"Mom, I swear it will be fine," I said, slowly breathing out.
"You don't have to go, you know," she said, tears brimming her eyes.
"You need to do something with your life too," I said, looking her in the eye. "Plus, you'll get to spend some more time with Greg."
"I know," she answered sniffing. "I'm just going to miss you so much!" She finally let out a sob and hugged me. I sighed and held her close and let her have her cry.
"I'll come back to visit! I swear!" I promised to her. "Look, I have to go, my plane is going to leave soon." She let go reluctantly, and I turned to walk towards my terminal.
"I love you, Isolde!" she cried after me. I turned around, and flashed her a quick smile before rounding the corner to go through customs.
It took a while before I actually made it to my terminal, finally able to relax before my flight. My flight would leave in an hour and a half, and I was excited, yet nervous to be on it. I pulled out my novel from my carry-on, and started to read.
"Flight A253 to Vancouver, now boarding," came a monotone female voice over the loud speaker. That was me. I sighed again, and put my book back into my carry-on. I got up, and got into line to board the plane. The person at the counter politely enough asked to see my ticket, and I show them. The wished me well, and I was on my way, down the long hall to the plane.
When I got onto the plane, I had to show another person my ticket. They again, politely told me where I was supposed to sit. I went down the row, and found my seat in J1I got out my book again, and threw my carry-on over head. I had a window seat, which was great. I would be able to see the world fly by below me.
About 15 minutes went by, and I was still sitting by myself in my set of two seats. Then, someone appeared beside me.
"Looks like we are seat buddies," she said, scaring out of my book. She laughed, and threw her carry-on in the compartment above me. She plunked herself down, and turned to look at me.
"So, why are you going to Vancouver?" she asked politely. I put my bookmark in my book and put it in the pouch in front of me.
"Um," I answered, "I am going to private school there." She gasped. "What is it?" I asked.
"Don't tell me you are going to Starden's School for Boys and Girls!" she squealed.
"Uh, yes, that's where I am going," I said tentatively.
"That's where I go!" she squealed again. She bounced a little in her seat as the Pilot's voice came over the loud speaker. The plane started to move. "What's your name?! I'm Mandy Chase!" she squealed, yet another time.
"I'm Isolde Scott," I answered. This girl was annoying.
"What grade are you in?" she asked me. I had better answer her questions before she asked them, or I was going to go deaf.
"I am in grade 12, and I am going to Starden's because my mom wants to be able to tour with her rocker boyfriend, which I don't mind, because I want her to be happy. And if I am in Vancouver, then she doesn't have to worry about me," I told her.
"Ohh," she said in the way only a valley girl can. "We're going to be such great friends! Why haven't I seen you at Starden's before?" she asked. I don't think she figured out that it was my first year there.
"Well, I was going to private school in Winnipeg, but that is too close to home, so I found one in Vancouver that I thought my mom would approve of, and so she is sending me." I closed my eyes and leaned back as the plane took lift. This was the worst part.
When we finally got into the air, Mandy couldn't stop telling me about Starden's. I only caught about one in eleven words she was saying. I was too busy thinking about being the new kid, once again.
I was home schooled until I was fifteen. I started school in Winnipeg going into grade 10, and I wasn't greeted very warmly. I was the outcast for the first year. I made a couple of friends, and I was disappointed to be giving that up, but it was best for my mom.
"Isolde!" Mandy was calling me. I shook my head and ground my eyes free from the sleep.
"What's up?" I asked her, still groggy.
"You fell asleep!" she exclaimed. I shrugged in a way that suggested that I didn't care. She went on to explain. "I was trying to point out to you a couple of other people in our class!"
"Oh," I answered. "Alright, who is there?" Again, she started pointing out random people on the plane. Again, I only caught about one in fourteen words. This girl talked fast. I inputted random nods and yeses whenever she looked at me for a reaction.
The pilot's voice again came over the intercom. It said that we were going to land in a few minutes. I silently said thank you, and buckled my seat belt up.
When we finally landed, I tried to say good bye to Mandy, but she tagged along at my elbow, through customs, and when we were picking up our luggage. I had hoped to be rid of her, but no such luck. We finally made it outside into the crisp air, and hailed a taxi. We might as well split, we were going to the same place.
When we finally got to the school, it was breathtaking. The school looked like it was built at the turn of the 19th century. It was huge, and beautiful. There were several similar looking buildings, all on the same campus.
"Are you staying on campus?" Mandy asked me. I nodded and she let out a squeal and loud "Me too!" I smiled faintly and followed her. She walked into the building the taxi had taken us to, and the inside of the building was as beautiful as the outside. Marble everywhere, and area rugs of rich colour everywhere. It made the front hall look big and inviting, instead of cold and scary. Mandy walked up to the front desk, and talked to the woman behind it, getting her room number.
"May I help you," the woman asked me. She looked stern, but gentle.
"I'm Isolde Scott," I said quietly. "I'm looking for my room assignment." The woman nodded and clicked a few things on her computer. Finally she told me I was in room 427, and handed me a key, and a map.
"What room are you in?" Mandy asked me. "I'm in room 216."
"427," I answered, staring at my map of the residence. "I'll see you later, then?" I said to Mandy, and she nodded as she pushed the button for the elevator. We took the same elevator, her, to the second floor, me to the fourth.
According to my map, there were 30 rooms per floor. Some were singles, and some were doubles. Each room was set up as a suite. I was in a double, so my suite would have two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room.
I got to my floor, and walked out of the elevator, and down the hall, scanning to room numbers. At the end of the hall was my room. I got out my key, and opened the door. My suite was gorgeous. Warm colours, the living room right when you get inside. When you turned to the right, there was the sparkling kitchen, and through the living room, there were three doors, one on the right, and two on the left. I inspected each, finding a bedroom on the right, and a bathroom, and another bedroom on the left.
I picked the bedroom on the right. I loaded my stuff into the room, and fell onto the bed, instantly falling asleep.