New Beginnings

Hour 72

Kies POV

     "Come on Sare," John B whispered to Sarah as he nudged her towards the steps of the plane. Both of them were very quiet and scared after the loss of their fathers and guilty leaving them behind, but it had to be done unless they wanted even more cops on them.

     Just as Sarah got on, the pilot expectantly came out, waiting for further instruction from his boss, Ward. Sarah and John B walked past, leaving me to let him know what's happening.

     "Mr. Cameron won't be on the plane, we just need to get back to Kildare as quietly as possible," I quietly said to him, so as to not disturb Sarah and John B. He gives me a curt nod and I walk to an unoccupied row of seats with questioning eyes from JJ and Pope, but those questions are the last things I want to answer right now. As soon as I sit down the plane starts moving, probably ready to go since the moment they landed the first time. And finally I can sleep for the first time in like 72 hours, minus the few naps I took here and there, without being bothered by stressful plans and worrying teenagers. Once the seatbelt sign came off, I immediately laid down and passed out, too tired to think of what images would return to my head the minute I closed my eyes.

     To my surprise, a couple hours later I woke up without one bad dream. It seemed too good to be true. And it was. I open my window to see the Kildare Tarmac with 3 vans, a truck, and a SUV waiting for an arrival. The plane jolts as we come in contact with the ground and I get a closer look at who was waiting. My family car, 2 Kitty Hawk vans, the cops, and the Heywards truck.

     "Shit," I muttered, "shit shit shit." Nothing was coming out of my mouth but the word. My brain couldn't think of any other word but 'shit' and maybe a few more profanities. And then I jolted awake.

     My hands were running through my hair and I was trying my hardest to think of something to do, but all I can think of is how it's getting progressively more difficult to breath and see with the tears blocking my vision. I wasn't a crier and especially not in front of my friends, this is the side of me that I put off until I'm hidden in my room and no one can hear or see me. I am the one that cares for the others and makes sure they are okay, so what bothers me is that the boys knew exactly what was happening, almost like they've talked about it before. 'What would happen if Kie ever had a breakdown?' or 'how would we handle Kie melting down?', questions that they've probably had conversations over that I never knew about, and here they are, the plans put into action. The boys surrounding me and talking to me to assure everything is fine, which it isn't, and it only makes me cry harder.

     "Kie, deep breaths ok? Everything's fine ok? Whatever happened, s'just a dream. We're gonna go straight to Sarah's condo and hunker down there alright?" One of them said but I was too focused on my parents and the vans waiting for me. Waiting to take me. Waiting to snatch me against my will, while I'm screaming for them to get off. And then there's JJ, who plopped himself right next to me and just wrapped me up in his arms before I could shrug him off. That got me to calm down.

     "The vans, they're on the tarmac, my parents are gonna send me off again" I whispered against his shoulder, too afraid to move.

     "Kie, you haven't even looked out of the window yet, we're still in the air. It's only been 2 hours, everything is alright, ok?"

     "Ok," I took a breath and opened the window, just to check and once I was sure he wasn't lying, I let out the air I was holding, "ok."

     He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into him, "y'know that you're tired when you hallucinated a full army of Kitty Hawk vans to come kidnap you when you've only been in the air for 2 hours," he snorts and I slap him on the arm wrapped around me.

     "Maybe I should stay up longer, we can see what happens when I go on hour 84, maybe I can get the same high that I get with a J, just without the weed," I joke.

     "I'm all for science Kie, but let's not test that hypothesis. Go to sleep, I got you," and he lightly presses a kiss to my hair. That's all I need to close my eyes and go to bed.