Chapter 1
Kathryn Rachel Snider stared at herself in the mirror, adjusted her lipstick a bit, then moved on to styling her hair.
“If you don’t get out of there this second I will hammer this door down!” Her older brother, Brent, was seventeen, two years older than her, and a huge pain, usually when she needed to do her make-up, and he wanted to do his hair. Why couldn’t he get that needs are more important than wants?
“Ugh, I’ll be out in a minute.” As if, she thought as she carefully combed her hair.
“You said that five minutes ago!” Oops, she had already used that trick. On to her next one…
“Pardon?”
“I said, you said that five minutes ago!”
“Sorry! Can’t hear you!”
“MUM!!!” Oh no. A babyish thing to do, but efficient. She finished off her hair then sprayed some perfume on.
“Kath, this needs to stop.”
“Huh?” Kathryn looked up from her ‘Pretty girl’ magazine.
“You need to understand, you can’t use the family bathroom for two hours each morning to do your beauty treatments.” Her mother sighed gently.
“Now what do you want me to do? I have already cancelled one hour of beauty sleep!”
“I know, we are thankful-”
“Do you want me to do it at six now?” She raged.
“No...”
“Yes!” Brent snickered. Kathryn hissed at him and waltzed out the door, Brents laughter echoing behind her.
“I don’t believe him!” She complained to one of her friends, Audrey, later at school. “He’s so- so- infuriating! Also, it’s the holidays tomorrow, I will be stuck with him for two months!”
“Yes,” said Audrey “He is so, like, mean!”
“Thanks for understanding.”
“That’s what best friends are for.”
“Kathryn Snider,” the loudspeaker blared loudly above the two girls. “Please report to the office immediately.”
Kath looked up and sighed. “Catch you later, Audrey.”
“See you.”
“Good-morning, Kathryn,” Said Anne Warner, the principle.
“Good-morning, Mrs Warner.”
“Mrs Snider scent me an email, would you like to read it?”
“Thank you, Mrs Warner.”
Dear Anne (and Kathryn),
I have just received a message from the police, my Aunt Myrtle who has passed away has left us in her will. She has given me all her money and valuables, Kathryn, on the other hand, she has given a house and her pets. I will probably give Brenton some of the cash, which is enough to buy a house, so it is fair. The house is in Brazil, just inside the Amazon rainforest. What Kathryn wants to do is up to her, whether that sells the house, it is rather big, so I imagine she will get more than enough money to get another one in town, or not in town. She will have to leave school after these holidays if she is to keep the house and the animals, which from what I have heard, is quite a lot. I have found out she was very interested in old nicknacks because everything ‘of value’ was from the 1800s. Could you please contact Kathryn and send her home immediately, to pack her bags?
Yours sincerely,
Lydia Snider.
“I have a house?”
“Yes, it appears so.”
“Finally! I can move out!” Then she added quickly, “Thank you, Mrs Warner”
“Yes child, do you know the bus times?”
“Yeah. Bye.”
“Do you plan on, like, selling the house?” Audrey said
“Hell, yes I am not living in the jungle.”
“Are you sure you don’t want a free house? You never have to go to school again!” Patsy-Rose exclaimed.
“Didn’t the email say it was big...” Terri asked
“Well, yes, but I can buy a house here and stay with you guys!”
“Oh. My. Gosh.”
“What is it, Erin?”
“You should make it into a hotel! You would get so much money!”
“What about the snakes” Audrey whimpered
“Oh.”
“Snake repellent?”
“Yeah, anyway got to go, email you later.” A chorus of ‘bye’ sounded behind her.
“Finally! You’re home, pack your bags and we can head to the airport.”
“Okay.” She didn’t bother arguing with her mother, play nice. She ran upstairs then pulled out her draws, stuffing everything she owned into three suitcases, two for clothes and nicknacks, one for make-up.
“Oh, Kath, I only booked you with two suitcases.”
Later at the airport, her mother kissed her goodbye. “Ring me when you get there, and if anything goes wrong…”
“Yes, yes I know.”
“Good girl, love you.”
“Love you too.” Kathryn turned around and stepped onto the plane. She had only been on a plane once when she was ten, but other than that…
As soon as they were up in the air, she pulled out her diary and wrote a reflection on the day.
Dear diary.
It has been a looooong day. I woke up at 6 o’clock, had a shower and breakfast, did make-up, argued with family, went to school, got an email from mum, inherited house, went home, packed bag. Now it is 9 o’clock at night, I am on an aeroplane to BRAZIL to check out the house, which is inside the Amazon rainforest. Yes THE AMAZON RAINFOREST.
The plane landed a few hours later and she got out of the plane into a shabby airport and began the long drive to her new home…
