The Cold Core

Part 2

6

Two hours. That's how long the plane to Tokyo was delayed.

I mean, delayed flights were a normal thing at Heathrow International Airport, but two hours? Seriously? That's just overkill. Apparently, there were last minute check-ups on the runway and on the plane to make sure that the flight went smoothly. Considering how the rest of my week had been before the flight, I doubted it. I'd been on planes enough to know that something else was going on.

Meanwhile, I sat on the window side, in a giant Jumbo Jet, in seat K27, listening to my music and trying to ignore Ruby, who was sat right next to me (naturally, seeing as she would find any opportunity to annoy me, and what better opportunity than twelve hours in a big metal tube?). Luckily, though, she was too busy playing Sim-City Build-It to pay me any attention.

***

After I got the plane tickets, the rest of the week had gone by in a blur. After Ruby's house, I took a bus to High Barnet to check out the full extent of the damage, but the area was sealed off from the bottom of Underhill. So I got off, walked to the furthest part of the hill at the bottom, and ran through the barriers to get to The Spires. Naturally, I got caught. I'd never been good at sneaking into places. They let me go on the grounds that I won't try getting in again, and that I was a victim of the earthquake, but before I was dragged out of the scene, I noticed several black SUV's parked along the road just outside the Tube Station. They seemed to be blocking something, which was strange, because everyone knew what was going on and what was behind those cars. Either way, I couldn't see what they were hiding so I went home.

Mom was at first a little sceptical of me going out of the country so soon after being in the earthquake, but I said that it might be good for me, as I would have time to get my head around things. Plus, the College Board had sent a letter that day to say that in a month's time, all surviving students would be given compensation for the disaster and would be given the choice to transfer to their Harrow branch or to be recommended to a new college. Seeing as I had the time, I told her that I had decided to go on the trip to clear my head. Eventually, mom saw that too, and, in a traditionally annoying motherly way, started pestering me about what to bring.

"It'll be winter there, so take your warmest jumper," she'd say. "Oh and take extra socks. And shoes. And jeans. And an extra phone charger. And extra underwear. And-"

"Mom I know," I interrupted quickly. "I've packed my bag before, you know." But I was grateful for her help.

"I know, but still, I need to make sure you're going to be OK," she fretted. "Tokyo is a whole new world compared to London, so you need to be prepared."

"I know. That's why I'm going with my friends and Ruby," I said. "If I were going alone, I would be the stupidest traveller in the world. Besides, I have no knowledge of Japanese at all. All I know is konichiwa, or something like that."

Mom laughed. "Yes, that is true. Now Matt better look after you or else-"

"Believe me, he will. He's one of the few people who 'look after me' like that, after you obviously," I said, patting her on her shoulder. And with that, we continued packing.

And she also obviously dropped me off at the airport. Two hours ago. She typically made a huge fuss about it. She had work that afternoon, but she called in sick so that she could see me off, which was risky seeing as we were on benefits.

She talked to Matt about the whole 'taking care of me' thing. She talked to Izzy and Ruby, and I had to drag her away before she started telling them my underwear size. God, moms can be embarrassing. And before I got on, she insisted on having multiple selfies together. Now I am not a big fan of selfies, but my mom is, and she took at least a hundred before I finally convinced her to go home because I was boarding, which she finally did with a lot of tears. Well, a lot of tears from both of us, which was also embarrassing. That got me a punch in the arm and a lot of taunts from Ruby, of course.