Fortuitous || Jack Steele [1]

thirty seven

(Get rid of Dunstan and we have my two fav boys🥺)

Another game. Another flight to take.

This time we're heading to the heart of Australia: Alice Springs.

As part of my photography travels I've been to this beautiful yet barren landscape before. It holds a special place in my heart.

The summer nights were comfortable as I laid in my hammock observing the unobstructed view of the stars above. How I explored the tracks with my bare feet meeting the red soil. It's such a stereotypical Australian landscape.

Unfortunately going to this game means I've been painfully lugging myself around the polished floors of Brisbane Airport. Moving with crutches everywhere hurts my arms and my armpits, rubbing against the skin and making it tender. It's really beginning to irk me a crap ton. Everyone has been lagging behind for me too and I hate it. I hate feeling like I'm a burden—I've always hated it. Maybe that's a factor to why I travelled on my own so I wouldn't feel like a burden at home.

My leg has also be absolutely killing me ever since I got back. The doctor informed me that I'd suffer some pain after surgery due to the bone healing. It's been pretty bad today and it doesn't help that I've been moving around to get to the places I need to go. At least the three and a half hour flight will give me a chance to rest it.

Jack and I haven't acknowledged the moment we had in the dining area. It hasn't caused any awkwardness, we've just decided to ignore what occurred. He has been keeping me good company either way whilst Bytes and my brother always check to see how I'm going, being protective and all. Lones has been a pest as per usual and just kept on being annoying. Jack shoed him off.

I plonk into a seat as soon as we arrive at our gate. It's beyond amazing when I throw my head back with a sigh, relaxing into the chair.

"Bit of a workout, Mads?" Bytes stifles a laugh and pulls me into his side. I sigh again.

"I feel like I've ran a marathon," I breath out.

"You're very dramatic," Max interrupts rudely. I throw him the finger and he feigns hurt with a gasp.

About twenty minutes follow before our flight is almost ready to board and a Virgin flight attendant comes forward. She smiles welcomingly at me.

"You can board the plane first," she says kindly and I smile thankfully.

"Yeah crippled, up you go first," my brother teases, gesturing his hand towards the plane with a cheeky look. I lift my crutch with the intent of smacking him.

"Woah woah! Keep it civilised Maddy." Jack appears from wherever and intervenes, lowering the crutch slowly so I don't wack my dumb brother. Instead I point a crutch at him with a warning glare.

"You call me that again and I'll give you a broken leg," I threaten seriously. Jack just raises his hands in surrender with a smirk.

I grumble under my breath and turn away from the boys to head up the ramp. The crutches click on the tarmac until they bang against the ramp. I slowly make my way up but it's harder than I thought which increasingly gets on my nerves. The bottom of these stupid things keep slipping slightly every time I put my weight on them. They just can't get a purchase on the ramp's material.

"Fuck this," I grunt and shove these stupid sticks under my arm. I hop up the rest of the ramp with irritation. I hear an amused laugh echoing behind me.

"I will throw you out of this plane if you make fun of me again." I whip my head around and send a dead serious look at Jack.

"Sure you would," he sniggers, walking past me and snatches the plane ticket from my hand with his fingers. I roll my eyes at his boldness. He shows the flight attendant our tickets and she welcomes us both onboard.