Chapter 1: The Girl

"Mom!! Where are my socks? I can't find them!" Scar yelled as she leaned over the banister of the stairs.



A voice drifted up from somewhere below replying, "I think they're in the laundry room. Let me check."



She walked back into her room and began to put the pile of clothes into outfits to make sure everything was there. She was going to Germany for a week for a job interview as a make-up artist for a growing band in Europe. The only thing she was worried about was them rejecting her because of her age. She was only seventeen, but her birthday was in September; hopefully they would over look the age issue and base it only on her portfolio. She had been the best student in the program and the youngest. Normally it would have taken four or more years to complete the advanced cosmetology program. Not wanting to wait that long, Scarlett had doubled up the recommended course hours for the past two years and graduated early.



She was the type of person that didn't like to spend forever doing something. She was happy to get a jump start on her career. 'Speaking of a career,' she thought, 'I need to get back to packing or I won't have one.' She shook her head and continued laying stuff out.



After her clothes were laid out, she turned to get her shoes out of the closet. She grabbed two pairs of converse, black and red, one pair of black knee high heeled boots, and a pair of black and white striped flats. She debated whether or not she should take her house slippers with her. She didn't know much about the sanitation over there. Wrinkling her nose she decided she would pack them; she just needed to put dryer sheets in them before she packed them.



She turned back towards the door and yelled," Also bring the dryer sheets with you!"



She didn't want to start packing till she knew she had everything, so she decided to check her carry-on bag. Chewing on her bottom lip, she began to go over a mental checklist: magazines, latest book, mp3 player, spare change of clothes, meds, cell phone (emergencies), bubblegum, a bottle of water, some snack foods, her purse and all its contents.



Her hand skimmed over her Zune and she began to realize; she had never even heard the name of the band she was doing this interview for! Much less their music!



Just then her mom came hurtling through the door with an armload of matched socks, the box of dryer sheets in her mouth, two grocery bags in one hand, and two trash bags in the other. Laughing, she relieved her of the box and bags.



"Mom, why are you so anxious?" The older woman looked at her daughter with the 'Are-you-serious' face.



Lily, her mother, just shook her head and said, "You haven't even been out of state, except for when we moved here and now you're going off to another country! Don't get me wrong, honey, I'm proud of you and the opportunity but it all just seems to be happening so fast."



Scarlett gave her mom a sympathetic look, setting the stuff on the bed saying, "I know mom, don't you think that's how I feel?" Giving a little sigh, she turned towards the window and crossed her arms, grasping the upper portions. "I know I've barely had a chance to relax and enjoy my life as you keep saying. But I don't want to just sit and let it pass me by. I want to get out there and start my life. Yeah, I may be young, but this is the opportunity of a lifetime! It's a real chance for me to prove myself. I want to get out there and see the world and meet new people. You can understand that right?"



There was a small stretch of silence before Lily finally spoke. "Yes I can understand that. It's just the fact that you're all grown up now." A slight hiccup/choking sound came from the woman behind her. Scarlett turned to comfort her mother, hugging her close, and tightly.



Sighing she said, "I'm sorry mom. If I could, I would get a job closer to you, so you don't have to be alone. I don't want to leave you here all by yourself. What would you do without me?"



"I'll have to learn how to cook as well as you do," she confessed playfully and they both laughed as they pulled apart. Scarlett looked at her mom seriously and asked, "Do you want me to stay? I can… if that's what you want." Lily started shaking her head as soon as Scarlett had finished asking.



"No, you can't. I mean how many more chances are you going to get like this? No honey, you go and get that job and be happy. That's what I want," she replied as she smiled and embraced her daughter. As they pulled away, she stated, "Okay, since your flight leaves in three hours and it takes an hour to get through security why don't you say I let you get packed and then we go out and grab something to eat?"



Scarlett nodded as she turned to start, looking at her mom once again and asking, "Do you want to help me pack?" Her mom jumped from the bed and hurried to the door. "Now that's one thing I know to never do. You're so picky when it comes to packing. If one thing is wrong you redo it all three times or more till its right. So no, you're on your own for that part."



As her mother retreated out of the room, she stuck her tongue out and went back to packing. She turned back to the door and yelled, "Hey why not order some Italian for an early lunch? So it's ready when we get there." She heard a little yell of 'Sure' and returned to packing.



Her mom had been right. She was picky about her packing. Well all her outfits had to be laid out and matching before she even thought of putting them in the bag. Also all of her bathroom stuff had to be lying in a grocery bag and knotted, then put in another grocery bag but the opposite way and then knotted and finally put into a trash bag. Scarlett always made sure her clothes never got shampoo or toothpaste on them while traveling. Her socks had to be matched and then evenly stuffed into her shoes. As for clothes she always put them from lightest to darkest and made sure the shirts, pants, nightclothes, and undergarments were in separate piles in the suitcase. After the layer of clothes came dryer sheets, then a trash bag and on top of that were shoes and bathroom supplies. Everything else normally was in a carry around bag or in her purse.



Satisfied with her packing, Scarlett zipped the case shut and tugged it over next to her makeup case, which was the same size if not bigger. She had modified the case to hold all of her eye shadows on to two pull-out staircase holders which opened to the sides. Multiple brands of mascara, lip liners, eye liners, blush, bronzer, and every kind of foundation were all in a hard compartment underneath the eye shadow, while a pouch with lipsticks, glosses, and balms were Velcro-ed to the underside of the top covering the entire underside of the lid.



It may seem a little over the top but if she ever needed certain shade of anything she knew she had it. Smiling, she dragged her luggage to the front door and went to enjoy the last bit of time she had with her mother.