The Chase

Finally Free

TARA

I woke up to a muted light. I was in my bedroom. The alarm clock on my table showed 4:00 A.M in the morning. At first I could not guess what woke me up. Then the memories of last week, in fact the last month rushed back to me. The fight, the big decision, all the preparations and today being the big day. The day I had been dreaming about for quite some time.

Today I was taking a flight to Denver. ALONE.
My name is Tara Collins. At the age of 21 I never had any fun in my life. Well not the kind I wanted to have. The reason: Being born in a boring family. I have a mom and a dad, the sweetest you can get. The kind who take you mini golfing on sundays and ask your friends to dinner. Thus me living a life of a 12 year old. Fortunately I was always adventurous and didn't anything let my free spirit get ruined. I had my first night out when i was 14. I still remember the thrill of creeping back through my window at 3 in the wee hours of the day. Thus I had fun, alot. But I had always been careful.

So given my night time prowlings and partying I could not go for vacations. I guess Mr. Graham Collins and Mrs. Petunia Collins would have noted such a long absence. My parents were never really outdoorsy types. They would rather sit at home and research how rockets worked than take a trip to New York.

Hence me now. Last month I told my parents that I was taking a trip to Denver. All by myself. Their faces were a sight to behold. In any other situation, I would have laughed like crazy but then this was an important decision and a tough one. So humor was hard to be found. The argument was exhaustive to the extent of hilarity. But I held my ground and here I am, my suitcases packed, my backpack waiting on my chair, my flight in 5 hours.

I looked at my carry-on backpack, a Jansport carrypack. I had my laptop, cables, track pants and a top. It also had 2 novels I had packed for reading, my makeup and my documents. I had two suitcases packed for my 20 day trip, containing all my new purchases. What could I say, I started saving long time back for this trip so I had the resources to splurge.

I went to my bathroom and brushed my teeth. The mirror reflected a pale face with an average nose, full lips and a small forehead. I had thick brown hair and eyes that were neither blue nor green. They were both. I was an average looking person, nothing to write home about. But I was also nothing to sneeze at. All my life I had always been petite. My height stopped at 5ft 4inches. So nothing great nothing terrible.

I took a quick shower and got dressed. I chose nothing fancy, just comfortable clothes. I had on black skinfit denim pants, a salt and pepper coloured top that too was fitted and a distressed light washed denim jacket. For shoes I chose simple black sneakers. For makeup just smothered some tinted lipbalm and applied some mascara. I was ready.

I carried my suitcases down and my backpack. I checked the time on my phone and it was 6:16 a.m. already. I hugged my dad and kissed my crying mother goodbye. I told them I would call as I board the plane. Though they still looked unsure. As if it was a decision they had been forced to make on gunpoint. I directed the cab's driver to take me to the airport and wiped a lonely tear that somehow escaped my eyes. I would miss them no matter how bad I wanted this trip.

I reached the airport by 7:00 a.m. and checked myself in. I bought a hazlenut latté and and a sandwich and ate it while sipping into the coffee. It was then time for me to board my plane. After walking for sometime and boarding, I found that I had a window seat. I settled in and opened my bag and put my phone in, deciding to take out my novel when the plane took off. So for the time being I let my mind wander. I contemplated on my decision for quite a lot of time, replaying all the drama all, the advices and the threats (your dad will never speak to you again). I then realised that this was it. My dream.

I was so immersed in my thoughts, I had failed to notice that someone had settled in the seat beside me. Pulling myself from my thoughts I cast a wayward glance around and I froze.

OH MY GOD

Why in the world had I skipped makeup today. Sitting beside me was the most gorgeous man I had ever witnessed. His brand of beauty was of a kind that scorched and made you look down. It made you do stupid shit when you would want to be smart and would make you fumble even if you were clear as crystal in your mind. Was he real?

He had thick black hair contrasting a tan face. His eyes bless me were periwinkle blue. His face was so angled I could swear it was chiseled to perfection. And those lips made my legs weak. Slight stubble that made him look, if possible, more yummy. Moving my eyes down, my breath stuck in my lungs as I took in that body. All muscle but in an understated and not in your face way. He definitely worked out but was not pumped up in an unappealing way. He wore a black shirt that fit him too well and dark washed jeans.

But in my hot guy assessing mode, I forgot that I had been staring for a long time for I slowly saw his head turn left and those blue eyes finding mine. Uh Oh...

Well MAJOR UH OH...

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Love to all of you
XOXOSOPHIEMADEN