brown eyed beauty - benicio bryant

Part 6

Three days. Three days until I fly across the country for the very first time, and meet my best friend. My mind has been on a consistent overdrive just waiting, practically counting down the seconds until I get to go. Avery and I have called every day, and the excitement levels seem to be pretty mutual. Our conversations started ramping up again as the clock counted down, so I no longer feared how the trip would be. I had so many ideas for how this could go, and I was ecstatic. However, on the other hand, I am horrified. I am flying by myself all the way to see someone I've technically never met at the age of 15. Kind of crazy if you ask me, but like I said, once you get to know me I'm quite interesting. I spend hours in my day watching those sappy "meeting online friend" videos on YouTube, wondering if our greeting would be like those girls who run to each other through the airport, and practically tackle one another. Or would she be one of those, super casual, I'm merely here to pick you up and head out, 'Hey by the way' kind of people? Considering her personality type, and that she is her, she will make it a huge scene. She'll probably try to tackle me and take us both down in the process, all the while trying not to ruin her makeup that is 'too damn expensive to cry'.
I have been weighing out the possibilities of everything that could go wrong on this trip and honestly at this point I don't even care. I have waited so long for something that makes all my effort worth while and I have a feeling this just might be it. I am, however, dreading the fact that I know I'm gonna have to return home. I'll have to leave my best friend and all my resting time back there as well. It is what it is. I'm sure you'd like to know everything that goes on in my super entertaining life, so I'll run it by you very quickly. School, packing, stressing, and a whole lot of Fleetwood Mac. By the time it reached 10 o'clock, the night before my flight out, I was practically peeing I was so excited. I kept finding myself waking up throughout the night and yet I was still violently shaking from the nerves. I hopped between 'Will this trip be all I imagined' and 'What am I even thinking'. It was about 4am the last time I woke up with my mind flooding with thoughts, and my eyes slowly fluttered back to sleep.

When I woke up again at 4:30am, I didn't even care how early it was. I was so jittery. I shot up out of bed at the sound of my alarm, and threw my blankets aside. I put on my slippers and ran, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes in the process. I threw my moms door open, her alarm still going off, and greeted her with a huge grin.
"Someones excited. Go throw on a pot of coffee for me." She said, yawning.
"Yes, so very excited" I pivoted and walked out her door. I stopped in realization that I was forgetting something and turned around, I poked my head in her door "Good morning, by the way." She smiled softly and I turned around again to put on the coffee.
It was about 5:00am when I was finally ready to go, my suitcase at the door and shoes on. My mom was tired but visibly nervous.
"You have everything?" She said
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes"
"Everything?"
"Mom-"
"Toothbrush, charger, socks... it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it"
"Yes, mom, I have everything and the kitchen sink."
"Don't you catch an attitude with me, it's too damn early"
"Sorry sorry just nervous, I can't miss this flight."
"Hun, it's only 5. Your flight is at 8. You have plenty of time."
"I just would rather be safe than sorry."
"Okay then, let's go."
Something about the drive to the airport in the morning is so serene. It's quiet, compared to the normal New York traffic. The streets are practically empty except the few people returning from night shifts and the early morning gym goers and travelers. We sat in the back seat of a taxi, only about 10 minutes away from the airport. The windows had a thin layer of frost from the bitter cold. I peered out into the street and looked at all the passing lights and people. I watched contently for what felt like a brief moment but was actually quite a long time, as we pulled into the drop off zone for my terminal. We got out of the car, the man driving it pulled my belongings out of the back while my mom rummaged for her card. She paid for our trip and gave me a kiss on the cheek, pulling me in for a hug.
"Please be so safe, call me every night, remember the time difference, I love you so much."
"I love you too, I will. Bye mom"
"Bye baby, please have fun?"
"You know I'm gonna"
"Be. Safe."
"Mom" I pulled away from her embrace and looked her in the eye "I will be so super careful. I will wear bubble wrap if you need me to."
"I needed to hear that. Now go, you know how to check in?"
"Yes, I think."
"Oh lord. Okay, last time." She hugged me "Bye, I'll see you in a week, I love you"
"Bye, I love you too" I grabbed the handle of my luggage and dragged it into the airport, entering the automated doors and walking in. I looked around, searching for the check in area. I went and entered my information, printing my ticket. I followed the path to security, getting everything checked. A small thought of 'what if I accidentally packed some lethal explosive and I get stopped right here' but quickly laughed off that idea. They gave me the okay to put my shoes back on and continue to my gate. I hurried through the maze of escalators and moving walkways, apologizing to the half asleep native New Yorkers and tourists as I practically tripped over myself. I looked down at my phone to see how much time I had and by then it was about 6:30. I have time, I can stop rushing. I slowed down my pace slightly and took in my surroundings. I could hear the distant call from the attendants over the speakers announcing the boarding flights, and the beeping of the monitors around me. I looked at the signs trying to find my way to my gate, and made my way towards it. I arrived to my waiting area, my belongings still in hand. My stomach just now deciding to demonstrate a whale call as I haven't eaten yet today. There aren't very many options of places to eat in here, so I settled on Dunkin' donuts. I listened to my better judgement and decided to take my suitcase with me to order. Just a wrap, please. A wrap. I rehearsed my order. I walked up to the counter and greeted the young barista who obviously didn't want to be here. My heart dropped and I panicked, realizing my mom wasn't here to order for me. My mind blurred and I completely forget my order. It seems so minuscule yet it makes the biggest impact. It gets in the way of everything. The tears welled up in my eyes but I forced out the words 'Wrap, please'. The girl at the counters face softened
"You've got it." She took my card and swiped it, then turned and walked to make my food. I stood off to the side and waited for it. She called my number and I hesitantly walked back and took my order.
"You know, I used to be an anxious wreck just like you, no offense. Until I started working. Not here, of course, but you know. Whatever."
"Oh, thank you" I stuttered. I didn't know how she expected me to react. I'm sure that scene played out better in her head. I went and sat back in my seat, eating and downloading The Princess and The Frog on Netflix so I could watch it on the plane. I love that movie, I always have. An hour passed by, and I wasted it scrolling through my socials. Then another flew by, and soon I heard the airport staff announce my flight was boarding. I waited for all of the priority seating, then was called to go. I went to the counter before the hallway and scanned my boarding pass, and hauled my suitcase behind me down the long walkway. As I stepped onto the plane I looked down and could see a small crack between where the planes side met the hallway, and briefly got dizzy. I got on and greeted the flight attendant with a small nod and insincere half smile, and picked up my bag. I lugged it down the aisle, muttering a small sorry to every seat I bumped on my way down. I found my seat, and tried to put my carry on in the overhead, but this posed as an issue as I was too short to reach it. I mad a split second of panic, when someone stopped in the row.
"Do you need help with that?" the man asked. I nodded, and he took it from me and put it in the holder.
"Thank you" Props to me for being able to tell her. I sat down in my seat, and He looked up at the numbers, following suit.
"I guess we're row mates, huh?" He chuckled. I smiled.
"Not much of a talker, huh? Neither is my son."
I cocked my eyebrow, encouraging him to continue. "He's around your age, I believe. What are you, 15? 16? He's 16."
"15" I replied
"I'm headed back to him now. We live in Seattle. You from there or just traveling?"
"From New York. Visiting a friend." I don't know what it was about him but seemed very warm and welcoming, I was okay talking with him.
"Ohhh, interesting. My names Jeremy, by the way."
"Charlotte." He smiled and put on his headphones, I did the same.
The flight was only 6 hours and a half minutes, which wasn't terrible at all. I was incredibly anxious taking off, but I fell asleep after about 2 hours, and woke up less than 20 minutes after. I watched that move, then I read for a while. By the time we landed my nerves had almost completely subsided and my excitement was through the roof. While everyone was prepping for un-boarding, I looked down at my phone and opened snapchat, seeing that my location had officially changed to Seattle. This is it. I texted my Mom to let her know I landed, then Avery, who had been texting me all morning, to find out where I'm meeting her. Jeremy got my suitcase down for me before grabbing his own.
"Thank you, sir, it was nice meeting you."
"You too, kid" I got up and left, waving at the pilot on my way out. I didn't have to go to bag retrieval, so I stood in the terminal waiting for a text back. She answered, and told me to go to pick up. I found the sign leading me where I needed to be and realized I hadn't actually been parting ways with the mystery man. He walked ahead of me in the same direction, out the door. As soon as I made it outside I looked around, taking in the view. As I turned back around the other way I was taken by surprise as I heard a shriek and loud footsteps racing towards me. I dropped my backpack and braced myself for impact as Avery ran straight full force at me, taking us both to the ground.
"OH MY GOD CHARLOTTE YOU'RE EVEN SHORTER THAN I IMAGINED HI LITTLE BABY" she screamed, no hesitation, still having me pinned to the ground. She got up yanking me with her brushing herself off. She looked me in the eye, and for a solid second went quiet, then again SHRIEKED.
"HI CHARLOTTE" Remember. Reinventing myself.
"HI AVERY!" She pulled me in for an actual hug, and I opened my eyes over her shoulder, locking eyes with beniciob04.