Chapter One: Like wildfire
"JAAAADE!" My mother yells from the living room, dragging out my name so it's one long word.
"WHAT?" I yell back across the house from my bedroom. I study the random belongings of mine piled up on the light blue comforter covering my bed in front of me with my face scrunched up in concentration.
Clothes? Check.
Chargers? Check.
Hair ties? Check.
What am I forgetting then? I fold my hands in front of me, palm to palm, and raise them to my pursed lips. Think, Jade, think. What are you forgetting? My mind draws a blank and I sigh, bringing my hands up to tangle in my hair.
All of the sudden I hear my mom's voice behind me and, startled, I turn around to face my bedroom door.
"Jade, what are you doing? Why aren't you packed? You're father's here! What have you been doing this whole time?" Questions shoot out of my mother's mouth like wildfire as she fixes her slightly panicked green eyes on my bed. At the mention of my dad my eyes widen and I scramble back around and start shoving folded clothes into my black and blue travel bag, stuffing every crevice with random things I think I'll need while I'm at my dads but will most-likely not use once.
"Jade?" My mom waits impatiently at my door for me to answer her questions.
"Sorry! Sorry," I glance sheepishly over my shoulder then continue," I definitely was not reading..."
"JADE!" I cringe when my mom says my name.
"Sorry?" I reply weakly, still shoving things into my bag. I am so not sorry. Reading is my life. She should know this by now.
My mother just sighs and turns around to walk down the hallway, probably back to the living room. I hear my brother greeting my dad at the front door and sigh quietly. Packing is such a pain. Can't blame me for wanting to read instead.
After I manage to cram the last black flip flop into my bag I suddenly remember what I was forgetting earlier.
"SWIMSUIT!" I cry out, not able to contain my happiness in remembering what I had forgotten. I hear my mom reply from the entry with a faint "What?" but I don't answer. I find a place to stick my swimsuit in and then zip up my travel bag. To be honest, that was probably the fastest packing I had ever done in my whole entire life.
I grab the straps of my bag and tug it off my bed and out of my room, into the hallway, setting it down above the steps leading to the front door where my father stood. My parents have been divorced since I was a little girl in first grade, but it doesn't really bother me. I was pretty young and I've lived most of my life with it. I don't have any real clear memories of a time when my parents were together but that's okay. I'm just grateful for the ones I have.
I smile down at my dad and he smiles back when I hear fast footsteps making their way down the hallway. before I know what's happening my brother Gabriel is shoving me out of the way, throwing his bag down beside mine, and racing over to my mother to give her a big hug.
"Gaaabe." I whine, as I straighten myself. He just looks over his shoulder and shoots me an impish grin.
What a turd.
I smile anyways and roll my eyes as my mom lets go of my brother and pulls me into a tight hug.
"Be good and watch your brother for me, okay?" she says to me. I nod and let go of our embrace, stepping away to pick up my travel bag from off the floor. Gabriel copies my movements and reaches down for his bag as well. We clomp down the stairs to our dad and he pulls me into a quick hug.
"Hey Queenie, how're you?" He asks grinning down at me.
"Good. I'm good. You?" I ask in return.
"Just fine." My dad answers. He opens the screen door and steps outside, Gabriel following him, and I exit after Gabe. As we start to walk towards my dad's car, my mom sticks her head out the front door.
"Have fun! I love you guys! See you in two weeks!" I turn around to see her waving at us.
"Love you too!" I blow her kisses and she laughs. Smiling, I make my way down to my dad's prized possession of a car. His Shelby GT Mustang sits in all it's shiny white glory across the street and I walk over to it after looking left and right for cars.
Once I reach the Mustang, I place my bag into the trunk next to Gabe's and walk around to the passenger side to see Gabriel sitting in shotgun. I narrow my eyes at him and he just laughs, scooting the seat forward so I can climb in back.
"I am so getting you for this later." I warn him as I pass by into the backseat. He just laughs again.
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say sis."
For a twelve year old, this boy has got a lot of sass.
When he lowers the seat back into place and snakes his arm behind him to grab his seatbelt, an idea strikes me. Sneakily, I take his seatbelt in my hands and pull it back, out of his reach. I'm barely able to contain my snickers as I watch his hand fumble around, trying to find the seatbelt.
After a minute he freezes, finally realizing what's going on, and turns around in his seat to glare at me through the little gap between the seat and the headrest. I resist the temptation to laugh as I look back at him.
"What?" I ask as innocently as possible, blinking slowly. His glare intensifies.
"You know what." He answers shortly. I can't hold it in anymore and let out a laugh, releasing the seatbelt from my fingers. Gabe huffs and grabs the belt, strapping it across his chest and buckling in. I do that as well and glance over at my father as he starts up the Mustang. He's shaking his head while smiling and mumbling, probably about us. I smile and lean back in my seat.
My dad pulls away from the curb and starts to drive. I close my eyes as he turns up the music, One Last Breath by Creed filling my ears as the car rumbles beneath me. I always love riding in the car with my dad. Music blasting, windows down, the warm summer air blowing in my face.
We have an hour to go before we reach my dad's house and this is the perfect way to waste it.
.::-*-::.
1150 Words
Updated: 2/12/16
Taissa Farmiga as Jade
Steele Stebbins as Gabriel
YOU ARE READING
Just One Day
Dla nastolatków"You and I were probably never meant to be but I loved every single second that I spent with you." -Anon When Jade has the chance to go camping with her dad, brother, and cousin, she expects it to be like it always is. They find a campsite, they g...
