Her Heart Belongs in California

One

Jo's POV

"Greetings all of my phenomenal readers,

I will be traveling for the next two months, and service will definitely be spotty. This leads to a decrease in poems being posted and for that, I apologize. I will be continuing to write, but they won't be posted as they are completed. I appreciate your patience!"

-J

7:21pm May 31, 2017
3560 Penny Lane
Raleigh, North Carolina 27513

My fingers skipped across the keyboard to type the short message to my Tumblr followers. As soon as I clicked the "Post" key, my bedroom door flew open revealing my mother with an enthusiastic expression that slightly intimidated me.

"Are you done packing Joanna?" She asked intruding my room looking around then seeing my empty suitcase in front of my computer on my bed. Her expression fell and her lips tightened and I just knew the eruption that was about to occur. "Jo! We leave tomorrow! What are you thinking? We have our flight at 5am tomorrow, quit being on that damn computer and pack." She shook her head once more and slammed the door behind her.

The first thing that was placed into the black suitcase was my laptop and charger. I didn't mind packing, I always lay out my outfits anyways. I honestly couldn't wait to travel, but I'm a "we can rush it all in one night" kind of gal and not many can understand that aspect of me.

3:26 am June 1, 2017
3560 Penny Lane
Raleigh, North Carolina 27513

Footsteps rose the staircase quickly causing my heavy eyelids to flutter awake until a hand gripped my door handle to yank it open. Slow steps approached by bed and the person sat on the side of the bed to calmly rub my back. I instantly knew it was my mother, she just had that warm touch. Before she could whisper good morning, I slowly sat up in the bed. Her thin lips curled into a smile as I looked at her, the hallways light gave her a glow.

"Get dressed girly, everything is already in the car."

4:32 am June 1, 2017
Raleigh-Durham International Airport
2400 John Brantley Blvd.
Morrisville, NC 27560

The excitement came over my body as if I lay on the shore of a beach and allowed the waves to consume me. My parents knew the positive energy that was bubbling inside of me because that made them smile. The light in my eyes must have spoken the words that I simply didn't because they did for me.

"California is going to be everything you wanted and more." My dad whispered to me with a smile painted on his face. I nodded my head returning the kind smile.

I watched as the plane took off from the ground and it felt as if I was on a roller coaster going only up and the darkness filled the sky, but the city lights contrasted it. The rising sun faintly showed revealing a stunning scene.

My parents fell asleep rather quickly which just meant that I could get some easy writing complete and the scenery was definitely inspiring.

A few hours later, my parents woke up and read a few of the plane magazines, quite boring. My dad bumped my shoulder to grab my attention, his eyes glanced from me to my writing journal.

"Good thing you brought your journal, your computer won't work in the woods." He chuckled, but it was far from funny to me.

"The woods? I thought you said service would be spotty at the house." Clicking my pen back and shutting my book, I looked straight into his face.

"I guess your mom didn't tell you that we're camping for 5 days in Yosemite!" His eyes were still glued to the airplane menu and glanced up at me. I'm assuming my jaw was dropped because he closed the magazine. "It's a good thing Joanna! You need to unplug." His arms were gestured into a rainbow above his head, but I could only let out a sigh. There was no way that I could survive five days without internet, it was how I could stand people for long periods of time. This was going to be a long week.

8:34pm June 1, 2017
3660 Rose Pike
El Dorado Hills, California 95762

The guest bedroom was nice overall, not necessarily my style, but it did its job. The purple walls and pink and white quilt was a definite difference from my own space. It looked like a Barbie Dream House in real life, but this wasn't my home. I quickly changed into some black leggings and an oversized tye-dye shirt then hopped onto the bed to plug in the charger and connect the MacBook. The door snapped open so I quickly hid the computer under the pink sheets before they could see it.

"Late dinner, you hungry?" My aunt, Ginna, said in her pajamas as well.

"No thank you, but thank you." My response was quick, but not suspiciously quick. She simply shrugged and walked out of the room.

As soon as her steps became quieter, another set came in my direction. As expected, it was my mom.

"Hey girly." Her lips were stuck in a smile as if she was guilty.

"Hello dear and loving mother." I was more goofy with her than anyone else. We were completely different people, but we were pretty close.

"I have some news and you may not be happy about it." Her lips tightened and a pang of frustration hit me.

"What?" The one worded question came out with a slight attitude just because whenever she does this, it means she has other things.

"Your dad and I aren't camping.. You, your cousin Johnathan and some of his friends I think, and your Aunt and Uncle." I just closed my eyes and kept my words to myself, I wasn't mad that I would be with my uncle and his wife, but my parents were leaving me once again.

"Where are you going then?" My voice was filled with sadness and curiosity, in my opinion, the worst combination.

"A winery tour.." Her voice trailed off and a sting of guilt filled her tone.

"Oh. Then why am I still going? I can go with you guys and just not drink." I suggested leaning my body in her direction.

"No Joanna. You're camping, you should spend time with your family. You don't get to see them often." She shook her head and sipped her coffee out of the white mug.

"Then spend time with your brother, and I'm going to be here for the next two months. I think I'll have time with them." I tried my best to sweetly suggest it, but my mom doesn't cave in so I don't know why I'm even trying.

"You're going Jo. You leave early tomorrow, you'll have fun." She began to walk out. "Remember to unplug." And with that aggravating statement she walked out.

As her back turned, I rolled my eyes and the door shut. I quickly pulled out the laptop from underneath the hot pink sheets and pulled up my page. There were 204 comments already on my last blog which was both expected, but also had an element of surprise.

"don't be gone too long. ):"

"I'm going to miss reading your poems every other day."

"Be safe."

"Bye."

Those simple comments were extremely significant, sometimes the online community was all I had. It was like having a perfect set of friends, they admire me. I was drawing attention to my feelings without drawing attention to me as a person and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Slowly, I close my laptop and stare outside the window. The view was extremely calming and I was already packed for camping. My hand grasps the sheets to pull them up to warm my body. Eventually, my eyes shut with peace surrounding me.