A Visit to Aunt Lola's: Part Three

      Helen hesitated as she got out of bed. She looked over to the beds next to her, which were both empty. She assumed her little sister, Fiona, and her owner, Mia, were both downstairs.

      Not particularly interested in going downstairs, Helen slowly moved towards the door. This visit to Aunt Lola's was definitely not going to be fun. She couldn't leave the house. She couldn't play Snow Wars. She couldn't visit the cute, cuddly petpets at the shop down the street.

      She thought all this over as she trudged down the stairs. As she reached the bottom, she slowly peered into the kitchen. No one was there.

      "Of course," Helen thought aloud. "They aren't eating breakfast at this time. I'm sure they are all doing something stupid, like looking at all of Cousin Phil's 'nifty' Christmas gifts."

      Through a yawn, she walked into the living room. As she suspected, Aunt Lola, Cousin Phil, Mia, and Fiona, were all there. Hearing footsteps, they turned towards Helen's direction.

      "You'll never guess what happened. We're snowed in," Fiona informed her before Aunt Lola could stop her. "Won't this be great fun?"

      Helen angrily glared at her sister. "I already know. Aunt Lola told me this morning," she spat, furiously. "And it won't be great fun, not at all, so don't even try to make it seem like it is."

      "Oh, Helen," Mia said, putting her arm around her pet. "This is what I mean about getting in the spirit. This is what family is all about, isn't it. Being there for each other when the time comes." The Cybunny turned away in disgust.

      Coldly, under her breath, she muttered, "Aunt Lola and Cousin Phil aren't family. They are just weird." Aunt Lola's smile disappeared, though she tried to look optimistic.

      "Sweet, don't be so down. You've got to smile, and you never know, maybe we'll be out of here soon," Aunt Lola chirped, happily. Still, Helen wouldn't show the slightest sign of happiness. She just grumbled and turned away again.

      "Maybe," Mia suggested. "You could get something to eat. I'm sure you're just hungry."

      "I'm not hungry." Rudely, Helen turned and left the room, heading back to her room.

     --

      "Stupid Aunt Lola. Stupid Cousin Phil. Stupid snow," Helen said to herself. She had been up in her room for several hours. At first, she had thought she could at least look out into Happy Valley and see all the fun she was missing, but then it occurred to her that snow was blocking all the windows.

      Although she really didn't want to be anywhere near her so called 'family', there really wasn't much else to do. She had brought a book, but she had finished that an hour ago. Other than that, there really wasn't anything. Helen had been looking up at the ceiling for quite some time, and was getting very bored of it.

      "There has to be something to do here," Helen told herself.

      "Wait, there is. I just don't want to do it," another part of her said.

      "But that's because its no fun."

      "How do you know if you don't give it a try."

      Angry with herself for fighting with herself, she headed down the stairs once more. She was sweaty and tired, and she didn't know how Aunt Lola or Cousin Phil could make her feel better, but she trusted the other part of herself.

      Again, she slowly walked into the Living Room. Just as they had been hours before, her 'family' was. Aunt Lola, the fat Kiko, was curled up in an old arm chair. Sharing the couch were Mia and her Kyrii sister, Fiona. Lastly, curled up on a rug, was Cousin Phil, the Lupe, just as cheery as ever.

      When Fiona spotted her, she bounced up and down excitedly. "Helen!" she called, getting the attention of everyone else. As four pairs of eyes stared at her, the Cybunny gulped.

      "I was wondering," she said softly, trying not to blush. "If I could do whatever you are all doing. It's really, really boring upstairs, all alone." Aunt Lola beamed and beckoned Helen over.

      "I knew you'd come 'round. Mia thought you'd be stubborn, but I knew that sweet Helen was under all that anger somewhere. You're welcome to do whatever you like. I was just sitting in my chair, nearly dozing off, in fact. Mia was showing Fiona, the darling, how to use Phil's kaleidoscope from last Christmas. And Phil's relaxing down there, but earlier he and Fiona were chatting, chatting away."

      Helen smiled at her aunt, if Aunt Lola could be called an aunt. She trudged forward, cautiously, and embraced the Kiko (which proved to be difficult since Aunt Lola had so much belly). As she moved back from Aunt Lola, Fiona and Mia swallowed her in another, great big hug.

      Lastly, Cousin Phil even stirred from his comfy spot on the rug. He squished her in an odd, yet lovable, hug. As awkward as this maneuver was, Helen beamed.

      "So what is there to do?" she asked, after Cousin Phil had returned to his rug.

      "You can look into Cousin Phil's kaleidoscope," Fiona said, handing her sister the tube. She put it up to her eye and turned it, as the shapes changed. She moved it around the room, and watched the peculiar, yet beautiful, pictures it formed.

      "Thanks," Helen commented as she gave Fiona back the kaleidoscope. "Thanks a lot, Fiona. And Cousin Phil, and Mia, and Aunt Lola. Thanks." Everyone smiled at Helen, and she beamed. She wasn't playing Snow Wars. She wasn't visiting petpets. She wasn't avoiding her relatives as if they had the Neoflu. Yet, she was having the fun Fiona said they would.

     --

      As the days passed, the snow began to melt. Slowly, but it did melt. By the day before Mia, Fiona, and Helen were returning home, it had cleared enough to go outside. Happily, the five had bundled up and headed out to Happy Valley.

      Taking Helen's suggestion, they played Snow Wars for a little while. Helen decided that she wasn't very good, though she admitted that Cousin Phil had quite a knack for the game. As it got darker, they all played a game of Rink Runner.

      This proved to be very interesting, as Fiona had never skated in her life. She had fun chasing around notes, though she did fall on her bottom several times. To her delight, the Cybunny found that she was a fantastic skater, and achieved the highest score of the group.

      Happily, they decided to buy slushies, Mia's treat. Helen, Cousin Phil, and Fiona sat at a table in the front of the store as they watched the sunset, while Mia and Aunt Lola chatted with the shopkeeper.

      "It's beautiful," observed Helen, as she sipped the remains of her lime slushie. "The way all the colors seem to blend." Fiona and Cousin Phil nodded.

      "I see you're getting a little more talkative, which is good," Phil eagerly pointed out. "I always wondered why you didn't want to talk to me, I mean, we are the same age and everything. I thought we'd make great friends."

      "She thought you were annoying," said Fiona, before Helen could stop her. Phil eyed Helen.

      Sheepishly, Helen sunk into her chair. "She's right," she muttered softly, as she stuck her straw in her mouth. "But not anymore. It's not bad to be talkative, I'm even starting to talk a lot myself."

      "I guess you're right," he replied, looking back at the sunset, which was a deep, cold purple color, signifying it was getting late. "We should get Lola and Mia; it's about time to go back. You three need to pack, too." Agreeing, Helen and Fiona followed their Cousin back to Aunt Lola and Mia.

     --

      "Bye," mumbled Helen. It was early in the morning and time for Mia, Fiona, and Helen to make their way back home. Cousin Phil and Aunt Lola, still in pajamas, had come to the front door to say good bye.

      "Oh, dearie, good bye. Do take care, all of you. And be careful on your way, Mia, darling," Aunt Lola tearfully said.

      "Bye Helen," Cousin Phil said, shaking her paw. "I'm glad we're finally friends."

      "So am I."

      "And bye Fiona, and Mia," the Lupe added hastily.

      As she scratched her forehead, Mia shivered. "Well, we better be going. We don't want to get caught up by the snow." Aunt Lola nodded.

      Just as the girl and the Kyrii turned to leave, Helen stopped. "Wait," she called. "Wait!" Turning away from her owner and sister, Helen embraced her aunt and cousin. Quickly, Mia and Fiona joined in. After a moment, Mia, Fiona, and Helen turned away.

      "Goodbye!" Helen called as she ran after Mia.

      "Goodbye!" Aunt Lola and Cousin Phil said in unison as they waved.

      Finally, Helen turned and followed her owner down the icy path that led to their home. As the breeze of cold, icy air blew by, they quickened their pace. "You were right," Helen abruptly told her sibling.

      "What?" Fiona asked, surprised.

      "That was the most exciting thing we've done all summer!"

The End