Brooke sat in the airport, waiting for her plane to start boarding. She had another ten minutes until boarding time, so she leaned back in the uncomfortable airport chair she was sitting in, and started thinking about what life would be like when she got to Minnesota.
Brooke couldn't imagine living in a suburb. She had grown up in New York City, and was a city girl at heart, no matter where social services sent her.
Brooke tugged on her wavy blond hair, something that everyone who knew her would recognize as a sign of nervousness. But no one here knew her. It didn't matter how many times she played with her hair, and blinked repeatedly, no one here understood. Because they weren't her friends back home. They were a couple of people who were flying to Minnesota. No one in Minnesota would ever get her the way her friends here in New York did.
"Flight WR 3853 may now start boarding." a pleasant voice said over the loud speaker. Brooke grabbed her bag, and stood up.
"I'm sorry Miss Thomson," A flight attendant said in a perky sounding voice, as if she didn't realize it was four in the morning. "As an unaccompanied minor, you need to board last."
Brooke groaned as she sunk back into her chair.
She looked down at her phone, checking if Kendall had texted her. As if it could tell she was in a dreary mood, her phone vibrated just then.
It was a text from Kendall that read: hope you have a great flight! Call me when you land! You'll make new friends, but don't forget about me! .
Brooke smiled to herself. It was such a classic Kendall thing to say. She was going to miss only hearing sentences that ended in exclamation points. She had a feeling her dad and brother didnt do that. In fact, they probably didn't talk at all. After all, they hadn't spoken to her or her mother in nine years. Why would they suddenly start now?
Brooke couldn't even believe they had agreed to take her in. It was probably out of pity, because they knew she had no one else now that her mother was gone.
She had been living at Kendall's house, with Kendall's parents and twin brother Nick, but apparently Kendall's parents couldn't become her legal guardian, and her social worker didn't approve of her living in a house with a boy her age, so she had contacted Brooke's dad, and arranged for Brooke to move to Minnesota to live with him.
The flight attendant appeared at her side out of nowhere
"All right sweetie, let's get you into that plane now."
Brooke grabbed her carry-on, and walked over to the truck that was used as a hallway into the plane.
After showing the security her passport and boarding ticket, Brooke was allowed onto the plane.
It was full, for reasons unknown to Brooke, because she couldn't imagine wanting to leave New York, and go to Minnesota.
Brooke looked down at her ticket and clenched her jaw. They had given her a middle seat, even though she had explained her claustrophobia, and specifically asked for a window seat.
Oh well. She would ask the person in the window seat if he or she would switch with her.
Brooke walked to her seat and saw a boy sitting in the window seat of her row, staring out the window.
"Um, excuse me, but would you mind switching seats with me?" She said, as politely as she could, although politeness wasn't her forte, so she doubted it would work.
The boy turned around. "No I will not swi-" The boy had turned his head, and was full out staring at her in shock. Brooke guessed he hadn't been expecting to see a girl around his age.
Brooke had to admit that she probably also looked shocked. With his bright blue eyes and brown hair, hewas the kind of guy that you only hear about in books.
"Um, sure, I'll switch seats with you" he said.
"Thank you," Brooke said, blushing slightly.
She climbed over him, and into the window seat.
There was an awkward silence until Brooke finally introduced herself.
"I'm Brooke." She said with a friendly smile.
"Cole." The boy responded, grinning back at her, showing off perfect teeth.
Brooke faced the window, trying to decide what was wrong with the boy. No one could look like that and be normal. He was probably a murderer or something.
"Do you want my blanket?" Cole said.
Brooke glanced up at him. "No thanks. It's only a two and a half hour flight. I'll manage."
Cole didn't seem to get the hint that Brooke wasn't really in the mood for talking.
"So, tell me about yourself," Cole said in a cheerful voice.
The boy had to be from Minnesota. No New Yorker would be that friendly to a stranger sitting next to them.
"My name is Brooke, I'm fifteen, and I love animals," she muttered, embarrassed.
"I'm Cole, I'm sixteen, and I also love animals," Cole said. "I have a dog named Sundance."
Brooke perked up at that. She also had a dog. They were taking her on the plane because Brooke had said that she wouldn't go if she had to leave Muffin behind.
After that, the conversation really took off. They started talking about their dogs, TV shows they both liked, sports, and anything else they could think of. They talked nonstop until Brooke started to drift off, leaning slightly on Cole's shoulder.

Fourth five minutes later the plane was landing, and Cole woke her up.
"Wake up Beautiful, the plane's landing," he whispered
Brooke woke up and stretched her arms. She then noticed that she had been sleeping on Cole, and blushed profusely.
Cole saw her blushing, and laughed, causing her to blush more.
"Oh shut up," Brooke said, punching him lightly on the shoulder.
He started to get out of his seat. "Which bag is yours?" he asked, as he reached into the overhead compartment.
"Oh no, its fine," she said. "I'm flying unaccompanied minor, so I have to wait for a flight attendant before I leave the plane."
"Oh, that sucks," Cole responded sympathetically. "My family is on the plane too but we sat seperatey because there weren't t available seats next to each other. I guess that worked out well for me though," he said, winking at her.
Brooke rolled her eyes at him. He was such a flirt, and it was making her homesick. Kendall's brother Nick always jokingly flirted with her, as did a couple of her other guy friends. It was almost like an inside joke, and she didn't like other people doing it.
"Cole sweetie, it's time to go," a feminine voice called out.
"That's my mom," Cole said, grinning.
"Colie Bear, let's get a move on." Cole's mom called again.
At this point, Brooke couldn't hold it in. She started to laugh into her hand.
Cole raised one eyebrow, as if to say 'really, you're going to laugh at me?'
Brooke continued to laugh, until Cole said "What? I bet your Mom also has ridiculous nicknames for you."
Brooke's whole body froze. "You know what?" I think I'll go find the flight attendant."
She pushed past Cole, ignoring the shocked look on his face, grabbed her carry-on, and walked to the front of the plane.
As she walked, she tried to hold in the tears. It wasn't Cole's fault, she knew that, but it still hurt to hear him say something like that. He had poured salt on a cut that was far too new.
The flight attendant tapped her on the back. "I'm sorry sweetheart, but you have to get off last, so could you please sit back down?"
Brooke glared at her, and continued to stand there. The flight attendant flashed an angry look at her, but then noticed the tears in Brooke's eyes, and decided to let it slide.
As she stood there waiting, Brooke saw Cole walk past with his parents and a little girl she assumed was Cole's sister. Cole looked at her, but she avoided his glance. He looked back ahead, but shoved a piece of paper into her hand.
Brooke resisted the urge to read it as soon as he handed it to her, but as soon as he lfet the plane, she looked at it. It said: "I'm sorry if I offended you in any way. Keep in touch." and below he had written his phone number. Brooke shoved the note into the back pocket of her black skinny jeans.

Finally, Brooke was allowed to exit the airplane.
She went through the baggage claim customs, pulling her hair the whole time.
What if her dad hadn't even come to the airport? What if he had been joking about taking her in?
At last she walked out into the area where her dad was supposed to pick her up.
She sat there with the flight attendant and said, "What happens if my guardian doesn't show-"
The flight attendant just pointed.
Brooke turned around. Her green eyes widened as she saw a middle aged man with salt and pepper colored hair, that she recognized as her dad, holding a huge sign that read: Welcome home Brooke!" And a boy with the same eyes as her standing next to him. Her brother Eli.
She turned to thank the flight attendant, and then walked warily towards them.
"There's my baby girl," her dad said, throwing his arms around her. "You've grown so much."
Brooke raised an eyebrow at him. "What did you expect would happen when you didn't talk to me or see me for nine years? I would still look like a six year old?"
Mr. Thomson looked shocked to hear this, for reasons Brooke didn't know. Did he think she'd pretend they were one big happy family now, even though she barely knew them?
Eli tried to ease the tension. "Is this your dog?" he said, picking Muffin up.
Muffin barked. "She doesn't like strangers." Brooke snapped.
Eli hastily put Muffin back down, and they walked out of the airport in silence.

As they piled up into the car, Brooke turned her phone off airplane mode, and started to text Kendall.
After about twenty five minutes of silence, while her brother listened to music, and she was on her phone, her dad stopped the car.
"We're home," he announced.
Brooke looked out the window, and tried to hide her approval. She wanted to hate her new home, but it was nice. It was a good size, and made of wood, stone, and bricks. It had a yard in the front, surrounded by a white picket fence.
"So you can afford this, but not treatment for my mother?" Brooke asked in an angry tone, walking out of the car and grabbing her suitcases and Muffin.