Player

Chapter 1

"Hi, sweetheart. How you doing?" Chloe's dad poked his head around the door and smiled at her, before stepping inside and walking over to perch on the bed beside her.

"I'm good," she lied, leaning into his side as he put an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her tight.

"You're not packed yet," he stated, nodding towards where her suitcase lay open on the floor, clothes, shoes, cosmetics and the like, strewn around the small room.

"I can't fit it all in," she answered morosely, swinging out her foot to kick at the case; she had the monster of all suitcases and she still couldn't fit everything inside.

"I'm sure we can figure it out." That was so like her dad, he always thought there was a way to fix any problem. Giving her shoulder another quick squeeze, he got down on the floor and began organizing everything into piles. Watching him, a sudden lump formed in her throat. She'd miss him. She'd miss her mum too. And her room, and this house, and the neighbourhood she'd grown up in. She didn't really have any friends to miss, they'd all drifted away over the past few years.

Sitting back on his heels, her dad held up her hot water bottle, breaking into her miserable thoughts. "Chlo, you're going to South Texas, not Alaska. Are you sure you need this?"

"It helps me sleep."

For a moment, her dads face scarred over with pain, but then he nodded and said gruffly, "All right then." Forcing a smile, he gestured to the bed, "Is Rolo crossing the Atlantic, too?"

Turning to the little brown bear she'd had since childhood, with his ragged ear and a faded blue ribbon around his neck, Chloe smiled slightly. "No, I thought I'd leave him here to guard my room. I don't want you guys renting it out or anything," she joked weakly.

"In that case, I'll make sure I feed him."

"Thanks."

Slipping off the bed, she knelt beside him and proceeded to help gather the stuff she'd scattered around the room in a frustrated rage. Once it was all together, she sat back and watched as he somehow managed to fit it all into the suitcase, rolling up her clothes and stuffing socks into her shoes. When his fingers reached out for a frame holding a picture of Chloe and her older brother, Jack, he faltered, picking it up and staring at the happy faces of his children beaming back at him.

"I'm going to put that in my hand luggage," she said softly, "I don't want it to get broken."

Clearing his throat, he handed the precious photo over. "That's a good idea." Shaking his head, he made a visible effort to push aside the bad memories, asking, "Have you got your passport, your ticket?" She nodded to each item. "Inhaler? The emergency credit card I gave you?" Again, she nodded but the lump in her throat grew bigger.

"Dad," she choked out, "what if I don't want to go anymore?"

Sighing, he held out an arm. "Come here." When she was tucked into his side, he kissed her forehead. "That's just the fear speaking. You've worked so hard for this scholarship and you're going to have a great time once you're over there."

"What if I don't like it?" she whispered, barely audible from where her face was buried against his shoulder, "What if I get lonely without you guys?"

"Well, then you can always come home, but you owe it to yourself to at least try."

Biting her lip, she nodded against his shoulder.

The next day, her parents drove her to the airport and waved as she went through security – Chloe was sure she saw her dad wipe away a tear.

"You'll love it," he whispered in her ear as he gave her one last, tight hug. Her mum did the same and then Chloe stepped away from them, trying to hold back her own tears.