A World of Differences [1DFF]

Chapter 54

Lauren's POV

"Please make sure your seatbelts are fastened, and your tray tables are in the upright and locked position. Please clear all garbage from the seat back pockets. We will be landing shortly." The red head flight attendant bobbed down the aisle of the airplane carrying a garbage bag.

"Sweetie you need to turn that off now," she smiled at me motioning to my iPod. I took my ear buds out of my ears and wrapped them around my yellow iPod. For the majority of the two hour flight to Berlin, I had my iPod blasting. The same fifteen songs repeated over and over again. Their album was the one thing that could somehow manage to keep me from thinking. Concentrating on their harmonies gave my brain something to do.

"You're pretty young to be flying to another country alone aren't you?" the grey haired lady sitting next to me asked.

I chuckled, "Ma'am, my mum is a stylist for a famous band. I've travel the world."

"I see, I see," she nodded. "Is that what brings you to Germany?"

I shook my head, "I'm just going to visit my cousins."

"In the middle of the school year?" I'm sure the elderly lady was just trying to strike conversation, but I didn't really want to talk.

"I'm homeschooled –you know with all the band stuff."

"Are you in the band?"

"No, no, but my sister and I help style them."

"Gotcha," she nodded. "And how old are you."

"Sixteen. Seventeen in January."

She muttered that's nice, and then turned her attention back to the book she had been reading.

Slowly, the plane began to slow, dropping lower and lower to the ground. The clouds disappeared above us as the city came into view.

"Prepare for landing." The captain mumbled over the loud system. In less than five minutes, we skidded along the runway before coming to a complete stop.

We taxi to the gate went unusually quick, and then they opened the cabin door to let us off. I grabbed my shoulder-sling backpack from below the seat on tossed it onto my back. After the lady and her husband left, I stepped into the aisle and grabbed my suitcase from the overhead bin.

I pulled down the package that carried clothes for a week. No more and no less. Besides, I had to get home for the first show.

After waiting in line to get my passport checked, I emerged into the waiting area. Searching through the crowd, I found my cousins. My aunt and uncle passed away two years ago in a car crash. It hit the whole family really hard, but there three kids had done pretty well at recovering. April was now twenty-nine. She was a teacher and supported the family. Christian is twenty-three. Though he was still in school, he was studying to be a doctor. Gabriele is my age, but she is four months older.

"LAUREN!!!" Gabby's voice called out to me. She ran towards me, her brown curly hair bobbing as she ran, wrapping her arms tightly around my back! "How are you?" she kissed my cheek.

"Hey Lo," Christian, a practical clone of his younger sister only with shorter hair, pulled me away from Gabby and turned me into a hug. He kissed the top of my forehead. "How's my favorite cousin?"