"You have everything, right? Enough socks and everything, right? Do you have your retainer?" Mom rambles without giving me room to answer. We're on our way to the Nashville airport- Mom, dad, and Ed, that is. Ed had insisted on sending me off and I didn't turn him away when he hung to it even after I told him it wasn't nessesary. It will be good to have him with me, one last good memory to complete in this little town. Something to hold on to, at least.
"Yes, mom. I packed almost everything," I laugh, pulling myself out of the car behind her, Ed climbing out as soon as I do.
"I just don't want you to get all the way to LA and forget something,"
I take one of my bags from dad and roll it behind me as we walk. I honestly can't say I'm more excited than I am nervous. Anxious; yes. Curious? Even more so. But emotions have always been a lost cause to me. I mean, I've known of them, felt them, but I always misjudge the ones I'm truly focused on. Take for example, love or an interest in a guy. I get those confused and, as a result of that, I haven't dated in awhile. My first boyfriend was when I was 16 and I immediately said that I loved him when he had said it, even after just 2 months. Because I didn't know what else to do, I know I liked him but that seemed a little far fetched to me. I didn't know what it meant-what it means. Now, I have a better idea, but still, I know I haven't felt that feeling yet, whatever it is. Emotions still elude me.
But there's a few things I absolutely have no idea about when it comes to emotions and that is Tanner. Currently, and in the past year, I have convinced myself that I hate him and all my living being will be devoted to being cold toward him and everything that he stands for. And then there's the side of me that is a normal teenage girl who cannot felt but feel attraction toward him and I hate myself for it, but it's still there. The flashes of what I remember of when he was himself and we joked and took jabs at eachother, just to turn around and have a serious conversation that kept both of us quiet for awhile.
At the front of the escalators, I stop and turn back to my small little group, finding it even smaller without Austin here. He couldn't come, not that I expected him to anyway, he had school but said good luck and to call him if I needed anything. Nothing new. Austin was always there for me, always a good brother, always good for advice when I needed him and also a good listener when I didn't need him to talk.
"Be safe, honey," Mom murmurs as I push myself into her arms, feeling her arms tighten around my back securely. I try to remember it but behind the tears, it's hard to even see it, let alone memorize it. This is my first time being away from my family, after all. It's gonna be hard fought.
"I will. I love you so much," I mumble, pushing back to arms length. I hug my dad and then Ed, who grips me a little tighter before promising to be available whenever I need to talk, to just call him and that his offer still stands. I don't doubt it. One thing about Ed is that he is outrageously loyal. He'd fly across the country just because you told him to.
"'Course. I'll miss ya, bud. Don't have too much fun here without me," I wink and with that I give everyone one last hug before backpedaling away.
"Love you all, I'll call you when I land!" I shout to mom as the escalator takes me farther and farther up until I can barely see their waves and it's replaced with a beige wall instead.
I go through customs relatively quickly and after a rather awkward pat-down by an extremely sketchy guy that looks like he should be on a crime show rather than airport security, I'm allowed into the waiting area that hosts a relatively small group for the plane. It consists of a few families, mostly businessmen and just a handful of couples from what I can tell. I choose a seat by the large glass window, not next to anyone but I'm across from a few people. A guy with black hair tucked messily under a Braves hat around my age across from me grins politely at me as I sit and I return it and nod once in greeting. He doesn't say anything so I just pull out my phone and scroll through my new messages from my friends that had bothered enough to send me their luck.
A few minutes pass before our boarding is announced and we all rise simultaneously, except for me, I'm struggling to carry everything at once. Sure, three months is a long time but I think I overdid it alittle with the packing. With a sigh, I jumble one strap over my shoulder, accompanied by a second one and my pocketbook on the opposite shoulder. Then comes my pillow under one arm and the roller bag behind me.
I start to move forward but the duffle bag knocks against the back of my knees every step, making it a pretty sufficient struggle.
"Please," A voice comes from behind me. I glance to see the boy that sat across from me, one duffle bag positioned in one hand. "Let me."
He takes two bags before I can respond or tell him that if he's hitting on me whatsoever, he should stop because- well, because I'm not worth it. Too much mixed feelings, see, I'm even indifferent to this random guy that's only being nice.
"You really don't have to," I say, trying to catch up. This was a smaller plane so we put our bags on as we boarded so as I hand my tickets to the attendant, both I and the guy am allowed to rid ourselves of the bags to the conveyer belt before we went inside.
"Nah, it's fine. Where's your seats?" He asks, readjusting his hat on his head again as we transfer into the actual plane.
I glance down at my ticket. "Row A, Seat..25."
"Coincidence. I'm seat 26." He grins down at me, walking past me, only carrying his phone and headphones now while I carry a bag, a pillow and my own phone. Again, overpacked.
"I'm Tyler, for what it's worth. Nice to meet you," He says as I follow behind him in the aisle. He has to duck slightly to avoid hitting the ceiling but uses his arms to guide his head from not hitting. "You can have the window seat if you want. It's a long flight."
"Alright, sure, thank you. I'm Taylor, nice to meet you too." I smile, sliding in in front of him and trying not to blush so much.
••A/N
Very quick, sorry.
