Corren's Fight

Chapter Three - Misplaced

The plane shuddered as it entered more turbulence. I tightly gripped the arms of my seat.

The girl beside me laughed. "First time flying?"

The girl had light olive toned skin and green eyes with flecks of brown, hidden beneath dark layered bangs. She also had a French accent, which made me listen closely to her voice in order to figure out what she was saying. I was grateful for the accent, it distracted me from the plane's jostling.

I nodded uneasily. "You could say that."

She grinned. "There's no need to worry. I assure you, this airline hasn't had a plane go down since two-thousand-eight."

I let out a shaky breath and replied sarcastically. "That's comforting!"

The girl laughed. "I am only kidding!" She reached her hand over. "My name is Kim."

I shook her hand. "Corren."

"That's a unique name." Kim mused.

"I guess. So what brings you to the states? North Carolina is far from interesting."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I grew up there when I  was child, then joined my grandmother in France. I went to Alaska to visit an aunt. Now I am here visiting the other half of my family. What about you?"

"My parents are sending me away to live with some drunken uncle I haven't seen in years."

Kim seemed surprised. "Why? Was there some kind of emergency?"

I snorted. "Hardly, it's just a punishment for being a 'deliquent.' They have this delusion that spending some time away from home will set me straight. I can't wait to see how long 'Uncle Jem' lasts before he throws me out."

"You're a troublemaker I see." Kim's eyes twinkled with amusement.

I grimaced as the plane hit more turbulence. "Depends if we get off this plane alive. Then we'll see how much trouble I can cause."

Kim chuckled. "Sounds fair."

I closed my eyes for moment, trying to calm the pounding in my chest.

* * *

A hand shook me by the shoulder, waking me from a fog.

Kim's voice called to me as I blinked my eyes open. "Wake up, we will be landing soon!"

I groaned and cracked my neck. "How long was I out?"

"A few hours." Kim replied, peering out the window.

A voice on the intercom echoed through the plane. "Please buckle your seat belts, we will be landing soon. Thank you for choosing Alaskan Airlines!"

Kim and I buckled up. I leaned forward and saw that we were slowly descending to the ground. I leaned back and forced myself to relax. The worst was over. Once we safely landed the plane erupted into chaos as people sprung up to grab their bags. I wasted no time to find mine. As I pulled my bag out Kim was beside me, reaching for hers. When she tugged it out she faced me and smiled.

"It was nice meeting you, Corren. I wish you the best of luck with your uncle."

I wasn't sure what to say, so I nodded. "Er, thanks. You too."

It was a lot warmer in North Carolina when I stepped onto the terminal. There was a slight morning chill, but it was absolutely nothing compared to Alaska. I unzipped my jacket and stuffed it into my bag as I entered the airport. I fought past crowds of people to reach the outside. Then I had no idea where to go from there. The only thing my dad said to me in the car was that Jem would be here when I landed, but I hadn't seen the guy in two years. I didn't know what to expect, or what he looked like now. I sat down on a bench nearby in the shade beneath the roof of the building. Cars drove to and fro, but there was no sight of the man.