Trapped in Venice Chapter 2 Part 2

She grabbed her purse off of the counter, and forced me out the front door. She unlocked her BMW, getting in, and looked expectantly at me, as she turned the key in the ignition.

I rolled my eyes, and got in the car.

"Mom, I don’t see why you have to do this," I said, continuing my complaining rant, even though she’d already gotten me to the mall.

"I insist," she said, not budging. She corralled me to a store, and blind in my complaints, I didn’t realize where she was leading me. When I looked around, though, I realized where she’d taken me.

"Mom," I said, "really?"

"Yes. I saw what was in that suitcase, and that does not signify as underwear."

"Is this really necessary?" I asked as she motioned an attendant to where we were.

"Yes." She said, and told the lady to bring some bras to changing room number 5.

"Mom-." I started, but she shushed me before I could tell her I changed sizes since the last time she’d seen me.

She insisted on staying in the freaking changing room with me, but allowed me my privacy by not insisting I not turn around.

"Oh dear," she said when she saw how the bra obviously didn’t fit. It fit around, fine, so I could clasp it, but…

"What happened?" she asked, naturally assuming the worst. Either I got pregnant and went up a cup size, or I got a boob job.

"I dunno. It just started happening when I turned 21." I shrugged and turned back around to take off the tiny pathetic excuse for a bra, and tossed it behind me, putting my own comfortable cotton one back on.

Mom had had to get a boob job, so she was naturally jealous, and tried her hardest not to show it. She wore shirts with deep v-necks to show off her expensive cleavage, and she hated the fact that I didn’t show off my natural…gifts. So, she also insisted upon buying me some very revealing tops, along with a couple of thirty dollar bras and matching underwear.

I rolled my eyes when we walked through the food court. Mom always went through here like something was chasing her so she wouldn’t eat something that would "ruin her figure". I stopped at a cookie shop and bought a huge chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven. She sighed and led me to some store I’d never even heard of to get me some designer jeans.

We got home, after a small trip in traffic, and I went upstairs to pack the extra bag of clothes. Mom had insisted on getting me a new suitcase and backpack. I swear, she had a shopping problem. What she’d spent on me was probably more than I earned, a month.

Mom came into my room, and I looked up from where I was sitting on my bed.

"Your dad wants to see you," she said, and I nodded.

I stood, walking by myself to his study. He seemed to spend more and more time there lately.

"Hey, dad," I said to him. He looked up from behind his desk, and smiled.

"Hey, dear. How was the shopping?" he asked, then shook his head at my expression. "I shouldn’t have asked that," he said, chuckling. He stood and sat in a chair in front of the fireplace, motioning for me to sit on the couch adjacent to it. I sat facing him, side to the fire.

"What’d you want to talk about?" I asked.

He winced, then said, "There was a miscommunication on your mothers’ part." He said, and I tried to brace myself for whatever he was going to say. "We’re not leaving port here in the United States," he said. "We’re flying to Venice."

I froze. They honestly expected me to fly? In an airplane?

"Are you kidding me?" I said with a reasonable tone, voice shrill. "You know what my problem is with planes! How could you expect me to ride in one?!"

"I’m sorry," he said, expression betraying his honesty, "I thought, when your mother told me you were coming, that’d you’d somehow gotten over your phobia. Obviously, you haven’t, but, unfortunately, we’re just going to have to deal with it."

I sighed in a huff, and stood, storming out of the room. "Unbelievable" I muttered, and went into my room to do something, anything to get away from my parents.

Soon, though, it was dinner time, and time to face the Choir. I went into the dining room, lighting dim, shadows dancing, and sat in the good seat. It was the one closest to the kitchen.

I sat with one leg underneath me, sitting close to the table so mom couldn’t see. We were eating something expensive, and I vaguely wished for a nice juicy hamburger and milkshake. But, beggars can’t be choosers. So I went back to my escargot.

We ate in complete silence, the time dragging on, and I could hear the girls and Marie giggling in the kitchen, secretly aching to join them and their more comfortable presence. I toughed it out, and stood when I was done, making my way to the stairs without a word to my parents. I collapsed on my bed and let my thoughts lull me to sleep.

And, yet again, I forgot the aspirin.

*
I woke up, head pounding worse than it ever had, and for once, I couldn’t remember the dream. The sun was just piercing the horizon, and I squinted my eyes, stumbling up to shut my curtain to shut off the annoying rays of light peeking through the trees. I mumbled incoherently to myself and went to my private bathroom, the one only I used when I visited. I stripped quickly, starting the shower, this time cold, and stepped in, ignoring my shivering body as I tried to wake myself up.

I washed myself, and pulled the towel around me, rushing through the room. I had to get dressed and ready; the flight was going to leave at around noon, and it was ten. It took an hour to get there, and at least 30 minutes to get through customs, so I had to rush.

Mom stuck her head in the door, gave me my plane ticket, and I mumbled to myself, grabbing the bag with the new clothes in it. I knew she’d send someone, probably Patrick, to get the rest, and I had my necessities in my backpack. I walked through the kitchen, grabbing a muffin on my way out, and got into the back of my mom’s BMW. The Lamborghini was a 2 passenger, so we had to bring the bigger car. Plus, there was no way I was leaving my baby in the air port parking garage for a month.

Dad got into the drivers’ seat, and mom got in in front of me. They waited for Patrick to put the bags in the trunk, and when he did, he walked around to my door. He signed to me, Sorry you have to go on a plane.

I signed back, Yeah, I know. Torture. I gave him a funny expression when I said torture, and he smiled.

Have fun. he signed, dad pulling back in the driveway.

I waved goodbye, and we drove down the mile-long driveway. There was no traffic, so we got there in record time. I’m checking in early for my torturous demise, attending my own funeral. I got my bag with the new clothes in it out, since mom seemed to think I should care more about it, and left the guy with the cart for the rest of them.

Truth be told, the only reason why I was caring more about the suitcase in my hand was because I’d put a couple of pairs of shoes in it; what mom don’t know won’t hurt her.

I walked into the busy terminal, standing near the entrance while people said their greetings and farewells to loved ones, and others rushed in and out, probably on business. I sighed, and walked to the line, ready to board before I changed my mind. I put my bag on the belt, but kept my backpack with me. They checked it, found no weapons, and let me go through.

They’d bought first class tickets. Big surprise there. I sat in a huge seat near the window, backpack at my feet, and looked out it. They were loading luggage onto the plane, and people were slowly making their way on. A few sat in the First Class area, but not much.
My parents made it on, and sat in a group of 2 seats off to my right. I sighed, stomach in knots, and they told us they were lifting off. I was shaking, and the plane was only a few hundred feet in the air. I looked out of the window, got dizzy, and closed it with a jerk.

The ride took what felt like hours. I was shaking when we landed, and my mom gave me a disapproving look. But, of course, she didn’t know what had happened…No one did. Only dad and Patrick.

I shuddered, memory raking through me.

We’d been hiking in the mountains, back when dad was cool and fun. We’d been rock climbing, having a great time. Then, I lost my footing, falling and hitting a rock. My dad called an emergency team, telling them to get me out of there. They had a plane, and it was rather old. The engine probably had trouble running. They got me in there, and flew about a mile closer to the nearest hospital. Then, it started to go down. The pilot was yelling into the radio, and I heard my dad’s voice on the other line. He cursed at the man, telling him to save me. "Don’t let her die," he said, "Don’t let my baby die." His voice was quiet, and soft, but not for long. "You let her live, or so help me…" I’d hit my head, and they’d said I might never recover. I still didn’t know how I’d heard all of that, or had been conscious enough to know the plane crashed, me and the pilot narrowly escaping it, him holding me as the parachute slowed his fall.

Dad gave me a solemn look, as if he knew what I was thinking. I picked up my pack, putting it on my shoulders, and walked off of the plane.

Sunlight shone into my eyes, making pain pierce through quickly, then dissipate. I pulled on sunglasses, and my parents pointed to a car waiting on us. I got in the back, letting the cool air conditioning cool me off a bit, and waited for the car to be packed.

It didn’t take long, and soon we were at the hotel. I’d thought it was unwise to go by car, but my air-conditioning spoiled parents insisted, and we made it by road the whole way. Somehow.

I got out first, my parents taking their spoilt old time. I looked up, and up, at the hotel. It looked kinda drab from the outside, but, like they say, looks can be deceiving.

And they were. The lobby was huge, with beautiful flooring, archways everywhere, and staircases leading up to the higher levels. The receptionist looked up at me when I entered, but when she saw my parents, she looked down quickly. They headed to the elevator, and had the bellboy in charge of the bags.

I went into my huge room, put my bag near my bed, and fell onto the fluffy billows of cotton that they called a bed. I sighed, and fell asleep.

COMMENT!! PLEASE!!!! :)