Ok, maybe planes aren't that bad, I only have one complaint. Why the hell don't they have good coffee? Considering California is eight hours behind the UK it is very bright at the moment even though I really want to sleep. That means I need coffee, which means I need good coffee. That means not the crap they give you on planes. At least I had good food. I only got a bit of chocolate from the plane, dairy milk, the only chocolate that I will choose above all others. Other than that mum had packed some cold pasta, some leftover pizza, lemonade, and we finished the cookies. Altogether quite yum. But I'm still tired. Even me in hyper mode wouldn't be able to last that long. I was just walking with mum over to passport control. As we turned the last corner I could feel myself starting to panic. There were just too many people; I didn't like it, at all. I looked around for a distraction so that I wouldn't go into complete panic mode and my eyes fell on a young girl standing by a tall pillar made out of a stone that they had coated so it glittered. Honestly, this is an airport, not a nightclub. She looked about eight years old, and looking closer I recognized her from the plane. She'd walked past a few times. She was quite small, but had bright hazel eyes that were extremely intelligent for someone that young. Her hair was amazing as well, very healthy. Long and luscious, a beautiful shade of brown with bits of blonde near the roots. Just from seeing her I could tell that she was a sweet girl, and that's coming from a person who usually hates children.
I continued to watch her as my curiosity grew. The little girl kept looking around the floor and I knew she was clutching something tightly in her right hand, plus I could tell that she was upset. There was no smile on her face that I knew was normally there just from hearing her voice on the plane. None of her family were there and I knew that she was travelling with a large group because they had boarded the plane with her and they'd all been talking together in a way that didn't suggest new friendship but old humour. I loved their accents, it was so cool. Kind of higher that British, and with different kinds of sounds in there too. It was absolutely amazing, but I had a feeling I would be getting used to it all too soon.
I looked over at mum who was trying to decide which queue to join. They all looked about the same length. "If you go to C I'll be there soon mum, I have something I'd like to do." I was kinda worried about mum, she was looking quite pale, and I could tell she was tired. Standing in a queue might not be the best thing for her, but it was better than waiting like some others were until the very end when there's another surge of people from another plane. That would catch us in a vicious circle of attempted avoidance that would never end. She looked at me with tired eyes, followed my gaze which had returned to the little girl and smiled. She rummaged through her handbag and pulled out the packet of cookies. There were two left.
"Thanks mum."
I turned and started walking over to the little girl. As I got closer I saw her looking around the ground. She looked up as I reached the pillar, backing away slightly. I smiled at her, trying to convey that I wasn't going to hurt her. I held out the hand that held the cookies, then pulled it back slightly as she flinched, but then relaxed as she realized what I was doing. She looked at me again, her eyes searching mine, looking for any reason why she shouldn't take them. I kept my face still, not opening up to her but showing that she didn't have to fear me. Finally she did. She smiled at me, showing a set of perfect pearly white teeth. She took the packet, still a little shy but a lot more at ease around me.
"What were you looking for? And where's your family?" I asked her. I sat on the floor, crossed legged as she grinned at me.
"Ooh, you're another English person!! I loved your accents!!"
I laughed at her reaction, and then became serious as her face fell again and she took a piece of broken elastic out of the pocket of her denim jacket.
