Slipknot's Daughter

Chapter 11

We reach the airport at 4:00. It took a while, but we manage to get through the usual check in and we were cleared to get on our own plane.
My eyes widen when I see the inside of the plane; cream furniture, wood accents, and, of course, a small kitchen near the back of the plane if anybody needed snacks or drinks.
I think, 'If only Alena and Ricky could be here to see this!' I select one of the seats and was pleased at how comfortable it was. Pulling my legs up underneath me, I set my backpack in my lap and continue looking around in awe as the others seat themselves.
Corey sits next to me. "Do you like it? This is one of the fancier planes we've been in..." he says, glancing around as well.
"Well, it's the first plane I've been in, so I'm impressed," I reply.
He looks at me, surprised. "You've never been in a plane before?" Corey asks.
I shake my head. "I've never actually seen a plane, except in movies at the orphanage." I explain.
"Huh," Corey muses.
I shrug, then look out the window. I watch the last of our luggage get loaded into the unseen belly of the plane.
A soft crackling came from above. "Hello, this is your captain speaking," a warm voice says over an intercom. "Your nonstop flight to Germany will take off in five minutes. Snacks and drinks will be passed out after takeoff. Enjoy your flight."
I look around again. Everybody was buckling their seat belts, so I reach around and do the same, beginning to get a little nervous.
A soft rumbling sounds from beneath us, and the plane began to move forward. My eyes widen. I reach for Corey's hand. The plane starts to speed up, and in doing so, begins shaking. Corey squeezes my hand. "Don't worry, we'll be safe," he soothes me.
The plane tilts back and my stomach drops as we began ascending. The plane was shaking more than ever, and just when I thought the wings were about to snap off, the shaking stops and the plane levels out.
I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding, then slowly release Corey's hand. I look out the window, then gasp.
The view was amazing; the buildings had shrunk to toy size, and the cars looked like little multicolored ants wriggling along the roads. I could see soft wisps of clouds drifting along in the wind. And the sky; it was a light cerulean, with puffs of clouds dotting it here and there.
"We are in the SKY," I declare. "This is fucking AMAZING!!!" I turn to Corey with a huge smile on my face. He was watching me, and he laughs when I say this. "LOOK! They're friggin' ANTS!" I continue, pointing at the cars. "NOTHING HAS EVER LOOKED LIKE THAT IN ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY!!!" Corey was laughing even harder at my excitement.
"Yes, Colleen, we know," Shawn says patiently.
I giggle, embarrassed.
Sid and Joey was looking at me with amusement, and Mick was rolling his eyes.
"Oh, lay off, guys," Chris said. "She's excited, she hasn't been in a plane before."
Craig nods and gives me a little smile. Jim didn't notice; he was reading a magazine.
I turn back to the window. We were over the ocean now, and the spread of water amazes me. I suddenly felt really small. I had never really realized how huge our planet was.
I lose myself in these sorts of thoughts as we speed off to Germany.
*NINE HOURS LATER*
I was gently shaken awake by Mick. "Colleen... Colleen, wake up... We're here." he says.
I slowly open my eyes and yawn. "What time is it?" I murmur.
"1:10 A.M," was Mick's weary reply.
I lift my head and sluggishly look around. I was in Mick's lap, wrapped in a blanket and my hair in a mess. I swing my legs off Mick's lap and try to stand up, but my knees buckle. Mick catches me.
"Sorry," I mutter.
He picks me up, bridal style, and begins walking off the plane.
I struggle a little. "Wait, my bag..." I protest.
"I've got it, Col," Corey says behind Mick. I nod a little, then let my head rest on Mick's shoulder. "You don't have to carry me, you know," I grumble to Mick. He replies, "Yeah, well, you couldn't exactly walk on your own... And we're kinda on a time crunch, so this is faster."
I shrug a little.
"Plus, you're not that heavy," Mick adds. I smirk. "I get that a lot," I mumble curiously.
He continues walking, and the swaying motion of his stride lulls me back to sleep.
About seven hours later, I was woken up again, this time by the smell of cooking eggs. I open my eyes and see that I was in my own hotel bed.
I blink in confusion. When did we get into a hotel? Were we in Germany? And did Germans even have eggs for breakfast?
Rubbing my eyes, I swing my legs out of the bed and stand up. Right then, Corey enters the room with a plate of food. "Good morning, Col," he says cheerfully. I smile. "Morning, Corey," I reply, taking the food. "Thank you! Where's everyone else?" I ask.
"They're downstairs at breakfast," Corey answers.
I take a bite of eggs and nod. Swallowing, I ask, "So, what's the plan for today?"
"Well, today we need to check in with the management to see where we will be with the lineup in the concert. Then we have interviews for a few hours, then we need to go over the setlist for the concert." Corey reports.
I smile, swallowing the last of my food. "Interviews? That sounds fun!" I say.
He nods. "Some of the interviewers are real nice. I think you will have your own interview today at some point." Corey says.
As soon as he said that, I start to mentally plan my outfit. I wondered if I would get my own jumpsuit and number, so I ask him. "D'you think that I should have a jumpsuit and number? You know, to match with everyone else?"
Corey ponders this, sitting on the bed. "Well, a jumpsuit wouldn't really be fitting for a 15-year-old girl, now, would it? I suppose a jumper would be fine. It doesn't have to be totally uniform. As for your number..." He pauses, thinking. I sit next to him, running numbers through my head. Suddenly, I come up with an idea.
"What about .15? Like, it's my age, but it's a decimal?" I suggest.
Corey nods slowly, turning this around in his head. "It's definitely new. We haven't had any decimals in the band for a while." he says, glancing at me. "Would it change as you got older? Like .16, .17, .18, and so on?" he asks. "Hmmm," I murmur. "It's a thought." But then I shake my head. "No, it wouldn't. .15 would stay because it would be the age when I joined Slipknot." I smile up at him.
Corey returns the smile and says, "All right. .15 it is."
I punch the air in excitement.
"Come on," he smirks, "The others are waiting for us downstairs." I follow him out the door, smiling happily.