The Leap Of Faith

Chapter 16

Today's the day.

I'm leaving my family, my friends and my home behind to start over in a new state. I've been feeling the mammoth-sized butterflies for the past three days.

Everything's packed, my clothes, shoes, and all my school supplies.

So far, all I knew was that all students should be at the school's campus today at 3:00pm, the school was going to send someone to get me and twelve other students from the airport, and that my roommate's name was Ginna.

My plane was leaving in about two hours and, for the first time in my entire life, we were ready and at the door on time.

I had double -and even triple- checked that I had everything I needed on my backpack. I had a book, my earphones, phone charger, chapstick, some mints and candy, my passport and some other documents I had to give at customs.

"Sweetie, are you sure you're not leaving anything?" My mom asked for the hundreth time.

"Yes, mom. I'm sure! Now, let's go before we're late." I rolled my eyes and laughed at her playfully. She just looked at me with saddened eyes and I saw her eyes start to pool with unshed tears.

Oh, dear God. Here come the waterworks.

"Oh, mom, don't cry!" I said, feeling my own tears gather in my eyes and pulled her in for a tight hug.

"It's just... I lost one of my daughters two weeks ago, only to loose another one today!" She sobbed a little, and then my dad and Ryan caught up on what was happening and they joined us in a group hug.

"Mom, you didn't loose Rachel, and you're not loosing me. Not now, not ever. So you will still have to deal with me for quite some time." I said and we all laughed, and Ryan made a comment under his breath that I didn't hear very well.

We broke the hug and climbed on the car and I looked through the window at my house. I've never been away from home for longer than a few weeks.

And then, my dad started the car and we made our way to the airport.

***

When we got to the airport, Jane, Natalie and Leah were there waiting for us to arrive. When they saw us, they rushed and gave me a bone-crushing hug, making me promise to write everyday and to tell them everything that goes on in my new school. Then, came the individual hugs, tears, laughs and last-minute checks.

After finally saying our last good-byes, I made the line for costumes and got to gate 27A. I waited for a little over thirty minutes, listening to music and texting my friends. I even got to talk a little with Noah before they started calling out for the passengers to board the plane.

Presenting my ticket at the gate, I made my way into the plane and, struggling a bit, I got my duffel bag up on the overhead compartment before settling in to my seat. Thank God it's a window seat. I plugged in my earbuds again and quickly texted my parents that I was on the plane and ready to go before turning it into airplane mode and listening to music offline.

We took off and it was as if a switch flipped inside me, I was practically falling asleep. I tried reading, watching a movie in the plane's entertainment system and even tried writing something, but I inevitably fell asleep just thrifty minutes into the flight.

I was awakened by a stewardess that gently tapped on my shoulder, telling me to get ready for landing. I straightened up and adjusted my seatbelt, shut the little tray and stashed my little notebook, mints and book inside my backpack and turned to the window.

I've always loved looking through the window while the plane was landing. Seeing the tiny specs of color become buildings, cars and people until the plane came to a full stop and we started getting ready to get off. I reached for my duffle bag in the overhead compartment and got off the plane, going through customs and baggage claim. I had two large suitcases, a smaller carry-on duffel bag and a backpack, filled to the brim with my textbooks, school supplies, uniforms and regular clothes.