The Program

*Mariella's POV*

I flitted around the room packing all my things while Lexie sat on my bed watching me.

"I just can't believe your parents are actually letting you do this!" she was saying. She's been my friend since freshman year of high school. We were going into our junior year now.

"You know that when I asked you if you wanted to come over to help me pack," I said, "I thought you would actually be helping to pack.

"Oh right, sorry. I get distracted easily. Not that you didn't know that already," she said as she went over to my desk and started going through everything on it. "What about this?" she said holding up my copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. I got it at Barnes and Noble two years ago for $20.

"Well duh. I wouldn't be able to survive without that," I said. Did I mention I'm a total literature geek? "Oh, while you're over there can you toss me my Rubik's cubes?"

"Both?" she asked. I gave her a look that said what-do-you-think and she tossed them both at me. I carefully placed them inside one of my two duffel bags. Ok so maybe I'm just a geek in general.

I took my CD case and went to my bookshelf. I started taking out my albums one by one, opening them, and carefully sliding the disk into the case.

"Are you seriously taking all twenty of your CD's? Isn't that what your iPod's for?" Lexie asked.

"All 54. And you never know. Someone might steal my iPod or something. In which case I need my back-up music," I said. I've already told her a million times about how there are a bajillion pickpockets all around Europe. Especially England where there's a lot of tourists.

"I still cannot believe you are going to school in England," Lexie resumed. She picked up one of the shirts I had put in a box that was full of my designated clothes I was leaving here. "Why on earth are you leaving this here!?" she asked holding up my "I love British boys" shirt.

"Because," I said, "do you realize how embarassing it would be to walk around England with that on?" She understood and put it back in the box. Lexie had a much better fashion sense than me but I liked my style (which consists mainly of capris, sneakers, and graphic tees).

"I think that's it for my luggage," I said tossing my pink volleyball and black kneepads into the blue duffel bag, zipping it up, and setting it down on the floor next to the identical red one. The red one was a little lop-sided so I wasn't able to fit as much stuff in it as I would like and it was also a pain to pack because I would pack it and then it would lean one way, then I would re-pack it and it would lean the other way. "Now for my carry-on."

"Well iPod is a must," Lexie said handing me my iPod from my desk.

"Obviously," I said putting it in the front pocket of my bag with it's charger. I also put in my Kindle (fully stocked with a brand-new book to read), my wallet (which included a brand-new credit card my parents had gotten me), my passport, and my fully charged laptop with the charger. "Ok I think that's all the essentials. Now for the stuff that I couldn't fit in my luggage," I said packing my box of jewelry (mainly bracelets and a few necklaces), and my sketchpad and pencils.

"I think that's everything," Lexie said as she took my carry-on and put it with my other luggage. It was time for her to leave so I gave her a big hug. "Don't forget to skype me whenever you can. Oh, and if you meet any cute guys you have to tell me," she said laughing.

"Don't worry I will," I said as I walked her out the door.