The Exchange

Chapter 8

"Bye Mira!" Marley says tearfully giving me a tight hug, "What am I going to do without you?"

"Alot I'm sure." I say trying not to show how sad I actually am about leaving. I move to Britt and squeeze her with all the force in my body.

"Damn girl you're strong. I'm gonna miss your tight squeezes." She laughs.

"Oh, Britt." I reply. "I'm gonna miss your humor." She smiles tearfully and then reaches into her purse.

"Umm, we made you this." She says handing me a piece of paper. On it are lines. I think they're stanza's.

"It's a poem." Marley clarifies, "You are always writing in your notebook we wanted to write something for you." Tears come to my eyes when she says that. How sweet and thoughtful. Eight stanzas complete the poem. One for each person in our group of friends.

"Thank-you" I say trying not to cry. I give them another hug before turning to my parents. Airport noises sound all around us. I am the only one having a hard time saying good-bye obviously because most people have already gone through the terminal.

"I love you, sweetie." My mom says for the millionth time, wiping her eyes. "Be good over there and don't forget to call me when you land and every day when you come home from school." She reminds me.

"I know mom. I love you too." I say hugging her. "Don't worry I'll be good." I reassure.

"Bye, honey." My dad says leaning over to give me a hug. I stand on my tippy toes to wrap my arms around his neck.

"Bye daddy." I say holding in my tears. What can I say? I'm a daddy's girl. "I love you." I say. He lets go of me and I move on to Hayden.

"Bye big brother" I say sappily giving him a big kiss on the cheek, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Bye sis. I'm turning your room into a gaming room while you're gone." He teases with a smirk.

"Just try to." I say. "I'm gonna miss you." I tell him.

"I'll miss you too, until you come back." Oh gosh. I really am going to miss my big brother. "Enjoy the experience." he whispers before I let go of him.

I turn around and wave after I hand my ticket and passport to the lady at the desk and walk through the terminal. 'Shoulders back, stomach in, chin up', I mentally repeated, 'And try to enjoy the experience.' Yup, I can only try.

***

I cried most of the plane ride to London. I cried of sadness because I am leaving my friends and family. I cried of anger towards the school who is making me leave. I cried of nervousness because I don't know anyone or anything about where I'm going; but throughout all my crying there is a voice in my head that constantly tells me to stop because this is an opportunity. It's an experience.

The plane lands at five p.m London time. I follow the arrows through the airport and make my way through baggage and everything else until I am almost at the exit. My roomate told me he would have a sign with my name on it. The school gave my roomates my name and school photo along with who knows what. I look through the crowd of people for a sign. Many unfamiliar names are on signs people are holding but none I don't see my name anywhere.

"Is that her?"

"I don't know check the picture." I pay no attention the the busy voices in the airport and focus on finding a sign that has my name. Maybe they spelt it wrong.

"I think it is, hold up the sign." suddenly I catch sight of a familiar word. Actually, there were two: Mirabelle Fright.

I slowly walk to my name and my new roomates behind it. They lower the sign and two young men smile at me. They're no older than my brother. It takes me a second to realized I'm staring at Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles.