Goodbye, my love // a.i.

Chapter 5

"Do you want something to eat? It's nearly three o'clock," my mother says to me while we are sitting in the airport lobby in Atlanta, Georgia.

"I'm not hungry," I reply shaking my head.

"Come on, you have to eat something. I'm going to get something to eat, and you're coming with me, and you will get some food. Alright?" she says, even though we both know that I have no choice.

"Fine," I sigh, standing up with her and we walk to the food center. There's three signs to our left that say "Wendy's", "Burger King", and "Subway" with arrows pointing down the corridor.

"You want Wendy's?" my mom asks.

"Sure," I whisper sarcastically.

We walk to the small Wendy's restaurant and wait in the line. As the line gets shorter, we move forward, until we are at the front.

"Welcome to Wendy's. What would you like?" the cashier asks us with a smile.

"I want a regular chicken burger combo meal," my mom tells the lady behind the cash register, then turns to me.

"I'll just have the same thing," I say.

"Okay, that will be eight dollars and seventy-two cents," the cashier says, and my mom hands her a twenty dollar bill. She puts the twenty in the cash register and gives my mom the change.

We shift over to the other side where there is an empty counter and saying, "Enjoy!"

My mom smiles in return.

I push my way throughto the section of chairs where our carry-on bags are. As I walk, a wave of drowsiness overwhelms me. Until then, I hadn't noticed how tired I am. Once I sit down, I must fall have fallen asleep because I jump when I hear, "Flight 342, now boarding" over the intercom. I grab my back and walk with my mom toward the plane waiting for us.

***

"Ashli, we're here!" my mom says, tapping my arm.

I take my earbuds out of my ears, and look out the window to see the sun shining bright. I check my iPod and the time says it's twelve o'clock. I totally forgot about time changes.

We walk in a line down the airplane's drop-down stairs and I see the huge LAX sign.