after the death of her mother, leighton's father sends her to a boarding school halfway across the world to be taught a lesson. she knows no one and no one knows her.
but the cherry on top is who her roommate is.
#2 in ptsdawareness
#2 in anxiety
#...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"from my family line"
-family line by conan gray
⎯⎯⎯
The airport buzzes with the chaos of travelers hurrying to their gates, announcements blaring over the intercom, and the occasional cry of a child.
It's so loud.
I can feel Kai's presence beside me. He's tense.
I hope he's not mad he's coming.
"Are you okay?" I whisper to Kai as we wait.
He nods, but his jaw is clenched, and his eyes keep darting around the terminal like he's expecting it to collapse any second.
We make our way through security, Kai's hand brushing against mine occasionally.
"Place your bags in the basket and hurry hurry. Flights are leaving!" The security guard says and I get stressed out. I drop my bag.
Twice.
Struggle to take off my shoes.
Jesus I hate this.
We finish security and put our shoes back on. I'm wearing Donald Duck socks!
He gives me a tight-lipped smile and nods. We find seats in the waiting area, and I take his hand in mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It's going to be okay. We'll be there before you know it."
We step onto the plane, and the reality of the situation hits me all over again.
I'm going home.
Home, where the memories I've been running from are waiting.
Our seats are near the back, and we settle in, stowing our bags in the overhead compartment. I take the window seat, and Kai sits beside me, his knee bouncing nervously.
I reach over and place my hand on his leg, stilling the motion.
"It's okay," I whisper. "We're going to be fine. You're okay."
He nods but doesn't look convinced. The plane fills up quickly, and soon the flight attendants are going through the safety procedures.
Kai watches them intently, his hand gripping mine like a lifeline.
As the plane taxis down the runway, I can feel his tension ratchet up a notch. "Hey," I say softly, "look at me."
He turns, his eyes wide with fear. "I'm right here. Focus on me, okay?"
He nods again, his grip tightening as the plane accelerates. I keep my eyes on his, trying to project calm. "We're taking off," I say, my voice steady. "Just breathe."
