I was born in the small town of Janesville Wisconsin, or so I was told. You don't really remember much from your first three months alive. My grandparents bought us a fairly nice house when they heard I was going to be born, but our family just couldn't pay the bills. My father is a substitute teacher and my mother is unemployed. We had to sell the house to pay off our debt. We then moved to Madison, thenf Milwaukee, and on and on. I never stayed in the same place long enough to make any friends. I was always "Nora, that new girl" or "oh, it's her" . All I had was my cloths, a few possessions, and a pair of skis that have been in my family for generations.
You see, skiing is my one true passion. The only place I seem to fit in is on the slopes. I started when I was 12 when the skis first fit me, and I would go to Granite Peak or Cascade every weekend in the season to ski. Now, seven years later, I am the one to beat on the slopes. I spin and flip. I rock at moguls and am the fastest downhill skier, even on double black diamond hills.
Over the past three years I've been working at a local rock climbing gym to stay in shape and to raise money to do something better with my life. I've decided to follow my dreams and use that money to move to Los Angeles. The weather is warmer then freezing Wisconsin and, surrounding mountains are higher, including the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. It may be a long drive, but it will be worth it.
Today is the day I'm moving. I have bought an apartment to live in and an ready to leave. I've been living on my own for two years now and I'm going to love being miles away from my parents. My stuff is packed. I take one last look in the mirror to gussy up. I straighten my wave blond hair and make sure my makeup is perfect. I never know who I will be sitting by on the plane, and I might meet someone famous. You never know with L.A.
At the airport it takes all of my strength not to buy every overpriced item on the shelves. I have a doughnut and orange juice from a cafe right before they started announcing that you can now board the 7:00 flight to Los Angeles. I half walk half run to the plane before flashing my tickets at the person behind the desk and boarding the airplane. My seat is nice. It is fairly soft and right next to a window. I texted my final goodbyes to people I know before I am forced to turn off all electronics.
"Please fasten your seat-belts. We are about to takeoff," said an annoying woman's voice over a speaker. I did as I was told right before noticing that a person has taken the seat next to me. He looks around my age with just slightly reddish brown hair that falls just below his ears. I tap on his shoulder to get his attention.
"Hi! I'm Nora Temple," I tell him.
He replies with "Hey Nora, I'm Ellington Ratliff. Nice to meet you."
