The News

June 25th

You walk slowly up the steps to your front door, reluctant to leave your friends and go back to the boredom of regular life, which you have been able to escape from for the last 3 days while at a friend’s house. You had all decided to celebrate the end of your last year. With this thought in mind you walk through your front door and back into your boring life. Or so you thought…

Before you’ve even had time to set down your duffle bag, your mom has caught you up in a gigantic hug and swept you into the living room. Apparently intent on surprising you, she gestures towards the coffee table without a word. Knowing the only way for you to find out what she is up to is to go along with it, you take the few steps to the coffee table. With a sigh, you pick up the envelope on the table, knowing that it was probably your aunt Margaret AGAIN, and you had better set yourself for an hour and a half of the most boring news on the planet. That’s when you see the plane ticket. It had been sitting under the envelope so that she couldn’t see it. Hoping that your assumption as to who has sent these is right, you tear open the envelope and fumble with the papers inside, trying desperately to get them out even though your hand is shaking. Finally you get them out of the envelope. IT’S FROM YOUR DAD!!! He has invited you to stay with him over the summer on the research vessel he works on. The ticket is to Sydney, Australia where you will get picked up.

Slowly you turn to look at your mom, feeling like it’s practically too good to be true. Dad’s been gone for the last 7 months on this last study, and you haven’t seen him since he left. She grins at you, gives you another hug, and then, in a mock stern tone, tells you to hurry up and pack or else you can’t go. Laughing, you race upstairs to get your things together. You leave in only 4 days.