New Story! Yay! Tell me what you think. :)

1.

Flight D7820, seat 10C (ORIG: NY, DEST: IL)

January 31st

10:15 AM

"Attention passengers! We are starting the preparation for landing. Please take your seats." The friendly pilot spoke in a faintly European accent. "We'll get you on the ground in about ten minutes."

Claire Lyons stared at the seat in front of her, still unbelievably pissed off at her father, who, to her luck, was seated right next to her. Not only had he uprooted her right in the middle of her 7th grade year, but he had also adopted the idea that it would be an adventure. Throughout the entire two-hour-and-fifteen-minute flight, he had tried to shove pictures of their new house, her new private school, even the dog that he planned to get Todd, her brother, in exchange for him ending his hunger strike. The hunger strike had started exactly five days ago, when Jay Lyons had broken the news of the move to his family & the Block family. Todd refused to eat anything, unless her dad changed his mind. Despite Todd's impressive promise, a promotion offer, and Claire's general declaration of hate; Jay hadn't budged.

And Claire loathed him for it. Jay Lyons had already pulled the moving trick the summer of last year, when he uprooted his family from their happy, simple life in Kissimmee, Florida, and moved them to Westchester, New York; an affluent suburb of New York. Not only was Claire deemed out the minute her Keds-and-overalls outfit crossed the state line, but she was ridiculed for it. And even worse, her father had refused to sell their quant Kissimmee home, leaving the Lyons to have to stay in his new boss and old-friend's guesthouse. Needless to say, Massie Block, his fashionable & gorgeous daughter had taken an immediate disliking to Claire. It had taken Claire two months to win her over. And now, this.

Just when she was beginning to enjoy life in New York. When she was finally a member of Massie's infamous pretty committee, with a long-standing invitation to exclusive Friday-night sleepovers and carpools in the Block's chauffeured Range Rover. When she actually had friends. But it was all taken away. Because Jay had gotten a "fantastic" opportunity in freaking Chicago. Not only was it hundreds of miles away, but it was in a completely different time zone.

With a loud screech, the plane wheels found the runway of O'Hare International Airport. Claire's eyes remained on the blue tweed-looking seat in front of her.

"Hello again. The local time is 10:30 AM, 11:30 from our origin. It's snowing, what a surprise! (chuckle). We hope you've had a great flight, and look forward to seeing you again. For those that Chicago is your final destination, we ask you to remain seated as-" Claire tuned the pilot out as she looked out the window for the first time since she boarded. True to what the man said, the small window was crusted with ice, and outside; a whirlwind of white blocked even the blinking lights of carts guiding the plane to the gate. It was insane. Claire missed Westchester's biting-but-dry-cold already.

"Isn't it beautiful!" Jay Lyons cried. "It's just gorgeous, don't you think Claire?" He put a hand on her shoulder. She resisted the urge to shake it off, merely giving him a death glare. Jay continued, oblivious. "A new beginning! You won't believe the house I bought, it's got…" Claire tuned him out to, more focused on turning her phone on. As a going away present, Massie had bought her the newest iPhone, insisting that she could text her at any time. Sure enough, there was a text waiting for her.

MASSIE: Starbucks in the morning isn't the same L

CLAIRE: Chicago is so boring. Already. And cold!

She attached a quick photo of the blizzard outside to the message. A ding reverberated throughout the plane, signifying the passengers right to stand up and grab their bags. Claire sat for a second, and then reluctantly got up. Jay got her Massie-hand-me-down Tumi roller from the overhead bin, and Claire immediately led the way off the plane silently. Claire heard the squeak of wheels and tiny stampeding feet behind her, and turned to face her brother. He was averagely tall, with flaming ginger hair and a petite check-pinching type of face.

"Hey." Claire sullenly slowed down.

"Will you cover for me?" Her ten-year-old brother squeaked. "I've got ten Twix bars that I swiped from first class. I want to eat a couple before we go."

"Yeah sure."

"Great!" Claire watched as her brother darted towards the smoking area in the airport. How he could eat (or breathe!) in the room astounded her. With a sigh, she turned back to watch the plane's passengers spill into the gate area. Quickly, Claire spotted her mother, mouth fixed into a hard line, trailed by a energetic Jay.

"It's going to be so great, you see, and this! Look! Snow!" Jay was practically shouted. Claire contemplated if she could dash into the ladies room before anyone made the connection that they were kin. "Isn't it great?"

"Hi honey." Judi Lyons's normally blue eyes were clouded with exhaustion. "Doing alright?"

"Yeah." Claire murmured, watching her father run to the window, pressing his palms flat as he stared at the blizzard.

"Good. Where's Todd?" Judi glanced around.

"Bathroom." Claire felt a tap on her shoulder. There stood her brother, waving at their mom. Except for the tiniest bit of chocolate in the corner of his mouth, there were no clues that he'd been eating. Her Mom appraised him, and opened her mouth to talk.

"Guys! No time to waste! None!" Jay sprung up behind them. "Let's get our bags and go!" Claire looked at him like he was insane, and then remembered herself and looked at the floor as Jay began half-walking-half-running towards the giant sign that proclaimed 'Baggage Claim'.

Day 1. Chicago sucks.

You know what to do :)