Looking, searching, finding..., chapter 1
*Caroline's P.O.V*
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAZ!"
I smiled as my mother walked into the room carrying a birthday cake with 16 candles on it. She set it in front of me.
"Make a wish, Caroline," she whispered.
I closed my eyes, and blew. I opened them, not one candle was alight. Everyone was cheering and clapping. I smiled for the camera and cut a slice out of my cake.
"Cake anyone?"
I smiled to myself and watched Suzie roll around on the floor. It had been the best birthday ever. I hadn't got much because we didn't have much money, but the few presents I did have, I loved. Especially Suzie, she was adorable. She was a golden Labrador puppy. I'd also got the Bullet in a Bible D.V.D/C.D of my best friend, Jaz and an enormous Green Day poster to join the collection on my wall. I hoped my wish would come true, I would tell you, but it might not come true...
Who am I kidding? It will never come true! I live above a shop in Codsall, a small village in England that no one has ever heard of, with my mother who only just has enough money to keep us alive! I have one friend, she's Chinese and I can't even say her name right so I just call her Jaz.
I'm never going to find him. Mom won't ever say anything about him, let alone tell me his name, but I know she remembers him, I know she still loves him. I will find him one day. I am determined and once I have my mind set on something I will never give up. I know one day hopefully in the not too distant future I will find my father. I know it...
***
"Now, have you got everything? Passport, tickets, mobile phone... "
"Yes, Mum, stop fussing, I'll be fine," I smiled and gave her a hug.
I was so excited, I'd just had my GCSE results, nine A's and a B, the B was in maths; I'm crap at maths. Now it was time for my reward. I'd been saving up for years. I was taking my gap year, a year early. I was going to New Zealand for 3months then, California for another 3 months.
"Yes, I'm sorry honey, now you look after yourself," she sighed, "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, I'll ring you when I land in New Zealand," I said letting go of her.
"Bye sweetie, love you."
"Love you too mum, bye."
I gave her one last hug and walked into the airport.
Two hours later I was sitting on the plane. A girl, maybe a little older than myself, had a seat next to me. After the airhostess had gone through the safety precautions the plane took off. I hadn't been on a plane before. I was terrified. I gripped the armrests of the chairs and my knuckles went white.
"Here, suck on this," said the girl next to me handing me a Polo the mint with a hole, "It'll help when the plane actually takes off."
"You mean we're not in the air?" I asked frantically, taking the Polo from her and putting it in my mouth.
She smiled. "Don't worry," she reassured me, "Flying is safer than driving."
Finally the plane took off; I breathed a sigh of relief when the seatbelt sign switched off.
"Thanks for the Polo," I said to the girl next to me.
"Your welcome," she smiled, "I'm Sammi, what's your name?"
"Caroline, but call me Caz," I replied.
"How long are you in New Zealand for?" she asked
"3 months," I replied, "I'm taking my gap year a year early."
"Really? So you're only 16? I'm 18, on my gap year too, I'm staying for 3 months too, how cool, I'm heading to California next, what hotel are you staying in? It would be cool if we were in the same one!"
I swear, she said all this in one breath.
"Um, I'm in the Kings Hotel," I replied nervously
"Snizzap! NO WAY! Me too!" she screamed.
"Did you say that you were heading to California next?" I asked
"Yeah, I can't wait, I'm a total Green Day fanatic, I'm going to Oakland, Rodeo and Berkeley, just so I can be in the same place as them! I don't mind if I don't meet them, just want to be in a close proximity to them!"
"Wow, I'm heading to California, I'm also a major Green Day fan but I've always wanted to go to California, even before I liked Green Day," I smiled.
"That's awesome!" she said, "I'm so glad, we can travel together! No one wanted to come with me, for some reason they find me annoying and creepy!"
It was so good to talk to Sammi; she was awesome.
"Ladies and Gentlemen: This is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts for descent, the local time is 7 am, we will shortly be landing in Wellington airport, New Zealand."
The plane landed and Sammi and I made our way through the airport, through all the security checks, got our luggage and finally we walked out into the warm New Zealand morning.
"Holy Moly Lord of Goats! I cannot believe I'm finally here!" squealed Sammi.
"Neither can I," I smiled, laughing as I watched her spin in circles.
"This is so exciting!" she yelled continuing to spin in circles.
"Sammi, how many cups of coffee have you had?"
"12, and you think that would tire me out- oops- sorry... "
She'd just spun right into a confused looking man who was trying to hail a taxi.
"No problem, by the way, I think you've had way too much coffee," he said grinning.
"Why does everyone have a problem with coffee?" she cried
I laughed and walked over.
"Come on Sammi, leave the nice man alone, its time for your medication," I smiled sweetly.
"Noooo! It makes me all sleepy! I want to stay with this dude! He has a cool hat!" she cried grabbing the now even more confused looking guy.
"Tell her she can have my hat if she lets go," he said.
"Wow! New Zealish pigeons!" yelled Sammi chasing after a bunch of crows.
I turned to the man.
"Is she always like this?" he asked
"To tell you the truth, I only met her on the plane, try sitting next to her for 12 hours," I sighed
"I feel sorry for you," he said
"Isn't it great that I've ended up in the same hotel as her!"
"Which hotel?" he asked
"The Kings Hotel, I think it's called that anyway," I replied.
"Oh, that's cool, maybe I'll see you round," he said as a taxi pulled up next to him.
"See you."
He got in and left.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAZ!"
I smiled as my mother walked into the room carrying a birthday cake with 16 candles on it. She set it in front of me.
"Make a wish, Caroline," she whispered.
I closed my eyes, and blew. I opened them, not one candle was alight. Everyone was cheering and clapping. I smiled for the camera and cut a slice out of my cake.
"Cake anyone?"
I smiled to myself and watched Suzie roll around on the floor. It had been the best birthday ever. I hadn't got much because we didn't have much money, but the few presents I did have, I loved. Especially Suzie, she was adorable. She was a golden Labrador puppy. I'd also got the Bullet in a Bible D.V.D/C.D of my best friend, Jaz and an enormous Green Day poster to join the collection on my wall. I hoped my wish would come true, I would tell you, but it might not come true...
Who am I kidding? It will never come true! I live above a shop in Codsall, a small village in England that no one has ever heard of, with my mother who only just has enough money to keep us alive! I have one friend, she's Chinese and I can't even say her name right so I just call her Jaz.
I'm never going to find him. Mom won't ever say anything about him, let alone tell me his name, but I know she remembers him, I know she still loves him. I will find him one day. I am determined and once I have my mind set on something I will never give up. I know one day hopefully in the not too distant future I will find my father. I know it...
***
"Now, have you got everything? Passport, tickets, mobile phone... "
"Yes, Mum, stop fussing, I'll be fine," I smiled and gave her a hug.
I was so excited, I'd just had my GCSE results, nine A's and a B, the B was in maths; I'm crap at maths. Now it was time for my reward. I'd been saving up for years. I was taking my gap year, a year early. I was going to New Zealand for 3months then, California for another 3 months.
"Yes, I'm sorry honey, now you look after yourself," she sighed, "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, I'll ring you when I land in New Zealand," I said letting go of her.
"Bye sweetie, love you."
"Love you too mum, bye."
I gave her one last hug and walked into the airport.
Two hours later I was sitting on the plane. A girl, maybe a little older than myself, had a seat next to me. After the airhostess had gone through the safety precautions the plane took off. I hadn't been on a plane before. I was terrified. I gripped the armrests of the chairs and my knuckles went white.
"Here, suck on this," said the girl next to me handing me a Polo the mint with a hole, "It'll help when the plane actually takes off."
"You mean we're not in the air?" I asked frantically, taking the Polo from her and putting it in my mouth.
She smiled. "Don't worry," she reassured me, "Flying is safer than driving."
Finally the plane took off; I breathed a sigh of relief when the seatbelt sign switched off.
"Thanks for the Polo," I said to the girl next to me.
"Your welcome," she smiled, "I'm Sammi, what's your name?"
"Caroline, but call me Caz," I replied.
"How long are you in New Zealand for?" she asked
"3 months," I replied, "I'm taking my gap year a year early."
"Really? So you're only 16? I'm 18, on my gap year too, I'm staying for 3 months too, how cool, I'm heading to California next, what hotel are you staying in? It would be cool if we were in the same one!"
I swear, she said all this in one breath.
"Um, I'm in the Kings Hotel," I replied nervously
"Snizzap! NO WAY! Me too!" she screamed.
"Did you say that you were heading to California next?" I asked
"Yeah, I can't wait, I'm a total Green Day fanatic, I'm going to Oakland, Rodeo and Berkeley, just so I can be in the same place as them! I don't mind if I don't meet them, just want to be in a close proximity to them!"
"Wow, I'm heading to California, I'm also a major Green Day fan but I've always wanted to go to California, even before I liked Green Day," I smiled.
"That's awesome!" she said, "I'm so glad, we can travel together! No one wanted to come with me, for some reason they find me annoying and creepy!"
It was so good to talk to Sammi; she was awesome.
"Ladies and Gentlemen: This is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts for descent, the local time is 7 am, we will shortly be landing in Wellington airport, New Zealand."
The plane landed and Sammi and I made our way through the airport, through all the security checks, got our luggage and finally we walked out into the warm New Zealand morning.
"Holy Moly Lord of Goats! I cannot believe I'm finally here!" squealed Sammi.
"Neither can I," I smiled, laughing as I watched her spin in circles.
"This is so exciting!" she yelled continuing to spin in circles.
"Sammi, how many cups of coffee have you had?"
"12, and you think that would tire me out- oops- sorry... "
She'd just spun right into a confused looking man who was trying to hail a taxi.
"No problem, by the way, I think you've had way too much coffee," he said grinning.
"Why does everyone have a problem with coffee?" she cried
I laughed and walked over.
"Come on Sammi, leave the nice man alone, its time for your medication," I smiled sweetly.
"Noooo! It makes me all sleepy! I want to stay with this dude! He has a cool hat!" she cried grabbing the now even more confused looking guy.
"Tell her she can have my hat if she lets go," he said.
"Wow! New Zealish pigeons!" yelled Sammi chasing after a bunch of crows.
I turned to the man.
"Is she always like this?" he asked
"To tell you the truth, I only met her on the plane, try sitting next to her for 12 hours," I sighed
"I feel sorry for you," he said
"Isn't it great that I've ended up in the same hotel as her!"
"Which hotel?" he asked
"The Kings Hotel, I think it's called that anyway," I replied.
"Oh, that's cool, maybe I'll see you round," he said as a taxi pulled up next to him.
"See you."
He got in and left.
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