Leaving everything behind for everything I’ve dreamed of. I was leaving my family behind. I was most defiantly leaving all the guys that had broken my heart. Leaving the few friends I had behind to go to a new place where I had no one. All I had for me in North Carolina was a blurry future.
“Here you go Miss Eli Rosen.” The flight attendant told me as she handed me a water bottle I had asked for a few minutes ago. I was currently on a flight to North Carolina to see what else was outside of Orange County. I was beyond tired of evey person in here being fake, and shallow. I guess you can say I’m leaving everything behind and finding myself.
My whole life I’ve lived by the rules my parents gave me. I did every sport that they put me in, soccer, gymnastics, cheerleading, cross country, baseball, and of course lacrosse. I was the perfect child. Skipped a grade when I was in Elementary School. Of course my mom being the controlling mother she is didn’t like me going to a public middle school, and she of course put me in a home schooling program. My teacher, along with my mother thought it would be best if I crammed 2 years of high school into one. So I ended up graduating at the age of 16 with some college credits. This led to me having little to no downtime for me to be a teen and enjoy life and figure out who I really was. After I graduated my university at the age 19, (I have a late birthday.) that’s when it clicked, I never really had my teenage years. Yeah I dated, never fell in love. Never got to go out and party all night. Never got to do something crazy that would get me grounded. I was virtually living as a puppet.
“Miss Rosen, may I ask you to place your carry on above in the compartments.” The flight attendant said with a fake smile on her face. I would hate to pretend to be happy.
“Yeah, sure.” I replied as I rose up from seat and attempted to place my bag above. The door to open the compartment was stuck.
“Here let me help you with that.” A mans voice said from behind me. Jeez, I hate when people try to help me. Yes, I know that I look like I need help, and I probably do, but when stranger offers to help you, it bugs me so much.
“No, I’m fine. I got it. Thank you.” I said as nicely as I possibly could.
“Fine.” He simply said.
With the luck I have nothing ever works out in favor. As I finally get the door unstuck, I must of pulled it to hard and when the door finally opened I fell backwards and fell on my butt. Causing the guy that was trying to help me before laughing.
“Yeah, you look like you got it.” He said as he looked down at me and extend a hand to help me up. I didn’t even acknowledge his hand. I got up on my own.
“As a matter of fact, I do have it.” I said as I pushed some strands of my blonde hair behind my ear.
“Here let me put that up there before you fall again.” He said as he brushed his bangs from his eyes to the side. His hazel eyes were almost hypnotizing. They looked welcoming, and warm.
“Thank you.” I gave in. I’m not sure what had came over me that I had agreed to allow him to help me.
“I’m Joe by the way.” He said as he sat down on the seat infront of me. I love first class, not having to sit next to someone. At least they are in front of you and not next to you.
“I’m Eli.” I replied as I pulled my itouch out of my pocket and turned it on. Tuning out the world and entering my sanctuary. Music saves my soul. It helps me escape the world I have lived in since I was born. A world where no one takes time to appreciate the little things in life. Where everyone is so focused on themselves that they don’t have time to care for someone else. Where people marry other people for their money. The world where divorce and getting married a few weeks later was normal. Music gave me a way out of that world, and I entered a new world where everything was different.
“So why are you going to North Carolina?” Joe said breaking my day dream.
I had to think about his question, yeah I had the answer to find myself, but how stupid would I sound if I told him that. “Just want to start a new life I guess.” I replied as I paused my music.
“Running away?” He said as he unbuckled his seat belt and sat indian style in the seat.
In a way I was running away. I didn’t tell my parents where I was going. As soon as I walked across that stage at my graduation from Berkley yesterday, went to my apartment packed my things and told my parents I was going on vacation. Didn’t tell them where I was going or if I was ever going to come back and help my dad run his company.
“Kind of, but not really.”
“Yeah, cause that makes sense.” He said as he raised an eyebrow at me. Who did this guy think he was?
“To me it does. But why are you going to North Carolina?”
“Same reason you are. I’m tired of the life I had in California.” Joe replied. I didn’t have anything else to say, so I began to listen to my music and took out my sketch book.
“You aren’t like most girls from California.” Joe blurted out about 15 minutes after his last comment.
“And why is that?” I replied, I wasn’t sure why I was even talking to Joe. I’m not much of a talker. I mainly just don’t care about the world going on around me.
“Were you born in CA?” He asked me. I simply just nodded. “Every girl that I’ve met that was raised in CA is interested in tanning, money, and getting closer to celebrities” I was taken aback by his stereotyping, but who was I to judge. I thought the same about all CA girls.
“I think the same way about California girls. I could care less if I’m tan or not. I don’t care about money & I don’t really care about famous people. Most are just fakes.” I said not looking up from my drawing.
“Not every famous person is a fake. I happened to know a few who are real.” He said a bit on the defensive said. His tone caused me to look up and see a hurt expression written all over his face.
“Yeah, faking smiles, not being able to be who you really want to be afraid the fans might not like you. Pretending your world is perfect even if you are dying to scream out. Yeah that seems real to me too.” I said.
“Nice use of sarcasm.” He said as he gave me a small smile. “Most of those things are true but who doesn’t fake a smile every once in a while?”
“Very true.” I said. I took a few seconds to gather my thoughts. “What is it that you are running from?” I bluntly asked. The questioned hadn’t yet crossed my mind until that moment.
“I’m tired of people looking up to me. I don’t want to be a role model. I missed out on my teenage years. I just want to be careless for a while and not have to worry about people judging me every second.” Joe said as he looked down at his hands.
“Role model, eh? What is it that you do?” I asked.
“You don’t know who I am?”
“Am I suppose to?”
“Let me see your ipod?” He said as put his palm up for me to place my itouch.
“Here you go. Just know I’m not your typical girl. My music isn’t really what is in.”
“I see, good taste so far. A few bands that are just starting out. Punk music I see. Country music. Punk-Rock. You are very varied in your music.”
“Yeah, I gave up on the top 40 radio stations when I was 10. The lyrics those for those songs had no meaning. I resorted to finding new artist on websites, myspace, even youtube. Bands that were just starting out. Artist that their lyrics actually had real meaning.” I explained as he handed me back my ipod. “So why did you want to see my music?”
“Wanted to see if you had any songs from my band.” He said as he pushed his bands a side. When he did that I got to see his warm hazel eyes. I gave him a questioning look. “Jonas Brothers?” He said, obviously reading my confused look on my face.
“Never heard of you guys.” I said as I closed my sketch book and put it inside the compartment on the side of my seat. “May I listen to your ipod?” I said. I a music junkie. When someone mentions a song, my instincts push me to listen.
He handed me his ipod. They were good. The lyrics had actual meaning. The rest of the flight he explained to me about his band, and how they were constantly being watched. We talked about how he felt when he first started to make music, and how everything changed as they became more in the public eye.
“We will be landing in a few minutes. Please head back to your seats and sit down. Buckle your seat belt if you haven’t already done so.” The flight attendant said over the speakers.
“So, once you land in North Carolina, do you have a plan for starting over?” Joe questioned as he buckled his seat belt.
“I do not. I don’t even know where I’m going to stay at.” I admitted.
“So you are just going with the flow, not thinking ahead?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I want to go to the beach here first, then just let my instincts guide me.”
“Didn’t you live by the beach?”
“Yeah, but Orange County is not my scene. North Carolina is different. Or at least should be different. I have all summer ot figure out if running away here was a good idea. If not, I have to go back to CA and work at my dad’s company.”
Once the plane landed. Joe and I walked together through the gates, and went to get our luggage.
“What do you plan on doing now that we are here?” I asked Joe as I placed my bags into the kart.
“I have no clue, but you are coming with me to the beach.”
“How do I know you aren’t going to kill me?” I playfully asked.
“I’m not. Would a Disney boy kill someone?” He joked back.
“Fine, but if you mess with the stereo, I will rip off your arm.” I said as we walked towards the rental car stand.
“We are running away together.” Joe said as we started to drive away from the airport.
