“MIA, COME ON, YOUR FLIGHT’S IN AN HOUR!”
“I’M COMING!” I yelled, practically tripping down the stairs with my suitcase.
“Come on,” Dad said, taking my bag. We all piled into the car.
“Call me every day,” Mum said, her voice thick with emotion.
“I will. I have my laptop, I’ll Skype you when I can,” I promised.
“Promise me,” she said, her eyes starting to water.
“I will, okay?”
“Call me as soon as you land in Atlanta.”
“I will, Mum. I’ll be back soon,” I said, and she threw her arms around me, sobbing.
“Mum, no, not now. We said no crying. I’m not leaving forever.”
“I know, it’s just… sad.”
“Come on, we’re here.”
“Let’s go. Bye, Mum, bye, Dad.” I hugged them both, they kissed my head, and I headed towards security.
I made it through security just in time, found my gate, and sank into the plane seat.
“Business class, seat 15,” the attendant said with a smile. I tossed my bag into the overhead bin, pulled out my charger and laptop, and settled in.
“This is your captain. Everyone’s boarded, so buckle up and enjoy the nine-hour flight from London to Atlanta,” he announced. I fastened my seatbelt and drifted off to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~
I woke up to the plane shaking, and now I was officially freaking out.
“Just a little turbulence, folks, nothing to be scared of,” the captain said. A flight attendant was handing out meals.
“Veg or non-veg?” she smiled at me.
“Non-veg, please.”
“Here you go.”
“Thank you,” I said, and she moved on to the next passenger.
For the next seven hours, I ate and watched Adam Sandler movies because… why not?
I was midway through a murder mystery when a ding went off. I ripped off my headphones.
“We’ll be landing in ten minutes. Please put your seatbelts on and stow any drinks,” the captain announced.
I fastened my seatbelt again and turned off the movie, getting my stuff packed.
We landed. I grabbed my bag from overhead and headed out. As I left the airport, I spotted my mom’s sister.
“Oh my god, look at you!” she said, pulling me into a hug.
“You’ve changed so much, grown taller.”
“Wow, it’s hot,” I said, and she laughed.
“Hotlanta, baby,” she said, grabbing my suitcase. I hopped into the car.
“The house isn’t far, but did you want food?”
“I’m good. I ate like an hour ago.”
“That’s your college right there,” she said, pointing at a massive building.
“That is massive.”
“Sweetie, it’s college. I love your English accent,” she said, and I laughed.
“I should be expecting to get that a lot, huh?”
“Right here we are,” she said, pulling up to a house.
“Your rooms upstairs, third door on the left,” she smiled. I took my suitcase upstairs and flopped onto the bed.
Knock, knock.
“Yeah?”
“Hi, I’m your cousin Natalie,” a fifteen-year-old said, walking in.
“Hi, I’m Mia.”
“Nice to have a sister around,” she said, looking at my suitcase.
“Why don’t you go shower, and I’ll help you put your clothes in the closet?”
I nodded and headed for the shower.
After I washed my hair and body, I changed into a fresh pair of joggers and a shirt.
I headed out to find Natalie almost finished with my suitcase.
“That was quick.”
“Everything was already folded and in hangers, you did the job for me,” she said, and I smiled.
“I’m going out with my friends. Your mother called as well.”
“Shoot, I forgot to call her.” I opened my laptop, and Mum immediately answered.
“You okay? Did you get there safe?”
“Yes, Mum, fine and in one piece. I just showered.”
“How is it there?”
“I like it. I think I’ll like it here.”
“Call me every day, okay? I need to go help your father with the stupid water meter, I don’t know…” She laughed. I hung up.
“DINNER!”
“That was quick,” I said, walking downstairs.
“I had it in the oven before I left.”
“Ah, right.” I sat down and saw a sexy slice of lasagna on my plate.
I could so marry that right now.
“So I’ll be taking you to college tomorrow. You don’t really need a dorm, but I know the principal, and I just want to make sure you get settled in right,” she said. I nodded. For the next hour, we all talked, and I helped clean up.
“Go to sleep. You must be jet-lagged. College is tomorrow, so early night, sleep.”
I sighed.
I got this.
You managed high school, Mia.
You can do college… I think.
I brushed my teeth and jumped into bed. Seconds later, my aunt walked in.
“Here’s a new SIM card. I forgot to give it to you before. No TikTok or whatever. Go to sleep.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I quickly swapped the SIMs and drifted off to sleep.