High School Struggles and New Girls

Chapter 3

     CHAPTER 3: Sophie

  Sophie Kingston groaned and tugged on her belt buckle to loosen it so she wouldn't feel so cramped in the airplane seat. Her brother Victor was playing on his phone, and her parents were reading those super boring magazines they give you on flights.
  Sophie nudged her mother. "Mom, seriously, when are we there? It's literally been, like, five hours." She didn't normally complain like this, but -every on, the trip was taking forever! Why couldn't they just land in L.A. Already?
  Her mom sighed and put down the magazine. "Sophie, honey, you know we still have awhile to go before we land."
  "I know, but there's literally nothing to do here!"
  Her mom shrugged. "Then find something to do. You have the TV in front of you, you have a magazine, you brought books--really, Sophie, what else are you asking for?"
   "Hmmmmm. Let me think," she snapped sarcastically. "Oh, yeah, I totally forgot! How about my art supplies?" Sophie was always coming up with some new project or idea.
  Mrs. Kingston sighed. "You know your supplies are in your suitcase. For Heaven's sake, you packed them yourself! Now would you please relax and try to enjoy yourself?"
  Sophie huffed but obediently sat back in her seat. It was almost useless to get her mom to cave in to anything. Slowly, she reached into the pocket on the back of the seat in front of her and pulled her iPod from where she'd stowed it earlier. Putting her earbuds in, she hit play on a Pink song and started to relax, although you could never fully relax when you were playing Pink. She smiled contentedly as she got caught up in her favorite song.
  "Sophie!" Victor suddenly shouted at top volume.
  Sophie started. "What?"
  "Would you please turn down your freaking music? It's busting my eardrums over here!"
  Sophie rolled her eyes but -plied. Her brother could be a -plate royal pain sometimes.
  "Sophie, are you okay?" Her mom asked.
  "Sure, why?"
  She looked at her seriously. "You don't seem to be in a very good mood today."
  Sophie sighed, even though her mom was right--she really wasn't in a good mood. "I'm sorry. You're right, I really am not in the best mood at all. This plane ride is way too long and boring and there's absolutely nothing at all to do here."
  "I'm sorry you feel that way," her mother replied, "but I can't keep making all the decisions for you. For heaven's sake, Sophie, you're going back to high school, as a senior, no less! How do you expect girls to like you with this attitude?"
  Sophie let out another big sigh. She didn't mean to come across as upset all the time, but wasn't everyone entitled to a bad mood once in awhile?
  "Like, Sophie, look at me!" Victor attempted to coax. "I'm in a good mood, see?"
  Sophie refrained from rolling her eyes again. Her ten-year-old brother could be so weird. "All right, all right, I get the message. I'll work on my attitude. I'm sorry."
  Her mother smiled. "Good, that's what we all like to hear. Now go find something to occupy yourself with for the rest of the flight."
  Sophie simply nodded before turning to the TV. From what she'd seen when they'd boarded, the list of movies wasn't too interesting, but now she figured watching a boring movie would be better than not doing anything at all. It might even put her to sleep, if she was lucky. She purposely selected the most boring-sounding one and leaned back in her seat, preparing for a nice long nap.
  "Sophie?" Victor said before the movie had even started playing.
  "What?" She replied flatly, being careful not to snap at him. Why couldn't anyone at least let her take a nap?
  "Can we share earbuds so we can watch a movie together?"
  "All right," she grudgingly agreed. At least she'd be doing something.
  "Hi, guys," the flight attendant greeted them then, appearing, it seemed, as if from nowhere to get their drink orders.
  "Hi," Sophie answered, forcing a polite smile. "Can I just have water, please?"
  The flight attendant nodded, writing that down on her clipboard. "And you?" She asked, turning to Victor.
  "Ginger ale!" Victor answered in that overeager way of his.
  Sophie looked at her mom, saying with her eyes, Are you seriously going to let him have soda?
  "No ginger ale, Victor," Mrs. Kingston quickly stepped in before the flight attendant could write the drink down. Then she turned to the attendant. "He'll have water too."
  "Water?" The young woman repeated, !clarify.
  Their mom nodded, and the girl left to go get their drinks.
  Mrs. Kingston turned stern eyes to Victor. "You are not allowed to get soda on any of these flights," she whispered harshly.
  "But why?" Victor whined, just like Sophie knew he would.
  "First of all, it's unhealthy, and second of all, kids shouldn't be drinking it." Then she hunched over her magazine before he could argue further.
  Victor sighed but said, "Okay."
  Sophie couldn't help smiling a little. She wished she could also bounce back quickly like him, but she was like her dad--she took a while to cool down.
  Then, completely forgetting about her moments-ago promise to her brother and turning up the volume on her movie, she settled back into her seat to enjoy her long-awaited, and now hopefully going-to-happen, nap.