A/N: So, I wrote this, at the spur of the moment. Haha. And the full summary is below. And, I think that's it! Haha, I'm not really sure about this story, but I'll try to update. I'm going to need some reviews though, just to let me know if it's good or bad or something. Anyone hear about that virus? It starts with a C or something…not sure exactly what to do about it. I updated the…haha…the Windows Update stuff just now. Haha, and it's pretty weird. So, I'm thinking, just transfer all your stuff onto a USB and I think maybe, I'll delete all the history on the internet. I hear it can steal passwords from websites you logged into before. So, I guess this new computer is going to turn new-ish all over again! Dude, that thing is super smart, I don't know why people make these viruses anyways. It's like…killing computers. Hahaha, it was so funny cause I read some blog about it and I felt like I was reading about a new human disease that will erase human minds away. Hahaha. Well, I guess that's not too funny. But you can read this and it'll make me happy!
"Mom!" It started with a yell; a yell from Gabriella Anne Montez's mouth. The sound traveled from her vocal chords to her throat, making its way out of her mouth. Then it traveled from her room, down the stairs and to the kitchen, where Elena Montez was standing. As the sound rang, it made a path to Elena's ear, alerting her that her daughter needed her.
Elena Montez sighed and put her knife and onion down on the cutting board. She walked up the stairs and through the hallway towards Gabriella's room. "What do you need?"
"Mom! Look!" Her 18 year old daughter pointed and jumped at the same time at the computer screen. On the screen were pictures of random students. Elena scrolled her eyes down the screen until she saw the face of her daughter. In panic, she looked at the top of the screen reading the title, Stanford: High-School Senior All-Summer Academics Program.
"Oh my! Gabriella, dear! This is wonderful! "She ran over to hug her daughter.
"Mom, it starts in 2 weeks. I have to pack! I have to, we have to, oh my gosh, we have so much to do! Mom, I can't do this! I don't have all the supplies, I can't pay for it! Mom, we can't pay for this! Oh, I shouldn't go anymore, I can't go anymore, too much money, we can afford this right?! Right mom?" Gabriella stopped pacing and stopped, staring at her mom.
"Gabriella Anne Montez! You are going to this program whether you like it or not! This is a great opportunity! A once-in a lifetime chance! Gabriella, you are going to Stanford for a special summer program! I want you to go. You have to go." Elena put her hands on her daughter's shoulders, he daughter who was more like a best friend to her. She pushed her towards the screen of the computer and clocked on Gabriella's picture. She sat Gabriella down on the chair, "Look, that's you. That's your picture."
Gabriella sat still and looked at it, her mom was right. "You are going to that program, and you are going to top the business of dogs! Pickle Juice?" Gabriella smiled.
"Cranberry Seed." And it was decided, she was going to the summer program.
***
TWO WEEKS LATER
"You have everything right? You have your toothbrush?"
Gabriella smiled, "Check."
"What about a pillow, did you bring your pillow?" Gabriella leaned in forward and hugged her mom.
"I have everything, I've even got my cell phone, "She held up her blue and black flip phone showing it to her mom, "I'll call every second I can. I love you."
"Oh, I love you baby. Be safe."
Flight AA5 boarding. Gate 4B. Albany, New York to San Francisco, California, no boarding. Gate 4B.
Gabriella gave her mom a nervous smile. She was going to spend a whole 3 months without her mom, her best friend. What the good part was that she had just moved to Albany making it easier for good-byes. Less people to miss.
She gave her mother one last hug before giving her ticket to the lady at the gate and walking through a sudden feeling of emptiness hitting her stomach. She tugged on the string of her backpack feeling queasy about being all alone. She'd heard about the disasters that happen on a plane. She stopped in her walk negotiating in her head whether or not to turn back. Would you rather be in the air, or on solid, safe ground? The imaginary scale weighed, with safe, solid ground broke the floor. She turned on her heel.
Flight AA5, Albany, New York to San Francisco, California. Last minute passengers.
She groaned and turned back around running to the plane. Once she put her bag in the casket above the seats, she sat down on her assigned seat, D23, the middle of the three-row. Uncomfortably, she slipped her shoes off and put her feet up. She took out her iPod and a book. As she slipped on her earphones and chose Shuffle, she opened her book to the last chapter she had read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (I don't own).
"Chapter 8: The sun was up so high when I waked, that I judged it was after eight o' clock. I laid there in the grass and the cool shade, thinking about things and feeling rested and ruther comfortable and satisfied. I could see the sun out at one or two holes, but mostly it was big trees all about, and gloomy in there amongst them." (Excerpt from: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)
She turned away from her book when she heard, "Ahem." A male voice cleared his throat, "My seat is D22, the window-seat." I just looked up at him and stared. He had the bluest eyes and sandy colored hair. His plain white shirt showed his abs perfectly and his arms flexed a bit as he held up his bag. "Hello?" He chuckled at me then put his bag in the casket next to mine.
I turned my head immediately and went back to my book trying so hard to read but all I could see were words, not sentences. There were freckled places on the ground… I began to think about him again. I shook him out then went back to reading. There were freckled places on the ground…
"Um, miss?" The boy! Now there were two of them, the blue-eyed boy and a boy with an afro. They looked at me blankly then at each other.
"Sorry, I was just reading. And then…I think I forgot. But, I could get up. I mean," I took off my head phones and closed my book, putting them in my small bag then getting up. I scooted in between them as they moved apart to let me stand.
"Thanks." He sat down on his seat and started right away, playing with his PSP. I took my seat and got comfortable again. It was harder than the first time, especially since I was so unfortunate as to have to sit next to two boys.
The boy with the afro sat down after me then introduced himself as the blue-eyed boy kept on with his PSP.
"I'm Chad." He stuck his hand out towards me and I gently shook it. "I'm Gabriella."
"Oh! That's cool! You know, there's this girl in my class, her name is Gabrielle! Isn't that cool, your names are so alike; so close!" He smiled frantically while his hair shook with his bouncing.
"You're scaring her dude. Lay off." The blue-eyed boy, still looking at his PSP, fought with Chad.
"Oh, at least I'm talking to her, you and your PSP. I'm starting to think maybe that thing is your best friend. What about me?" Chad said. Then Troy sighed, turned off his PSP, and looked at me.
"Hi, I'm Troy. That's Chad. And you are…?"
"I'm Gabriella."
"Hmm…Gabriella…"He thought for a while, "That's a pretty name." He turned back to his PSP. Chad tapped me on the shoulder and smiled.
"I think he has the hots, for you." He whispered. As he said hots, he put his hands up as if he was raising the roof. I blushed and looked down suddenly remembering my iPod and book.
I slipped my earphones on and started to read again. There were freckled places on the ground…
"Gabriella?"
I put my book down and in the pocket of the chair in front of me knowing I wasn't going to be doing any reading on this ride. "Yes Chad?"
He smiled, "Can I call you Gabster?"
"Sure."
"Okay, Gabster, what were you reading there?"
"Um, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
"What, are you doing some reading program or something? Is it one of those things at the library when you fill up charts when you finish a book or something? Is there a cash prize? A pizza coupon?"
I laughed, "No, I just decided that I wanted to read it, again. It's a pretty good book actually. Not boring."
He gasped, "How do you do that?" He said it slowly as if it was unbelievable.
"Um…" I laughed again, I like him already, "I just…read it?" I smiled. He looked away from me and leaned forward to talk to Troy who had put his PSP away and was looking out the window. We had already left the ground and I hadn't noticed.
"Troy!" Chad stage whispered, "This girl, Gabriella or Gabster," he smiled at me again to show he didn't mean any offense, which I didn't take, "yeah, well, she's reading Huckleberry Finn for…fun."
Troy just looked at me and I found myself blushing again. I don't want him to think I'm weird or anything.
"Well, "I protested, "not exactly for fun, just for, well. For contentment." I said.
"Contentment means happiness. Happiness basically leads to fun. So, you're reading a literature book for contentment and fun? That's like…twice the fun of it for you!" Chad looked at me disbelievingly.
Troy shook his head then Chad, "So what you traveling to California for? Troy and I are actually going to Stanford for a High-School Senior All-Summer Basketball Program." I stared at him in disbelief.
"Really? I'm going to the Stanford High-School Senior All-Summer Academic Program." We just looked at each other.
"Wait, so that means we'll have all summer together?! No way! Gabster, this'll be awesome. I like you already Yo! Isn't this going to be awesome Troy?" Chad had a full-out burst of joy right then.
"Yeah." He looked at me, I'm not exactly sure where he was looking, but it wasn't my face. I felt like shrinking. I felt like wilting like a flower under the magnified sun. I felt like…I felt l like I was blushing. I turned away again not being able to take his look.
"You know, Troy only does that for girls he has the hots for." Chad whispered to me knowingly with the same smirk on. I slumped in my chair a little before closing my eyes. Only 4 hours and 30 minutes left. Only 270 minutes left.
***
ONE HOUR AND 7 MINUTES LATER
I moaned and slid down my chair to stretch like a always did after a long movie, but in this case, a long nap. I stood up and stretched. I had a warm kind of feeling inside me, the kind that makes me feel like sweating. I wiped the sides of my mouth to check for any drool then sat back down in my chair with a huff, feeling new and refreshed.
I looked to my right to see Troy sitting in his chair staring hard at me. "What?"
"Nothing, it's just that you were all quiet and then you just…I don't know. You made that sound and then practically slid down the chair…then you stood up. I just thought you were possessed or something."
For the first time, Troy had said really long sentences to me and for some reason, it made me happy, so I smiled.
"What are you smiling about? I practically just insulted you." He looked surprised and for some reason, amazed or something.
"Oh, I don't know. I guess you just, I mean, you just talked to me after—"I paused, "Wait, how long have I been asleep?"
"Probably an hour or so, but I don't really know." He chuckled, "I don't time people when they sleep." I blushed, of course he wouldn't have known. Stupid me.
"Yeah. Sorry."
"Yeah, do you were saying?"
"Oh, yeah! Um I was just amazed that you talked to me because you hadn't really been…talkative." I was at a loss for words.
"We've only known each other for about an hour." He paused, "or so." He raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, don't laugh, I'm just saying." I slumped again and looked to my left. Chad was gone. "Um, where's Chad?"
"Oh, Chad? Yeah, he went to the PR."
"Oh…" I sat back down half confused at what he'd just said. PR, was that like…where you bought the drinks or food or stuff? Did he…go to..the portal? Okay, what the heck am I thinking?! I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion. Maybe PR stood for…Past Rain? Or something like that. I didn't realize that Troy was still watching me. And as if he'd just read my mind, he answered.
"The PR is…"he leaned over to whisper in my ear, "Potty Room." I burst out laughing after hearing this.
I pointed at Troy trying to hold in my laughter, "The…the—" I spit out my laughter, and I imagined in my head a huge balloon being let go letting it fly around freely. Weird, but that's exactly how I felt. I hadn't laughed like this in a long time.
I finally calmed myself down to look at Troy who was flushed, the red tint on his cheeks growing deeper. "The…The—" I laughed ginormously again, "Potty Room!" I said it whiling laughing. I felt tears coming out of my eyes, the funniness not leaving.
It wasn't really that Potty Room was so funny to die, it was the fact that here was a 18 year old like myself telling me that his best friend is in the Potty Room. Who calls it that anyways? And how could I have thought it was Past rain or a Portal?
I laughed some more until I felt his hand cover my mouth. "Shut up Gabriella! People are starting to stare!"
I looked around the plane and sure enough, there were all the people. The ones who were awake and the people that had just been awoken stared at us appalled. I slowly closed my open mouth feeling Troy's hand on my lips.
He pulled his hand back quickly and just looked from my lips to his hand. He closed his eyes and I couldn't take it anymore; I looked away and frowned. "I'm sorry Troy. I didn't mean to." I thought of saying that to him but even just a simple sorry would have been awkward. At least, awkward to me. I practically had just kissed his hand.
Just then, at that exact moment, Chad came back and plopped down on his seat. "So, what'd I miss?" He eagerly smiled wanting to hear something exciting.
I peeked at Troy but all he did was fidget in his seat, putting his legs up and holding his backpack on his lap. Once he found a comfortable spot, he looked at the window, then dug in his backpack for something interesting, ignoring Chad's question all together.
I sighed and answered, "Nothing."
"Oh, I just thought maybe you guys would have at least talked." He shrugged his shoulders and just looked at me and Troy expecting one of us to talk. But none of us did.
I realized that I had nowhere to turn, on my right was Troy and on my left was Chad. I knew Chad wanted to talk but I wasn't up for it. And Troy, gosh, I'm embarrassed to even look at him. So I put my head down in between my legs studying the carpet designs.
It was just plain business carpet, not the soft and fuzzy kind, but the one that was just flat and hard, nothing comforting at all.
A/N: And review please! Tell me if it was soo boring you wanted to puke your guts out from it. Just, tell me all the bads and goods about it! Tell me new ideas! Tell me everything! Tell me how to protect my computer! Hahaha, well, this is weird now. I've noticed that I write really long author's notes and stuff. SO, REVIEW AND TELL WHAT YOU YOU THINK! :]
--Kaycee.