Into the Realm

Novemer 26

I wasn't planning to write today, but I'm sitting on a plane with nothing else to do. Well, technically I could watch a movie, but all they have are weird unrated spy movies and Moana. And I'm distracted from everything because my feathers grew. They're bigger now, and very uncomfortable to sit against. I wore a loose top this morning in the hopes that my parents wouldn't notice that I look weird. I haven't ever been in the habit of hiding things from them, but this isn't something I'm real excited to share with the world. I literally can't think about anything right now. Every time I think I've distracted myself I picture those ugly black feathers growing out of my back and get weirded out. I hate this so much. I think I have an hour left in this plane. The high altitude is not helping the flaking problem on my face. I need lotion so bad. And now I'm just rambling. Which, you know, is kind of the point of a journal. But it still feels weird to just write and write with no point.

So how's this for a point? I talked to Kale again this morning, while we were sitting in the airport. We didn't have a whole lot to say, but I'm getting the feeling that we'll get along just fine in real life. He told me about a concert he's performing in Thursday night. He's in a big band! That is so cool. If I can convince Mom and Dad to let me go, the concert will be the first time I see Kale face to face (Mom and Dad want me to spend tomorrow and Thursday settling in before I go to school). School without Nicole. I still haven't quite wrapped my mind around that concept. The more I try, the more I shrink into myself and want to cry. But I won't cry. Not yet. Save that for when we're not in front of a lot of people in a small space we can't jump out of.

~~~~~

We are now in a rental car, driving to Linnet from Minneapolis. First Minnesota impressions: IT. IS. COLD. FREEZING. FRIGID. ALL THOSE WORDS THAT MEAN COLD. ALL OF THEM. We got out of the airport and immediately realized that we didn't have a handle on exactly what we were getting ourselves into, and we were not prepared. It is 27°. Twenty. Seven. Degrees. How is that even possible? Did the plane accidentally go too far north and end up in the North Pole??? This temperature does not make sense to me. And there's not even snow. Isn't there supposed to be snow when it gets cold? It's super dry and brown. I texted Kale and asked him where he keeps the snow, and he said they haven't gotten it yet. I already hate Minnesota even more than I did when it was a weird concept in my head. My head is now in the weird concept, and I do not like it, Sam-I-Am. I would spend the rest of the trip texting Nicole, but she is in school, two hours behind me. She told me before I left that I should prepare myself because it was cold here. But she never said it was THIS cold! Twenty seven degrees is a problem for someone who puts on a sweatshirt at seventy. Minnesota. Is. A. Problem.

~~~~~

Ok. We have a house. In Minnesota. I mean, obviously I knew we had a house, but we actually have a house. And I'm in it. And this is supposedly my home now. I have a few things to say about Linnet: first, Dad was right. It is not huge. And by that I mean that if LA is a baseball diamond, Linnet is a baseball. Second, it's cold. I know I've said that before, but I probably won't stop saying that, ever. Linnet is cold, and this is a problem for my life.

Also, my face has gone beyond being flaky. I now feel like I'm molting. A flake of skin about an inch square literally fell from my forehead during the car ride here. I don't understand what's happening to my body, and it's scaring me. I even texted Nicole about it this time, because I didn't want to be scared alone. You know what she said? "Cool." How is this "cool"? Is my best friend no longer concerned for my health now that I've moved halfway across the country?

Ok. I've probably done enough ranting for today. I should chill. I have two days to unpack and get used to the town, meet Kale, all that fun stuff. I will try to be calm and nice to people when I go to school on Friday. Maybe I'll even make a friend or two.

*****

I would just like to say, I am SORRY for letting it go this long between chapters. Life has been dealing blows that just keep on coming lately, and even when I did have a little time to write, it was hard to get words out. Also, I know this is a super short chapter with nothing much happening, but at least it's something right? Now that school is almost over, I'm really going to try and get back into the flow.

As always, please leave comments and tell me what you think, and if you enjoyed it please consider giving it a vote! Talk soon!

--Deanne Estelle