Surfing Midland (Complete/ First draught).

Chapter 2

The ride out to the airport was boring and long, my mother didn't say much, and I resorted to listening to my iPod. My mom had warned that my dad was not a huge fan of gadgets, I'd warned her that if anyone even tried to confiscate my iPod, laptop or cell phone, I would throw the biggest hissy fit anyone had seen this side of the American/ Canadian border.

Instead of dropping me at the front doors and leaving as I had expected my mom instead found a park, paid for it and helped me with my bags. That might sound like normal adult behaviour but this was a complete turn around for the woman I had assumed would get someone else to drive me out to the airport and help me with my bags.

While we were walking to the terminal, I thought about something to say to fill the silence between us. Sure there was the sound of traffic, the occasional honking horn, breaks screeching, people yelling and the like but my mom and I hadn't spoken since breakfast. She didn't even need to tell me when to go down to the car; I instinctively knew when it was time to go just by the fact that she picked her keys up.

That was our relationship though, we never really spoke. "So I guess I'll be going to dad's for a few weeks?" The question automatically caused my mother to straighten a little, her lips pursed together a little tighter and she refused to answer the question. I don't know what was so hard to explain; it was either a yes or a no and by the silence I knew which my mother didn't want to say.

Sighing loudly we lapsed back into silence as we walked through the massive front doors of the terminal. Thankfully there were no lines, and within twenty minutes I had my boarding passes ready to fly to Great Falls, Montana.

"All right, you can call me when you're settled in at your father's; I'll either be at home or flying to New York for a business meeting." I rolled my eyes at what my mother said, I had no idea what her occupation even was, but it kept her busy most days and out of the house. Most of the time I don't even know why she had a home in California or why she hadn't shipped me off sooner.

"Be good for your dad and try to get along with what's her name." Nodding my head, I returned the hug my mom gave me. She wasn't much for hugging; they were rare when I was growing up and could only recall three instances of her hugging me without my having thrown myself at her.

"I'll just text you when I'm settled; I don't want anyone overhearing me. And I will be good, don't worry." I said as she pulled away from me, I blushed when I felt my mom pinch my cheek playfully then kiss the top of my head before she turned and walked away. She was the oddest woman I had ever known, and yet I still loved her, as a child loved their mother...but she was still weird.

Pottering around the terminal I entertained myself on my iPod and cell phone, I hadn't asked my dad if he had cell reception out on his ranch but prayed hard that he did. I had a lot of friends that text spoke to me at school, but none had known I was being shipped off, that was how quickly this had all happened.

When my flight was announced as boarding over the loud speakers I was one of the first in line, the last thing I wanted was to be stuck in line waiting for someone to stow their luggage in the overhead lockers. It was always older people and business men and women that took the longest, usually trying to shove a travel suitcase into a small space. Or wanting to take something out while on the aeroplane, it was insanely stupid.

You would think people who travelled more often knew to take things out before getting on the plane, but no. They liked holding up the traffic, and by the time I reached my seat, there was already another person in it, when I motioned that I had the window chair she smiled and attempted to wave me to her aisle chair. I hated isle seats though and stood my ground.

The older woman seemed a little surprised, "I'm sorry, but I like the window." I stated as she got up and moved to her chair, her whole demeanour changed and she offered me no smile or even room to squeeze past her. Instead of trying to shape-shift around her legs I bumped into them a few times before collapsing into my seat. Offering her a triumphant smile I buckled myself in and turned to the window.

As expected, the flight was long and incredibly boring. The nibbles they handed out weren't enough to fill a hungry person stomach, luckily for me; my mother had force fed me enough to feed an elephant so hungry I was not and instead stowed the snacks away in my school bag.

When the plane landed at the other end I stretched and stood; my school bag was the only thing I took on to the plane with me so I was ready to go as soon as the grumpy woman would get out of my way. Too bad for me she had some vendetta against me now and made a point of taking her time. Though as soon as her butt left her seat, I was pushing past her into the aisle, it was rude, but I'd had about enough of her.

I didn't apologise as I followed the flow of the crowd off of the plane and down into the terminal. It took me a few moments to get my bearings and even less time to locate my dad, standing there awkwardly outside my arrival gate.

A woman was standing with him and a few children; it was easy to see that the two older kids belonged to the lady and the two youngest were theirs together. How I knew what my dad looked like, I don't know. My mom had waved a worn photo at me a few days ago, and I had studied it for the better part of ten minutes, trying to figure out what he would look like now.

It took my dad a while to spot me; I didn't blame him. I wasn't the chubby baby he had left behind. Instead, I was tall...a little on the thin side and tanned. Surfing had helped me develop and keep a toned body, I guess now that I was here I would need to take up another sport, but I was yet to decide what.

"Hey kiddo, how was your flight?" My dad asked he didn't give me a chance to respond as he pulled me into a tight hug. That caught me by surprise; I guess because my mom wasn't huge on hugging I had become less accustomed to it and pulled away from my dad before he was ready to let go.

"It was all right, how'd you know what I looked like?" I asked curiously, here I thought I would be able to surprise my dad but he obviously had the upper hand as he waved his phone in my face.

"Your mom sent me a picture of you after dropping you off this morning." Narrowing my eyes at the answer, I thought back to when my mother could have snapped a pic of me without my realising. There were a few times, and I realised that she probably hadn't been doing business on her phone when she ordered me to smile.

"That sneaky woman, so why is everyone here?" I tried keeping the distaste from my voice, but here I was. Standing face to face with the woman and family that had replaced me and my mom, the family that kept my dad from visiting me or even sending me a happy birthday message.

"Oh yeah, I guess you wouldn't know who anyone is. Trisha is my wife, and these are our four kids, that's Valerie, Justin, Juliette and Henry is the youngest. And we're expecting baby number five any week now." Valerie looked at me like I had the plague, Justin just didn't look at all like he cared and Juliette and Henry looked like they wanted to fight with each other.

All in all this family looked about as normal as they came but I would need to keep my eyes on Valerie, the way her eyes narrowed as she looked me up and down had a bad feeling settling in my stomach.

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Okay I realize there are no direct flights from California to Big Falls (Great Falls) in Montana, but this is the way I've written the story and that's the way it will stay :)