C1 Vacation time

CHAPTER 1 VACATION TIME

A MONTH AGO

It was a sunny afternoon as Ariana was packing her clothes into her Ecolag It was finally summer when the school had vacates. She looked at her calendar on the wall. It was the last day of school. Finally, she was done with college. She looked around the room, taking in the place once more. This has been her home for four years, and now she hated the fact that she was leaving and going home. Home! The word sounded grave, she hasn't been home in seven years. Her father had banned her from coming home, after an incident happened and she proved stubborn, so for the past three years when she was still in high school, she lived with her aunt Lily, at her home, before she entered college. In college, she stopped visiting her aunt, and started staying in school even at holiday time, she had a few friends, she wasn't the outgoing type and the only reason she knew them, was because of an assignment that they were paired with.

Ariana closed her bag, as she went to the window and looked outside. She could see her fellow graduating students, laughing with their parents and taking pictures. She had no one to do it with. She knew that her dad wouldn’t come, he never cared about her, and her mum…. her mum was the reason she was going back home. She walked to the table and retrieved the short letter, that her dad had his secretary draft out for him.

She reopened it for the hundredth time that day, and read.

“Good day, Ariana Rose Santiago, your mother is very sick, come home as soon as you get this, and see her. Goodbye. From Mr. David Aaron Santiago.”

She heaved a deep sigh, her father doesn't care about her, now she knew, at first, she always made excuses, saying that her dad was a busy man, and he works hard, to get money to support the house, but her dad was a rich man before he even married my mother. He was so stinking rich, that almost everybody knew him, in the business world and beyond.

She dropped the letter in her bag, as she carried the last of her things, looking one last time to make sure you that she wasn't forgetting anything, she pulled her Ecolag and walked out of the room.

She reached the airport, in less than an hour. Her flight was scheduled to take off at exactly 5:30 pm, and it was already after 5.

She got to the terminal when she heard some people shouting her name.

“Ariana! Ariana! Wait, don’t go. Wait for us. She could hear them yelling, the voices sounded familiar. Could it be?” She wondered as she paused in her tracks.

She turned back and saw that it was her friends. They had reached her, and they were panting.

“Aurora, Azaria, Leo, Liam, what the hell are you doing here?” Ariana asked surprised.

Aurora was the first to regain, her breath. “You! how dare you? you were leaving without telling us.” Aurora said as she pointed a finger at Ariana.

“I thought you guys had left, I went to your dorms this morning, but I couldn’t find any of you guys. Wait, how did you guys find me?” Ariana said.

“By your GPS in your phone. And the reason you didn't see us is that we were up all day, searching for the perfect presents for you. Azaria said bursting out the secret.

“AZARIA!” The three of them yelled in unison.

“Oops, sorry, my bad,” Azaria said sheepishly.

“Wait, what? You all were getting a gift for me, why? Is it an occasion? What happened, did we win something….” Ariana asked looking at them for answers.

“No silly, it isn’t. I…we just decided to get you something for your graduation, and we did. Ta-da!” Leo said giving her a big bag.

“It is from all of us, well, we each dropped something inside the bag, also with letters from each one of us,” Liam said as Ariana gasped.

“Oh my God, thank you so much,” Ariana said as she hugged them one after the other.

After the hug, Ariana was emotional already.

“Oh come on, don’t cry, if you cry, you are going to make me cry too,” Azaria said as she tried to wipe Ariana’s tears away.

“And me too. I don’t want to cry too” Aurora said sniffling.

The boys rolled their eyes and said. “Girls and their unnecessary drama.”

“Hey, don’t talk about us, that way. We do not act unnecessary drama. Oh, by the way, we almost forgot. There are some instructions attached to the presents.”

“Oh okay, what is that? Ariana asked curiously.

“Do not open the presents immediately you get home. Just randomly open it, on a random day, whenever you are feeling happy, angry, or sad. Okay. The presents are going to help you with it. Aurora said.

“Oh, just randomly? That is a strange request, but sure. No problem, I am going to do as you said. Thanks, guys, I appreciate it. Ariana said as the speaker started announcing.

“The plane for California leaves in exactly 10 minutes, so passengers heading to California should start entering the plane before the doors are locked.

“Guys, that is my plane, I need to start going okay. Ariana said as she tried to pick up her.

“Wait! One last group hug before you leave. Liam said as everyone came in for the hug. The hug lasted for about three whole minutes before Ariana started pulling away.

“Guys, I need to go now. Bye. Ariana said as she finally pulled out of the hug, and took her.

Don’t forget to call us okay. Aurora said.

“And don’t forget to watch out for yourself okay. Azaria added.

“Greet your family for me. Leo yelled.

“Don’t forget we are always here when you need us. We are just one call away. Liam said as they all waved at her.

Ariana turned back and waved one last time before entering the plane.

“Do you think that she will be okay? Leo asked as they all turned to leave.

“No, she is not. But we shall only hope. Azaria said as they left the airport.