Estranged [DISCONTINUED]

One

The morning of the trip was stressful. Sami and I woke up at five to finish packing, but it was almost six o'clock before we finished slacking and actually began our work. Kathy wasn't there; she'd left for New York three days before and she wasn't coming back for at least a week.

"You're really bringing that?" Samantha questioned, breaking the still silence of the house as she stepped into my room. She motioned toward the small silver and gold lighter that I was flicking on and off near my suitcase.

I nodded casually, glancing up at her as she stood in my doorway. "Why wouldn't I?" That lighter was something my dad gave me two months before his disappearance. I'd mentioned something about how cool it looked and he'd then given it to me for my eleventh birthday. It used to have my name engraved into it with little synthetic diamonds, but they eventually chipped off and now the letters of my name were just little dots where the diamonds used to sit. The lighter meant more to me than anything I owned. Samantha knew I took it everywhere.

She paused before giving a fake, irritated chuckle. "You don't just take a lighter on a plane, Asi. They'll think you're a terrorist or something."

"Right, because a terrorist's weapon of choice is always a five dollar lighter."

"Just... Just leave it here. It'll be good for you."

"What if we need it?"

"Why would we need it?"

"You never know."

There was a pause, and we both just looked at each other, equally annoyed.

"If I can't take it, I'm not going." I said, giving a curt laugh after. I stood and dropped it in my bag. With that, Samantha rolled her eyes and slowly migrated down the hall, making her irritation obvious. I wasn't taking it seriously, though, as I could sense a bit of humor in her movements.

We bought breakfast pizzas and sodas at the corner store on our way to the airport. I got worried about the amount of money Sami'd taken, but she said she had it covered. We made good time getting to the airport, but it took probably an hour to get through all the lines. It was noon when we finally boarded the plane. To my surprise, it wasn't just a regular plane. It was like a private one or something. Whatever it was, the students who were invited were the only ones on it.

When we left, there were twelve of us, including me, Two-by, and Samantha. Pairs sat together, the advanced group of students and the person they chose to come with them. Sami and I sat together and Two-by went to sit in the front with a girl who didn't bring anyone. I think he liked her. I think she liked him. I never really knew why I felt a little jealous at that moment. I only thought of Two-by Cobb as a friend, if anything at all. I guess I just didn't like the way she looked at him when she laughed at one of his jokes.

"Hey Ginger," That was what some of the people who didn't like Sami called me. The deep male voice of Richard Jones startled me in my seat. I glanced over at Samantha, who was sleeping, then looked up to see Richard and his girlfriend standing beside my seat. I think her name was Carla or Carrie or something, I don't remember. Richard was really ugly. He was pale and blonde and had acne on top of his acne. He wasn't fat, but wasn't skinny. I never got why a pretty, popular girl like his girlfriend hung out with him.

"It's Asiago," I said in reply, annoyance clear in my voice.

"Oh, your mother must love cheese," Richard remarked, and Carla-what's-her-name snickered.

"What does your mom love, Dicky?" It took a moment for Richard to realize what I meant. He scrunched up his nose in disgust and was ready to spit something back at my use of the crude nickname, but the pilot came over the speaker and told everyone to prepare to land. If a glare could kill someone, the look Richard gave me as he walked away would've shot me right between the eyes. Fortunately, looks can't kill.

Nothing exciting happened over the next few days, the days we were in Argentina. We all took pictures and ate some pretty good food and did a scavenger hunt. Two-by and that girl he sat with rarely talked aside from the plane ride, which was strangely comforting to me. After three days in Argentina, we all boarded that weird private-like plane again and took off for Brazil. I was a bit excited for that one. I always had a sort of a fascination with Brazil. I don't know, I just kind of liked it. I always wanted to go there.

But after what happened over the course of the trip, I will never go back.