Dates & Polaroids

I sit on my bed and pack my bag for the summer. I was spending it in Seattle, it had taken me forever to convince my parents that 18 was old enough so spend a summer alone. I wanted to spend it in Seattle for the music scene. I had heard it was pretty amazing, they were connected with all underground artists, I wasn't a complete mainstream girl, there were a few songs here and there, but overall, I was pretty nonmainstream.  Damn right I made that a word.

I had finished packing and double checked last night that the apartment I was staying in was booked under 'Emma'.

I sit back in my bed and try to convince myself to go to sleep, but it doesn't work. instead I grab my laptop from my carry on and scroll through tumblr. I do a bit of this for what I think is twenty minutes, but it turns out it is more like, three hours. Oops, tumblr will do that to you.

I finally fall back in my bed and I am out cold.

"Emma, wake up now!" My mother demands standing over me. her presence throws me off and her yelling is not the best way to wake up in the morning.

I groan and push my face farther into the mess of red blankets around me. i am not ready to get up.

"I mean it Emma, you are going to be late." she tells me with an angry voice

"See when I'm in Seattle, I am going to be living alone and no one will be allowed to wake me up before two in the afternoon!" I tell her throwing the blankets off of me.

"Well for now, you are still in California so wake up before I pull you out of that bed." she lwaves my room with an annoyed huff.

"I am awake! God you people are uptight." I yell a response which I know she roll s her eyes to.

I grab some jeans a Bob Dylan shirt and my white beanie. I throw on my combat boots, grab my bags and say goodbye to my room.

I stay quiet on the way to the airport. I am too tired to engage in conversation with anyone. When we arrive I get out and retrieve my bags from the trunk. My whole family climbs out of the car with me. I will miss them while I am away, sure they were loud, annoying, uptight, and weird, but they are my family.

"Well," my dad begins, "this is it, Em."

"Yeah, but I will be back in a few months." I reassure them looking at them all standing there.

They all hug me and say their goodbyes as I turn and walk into ther airport. I direct myself through and go through security which, without fail, patts me down (rather invasively i might add) because of my keys I forgot to take out of my pocket.

Who am I going to kill with my keys?

I have about thrirt minutes to spare once I find my gate. I sit and watch the people who are seated at the same gate as me. There is an older woman, in her mid thirties who have two twin boys and a girl with her. The boys climb acroos the seats annoying the stick- in- their- ass business men who sit typing on their fancy computers while checking their iPhones continuously. The young girl is making two barbies have a conversation on the seat next to her. Next to me is an old couple. The man is sitting looking out the window while the woman is lost in a novel. On her rinkled middle finger rests a fading saphire that is in a real need of cleaning. I always wished that I would have a love that would last until I was pale and rinkled.

I plug my headphones into my ears and play my music until they call my gate as boarding. Luckily I get the window seat, i put my carry on underneath my seat then attempt to make myself comfortable in the airplane seat while I lean my head on the window. My eyes are closed and i fall into sleep.

...

When I awake we are landed and almost everyone is off the palne except for the people in the bag adn the few families with children that decided to be difficult. The trip to my apartment is uneventful but once I am there I know I have picked the perfect place. Its a brick apartment with a floor to ceiling window in my room that over looks downtown Seattle I have a perfect view of the space needle. I sit myself on to the dark brown couch and try to figure out what I am going to do to meet people in this huge city.

I could go to a bar, but that would be awkward if I dont know anyone. I decide to spend the rest of my day unpacking and getting used to the apartment before I make any real important choices.