Astray | Teen Ink

Astray

March 13, 2023
By kxden, Santa Ana, California
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kxden, Santa Ana, California
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Author's note:

I am not the best writer

Airports are like a center of life's, in that it holds many stories. The hub of emotions, such as someone running to a gate to see their mother again, someone who just said goodbye to their grandparent for the last time, or someone who simply drank the beer so fast they got hiccups with their friend at the gate-maybe even someone who is running from their past for a new life across the world.

 Many beginnings and many ends, but our story begins in the city of Los Angeles, on a sunny Thursday afternoon in November, the Marshalls and their driver were making their way to the airport after a rush out of the door to their car. 

Richard sitting in the back with his parents annoyed of the repeated clicking of his Nintendo switch,

“Richard, can you turn that off”

“Alright but let me finish the game”

“You never listen,” his mother says, rolling her eyes.

There driver turns left to see the bold white LAX letters with the almost dead greenery and the arrows with bright white letters “Parking Lot” 

the driver turns to the right on World Way where Richard see’s the families with cars filled to the brim with luggage's that seem to want to explode from being overpacked and the glowing letters of airlines “Aero Mexico,” “American Airlines” and continuing names,

The driver stops in front of the glowing letters “Singapore Airlines” where their driver helps them with their luggage, 

Jena checks in and the family heads into security.

The screams of the TSA and the luggage being slammed onto the platform with people taking their pills last minute before entering the x-ray. 

“Remove shoes and place on tray” 

“Ma'am I need you to move quicker”

“Oh yes, yes I'm going”

Richard is annoyed with security and waits for their parents at the end of the X-ray. After the family heads to their terminal and goes to their lounge area with the gold words “First Class Exclusive,

  The family drops their carry-ons and heads to Starbucks.

“Hi, Can I get a Strawberry Acai Lemonade with extra strawberries” Richard orders 

“Also can you add a Matcha drink to the order” Richards mother asks

“And also can I get a Caramel Macchiato” She asks 

The worker adds the drinks then a last minute cake pop for Richard.

“Your total is 22.36” the worker says 

Jena pays and goes to the side and waits for their drinks.

On the freeway there is an opposite family driving to LAX with their clothes stuffed into two luggages and one carry-on for a family of three. 

Dylan’s father turns left to the white glowing letters on world way with airlines and planes on the runway heading up, 

The mother and Dylan get off at delta’s station to check in while Dylan's father finds parking at the lot.

Dylan’s Mother checks in and heads to security where they meet up with Adam after he parked the car. 

“I couldn’t find parking anywhere” Adam says

“So where did you park?” 

“One of the guards led me to the back of the parking lot” he responds 

Adam and Dylan’s mother talk as they walk into security for the regular TSA check and head into their terminal,

 They head to Starbucks and order their drinks where they pick up their drinks and head to their gates. 

Chapter 2.

The Terminal


The Marshalls check their tickets with the big “A” next to the boarding group and they look down with the blue “Gate 50” on their ticket, they start walking to their gate with the restaurants.

 Richard wandered off at the gift shops and bought keychains for his friends.

Dylan's family look at their ticket with the “Gate 51” and start walking to their gate, Dylan stops and checks at the big screen with all the flights departing and arriving while he sips his drink. 

They arrive at the gate and choose some seats. They put their bags next to their seats and wait until the flight attendants start boarding.

The Marshalls arrive at the gate and take their seats next to their gate. They fix their carry-ons and bags in the two seats next to them. 

 Richards parents start whispering and he wants to know what there saying until his mother calls him and says 

“Richard we have to tell you something”

“What do you guys want” he responds while turning around

          “So while booking our seats there was an issue on the website, which where going to tell you” his father says

“What is it just tell me” Richard responds rolling his eyes

“The first class seats were sold out with an exception of two seats” 

“So dad is staying in the economy section?” 

“No dear you’re staying in the economy”

Richards face goes blank, his face like if he saw a ghost and he responds 

“What do you mean i'm staying in economy you guys can't do this” 

“Yes you are we are sorry you will get a first class when we return” his mother responds

“No, i'm going in first class” 

“Its ok dear I can stay in economy let Richard get first class”  his dad tells his mother

Richard's mother explains to him why he should stay in first class and Richard agrees but gets a rude attitude. 

Richard scoots away from his family and goes wandering off to see the airplanes taking off and looking through gift shops where he sees the corny “Los Angeles” keychains, he returns to his parents and sits down a couple seats away.

Dylan was sitting down the seats watching Richard and his parents argue about a seat, 

“How come a seat can cause such an argument”

he thinks to himself, he asks his parents if he could walk around and they say sure. Dylan takes off and looks at the gift shops where he buys a pack of gum, rips the plastic and throws a piece of gum to his mouth and starts chewing. 

He asks a worker where a Mcdonalds is and she tells him at the next terminal, he asks for directions and

 heads to some funky escalators where he crosses a hallway which is an awful white and 

enters a blue hallway with locations from around the world with facts such as Golden Gate Bridge, Eiffel Tower and  so on,

 He reaches the end where he finds another escalator and gets on a stair and starts heading up where he sees a weirdly mapped terminal he sees the golden arches and puts on a smile.

“Hi can I get a 10 piece chicken nuggets with medium fries and a large sprite” 

The worker tells him his total he pays, picks it up and eats as he stares at the window with the airplanes going so fast then heading up.

Dylan spots his family and finds his seat, he takes out his laptop where he starts playing roblox while he waits to board the plane, 

Richard at his seat while using his phone.

“Do you know if there is a restroom nearby?” Richards mother asks 

“Uhm i'm not sure, I don't know” He responds 

“How is it that you never know anything even after you walked around” 

His mother gets up and walks around to look for any sign that may signal a restroom, Richard's mother also gets up and heads to the restroom. 

Richard gets up and follows his mother but stops to buy a stuffed animal in the gift shop, Dylan heads to his mother and waits outside for his mother where he drinks water from the fountain. After time Richard and Dylan are both waiting for their mothers outside where Dylan’s Mother runs out and says 

“Come on, where gonna miss the boarding group” 

In response Richard follows Dylan's mother getting them confused where they pick up the luggage and head to their gate 

Richard shows their boarding pass and heads inside into economy where they get their seats while Adam struggles to organize the carry-on in the overhead bin. 

Richard puts his neck rest on and headphones while he takes sleep gummies and closes his eyes. 


Meanwhile Dylan waits for his “Mother” and when she walks out, he follows her to the gate and Richards mother calls for Richard 

“Why aren’t you responding Richard” his mother says

“Because i'm not Richard” Dylan replies 


Jena freezes as she stares at Dylan wondering where her son is, 

Meanwhile the pilot sends a message to the ATC, “Ready for departure.” 

Flight Attendants checking seat belts and motioning to guests to lock their belts

 as the flashing lights outside.

 Richard stares at his window as the plane starts accelerating and his head pushes to the seat as they head up. 



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