January 15, 2020
First person
I had no idea how Ted had convinced me to come to LA for a video. I’d only known him for three months, I didn’t know anyone that was in this group or would be in the video. Yet, here I was, on a plane from Berlin to LA. I could picture the sign he would be held at the gate, he had sent me a picture before I left this morning. ‘Hailee-Jane!’ was scribbled big on the middle of the sign with a black widow drawn on it and spider webs on the edges. I couldn’t deny that it was a cute sign.
I fell asleep about 3 hours into the 14-hour flight so I was starving by the time the plane landed. I didn’t eat before getting on the plane so it was safe to say I hadn’t eaten in the past 24 hours. Either way, I grabbed my bags from baggage claim and started walking to where Ted said he would be. When I felt someone following me. It was a crowded airport, I had to be going in the same direction as me. “Hailee!” Someone yelled as they came up behind me and grabbed my arm.
I screamed and froze, dropping my bags. When I finally recognized his face, I relaxed a bit. “I thought you were gonna be standing and waiting at the gate?”
“I got bored! I’m unmedicated!”
“Fun!” I spoke sarcastically. “Can we get food? I haven’t eaten in like 24 hours.”
“Of course! Outside of the airport, though. I’m not paying for this bullshit airport food.”
“Who said you were paying? I’m an independent woman!” I picked up my bags from the floor and started walking towards the exit.
“You’re my guest! I’m not letting you pay, Hailee.” He ran to catch up with me and said “Let me help you with your bags, please.”
“Ted, I really appreciate your help but I think I got it.”
He nodded in defeat and lead me out of the airport to his truck. Other than the hole in the floor, it was an okay truck. I was planning on renting a car while here anyway. Ted was already in the car and was starting it. It made a roaring noise and I threw my bag in the cab and climbed into the passenger seat. It had that welcoming truck smell and it was much too big for me to be sitting in and I was above the average height for someone my age.
“You okay?” He asked, reaching for the radio as we pulled out of the airport parking garage.
“Other than being tired, jet-lagged, and hungry, sure.” I made a half-hearted attempt to give him a reassuring smile but ended up leaning back on the headrest and falling asleep.
He woke me up a few minutes later as we pulled into a Mcdonald's. “Hailee, what do you want from Mcdonald’s?” He spoke softly as if he was afraid to wake me.
“6-piece chicken nugget with a Dr. Pepper.”
“What sauce?”
“Ranch.”
“Okay,” He said, pulling up to the speaker. There was muffled talking from the speaker and Ted but I was already falling asleep again.
When I woke up, it was dark outside and I was laying on a white couch. “She lives!” A man named Travis spoke. He was sitting next to me on the couch and I only knew him from the three times we had called because Ted wanted me to meet the people I would be living with for a few weeks.
I groaned as I rolled off of the couch, my back cracking as I hit the hardwood floor. “Fuck.” I grumbled.
I watched Ted walk through the door and saw his face drop as he saw me on the floor. “What the hell happened here?” He asked.
“She fell off the couch when she woke up,” Travis explained.
“That’s hilarious, so sad I missed that.” Ted frowned as he sat on the couch where I was just laying.
“I’ve only known you guys for a minute but I already hate all of you.” I stood from the floor and I heard joints crack when I didn’t even know they could.
I went up the stairs and came to a hall with doors. It came to me that I didn’t actually know which one was my room. I shrugged, I knew I would find it eventually.
I opened the first door on my left only to be met with silence and I saw my stuff in the corner of the room. I let out a breath of relief, thankful I wouldn’t have to open each door in this hallway. I made a beeline for my suitcase, rummaging through and pulling out some PJs and the stuff I needed to get ready for bed. “What the fuck are you doing in here?” A man with a heavy new yorker accent said from behind me.
I whipped around and my eyes frantically searched for the source of the voice. He was laying on one of the two beds that I hadn’t noticed when I walked in. I had to share a room with a guy I didn’t know. I was going to kill Ted in the morning. “I’m Hailee. Ted invited me. I didn’t know I would be sharing a room, sorry.” I slowly stood from the floor and started to walk out of the room with my clothes and hygiene products in hand.
“I’m Schlatt.” He spoke before flopping back down on the bed.
Not much of a talker, I guess.
