Puppets in Uniform ~~ An Apply Fic

𝕃𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕒

I could hear the airplane rumble over the music blasting through my earbuds. It wasn't everyday I got to ride on a plane to Scotland. But I guess you could argue it's not everyday a girl gets sent off to a European boarding school either.

I let out a long sigh as the ding of the over speaker comes on, signaling an announcement.

"We have reached 10,000 feet." The crackly female voice of one of the flight attendants plays over the intercom. "Please remain seated as we begin our 9 hour flight to Edinburgh, Scotland..." I zone out the rest of the announcement, letting the music over take my thoughts.

Out the window the tall buildings of San Francisco stick up tall, reaching for the sky. The freeways look like river beds, the cars driving over them a multicolored stream of water.

I forgot how small the world looks from an airplane, how little and unimportant each car looks from up here.

Each person in those cars has a life, a family maybe. A story.

And....here I go again, getting all philosophical. I slide the window cover down, looking forward again at my seat. A wisp of brown and purple hair peaks over a seat 3 rows in front of me. That must be the girl I saw in the coffee shop. Vanilla Frappe and a sugar cookie. That had been their order.

A weird request at four in the morning, but I don't judge.

Okay that's a lie, I do judge. Just...silently.

I watch as they reach their hand up to the little circle above their seat that blows cool air and adjust it, positioning it so it would point away from them.

Their hand disappears again and I let out a long stream of air through my nose. I might as well catch up on sleep. Scotland is a whole 8 hours ahead of California, meaning when I land it should be around 3pm Scotland time. But around 5am my time.

The airplane dips suddenly, making me gasp. Was this going to be a dangerous flight? I don't remember them giving a turbulence warning. Would we have to touch down in another city? How could we when we're already over the Atlantic?

But the plane levels out again and I let out a breath of air I didn't realize I was holding.

The old man sitting next to me reading a book gives me an arch look, and I smile at him. Resisting the urge to stick out my tongue like the child I am.

He looks back down at his book again and I sigh, leaning back into my seat.

I must have fallen asleep after that, because my eyes flutter open as someone pokes at my shoulder.

"Miss? Ma'am?" A light and airy voice trills at me

"Hm?" I ask, blinking the sleep from my eyes.

"Sorry, but would you like something to drink?" A dark-haired lady with a thick Scottish accent pushing a trolly stands in the aisle, smiling sweetly.

I blink at her for a few seconds before realizing I need to answer.

"Oh, uh- yeah. Just, a sprite?" I smile awkwardly, her periwinkle blue eyes wrinkling as she smiles wider.

"Perfect." She fuddles through her carriage and grabs a pitcher of Sprite. Pouring it in a cup she hands it to me. "Enjoy your flight." She smiles again, moving onto the next costumer.

I find my cheeks turning a bit pink and I watch her for a few seconds as she is talking to another woman on the plane. I feel a set of eyes staring at me and I look over to see the old man again. But this time he's...smirking at me. I can't stop myself from raising a brow at him.

"Oh, shush." I say quietly. But apparently, he hears me because he chuckles and closes his eyes, seeming to fall asleep.

I rub my eyes, clearing the last of the sleep away. The airplane cabin is dark, and many people are sleeping. I check the flight tracker on my phone, we're flying over the tip of Northern Ireland. Only 2 hours left on the flight.

Wow, I must have been really tired. I had slept at least 7 hours, probably a new record for me.

I lean my head against the wall of the plane, the rumbling vibrates through my body. But it doesn't bother me.

Will my dad be lonely?

The thought comes out of nowhere, almost scaring me. Oh hush, I chide my own thoughts. No he won't. He doesn't care about you, get over it.

But deep down I know that's not really true. He cares about me, just...in his own way.

We had gotten in a fight before I left, I can barely even recall what it was about. Some spat about how I needed to behave or something, either way the arguing left me drained. Even after the many hours of sleeping my eyes still felt heavy.

The last two hours of the flight fly by fast, and next thing I know they're announcing our arrival.

In Scotland.

I'm going to Scotland.