A/N: This week back at work has been INSANITY!
Finally got some time to really sit down and write, so I hoped this chapter would find you well by the end of the week.
Happy Fourth of July tomorrow if you celebrate, but sadly our characters do not celebrate in story just yet.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Terminal 5, Domestic Flights...
Chase stood at the outside of the big grey building; guitar slung on his back. White knuckles tugged at the handle of his dark green roll-on luggage while in the other hand was his boarding pass.
"Hey, you awake?"
He blinked and looked at his Uncle Neil.
"What, are you afraid of flying or something?" asked Mia.
"No," he smirked at the girl. "Just gonna miss you guys."
It was only for a week, but he hadn't been apart from absolutely everybody for that long. Maybe a couple would travel, but to not see any of his friends. Not even...
Lauren hugged him, trying to keep her tears at bay.
"I expect a call each day," she shakily told him.
Despite his hands being full, Chase used his arms to the best of their ability to hug her in return.
Alice felt herself breaking at seeing the couple saying their goodbyes at the airport. She could hear the dramatic music in her head.
Her and Mia were more than happy to see Chase off while their moms were inside the airport to work out the itinerary for their impending trip. Jade detested dealing with matters like this over the phone, so it eased her nerves to not only talk with a flesh and blood human but also having Tori close by.
"I know I'm going to talk to you the day of the audition but I'm telling you this face-to-face."
Lauren looked up at him.
"Knock 'em dead, baby."
They both kissed, leaving the others feeling a bit awkward. Alice was still Alice, of course. Mia being in a new relationship began to feel something other than her stomach seeing her two friends kissing. She thought of being without Ryan for a couple of weeks and what that would be like.
(Man, that's gonna suck!)
"Okay, Rick and Ilsa!" huffed Neil. "It won't be forever."
Lauren sheepishly relinquished her squeeze and allowed the rest to give him a hug.
"See you, Chase!" Alice said. "Next thing you know; I'll be the one leaving."
He smiled and patted her back. She was this kid who grew on him as a kind of wide-eyed baby sister.
Speaking of sisterly figures...
"If you come back talkin' LIKE a rough and tumble pard'ner, I will kick you in the shin."
Mia affectionately punctuated her words with a jab to the shoulder.
"I don't know what I will do without you simple big city folks," he grinned.
Lauren stepped back, Mia holding her shoulders for support. The foursome waved as Chase took a deep breath and entered through the automatic sliding doors.
Chase was immediately taken aback by the amount of people here. He tried to ignore the miscellaneous travelers and focused on the signs. Chase went over to a white kiosk in a long line of identical kiosks. He scanned his boarding pass when prompted and then fished out his I.D. to confirm who he was when compared to the name on the ticket and the face on the camera. The computer checked him over and approved that he is who he says and then instructed him to go to the weight station with his checked bag.
The heavy monstrosity of a suitcase on wheels was guided to an agent.
"Boarding pass, please!" the large woman asked.
Chase fumbled a bit, holding both his identification, receipt from the check-in and his ticket.
"Sorry, here you go."
He felt embarrassed by little blunders like that, knowing full well that the employees at places like these see hundreds of customers daily and will have the lion's share of difficult people. Chase wanted to be a highlight of someone's bad day by being courteous and patient.
The musician then put his luggage on the scale when the lady prompted. She slid it to the left of the big metallic square to align it with the white lines, indicating if it was within bounds. An over-sized piece of luggage might not make it on this flight and could incur a fee. Luckily, Chase's bag was within range. Once the little screen read the weight, the woman tore off the printed white tag and wrapped it around the handle. She then sent it on its way on the conveyor belt through the curtained hole in the wall.
"NEXT!"
Chase just pressed onward to look for his gate.
No matter where you go here, it's not without a stop at everybody's favorite: the TSA line.
The long-haired boy took out his phone and checked his messages. No new emails, but a text from Lauren with hearts wishing him a safe flight. He smiled and replied with thanks and promised to call her when he got to Nashville.
It was getting to his turn at the front of the line, and he happened to notice the sign warning travelers to remove all electronics, keys, wallets, empty your pockets. Chase looked down at his phone and put it in an empty yellow bin.
"Shoes, too!" nodded a nearby armed guard.
Chase nodded and slipped off his sneakers. He had the habit of tying his shoes once and then never again, so he was used to sliding them on and off like loafers.
He noticed that the officer paying attention to his guitar case.
"Excuse me? Will this fit the x-ray?"
The man judged the size of the machine and the acoustic on the boy's back.
"Just go on ahead and step over to full search," he pointed to the table on the right after the x-ray.
"Thanks," he nodded before stepping through the metal-detector, which beeped as expected. Could be anything from the zipper to the case or the pegs in the body of the guitar. "Whoops!" he chuckled nervously.
A tall TSA agent accompanied the boy to the table where he assisted him in taking off the guitar case and proceeded to carefully open it up. Chase was a little annoyed that they were making such a fuss and remembered the countless movies where a villain transported a gun, or something concealed in a violin or cello case. He sighed and allowed them to do their thing, thinking that an overreaction was better than the alternative. Maybe if he was a famous musician, boarding an airplane with his instrument would not be that weird.
(Such is the life of a nobody.)
After a minute of inspecting the guitar itself and running a scanner to see that there wasn't anything in the lining of the case. The woman did spot a small compartment and upon peeling back the Velcro revealed a handful of guitar picks. She nodded and returned the guitar to its case, motioning for Chase to zip it back up and take it away.
"Thank you for your cooperation and please take the rest of your belongings."
Chase's eyes went to the orphaned yellow bin and retrieved his wallet, keys and phone. He was grateful that he traveled relatively light, his only carry-on being his guitar. He just hoped that his checked bag wasn't going to be delayed because his charger was in there.
(Dumbass! Should've stuck it in my pocket.)
He had about an hour before the flight would begin boarding, so Chase started looking for something to eat once he found his gate. About a hundred yards over was a food court that had a host of establishments, from a coffee shop to a Thai restaurant. He stopped over at the Burger King and stood in the line for about fifteen minutes. Once he was up, he ordered a Whopper with cheese meal. Took some time for his food to get made but once he had his tray, he searched for a place to park it and saw a small table by some fake plants.
Once Chase was sitting with his food, guitar leaning against his leg, he was able to exhale in relief. He had been tensing during the final moments of packing and on the ride to the airport. Now that he was checked in and all, he could finally take a breather and satisfy his hunger. He wasn't certain if there would be anything served on the plane, so he figured to hedge his bets and get some lunch in.
While taking a sip of his coke, he fished out his cell.
He sent a text to Neil that he was all checked in and will be boarding in about thirty minutes. Chase leaned over to where he came from, barely able to make out the gate from so far away, despite there being no twists and turns.
(Better chow down quick so I have enough time to walk back.)
Chase was not willing to run through a terminal, especially after having eaten.
He started off with his burger, figuring if he was pressed for time, he could realistically snack on the fries during the stroll to the gate. Chase hadn't gotten a burger at BK for years, but it was nice to see how some things didn't change that much. This big, broiled juggernaut topped with a ton of veggies was the perfect solution to an empty stomach. He never understood people who asked for the tomatoes, or pickles, or even mayo to not be put on the burger. For Chase that was part of the experience.
One thing he did think to do differently was when he got halfway through the burger, he took the cup of ranch that he meant to use for his fries and instead dipped it into the sauce. Chase thought it was good, though you could literally get a bite's worth in at a time, trying to dip a big burger in this tiny opening.
Chase imagined his friends' reactions and smiled to himself.
It wasn't just Lauren he was going to miss for the next few days. He had grown accustomed to his friend group and they made this new city, this new school, this whole new life more digestible. Chase would be lying if he didn't think he was happier these days. And it's only grown this past year with Alice and Jenna and Billy.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without his uncle. Neil took him under his care, no questions asked. Even when he was a prick in the beginning, Neil was a calm and wise source of security that the rebellious kid didn't know he needed. Chase couldn't imagine the old him finding a girl as sweet as Lauren or any of his other friends. Maybe someone like Mia, but even the tomboyish girl had her gentle side. He could tell when he saw her do things like come to Alice's defense on her first day.
The burger was done, and Chase sipped the rest of his soda to wash it down. Now, he figured was long enough and he should really head back. So, he collected his guitar and his fries. The musician snacked on the salty treat while he walked.
Back at For The Record, Jenna was fixing a display while Billy swept the floor. The pair snuck little loving glances at one another between working.
"Don't make me separate you two!" Miles warned. "Kids," he chuckled.
"We're back!" announced Tori with a ding of the store's bell. "How's it going, Miles?"
"Pretty good, pretty good. Died down a bit, so just getting things a little ready for closing but we're open until seven."
She smiled at her brother-in-law, who's been a vital part in bringing the store back to its glory. Who better than someone who was there the first time?
"Well, the trip's booked" Jade sighed. "I hate planning stuff but I'll go to the moon with these three."
"Love you, too Jade!" smirked Mia who bounded up the stairs with Alice.
Tori chuckled with a head shake.
"Hey, babe..." Jade said, running her hand across the glass counter. "Something I've been wanting to talk about...about the trip."
"What's up?" asked Tori.
"When I said that Alice was having her usual birthday party at her grandparents'...that invitation was also for you and Mia."
The Latina looked genuinely surprised.
"Oh! Um...I didn't think that..."
"What did you think?" Jade tilted her head. "I would make you two stay at the hotel?"
Tori rubbed her arm, "I dunno."
Jade rushed over and hugged her girlfriend tightly.
"I let them know right out the gate that the birthday girl and her gorgeous mother..."
Tori giggled.
"...were each going to have a plus one. Besides, Alice wants everyone to meet her best friend!"
"And her best friend's mom..." winced Tori. "...who is dating her own mom?"
"Hey!"
Jade held Tori's arms lovingly but firmly.
"Listen here, if my ex could start over before ending things with me, then it's more than fair I get another chance at love too. At least I waited until after the divorce!"
Tori picked up the fire in her lover's eyes. She used to shut down at the mention of Harry and now she's seemed to be filled with resolve.
(I get the feeling Jade wants to show me off to the ex-husband. I'm actually okay with this.)
"Relax!" Jade assured the tan woman. "They already know about us. Thank my daughter for that."
That made Tori less apprehensive, knowing the groundwork had been laid down.
(They're in-laws but they're still Jade's family. I can do this. BUT WHAT WILL I WEAR?!)
As the plane flew over the bulk of America, Chase thumbed through a Sky Mall catalogue not really paying any mind to it.
He tried occupying himself with the in-flight entertainment; some Eddie Murphy comedy where he played multiple roles. But Chase shut his eyes halfway through and now that he was an hour from landing, was fidgeting nervously.
Dennis was blowing up his phone earlier in the week, anticipating all of the fun stuff they'd do when he came back home. Chase figured it might be fun to see the old gang, look at what they had been up to. They haven't see one another since eighth grade and he'd only spoken with Dennis since moving to California.
(Wonder if he still hangs with Jeffy.)
"Attention passengers, we will be landing in Nashville International Airport in fifteen minutes. The fasten seat belt sign has been turned on. Please return your chair and tray to their original positions and refrain from turning on any personal electronics."
The jumbo jet landed onto the runway smoothly but the whole cabin jerked violently forward when the captain hit the brakes. Apparently, another passenger jet who didn't get the go-ahead charged across their plane's path. They would have collided if the captain hadn't acted fast.
Chase sat in his seat, clutching his chest.
(Guess that's what you call a near miss!)
Once the aircraft finally taxied in, the passengers de-boarded and heading over to baggage claim.
The musician waited about ten minutes before spotting his bag and headed over to the exits. He just hoped his mom found the right terminal to meet him at.
Chase passed through the massive revolving door into the warm Nashville air.
"Hey, there's my boy!"
He turned around at the familiar voice, only to have its source envelop him in a great bear hug.
"Nice hair," smirked Jim. "What's the matter? They don't have barbers in L.A.?" he chortled with a slap on the back.
Sherri came up behind him, beaming with pride.
"Chase! My baby!"
The shorter woman latched on and held even tighter than his dad.
"Miss you, too mom" he grunted.
She stood back a bit and regarded him.
"You look so thin, are you eating? I can make you something when we get back..."
"It's okay, mom" Chase smiled. "I had lunch. I can hang until dinner."
"Whoa, what's this?" Jim asked, noticing the guitar.
Chase carefully took the case off his back and held it.
His dad gave a surprised look.
"A lot has changed," Sherri told her husband. "Come on, we can talk in the car!"
A/N: I know we spent some time at the airport, but I wanted to show just how much traveling alone sucks. Chase was missing his comradery already. It might sound nice because things should be simpler, but the loneliness is ridiculous.
I have been on a plane that slammed hard on the brakes, only it was before takeoff, not after landing. But nothing prepares you for that when it happens LOL!