elite [h.s]

CHAPTER 40

-March 2022-

Humans rarely get the opportunity to fly. We don't have wings like the birds that gracefully explore the sky, letting the wind guide them on their journey. These birds, they can travel miles and miles each day, crossing oceans and lands, flying over the world as they watch it swarm under them. They can leave whenever they want to, knowing that they will always be able to find a new home wherever they decide to rest. Humans don't have colorful wings like the butterflies that fascinated us when we were younger. These butterflies, no matter how short their life is, they get to see more than a lot of humans will ever get to see. They will get to discover parts of the world humans dream of discovering, displaying all of their colors for everyone to see. Butterflies will keep on catching our attention, finding ourselves hoping they would land on our hands. As they land, we feel as if it was a sign from a higher power, a sign that we were chosen and that we needed to leave. To go on an adventure. Eventually, we start to get envious of these birds and butterflies, wishing we could have a set a gracious and colorful wings that would carry us anywhere we want to go.
That's why humans crave to fly so much. That's why, when we step into a plane, an ethereal feeling fills our bodies. Constricts our lungs until we can barely inhale, the scenery of it all leaving us completely breathless. Wipes everything from our minds except the feeling of power, the feeling of accomplishment as we get ready to elevate higher than we've ever been before. When our feet leave the ground, we somewhat feel closer to ourselves. We feel as if a part of our souls had been unlocked, opening our eyes to true freedom. As if height was undeniably linked to how we viewed ourselves. As if flying allowed you to separate from your body, watching it get smaller and smaller as you leave it behind. As you leave behind the town you have been roaming for the majority of your life. It might be silly, but it's true: we feel lighter, suddenly above the weight that had been pinning us down to the ground, preventing us from lifting our heads up. Because if we did, we would have seen the bright blue sky and we would have immediately been drawn to it.
Looking out the window of a plane is a unique experience. Everything is laid out for us, waiting for us to notice it. The clouds, the sunset, the stars... We are exposed to the true and raw beauty of the universe. Of its natural state, way before humans came and built on its ground as if it was theirs. Flying reminds us just how small we are. Just how much we're irrelevant, a small planet in a universe far bigger than we can ever imagine. Just how much we haven't seen, just how much we don't know.

I was in awe as I stared at the black private plane resting on the ground a few feet away from me. The stairs were lowered, the crew standing next to them, waiting impatiently for us to arrive.

I still couldn't believe that I was about to climb in, getting ready to leave New York. With Harry. That I was about to leave the country with him, accompanying him on his trip.

As soon as he told me we were leaving in a couple of hours, I ran back to my room, calling the group chat at the same time. I spent the next hour and a half packing everything I needed, showing all of my outfits to Alice and Clara so they could approve. I enumerated every item I picked up, making sure I wasn't forgetting anything crucial and necessary.

At one point, Harry came by, laughing and shaking his head at my behavior, but he still sat down on my bed. He watched me silently, occasionally pointing at the clothes he liked best, wiggling his brows when I opened my underwear drawer. I cursed him out, but was unable to wipe the smile off my lips.

Once I was done, he helped me bring everything downstairs, carrying my suitcase as I gathered all of my painting supplies. He also helped me carry these, setting them down into the trunk of the car parked in front of the house.

I finally understood why Robert and Harry were both acting strange today: Robert was the one that would be driving us to the airport. That's what he had been trying to hide from me and that's why he couldn't help but smile when I told him I had no plans for spring break. He knew I was going to leave with Harry the very same day. And that's why Harry smirked as I pointed out Robert's behavior. They were both sharing a secret and hiding it from me. The cheeky bastards.