World War Two?"

Grandfather shook his head. "No. The war of hearts. The battle between your mind and your heart. The heart wants one thing when the mind wants another. It's one of man's greatest struggles and it's often a lifelong battle. My heart eventually won and here we are today. Still happily married."

Nana giggled as he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Oh Jin. The girls don't need to witness this-"

"By all means, it's your home," Nora interrupted. She was happily watching and listening as she ate her squid (which surprised me. I didn't think she'd like it).

"Do you girls have any plans for the next few days?" Nana asked as she collected our plates after finishing eating.

"We were going to go sightseeing tomorrow. Maybe go to the beach and hang out. Our visit to the resort isn't until the 31st so we got lots of time to do lots of stuff," I managed to scoop up the rest of my squid before Nana took my plate from me.

"Sounds nice. Is it your first time in Florida, Nora?"

Nora nodded. "Yes, ma'am. It's beautiful here when it's not hurricane season."

Grandfather laughed at this. "Yeah, we're always on edge. Never know when the wind will pick up and destroy everything you love. Miko! Bring out the desserts you baked this morning. I'm sure the girls would love to have some."

My nana made amazing desserts. When she first visited us in California when I was 2, she wanted to open a bakery. I never did learn the reason behind why she didn't. It was yet another family secret that everyone seems to be keeping from me.

"Wow! These truffles are incredible!" Nora took a sip of milk to wash down the chocolate. "It melts in your mouth!"

Nana smiled so broad that her eyes disappeared. "I'm glad you like them. Joshua's favorites are the truffles as well. Laney likes the cookies."

Everyone suddenly turned to look at me as I shoved two cookies in my mouth. I froze in place. "What?"

They laughed and Nana spoke again. "You must have a fast metabolism. You're so skinny."

I shrugged. "I can eat my weight in food and I never gain anything. I'm always hungry."

Nora looked down at herself and attempted to hide her stomach by adjusting her cardigan. "Wish I could say the same...."

Nana chuckled. "Nora. No need to be ashamed. A little meat on a woman has never hurt anyone."

I heard Nora mumble something under her breath so I quickly cut in to change the topic. "Nora and I are going to get our beds ready for tonight. Then we're heading to the beach for a bit."

"Oh yes, yes. The guest room is all yours. I washed the sheets out yesterday. The cot is also there. That's all washed too. You'll both have to decide who gets the bed and who gets the cot...."

Nora and I glanced at each other before racing into the guest room. She reached the bed first and jumped on it with a laugh.

"Looks like I get the bed!" She snickered. "Sleep on many cots in your lifetime?"

I flipped her the bird. "I slept in my closet a number of times growing up. I'm used to uncomfortable situations."

This shut her up as we unpacked and got ready for a day on the beach. To be honest I didn't expect her to have any summer clothing but she surprised me when she pulled out a long floral dress from her suitcase. It looked really pretty.

"Is that yours?" I asked.

She shot me a look. "Yes. Why? You don't like it?"

"I like it just fine. I was just shocked to see that you actually had clothes outside your....comfort zone."

Nora seemed to find this funny as she slipped behind the dressing curtain in the bedroom. "I knew we were going to Florida, Laney. I packed appropriately. What did you bring? Hoodies? Chains? Funeral wear?"

"Ha ha," I retorted. While she dressed behind the curtain, I just slipped into a pair of ripped jean shorts and my favorite bikini top. After pulling my hair up into a bun, I gave the curtain and slap. "You ready? I'm getting old here."

"Okay, okay. I'm ready. How do I look?"

Nora stepped out from behind the curtain and I swear for a moment the breath was nearly knocked out of me as I looked her up and down. The summer dress looked amazing on her, showing off her curvy figure and pale skin. It flowed down past her knees where she wore a pair of white sandals to accompany her feet. She even did a little twirl for theatrics.

"So? You haven't said anything so that must mean I look awful," she sighed.

"No that's-no! You look amazing. Green is a really nice color on you. Brings out your eyes." I cleared my throat as she blushed. "Right. Let's go. I want to catch some rays before the sun goes down."

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The beach was packed. Hardly surprising, seeing how it's the most popular surf spot in Orlando but thankfully it was a 45 minute drive from where my grandparents lived, giving us both time to chat and take in the sights on the way there. By the time Nora and I got there and set up our chairs, we were exhausted. We didn't even have the energy to set up our umbrella or take our lunch out.

"I'd ask you if you want to make a sand castle but I'm too pooped and probably wouldn't help you make it," I sighed into my towel. When Nora didn't answer, I looked over the top of my towel to see what she was doing.

The sand in front of me was already being set up for a castle. Nora was on her hands and knees, gathering sand in a plastic bucket to make the base while trying to keep her sundress clean. Within a few minutes she already had three towers made without my help.

I leaned forward in my chair. "Need a hand or anything?"

"Nope," she said. "I'm good. But if you want to hand me a bottle of water then that would be lovely."

I did as she asked while taking out my phone to record her. "Nora and I are in Florida making sand castles. Or Nora is anyway. I'm just soaking in the sun's rays. So what's the dream here? What do you want to make?"

She saw that I was recording her and giggled. "Well....my goal is to try and make a small version of Hogwarts. Or part of it anyway. It looks wonky so far."

A bunch of kids ran by at that moment and completely destroyed her work with their feet. For a moment Nora looked devastated. I thought she was going to cry but instead she shrugged and got to her feet, sitting down in the chair next to me.

"It's only sand. Luckily they can't run over our model back home," she told me. "Are you still recording?"

I was but I shook my head in response. "Nah. Those kids ruined the fun."

She nodded. The sun made her pale skin almost luminescent which was probably why I couldn't look directly at her skin without my sunglasses on. It nearly blinded me. Was I that bad? I mean....I was just a smidge darker than she was but I was still pretty pale in comparison to my brother and family.

I was still recording when she spoke again. "I can't wait to go to King's Cross and Platform 9 3/4. I'm definitely getting something off the trolley on the train."

"Same," I faked knowing what she was talking about. It was only after did I realize that Harry and Ron had gotten candies on the train when they first went to Hogwarts. "Can you get Sorted at the resort? Like into a House?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "You certainly can! But I might get some Ravenclaw robes anyway. I've been Sorted loads of times online. You should definitely get Sorted."

I shrugged. "Nah. I don't think-"

"Aw come on! What's the point of even coming on this trip if you're not going to get the full experience?"

She had a point there. I came all this way to get the full Harry Potter experience. So the full experience I was going to get. "Fine. I'll get Sorted. But I refuse to be in Hufflepuff."

Nora gasped, almost as if she was offended. "Hufflepuffs are amazing! What have they ever done to you?"

And so we continued our afternoon at the beach arguing over Harry Potter stuff. Not what I was expecting but admittedly, I had fun.

And if given the chance, I'd do it all again.
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I'm really into listening to BTS lately. My favorite song hands down is Am I Wrong. It's such a bop! And I love all the boys but there's a special place in my heart for Taehyung aka V. He's so funny and intelligent and amazingly talented. They all are and I highly recommend their music.

Hogwarts houses! I'm definitely a Ravenclaw. I love books and learning and puzzles and riddles so that house suits me perfectly. Which house do you belong in?

Leave a comment telling me what house you think best suits you. Don't forget to vote and share too!