Some Lucky Strike

4.

- CHAPTER FOUR -

"The Security Check"

My god-damn shoe won't fit in. It has just started to rain and I'm already short of time, which is not helping at all by the fact that I still have to catch a bus and the subway.

"Fuck..."

One last pull before my left sneaker slides in. I sigh, finally ready, and I look at myself in the mirror one last time.

It is 3 p.m. and, honestly, I have no clue on how I look so put together when last night, the girl that is staring at me in the mirror had spent nearly four hours packing for a one-week trip. Not only that, but I don't know if most of the time I spent was choosing the clothes that I would bring within a ton of options, or when I had to tidy up the shitty mess that my room had become. Miraculously, I had time to vacuum and deep clean my room, which now looks immaculate.

I smile to myself, confident, and the last thing i do before leaving my flat is making sure I've got my keys, passport and phone. Everything is on its place and so I leave.

As I take a step out of my door into the hallway, I already thank myself for having grabbed a coat and warm clothes. After a month of irregular early spring weather simultaneously hot, I've already put away most of my winter closet (a huge mistake), but I managed to find my favourite pieces of clothing. Taking the stairs down to the entrance of the building, I get outside as the harsh rain hits my face and I hurry to the nearest bus stop two streets down, almost tripping on the way. My luggage is heavy AF, and I have to turn around every minute or so to keep it from making so much noise and to refrain it to slide away at any chance.

I raise my head just when the bus I'm supposed to catch arrives.

Perfect, at least one thing goes well for me today.

And in 9 minutes, I am already waiting for the subway. Piccadilly Circus, which is always one of the busiest stations in the zone, is completely empty, so I close my eyes and enjoy the silence. "Can't Stop" by Red Hot Chili Peppers is playing on my phone while my transport arrives, swooshing past me and blowing my hair up against my face. It brakes slowly until it stops, and I get inside the nearest wagon as I get my hair out of my mouth.

20 minutes later, I walk out of the Gatwick North Terminal station. Just as I drag my stuff out of the stairs that lead to the street, I already see a group of people waiting in front of one of the airport's many entrances.

"...so these blue cards will be given to all of you so that you can get inside and out of the hotel and your room whenever you want within the week that we will be staying there, got it? I hope I don't have to repeat it again..." Some people turn around to look at me, and it turns out I am the last one to arrive. Mr. Stanley sighs, fed up.

"Can somebody please explain to our teammate Nora what I've been trying to explain to you these past ten minutes?"

"I will, sir!" A high-pitched voice comes out of nowhere, and then two strong arms squish me.

"Fuck, Ruby... do you want to kill me?"

"No, but you know what's going to kill me? My stomach aching from hunger. I really can't wait to try some paella from a local restaurant..."

"Oh, yes, please. The food here in the UK is mildly gross, not to say disgusting."

Just then, our class starts moving, getting inside the airport's massive terminal. Which is curious, because I've only been here twice since moving to London. The automatic doors open in front of us, who get inside, and we swoosh past a warm air curtain, to keep the building from the city's low temperatures and bad weather.

The noise from dragging our suitcases soon becomes unnoticeable, almost like some kind of background music. We take the first mechanical stairs that we come across with, who lead us to the worst part of travelling, in my raw opinion.

The security check.

Just... unnecessary, right? Lots of stress, luggage, coats, mobile phones and chargers... the bag full of liquids who can't pass over 200 ml... A nightmare.

We wait in queue until it's our turn. Following Ruby, I grab a tray from the pile and put all my stuff except my suitcase on it. Then, the chunky x-ray machine swallows my luggage before my anxious gaze.

Now time for the worst. My friend walks effortlessly through the human sized gate. It's my turn, so I take a step forward and cross it...

Everything fine. Green light.

I sigh, relieved. I've always had the worst luck when in the airport's security. If it isn't because of a random drug control that, of course, it beeps at me, it is because I need to remove my boots, or my jewellery is too chunky...

I put the tray back in its place and smile as Ruby claps at me, swinging her hands together to the sides of her head, motioning as if she was holding a trophy.

I flip her off and drag my stuff, finally free until boarding.

"COFFEE." Ruby yells, hurrying to the nearest dispenser machine that she sees.

"Let me guess the price... £5?"

"Oof... almost. 6,50."

"Wow, a record without doubt. You're genuinely crazy."

"If I'm not going to be able to ingest caffeine in the next couple of hours, I won't be human when we land."

"I drink tea, darling," I say, purposely with a sassy tone to it. "Coffee sends me directly to the bathroom..."

"Then it must be your poor weak stomach. It can't handle that much goodness."

A muffled metallic voice announces our boarding. It is currently 4 p.m. and boarding is in 30 minutes. We need to go to gate 4A, which is... right in front of us, luckily. Soon enough, we are already getting in the plane.

When I take my seat, right off my eyes start to close themselves. When I open them, I see that we are flying over Madrid, the capital of Spain.