Cassie Milton, a high school junior from LA, has just scored a dream scholarship for a weekly literature program at New York University. It should be the perfect opportunity-except for one huge complication. To make it work, she has to move to New Y...
The plane touched down in John F Kennedy airport at 2:06 am on Tuesday morning. My first thought is that this is a stupid idea. Living with the boy I hate? God help me. I need my brain examined.
I walk through the terminal, and I reach the baggage carousel. Most of the bags are on the conveyer belt now so it's not long before I see my suitcases and pull them off. I try and wheel them outside as best I can because they are so heavy. The rest of my stuff should be arriving in a few weeks. A bunch more of my clothes and books are in boxes that we are shipping because it's too hard to take them all on the plane.
Outside, it's very dark but the airport is lit by tons of streetlamps and the glow of the lights from the airport is bright enough to see for a few miles at least. As I'm about to pull out my phone and text Jackie, I hear a squeal. I look up and see Jackie as she walks quickly towards me with her arms wide open. Her embrace is warm and inviting and, in the cold, it's very welcome.
"Oh, my goodness," she exclaims. "You've gotten so big!" What did you expect me to do? I wouldn't shrink. I'm 17 for God sakes. I don't say it allowed of course, that would just hurt her feelings. Instead, I just say, "yeah."
She takes one of my bags and leads me to her car and puts in my suitcases. We get in the car and buckle in and start driving. She doesn't stop talking through all of this. Chattering my ear off about non-sequential bullshit I don't need to hear but she thinks it's interesting and important, so I humour her and listen to every word. Chiming in with and "oh yeah" and "wow" every few minutes. She's buying it, for now at least.
After about an hour, we pull into her driveway. It quiet on her street and her husband comes out and helps me with my bags. He takes me upstairs and leads me to my room. The staircase is filled with picture frames, showing the kids. There's a photo of the two of us there. We're eating ice-cream and he's trying to lick it up as it drips down his cone. We must have been about 8 then. We pass a few bedrooms until we reach the one I'm sleeping in. The room has a double bed that is against the wall, next to a window. Next to the bed is a side table. Then a desk. On the opposite wall is a chest of drawers and a big bookshelf.
"Your mum told me you love to read so I emptied out the bookcase for the books your bringing and for the books you might buy," Jackie whispers to me. I turn around and give her a big hug.
"Thank you so much," I tell her.
"Of course, darling. Get some sleep. You've got school tomorrow. Sleep as long as you want, I don't mind driving you to school in the middle of the day." She smiles at me and turns and walks out, closing the door behind her.
I quickly find the suitcase with my pyjamas inside and change. I slip under the covers and I'm asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. I don't even have time to panic about seeing him tomorrow.
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Sorry this chapter was so short. The next ones will be longer. How's everyones day going?
