I never thought I'd be one for the high schooler by day superhero by night life, but what can I say, things happen. Three months ago I applied to go on a trip to South Africa to help save the endangered cape vulture. That's where it happened, and this is how...
"Lets go, the flight takes off at five, the airports three hours away, and were already 10 minutes late!" Mr. Smith herded us forward a group of ten academic overachieving juniors. My best friend Since the first day of preschool was the loud and lovable Ruby Lockman. She had the heart of a lion, the attention span of a fly, and the body of an Olympian. The one thing thing we had in common was our awkward nature.
"Are you excited? I mean we are going to Africa and we're Fourteen most people don't leave the country in their life but we're adolescents crossing the Atlantic" Ruby looked at me with a goofy smile quietly adding "Plus, you know who else is coming?...Why only the boy you've been crushing on for the past ten years." She gave me a wink and bounced up the steps of the bus, I followed closely behind.
The bus slowed in front of the JFK airport.
Mr. Smith stood and turned from his seat in the front to address us. "Listen up!, I will now distribute your passport hold onto them because I can't get you on the plane without it."
We all jumped off the bus and quickly unloaded the luggage. Once I got to the screening portion of the boarding process a stout woman with a curly black mullet asked to see my boarding pass.
"Oh Sure, sorry, I probably should have grabbed it in line" I flashed her a quick smile and raked through my bag. "Here it is!" I stood up and handed it to her.
"How old are you?"
"14"
She handed me my papers with a well practiced totally not genuine smile.
She looked over my shoulder and said, "I'll take the next person." I shot a glance at Ruby who had already put her shoes in the basket.
"Guess that's my cue to move" I mumbled. But of course being the clumsy person I am I tripped over the wire of a fan. Having the worlds slowest reflex's I face planted and regardless of if they were I felt all eyes on me.
I shot up with a red face and pretended to brush off my jeans. When I looked back at Ruby I found her suppressing a laugh with great effort.
We all sat in our group at gate 3 and waited for the speaker to allow us to board the plane.
•••
Ruby yawned "Longest Flight of my entire life."
I gave her the brows "Also the only flight of your entire life."
She shrugged "still true." We started walking to leave the airport and jump on another bus then she grinned. "So Adeline... Wanna room?"
"Ha! I believe that's a rhetorical question"
"My brother went on this trip last year" she frowned. "...supposedly the first couple of days we live in shacks with no electricity, reception, or, wifi. The bed are uncomfortable too, mosquito net canopes." The glass doors opened and she gasped, "not to mention its hot as hell."
I looked back at her and in the cheeriest voice I could muster said, "Are you ready to spend the next week drenched in sweat."
