SkyFall (Rough Draft)

Prologue

Levi Lovett stared down at his girl, love shining in his eyes. He and the other guys' were supposed to board the plane five minutes ago, but Levi couldn't make himself move from Hope's warm embrace, albeit she was shaking like a leaf.

He knew he'd see her in forty-eight hours, yet, he couldn't move from her side.

She was driving back to Philly with her two friends, Jasmine and Chloe. Hope knew this was an important game for the team, for him, and dropped everything to be here, to cheer him on.

He loved her. More than he ever thought he could love someone. He loved Hope more than himself.

As Levi stared down into Hope's emerald eyes, he made himself slowly entangle himself from her arms, kissing her softly on the lips. He had to go.

Hope held onto him a second longer than she should have, plastering herself against him. "Please don't do anything because you guys lost," she whispered against his chest.

They were in D.C. for the state championship of high school football. The travelers were going to make an all-night drive home; Hope would be driving back.

"I won't, I promise," Levi lied, his chest constricting from his lie. He and the other guys were pissed that they lost, for the first time in twenty years.

Yet, he didn't want Hope to worry about him more than she already would.

She was a worrier.

Levi heard his name being called and looked up. His friend and fellow teammate Holland Jameson was waving at him to hurry, as he stood on the third step of the rented plane.

Levi kissed Hope one last time, and he palmed her cheek, his different skin tone fading into the night. He whispered three words he never said to another girl, before picking up his overnight bag and headed toward the plane.

A light rain descended from the clouds, as fog consumed the night.

Levi couldn't bear to hear Hope's response.

Once on the plane, Holland let Levi through, giving him the window seat of the seats they shared. After putting his bag in the overhead compartment, he looked out the window, after sliding in; he couldn't see Hope in the night.

"You'll see her soon, it won't kill you," Holland said from beside him, putting his seatbelt on.

Levi did the same before answering, "I'm going to ask her to marry me after graduation next week."

Levi felt Holland's pause, turning to face him. He asked hoarsely, "is your mom okay with you marrying a white girl?"

Levi sighed. His mom didn't know his plans, and neither did anyone else. He knew if he told his mom, Hope would find out, because his mom would try to sabotage the relationship like she's been doing for the past year and a half.

"No."

Holland whistled. "You not telling your mom something, this night is full of surprises."

"Dad knows, though."

Holland's brows shot up. "You went to his grave?"

Levi nodded. "For the first time in four years."

Coach Ramsey shouted, getting the team's attention. When everyone was silent and looking at him, he went into a speech about teamwork and how overcoming obstacles is a part of life.

It was a twenty-minute speech.

As soon as Coach stopped talking, and was moving back to his seat at the front of the plane, the plane started shaking from side to side. Turbulence, Levi thought.

Not even a second after thinking it, the pilot came on and told everyone to hang on tight, there was minor turbulence, and the fog was getting thicker and thicker. Plus, the rain didn't help.

Levi held onto the armrests as the turbulence became more disastrous. He never had any problems with any of the flights he's taken in his seventeen years, and now here he was. He looked out his window as Holland hyperventilated beside him, gripping the armrests with a death grip; like they all were.

He couldn't see out the window. Not even a cloud.

Suddenly, the plane started turning, and flew forward rapidly, turning and turning upside down, all around, until finally, it started to spiral downward, and Levi knew.

He knew it was the end. He was going to die. They were all going to die.

No one talked.

They all held on and waited for the inevitable.

Levi closed his eyes. Hope entered his mind; she was smiling, her blonde hair flowing behind her, her emerald eyes shining. He held on to that image of Hope, and whispered, "you are my first love, my only love."