Finally Living

Chapter 7

SAMS SCHOOL GYMNASIAM, AUSTRALIA

“What took so long?” Jibs asked, chucking her plastic cup in the bin beside the long tables. A band was playing on the large stage.

I was so used to seeing the principle, and honour students, and special guest speakers, up there, smiling as if the piece of paper that says they won something was the world. Well it’s not. It’s just a damn piece of paper. Nothing special at all.

“Sorry, there was a mirror.” I mumble, pulling out my phone,

10:33 pm

I look up at Jibs, smiling like crazy.

“We gotta go.”  Her head snaps up to meet my gaze, and I just know, she’s feeling exactly how I feel. Something likes the feeling, seeing the cage owner, coming towards your cage, with a key.

“Well then.” Jibs says, speaking through her large smile.

“Let’s go” That’s all it took, 2 words. 2 simple, almost meaningless words. With two syllables, 2 vowels, one meaning. That’s all it took, for the cage owner to twist the lock, and to swing the door open. 

I snap my head up and yell over the music

“TALK OVER SOCIAL MEDIA BOYS BUT THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME WE ARE FACE TO FACE FOR A GOOD FEW YEARS!” And then I was running, like a bird, my dress fluttering behind me. I could feel my hair doing the same, wavering behind me as I jump out of the doors and into the night sky, I see a glint of green beside me, Jibs was running next to me. We were both feeling free, like the wind was our puppeteer now, nothing could stop us.

Absolutely nothing

****

“You got the tickets?” I ask in the ticket line. Turning to Jibs. We had changed out of our stupid dresses; I was now in ripped black jeans and a white singlet with a large cameo jacket over it. While Jibs has on a black blazer with a grey T-shirt and 3 ¼ jeans.

“Yep, speaking of which,” her hand snakes into her bag and rustles around for a bit, pulling out the two plane tickets to France. Or, Paris to be precise.

I rub my hands together like a clique evil villain awaiting the hero.

“Perfect.” I purr, practically jumping up and down like a child in a toy-shop. I clutch onto my black luggage bag to try and calm myself, but it’s no use because Jibs has seen my excitement. It’s weird, with Jibs. She knows me more then I know myself, She knows me like one would know their surroundings, she sensed every essence about me, every colour around me, every sound to be heard about me. And I saw her the same way, our friendship wasn’t just two girls having casual sleepovers anymore, it ran deeper than any late night pep talk. She’s Jibs and I’m Sam, that’s what makes it so special.

“Oh Sam, You amuse me immensely.”  Her voice was deep and playful.

“Immensely? Such a big word for a dipshit like you.” I joke sticking my tongue out at her. She scoffs and punches my shoulder.

One thing to know about Jibs: She doesn’t know how strong she actually is. And let me tell you, she’s a tough motherfucker.

“Damn Jibs,” I mumble rubbing my shoulder. The line moves up  and we’re next. The background noise is no longer loud to me, and I can’t quite concentrate on one thing.  I try watching a woman and a young boy, clutching onto each other and rushing out of the airport. But soon enough they become blurs.

A man in a business suit rushes past with a black phone nearly shoved up his ear, but he just flashes past me and I barely notice him.

“Sam, SAM!” Jibs screeches in my ear, I flinch and stumble back a bit. “We’re next.” Jibs shoves me in the shoulders and I stumble up to the little ticket inserter. The silver machine sucks it in waits a bit, and spits it back out again, a little red light turns green and I walk through. The two security guards eye me over quickly before eyeing Jibs who walks in behind me.