Adam

'Could you go out and get some dog food please Adam?' Mum asks me. 'We're out.'

'No problem, Mum' I say, and I walk out of the door, down the drive and head to the place where I used to work to pick some up. I can't remember if they close at 7 or 7:30 and since it's 6:45, I decide I better hurry up and so I start to walk faster just in case they are closing. When the store comes into view, I'm relieved to see that the lights are still on, and they haven't started locking everything up for the night. I look at the opening times for next time and they close at 7:30 which is good. I walk in and go to the end of aisle 2 where the dog food is. I pick up a pack of Madam's food and start to walk towards the cashier to pay for it, there's someone in the way, a man.

'Excuse me' I say, trying to sound as polite as possible.

'Oh sorry' says the man to me and he looks up.

'Adam' says the man.

'Dad' I say, after a long pause.

'Adam' he says again. 'How are you?'

'Good' I say quickly. 'How are you?'

'I'm doing okay' he replies. 'Just picking some stuff up for dinner. I'm cooking rice.'

'That's good' I say, and start to leave but he grabs my arm

'Adam, I'm sorry' he says, his face showing he genuinely means it.

'Too late for that' I say bluntly and push past him towards the cashier counter.

Otis

Footloose goes by pretty fast, except for one bathroom break coinciding with Maeve messaging telling me how boring Heathrow is, how bored she is, and that she wishes the 1hr and a half she has to suffer through would go quicker. I'm not quite sure how you speed up the linear flow of time just to accommodate you getting on a plane faster but if anyone could do it, it would be Maeve Wiley. I wonder what America will be like for her, will she fit in, or will she be more ostracised than ever. At least she's going somewhere where she speaks the language. It would be a different story if she was going to somewhere like China. Her fiery personality might cause her to have a few disagreements, but she'll flourish and thrive at the chance to prove everyone wrong and show her worth. It's just the kind of person that she is. I just hope she gets to show that similarly to the way she was able to show me.

Maeve

It's not like I need to emphasise it anymore, but I'm very bored. The wait for my flight feels like it's taking forever. I've had something to eat, had some tea, craved a cigarette for a while now. I'm listening one headphone out so I can hear the calling for my flight. Eventually I hear it.

'Boarding for British Airways flight 1516 to New York' says a voice over the PA.

'Finally' I say aloud, accompanying by an exaggerated sigh.

I pick my hand luggage up, my suitcase having already been checked in, and head for the gate, ready to finally begin the 8 or so hour journey to my new life.