//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: She was there all along // by Thunder Light //------------------------------// ****A Year Earlier**** “So this is it.” “I guess so,” you were standing with a girl, holding hands at the airport gate as passengers are began lining up behind the counter to be boarding the plane. You knew what was coming, your girlfriend, Katie, who you have known for a while was about to leave you forever as the final boarding call was made for the remaining passengers. As long as there’s people waiting to have their boarding pass scan, the two of you took the opportunity to spend the last moment as possible. Everything you have done with Katie was about to become memories for good but you hope one day you will see her again. After all the things you did together was soon to be no longer possible as your girlfriend decided to move back to her hometown in another state which you could have convinced her to stay, but you instead support her decision for her to go. “I miss you,” she said in a charming way. “Me too,” you said. “Final Boarding Call for Flight EQ 234, please make your way to gate 23 immediately.” “Well, I suppose this is goodbye then,” you said in a sad tone as you knew that she has to go regardless. “I text you when I get there.” There wasn’t much time left as you give your girlfriend one last hug that last for a moment. Before she breaks the hug and waves you goodbye as she goes to the desk and the flight attendant scan her boarding pass and continues walking to board the plane. Luckily the gate was mostly made out of glass so you were able to see her making her way to the gate. The two continue to wave to each other as she boards the plane and out of sight. ****Present Time**** BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP *Clicks* You turn off the alarm as you give your arms a stretch and you hop out of bed and walk down the stairs after finishing your morning routine. Your living room was more open spaced out with a blue fabric couch by the large window, a glass coffee table in front and a TV between the wooden shelves on the holding your books, music and all kinds of stuff. A stone fireplace on one side between the couch and the TV and wooden floors so give it a comforting look. You’re currently living on your own instead of attending boarding school thanks to the money you saved up from working on various tasks but you still currently attending high school. But however it's enough to keep you afloat for now, but the downside is that you couldn’t afford a car due to the cost of maintaining it and you cannot afford, but as long as you got the things you need, you don't need to worry about financial problem. Because of that, you have to either walk or catch a bus to school almost everyday. Since it's the Summer Break, you decide work on finishing your model aircraft carrier you built since spring break. There were already a lot of planes in place, but you didn't glue them on as you try to put the bomb truck in place carefully without knocking the bridge over. Just then the phone alarm went off so loud that you accidentally move your hand and end up knocking the whole model down to the floor with planes and the bridge parts end up flying like fragments from a grenade. “Oh come on I spend a whole two month working on that!” you spoke in annoyances. You go and pick up your phone from the coffee table and shut the alarm off and read what it said. “At least I'm not in the bomb squad otherwise I wouldn't be here” you mumbled. June 31st Surprise Katie by visiting her unexpectedly But nonetheless, there’s two problems, one you don't have a car and two, there's no airport nearby where she lives that has any flights at all for the public. You go back and pick up all the mess you made accidentally and you go back on your phone and read some random articles on the internet about planes instead of planning. But your phone rings as you just exited the app in which at least you weren't doing anything that require total concentration. “Hey, what's up AJ.” “Nothing much, but I was wondering if you wanna hang out today since already finished collecting apples for now.” “Well, there's nothing much we can do for now, but do you have any ideas?” “Applejack, can you do the rest of the fields for Big Mac, he will do the whole field tomorrow if you do it?” another voice is heard in the background. “All well, I can come over and help if you want, I got nothing today.” “Thanks sugarcube, I'm glad to have a friend like you.” “Did you just called me sugarcube?” “Well…? “Applejack can you do this for me please?” another voice said. “Let's talk later, I see you there.” Applejack has been one of your best friends since high school, you both first met in homeroom as you were doing a group activity in class. Since then, you hang out with her, but however, you started to hang out with your current girlfriend after she asks you out months after meeting Applejack. You would a help Applejack out at the farm with the harvest and you would study together, but however your girlfriend didn’t mind you hanging out with your best friend at the same time. Luckily, the Apple Farm isn't too far from where you lived so you decide it's a nice day to ride your dirt bike out (not the motor type) as it’s fast enough to handle off and on road type of condition. You head into your garage, which is pretty open space without a car and nothing else except tools and gears for travelling or to fix your house. You grab your bike sitting lonely on a bike rack wall and strap on your helmet and you open the garage door manually and then close it as it didn’t have the automatic systems installed when you moved in. You head out and onto the road toward the bike path that lead to the outskirt of the city. ************ “Took you long enough,” Applejack yelled as you placed your bike on the ground by the fence and walk towards while catching your breath from riding too fast than usual. “Well, I still don’t have a car yet you know.” “So you're gonna help me or just stand there watching after you came all this way?” said Applejack. “Alright, which ones I’m doing?” “I already started the first quarter of the field so can you help do the other side of the field I’m at?” “All well, more walking for me,” you sigh as you walk to the far end and start to pick apple using the nearby ladder. ************* The two of you are at the final row and at your final tree as Applejack is harvesting the one opposite to you. “Got any plans for the holidays?” Applejack said. “Well, I'm planning to visit my girlfriend, but I have no way of getting there as the only way is by car,” you spoke while picking and placing them in your apple bag. “How far?” “Let say she lived so far, enough from any city that you can't get there close enough by plane or even any other transport apart from driving all the way there.” “Then why she left at the airport last year, there's no point in travelling by plane if she lives that far and travel by car again?” “Honestly, I have no clue why?” you finish the last group of apple and you climb down the ladder to place them in the apple tub. You take a break as you grab a water bottle you always place on your bike before leaving. “Are we gonna do this again this summer?” “Depends, we got some people coming in to help us harvest, so maybe not the same amount of workload as you did today, despite that suddenly no one is showing up to work except me and Big Mac.” You sit by the fence looking toward the sky and wait for Applejack to finish her work while you come up with a plan on getting to the place you planned to go soon as you think of something. Applejack then later sits next to you after finishing her work and you both sit in silence until Applejack spoke again. “So got anything to do other than travelling?” “Nope, you?” “Got nothing, except going back to work while I can since Big Mac and I are the only one in the family who can keep us afloat.” “Mind I come along with you?” Applejack looks at you with hope, but your thought for moment, it could be a good idea to some company plus it great to have someone there for you. “Well, I can see why not, since you know the way there right?” “I do know part of the way to be honest up to where my cousin live though what about you?” You had to think of something quick as you were still struggling to either ask a friend or rent a car while having to give up buying takeaway for awhile. But then you had to choose avoiding asking for help but however you had to be honest as your best friend can detect a single lie you make. “I don’t know exactly, but maybe renting a car and getting there,” you respond nervously, but however Applejack gives you a suspicious look and you can already tell that she knows you're hiding something but at least you weren’t sweating otherwise it would give it away. “I can tell you're avoiding asking for help, you know you have friends that can help you plus, renting a car is really expensive and you wouldn’t be able to handle the cost.” Applejack was right, renting a car was too expensive for you to handle in the long run as you also need to make sure the fuel tank is full when you give it back. “You're really good at this aren’t you?” “Yep, there’s no way you can get out of this one, but perhaps I can help.” “By using your car to get there.” “Yep, otherwise how are we getting there,” Applejack and you laugh lightly. You both sit in silent once again as the sun slowly begin to set in the horizon and you knew that you need to get back home before it’s get too dark to ride home. “Well, I better get going, it’s getting pretty late.” “So when we’re going?” Applejack asks as she is getting up and you do the same. “Tomorrow, since you do have a day off, but we’re not gonna make it in one day though” “I think I’m allowed to have a few more days off, but sure since I got nothing to do tomorrow, plus my other friends are currently busy on something.” “Cool, what time should we go?” “How long is this trip?” “Over 13 hours plus back for another 13 hours” Applejack then suddenly froze for a bit, but then got brought back to reality from you waving your hand in front of her as this was what she wasn’t expecting to be that long, but however it would take 3 days to get there and back with breaks along the way. “Are you ok?” “Yes, I’m fine, how about early as possible, about 6am.” “No problem, I guess.” “Yep, I come by tomorrow, see you then.” “Yeah, I see you.” Unfortunately, to wake up early is to go to sleep early so that you can be awake in the morning without the sleep problem to worry later on. You grab your bike and head home as the sky slowly to get darker, but there’s enough light for you to see as you turn into your driveway. You unlock the house door after placing the bike back to and you make your own dinner early before heading straight to bed. As you were about to sleep, you couldn't help but to think about Applejack and the way she was today, was she willing to go with you or is she just doing what would best friends do? And then later you thought about your girlfriend about the past, “Is she truly the one or there’s something missing between us?” you question yourself until you fell to sleep.