the beach | noel miller

xxiii

MONDAY

It was 6 am when the three musketeers landed, all too tired and the siblings too annoyed to even go home straight away. So they all sat down in an airport restaurant and haven't moved for the past 2 hours. Doing nothing but procrastinating.

"We should probably call a taxi now," Cody suggests, finishing off his first coffee. Kelsey nodding, wanting to get out of there.

"Yeah" Rose replies uninterested.

That was an hour ago. They're both still slouching down in their seats doing absolutely nothing but scoffing down coffee they don't need by now.

Cody finally decides to be the mature one and finds a taxi service number, Rose sighing but ultimately deciding it was probably a good idea. The airport was cold as fuck. Kelsey has been trying her best to give them a push for the sake of  how worried their mother must be.

"Okay nearest one is 10 minutes" Cody says sighing, Rose almost smiling at how immature this entire thing is.

"You guys are honestly scaring me a little about how much you don't want to go home" Kelsey says laughing nervously.

Rose laughs at the fact while Cody tries his hardest to reassure her that they were only overreacting. "We just need to build up our energy babe."

Rose gives him a look of disbelief but doesn't say anything, only chuckles to herself.

It's a few minutes into the wait when Cody's phone flashes, a picture of their Mom being front and centre.

Cody doesn't think much, answering it only to stutter when she asks where they are.

"Cody!" Rose tries to yell in a hushed tone. "Give it to me," she says, trying to grab for it.

"Uh Mom my coffee is ready, let me put Rose on" Cody mutters out knowing that he's a horrible liar.

"Mom!" Rose says excitedly, "you wouldn't believe the trip we've had. Our flight got delayed for 2 hours- yeah I know it's annoying. But we're finally here and just called a car, we'll be there soon. Okay. Love you too. Bye."

Cody looks at his sister a little stunned and a little scared, "you're too good at that" he tells her.

Rose drops the enthusiasm act she put on for her mom, "we had hours to prepare for that, that was easy" she says shrugging it off.

Cody laughs along with Kelsey and grabs their luggage, heading to the exit so they can wait for the taxi. Rose complained about something on the way.

Rose runs through their "delayed flight" routine, having nothing better to do. They crack jokes on the way out to their childhood home, reminiscent of their upbringing. A collection of "do we remember when" filled the car with Cody and Rose's voices, both of them laughing from time to time at the memories.

"I think I missed it here" Cody says looking at the passing buildings he grew up around.

Rose snaps her head, "okay moment ruined, that's too far."

Popular to contrary belief Rose did love her family, just not the city. Or people. It simply just wasn't for her. 'A girl' like Rose didn't belong in cold, cold Calgary and she was told that her entire life. Rose grew up with a monologue of people saying she'll go far in life, that she's too good for this place and all that pressure built up to whatever she is now.

Rose rubs her forehead trying to snap out of it, the distraction method not working that well.

"Do you think we're the cool cousins?" Cody asks randomly to both girls.