Promises Are Made To Keep (On Hold)

Promise to Take My Own Advise

I couldn't sleep last night. Just the thought of having to leave the only thing I have of my Mom and Dad is killing me. Even though this place doesn't feel like home anymore, it's still their home. And their home is my home.

"Jamie, time to get up. We're running a little late." I heard Aunt Elizabeth's voice through my door. I threw the covers off of me and got out of the bed. I went into my bathroom and brushed my teeth. I washed my face with my acne free soap, so now my face felt fresh and clean and free of acne. I put on a little eyeliner and mascara.

While I was putting my clothes on I recited the names and ages of my cousins to see if I remembered. "Ethan is eighteen, Elilah is sixteen, Elijah is sixteen, Nathan is sixteen, um, Emmanuel is fourteen, Kaylen is nine, Kaiden is nine, ummm, why can't I remember this one?" I pulled up my pants and buttoned it. I was wearing skinny jeans and a blue shirt that was the same color as my eyes. "Essaiyah! That's it, Essaiyah is, um, seven, Emily is three, and Elliot is the little baby."

I put on my blue converse that match my shirt. I put on matching blue rose earrings. Then I put on my charm bracelet that my Dad gave to me on my tenth birthday. He added a charm every year. And now it's stuck with seven, for the rest of my life.

I combed my hair and left it down, but I put a sparkly blue hair clip in to keep it out of my face. I checked to see if I had everything I needed and I saw my blue watch that has the diamonds around rim of the clock part. As I was putting it on I heard two knocks on my door then Aunt Elizabeth walked in. "Are you ready, because it's seven-thirty. We were supposed to have left the house already."

"Yeah, I'm ready." I said grabbing my purse and my suitcases that has my clothes in them. I'm going to need my clothes more than I need my music and jewelry and things. Some people are going to come to get our other things and take them to Montana.

"Take your things outside to the taxi while I get Jake." Aunt Elizabeth said.

I got my things and waited in the taxi. I couldn't stop thinking about my cousins. I don't know what to expect. Most likely they're going to be nice and friendly like Aunt Elizabeth.

I was still thinking about what my cousins would be like, when Jake opened the door to the taxi and got in. Aunt Elizabeth was putting Jake's things in the trunk. "Are they nice?" Jake asked.

"I sure hope so." I responded. Aunt Elizabeth climbed in and told the taxi driver to go to the airport.

We were in the taxi for almost an hour. When we arrived at the airport it was eight twenty-two. We had less than an hour to get our boarding pass and go through security and be on our plane. Luckily there wasn't much people here today. One, it's a week day. Two, nobody wants to get on a plane after what happened three days ago.

But there's still a lot of people to keep us waiting in line for fifteen minutes to get our boarding pass. By time we got our boarding pass it was eight thirty-seven, and we needed to be at Gate 21 by nine o'clock.

The security lines are always long and always go slow. And what made it worst was that we had a really big guy in front of us who was moving really slow. He was taking forever to take his things off and put them in the little grey bins. I swear it took him like a minute just to take his watch off.

Aunt Elizabeth was getting a little impatient because she tapped him on the shoulder and when he turned around she said, "I'm sorry to bother you, but could you move a little faster? We're going to be late for our plane."

He smiled and said in a really girly voice, "Omigosh, I am so sorry. I didn't even realize that I was going that slow. Well, you guys are obviously ready so why don't you just get in front of me."

"Oh, well thank you." Aunt Elizabeth said grabbing her grey bin and moving in front of him. Jake and I did the same.

We walked through the metal detector then grabbed our bins and started putting our things back on. When I was putting my watch back on I noticed that it was eight-fifty. I checked my phone to see if that time was right and it was. "Shit," I said, "Excuse my language but it's eight-fifty. We have to go."

Aunt Elizabeth hurried and tied Jake's shoelace because he was taking too long, then we took off down the hallway. Along the way I was trying to read the signs so we wouldn't get lost.

When we made it to our gate there were a few more people about to aboard the plane. I checked my watch and it was eight fifty-eight.

"Jamie," Jake said grabbing my hand, "I don't want to go. Please don't make me go. I'll be good. I'll listen when you tell me to do something, I promise. I'll...I'll...please don't make me go." A tear slowly ran down his face. I wiped it off with my hand that he wasn't holding.

I looked down into his big sparkling blue eyes. I couldn't stand to see him look like that, but I couldn't do anything about it. I wasn't old enough to stay here by myself to take care of him. I would have to be about eighteen. "Look," I said, "I don't want to go either-"

"Then we can stay here." Jake said interrupting me.

"Just listen," I said, "The only other choice we have other than living with Aunt Elizabeth is going to a foster home. And if we go to a foster home they are going to split us up, and that's one thing I will never let happen. Plus, you're going to have so much fun at Aunt Elizabeth's house with all of your cousins."

Jake sighed and walked up to lady working at the counter. He handed her his boarding pass and she scanned it then gave it back to him. He turned to us and said, "They're not gonna wait all day."

-&-

We've been on the plane for about three almost four hours and I was really nervous. I've been waiting to see my cousins for eleven years, I don't know what to expect.

My mom always said that they were really nice kids. But what if they're not? What if they were just acting good while she was there? What if they hate me? What if I don't fit in?

A bunch of 'what ifs' flashed through my head. I was getting a headache from thinking about it so I tried to stop. But it's not that easy to just stop thinking about what the next two years of your life will be like. Not to mention it's only the second month of school, so I still have all of this year to worry about.

I never liked being the new kid. In fact, I never had to be the new kid. I used to live in Montana before I turned three. Then we moved to New York.

"This is Pilot Lee speaking." A manly voice said out the speakers. "Welcome to Montana. The date is Friday, September sixth. It is currently eleven o'clock a.m. and seventy three degrees, very nice out. We will be descending shortly. And thank you for choosing United Airlines."

The 'fasten your seatbelt' sign blinked back on and the flight attendants went to take their seats.

"Jamie," Jake said pulling my ear buds out of my ears, "I'm scared. I want Mommy and Daddy."

"You already have Mommy and Daddy. They might not be here, but they are here." I said pointing to his chest where his heart is. "Mommy and Daddy will always be with you. They're looking over us right now. They're not gonna let anything happen to us because they love us too much, they want to see us happy."

He looked up at me but didn't say anything. He's too young to be going through this. He's just a little kid. I need to see him happy. I started tickling him and said, "Doesn't look like you're happy."

He started laughing and squirming around in his chair trying to get away from me. "Okay, okay. I'm happy." He said.

"Good, now you need to stay happy." I said. I felt the plane get lower and my heart started racing. I really hope they like me. Because if they don't then my life will be hell.

I took a deep breathe and tried to relax. Time to take my own advice and be happy.