The Only Way I Know
Touchdown in England.
I took my seat on the plane beside my mum. I quickly put my earphones to my iPod in, eager to avoid any conversation whatsoever.
I peered out the window, looking at Australia in all its beauty for the last time. Well, it wasn't looking like typical Australia at the moment. Pouring down with rain, soaking wet everywhere, freezing cold - it looked more like somewhere in England.
I sighed. As the plane took off I felt as though I was leaving my entire life back on the ground in Australia. I was being reborn.
I closed my eyes tightly, turning up my iPod further. It was set on Wake Me Up When September ends. This was just going to make me feel even more miserable.
All too soon we had arrived. The plane landed with a bump, waking me up from my blissful sleep. I noticed the Clash was playing. It all seemed too ironic that an English punk band was playing while I arrived in that very country.
I nudged my mum to wake her. The lines under her eyes made her look all the more stressed. I gave her an encouraging smile before getting up and stretching my stiff limbs.
It was overcast and cool outside - it was late November, and the temperatures were already cold. This new place was weird.
My mum was right behind me as we went inside the terminal. We collected our bags. Mine were easy enough to distinguish - black, and covered with various stickers. I grabbed my precious guitar case, placing it all on the trolley in front of me.
We walked into the hustle bustle, craning our necks to try and find my mum's friend. We soon found her - her tall blonde head popped out from the rest of the crowd.
"Josie!" my mum cried, running forward and grabbing her into a hug. I stood there awkwardly for a few moments.
After finally breaking apart, Josie looked at me smilingly. She seemed all too happy, I thought.
"Jamie - you look so tall," she smiled.
I wasn't really that tall. I don't think she'd even seen me before. I was pretty much average height...what a stupid comment to make.
"Um - yeah." This was so stupid.
"So...what sort of stuff are you into?" she asked as we went outside into the cold again and out to her car.
"Um - music. Wearing black. Skateboarding. Playing my guitar...writing." My answer was very short.
"I see," she said, pretending to be interested.
She didn't see at all. She was just trying to be nice. She thought I was fucking weird.
"What about you?" I asked. Man it sounded stupid coming from me. COme to think of it, it was a stupid thing to ask anyway.
"Oh - anything really," she said with a smile.
As if she could fucking like everything in this god damn place.
We got into the car. I leant my head against the window - it started to lightly drizzle. It just perfectly reflected on my bitter mood.
"So Jamie - the school around here is nice," Josie said. My mum smiled her thanks.
I mumbled incoherently. I pulled out my iPod again and turned it up full. I had no plans to involve myself in the conversation.
I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to be talking to Josie. I didn't want to feel so lonely, so empty inside.
I wanted to go back home. Back to safety, back to familiarity.
I peered out the window, looking at Australia in all its beauty for the last time. Well, it wasn't looking like typical Australia at the moment. Pouring down with rain, soaking wet everywhere, freezing cold - it looked more like somewhere in England.
I sighed. As the plane took off I felt as though I was leaving my entire life back on the ground in Australia. I was being reborn.
I closed my eyes tightly, turning up my iPod further. It was set on Wake Me Up When September ends. This was just going to make me feel even more miserable.
All too soon we had arrived. The plane landed with a bump, waking me up from my blissful sleep. I noticed the Clash was playing. It all seemed too ironic that an English punk band was playing while I arrived in that very country.
I nudged my mum to wake her. The lines under her eyes made her look all the more stressed. I gave her an encouraging smile before getting up and stretching my stiff limbs.
It was overcast and cool outside - it was late November, and the temperatures were already cold. This new place was weird.
My mum was right behind me as we went inside the terminal. We collected our bags. Mine were easy enough to distinguish - black, and covered with various stickers. I grabbed my precious guitar case, placing it all on the trolley in front of me.
We walked into the hustle bustle, craning our necks to try and find my mum's friend. We soon found her - her tall blonde head popped out from the rest of the crowd.
"Josie!" my mum cried, running forward and grabbing her into a hug. I stood there awkwardly for a few moments.
After finally breaking apart, Josie looked at me smilingly. She seemed all too happy, I thought.
"Jamie - you look so tall," she smiled.
I wasn't really that tall. I don't think she'd even seen me before. I was pretty much average height...what a stupid comment to make.
"Um - yeah." This was so stupid.
"So...what sort of stuff are you into?" she asked as we went outside into the cold again and out to her car.
"Um - music. Wearing black. Skateboarding. Playing my guitar...writing." My answer was very short.
"I see," she said, pretending to be interested.
She didn't see at all. She was just trying to be nice. She thought I was fucking weird.
"What about you?" I asked. Man it sounded stupid coming from me. COme to think of it, it was a stupid thing to ask anyway.
"Oh - anything really," she said with a smile.
As if she could fucking like everything in this god damn place.
We got into the car. I leant my head against the window - it started to lightly drizzle. It just perfectly reflected on my bitter mood.
"So Jamie - the school around here is nice," Josie said. My mum smiled her thanks.
I mumbled incoherently. I pulled out my iPod again and turned it up full. I had no plans to involve myself in the conversation.
I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to be talking to Josie. I didn't want to feel so lonely, so empty inside.
I wanted to go back home. Back to safety, back to familiarity.