Crush Me

Four

Leanne

Leanne decided having Wilson hold her hand wasn't a bad thing. It gave her tingles and she felt safe with him.

Poor guy. He's got Dad problems too. I wonder what's going on there. He's always so happy go lucky at school. A good actor. But then again so am I. Maybe I should give the blog a go. I can start with the security thing, and document....

Wilson was slowing down, and they came to a stop at the counter. The clerk at the second terminal waved the them over.

"Two of us for the flight to Paris." Wilson gave the woman his ticket, and continued, "Give her yours too Leanne."

"Put your bag on the scale sir, and you ma'am, on the other one over here. We'll get them tagged on their way to the airplane. You're flying on an A320 Neo today. Good to see you again, Wilson."

"Geeze, it's been along time. I'm surprised you remember me."

"Yeah, your Dad was flying for United then, and you came with him a lot." She turned to put the tag on his suitcase handle and moved across to deal with Leann's duffel bag. "Your gate is on your boarding pass. You should probably hurry on up. Oh, wait a sec, do you have a seat reserved, Wilson? And you Miss?"

"I don't care where they are. All those kids who came through earlier, not close to them if you remember where you put them," Wilson requested.

"I'll put you over the wings, by the emergency exit. There's a little more room for long legs there. Neither of you are particularly short. Besides, you know the emergency drills as I recall."

Leanne shuddered.

My first time on an airplane, and they're discussing emergencies? I know flying is one of the safest modes of transportation right up there with elevators, but we're going to be over the ocean!

Her stomach tightened and the butterflies flew.

Wilson caught her hand again and turned to her. "We have to hurry. The gate is a bit of a jog. Can you keep up?" he asked.

"Sure. But I need both hands free. This tote bag is going to bounce around pretty bad otherwise." Leanne tightened her elbow into her side as she spoke. "Lead. I had no idea your Dad was a pilot."

"He still is. Atlanta London has been his route for years now. He's gone at least three days every time he takes off. Thank God." He slowed down to a quick walk. "I wish he was still like he was back then. Now he drinks for the first day he's back, and then he gets mean when he sobers up before work."

Leanne winced. "I'm sorry. It has to be horrible for you."

"I can handle it."

"Are you okay? You're limping." Leanne stopped and pulled him around so she could see his eyes. "Tell me the truth. You're hurt, aren't you?"

Wilson shrugged. "I've had worse."

Wow. He's had worse. I know what my worse is, but oh man, he's got to be hurting.

Leanne reached around him to give him a hug. Looking up into his eyes, she saw the pain flitting through them.

"Should you be flying?"

"Probably not, but I have to see Mom. She lives in Paris, and I really need to talk to her."

Leanne tightened her arms and felt him jerk away from her hands. "Then we'll get some ice on those sore spots. I'm so sorry."

"Don't tell anyone, okay?" Wilson's shoulders sagged. "And we've really have to run now."

"You go as fast as you can. I can keep up." Leanne leaned into him again and squeezed his arms. "I can keep secrets really well."

What else has he been hiding from everyone?

She stayed beside him, watching for signs he might collapse, but he pulled himself together. When they flashed their boarding passes at the gate attendant, there was no hint of a limp.

"Looks like we have the row to ourselves," Wilson said as they arrived at their seats. "Do you want to put your bag in the overhead rack?"

"No way. I'll stow it under the seat. I was thinking about the blog thing again. Will you help me?" She slipped into the row first. "I'm a little bit nervous. I never thought I'd ever get to fly."

"Safest form of transportation." Wilson reminded her of her earlier thoughts.

"Yeah, but nerves... you know." Leanne buckled her seat belt and pulled it snug. Her fingers tightened on the arm rests, and she leaned forward like she wanted to jump up and run.

"How old are you? I mean I'll buy us a glass of wine once we're in the air. It might help you relax, but if you're not eighteen yet—" His voice died off as the flight attendant started the safety briefing.

"I've never had anything to drink. Don't like what it does to my stepdad either. And Mom, well, she likes it too much." Leanne whispered. "I'm worried I'll like it too much too."

She bent forward, to feel under her seat, when the instructions for where to find the life jackets explained it. "Is the flotation cushion really part of the seat too?"

Wilson nodded. "It is. But you won't need it."

"Never hurts to know though." Leanne leaned back into her seat and took a deep breath. "I need to relax, but I'm not sure I can."

"I'll hold your hand. Did you bring your flute too?"

Leanne giggled.

He really is trying to help.

"Are you trying to distract me?"

"Yeah, is it working?"

"Sort of. I did bring my flute. It's in my tote bag too. Couldn't let it fly in the baggage hold." She lifted their joined hands up and squeezed his tighter. "Promise we'll be okay?"

"Of course, we're going to be okay." He rubbed his thumb along hers. "About the blog. Yes, I'll help you with whatever you need. You should be in the journalism club writing for the school magazine."

"I write poetry though. It's not like it's an earth shattering skill."

The jet turned a sharp corner to the left, and the screen at the front of their section of seats showed the runway ahead of them.

"I guess there's no getting out of this now," Leanne said dryly. "And yes, I'm eighteen, and no I won't drink." She felt herself pressing back into her seat as the jet started to accelerate. Leanne let out a soft scream as she felt the jet lift off the ground.