Fracted (Book #2)

Chapter 10: Surprise Comeback

When you have diabetes, your wounds never heal. But Eiffel was my remedy. She healed my wounds in a matter of seconds.
"Thanks for saving me," I keep repeating her words inside my head for the remainder of the flight.
She laid her head on my shoulder, and slept for real. I catch her head when it slid down to my chest. She was still asleep. Her hands were on her lap and I wanted to hold them. But what's stopping me? What am I so afraid of?
My fingers almost touch her fingertips, but no. I shouldn't. Dude, you just met her. And you're just gonna hold her like that? Think, Jess. Think! You're not thinking straight!
As much as I want to hold her hand, I felt like it's similar to preventing yourself from blinking. I want to blink. I want to blink. I want to blink. I want to blink.
"Attention passengers, the plane is about to land. So buckle up your seat belts and sit firmly. Please prepare for landing," the woman on speaker spoke and the seat belt sign lit up above us.
Should I wake her? Oh come on, Jess, of course you do. It's an instruction that everyone must follow. Don't be stupid over a girl! It's just a girl. And plus, you can go a day without blinking. But I can't! Ugh! Why am I fangirling over a girl? I'm acting so aloof. Like sugar-shock, insulin is useless. My body is made of sugar now and I can't stop moving inside.
"Eiffel? Eiffel, it's time to wake up. We're about to land." Still nothing. So I rubbed the skin of my hand against her soft, white puffy cheeks. Her eyes slowly open, like a newborn puppy's after birth.
"Wake up, we're in Honolulu," I said happily.
"We're here?" She rubbed her multi-colored eyes gently and sat straight.
"Yes, we're here."
"Finally. Now I know I'm free." Bad choice of words. She doesn't even know who we truly are. We're Innates. And I can't fall in love with a Zip. She's nothing.
Soon after the plane landed, we all waited in our seats. I unfasten my seat belt and grabbed my suitcase. Ten minutes have passed, and the flight attendant hasn't yet told us to exit properly. What's happening? Maybe a delay has occured?
Finally, people started leaving. But not the type of manner I expected. They screamed and panicked as if something was chasing after them. Lower class passengers ran past our aisle, clamoring against each other. Then we smelled smoke coming from the back. Jackson stood up and stopped a bald man from running. He asked him, "Woah, wait a sec, what's happening? Why are you guys panicking? And why is there smoke?"
The man tried to catch his breath and said, "There was... a bomb!"
"A bomb?" Robert stood as well.
"We gotta get outta here!" Sarra exclaimed. She climbed out of her seat, unintentionally stepping on Ace's thighs.
"Yeah, no kidding!" The man ran as fast as he can, sweeping wind across our faces.
"Watch it, hot-head!" Ace yelled at Sarra. Seems like he just woke up from a deep, dark slumber.
"Ace, we need to go. There's a bomb!" She screamed.
"Shoot. We needd to run!"
"Well come on!" I hurried to dig my suitcase out of my seat and grabbed Eiffel's arm as we ran out. Who would put a bomb on our plane? Things are too coincidental. There's a supposed reason, but it's somehow oblivious.
"Whose fault do you think it is?" Jackson asked, panting and stomping. "André!" I shouted.
"Really? It seems pretty obvious," Robert huffed and puffed.
"That's kinda the point. He just won't leave us alone," Sarra swung her backpack around her shoulder and picked up her pace.
"Wait, Jess, you remember now?" Ace looked at me and almost tripped.
"There's no time for amusement! We need to get out as soon ASAP."
"Wait, Jess. Where's your mom?" Robert asked off-topic.
"Who cares?" I blustered.
"She's still your mother!" Jackson tells me.
We took a sharp turn on the right. The warm air exhausts from the plane. Black smoke has started spreading through the path that lead to the airport.
"A mother would never take away everybody's rights. Leah has defied that concept for years. For as long as I can remember," I said.
"Okay. Can someone please tell me what's goin' on?" Eiffel ran next to me, holding nothing but her cell phone. She stares at it for a while, trying to dial numbers in. Our vision were obscured with the black smoke. We coughed and stopped at the door. But it was closed.
"Open this door! Hey!" We screamed for help.
"Please! Open this door! We're still inside! We need help!" We pounded against the door, but no one listened.
"Somebody do something!"
"Jess, use your--" I cut off Ace. No please, don't say it. Not the p-word infront of Eiffel.
"No! I cannot!" I screamed hoarsely.
"Jess, what's he talking about?" Eiffel covered her mouth and fanned herself after sniffing little smoke.
"Nothing, we're just trapped here!"I said.
"Jess," Jackson grabs my shoulders. "She just has to keep our secret. Our lives depend on--" he started coughing and falling to the floor. Ace hugs himself and pressed himself against the door. He dropped his backpack, then something fell out of it. A brick
"A brick?" I picked it up.
"I can't bring metallic weapons. Bricks work. It's multi-purpose, bro."
"May as well just..." I grab hold of the brick and smash the door knob with it. After nine hits, it fell apart. I pull the door open. We fall on top of each other, gasping for air.
I take one last look through the hallway and I quickly slam the door shut after seeing a tall, dark figure walking towards us.