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Being the assistant to the nation of Australia is actually a pretty good gig. I get free food, free housing, a lovely annual bonus for not telling the world about the existence of sentient nations and I get to travel the world.
I’ve been in the job for about two months, but today is the first time I'm going with him to a United Nations Meeting. I’m yet to meet most of the nations, he’s only been in meetings with Germany and Canada recently, and I’ve of course met England.
We board the private jet to America to go to the meeting, and my nerves are crazy. Lachlan, on the other hand, seems as calm as can be. “How are you this calm?” I ask.
He laughs and leans back in the leather recliner he dibsed. “The sooner it’s over, the sooner I'm back in the water.”
His love for the beach always surprises me. Maybe it’s because I grew up on a farm in rural Victoria, but the ocean has never held much appeal to me. I much prefer the plains of the west and the mountains of the east.
The plane takes off and I sit back with a book. I’m rereading the Shatter Me series. Is it because I'm scared and need some reassurance? Maybe. Is it because I'm yearning for an Aaron Warner to love me like that? Maybe.
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By the time we land in LA for the plane to refuel it’s 7 am. It feels so weird because we left at 10 am, so it suddenly being morning again feels weird.
As soon as we land Lachlan is asking me if we can go to the beach, what the weather is going to be like, if we can visit the zoo.
“Calm down,” I say. “We’re only here for forty-five minutes while the plan is refueled and the crew swaps over.”
“Oh, man, I'm devo.” he pouts for all of sixty seconds before perking up again. “Can we get some of that peanut chocolate shit Alfred brought that one time?”
“Peanut chocolate is very broad, to be more specific.” I say.
“It’s like the peanut butter shit in the chocolate shell, like a Chocolate Royal.” he explains.
“Reeses peanut butter cups?” I laugh. “I’m sure one of the stores sells them.”
I ask one of the attendants about stores inside the airport, and I manage to figure out that practically every store in there sells them.
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The first store we enter is a mess of giant billboards, loud colours and the smell of air freshener. I physically gag at the smell, but we trudge through. Every few seconds Lachlan stops to point at something. When we get to the aisle of fizzy drinks he nearly trips over himself in excitement. “Nah, that’s right bonza!”
I almost laughed at him. “Lachlan, no one under fifty says bonza.”
“Plentya people say bonza,” he says, grabbing a few cans off the shelf. “Maybe you just aren’t mates with the right crowd, Alyssa.”
We make our way through the store, and somewhere along the way I begin to feel his childlike wonder. This store is incredible once you get past the practically toxic smells, it has so many things I didn't even know existed.
By the time we reach the counter, our arms are full with snacks and drinks. The clerk just looks perplexed as he scans the items. “That carry on’s going to be a lot, I bet.” he says. “So, where are you headed?”
“New York,” I say. “A business meeting.”
“A business meeting? In this economy? Nah, wouldn’t find me at one of those.” he says. I smile and nod as Lachlan wanders off again.
Once the clerk is done he hands me the bag and I grab Lachlan.
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The pilots aren’t too happy we left the plane, now we’re fifteen minutes behind schedule. They push us back onto the plane and take off without another word.