Chapter 17 (FINISHED EDITING)

I was going back home, back to Maine. And I couldn't wait.

We were only allowed to bring one suitcase for the week so Rose, Talia and I were in our rooms furiously trying to finish packing.

The plan was for the Top Ten Girls left to go back to our homes with one camera man, so that the rest of America would be able to see what our lives were like before the show and how we interact with family and friends.

I was so excited to go back and finally see Lilly, and Josh and Sophia! I hadn't skyped with them in a while because I had been caught up in the whole Xavier thing.

We had a total of seven days back at home.

Monday morning, 8 am. I was waiting for my plane with Rose, as she lived in New Jersey. I was feeling really fidgety, I really couldn't sit still. Rose was grinning as I knew she really missed her family, of nine flipping people! Her mum, dad and then six other siblings!

Jono was fiddling with his camera equipment and Charlie was observing him. Jono was coming with me (fortunately) to be my cameraman for the week while Charlie was going with Rose, what a coincidence.

Our plane was called and we rushed on board, eager to go home. I love planes, this was probably the second time I've ever been on them but I found them so much fun. We took off, leaving warm and sunny California behind.

The moment I stepped off the plane I knew I was home. There were clouds in the sky, some tinged with grey and the temperature had dropped a few degrees.

Finding my way out of the airport, it wasn't long till I was captured into a massive bear hug, small arms wrapped around my waist.

"I missed you so much Annie!" My little sister cried excitedly. Her hair smelt like apple shampoo and I noticed she was wearing one of my old dresses which hung over her small frame. I chuckled, "I missed you to Soph."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jono recording every moment, especially when Josh came over to give me a big hug and Aunt Rose as well. Soon, my guitar and suit case was put into the back of Aunt Rose's pick up truck and we drove back to my humble abode.

Jono taped some footage on the way back to the house but it was pretty chilled although he did get a clip of Sophia fangirling over Xavier.

"Oh my gosh, you met Xavier Matthews! Oh my gosh you're friends with Xavier Matthews!" She gushed which made Jono laugh.

Soon we arrived at home, your typical standard American house. Our house was in a nice suburb and we had great neighbours compared to some people. We had a one story house, with a small veranda out the front with pot plants and ivy growing over the railings. An Autumn Tree was in the center of our yard covering the lawn in colourful leaves along with hedges along the sides giving us privacy.

Except there was people littering all over the front lawn. People I knew from school; both people I knew and didn't know, majority of them were just people I passed in the hallways and some were from out of school as well but all of them were holding up a giant banner which said in bold neat black spray painting 'Welcome home Princess Belle!'

I had a small feeling Sophia had decided what was going to be painted on it.

I laughed as some random, but cute, guy from school came and opened the door for me, like a chauffeur, and bowed, holding my hand as I stepped down.

As soon as I stepped down Lilly engulfed me into a massive hug, "I've missed you so flipping much! Like I was dying at school without you! I miss you!"

She was speaking so fast and crushing my bones.

One by one, people came up to me and hugged me, saying they had missed me. Although in reality they had never talked to me before.

Cameron came up to me as well, Cameron Jacobs, the most attractive guy in the school who I used to have a massive crush on. Lilly winked at me as he made his way over.

"Hey Annie," He greeted in his lovely voice. Surprisingly though, the butterflies in my stomach didn't seem to explode like it normally did when I saw him. That was weird. Maybe it's different 'cause he's actually talking to me for the first time.

"Hi!" I squeaked. Yep. I really cannot talk to boys. I am so socially awkward it's terrible. Maybe they should make a special school for girls like me who have the incapablities of talking to the opposite sex without embarrassing ourselves.

"How have you been?" he asked nervously.

Cameron Jacobs, nervous? Um, what?!

I smiled at him, "I've been good, how has school been? Have I missed much?"

He chuckled and shook his head, "No nothing much has happened since you've been gone."

We chatted for a bit, but to be honest small talk get's boring after a while. He mentioned that he's seen my videos on Youtube and told me that I'd be a great singer one day. I thanked him and Lilly rescued me by dragging me to other people to meet. Jono filmed little bits and pieces to be edited and put onto the show.

By six, everyone had left, except for Lilly who was staying for dinner. Currently she and Sophia were fangirling about Xavier while Josh and I simply sat on the couch watching them.

Afterwhile, Lilly let out a breath, "I'm done."

I raised an eyebrow and smirked. Jono gave me the thumbs up and I burst out laughing.

Jono had filmed the whole thing.

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday. Sophia and Lilly were at school as they weren't allowed a week of school. As if they would be! We have to learn things for a reason people! Josh was around somewhere being a bum. He was probably talking to Jono actually, as they got along well.

Me? I was being lazy, sleeping till eleven, enjoying the time in my own bed.

But soon the smell of pancakes and hash browns invaded my bedroom through the corners of my door.

I rolled off my bed, literally, landing on the floor.

Stumbling out of my room I walk into the dining room to see Josh in the kitchen cooking and Jono sitting at the counter, eating, with a camera in his hand at the ready.

Is this how the Kardashians feel all the time?

Anyways, something was wrong with the picture.

And I highly think it had something to do entirely with Josh.

"Um, what are you doing?" I ask my cousin.

He smirks at me, "Cooking."

I sighed, turning away yawning, "I'll go get the fire extinguisher..."

He laughed at me, "Um, there''s nothing to put out..."

I spun around and looked around the kitchen. That what was wrong! The kitchen wasn't bursting out into flames.

"Um..."

Josh smirked again, "I've developed a talent while you've been gone."

I was going to answer back but my stomach rumbled loudly alerting everyone to the hunger that consumed me.

He pushed a plate full of pancaked towards me, "Eat."

With pleasure.

While everyone was at school I showed Jono around some of my favourite places in Maine. Changing into black leggings, floral doc martens and a baggy black shirt with a music necklace I was ready to be a tour guide for the day. Josh tagged along willing to be the driver.

We went down to Casco Bay and also visited some of the many big lighthouses which lined the coast. All of these places I came down when I wanted to create. I came down here and this is where my music was made. Lyrics and music flew at me from the sea mist and I was able to write everything down and create some pretty decent melodies and harmonies.

I showed Jono some of the amazing beaches of Maine which I visited frequently as well, whether to hang out with friends, to study or to just relax and chill out.

He shot quite a lot of footage but other than that I felt like the three of us were all just hanging out. Jono reminded me a lot of my dad, before the accident, especially when I was younger. His sense of humour, attitude and the mischievous glint in his eyes. It all reminded me of my dad.

When school was let out Lilly met up with all of us and I noticed how her hair, makeup and clothes were perfect. I rolled my eyes at her smirking and she just shrugged. We pretended to be tour guides and took him around town. I showed him some of my favourite antique book shops which had some great books and then the three of us showed Jono the Ice Cream Parlour which was filled with every flavour imaginable.

We had a lot of fun over the whole week. Jono did mini interviews with Aunt Rose, Josh and even Sophia got a bit of the spotlight (although, there were already going to be a lot of clips of her fangirling).

Jono came everywhere with me and recorded little bits which would be edited into the package later. Lilly and I were invited by Cameron, yes Cameron Jacobs, my old school love, to the Portland Pirates hockey game coming up.

So on Thursday night a bunch of people from school went to the game and we all got along really well. I finally was able to make some friends with people, so maybe once I got back to school I wouldn't be stuck to Lilly like glue and maybe on the days she wasn't at school I wouldn't be a massive loner.

I finally talked to Cameron for the second (third) time and he was being extra nice to me but I had feeling that if I had never gone on the show we still would have never talked to each other.

On Friday night I showed Jono Southworth Planetarium which I went to occasionally to watch the stars and the moon. It was one of my favourite places in Maine, and I was good friends with the owner. A grey haired, 60 year old man who still thought he was in the late 1960's. His name was Lennon, after John Lennon, and walked around in fisherman trousers and home made tie-dyed t-shirts.He was really lovely and I had great discussions with him about great music throughout the decades.

All of these places, the beaches, lighthouses, the planetarium, they all meant something to me. I found my muse in places with history, with meaning, with a story and here in all these places, I wrote most of my songs.

Saturday night, after a day hanging out with Lilly, Josh and Sophia at the beach with Jono I finally decided it was time for Jono and the rest of my America to meet my parents. I told Josh who quietly drove us to the cemetery at dusk. Jono understood what was happening and quietly filmed us as we walked in through the black metal gates. Following a path, we soon came to a double headstone under an autumn tree.

I turned to the camera, "I would like you to meet my parents, Grace and Adam Kennedy."

Jono captured the marble headstones in memorial of my parents. At home both of their ashes were kept together in a porcelain urn and Aunt Rose had made a glass heart necklace for both Sophia and I which had some of their ashes in, my dads on one half and my mums on the other half.

Once the sun went down and the lighting became terrible we made our way back to the car, wuiet, thinking over the past few days.

I wondered if Xavier ever saw his mum.

Sunday morning, the last day, and there was something I wanted to do which I never had the guts to do before.

I told Lilly my plan and she ran around my house screaming out of excitement. I got my guitar and ipad, which had all these guitar chords to songs on it, and Josh dropped us down in town with Jono tagging along.

In a certain part of town where there was a bench with flower beds lining the sides and the back of it I sat down and opened my case wide.

I propped my ipad up and started to play. Nervously strumming the guitar and hitting the notes weakly at first vocally before confidence kicked in and I sung.

Passer bys stopped and dropped some coins, some even stayed until I finished a whole song before leaving notes of money. I was always too scared to put myself out there and perform live in front of people but after what I did on the show I knew I could do it now, just busking along.

Sometimes there were people around me watching and Lilly and Josh standing to the side cheering me on.

At the end of the day, back at home, we counted the money out and I had managed to get $437.83 in five hours! I could not believe it! I never thought I would actually get that response. I know, that if I had gone before the show, I would have been too nervous, to scared to do it. I wouldn't have been alright to just be myself and would have been more shy and held back.

So going on the show did in fact come in handy, it did build my confidence, not that I was some egotistical maniac but was not happy with myself.

And that night, as I went to bed, I vowed to myself that I would never ever let fear stop me from doing what I loved the most and dreamed of doing.

Monday morning and my whole family and Lilly were in the airport saying goodbye to me. There were many tears and hugs and as I turned to leave a wave of homesickness washed over me making me want to stay longer in Maine, but along the hallways onto the plane I met up with Rose who brightened up my day immediately.

We boarded, showing the flight hostess our tickets before finding our seats in business class. There was a DVD player in front of our chairs so together we watched the most funniest movies we could find on our long flight back to California.

A/N: Just a little heads up, I'm not actually American, never been there, want to go there, but not actually Amrican so I may get some things wrong. I'm actually Australian haha :)

Thank you so much to everyone who has commented and voted I never expected for this to get so many reads you guys are amazing and I love each and every one of you!

THANK YOU!

Much love!

Alexis xx

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