The Kings and I

1. when her stalkers should have stalkers

Looking around the bustling airport filled with families on vacation awaiting their seats to be called, a man in his early thirties catches my eye.

He wears a grey Twin Oaks Tigers baseball t-shirt and plaid shorts and makes his way towards two children and a middle-aged woman, and I'm not sure what they're talking about, but the man sits his youngest daughter (I'm assuming) onto his lap and subtly points to various people in the waiting area.

I realize what the father and daughter and doing, something I haven't done in weeks.

10 year-old Valerie scowls at the sight of kids her age playing with the stupid wooden toys, with their stupid beads that can move. "Daddy, I'm bored." she pans, turning to him in dreariness. Her dad smiles and tells her to look around the dentist's waiting area. As she does so, he tells her to make up stories about the people she sees. "Remember, it doesn't have to be exact," he says,

"Just imagine" I finish, quoting my dad's words. Not far from the family is a young blonde-haired woman. She drags a brown leather suitcase and a packet of crumpled Kleenex. Her name is.. Helen, Helen Rudebaker. She looks almost glad that she's leaving this city, despite the telltale signs that she had been crying earlier. She was.. fired. This trip away was a getaway from her stationary job as a secretary to a harsh boss. On her trip she'll meet a cowardly cowboy and a posh Barbie-like trophy wife, who will fail to stop her from putting herself into harmful situatio- oh wait. That's "Riptide" by Vance Joy...there's this movie that I'll think you'll like, this guy decides to quit his job and head to New York city, this cowboy's running from himself, and she's been living on the high shelf...

"We will now begin business class for flight P21. If you are not checking in, please stand aside for those who are. Thank you and have a nice flight." the airport employee announces.

As I walk through the cool entrance to the plane, I begin to wonder what it will be like to fly. This was my first plane ride to anywhere, let alone fly first class and to the marvelous city of London, England. It isn't long before my thoughts are interrupted by a loud giggling behind me, accompanied by the usual sound of wheels on luggage.

However, the giggling had me...displaced for some reason as I tried to ignore it walking past the smiling flight attendants. Probably some "Daddy's little princess" that went along with her father's business trip. A sudden squeal shocks me and I turn around to face the noise, ready to politely tell the girl to shut the hell up.

Only to find a quartet of suave, young men walking my way. Well, three-fourths suave if you exclude the first man who currently was giggling like tween meeting his/her pop star idol, although because of his looks of curly brown hair and cool blue eyes, it would have made more sense to have him be the idol, not the fan-girl/boy. All were in their twenties or so, wearing standard fashionable clothes, and all had brown hair. The second man, who unlike the first, was trying to contain his laughter, failing to do so when a smile surface from his lips. "Sorry." the second man says and brings his hand to his glasses to push them up. I assume his accent is British.

I return a small smile and continue walking towards my seat. After my carry-on is in the upper compartment, I plug in my headphones and plop down onto the cushion.

Coincidentally the second man, sits in the seat next to me. "Hello, again."

I reply with another small smile, this time backed by actual words, "Hi."

"Emre". He puts out his hand.

Though I don't know where his hands have been and I really don't see the point of shaking his, I do anyways. "Valerie", I say before plugging my headphones back in.