Testing Journal,
Sorry that I haven't written in so long. I have been staying at my grandmother and aunt's house in Apopka for about a week. Plus, I got out of finals and had to get my stuff out of my dorm. I know that Mom is going to call me to ask about my grades, which I don't know about yet since I haven't checked my Foxlink since I got to the house. I'm just not going to bother with it until later. My main mission for today was to get on the plane to go to Austin. Aunt Debra's tardiness didn't help much at all. I already had my bags packed in the car, and she was busy trying to find a good outfit to wear. She did realize that she wasn't coming with me to Texas, right? To make matters worse, my grandma couldn't stop saying goodbye to me. My flight was at noon and according to my cell phone, it was ten-thirty. Again, I'm from New Jersey; we like to be early or on time to everything with a schedule.
With all the traffic that was on the highway, we arrived at the airport at eleven on the dot. Because this is considered the southerners summer vacation, I expect security to be super busy. I didn't help that my aunt was going through the goodbye effect as well. I was going halfway across the country, not going to Alaska. How I managed to get security was a miracle. I just grabbed my bags, said goodbye five times, and ran like Speedy Gonzalez.
I had to check bags before, so it was easy to go up to the check in and hand over the bags to the attendants. When you're a single traveler at Orlando International, security goes by quicker than you think. The guides put me in a separate line, and I just put my carry on bag on the conveyor belt. After security, I checked on my belongings to see if everything was still in it. My phone was lit, and it seemed that I got a text message. It was Diego.
Diego: Do you have a flight that leaves at 12:23 PM today, Kaitlyn?
That was very specific.
Me: Yeah? Why you ask?
The response was fast.
Diego: What gate are you?
Me: Are you a stalker using Diego's phone?
Diego: Kaitlyn, I'm standing right behind you and in front of the trams. Don't believe me, don't check.
I turned around anyway. "Juan Diego, you son of a bitch!"
He couldn't help laughing. "Good to see you, too." Diego hugged me at the side, sitting his head on mine. He has on sweatpants for a change, and a woman's medium-sized Death Note t-shirt. Juan Diego is known for wearing women's shirts because he's skinny as a fucking twig and doesn't gain any weight whatsoever. Actually, the Death Note t-shirt was the one I got for his birthday in November, and he didn't even realize it was a women's fit until he read the tag months later. Still, he had the best idea on dressing comfortably on a plane. I should know since I was wearing yoga pants and a Captain Eo t-shirt.
"Stayed in a hotel here?" I questioned.
"My aunt stayed with me. She wanted to make sure I was okay for two weeks," he responded.
"She's the best, isn't she?"
"Indeed." Diego fetched his ticket from his pocket. "All I wanted to ask is if we were on the same flight today."
"Yet you still make it sound like a B-rated horror movie scene."
The boy evilly snickered. "You know me too well."
I opened the United Airlines app on my phone. Ever since Mom showed me this, I've been using it to show my ticket to people. If it works, I use it. "I don't know about you, but I believe we have the same flight number."
" 'Tis indeed true. What's unfortunate is that our seats are far away from each other." For a person from Latin America, Diego has a stronger vocabulary than I do. I'm an English major, and sometimes, I don't think of using SAT words with friends. Diego makes it a contest to see who speaks more intelligently in the group.
"Yeah, but the flight is only two and a half hours long, Diego. Besides, you got reading to do."
"And writing."
"Well, let's go. I think the plane will board any second, and we haven't even got on the tram yet."
Our flight started to board at eleven-forty-three, and as Diego stated, he was more towards the back of the plane while I was seated at the left wing. However, I was sitting in the aisle seat; so was Diego. Sometimes, we would look at each other and smile just to see that we were doing alright. I have been on planes in the U.S. for years. Diego hadn't done that as often even though his family moved around a lot throughout his lifetime. He was born in Honduras, but he moved to Rhode Island when he was either eight or nine, and spent the rest of his life in Lebanon until he was a senior in high school, which was when he returned to his home country. His father was a member of the United Nations, so it made a lot of sense why the boy's life was like that. When Diego and I first met, I thought he was American because I didn't hear any other accent than the one I have heard my entire life. There was a bit of thickness, but it was slightly that when having a normal conversation, no one could hear it. Diego wasn't Luis because Luis had to learn the English language when he moved to the U.S. When Diego told me that he was from South America, it had to be a joke. I legitimately thought it was a joke. His two first languages were Spanish and English.
I entertained myself listening to music, writing my latest chapters or short stories, and eating the snackbox, which was my lunch. Every time I listen to my iPod on a plane, time seems to pass faster than a charging horse in empty fields. Before I knew it, the plane was descending into Austin, Texas.
When I got off, I was supposed to get my luggage, but I waited for Diego to get off first. As soon as he came out, we went to the baggage claim together.
"What did you end up doing on the plane?" he asked me.
"Listen to SHINee and suffer from writer's block," I groaned.
"That again? How many projects do you have?"
My reply was, "What did you do that was sort of productive?"
He scoffed. "For your information, I wrote three short stories and started a horror novel."
"Damn it."
"So, Kaitlyn, how many works do you have in progress again? Answer the question, I mean it."
I heavily sighed. "Not counting the fanfiction, eighty."
"It's a shame you know such a high number, Kaitlyn."
"I lack inspiration, alright. What kind of writer am I for lacking in ideas?"
He patted my head and said, "You're stuck is all."
"Managers don't like that. People don't get careers for being indecisive."
"They don't, but if I know you well, when you want to do something, you do it. That's the Kaitlyn I know and adore."
"Adore? Since when do you adore me?"
Diego scoffed once again. "That's a joke, right? Everyone adores you, Kaitlyn. I do because you're the most dedicated and hardworking person I have ever met. Who doesn't want to be you?"
The last thing I say before walking into the baggage claim area was, "Juan Diego, who wants to be me?"
Waiting for your bag when you were in coach the whole plane ride through is the worst. All of the first class fliers get their bags at the beginning of the round always. Seeing the same bags for a long time makes you sea sick, and you're not even at sea!
Diego and I sat against a fat column, boredly waiting for our bags to finally show up. I swear, waiting for bags was like waiting for the star of a concert to come out and perform. I'm staring at the latest email from Rooster Teeth on my phone. It was saying that someone was going to pick every intern up from the airport to take us to the hotel where we were going to be staying when we weren't working at the company. The fortunate thing about that was Rooster Teeth paid the fees for every intern. Thank god. The other part of the message was who was going to interview me tomorrow. Out of sheer and complete luck, I suppose, my interviewer is going to be Burnie Burns. Yes, I got the same person who I called about two weeks ago. I was terrified to meet this guy in person. What if I'm a disappointment in real life? I would not show my face at Rooster Teeth or Austin, Texas ever again.
"Who's your interviewer?" asked Diego.
"Burnie," I answered.
"Isn't he the guy you called to confirm your internship back at Rollins?"
"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, Diego."
"He'll be your boss. Of course, it's a good thing. My interviewer is Gus. I'm scared of him."
I burst into laughter. "Why the hell are you scared? You're not scared of anything as far as I know."
"Luis said that Gus wasn't nice. I gave Joel a call two weeks ago, and I thought I was going to get him."
"Oh well. I guess they did it at random after all."
"Maybe."
"Don't use that word, Diego. That word means there's a lie somewhere in the phrase."
"Kaitlyn, "I suppose" doesn't sound natural if said all the time."
Before I could argue, "My bag!" I snatched it off the conveyor belt and sighed out of relief. "Finally!"
"Your entire summer is in that bag."
"Isn't yours like mine?"
Diego calmly went over to the claim and grabbed a larger, black suitcase off the belt. "Yes. Thank you for playing Captain Obvious in the skit of the same name."
"You're hilarious."
"Thank you."
I rolled my eyes. "That was fucking sarcasm."
"I know. I was playing along with you."
"Excuse me."
My friend and I both jerked our heads behind us to an guy with thin glasses, who reminded me of some Disney Channel actor who plays a nerd in a geek meets popular chick flick. "Can we help you?" Diego questioned. I wished he didn't ask that because I was afraid that the man was a Jehovah's witness or someone who involved stealing money from the naïve.
"I overheard you two talking about Rooster Teeth, so I came to ask if you were two of our new interns."
I replied, "You work for Rooster Teeth?"
He held his hand out to us. "I'm Kdin Jenzen."
"You mean the Kdin Jenzen who works with Achievement Hunter?" asked Diego, starry-eyed.
"Ah, you're a fan, I guess?"
"Well, I wouldn't say that." My emotionless friend was actually blushing. I never saw him do that before. Did Rooster Teeth have some magical powers or something? My Rollins brother was practically falling on his knees to one of the company's employees. "I'm Diego."
"As in Juan Diego?"
"Yeah, that's my first name."
"Oh, good. Just checking if I got the right person." Kdin shook his hand and turned to me. "And you must be…"
"Kaitlyn," I finished.
He took my hand and shook it once. "A pleasure to meet you both. The others are excited to meet you. If you don't mind, we are waiting for one more person to come. She was supposed to arrive before your flight landed, but I haven't seen her…"
"I'm sorry!" A girl shorter than I am pushed her way through the crowd and ran towards us with her suitcase rocking like a ship in a wild storm. She looked like she was fresh out of high school actually. I guess that internship contest was also all out of luck. "I'm so sorry," she said, gasping for breath. "My flight was delayed, and I almost lost my bag. Her face was coated in wetness. The front sides of her hair shone with sweat. However, she had a cute, pale face with wide, puppylike eyes. Every time I look at her, she reminds me of a much shorter version of Miranda.
"Take it easy, sweetie. You look like you're going to pass out." Kdin searched his bag and opened a new bottle of water. "Here, drink this." When she did, he asked, "You're Hoshina, aren't you?"
"Hoshina Eisuke, Mr. Jenzen. I am a big fan of yours. Coming Soon keeps me updated." What the hell is Coming Soon?
Kdin grabbed his cheek and chuckled. "Thanks. You're all too kind." The last time I checked, I didn't say anything.
My friend introduced, "I'm Diego, and this is Caitlin. We are glad to work with you this summer," to Hoshina.
The girl blushed. "Oh, thank you."
Kdin wiped his hands together and announced, "Well, that's everyone. I have my van parked in the lot, and I'll drive you three to your hotel. The other interns are waiting to finally meet you all."
Austin is a beautiful city. When they say, "Everything is bigger in Texas," they mean it. I had a feeling that the skyscrapers in Austin were the same height as the ones in New York, but they just looked a lot taller to me. The lake in front of Austin shined like stars in the night sky. As Kdin drove us to the hotel, he informed us about the tourist attractions, which included the Barton Springs Pool, the Zilker Botanical Garden, and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library. I definitely felt like walking around just to get a feel for my summer home.
"It's gorgeous here," I said with a sigh.
"You've never been to Texas?" Diego asked.
"Nope. I've only been to Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts in this country."
"That's still a lot of states," Hoshina joined in. "I live in California, but I was born in Japan."
"So you speak Japanese?"
"Uh, not as good. My mother and father moved to America when I was a baby."
"And never taught you?"
"No. Only English."
"Oh…"
"Don't worry," Diego said, "I'm from Honduras, but English was my first language, too."
Kdin steered the van down the streets until it stopped in front of the Hotel San José. It was different from every other hotel I've stayed in. This hotel reminds me of the apartments I had to live in when I was in Rome one summer. They were bungalow-styled according to some research I did of San José online before coming to Austin. I admit that the brush around the building was beautiful. I was just hoping that the rooms were big enough for all the interns.
"Thanks for driving us here, Kdin," Diego said as we were exiting the car.
"Don't thank me yet, guys. I still need to get you into the hotel rooms. I don't want the front desk manager to think you're all prostitutes trying to get rooms for work."
"How assuring," I muttered, grabbing my suitcase from the trunk.
"Just make sure you have your ID's out and with you. That's the one thing they'll be asking for when checking in."
I looked down at my carry-on and nodded.
When checking in, it seemed more than obvious that Hoshina and I were sharing a room in this hotel. I was sure that if I shared a room with Luis and Diego this summer, we wouldn't have any problems, but Rooster Teeth didn't know that we were all friends, so I gave them credit for staying safe. We were each given a room key, and we were not to give them out to anyone else.
"Rooster Teeth has provided you with two petite suites, one for each gender, and I hope you behave yourselves in here. We don't get you back in if you do something stupid. Girls get the room on the left; boys are on the right." Kdin led us past the stairs and to the left. Va va voom, our rooms were right there at the second left. Our guide handed each of us a white card. "This is my number. If you need anything, just ring me up, and I'll answer to anything you ask."
"Thanks, Kdin," said Diego, "We'll repay you with our hard work, I'm sure."
"Oh, you don't have to repay me at all. Coworkers help each other. Well, I'll see you all tomorrow at Rooster Teeth."
"Take care," we all announced together, waving farewell.
"Well, what an interesting day," I remarked with a sigh.
"Interesting?" questioned Hoshina.
"I mean nothing bad happened to us."
"Kaitlyn, you're going pessimistic on us again," Diego warned, rolling his eyes in the process.
The guys' suite door opened, and a recognizable head popped out from behind it. "Hola, shorty. Hola, Flebanese."
"Luis!" I dropped my stuff and jumped into his arms. "How's life?"
"Being here since yesterday has been good. Did you see some of the sights? The views are beautiful."
"Aren't they?"
Once Luis let me down to the floor, I introduced him to Hoshina and vice versa. Luis introduced me to his and Diego's new roommate. His name was Vishnal Bellanfant, and he was from Boston, Massachusetts, raised by British parents (god, his accent is so thick). He is the oldest out of all of us interns, being twenty-five years old, and he has been attending graduate school for the past three years now. His last year is the upcoming one, and he would complete his Engineering master's degree.
There's supposed to be six interns in total, six guys, six gals. However, there are three beds in Hoshina's and my room, but two have been claimed. "Where is she?"
Luis shrugged. "Turned out she doesn't want to live in a hotel room for the whole summer."
"I don't like the sound of her already," Diego said.
"Maybe she lives in the city and it's just convenient?" suggested Hoshina.
"I don't know, but what I mean is that this chick might be the spoiled bratty type out of all of us. Probably related to one of the Rooster Teeth members, and she slid her money under the table."
"It does sound like that," Vishnal remarked.
"Well, whatever." Luis waved his hand. "What matters is that we are working for a famous entertainment company."
Of course, that's what matters. I was still nervous just talking about it. Burnie was going to find something wrong with me in the interview. I knew it; I completely knew it. I wanted this day to be over, but at the same time, I didn't want to go to work tomorrow.
