Puppets in Uniform ~~ An Apply Fic

𝔸𝕟𝕕𝕪

The airport was loud, much too stimulating and all together smelled horrible. My suitcase rattled around on the sidewalk, rocks making it bounce in such a way that it only furthered my growing irritation. I was not inside yet, but it was already way too much! My taxi drove off, the smell of gasoline hanging in the air.

The driver inside had been an asshole. He listened to terrible music, if I had bothered to listened to either of them, I probably would be in a much worse mood. Cold ocean air rustled my hair, moving the bright purple tips into my face like a stark reminder of what I was to my parents. It was just another symbol of how I had failed them. Both the living and the dead. I exhaled, trying to ignore the grotesque smells and walked into the airport.

I walked up to the desk; the beating of my heart and the much too loud thoughts were getting jarred with each step. The attendant looked up; her lipstick much too red for my personal liking but no doubt it was required. No one was in line, but San Francisco Airport always had more people than you'd think. They were probably just in the next level, worrying more about themselves and what they could get.

"Hello, are you only checking these bags?" The lady, her name tag said 'Aurora', asked already putting the information into her computer. I stifled a yawn, before pulling out my ID.

"Yes please. Will these be too much?" I added, looking through all the different pockets for my thin plastic cards. The lady shook her head, took a look at my ID and then began to tag my bags. The duffels went down the belt, followed by my purple suitcase.

I left the line, adjusting my backpack and putting in my Air Pods. They connected with the dinging sound and then the random playlist I'd chosen started to stream through.

Getting through security was easy enough, besides the minor fact that my doc martens set off the metal detector with the zippers. I got pat down around the leg, which the was not very... comfortable to say the least and then sent on my way. But the line had been much shorter considering the time of night it was. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention something.

My name is Andrea, less formally known as Andy and I'm currently on my way to fly all the way from San Francisco to Scotland. It's there that I'll get to go to the prestigious school named St. McCrawley's. I feel unfortunate for the poor soul named McCrawly. Though in traditional fashion, that person is probably dead.

People were still chattering loudly, even at the ungodly hour of four o'clock in the morning. Most of them had coffee in their hands, the steam from the cups polluted the air making the disgusting concoction of sea water and coffee. My backpack had begun to rub uncomfortably again my tank top, which I had chosen to wear with only a hoodie in my backpack to add on later. My mother told me Scotland was cold, damp and much worse than Montana where I was born. We had moved after she passed when I was 12, to here where my dad met my stepmom and now, they live happily ever after.

It had taken a grand ten minutes to make it to my gate B27 which was the farthest from where I had been. There were not many seats taken, with a few elderly couples in them and one mom with her two toddlers.

The smell of coffee began to allure me as well, since I still had 10 minutes till boarding, and was only in economy. So, I went to the closest place smelling of coffee. A small coffee shop that was just around the corner with no signs of people in it. I was mistaken when I glanced at another girl that was there, but I ignored her and went up to the barista. No one else was here at the moment. They all were probably high off of caffeine or just cocaine, there was a high chance of either. People did dumb things for terrible reasons, though not a lot had a good excuse for such things.

My voice came out low and a little scratchy since it was still early morning, and my water bottle was empty. I also happened to be very lazy even though a water fountain was right across the walkway. "Good morning." I greeted the barista, not nearly interested enough in what she had to say but more interesting was the girl at a table. Her drink and food were untouched, and she was scrolling through her phone absently.

"Good morning." The barista smiled, a blinding one that probably charmed way too many people. It just left me uninterested and more desperate for some coffee and a proper train of thought.

"A vanilla frappe and a sugar cookie please and thank you."

The barista shuffled off, sleepiness clinging off of her body as similarly as it was to my own. The girl in the cafe looked up and waving at me with a gentle smile. I waved back, too tired to think much of it until she came over and threw the empty containers in a recycling bin.
"Where are you flying to?" She asked, either ignoring the prominent frown or not caring about it.

"Edinburgh, Scotland." I wanted this conversation to be over, even though I'd probably regret my actions later. I spoke with a curt tone, but it never sounded the way I thought it did. The girl's eyes lit up, an excited look spreading across her features. But there was this slight hollow look to it, like the actor losing character in a monologue.

"Really? So am I!" She extended a hand, chipped nail polish evident on them. "I'm Liana, Liana barrow." You're being unkind, take her hand. My mind chided me, while some phantom string pulled my hand and I took her own, shaking it. I tried to smile, but it was a weak one. My coffee slid across the counter, chilling my hands and the bag with my cookie in it crinkling with from sugary substance within it.

"I'm..." say your real name, insolent girl. " I'm Andrea Clarissa Matinez, but I just go by Andy." I told the rude voice in my head to piss off, taking a sip of my ice coffee and then a large bite of my cookie. The icing crumbled beneath my teeth; it would probably turn my tongue yellow. Sprinkles fell to the floor, destined to be crushed under someone's shoe. Liana nodded, grabbing her things and then following me out of the cafe. She didn't have many things either, only a backpack like me. They were probably already on the plane, unlike her carry on.

"Do you mind if I follow you to the gate?" Liana asked me, peering at me through blond lashes. I shook my head, taking my Air Pods out and putting them in their case. She went silent, setting her things down with my own as we listened to boarding calls. Economy was called and we both stood up and pulled out our ticket.

"See you on the other side, I suppose." I mumbled, placing myself as closely to the flight attendant in line so that I could get on the plane. Liana smiled, nodded and found her own place in line.