The day of our departure came closer and closer. I was a little nervous, but mostly very happy.
Our fly started very early in the morning. It took us till the next day to arrive in Los Angeles. Let me tell you, that was the longest flight I ever needed to sit through.
So I stood there waiting for my baggage, thinking about the fact that I still needed to fly the same route three times. It gave me a headache, so I pushed the thought in the back of my head.
Instead I looked around. Slightly too late, cause my suitcase just passed me. I tried to lean over to catch it, but I wasn't fast enough.
My little jump just resulted in me almost knocking over a guy standing next to me. I assured him how sorry I was while slowly backing off. I speedwalked around him in the direction my suitcase was going.
In my mind I said „Don't run. You'll look ridiculous". Yeah... like speedwalking through an airport while dodging confused people was that much more normal.
Amelie: „Elly! You look ridiculous. Stop walking like that."
She lifted my suitcase from the carousel.
Amelie: „And get your bag. It's damn heavy."
I slowed down and smiled at her. She was holding my suitcase and waited for me.
Amelie: „Come on. The others are already heading out. I don't want to loose them after 5 minutes here."
Pulling my bag behind me, I gasped: „Maybe we would have more fun this way."
Amelie just rolled her eyes at me.
We headed through the main entrance of the airport and caught up with the rest of our class. They didn't even notice we were missing. Top notch care taking from my teachers.
Maybe the heat was getting to them. At least I know it was getting to me. The sun was right above us and I had the feeling she made it her business to direct all sun rays only on me.
I saw Amelies tense face, so it was my duty to make her relax.
Elly: "Before we are gunned down by any gangs, the heat will probably kill us."
She gave me a reproachful look. I answered with a grin. Complaining about my stupidity always calms her down.
Elly: "You don't show it, but I know you love my humor."
Amelie: "Yes, I do. But your jokes will cause me dying from a heart attack soon."
We were interrupted by our teacher shush-ing us. Disrespectful much?
He explained that we were about to take a train to Freeridge, since it was a bit out of town.
The boys of our class stormed inside the train as soon as the doors opened. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.
I lifted my suitcase in the train and helped Amelie with hers. The train was crowded, but luckily we found a place to sit.
When everyone calmed down, our teachers went around and gave out a paper with important telephone numbers, addresses and our plan for the coming week.
Amelie started to study it immediately. She even saved the numbers in her phone.
I was too sweaty to do any of that. It was hot, stuffy and loud. On top of that, I almost didn't sleep in the plane at all. I was tired like hell. So I just used the paper as a fan to get at least a bit of fresh air.
Needless to say that I was more than happy to get off the train after some time.
We stepped out and followed our teachers out of the station. With slightly aggressive hand gestures he motioned for us to gather in a circle.
Another group of people, who didn't look less uncomfortable than us, was waiting near. My brilliant mind concluded that these were our host families.
Amelie: „Can you see the Diaz-brothers?"
I shook my head no.
One of our teachers went to the group and greeted them. It was our history teacher who spoke with such a strong German accent that I was afraid people would think he wants to start World War III.
While I giggled over this thought, he came back with a list in his hands. He started to call out names. Always two students and the name of their host family.
Amelie tapped her foot impatiently.
Amelie: „When is our turn...?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
Elly: „There aren't many left. I can already see the younger Diaz. He's over there on the right side."
I nodded in his direction.
In this moment I heard our names. The teacher yelled unnecessarily loud.
Teacher: "Amelie, Elly. Family Diaz."
Cesar Diaz walked towards us quickly. He greeted us with a nice smile and shook our hands.
Cesar: „Hi! Nice to meet you."
Elly: „Nice to meet you too."
Amelie: „Same."
We looked over to my teacher to seek an approving look which meant we were allowed to go. But we just got a concerned one.
Teacher: „You are?"
Cesar: „Cesar Diaz."
My teacher checked his list with narrowed eyes and tapped his pen against the board. Suddenly he stopped and looked up again.
Teacher: „An Oscar Diaz is supposed to pick them up. We need a grown up to hand them over to."
Cesar Diaz: „No worries. Oscar Diaz is my brother. He's waiting over there."
He pointed in a direction and we all turned around to see him.
Our teacher seemed to be quite reluctant, but finally he nodded and we were free to go. Cesar led the way and we followed him quietly.
I can't be the only one who hates the first moments with a strange person and the inevitable awkward silence that comes with it.
A meme idea popped up in my head. A picture of Thanos' snap when he says „I am inevitable", but on his head is written „awkward silence when meeting someone new".
In the next moment I noticed that we reached the older Diaz-brother and I asked myself why am I thinking about meme ideas when I should concentrate on the moment.
Oscar Diaz' smile wasn't as inviting as his brother's, but it was enough for a slight twitch of the corners of his mouth.
Now we followed both the Diaz-brothers quietly. The amount of inevitable awkward silence doubled also.
In German, I whispered in Amelies ear.
Elly: "Good you already saved the emergency numbers in your phone. We could get kidnapped or shot any time from now on."
I grinned and watched her from the corner of my eye. She wasn't hyperventilating enough, so I needed to raise my game.
Elly: "You will never believe what I saw in his pants."
Now I got her.
Amelie: "Don't you dare make a sexual joke after two minutes with him."
Elly: "How you dare assume something like that. No. I meant he has a gun."
Her eyes widened and she starred shocked in his direction.
Amelie: "Are you serious? Don't joke with that please."
Elly: "I'm dead serious. Or take that dead away. I don't want to give anyone any ideas."
I laughed, but Amelie still looked shocked. And no, I am no sociopath who likes to torture her best friend. This kind of joking around was our thing.
Oscar Diaz noticed our conversation and looked us up and down. He was skeptical and tried to figure out what we were talking about, but luckily he didn't understand one German word.
When Amelie noticed him looking at us, she panicked even more. Which caused him to look even more skeptical. It was fun to watch.
There's a saying my parents always used to say to me „God punishes small sins immediately." And I've been able to confirm this in more than one situation.
Now was one of them. I was so proud of me teasing Amelie that I continued to watch her reaction from the corner of my eye. But because of that I didn't notice that we reached the car already. That means, everyone stopped walking except me. I kept going with a stupid grin in my face till I bumped into someone. Hard.
That someone turned out be a tall, handsome man. Which made my situation not even a little bit less awkward. I blushed, tried to look up to him without holding eye contact for more than a second and mumbled something about how sorry I am.
He just grinned back at me. I heard Amelie giggling maliciously, but I deserved it.
Oscar Diaz watched us from narrowed eyes.
Oscar: „Yeah, well... if you both are finished, I would like to go home."
It didn't sound like a request, but more like a command. So we hurried to squeeze our suitcases in the trunk and sat in the car.
The inevitable awkward silence was trying to creep its way back, so I searched for a topic to talk about.
Elly: "That is a really nice car."
Oscar Diaz briefly glanced at me through the mirror before he concentrated on the road again.
Oscar: "It is. It's a 1968 Chevrolet Impala SS."
I didn't understand one word that just came out of his mouth.
Elly: „Hm. Yeah... I like the color."
Oscar Diaz: „You don't know nothing about cars, but at least you have good taste."
He chuckled. It sounded very sweet, completely unfitting to his overall appearance.
Inevitable awkward silence.
Elly: „How about we tell each other our names? It would get a little weird living with someone and not knowing their name, right? Let's start with us. My name's Elly and this is..."
I waited for Amelie to say her name, but nothing was coming. So I continued.
Elly: „...Amelie."
Cesar turned around in his seat to look at us.
Cesar: „I'm Cesar. Cesar Diaz. And that is Osc-„
He interrupted his little brother.
Oscar: „Spooky."
Sad Eyes: „I'm Sad Eyes."
I looked between the two of them.
Elly: „Yeahhh... how about we stick with the real names and just use the made up names for our superhero gig."
Both of them were grinning and luckily didn't think I was being disrespectful.
Oscar: „Oscar."
Sad Eyes: „Antonio."
Elly: „You see, beautiful names. No need to hide them."
Sad Eyes continued playfully: „Beautiful names for beautiful men."
Elly: „Indeed."
I said it a little too fast, and a little too sure. Just a second after I realized what I just said.
I blushed when I noticed they grinned, so I tried to save the situation.
Elly: „I mean, you expected me to say that you are ugly? Like that would have been a good start for this stay. Okay, I will stop talking now."
Oscar: „You talk much and your friend doesn't talk at all."
Amelie: „She does the talking for both of us."
Amelie was quiet, but she had the gift of the gab. Then she added „Except the embarrassing stuff. I don't claim any of that."
We kept making Smalltalk till we reached the house of the Diaz-brothers. It looked even shabbier than when we looked at it in Google Earth. But who am I to judge.
Cesar hold the door open for us. Sad Eyes and Oscar took our suitcases. I guess chivalry isn't dead after all.
The Diaz-brothers, Amelie and I entered the house. Sad Eyes just dropped off my suitcase. After that he excused himself and went away.
We stood around in the middle of the living room next to our suitcases, like ordered and never picked up.
Oscar opened a beer can and sat at the kitchen table.
Oscar: „Hey, feel free to do whatever you want. Mi casa es su casa, you know. Just do what you would do at home also."
Elly: „At home I would take my bra off and throw myself on the couch watching TV with chips in my mouth."
Cesar: „Relatable."
Oscar: „I mean, feel free to do all of that. Especially the taking your bra off part."
Again this stupid grin.
Elly: „Hm. Thought so. After that I would probably wonder why the fuck there are suitcases in my living room. And two Mexican-Americans."
Oscar shook his head smiling. He liked my humor. That is always good. Because I can't turn it off.
Oscar: „Understood."
He got up, grabbed each suitcase with one hand and lifted them up without a problem. Then he carried them into a room.
We followed him.
Cesar: „You'll sleep in here. It's my room, but for the time you are staying I will sleep with my brother."
We all looked at him funny, but he didn't seem to notice what he just said.
Elly: „I didn't know we ended up in Alabama."
He blushed.
Cesar: „I- I meant bunk. I'll bunk with my brother."
Elly: „I thought so. The age gap between you two makes it weird."
Oscar: „Yeah, THAT's what makes it weird." he said sarcastically.
The next hour we spent unpacking our stuff. Okay, to be honest, that's quite a one-sided view on what was happening.
Amelies suitcase was perfectly packed. She didn't even need to unpack to know where everything was. She just put her suitcase in a corner and was ready.
Me on the other hand... I opened my suitcase on the bed, threw out half the things looking for my bag with bathroom stuff. Amelie spend the time folding everything I just threw out.
Elly: „Aha!"
I shouted. Amelie looked at me confused. To clarify, I hold the shampoo bottle I was searching for the whole time in front of her face.
Elly: „It was hiding under my socks. Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did."
She rolled her eyes while I got up from the bed and walked to the door with the shampoo and a towel in my hand.
Amelie: „You'll go shower?"
Elly: „Yep."
Amelie: „Good."
I turned around.
Elly: „I'm smelling that bad that you want me gone?"
Amelie: „No." She thought about it for a second. „Actually, yes. But I'm happy you go shower because I will repack your suitcase in this time. I really can't sleep next to it, knowing it looks... like that."
I went to the bathroom and locked the door hoping no one would need to follow nature's calling in the next 10 minutes.
The cold water felt more than good. As the water flowed down my body, it washed off the tiredness of the long journey. I stood under the running water for a while.
Until suddenly someone knocked on the door.
Amelie: "Waste of water, Elly! Showering for so long will soon cost all of us our heads. California already suffers from heat waves and drought."
I turned the water off, stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel.
Now I was shivering. It was warm, but the air on my wet skin still felt very cold.
I didn't bring clean clothes with me to the bathroom, so I wanted to sneak into our room quickly without being seen by anyone.
Sneaking was not quite possible anymore, when I saw Spooky and Sad Eyes standing in the kitchen which was on the way to my room. They noticed me right away.
Sad Eyes whistled in my direction.
Sad Eyes: "Hola Gorgeous!"
Oscar looked me up and down with a grin. His gaze stayed a little too long on my boobs.
Oscar: "I would enjoy it much more without the towel."
Elly: "I take the towel away if you both take off your clothes too."
Without waiting for a reaction I went to the room quickly.
Amelie proposed that we stay inside the rest of the day to relax. But she knew I wouldn't be down for that.
Elly: „We can stay a little longer, maybe eat something. But after that we need to go out. We need to see what Freeridge has to offer. Even if we just go for a walk and get to know the area."
Amelie: „Alright.. but I need a sandwich before that. The plane-food tasted disgusting."
We went to the kitchen to eat something. Cesar had assured us that we could take food at any time.
While we sat at the table to eat, I looked around. There was no sign of the others, but I heard several voices from the front yard and assumed they were there.
My sandwich was gone in three big bites. Amelie was still nibbling on hers, so I went to the front of the house to sneak a look through the window.
Cesar was chilling on the couch in the front yard. Spooky was sitting next to him lifting some weights. Sad Eyes was sitting near the door, drinking. There were some other guys around.
I was hoping they would disappear before we went outside. It was already embarrassing to walk past a group of boys my age, but with a group of grown men it was even more weird. Unfortunately it seemed like they came to stay.
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