Two Worlds Distanced

Chapter 77

RACHEL

It's finally winter break. Thank the lord, I think If I study one more thing of knowledge, my brain will explode; I laugh at the thought as folding my clothes, nicely placing them in my suitcase along with lingerie and shoes.  I miss everything about North Carolina, thinking about walking around my favorite spot at Freedom Park so I could read a book and enjoy a cup of coffee even though the coffee there is tasteless.

...

Hours later, Henry drove me to the airport since my car is staying over at his house; as he parks the car, I look at the airport, flashbacks of bumping into Ezra and spilling coffee all over him along with smelling like that all the way to Oregon; thinking about it, makes me laugh yet cringe, "Rachel? Got everything?" Henry hands me my lounge, I nod yes as I put my passport inside my purse and give him a goodbye before handing inside the airport. As I walked inside, I forgot how business would be from the coming holiday. I went up to one of the multiple long lines to check in so I went to the shortest line if I could find one.

"Ugh! Fuck long lines," somone behind me said, and I joke back as agreement, turn around and my eyes go wide, as seeing to Dean Howard, "Oh my god!" I gasp, wrap my arms around him and he does the same yet, squeezing me too tight but it's been years since I have seen him, "What are you doing?" I ask. I nuzzle in his neck and smile as a sign of comfort and getting flashbacks when I had a huge crush on the cute yet kindhearted football player of high school but I was a nobody. It feels like spring, a fresh start with looking in his warm brown eyes, curly brown hair falling under his eyes and can't help glazing his toned up body, "You look... umm,"

"Different?" he finishes my sentence, I nod.

He nods, and shrugs his broad shoulders, "Well I guess you should say thank you to years of kickboxing training for kicking my ass until I feel like throwing up," he jokes and we laugh, "Yeah. What are you doing in Oregon? I thought you had a Football scholarship in Georgia ?" I ask as I move up in the line that seems like it didn't move an inch.

"I did but it got taken away from my shoulder injury so I moved to Utah for a fresh start, you know?" He tells me more about what he's been up to the point that I haven't gotten a word but he was always a talker as long as I have known him. I remember during English class he spent probarly thirty minutes talking about how dumb is pride and prejudice because they were too desperate but I defended my point of view and won the agreement, and he laughed, "Yes, I remember you literally ripping me apart,".

I walk up to the desk, "Hello Ms. What can I help you with?" a lady asked.

"Yes, I'm checking into my boarding flight, Oregon to Charlotte, North Carolina,". The lady nods okay, looks through her computer, "Yes. What's your full name?".

"Rachel Irene Carson,".

...

Moments later, I walk the plane aisle to find my seat B13, as all of my memories of Ezra keep coming spinning around. I hate all of the power he thinks he has over me even when I haven't seen him in the last few days. I look up at the letters above the seats to find, almost there until someone hands stops me, "Hey! Watch it!" I smack the hand away when I see Dean once again, because with those warm brown eyes that are giving me butterflies, the nervous kind in my stomach, "Rachel?".

"What?" I snapback to reality and away from my naive thoughts.

"I didn't know you were going to be on this flight too?" he shockley says, as I check my ticket to see if I'm in the right seat, and it's correct. Shit, now I have to sit next to my old high school crush for seven hours, please god save me yet thank you. I laugh at my own thought, "Yeah, it was the only cheap flight home," I grab my heavy lounge to the holder but can't.