There are moments in my life I could say lead me up to this point. There are moments I could say helped me get on this plane, and travel the one thousand miles to this po dunk little town in Ohio. But there are also moments, I could say, that had I made a different choice, I would still be at home. I would be out with my best friends, shopping and having a good time. I would be snuggling next to the fireplace of my family's house with my boyfriend, happy, content, elated. I wouldn't be looking over my shoulder, waiting for something to happen. Waiting for someone to knock me down, run me over. I wouldn't be scared for my life.
Those moments are what define us, I guess. The choices we make, the twists and turns our life takes, lead us to who we ultimately are.
And at this current moment, I'm making the choice to try and not trip over some guys suitcase as I pull out of the row I'm seated in. I pull my phone out of my back pocket, holding the top button down until it turns on. I'm in the middle of checking my texts-none, as I kind of expected-when my phone starts blaring its ringtone. All the people in the immediate area give me a look, and I give them a snarky one back, pressing the talk button and holding the phone to my ear, trying not to fall as I wheel my suitcase down the small isle of the plane.
"Hello? Hello, honey, can you hear me?"
"Yeah, Aunt Judy, I can hear you."
"Hello? HELLO!" I pull the phone back from my ear, and smile and nod to the flight attendant at the end of the cramped corridor. "Piper, honey?"
"Aunt Judy," I say in a sing song voice.
"Oh, hello, dear. You've landed, I assume?" I follow the line of people down the hallway to the terminal, where I know she's waiting.
"Yep. I'm coming down the hallway right-
When I exit the cover of the hallway, its easy to spot Aunt Judy in the crowd waiting behind the glass wall. She's the only one not dressed in some sort of plaid or tee shirt-just like my mother, she refuses to dress down. Her eyes go wide, and she closes her phone, gesturing for me to come through the large doors dividing us. When I find my way through, she pulls me into a hard hug, one that says more than I'm sure she means it to. She doesn't let go for a few minutes, and I feel my eyes stinging with tears when she pulls back, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ears. "How are you, sweetie?" I nod, blinking and trying to make eye contact with anyone but her. I settle for looking down.
"I'm okay. It's been a rough couple of months, but…I'm out of there."
"Well, I'm so glad you're coming to stay with us." She picks up my suitcase, and we walk over to the moving luggage claim where bags are starting to fall down. "Quinn really wanted to be here, but she had-
"Play practice," I finish with a laugh, shaking my head. "It's fine, I totally understand." Aunt Judy smiled.
"And Agent Donovan will be at the house later tonight to fill you in on everything, once Quinn is back, they can both tell you about school and the other stuff that goes into this." I haven't seen Agent Donovan since the trial, and I smile at the thought of seeing her again. She'd been the rock I'd stood on for the last four months, and having her here in Lima would make things a lot easier.
"And you're sure me being here isn't going to put either of you out?" She gives me an odd look, obviously confused.
"Of course not, honey!" She laughs, and I jump when I see my bright blue suitcase, pulling it off the rotator and walking towards the car with her. "With Russell gone, the house is so empty-we could use your bubbly personality. And this is all Quinn has been talking about for the last couple of weeks. She's so excited to have her favorite cousin back in town." I smile to myself as I throw my suitcase-which weighs more than the both of us combined, probably-into the back of the car, and get in the front seat. She starts to drive away from the airport, and pats the top of my leg. "This schol will be a lot better than the last, I promise." I smile back at her, trying to stop my legs from shaking-a nervous habit I'd picked up from all this mess. And looking out at what was the farmland of Lima, Ohio, I let out a deep breath. This was far, far away from Texas; far, far away from people that want to hurt me; far, far away from a past full of secrets and lies and betrayal. But it was also far, far away from all my friends of years and family. And that would be the hardest thing to bare. But as Aunt Judy assures me as we drove the miles from the airport to their house, the kids of William McKinley High School are friendly, welcome people who are accepting to everyone.
I scoff a little on the inside. No school is that perfect.
Hey everyone! So, the intro to my first Glee fanfic :) What'd you guys think? Crappy? Rediculous? Amazing? All of the above? Aha. I was re-watching Mash Up with my dad (who's just as obsessed as I am now) last night, and Mr. Schuester's quote inspired me to write this. For those of you who don't remember, it's "Life is a series of moments. Little ones that add up to big ones that create who you are." And so Moments was born! Aha. Hope you guys liked it…more may be coming VERY soon.
XOXO Holly