Renga

A snowboarding fiasco

Can I just fangirl about this having almost 500 reads when I thought nobody would want to read my writing? Thank you all so much 🥺

(Art: https://pin.it/5zKABwg)

Reki pinched the bridge of his nose, his headache mounting, and tilted his chin upward, squeezing his eyes shut in the process, "langa," he sighed in exasperation, "what do you mean you can't find our tickets?"

Langa just shot him a glare through the pale blue strands of hair falling into his face as he turned out his pockets one by one.

The two boys stood still amid the bustle at the airport. Groups of people pushed past in a flurry of movement, some shooting them impatient stares as they passed by. The were standing in the middle of the path, Reki supposed.  He snatched langas arm in one hand and their bags in the other and dragged him aside so they would be out of the way. As Reki released langa from his iron grip, he gazed out at the expanse of runways through the large windows that spanned most of the outer wall.  He was almost relieved in a way, that langa couldn't locate their tickets for departure.  He needed a moment to collect himself.  Firstly, because he'd never been on a plane before; and secondly, because the tension between the two boys was becoming hard to bear.  He was snapped out of his meditative thoughts by a breathtakingly beautiful grin of triumph from his companion. 

"Wait! Reki I have them!" Langa exclaimed, waving the tickets in the air. Two tickets to Montreal, Canada. Reki sighed in relief. Even though he had never flown before, when Langa had suggested a trip to see Canada, and to try snowboarding, he couldn't very well decline.

Langa had made it sound important. He said that Reki had gotten him into skating so he wanted to teach him snowboarding too. If there was anything Langa could do to make up for his gut-wrenching mistake, his broken promise... well, he would do it. Reki had been mad at him for being too reckless when he had promised not to be. He hadn't been thinking. Of course he hadn't been thinking, did he ever?  He hadn't realized how much he'd miss his newfound best friend if he didn't get to talk to him every day as had become an implicit habit. He'd apologized, countless times. And eventually Reki had accepted it. But there was still a distance between them, like a crack in the ice of Antarctica, spanning a hundred miles.  And reki, well he was just as cold to him as the Antarctic lately too.

"Okay, let's go," Reki replied, breathing an exasperated sigh.  He stalked toward the gates for their flight and langa followed closely behind.  As they settled in their seats, Rekis mind got away from him.  What was he doing on a plane?! To Canada?! With Langa???  They would be soaring over the ocean and this would be a very long flight.  He wondered if he'd be able to sleep at all.  He didn't want to just sit in silence the whole trip, but he wasn't exactly sure he wanted to talk to Langa either.  Things were still... weird between them. And reki, although he had accepted Langas apologies, found it hard to move past the broken promises of the past.  He dwelled there, it was a dark place, solitary.  He wished desperately that he could just forget that it ever happened.  He missed the way they were when they weren't fighting. 

"Are you okay? Your face is weird," Langa commented, leaning towards Reki, a light, inquisitive scowl contorting his features, looking quite concerned. 

"Just a little nervous.  I've never flown before."  He replied curtly.

"Oh.  Well the takeoff is kind of rough but it's cool once you get into the air," Langa answered reassuringly. 

The plane started to back out and onto the runway and Rekis heart beat faster.  They were going.  Together.  The two of them.  The plane was gaining speed now.  Just the two of them.  The plane lifted off the ground and Rekis stomach felt like it had taken lodging in his throat, "oh!" He grabbed Langas hand in his and squeezed tightly.  He didn't realize he'd been holding his breath until the plane leveled out and everything felt normal again.  He exhaled deeply and felt Langas eyes on him.  He didn't say anything, just looked at him with a mixture of concern and wonder.  Just the two of us, he looked down at their clasped hands and a hot, hot blush crept up the back of his neck.