Taste | Changbin

Chapter Twenty-Five

The plane landed at one o'clock in the morning. Han had managed to sleep on the plane, but not Lennon. She was too cramped in her seat and she couldn't get comfortable. She had tried to slightly recline the seat to make extra room, but it didn't help. 

By the time they could get off the plane, she was exhausted. Every muscle was stiff and it hurt to move them. She had tried her best to get out of her seat every few hours. She kept sipping water and going to the bathroom to try to avoid this. 

She followed Han out of the plane. By the time they entered the airport, she was fully awake. Camera lights flashed in her face. The sound of screaming fans made her ears start to ring. She had forgotten that Stray Kids were so well known. She hadn't considered that fans would be waiting for their arrival at the airport. 

"Han! Han! Hi!" 

"Felix, how was your flight?" 

"Bang Chan, I love you!" 

Fans squealed all around them. A few of them held their phones out and filmed. A group of bodyguards had surrounded them, so they weren't mobbed. Lennon's anxiety should have been settled, but it wasn't. Her stomach flipped as she walked with the group. 

She dipped her head down while she walked. They had all put on face masks before they exited the plane. She hadn't known if the fans knew who she was. The last thing she needed was them to speculate that she was dating a member of the band. A large purple backpack sat on her back. She pulled her rolling makeup kit with one hand. In the other hand, she pulled her suitcase. 

They walked through the airport towards the other side. Nobody had prepared Lennon for any of this. She didn't know where they were going. She didn't know where they were headed to. All she knew was that they had landed in Atlanta, Georgia. Once outside, the line of bodyguards temporarily blocked the doors, so fans couldn't follow them out of the building. 

"Lennon, ride in the car with me!" Han hurried to her side. He had been ahead of her when they started through the airport. 

"Are you sure? I don't want to cause any issues." 

"There won't be an issue, we all split up anyway. Come on! Leave your luggage and someone will put it in one of the cars." He left his suitcase and climbed into the car in front of him. 

Lennon pushed her suitcases next to his and followed him into the car. "Do you ever get used to this?" 

"With anxiety? Not really. I'm always afraid that I'm going to be mobbed. Sometimes I'm having really bad days and the cameras and fans cause panic attacks. They don't mean to, but it does happen occasionally." 

"I'm sorry." 

Han shrugged, "it's not your fault. It's a part of my life sometimes. I've been getting treatment for anxiety, so that's helped a lot." 

"Hey, do you guys have room for us?" Chan peered his head around the empty car door. 

Han bent forward to look around Lennon, "yeah, come on in." 

"You can sit here and I'll take the front seat. It's too bad they didn't give us bigger cars. I guess we'll just manage, right?" Chan called over his shoulder. 

He opened the passenger seat and climbed into the vehicle. There was a sigh before Changbin appeared in Lennon's view. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of him. The cars only fit five people. There was space for three people on the back bench seat and then there was the passenger and driver's seat up front. 

This didn't seem to bother Chan. Meanwhile, Changbin looked as uncomfortable as Lennon felt. He silently climbed in the back seat and slammed the door shut. His thigh came into contact with Lennon's. There was nowhere she could go. Han's leg was pressed against her on the other side. 

Her backpack sat on her lap. She clutched it closer to her chest and tried to make herself smaller. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to go that far. They had to check into a hotel for the night. Tomorrow night, the band was having their first concert. 

"3racha in the car!" Chan called out. "Plus, Lennon! Aren't you guys excited? I'm super excited!" 

"Woo-hoo." Han called out. 

Lennon could tell that he didn't mean it. There wasn't much enthusiasm in his voice. Han admitted that he knew Lennon and Changbin got into an argument with each other. It wasn't an argument, it was more like Changbin was an ass and it reminded her of her dad. 

Her dad, who happened to live in this country. Her dad, who was only a few states away. She swallowed and tried to keep the tears at bay. This was pathetic! She was supposed to be excited about this tour. This job was something new. It was a fresh start to her life. She left her dad back in Delaware. 

Unfortunately, the past never dies.