This is something I wrote last year for Lang. Arts. It's really stupid.


English 7 Becky
Period 4 September 30, 1999

Exiled to California

I couldn't believe it, I just couldn't believe it. I had to go to Dublin, California, to
live with my grandmother. It was only for the summer, but still didn't understand why I
had to go. I had wanted to stay in New Jersey and have oceans of fun with my friends, but
no I had to go and live in California with my grandmother for two and a half months. It
wasn't fair that while my parents had the times of their lives on a safari, I had to live in
some boring old town, in some boring old-person's house, with absolutely nothing to do
all summer. Well, technically my parents were working, for they are scientists studying
some native tribe in Africa, but a safari sounded like loads of more fun than spending the
summer with some old lady I haven't seen for two years.

The plane ride to California was the worst. Six hours of listening to the guy next to
me snore, is not my cup of tea. Luckily the two movies the airline was showing were
Shakespeare in Love and Ever After, two movies I like, so the trip wasn't complete
torture. When I got off the plane at San Francisco Airport my grandmother hugged me,
kissed me, commented on how I've grown, and said other things grandmothers always say.
I wouldn't have been that embarrassed if an eighth grade boys' swim team hadn't been on
the same flight.

As my grandmother drove me to her condo I stared out the car window. The
highways looked the same as in New Jersey, but the landscape didn't. Everywhere there
were beautiful, rolling, golden hills. At some points I could see a body of water which I
decided could be either the San Francisco Bay or the Pacific Ocean. When we arrived at
her condo my grandmother drove me around the condominium to show me where the
pool and mailboxes were.

I liked my grandma better everyday, but after two weeks I started to get lonely. I
missed my parents and my friends back in New Jersey. One day when I was trying to get a
tan by the pool a girl with bright red hair came up to me and said,

"Hi! I'm Susan. You must be Claire. My mother, brother and I live next to your
grandmother. She's really nice and her cats are so cute. You're really lucky to have her." I
said hi and thanks and she asked me how I liked California. After we mentally decide that
we liked each other we became fast friends. Susan was really cool and could always think
of something fun to do, rain or shine.

The summer passed way too quickly. The day I was to return to New Jersey
dawned sunny. My plane took of at 10 o'clock. We had to leave at 8 o'clock to be there at
nine. Along with grandma, Susan and her mother were going to see me off at the airport.
So, I said good-bye to my grandma's cats, George and Lizzy; my room at the condo, the
pool, Dublin, and finally to California. On the way to the airport Susan and I pledged to write each other at least once every two weeks.

I didn't get weepy until it was time for me to board the plane. I hugged Susan first.
When we broke apart I saw that she was getting a little misty too. We laughed at each
other's tears. Then I hugged grandma. " I'll miss you the most of all," I whispered in to her
shoulder. When we stopped hugging I saw that there were tears in her eyes too.

I forced myself to leave them and started to walk down the boarding hallway. Half
way down I turned and waved to them and got as last look. I would miss them all so
much.

I slept half of the way home because there really wasn't anything better to do. The
rest of the time I just stared out the window. As we got closer to New Jersey I stopped
being as sad about leaving California and started to get excited about seeing my parents
and friends for the first time in two and a half months. When we landed I almost ran down
the boarding hallway in eagerness to see them. And then I saw them. My parents, their
skin two shades darker than from the last time I saw them, and Katie and Holly, my two
best friends. I ran into my parents arms and stay there for a moment. Then I hugged both
Katie and Holly at the same time.

"You're so tanned!" Holly exclaimed.

"She looks wonderful," my mom said, giving me another hug.

"How was California?" my dad asked. "Was it as boring as you predicted?"

"Of course not!" I said, " and California was fabulous, absolutely fabulous."




The End