Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

passed through it. The inside of the house was so comparatively
dark, Lena felt she might faint. All she could
see at first were swirling sunspots.
“Here ve are!” Grandma shouted, clapping again.
Bapi shuttled behind, with two duffel bags and Effie’s
furry neon-green backpack over both shoulders. It was
cute and depressing at the same time.
Grandma threw her arm around Lena and squeezed
her tight. On the surface Lena felt glad, but just under
the surface it made her feel awkward. She was unsure
how to return the gesture.
The house came into focus. It was larger than she
expected, with ceramic tile floors and pretty rugs.
“Follow me, girls,” Grandma ordered. “I’ll show you
your rooms and then ve’ll have a nice glass of drink,
okay?”
Two zombie girls followed her upstairs. The landing
was small but gave way to two bedrooms, a bathroom,
and a short hallway down which Lena saw two other
doors.
Grandma turned into the first door. “This one for
beautiful Lena,” she said proudly. Lena didn’t think so
much of the simple room until Grandma threw open the
heavy wooden shutters.
“Oh,” Lena said, sighing.
Grandma pointed out the window. “Caldera,” she
announced. “Cauldron, you English say.”
“Oh,” Lena said again with genuine awe.
Though Lena was still iffy about her grandmother, she
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