ᴍᴀᴇᴠᴇ ᴡɪʟʟɪᴀᴍꜱ
𝐉𝐔𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 a plane had never seemed like a good idea until now.
2 hours ago, Gordon Bombay handed out boarding passes in a manner he called simpler (it wasn't, he looked lost). This 'easy' strategy was to pass tickets out as he saw the person, not go from top of the pile to the bottom.
C25 Williams, Maeve.
At the time, our travel group of 10+ seemed to have been moving smoothly--but disaster struck the moment I found section C, seat 25.
"Oh, you've got to be shitting me," I muttered.
There he was. In C25.
"You're in my seat," I stated.
Guy Germaine took his headphones off his head and looked at me unamused. "What?"
I rolled my eyes. "You're in my spot."
"Let me see your ticket," he insisted.
Was he seriously going to fight me on this?
"No, just get out."
"No, I'm right where I'm supposed to be."
"Jesus Christ, Germaine just admit that you're wrong."
"You admit it."
"Why don't you go sit with your girlfriend? Make this plane ride a little more bearable for the both of us?"
"I am trying to make it bearable. Go away."
"I can't, cause you're in my spot," I reminded him, my nerves boiling over.
There's only one thing I hate more than him, and it's holding up lines.
"Would you two stop bickering for 15 seconds?" Charlie whispered. "Just sit next to each other. It's 3 hours."
"Easy for you to say."
I slumped in the middle seat, cursing whoever printed these plane tickets for doing this to me.
"Okay, three rules," Guy said, turning away from the window to look at me. "You think you can handle that?"
"The number three is something you're very familiar with, isn't it?"
He quietly groaned in frustration and closed his eyes for a brief moment. "Don't talk to me. Don't come any closer than this armrest. And don't hum your music."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
"Great," he retorted. "Then it's settled."
"Seems so."
"Hey guys," Averman greeted as he took the aisle seat. "Don't worry, I'm gonna be sleeping the whole time."
"Great," we both snapped.
"Sheesh," the ginger gasped. "Remind me to never fly with you two again."
I ignored the boy as I took my book out from my carry-on. I set it down on the extending tray table in front of me as I dug further in search of my walkman.
"Nerd," Guy murmured from my right.
My head turned towards him slowly. "That no talking rule goes both ways."
"Just saying it as I see it."
"You don't even know how to read. I take what you say with a grain of salt."
"Funny," he sneered. "I can read."
"Perfect. Then you can read my lips when I say 'shut up'."
He rolled his eyes and placed his headphones back onto his head. Finally, some peace and quiet. I flipped to page 18 of Emma by Jane Austen. It was one of the two books I had packed. The thing about the Junior Goodwill Games was that we didn't know exactly how long we'd be there. Once a team loses two games, they are eliminated. I'd rather finish both early and be able to get more at a beachside bookstore than pack more than I could handle. I also didn't think there'd be much time for me to read with all the practices, games, and exploring to be done--and in all fairness to me, Emma is over 1,000 pages long.
But by page 86, my eyelids began to feel heavy. I jolted awake every time I felt my head start to dip down. Eventually, I gave in to the tiredness. I closed my eyes. I felt my head fall into Averman's shoulder. Within seconds, he shoved me to the other side.
Sleep consumed me instantly.
☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆∵☆
𝐈 𝐖𝐎𝐊𝐄 𝐔𝐏 with the slight pressure of weight resting on my head. My nose was met with the scent of cinnamon radiating off of a gray t-shirt. I didn't know how much time had passed or how much we had left.
The shoulder under me shifted, allowing me to lean into them more. I had just started to drift again when I heard the intercom muffle out that we were beginning to descend into Los Angeles Airport.
"Of course," Averman grumbled. "Just when I get to the best part of my dream."
"Shit," the vibrations of a raspy voice made me gradually open my eyes.
Shit was right. I fell asleep on Guy. I froze.
His head lifted off the top of mine. "You broke rule #2."
"Yeah, so did you," I countered, sitting upright.
"You better not have drooled on me, or I swear I'll kill you."
"I don't drool."
"You look like the type to drool," he muttered.
"Whatever."
"I don't like the feeling of landing," Averman announced.
My stomach dropped slightly as our altitude decreased.
"15 more minutes, Averman," I said. "Don't hurl."
"I can do that," he nervously laughed, but he really didn't sound all that sure.
"Bathrooms that way," Guy pointed, slightly leaning over me to show Averman.
I peered around Les and saw the long hallway he'd have to walk in case of that emergency. As I looked, I caught the side of Adam's passed out face. I might not drool, but he does. I hope Charlie doesn't mind.
"Good to know."
15 more minutes. That's only three five minutes periods. Okay, not bad. We can get through this--I can get through this. Reading would make this go faster, for sure. I cracked open Emma again. Page 86, right where I left it. But I couldn't focus. I couldn't focus on all these small words when he was so close to me. I felt stupid because of it.
He was looking at me. I could feel it. Reading had never been more challenging before.
"Would you stop looking at me?" I demanded under the intense pressure. "I can't concentrate."
"Why can't you concentrate?" he taunted.
"Because I know your beady little eyes are boring into my soul."
"You can't concentrate because of me?"
He was either taking this the wrong way because he's a literal moron, or because he likes to make my life frustrating. Honestly, I couldn't tell which one was the real reason.
"I didn't know I was so distracting," Guy mentioned, his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face as he flipped aimlessly through the airline program.
"You aren't distracting," I opposed. "You're nauseating."
"I thought you couldn't focus," he continued. "Not that you were nauseous."
"Just forget about it."
"I'll have no problem doing that."
"Great, so stop talking."
"You started the conversation," he pointed out, like that made breaking rule #1 okay for him.
"Are you having fun pissing me off? Is that what this is?" I snapped. "Because I'll give it to you, that's about all you excel at."
"Well," Guy shrugged, like he didn't have a care in the world. "It is rather entertaining, and incredibly easy."
I let out a deep breath to calm myself. I couldn't give him what he wanted. If I don't react, he'll give it up. Turn back to the book.
"How's that concentration?"
Oh. My. God.
