It's Our Time to Shine
'Artwork' And the Terminal.
“So, how are the nerves? Are you still nervous?”, Bert suddenly asked from the car seat next to me.
I could see he was looking at me from the corner of my eye.
“Oh, it’s okay so far. I try not to think about it too much.”
“Yeah, that’s good.”
I gave him a smile, but it faded away quickly as I saw the sign to the airport; Salt Lake City International Airport 3 miles.
“It’s not too long now until we’re there, kids”, Mrs. McCracken said.
She had obviously seen the sign too.
I started to bite my nails, something I’d stopped doing months ago.
But for some reason, I always did that whenever I was nervous.
“So, kids – how is the work with your music going? All well, I hope?”
“Yeah, mom. It’s going great. We’re gonna start recording a couple of songs we’ve written so far during the summer”, Bert answered, looking at his mom in the front mirror of the car.
“Oh, really? Do any of them have any titles yet?”
“Nah, only one so far – ‘Blood On My Hands’.”
Mrs. McCracken wrinkled her nose while trying not to let anyone notice, but I could see her and smiled at her reaction.
“‘Blood On My Hands’?”, she repeated. “That doesn’t sound like a very pleasant song, hunny.”
“No, it’s not either. It’s just a gross poppy kinda song. It fits perfectly into ‘Artwork’”, Bert smiled.
“’Artwork’? Is that another song?”, Mrs. McCracken asked while trying to have eye-contact with him inthe front mirror from the driver seat.
“No, it’s the title of the new album.”
“Oh… Well, either way – I am very pleased to hear that you have plans for the autumn, children”, she said, smiling at us from the front mirror of the car as we kept on driving.
Neither one of us spoke anymore during the last few miles to the airport.
By that, it felt like the distance was 10 times longer than it actually was.
“Oh, my. It’s been a long time since I last saw an airport”, Mrs. McCracken giggled as we slowly drove to one of the few empty parking spaces in the huge parking lot.
“Do you want me to come with you inside?”, she asked after she’d parked and we all now got out of the SUV.
“No, mom, it’s okay. You don’t have to. We’ll take it from here. But thanks, though”, Bert responded smiling.
“Are you sure, hunny?”
“Yeah, positive. Right, guys?”
“Yeah, it’s okay, Mrs. McCracken”, Jepha assured.
“Okay, then. If you say so.”
The trunk was open and we all started to unload the SUV and got our bags and backpacks as we got ready to head into the terminal.
“Be careful, children. You never know what’s out there. I just want you all to be safe and return home in one piece.”
“Mom, we’ll be fine, don’t worry about us. Me n’ the guys have traveled around the world several times, we know what’s out there.”
“Yes, I know you do. But take good care of Lina for me, will you?”
“You know I will”, Bert smiled before giving his mother a warm hug.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart – so very, very much. And the rest of you too”, Mrs. McCracken said, giving each and every one of us a hug.
As we were about to leave, she gently took a hold of my arm and held me back.
She was looking me straight in the eyes and had this sad look upon her face.
“Lina, sweetie – will I ever see you again?”
“I… I don’t know, Mrs. McCracken”, I answered.
“I’ll make sure of that”, Bert suddenly added, looking at the both of us with a smile.
She took me in her arms, squeezed me tightly as if she was afraid to let go, and embraced me one last time.
“Take care, my dear. Okay?”
“I promise”, I whispered back.
We both exchanged smiles as the space between us got bigger and bigger.
Soon, the guys and I were inside the terminal and I could now no longer see Mrs. McCracken.
“You’ll see her again”, Bert said, looking at me with a comforting look while softly stroking my cheek.
“I hope so. She’s a really nice woman.”
“Yeah, I know. You got close to her, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did…”
“Hey, it’s okay. Are you alright?”, he then asked, putting his hand on my shoulder as we kept on walking inside the giant airport.
Quinn, Jepha and Dan were already a couple of feet in front of us, carrying their backpacks and dragging their rolling bags with them.
“Mhm. But right now, I’m just worried about the flight.”
I changed the subject consciously.
I didn’t want to talk about Mrs. McCracken anymore.
That would make me miss her even more than I already was.
“Whaddaya say we get somethin´ to eat after we’ve checked in? Just to get something else to think about?”
“Yeah, sounds nice.”
“Hey, guys – you up for finding a place to eat around here before we enter the boarding control?”
“Sure, Bert. Totally, I’m down with that”, Quinn replied, followed by Jepha’s and Dan’s nods.
As we got to the check-in counter, we placed our bags on the luggage belt and saw them all disappear as they were taken along the belt before they were no longer in sight.
We kept our backpacks as hand luggage and brought them with us further on.
They were going through the luggage control later, anyway.
“Hey, did you remember you passport?”, Bert asked, looking at me with a smile.
“Yeah, it’s in my backpack.”
“You better get it now ‘cause you need it to check in.”
“Oh, okay”, I responded, fishing it up from my backpack before handing it to the woman in the counter.
As I got it back, Bert suddenly grabbed it and studied the passport picture thoroughly.
“Hey, give it back!”, I said.
“Not a chance. How old are you there”, he giggled.
“Around 14. The passport expires in April 2009, so I need to refresh it soon.”
“Awesome. Aww, you’re cute there.”
“Yeah, right.”
“You’re cute now too, though”, he smiled.
That just made me blush even more.
Me – cute? Forget it.
I could see he was looking at me from the corner of my eye.
“Oh, it’s okay so far. I try not to think about it too much.”
“Yeah, that’s good.”
I gave him a smile, but it faded away quickly as I saw the sign to the airport; Salt Lake City International Airport 3 miles.
“It’s not too long now until we’re there, kids”, Mrs. McCracken said.
She had obviously seen the sign too.
I started to bite my nails, something I’d stopped doing months ago.
But for some reason, I always did that whenever I was nervous.
“So, kids – how is the work with your music going? All well, I hope?”
“Yeah, mom. It’s going great. We’re gonna start recording a couple of songs we’ve written so far during the summer”, Bert answered, looking at his mom in the front mirror of the car.
“Oh, really? Do any of them have any titles yet?”
“Nah, only one so far – ‘Blood On My Hands’.”
Mrs. McCracken wrinkled her nose while trying not to let anyone notice, but I could see her and smiled at her reaction.
“‘Blood On My Hands’?”, she repeated. “That doesn’t sound like a very pleasant song, hunny.”
“No, it’s not either. It’s just a gross poppy kinda song. It fits perfectly into ‘Artwork’”, Bert smiled.
“’Artwork’? Is that another song?”, Mrs. McCracken asked while trying to have eye-contact with him inthe front mirror from the driver seat.
“No, it’s the title of the new album.”
“Oh… Well, either way – I am very pleased to hear that you have plans for the autumn, children”, she said, smiling at us from the front mirror of the car as we kept on driving.
Neither one of us spoke anymore during the last few miles to the airport.
By that, it felt like the distance was 10 times longer than it actually was.
“Oh, my. It’s been a long time since I last saw an airport”, Mrs. McCracken giggled as we slowly drove to one of the few empty parking spaces in the huge parking lot.
“Do you want me to come with you inside?”, she asked after she’d parked and we all now got out of the SUV.
“No, mom, it’s okay. You don’t have to. We’ll take it from here. But thanks, though”, Bert responded smiling.
“Are you sure, hunny?”
“Yeah, positive. Right, guys?”
“Yeah, it’s okay, Mrs. McCracken”, Jepha assured.
“Okay, then. If you say so.”
The trunk was open and we all started to unload the SUV and got our bags and backpacks as we got ready to head into the terminal.
“Be careful, children. You never know what’s out there. I just want you all to be safe and return home in one piece.”
“Mom, we’ll be fine, don’t worry about us. Me n’ the guys have traveled around the world several times, we know what’s out there.”
“Yes, I know you do. But take good care of Lina for me, will you?”
“You know I will”, Bert smiled before giving his mother a warm hug.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart – so very, very much. And the rest of you too”, Mrs. McCracken said, giving each and every one of us a hug.
As we were about to leave, she gently took a hold of my arm and held me back.
She was looking me straight in the eyes and had this sad look upon her face.
“Lina, sweetie – will I ever see you again?”
“I… I don’t know, Mrs. McCracken”, I answered.
“I’ll make sure of that”, Bert suddenly added, looking at the both of us with a smile.
She took me in her arms, squeezed me tightly as if she was afraid to let go, and embraced me one last time.
“Take care, my dear. Okay?”
“I promise”, I whispered back.
We both exchanged smiles as the space between us got bigger and bigger.
Soon, the guys and I were inside the terminal and I could now no longer see Mrs. McCracken.
“You’ll see her again”, Bert said, looking at me with a comforting look while softly stroking my cheek.
“I hope so. She’s a really nice woman.”
“Yeah, I know. You got close to her, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did…”
“Hey, it’s okay. Are you alright?”, he then asked, putting his hand on my shoulder as we kept on walking inside the giant airport.
Quinn, Jepha and Dan were already a couple of feet in front of us, carrying their backpacks and dragging their rolling bags with them.
“Mhm. But right now, I’m just worried about the flight.”
I changed the subject consciously.
I didn’t want to talk about Mrs. McCracken anymore.
That would make me miss her even more than I already was.
“Whaddaya say we get somethin´ to eat after we’ve checked in? Just to get something else to think about?”
“Yeah, sounds nice.”
“Hey, guys – you up for finding a place to eat around here before we enter the boarding control?”
“Sure, Bert. Totally, I’m down with that”, Quinn replied, followed by Jepha’s and Dan’s nods.
As we got to the check-in counter, we placed our bags on the luggage belt and saw them all disappear as they were taken along the belt before they were no longer in sight.
We kept our backpacks as hand luggage and brought them with us further on.
They were going through the luggage control later, anyway.
“Hey, did you remember you passport?”, Bert asked, looking at me with a smile.
“Yeah, it’s in my backpack.”
“You better get it now ‘cause you need it to check in.”
“Oh, okay”, I responded, fishing it up from my backpack before handing it to the woman in the counter.
As I got it back, Bert suddenly grabbed it and studied the passport picture thoroughly.
“Hey, give it back!”, I said.
“Not a chance. How old are you there”, he giggled.
“Around 14. The passport expires in April 2009, so I need to refresh it soon.”
“Awesome. Aww, you’re cute there.”
“Yeah, right.”
“You’re cute now too, though”, he smiled.
That just made me blush even more.
Me – cute? Forget it.
♠ ♠ ♠
rofl, bad ending - i know. xDbut still; it's an update, right? : D
and, hey, i've been on mibba for two years today!
congratu-fucking-lations to me. (((:
xo,
lina.