The Paper Airplane

Chapter 1

"Gemma, darling, are you coming?" Anne said loudly. They were late for a metro, but her kids were, as usual, not interested. It always takes them so much time to get ready and pack everything they need, regardless of where they're going. She waited before the front door, her hand on the door handle. She tapped the handle with her finger, annoyed.

"Gemma, Harry, hurry up!" she said while checking if she packed everything. They are going to a pool party, her friend's son was celebrating his 7th birthday.

"We're coming, mom!" she heard a little voice of her six year old son - Harry.

"Finnaly" she murmured. Gemma appeared on the stairs with Harry's hand in hers.

"We're here!" she said and jumped few steps, runing down the stairs. She pulled Harry and they both fell.

"Gemma!" Anne ran and crouched next to them, checking if they're alright. Gemma laughed. She stood up and looked down at her brother. Harry was holding his knee.

"Harry are you okay?" she asked. Harry moved his hand.

"My knee hurts" he squealed.

"You cut your knee, honey, everything is alright." Anne said, "Gemma, give me my purse." Gemma ran to the purse that Anne dropped when she was running towards them. She gave it to her mother and Anne took out a packaging of cotton bandage. She sticked one to Harry's knee and helped him get up.

"Better?" she smoothed his hair. He smiled and nodded. "Alright, then we're ready" she took them both by their hands and walked them out of the house.

***

"Mom, I'm older, I don't need your hand" Gemma complained for a thousandth time. They were walking toward the metro train.

"You're nine, you're not that older. And you can get lost, look how many people are here." Anne was walking fast, focused on the train in front of her. They got closer and she told Harry and Gemma to be behind her, as they were entering the metro.

She stepped in, but a woman slammed into her. She dropped her purse and everything that was in it fell on the floor.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry! We're leaving at the next station so I'll help pick this up you until we get there, " the woman said.

"It's alright," Anne replied and they started collecting stuff from the floor. A baby next to the women dropped her toy and started crying. The women quickly checked on the baby in the stroller.

"Lottie, baby, don't cry. Here, take this toy, " the woman said in an accent. She took a little lion toy out of the purse that was hanging of the stroller handle and gave it to her daughter. Anne was focused on the purse so she didn't even realize the baby was crying. There were a lot of stuff on the floor.

Harry saw a boy behind a women that was helping his mom. The boy looked at him.

"Hey don't bite your nails, it's not healthy," the boy said. "Here, I'll make a paper airplane for you. My mom made a paper ship for me when I used to bite my nails and told me to play with it every time I want to bite my nails or put my fingers in my mouth. I don't know how to make a ship but here's an airplane" the boy talked fast as he was folding and turning a paper he took from his backpack really quickly. It seemed to Harry, that the boy was too fast. He must have some super powers, though Harry and smiled for himself.

"Here," he handed a paper plane to Harry. Harry didn't even realize he was biting his nails before the boy told him. He nodded and made a half smile, taking the airplane.

"I apologize, again, I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking," said the boy's mom.

"It's fine, take care," Anne replied with a smile and waved to a boy Harry was talking to. He waved back at her and got out of the metro with his mom and sister. Everything happened fast so she didn't hear what Harry was talking about with that boy.

"What did the boy give to you?" She smiled at Harry.

"He gave me an airplane, look!" he said excited, showing his paper airplane to her.

"That's so nice of him, did you ask him for his name?" she asked.

"I did, but I didn't hear him. I don't know what's his name," Harry responded, disappointed.

"Don't worry, at least you have the paper airplane to remember him," said Anne.

And he did. Even after ten years, he still remembered the Paper Airplane Boy. The airplane still comforts him. He still keeps it very close to him every time he gets anxious. And he still, very strongly wants to know who was the Paper Airplane Boy.