Everyone Wants To Be Us

Chapter 1

South Korean International Airport

By Luggage Pickup Center

Thursday, September 24

5:19 P.M.

          “Well, we’re finally here,” I said.

          “I know, I can’t believe it!” Zubia spins around taking in the view of the South Korean International Airport.

          Yeonah adds, “It’s good to be home, but you sound sadish Ting. Is something wrong?”

          “No, I’m fine, just a little homesick,” I explained.

          “Awww, it’s going to be fine,” pities Kanika. “In a couple more days everything will settle in and everything will be fine.”

          “Yeah!!!” the rest of Fav5 screams.

          “Fine, I hope your right. Well, come on we still have to go find our luggage,” I remind them, “and then we have to find the chauffeur dude.”

          “Good to have you back, Ting,” Meaghan says sarcastically.

          “ Come on people!! I think I see our luggage. I think I see Ting’s luggage,” said Zubia.

          “Gosh, you have a really good eye, Zubia,” comments Kanika.

          “And a good memory,” giggles Meaghan. “How did you remember how Ting’s luggage looks like? I thought you would have slept off all your memory when you were sleeping on the plane.”

          “More like slumbering,” I also added while giggling, “like Rip Van Winkle except he didn’t forget anything when he woke. But still, how did you know it is my luggage?”

          “It’s the only Louis Vuitton luggage here. And there goes Meaghan’s, and I know because it’s the only Hello Kitty suitcases here.” Zubia looked offended.

          “All hale the mighty know-it-all,” the rest of us said.

          “Jealous much?” Zubia giggled.

          “Ptssh, you wish,” said Kanika when Meaghan and I said at the same time,

          “Yeah, maybe a little bit.”

           All of us were quiet for a few seconds and then we started cracking up. It felt like the old times when Fav5 still reign Octavian Country Day School in Westchester. Being away from home felt like a home with no furniture, and I am the furniture and South Korea is the home.

           After we got our luggage and suitcase, we walked out of the terminal side by side with Zubia in the center, me on her right side and Yeonah to the right of me. Meaghan to her left side and Kanika to her left side. We walked out the terminal to “Don’t Cha” by the Pussycat Dolls’s song beat.

           We strut down the polished marble floors like we’re models in the Fashion Show. The click-clack of my Jimmy Choo stilettos, clomp-clomp of Yeonah’s black Prada clogs, squeak-squeak of Kanika’s pink high top Converse, thump-thump of my Roxy chunky heels that I let Zubia borrow, and the thwak-thwak of Meaghan’s red Chanel flip flops matched the beat of the song.

           Everywhere we strut, heads turn to stare at us as we walked by with our noses slightly turned upward in the air and leaving behind my Always Yours by Ralph Lauren, Kanika’s Eternity by Calvin Klein, Yeonah’s Happy by Clinique, Meaghan’s G by Harajuku Lovers and Zubia’s Magnifique by Lancôme perfume trail.

           Just as the headmistress of the most prestigious boarding school in South Korea, Pincre Midea Academy, where we will be attending this fall, promised the limosine and the chauffeur that I booked for Fav5 use was standing by the side with the trunk open for us so he could haul our luggage into it.

           “Gosh, Ting why do you have so much luggage with you?” asked Yeonah.

           “Yeah, you have like six suitcases with you,” added Kanika.

            “Actually, it’s five,” I corrected her. “The biggest suitcase is for my normal dress clothes, second suitcase is for my hair supplies, third suitcase is for my shoes, fourth suitcase is for my lingerie and pajamas, and fifth suitcase is for all my school necessities.”

           “Why do you need free dress clothes?” asked Kanika. ”We wear uniforms.”

           “I know,” I replied, “But you know we have off campus privileges on weekends and after school hours right?”

           “Yeah, but we all didn’t pack a bulging suitcase of clothes,” commented Meaghan as she points to the rest of Fav5.

           “Uhh, you sure about that?” I asked, “Because Zubia did.”

            Their heads turned to stare at Zubia’s suitcase, which like mine, was also bulging out too.

            “Well, they may be cute guys at the school, you know,” Zubia said meekly under the death stares she was getting from Yeonah, Meaghan and Kanika.

             “Oh well, its ok guys. At least we have some free dress clothes that are cute,” Kanika said.

             “Or you can borrow some clothes from me,” I added, “I had another suitcase shipped over here the day before we left so it’s probably here now.”

             “Jeez, Ting did you not pack anything?” asked Meaghan.

             “Yeah, some of my jewelry I bought,” I said sadly.

              Before we left for boarding school, Fav5 went on a huge shopping trip. I mean, HUGE. We won some money when we all wrote an essay about how we could build an eco friendly world. With the help of Ms. Nitta (Kanika’s and my English teacher) our essay was so good that they each awarded us with a check for one thousand dollars each, and a plaque for the school. So we raided every store in the Westchester Mall. We bought so much things for our four school years here we almost accidentally strangled ourselves with the bags. We all had used up all the money, and had to use our Amex cards.

             I bought so much clothes and accessories I had to leave some behind and ship them over when I got here. I really hope the closets in the dorms are huge because I feel like my suitcase is about to explode.

             After the chauffeur loaded our suitcases into the limo, we all climbed in and looked around the limo.

             I said, “Take good care of this limo girls, because we have to last until probably sophomore year until the contract for the limo expires and we have to get a new limo or until my regular chauffeur comes to Korea to drive us around. This is our only private transportation. Ok?”

             “Sure thing, Ting,” the rest of Fav5 answered at the same time.

             After about 30 minutes or so, the chauffeur opened the glass divider and told us we have arrived at the school’s front gate. We all rolled down the electric windows to see the view of our new school and our happy Korean school days ahead of us.

The End