My brother didn't seem to have any trouble sleeping, his head was against my shoulder and I was pretty sure he was drooling on me. Gross. The 2 people in front of me with their heads resting against each other were my parents. Asleep too. I sighed and fished my mp3 player out of my pocket and pressed the power button. Nothing. Great, the battery was dead.
I knew we still had another 3 hours before we landed in LA and I was so bored. The movie they were playing was some awful comedy with Ice Cube or was it Ice T? I had no idea. I lifted up the shade on the window next to me and had to squint my eyes against the light. There was nothing but clouds out there, but it was beautiful.
"Excuse me, would you mind closing that shade? The other passengers are trying to sleep?"
I gave the air hostess and apologetic smile and closed the shade. Great. I was so bored! I had a book in my carry on but it meant I had to get up, which risked waking up Josh, my brother and that would not be pretty.
I turned and looked at him wondering how nervous he was about this whole thing. We were pretty close, being twins and all, but he hadn't really talked to me about the big move. I do know he was looking forward to meeting American girls and using his accent to his best advantage. But that was about it.
I was nervous as hell. I had always lived in Perth and had only seen a few other places in Australia on holiday. The only thing I knew about America was what I saw on TV and in movies and I knew that most of that was not real life.
It was because of my father that we were moving there. He was a University Professor and Doctor of Biology and he had been offered a really great job with the University of North Carolina. He spoke to us all about it and he listened to all of our worries and concerns. Plus we had alot of time to get used to it as they gave him 6 months to prepare for the move.
I started remembering the day I told my friends we were leaving and jealous most of my friends were. Movement on my left woke me out of my daydream and I realised Josh was awake. Thank God I could get my book.
"Hey Georgie, have they been around with breakfast yet?" he mumbled to me, still half asleep.
"No but can you smell the coffee? I bet it won't be long." I answered him.
"Awesome I am starving. And I gotta pee." He unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up and stretched. He looked down at me and frowned.
"Have you slept at all? You look terrible."
"Thanks bro and no I havn't." I stood up and pushed him out of the way so I would get my carry on.
He walked down the aisle to wait in line for the bathroom. The smell of breakfast started wafting from the galley and my stomach growled. I got my bag down and took out my book.
"George, that you?" my mum asked me from underneath her eye mask.
"Yeah it's me. I think they are starting to bring breakfast around."
She groaned and dad laughed. I didn't realise he was awake. Mum hated airplane food and airplane coffee even worse. She ran a cafe back in Perth so she knew what real coffee was.
"Shut up Alan" and they both laughed.
My parents were so sweet yet sickening at the same time. Married for 23 years and still so happy. I loved them to death. I sat back down and opened my book. I had read probably 2 paragraphs before Josh returned to his seat.
"Breakfast!" he almost shouted and clapped his hands together. He loved food. I laughed at him and he mocked punched me on the shoulder.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our last flight was only 2 hours long but by the time we had landed in Charlotte and were loaded in van my dad had rented for us I was exhausted. The van had 2 long bench seats and of course Josh took the longest one. Lucky I was short. I stretched out across the seat and watched the scenery as we drive to our new home.
"Hey Georgie! Wake up! We are here!" Josh yelled at me from the seat behind me.
I had fallen asleep probably 5 minutes into the drive. I had no problem sleeping in cars! I rubbed my eyes and looked out the window.
It was all so.... green. Trees, grass and flowers. Everywhere. It seemed like we were on a gravel driveway but it was the longest driveway I had ever seen. I looked out the front window between my parents heads and saw what will be our home for the foreseeable future.
It was HUGE! I think I may have gasped because my mum turned around with concern. She then realised what I was gasping about and smiled.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
I couldn't aswer her at first because I was prepared to hate it. I wanted to hate it. I took a breath and managed a whisper.
"It's really nice."
Dad laughed from the drivers seat "Wait till you see your room!"
My parents had flown over here 2 months ago to find a house for us and luckily with the house market in Perth had gone crazy they had quite a nice size budget after we sold the house I grew up in.
Josh piped up from the backseat "What about my room?"
Mum didn't turn around but simply said "You will both find out."
Dad stopped the van in front of the house and helped me out of the back while Josh got the bags out of the back. As I stood on the ground I still felt like I was on the plane. I kind of swayed a bit before mum grabbed my arm.
"You ok Georgia?" she only used my real name when she was either angry or concerned.
"Yeah just really tired." She let me go and grabbed 2 of the smaller bags.
"Boys I am going to get George inside and and get her to bed. Are you alright to get the rest of the luggage?"
"Sure mum!" Josh answered as he unloaded the suitcases onto the ground. He winked at me and whispered "Night night."
I stuck out my tongue and he laughed. Then mum started dragging me towards the house. We climbed up a wide set of stairs and I finally realised just how tired I was when I could barely lift my legs. I swayed again then all of a sudden I was swept up by 2 very strong arms.
"Georgie, your such a lightweight." Josh laughed as he carried me up the rest of the stairs.
"Put me down you smelly ogre!" I tried to yell but it came out as a whisper.
"Josh bring her in here and put her on the sofa, I don't have her bed made up yet."
I felt myself being lowered then I was on the sofa. It was so comfortable it took me all of 10 seconds to fall asleep.
When I woke up I was covered in a blanket and the sofa felt different. I moved my arm behind me but I couldn't feel the backrest. Weird. I opened my eyes and realised I was in a bed. I sat up quickly and looked around me. The room I was in was softly lit from a lamp on the dresser near the door. The ceiling was slanted and had exposed beams across it all the way to the end. The room was about 3 times the size of mine back in Perth. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Hardwood floors. I looked around the room and my eyes settled on the large window in the middle of the room and the window seat below it.
This must be my parents room I realised. It was too nice to be mine. Mum must have put me in here while she got my room ready. That made sense. I looked out the window but it was pitch black outside and I couldn't see a clock anywhere. I tiptoed to the door and opened it slowly. I heard movement below me. Ok so I was upstairs. I stepped out onto a landing that had another door adjacent to mine. It was closed so I had no way of knowing what was in there.
I made my way down the stairs only realising halfway down them that there was another landing. 3 floors! That was crazy! The sounds and now voices were coming from what I guessed was the ground floor. As I got the bottom I heard my mum and dad and I followed their voices. I walked into what turned out to be a massive kitchen and dining room combined. They were sitting at the table talking and when they heard me they both smiled.
"Hey Georgie! How you feel?"My dad asked me getting out of his chair. "Are you hungry?"
Mum was already walking into kitchen.
"No I am ok for now. What's the time?"
"It's just after 9, you slept about 5 hours." Dad answered.
"So what did you think of your room?" Mum asked beaming at me.
"That was my room?" I couldn't help the squeal that was on the edge of my voice.
"Hey Georgie! Wake up! We are here!" Josh yelled at me from the seat behind me.
I had fallen asleep probably 5 minutes into the drive. I had no problem sleeping in cars! I rubbed my eyes and looked out the window.
It was all so.... green. Trees, grass and flowers. Everywhere. It seemed like we were on a gravel driveway but it was the longest driveway I had ever seen. I looked out the front window between my parents heads and saw what will be our home for the foreseeable future.
It was HUGE! I think I may have gasped because my mum turned around with concern. She then realised what I was gasping about and smiled.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
I couldn't aswer her at first because I was prepared to hate it. I wanted to hate it. I took a breath and managed a whisper.
"It's really nice."
Dad laughed from the drivers seat "Wait till you see your room!"
My parents had flown over here 2 months ago to find a house for us and luckily with the house market in Perth had gone crazy they had quite a nice size budget after we sold the house I grew up in.
Josh piped up from the backseat "What about my room?"
Mum didn't turn around but simply said "You will both find out."
Dad stopped the van in front of the house and helped me out of the back while Josh got the bags out of the back. As I stood on the ground I still felt like I was on the plane. I kind of swayed a bit before mum grabbed my arm.
"You ok Georgia?" she only used my real name when she was either angry or concerned.
"Yeah just really tired." She let me go and grabbed 2 of the smaller bags.
"Boys I am going to get George inside and and get her to bed. Are you alright to get the rest of the luggage?"
"Sure mum!" Josh answered as he unloaded the suitcases onto the ground. He winked at me and whispered "Night night."
I stuck out my tongue and he laughed. Then mum started dragging me towards the house. We climbed up a wide set of stairs and I finally realised just how tired I was when I could barely lift my legs. I swayed again then all of a sudden I was swept up by 2 very strong arms.
"Georgie, your such a lightweight." Josh laughed as he carried me up the rest of the stairs.
"Put me down you smelly ogre!" I tried to yell but it came out as a whisper.
"Josh bring her in here and put her on the sofa, I don't have her bed made up yet."
I felt myself being lowered then I was on the sofa. It was so comfortable it took me all of 10 seconds to fall asleep.
When I woke up I was covered in a blanket and the sofa felt different. I moved my arm behind me but I couldn't feel the backrest. Weird. I opened my eyes and realised I was in a bed. I sat up quickly and looked around me. The room I was in was softly lit from a lamp on the dresser near the door. The ceiling was slanted and had exposed beams across it all the way to the end. The room was about 3 times the size of mine back in Perth. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Hardwood floors. I looked around the room and my eyes settled on the large window in the middle of the room and the window seat below it.
This must be my parents room I realised. It was too nice to be mine. Mum must have put me in here while she got my room ready. That made sense. I looked out the window but it was pitch black outside and I couldn't see a clock anywhere. I tiptoed to the door and opened it slowly. I heard movement below me. Ok so I was upstairs. I stepped out onto a landing that had another door adjacent to mine. It was closed so I had no way of knowing what was in there.
I made my way down the stairs only realising halfway down them that there was another landing. 3 floors! That was crazy! The sounds and now voices were coming from what I guessed was the ground floor. As I got the bottom I heard my mum and dad and I followed their voices. I walked into what turned out to be a massive kitchen and dining room combined. They were sitting at the table talking and when they heard me they both smiled.
"Hey Georgie! How you feel?"My dad asked me getting out of his chair. "Are you hungry?"
Mum was already walking into kitchen.
"No I am ok for now. What's the time?"
"It's just after 9, you slept about 5 hours." Dad answered.
"So what did you think of your room?" Mum asked beaming at me.
"That was my room?" I couldn't help the squeal that was on the edge of my voice.
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