The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Chapter 9

"How did you get in here? What do you mean one hour?" she called out as she walked out to the kitchen where I was rummaging through the cabinets.
"Do you have any food in here?" I asked, avoiding her questions.
"Top cabinets and the pantry is over there," she said.
"Oh," I said.
I walked to the fridge. Then I found what I was looking for. Chocolate milk. The most amazing drink next to Gatorade. I walked to the pantry and found a box of mac and cheese. I got out a pot and filled it with water and turned the stove-top on. She watched every move I made. It was another couple minutes before she said another word.
"How did you get in here? The door is still locked," she asked.
"I used the other entrance," I said with a shrug.
"What are you talking about? There is no other..." she slowed her voice as her eyes got wide, "You didn't. I know you didn't go through that window."
"I did," I laughed.
"You're insane. You idiot, what were you thinking?! You practically scaled a building in nothing to save you but a Spider-Man hoodie. Coach is going to kill you!" she screamed.
"Sorry. I had to come get you," I shrugged as I dumped the box of dry pasta into the boiling water.
"So do I seriously have an hour? Why didn't you get me earlier?" she questioned.
"Sorry. I would have come earlier but due to unforeseen circumstances, it took longer than I had expected. And now you only have 45 minutes," I said.
"Fine. Wait here. I'll be ready in 15 minutes," she said in a slightly angry tone.
"We're going to Sydney," I called out to her.
"What?!" I heard, followed by frantic footsteps coming down the hallway.
I dumped the cooked pasta and water in a strainer and turned around. She was standing in the doorway.
"We are going to Sydney," I repeated. There was a small smile on my face.
"Sydney? As in the Sydney? Sydney, Australia?" she asked all at once.
"No. Sydney, China. Yes, we're going to Sydney, Australia," I said sarcastically.
She swung her arms around my neck and said, "This can't be happening. No way. I'm dreaming."
"You aren't. Now go get ready," I said. she left and I finished making the mac and cheese. Sure enough, she was ready in 15 minutes, just like she said she would be.
"Do I have everything? Phone? Charger? Toothpaste? Wallet? Passport?" she listed off.
"Yeah. You've checked everything three times already. Let's go," I said, trying to rush her along.
I practically pushed her out the door. I had mac and cheese in one hand and her bag in the other. I waited as she locked her door. We ran all the way to the hotel and we were just in time to catch the shuttle to the airport.
"Perfect timing," Coach said, nodding with approval.
"I'm never late," I said to Coach with a wink.
"I know. Now get in. Good to see you again, Alex," she said to the girl on my left.
We loaded up our bags in the back of the van. The ride to the airport took about 30 minutes. We got there right on time. But as long as the van ride took, the flight felt like it took a billion times longer. It was so boring, I felt like I was going to die. I sat there and watched highlights and replays from past games. I did that a lot. After that got boring, I decided to get some sleep. I fell asleep shortly. Alex was sitting next me.
I woke up to the speakers in the plane ringing loudly. I groaned at the noise.
"This is your captain speaking. We will be landing in Sydney shortly," the static male voice blared.
"Why do they make those things so loud?" I asked turning my head toward Makenna who was sitting to my left in the aisle seat.
"I don't know. Did it wake you up too?" she asked sleepily but laughing a little.
"Yes," I spat out, thoroughly annoyed. Makenna laughed again. "Wait, were you always sitting here?"
"No. Coach wanted to talk to Alex and she knew you would freak if someone wasn't sitting beside you so I volunteered," she explained.
"Oh. Well thanks. What did Coach want to talk to her about?" I asked.
She shrugged and said, "I don't know. I'm tired. Good night."
She rested her head on my shoulder and I didn't protest. She was knocked out in two seconds. I put her seat belt around her when it was time. She stirred but didn't wake up. 10 minutes later, we landed with a jolt but Makenna didn't wake up. I slowly unbuckled her. I slung my duffel bag over one shoulder and her backpack over the over. I carefully picked her up and carried her to the shuttle. I threw our stuff in the back and got in carefully. I sat her in the seat next to me and put her seat belt around her body. Her head slumped back on my shoulder. Geez, that girl slept like a rock. I smiled to myself and listened to my music until we got to the hotel.