Chapter two
Santa Carla. I blinked, staring down at the plane ticket I was holding along with a scrawled letter with handwriting I recognised as belonging to Sam. What was going on? Had Sam and Mel been planning this trip all along without me knowing? I shook my head and rolled my eyes, it was typical of them to plan something like this and then surprise me out of the blue. I shifted the ticket to my empty hand and proceeded to read the letter addressed to MM - Misty Meadows.
MM, please find enclosed your ticket for a return flight direct from Manchester Airport to Santa Carla, CA. Get your bags packed girl, we're going to California! I hope you're ready for the trip of a lifetime! Don't forget your bikini, I hope you've been keeping up with that diet of yours *wink wink* see you at the airport, we'll explain the rest then! Sam x
Ps. Don't be too mad, me and Mel were going to tell you... eventually ha ha.
I looked up from the letter and stood there letting it sink in. My two best friends had somehow managed to arrange an entire holiday without me knowing. Did my parents know about this? Were they in on it too? Strolling into the kitchen I set the letter down on the counter top and pulled up a chair so I could examine the ticket in more detail. The ticket stated that the flight would be departing from Manchester Airport on June 17th at 9am. June 17th, I had four days to pack and get myself mentally prepared for a 10 hour flight to California. Panic set in and I suddenly found myself contemplating tearing up the ticket and pretending this never happened. All the while I was busy thinking how the hell I was going to pull this off in four days, I had not noticed my dad enter the kitchen and take a seat opposite me at the counter.
"What ya got there kiddo?"
I jumped out of my skin, sending the ticket fluttering gracefully onto the wooden floor.
"Christ dad! You scared the living daylights out of me!" I yelled, holding a hand over my chest.
"I can see that," he smirked, pouring himself a cup of tea. "So what is it you have there then?"
"Erm, well I did have a plane ticket," I replied, straining over to retrieve the ticket without having to leave my seat.
"A plane ticket, is that so?" he replied mockingly. "Anywhere exotic?"
I could see it in his eyes and in the grin that was spreading across his face that I was right all along, my parents were in on this too. I rolled my eyes and slid the ticket along with the letter across the counter to him. He picked it up and began examining it just as I had, going over the small print and nodding his head as if in agreement. Taking a sip of his tea, he slid the ticket and the letter back across the counter to me.
"Sounds like you've got a busy four days ahead of you hmm?" he smirked and then burst out laughing. It must have been my facial expression that set him off. I wasn't very amused, sure I was excited to be going to California but in such short notice? I grabbed the ticket and letter off the counter with a hmph before storming over to the sink to get a glass of water. As I drank my mind began to do somersaults, wondering how I was going to have everything ready with only four days to do it in. I mean, did I even have a valid passport? As if reading my mind, dad spoke up.
"I know it's a bit short notice but me and your mum thought it would be a great birthday treat for you to go on holiday with your friends this year, seen as you'll no longer be a teenager anymore. We've sorted out your passport for you along with a new suitcase and a camera, so you can send your old man some photos," he winked. "It's all upstairs on your bed waiting for you."
I stood at the sink dumbfounded, they really had thought of everything. "Wow, I wasn't expecting this!" I said, rather relieved about some of the pressure being lifted from my shoulders.
"We just thought you might appreciate being with your friends more this year instead of us two oldies," he smiled warmly. "Although I must admit, your friends chose the location so don't blame me if it doesn't live up to your expectations," he chuckled.
I laughed and thought back to the plane ticket, Santa Carla, I definitely hadn't heard of it before.
"Well thanks a lot dad, I really appreciate the thought, even if I do only have four days to get everything sorted." I walked over to where he sat at the counter and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"No problem kiddo, just make sure you and your friends are sensible out there and don't be running off with any of those surfer boys, I've heard it's full of the sort over there," he raised an eyebrow before standing up and walking over to the sink to wash his cup.
I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Sure sure, I'll try not to. I can't promise anything though." I let out a small laugh which in turn caused my dad to start laughing as well.
"What's the joke?"
I turned and saw my mum standing in the doorway in her red dressing gown rubbing her eyes. Had she only just woke up? What was the time again?
"I was just warning Misty here about those surfer boys that seem to be rife in California." My dad turned around from the sink grinning. "Ain't that right Misty?"
"It appears so," I replied, playing along. "I told him I'd try very hard not to run off with one of them but that I couldn't promise anything." I grinned looking at my dad and then to my mum who was making her way over to kettle, shaking her head.
"You guys," she smiled, playfully hitting my dad on the arm as she walked around him to get to the coffee and sugar pots on the counter. "I also don't have to be in work until 10am on the day you fly out so I can accompany you both to the airport, that'll be a treat won't it?" she added, grinning. I rolled my eyes and laughed, secretly happy about the fact that my mum would be there to wave me off at the gates and remind me to 'behave myself' while I'm away. "Did you tell her about the other surprise Bo?"
"I sure did! I told her everything is upstairs on her bed waiting for her," my dad replied, sitting back at the counter and picking up the newspaper. "Why don't you head on up there and make a start on all that packing?" he winked.
I rolled my eyes, he was right, I would probably end up packing way too much but better too much than not enough, right?
"If you need a hand just give us a shout hunnie," my mum called as I turned and made my way to the bottom of the stairs.
"Will do and thanks again for the stuff!" I called back and started to climb the 15 steps to my small yet cosy bedroom.
I brushed my door curtains aside and there, as promised, lay a beautiful purple flowered suitcase along with a shiny digital camera. I strolled over to my bed and sat down beside the suitcase, running my finger along the zip with fascination. I carefully began to unzip the suitcase so I could finally start the daunting process of packing everything I would need for 7 nights in sunny California. Flipping the lid back on my suitcase I gently tossed in my new camera and made my way over to my wardrobe.
Shorts, dresses, skirts, tank tops and all of the like were placed into the suitcase in an orderly fashion. Sam mentioned a bikini in her letter, was she joking? I thought she probably wasn't. I walked casually over to my drawers and began to throw stuff out onto the floor until I found what I was looking for. "Aha, there you are!" I said aloud as I pulled a black costume out of the drawers among other things tangled together which I allowed to fall to the floor. I held up the costume and smiled, the front side was the outline of a human skeleton, showing the ribs and pelvis. "This will definitely turn some heads." I laughed to myself and threw the costume into my case. Okay so I hadn't wore it in what seems like an eternity, big deal!
Would it get cold in Santa Carla at night? Better pack some warm clothes just in case, I thought to myself. I folded two pairs of jeans, my favourite black pair and a red striped pair and placed them into my case along with my Batman hoodie and another grey zip up cardigan. What was I forgetting? I rummaged through my drawers, casually throwing in a pair of sunglasses, a hairbrush and some sunblock. With my case nearly already half full and three more days to finish what I had started, I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes, wondering what the coming week had in store for me and starting to feel slightly excited about the thought of spending my 20th birthday in California with my two best friends.
I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! I will try and keep regular updates coming.
A.
