haze / afi

part 1. california

walking off of the plane after what felt like forever was a relief. five long hours in the sky with not much to do, sitting in the same seat the whole time, eagerly wanting the flight to be over. violet didn't mind flying, but being surrounded by people who either snore too loudly or have kids who won't stop crying for the whole time, isn't her idea of a good flight.

she hurries down the hall, following every sign that directs her to bag collection. she brought three large cases with her, packed with most of her clothes, shoes, make up, toiletries, the most important items she'd need right away. anything else she wanted to bring is being shipped separately and would hopefully arrive in a few days time.

trying to get three bags from the conveyer belt while surrounded by crowds of people isn't fun. standing, waiting for your bags to come around, and then looking like an idiot when you can't lift very well. violet had to bring a lot with her, not having the smallest wardrobe or shoe collection ever.

after waiting a few minutes for her bags to cycle round, she grabs them, struggling to pull them along with her. it's pretty hard to drag along three bags when she only has two hands. however, she manages to reach the exit of the airport, finding the area where you can get a taxi.

"hi! could you take me to downtown?" she politely asks with a smile on her face, the man noticing how many bags she's holding, getting out of the car to immediately help her get them into the trunk.

"traffic starts building up around this time, so we might have a long drive ahead of us." he warns as they both get inside the car.

violet nods, not being bothered by that at all. her aunt had told her many times about the classic los angeles traffic. while in the car, she decides to give her mom a call. promising she'd contact her once she'd arrived safely in california. she hears the dial tone for a few seconds, happy once her mum answers.

"hey mom! i'm in california now, on my way to aunt lisa's store." violet scans the scene outside as she speaks, not being familiar with the palm trees and warm air flowing through the window.

"how was your flight, sweetheart?" her mum asks, the sound of mumbling in the background, most likely her dad. "and how is california looking? as horrible as i remember it?"

"no, actually it's beautiful here, the palm trees are gorgeous and the sky is crystal clear. i already love it." her mom sighs on the other end of the line, clearly not wanting her child to be there. "my flight was fine, anyways, apart from a guy snoring right behind me."

"that's good, don't get too comfortable there, we still expect you home for the holidays!"

"yea, mom, i know. it's not exactly like i have any friends to spend it with here." violet pinches the bridge of her nose, remembering why she is so happy to be moving away from her parents finally. "well, i should go, i need to call lisa and tell her i'm here."

"okay, take care, we love you."

"love you too." violet moves the phone away from her ear, hanging up the call.

she doesn't need to call her aunt, she only said that to get off of the phone. most conversations about violet moving to california ended in arguments back at home, so she'd rather not start one while in the car with a stranger. according to the gps, she'll be at her aunt's store in no time.

driving through the busy streets of los angeles felt strange, she hasn't been here in over ten years after all. seeing how different the buildings look, the stores, the colours here are more vibrant, yellows and pinks jumping out from building to building. this is why she loves the area her aunt's store is located at.

after a couple more turns down other streets, she can see the store in the distance. her driver checking the gps too, knowing they've reached their destination. violet pays him, both getting out of the car so he could lift her bags out of the trunk. she gave another thank you and quickly bid him goodbye.