Chapter 8

Sophomore Kamryn Schultz, continues her serialized book titled Redemption. Chapters will be revealed every two weeks. Make sure to check back twice a month and leave comments on what you think about it. If you missed the seventh chapter, read Airport.

“Please remain seated, as we are going through some rough turbulence, and will continue our flight as soon as it passes.”

There was no need to speak the announcement out loud, for every passenger felt the plane bounce and shake from side to side. I woke from my refreshing nap to the ding sound of the seatbelt light and the lurching of the plane.

I looked over to my left at Kevin and Mom, both sleeping on each other’s shoulders. I was very happy that Kevin wanted to marry Mom, but I was every happier to know he wanted to ask for my permission first.

As the plane jerked a bit more, my stomach started making some unpleasant noises. Oh no. I scrambled around to reach the nearest empty bag. As I breathed heavily into the airsickness pouch, I looked to my left out the window.

It was dark, so not much to admire. I leaned out to my right to look down the aisle. A flight attendant handed out water bottles to those still awake, and assisted people with their seats.

I never realized how free a person could feel so high off the ground. The nauseating feeling had passed, but I still felt butterflies flutter inside my stomach.

This is crazy, I thought to myself. I just left everything I’ve known behind to travel to an unknown country and live there possibly the rest of my life. No connections, no vehicle. Just a couple of crazies looking for adventure. It reminded me of Farryn.

“Well, I’m off to Germany,” I remember her saying as she waited by the terminal. She wore olive shorts with a white cami and comfortable yet sturdy sandals. Farryn never packed heavy, so she held a tiny carry-on backpack and a small suitcase.

My parents smiled as they wished her goodbye. Hugged and kisses were exchanged, with a few tears from Mom. Farryn smiled and promised to come back for holidays, and assured them she would take lots of pictures.

With a last hug from Mom and a few words with Dad, she finally turned to me. Paige. She smiled so brightly it was like the sun lived in her pearly white teeth.

I smiled too, but inside of positivity shining through, a single tear fell down my face and onto the ground. Farryn pulled me in for a hug.

That hug somehow made up all the other hugs anyone had ever given me in my entire life. This hug meant something to me. It meant Farryn would stay with me always, even when we were miles and miles apart. It meant I had a friend, a sister, to help me through life and guide me in the right direction. It meant that nothing bad would ever happened to either of us. Ever.

But that moment couldn’t last forever. One of us had to let go. Farryn let go first.

I wiped away tears and sniffles escaped my nose before I could stop them. Farryn grabbed my hands and squeezed them tightly.

“Paige, look at me.” I gazed into her green eyes. “I will write to you all the time, OK? I’ll call, text, FaceTime. I’ll send you so many pictures it’ll feel like you’re there with me!” I thought I saw her mouth quiver, but she covered it well.

“It’s just a couple months. I’ll be back before you know it.” She gave me one last embrace, not like the last one, but an embrace all the same, and picked up her things. She waved goodbye to us, then stepped through that terminal, onto a plane, and flew off.

She lived in Europe for almost a year. I got one letter, one FaceTime, and a few pictures within that time. Something I could never forgive her for.

You want to hold onto lots of memories of someone forever, because you never know when they’ll be gone.

It seemed like I would never fall back to sleep on this bumpy plane heading to Ireland, so I pulled out my favorite book, A Wrinkle in Time, and tried to relax.

I flipped through the book, reading each page, then rereading that page because I was thinking about something else and didn’t pay attention at all.

“Psst!”

I whipped my head to the left. Mom and Kevin were still asleep. Um, ok, I thought to myself. I continued reading.

“Psst! Paige!”

Ok, now I knew something was up, I looked around, wondering who knew my name.

“Behind you!”

Suddenly, that voice had an oh so familiar face to it. There’s no possible way. I slowly turned around, and sitting behind me was none other than Maryland Jennings.

“Hi, Paige! Wow, what a coincidence, huh? I never in a million years would expect you to be here!”

I gave her a weak smile, but on the inside I was freaking out. How was it possible that the most annoying person in the world ended up on the one plane that was taking me far away from where she was supposed to be?

She looked too chipper and excited at such an early hour.

“What are you doing here? I’m heading to Ireland to go on vacation with my parents. It’s beautiful there! I’ve been there once or twice, and I usually stay in the same hotel every time. One time we stayed in a house owned by a friend, but it still didn’t have that same feel as a grand hotel does. Where are you staying?”

I hesitated for a second, not wanting to explain that this visit was permanent and we had absolutely no plans.

“We have a place. It’s nice.”

“Oh! Well cool! Have you ever been to Ireland? I love the environment there! It’s so amazing; the scenery, the cities, the people…”

“That sounds so awesome!” I exclaimed, trying to stop her from blabbing on and on. “And no, I’ve never been.”

“You’ll love it! What part of Ireland are you visiting?”

“Um, Dublin I believe.”

“No way!”

No way.

“I’m staying in Dublin too. Wow, this is such a coincidence!”

Is it?

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This can’t be real. I pinched myself to be sure.

“Ow!”

Yep. Real and painful.

“Paige, why did you just pinch yourself?” Maryland looked puzzled.

“Um…just seeing if my nerves work!” I pinched myself again, trying not to squeal. “Yep, they do!”

“Ok…” Maryland looked around, then brought her face closer to mine. I backed away a bit, but not so much that I couldn’t hear her whispering.

“Hey, do you think you’d need a tour guide? I’m not professional, of course, but seeing that you’ve never been to Dublin, you’ll probably need some direction.”

I actually considered this proposition. Maryland wasn’t a terrible person. In fact, she was probably the nicest girl in school.

But her social awkwardness made her very difficult to have a conversation with, and she tended to ramble on and on about useless things. But, we did need some sort of direction in this foreign country.

“I’ll consider it. I just need to talk to my…parents first.” That was the first time I called them that. I smiled.

“OK, well let me know before we land. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to read my favorite book. Have a good rest of your flight!” She rested back in her chair and pulled out her book.

A Wrinkle In Time.

Maybe we aren’t too different after all.

For the first chapter, read Confronting weaknesses. If you missed chapter two, read Is she OK?.

This writer can be reached via Twitter: @schultz_kamryn and via email: Kamryn Schultz.

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