Skinny Love - Paul Aron

04 - Flying.

Willow, Monaco, 10:21 am, Monday, 27th May

I wake up with an awful headache. Literally feeling like my head's about to explode.

"Morning Sleeping beauty!" I hear my brother saying.

I mumble something, I don't even know what and turn to the other side. As I fall asleep again I feel something cold against my skin, it's liquid and did I mention cold?

"What the fuck?" I say jolting awake. I see kind of a crowd in my room. "When did everyone get here?"

"An hour ago." Kimi says. "You're a heavy sleeper Willy, we didn't even try to talk softly."

"Yeah, Dino kicked the corner of your bed and literally screamed and you didn't even flinch." Paul says laughing. Then Dino hits the blonde's arm and starts laughing when he pouts.

"Anyways. Chop chop! We'll be late." Sofia says pulling the covers. "The flight doesn't catch itself. We have to go! The World Championships of Performing Arts is on Friday, we have to practice."

"Oh shit. You're right! Oh my God. My head is killing me!" I say after I got up. Ollie hands me a pill and a cup of water.

I go to the bathroom and when I get out the only people there are Sofia and Chiara. They already have an outfit for me to wear and Chiara has a box with a avocado toast.

"You're the best. Thank you." I say starting to dress the grey sweatpants, a white cropped top and a purple puffer jacket. I put on my white converse, because converse are my whole personality.

I make my way to the door where the girls are already standing. I pick up the box from Chiara's hands and drag my trolley behind me. I'll eat while we wait to board. We enter the elevator and Arvid Lindblad is there with Sophia Flörsch. Arvid is totally late, as usual, not that we aren't, but he always is. I think Sophia is on the same flight, we kind of adopted her so it's good. We don't talk in the elevator. Sophia is looking like she could kill Arvid and he looks like if he leaned on the wall he would fall asleep.

"I had to knock on his door for 10 minutes before he got up." Sophia says. "Gabriele asked me to do it because he went on the earlier flight with Maya. But I didn't think he would still be sleeping."

"Atleast he didn't wake up with a cup of water thrown on him and 6 people surrounding him." I say looking at my so called friends who laughed.

"That's actually a good idea, next time we will put both of you in the same room and wake you up like that." Sophia say.

I see Arvid rolling his eyes and laugh. I put my hand around his shoulder and leave the elevator and say loudly. "Come on bro. We can sleep in peace when we get to the plane."

"Ugh, they're so annoying!" He says and I pat his shoulder. While I was in the bathroom Ollie texted me that they already went to the airport, so I call an uber. "What time is the competition Friday?"

"To be honest, I don't know." I say.

"7:30, at the Lyceum Theatre" Sofia says. "Uber guy's here."

"Oh fuck me!" Chiara says. We all look at her with questioning looks. "I kissed that guy last year."

We all laugh at her and get in the car. The guy is trying to flirt with her really bad, but he's so oblivious to the fact that she's making fun of him instead of saying the truth and it's actually very funny. We are all holding back our laughter until Arvid starts crying because of holding it back and we begin laughing at him.

We arrive at the airport and pass security. The guys said they were on the gate I was finishing my toast, that security let me take because I was still eating it. Now, we have two minutes to board so we have to kind of run through the airport. We board the plane because Dino texted Arvid they boarded. My seat is 13C. We all got seats close to each other. But no one knows next to who they are. We could change, but we like not knowing with who we'll be seated. Arvid is 13D, which is good, if I have Chiara and Kimi next to me I'll be needing mental support because of their happy relationship.

I find my seat, Dino is in the window, Paul in the middle. Could've been worse, I don't speak a lot with Dino, but I grew up with Paul so it's ok. Arvid on the other hand was not so lucky. He has Sofia and Ollie by his side. Unlike me and Paul, even if Sofia and Ollie have known each other for God knows how much time, they don't seem to get along.

The younger of the trio looks at me with panic in his eyes and I just whisper. "Just hope they decide to be quiet today. And you try to sleep or something."

Paul and Sofia also heard and have very opposite reactions. The blonde bursts out laughing and the Spanish shoots me a death glare and I put my hands in the air in surrender. Behind our seat are Chiara, Sophia and Kimi, in this order. Sophia must be having a breakdown, her boyfriend is in Germany working, she'll see him on Saturday when she goes home for a week.

We take off and Paul, Dino and I are playing Uno, I know, very creative. Arvid is, well, sleeping. Sofia is reading a book. Ollie, unusually is listening to music and doing nothing. Sophia is drawing, Kimi fell asleep and Chiara is making a bracelet.

"It's your turn Willow." Paul says. I put a +4 on the table and he shuts up as I say Uno. Dino starts laughing and Paul's jaw opens wide. "Not like that, you idiot."

Dino plays his card that ironically is also a +4 and as Paul prepares to give me my 4 cards there's a bit of turbulence and we have to hold the cards. He gives my cards and turn to Dino and say. "Thanks a lot, you idiot. Thanks a lot, Rachel."

They both start laughing waking up Arvid and he hits my arm. "Shut up. You're so annoying, mate."

"Are you stupid?" I ask wide eyed. "You almost made me show them my cards."

"She has a yell—" he starts saying but I shush him by putting my hand over his mouth. He licks it and I look at him disgusted.

"That's disgusting!" I say wiping my hand on his shirt.

"Just play and let me sleep." He says turning his face to the other side.

We play five times until we start to become tired. Dino is the first to fall asleep. I start yawning and fall into a dreamless sleep.

———————

Paul Aron, Flying, 12:48 pm, Monday, 27th May

As I'm almost caving into sleep I feel a weight on my shoulder. I look down and see Willow lying there. I think about waking her up, but after what she's come through this week, she just needs a bit of rest. I let myself relax again and fall asleep.

Hi!!!
Sorry for the late update, this was in my drafts for so long, but I wasn't liking how it was turning out, I still don't, but I feel like this is the better I can do. But, I love the sibling dynamics between Arvid and Willow, tell me if you also do! Thank you and don't forget to vote and comment!
Kiss 💋