The Big Fish by Madison Henley (best free e reader .TXT) 📕

her sweatpants pocket and watched the numbers began to flip as the gasoline poured into the tank. It was unsettling for Keliah not to know what exactly she was getting into. Georgia, always the enigmatical creature, refused to tell Keliah anything after being questioned down the entire plane ride.

Nine Hours Earlier

Keliah yawned for the ninth time this the morning, smoothing the loose strays of chestnut hair on the top of her head with the palm of her hand. She tried to blink away the sleep out of her eyes but her yawning streak continued. Her third cup of coffee rested in the grip of her left hand and she took another sip, trying to savor the liquid as long as she could. Airport Starbucks’ were always more expensive. Keliah had gone to bed at a reasonable time last night but sleep never seemed to find her. She stayed up all night asking herself why would Georgia invite her out of all people, trying to come up with plausible reasons, then dismissing them before her heart could eavesdrop in on the thoughts. When sleep finally found her, night had already left her and been replaced with a blue sky. It was morning. Keliah was never one to compete with the sun. She liked for the sun to get comfortable, settle in before she woke up. It was the ass crack of dawn and Keliah was having trouble keeping her feet planted on the floor. She decided to stand on the tips of her toes to flex her muscles and begin her search for Georgia. Her lips twitched and her heart sped at the thought of her and Georgia spending time together, not as professor and student, but as Georgia and Keliah and whatever the fuck they were. Keliah’s look wasn’t as thorough as it should’ve been due to the fear of locking eyes with the blue-eyed beauty. Underneath it all, the emotion that settled into Keliah’s stomach was anxiety. Keliah had never been around Georgia long enough to express herself. It was always a constant battle between the two; Keliah trying to break through Georgia’s walls as Georgia built them thicker. Now that it was just Georgia and she, no war zone, no school, and no distractions, the thought of the two alone seemed like a daunting task. Suddenly, Keliah wanted to run out of the airport and cancel. Keliah didn’t think she would be able to handle it. What if Georgia saw her as just another student? What if Keliah bothered her? Or said the wrong thing? Fuck, what if just her presence alone aggravated her? Keliah huffed. She hated the way she could never break through Georgia to know what she was thinking, or how she felt. It was so frustrating. Maybe this whole spending the holidays together would do more harm than good for Keliah. The anxiety was back and felt like acid in the pit of Keliah’s stomach. It didn’t help that her entire family was standing right beside her either.


“She’s late.”

Karen Nelson huffed. She stared at the watch on her wrist one more time before glancing up around the airport in search of this Kerouac lady. She felt the grip of her husband’s hand on her shoulder and tried to listen to his soothing words.

“Give her time, I’m sure she’s stuck in traffic.”

“Or she’s still at home trying to figure out what lingerie to pack.”

“Probably. Or maybe she’s buying some toys for you guys to play with.”

Keliah tried to ignore the things her brother and sister whispered into her ear and just continue to look for Georgia but their speculations about Georgia’s tardiness were getting inappropriate by the second.

“I’m paying hourly for my parking space. If she doesn’t show up in the next five minutes, I’m leaving.”

Keliah pushed her siblings away from her ears and turned to face her mother.

“You know, that’s what I wanted in the first place. I don’t even know why you guys came.”

“Honey, we can’t let you travel to another country with a person who could possibly be a pedophile.”

“Georgia’s not a pedophile! I’m nineteen.”

“So in other words, you’re saying that she’s sexually attracted to you?”

“I really need for you to shut up!”

A throat was cleared and Keliah spun around with flustered cheeks. Georgia stood before the Nelson family, popping up onto her toes and then rocking back onto her heels as she flashed a nervy grin at each one of Keliah’s family members.

“Hi, Karen Nelson. I believe we met at orientation when Keliah first had you.”

“Yes, Georgia, nice to meet you.”

Georgia switched her large cup of tea from her right hand to her left and extended out her arm to shake Karen’s hand. She gave Keliah’s siblings each a warm smile and took note at their considerably similar visage.

“Those are lovely Christmas sweaters, did you make them yourself?”

Karen looked down at the perfectly knit red sweater with three snowmen on them and smiled, the tense muscles in her jaw finally relaxing.

“I did. It’s an old Nelson tradition.”

“It’s very nice.”

Keliah tapped her feet, hoping the conversation would soon be brought to an end.

“Well, I’ll call when we land.”

Keliah began to walk away before her father called her back.

“You have everything?”

“Yes.”

“Cell phone?”

“Yes.”

“Hand gun?”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Seriously, dad? Goodbye.”

Keliah’s father smirked before planting a soft kiss on her cheek.

“Only because I love you. Have fun. And call us.”

“I’m not.”

Keliah walked next to Georgia as