The Psychology Project

Forty-Three: Going Home †

"Of course," I replied, my mind innocently going back to the previous night with Jason that consisted a lot of kissing.

Back in the hotel that evening, we played a board game. Dad was a big fan of them and so was I, admittedly. Mom wasn't too avid, but she got the hang of it in the end and she even ended up winning – with the help from Dad, evidently. We played The Game of Life.

When it was time for bed, there was a spare single bed in the corner which I slept on. However, we had to be up at like seven in the morning to be ready to go to the airport. Needless to say I was shattered by the time seven o'clock came around and the alarm from my phone woke me up.

"Rise and shine, sleepy head," cheered Dad, practically bouncing on his feet.

"I'm up," I grumbled, none too attractively, either.

After spending a little time to get ready, we were in the cab by half eight after some breakfast, too in town. All our bags were packed and we had one last scope of the room. Dad nearly left the house keys on the desk in the corner. Mom had a panic attack by that point.

Whilst waiting in the airport in the departure lounge, I got my phone out and saw there was a text from Jason.

Jason: Can't believe I'm not seeing you now for awhile. A repeat of last night would be heaven right now.

I could feel my cheeks warming up already when my dad took a seat next to me.

"What's got you smiling?"

Snapping back to reality, I didn't even apprehend that I was smiling. "Nothing," I argued, punching in a reply to Jason.

Tiegan: I know, but it makes it worth it to see me when I get back, right

Jason: Obviously.

Jason: You drive me insane. How do you do that?

Tiegan: It's the mystery of me.

Jason: I know a lot about mysteries. I'm good at solving them. I solve my own.

Tiegan: Solve this one. I have to go now, boarding. Talk to you later.

I didn't wait for another enigmatic reply from Jason because instead, we all stood up and stood at the end of the line that had materialised. More people began to line up behind us whilst Mom was staring over at the toilets in the corner.

"I should have gone to the toilet," she said.

"You can go on the plane, Mum."

On the plane, I sat in between both my parents so we had a row of seats all to ourselves. Mom sat on the edge so she whisked off to the toilet as soon as she was allowed. It was going to be a long flight but mercifully, I had brought a book from one of the book shops in the departure lounge called Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. It's safe to say that by the end of the book, we were about half an hour away from landing.

"Did you finish the book?" askedDad who was reading a newspaper.

"Yeah, I did. It was quite good."

One of my favourite parts was when Levi said "Are you rooting for me?" to Cath. That would probably have to be one of the cutest things ever said to a girl. My mom was staring at me weirdly when I was grinning broadly at that point. I attempted to disregard her gawp.

And then we landed back in England in London. It felt so good to be back in the dismal weather and the hectic, boisterous streets. It past the evening now once we got back home so we ordered a Chinese/chippy because they had morphed together.

Our house wasn't too large. We had the porch once you entered the house where the coat rack and shoe racks were. Exiting that, you had the landing with the stairs immediately going upstairs and twisting around, pictures of our family at every angle as you walk up them. Our house mainly had laminated flooring with wooden walls but in my room there was turquoise carpet and teal walls. It probably wasn't the best combination in hindsight.

From the landing, it went off to the kitchen at the back, the lounge on the right and Dad's study on the left and they even circled, too so you could get to the kitchen from Dad's study and the lounge. The dining room was behind the kitchen, too. There was a toilet under the stairs which Dad always joked could have been my room like in Harry Potter; I have the series of books upstairs because he thought it would be amusing to buy me the whole set. I've read them about five times.

We sat in the dining room, the dark pine wood concealed under the laced tablecloth. In the centre of the table was a vase of roses and lilies, some petals having plummeted onto the tablecloth. The Chinese and chippy food had masked most of the table cloth because our table was circular because our family has never been big.

I took a handful of chips to go with my duck as Dad piped up, "So, have you got any grades as of yet?"

I shook my head, swallowing a scorching hot chip. "No, I get them when we go back. I'll email you what I get," I promised.

The food had nearly all vanished by the time it became about half nine. Only a few remains of the egg fried rice and fish remained. I cleared the table, chucking away the leftover food and gazed out from the kitchen mirror in between the cupboards of herbs and spices.

Mom had encased the garden in plots of flamboyant plants. In the centre there was a small cherub fountain. Mom always had a soft spot for cherubs but in my opinion, I didn't see the appeal much with them.

My parents went to bed by eleven because they had to be up early the next morning for work. They both had the afternoon off which meant we were going to do presents then. I couldn't sleep until it became one in the morning so for the time I wasn't sleeping, I was texting Jason and attempting to do my Psychology homework.

Jason: You should be sleeping.

Tiegan: I can't. I'm still on America times and it's not late there.

Jason: But you're five hours ahead now so you need to adjust to it.

Tiegan: Well, what are you doing now?

Jason: I'm doing English homework. I have to write a fifty page story that would grab someone's attention. But I'm only up to page five.

Tiegan: What's it about?

Jason: The usual.

Tiegan: Which is?

Jason: Problems, romance, families – those things.

I decided not to question Jason further about his English homework because he did seem a little distracted by this point. Then again, a fifty page story for homework is enough to make anyone sidetracked. Even so, by this point I felt like I had to leave him and go to bed to let him continue with his homework. I hadn't made much progress on mine which was the report and test. I had only done half the test now.

Tiegan: Alright, well, I'm going to bed so we'll talk tomorrow. Goodnight.

Jason: Goodnight, beautiful.

And when I got into bed that day, realising I'd left my teddy bear in Jason's bed yet the necklace was packed in my bag, I got out my phone again.

Jason: Take care of Bubbles while I'm gone.

Tiegan: He's being as good as gold.

Smiling jubilantly, I placed my phone down on the side table next to me, about to turn off my light before examining my room. There were posters strung up on the wall next to my wardrobe of famous athletes like Mo Farah and Usain Bolt. There wasn't much free space on my walls anymore and my room was only quite small.

I turned the light off from my lamp.

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Author's Note:

I SHOULD REALLY STOP DOING FILLER CHAPTERS, I'M SO SORRY.

Thank you :) x