The American Ninja

Chapter Six

I sighed inwardly as I dug through my closet and threw some comfy clothes intoy suitcase that lay on my bed. One thing that is bugging me is mom; something is wrong, but she's not telling me what.

My cell phone rang. It was one of those old, chunky flip-phones. The color of dark steel, but I am not one who uses cell phones anyway.

"Hello?" I say into the phone, holding it in between my shoulder and ear as I stuff clothes into my baggage.

"Gemma? Is this Gemma Karr?"

"Uh, yeah. Who's this?"

"Carson! Listen," He says, "I am coming to pick you up in ten, okay? We are gonna go to the airport together."

"Together," I echo, "Why?"

"You said your parents didn't trust you witha car because you always want to run people over. Well, your never gonna make it to the airport in time if you walk."

"Walk? Who said I was walking? I have a perfectly carbuncle mother who is planning on driving me," I snap. I'm independent, and don't like owing anyone anything, or asking for favors. But, then again, he did offer me...

"Have you ever ridden in a Mustang before, Gemma?" Carson asks. Whoa, hold the phone! He has a Mustang?!

"No," I say, my jaw hanging open. I was suddenly grateful he couldn't see me. I must look like a mess, my hair, my clothes--- why do I care? It's just Carson.

"Do you want to?"

"Yes," I breathe.

"Great! I'll pick you up in ten minutes," he says happily and hangs up the phone.

~~~

"Call me a soon as you can!" Mom yells as I walk out the front door. I roll my eyes, good thing she knows I'm not a ninja! My face breaks into a crooked grin. Man, I can't even think about being a ninja with a straight face.

"Mom," I moan, "I will!" Just as I say that, a crimson colored Mustang pulls to a stop in front of me. The tinted windows roll down to reveal Carson's handsome face. His sun glasses were on the bridge of his nose as he looked up at me, his dark green eye shinning.

"Get in," he says.

~~~

The car ride was a long one, Carson had the radio on and was listening to rap---which, frankly, I can't stand---and I was practically kissing the ground when we got to the airport.

"Miles is over there," Carson said, pointing to the tall boy leaning on the hood of a junked up car. "And Tyonna should already be inside somewhere."

I nodded and grabbed my stuff from the back, I had packed as lightly as possible; a rolly suitcase and back-pack. I tugged my stuff over to Miles, where he grinned at me and Carson. Miles was tall and skinny, but you could tell he was fast. His hair was a dark gold that glinted in the sun.

"Hey, Carson," Miles said, ingnoring me completely. The two grinned at eachother the way boys do; as if the could read eachother's minds. I waved my hand infront of their faces.

"Can we get moving or are you two going to stand there grinning at one another like a couple if idiots? December twenty-forst is comeing up and I am sure it will be the most annoying day in internet history. My point being, I have better things to do."

Carson grumbled something and we got moving. See? This is how you get things done.

We went through all of that clearence crap, Miles was now pressing the elevator button. When the doors clanked open, the elevator was crowded. I smiled, there was always something I wanted to do in an elevator full of strangers... I have always wanted to say---in an elevator full of strangers--- 'I bet you wondering why I have gathered you all herr today!' So I did just that: