LUNA'S POV
"Watch where you're going!" An older man shouted from behind when I accidentally knocked his suitcase down.
"Sorry sir!" I called out to him but didn't bother stopping, I couldn't afford to lose any more time. The traffic coming into the airport was bad enough as it was, stopping for something as minuscule as this could be detrimental. "Shit." I said under my breath when I took a quick glance at my watch.
Two minutes. I can make it.
"Excuse me!" I urgently weaved around the maze of people in front of me, ignoring some of their annoyed looks and sly remarks; I could honestly care less. This was life or death, and nobody was going to get in the way of that.
That may or may not be a slight exaggeration, but still. There is absolutely no way in hell I'm missing this flight. As my eyes search frantically around the terminal, I find my gate to LAX all the way at the end.
...aaaaaand they're closing the doors.
"No wait!" I yelled, waving my plane ticket up in the air like a crazy person. "Don't close those doors!" Come on Luna, you didn't spend two years in track for nothing. Put your talents to the test!
I continued screaming and running like an idiot until the flight attendant saw me, and not once did I bother to worry about how sweaty and gross I must look from the marathon I just ran.
"Right on time." I was out of breath, but I still managed to give her a smile as I handed her my plane ticket and photo ID.
"Enjoy your flight to Los Angeles, Ms. Park."
After boarding the plane, I located my window seat and immediately released a sigh of relief when I noticed that I had the row all to myself. Placing my carry-on into the overhead container, I was finally able to sink down into the chair. I pull out my phone to make a quick call.
"Luna?" The sweet tone of my mother eased the anxiety that I was beginning to feel.
"Hi Mom! I'm just calling to let you know that I made it on board." I mindlessly play with a strand of hair as I look out the window, a bittersweet feeling overwhelmingly present.
"Okay honey! I hope you have a safe flight. We miss you already." Her words tugged at my heart, but I did my best not to let it get to me.
"I miss you too." My eyes were beginning to water, but I held them back. This would be the first time that I would ever be separated from my family. And as much as I had wanted this, it still feels weird to know that I'm leaving them behind.
"I'm sorry we couldn't come with you to the airport and send you off, darling. You know how your father is when it comes to his--"
"His job," I finished my mom's sentence with a deep exhale, "I know." Don't need to remind me.
"But I'll tell you what." My mother cooed, "As soon as your father has some time off, I promise the whole family will come and visit you at UCLA."
My mind faltered, and I spoke perhaps too quickly because of it. "S-sounds great. Mom, I gotta go, plane's about to take off. Bye, love you."
"Okay sweetheart I love you too. Call me when you land. Toby sends his love!"
Guilt immediately began to wash over me as I end the phone call with my beloved mother. "...the whole family will come and visit you at UCLA..." Her words echo inside my head over and over again. Two months ago I graduated from high school, and now suddenly I'm sitting on a plane ready to fly to California because my parents think I'm going to UCLA. But the funny thing is, I'm not.
I never even applied.
I have no intention of going to college, at all. But my parents don't know that. And I intend on keeping it that way. They think I'm majoring in Neuroscience, but in actuality, the reason I'm moving to California is because of my dream of being an actress.
Lord knows that if my parents ever found out, I'd be dead meat. But it's a risk that I'm willing to take because I refuse to live the life that my parents want me to live.
During Christmas break of last year, some close friends of my parents stayed over for the holidays for the first time in years. I don't remember how exactly it came up in conversation, but they mentioned how they were looking to rent out their vacation home in California.
And that's when the lie began.
I knew immediately that this was a chance that I simply couldn't let slip away. So when I approached them about the opportunity, they were more than happy to help. I told them I got into a college in that area, but the living expenses were just so high that I feared I would not be able to attend the "school of my dreams". And once I had everything planned out, I told my parents about UCLA. I even had my best friend type out a mock-acceptance letter. I seriously went through extreme measures just to be where I am right now.
I've known them basically all my life; the owners of the house I'll be living in. They are as close as family as my own. When I was younger, I was incredibly close to their son. He was honestly my best friend. We did everything together.
But then one day, he told me he was leaving, and that was the last I heard of him. I waited for him for who knows how long, thinking that he would come back. But after a while, the thought of ever seeing my best friend again just seemed so farfetched.
That was six years ago. Now he spends his days traveling the world and being praised by millions of fans everywhere.
Not that I care or anything.
"Ladies and gentlemen, at this time please make sure that your seat belts are correctly fastened. We will be departing shortly." The flight attendant interrupted my thoughts as she spoke through the speaker.
I put my phone on airplane mode and took out my headphones. "Here's to a new beginning." I silently whispered to myself as I closed my eyes and looked forward to the future.
• • • • •
THIRD POV
"How does it feel to be 'Fly'-ing all around the Unites States after you became the highest-ranked Korean act on the Billboard Artist 100 chart?
"Honestly, it feels like a dream," Jaebum said, "We never imagined we'd come this far."
"Just a few years ago, we were a group of kids struggling to even get noticed. It's amazing to see where our journey has led us." Youngjae agrees.
"So you've just wrapped up your U.S. Tour. How are you guys feeling right now? What's going through your mind?" The talk-show host asked.
"I think for the most part, we're just immensely grateful." Jinyoung states as he glances at all of the members, "Honestly, words can't even describe how we feel."
"When we decided to go on tour, we weren't really expecting too much. But this was way beyond our expectations." Jackson says.
"We actually thought it was a joke at first when our manager told us that the tour was sold out." BamBam laughs as he recalls the memory, "All within thirty-minutes. I mean, that's crazy! I still don't believe it myself."
"So with all this new-found fame here in the states, what can we expect next from Got7? Or will you be returning back to Korea?"
"I think we're here to stay, Jimmy." Mark announces, and the crowd cheers at the news. "We have a few projects under the wings at the moment, including our next full-length album. We're going to be taking some risks with a new concept, but by the looks of it, I think it's going to be our best comeback as of yet."
"We've actually written and composed the majority of the songs on it too, so I definitely think fans can look forward to that." Yugyeom adds.
"Speaking of songs, what will you guys be performing for us tonight?"
"We will be performing our newest single, 'Fly'." Mark replies with a smile, and the boys begin to make their way towards the stage.
Jimmy Fallon turns to the audience as he speaks, "Get ready because Got7 performs for us after the break! Stick around, everybody!"