Not the Usual Trip to the Bathroom

Killer Suitcases and Paparazzi

She sighed, stuffing the magazine in her carry-on and stepping behind me.

Uh-huh. That was my mom's condition. I was flying 2000 miles away from the woman but that didn't stop me from constantly hearing her in my head.

***

"Elise, if you're going to do this and if you're so serious about being an 'adult', well, I've got one thing to say about that- you're not an adult."

I had some how convinced Mom to let me go to L.A., but she had one condition... I sighed, "What's the conditioin, Mom, let's get to it."

"Rachel's going with you."

I choked on- well, on air. "Beg your pardon?"

I love Rachel. I really do. And it would be crazy, wonderfully, supercalifradgilistically wonderful if Rachel came out to L.A. with me. But not right now. I mean, give me a few weeks or something to just... adjust. Be with Luke, start the internship, be a little independent or whatever.

"You heard me. You take the same classes, she can graduate early too. But she's going with you. I would feel so much better if you had someone with you, other than the boy-"

"Luke."

"It doesn't matter- you need to have support out there, and who's better than Rachel? You out there, in the world on your own, is already... frightening, to me at least. Having Rachel out there with you, while you'll probably end up just causing more trouble, well, you won't be getting into trouble alone."

***

So here we were, me and Rachel. Rachel and me.

I was a little annoyed at first, but now, actually being at the airport ready to leave, it was really hitting me. I've always been independent, but I've been independent with Rachel, if that makes sense. I don't think anyone else would be better to have here than her. I'd probably be a mess if she wasn't.

We were finally seated on the plane and the flight attendants were walking up and down the aisles telling everyone to turn off their phones. Me, well, I'm a rebel. Actually, I was frantically trying to send one last text, and rebels aren't exactly "frantic", but the flight attendant was starting to give me the stink eye so... I was frantically rebelling.

"Elise," Rachel hissed, jabbing her finger into my side, "C'mon, we're moving, you gotta turn it off."

"I know, I know," I hit send and switched on airplane mode.

"Who were you texting?"

"Just making sure someone's waiting for us when we land, that's all."

"Oh. Well, are you ready

I turned to my sister. We're both pretty brave in our own ways, but I could tell she was... scared. Or nervous. Maybe both. "Are you?" I asked, her nervousness worrying me.

"I asked you first."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, I'm ready."

"But are you READY ready?"

I sighed, "I'm scared. I'm scared because we're going somewhere we've never been to. I'm worried about being there, with all the boys. But I'm still excited. I'm more than excited, I'm happy to be..." I paused, searching for the right words, "I'm nervous, but I'm happy to be starting this... whatever, chapter, part of life- WHATEVER" I rolled my eyes at Rachel, who was mock-vomiting over my mushiness. "I'm nervous and happy. There."

"Ditto."

I sighed again, "Rachel?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."