I Can't Wait For You ~ 2

I did not understand why anyone was up this early. Every single face in the airport was either wincing or grimacing. Not that there were really that many people there. My mother had left me at the security gate, because no one without a boarding pass could go past security. Of course it was a blast going to get my boarding pass at the ticket counter. More half open eyes and dull voices. Then again I was right there with them. No businesses other than ones dealing with emergencies should be open at that point of the day. Not to mention transporting people around the globe. It was so stupid. I wasn't even thinking coherently. Finally I plopped my butt in a chair at the appropriate gate and pulled out my trusty zune, cranking it up. Then I just had to make sure I didn't fall asleep.

I have to think that being on an airplane when you don't want to be is one of the worst feelings in the world. Not only are you trapped in a thin metal tube, you're surrounded by people just as grumpy as you..if not more. Sitting in that seat with my seatbelt firmly fastened my heart was sinking into my stomach and slowly dissolving. The entire tortorous process of getting ready for take off and moving down the runway I had wanted to jump out of my seat and demand they let me off. In my head a mantra appeared: 'You want to do this. You want to do this. He is your father, it is important. You have no choice.' Finally I just closed my eyes and gripped my armrests. The actual flying part I had no trouble with, I quite enjoyed actually. Being above the clouds is something that you don't experience everyday. If I was a more rainbow silver lining type of person I would have said that that feeling alone was worth this trip and all the crap it was bringing along with it. The flight was over two hours and I was already sick of it. At least there weren't any stops or layovers. Just one straight shot down to sunny, sunny Miami. Of course my father had to live in one of the busiest, craziest, most dangerous cities in the nation. I was not looking forward to that aspect. Maybe I should try to grin and bear it..but complaining made me feel better.

"Would you like anything to drink dear?" I paused my music and looked up to see a brunette flight attendant staring down at me.
"Um, sure. Do you have any juice?"
"Apple or cranberry?"
"Apple." She quickly poured it and moved up the aisle. I raised the small plastic cup to my lips to take a sip when the plane jerked under me. All ot my juice went right down my shirt, but I was focusing on the acute panic spreading through the cabin.
"Ladies and gentlemen..this is your captain speaking. I'm afraid there's a large storm rolling in off the sea. We're going to have to land at the nearest airstrip." What? Nearest airstrip?
"Where are we?" I asked, leaning across the aisle. The woman seated there shrugged and shut her eyes tightly. I watched as the flight attendant struggled with her cart back to the rear of the plane. "Excuse me," I called as she headed for her seat at the front. "Where are we?"
"South Carolina I believe." South Carolina? That was not where I wanted to end up. In the back of my mind I wondered if this was some sort of karmic payback for not recycling or helping little old ladies across the street. Probably not.

Lightning flashed through the windows as we tumbled through the heart of a thunderstorm. Apparently this wasn't the one we were supposed to be worried about..that was coming later. Perfect. Everyone in the cabin was now surprisingly calm. It seemed that once we hadn't fallen out of the sky in a blaze of fire the panic evaporated. I didn't understand. We were still in the middle of a storm, and we were not landing where we were supposed to. What was I going to do? Spend the night in the airport? Gee, that sounded great, especially since it was only six thirty, in the morning. No sunny beach was worth this. It was debateable whether any father was worth this. Why couldn't he come to me? Jobs had vacation time. Next year I was going to suggest, if not demand it. If this vacation was anything less than fantastic I was going to throw a fit. And if anyone tried to hand me Barbie lip gloss their arm was coming off. I crossed my arms and slid lower in my seat, fury settling over me. The captain again came on and asked that all electronic devices be turned off so we could land. In South Carolina. Just freaking perfect.