Saudade

Chapter 1

                Six hours ago I had graduated from high school, and I was already hugging my family outside of the airport. I was going to live in London for a year with my step sister, Spencer, who was dating the musician Ed Sheeran. They had met two years ago and were instantly inseparable. She lived with him there, and they were absolutely crazy about each other.

                “Call us when you land,” my mom begged me over and over, her eyes red and full of tears. “And be safe!”

                “Oh, come on, honey; you know Spencer will take good care of her. But do call us when you get there, just so we know you’re okay. Your sister said she’d be right outside of the plane with the car to pick you up. You won’t have to deal with the airport at all.” My stepdad Lee, told me. I nodded; I knew. I had everything from the step away from them to stepping off the plane in London memorized.

                “We love you,” my mom choked. My younger sister Elizabeth was with, gripping our mother’s hand tightly. My step sister Kailey was conspicuously absent, choosing to attend our graduation party in a lieu of sending me off. She had been offered to come with, but she didn’t want to. She wasn’t interested in the life her sister was involved in, to her it seemed overwhelming.

                “I love you mom,” I said, giving her another hug. I gave Lee a quick nod, and offered a small smile to Elizabeth. She smiled back, looking tired. She was the least energetic 16 year old I’d ever met, at least anytime I saw her. Apparently she was a night owl now, who chose to do all of her homework post ten PM and watch entire seasons of TV shows in the wee hours of the morning. She left herself little sleep and therefore little zest when she was around us. “Love you, Liz.” I said, just before grabbing my large suitcase by the handle and dragging it with me to the check-in counter.

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                When I finally sat at the gate, I barely had thirty minutes before they’d start loading us onto the plane.  I took out my phone and quickly texted Lee and my mom, assuring them I’d made it to the gate okay. I turned off the phone then, tossing it into my carry on backpack and looking around the gate. It was flocked with business people, barely any families. There was a father holding his light haired daughter, rocking her absently though she had already fallen asleep. A baby whimpered in his mother’s arms, and for a fleeting moment I prayed he wouldn’t cry the entire plane ride.

I was delighted by the familiar scent of Starbucks coffee beans calling for me from across the hall, so I got up and made my way to the counter. I ordered a grande white chocolate mocha. Halfway through my order, however, I realized it was almost midnight and I was about to get on an eight hour flight; coffee wasn’t the best choice. I moved to the pickup counter to kick myself for ordering it, when I got a tap on my shoulder. I spun on my heels, to find two strange teenage girls behind me.

                “Hi,” the blonde one giggled.

                “Hi?” I wasn’t trying to be rude, but what the hell?

                “So umm,” the blonde was smiling like she was embarrassed of herself, “are you Spencer Leroy’s sister? Like, who’s dating Ed Sheeran?” This was a first…how the hell did they recognize me? My sister had maybe posted two pictures of me throughout the course of her dating Ed.

                “Uh, yeah?” I said, grabbing my mocha that was being placed on the counter in front of me. “Why?”

                “Wejustwantedtogetyourautographandmaybeapicture,” the other girl said quickly. I looked at them with the utmost confusion.