Behind The Scenes

Chapter 1

My eyes scan the airport below us. The plane is being positioned for landing, and the last few people are fastening their seat belts and closing their laptops. 

I haven't moved out of my seat for the whole journey. To be honest, I'm afraid of planes. I've never been in one, never been abroad. I do have a reason, though.

My dad was off on a work trip to LA, and the plane was captured by a storm that hadn't been predicted by the weather forecast. The plane crashed, and half the people died.

Including my dad.

It was a long time ago, when I was six. Now, ten years later, I've finally managed to be persuaded to go on a plane.

I grip tight onto my seat as the plane starts to descend. I turn to my friend, Chanel, who seems to be enjoying the flight.

"Aren't you even a teensy bit scared?"

She grins, and shakes her head. "Harla, I've been on planes so many times before. And I haven't been caught up in a storm once. Just relax!"

"Are you ok, Harla?" Chanel's mum, Naomi, asks me from in front.

"Yep. All good."

I look away, then we land on the tarmac with a bump. I'm jolted in my seat, and I grip on even tighter as the plane starts to slow down. We finally come to a stop, and I undo my seat belt and grab my hand luggage from the compartments above, then I shove my way into the queue to get out. 

When I step out onto the creaky metal steps, the heat hits me like a punch. I struggle to breathe in, sweat breaking out on my forehead. I shove off my jacket, and stuff it in my bag. Desperate to get out of the crowd of people and into the hopefully cooler airport, I make my way down to the bottom and wait for Chanel.

She trails behind her mum, who is looking very flustered. "Those planes, so packed... everyone trying to get off at the same time. Anyway, lets go and get our stuff."

I step into the air conditioned airport, taking deep breaths of cool air. Chanel and I wait by the conveyor belt for our suitcases.

I soon spot mine - bright blue with white flowers on it - and a while after, Chanel's - plain red. Naomi's dark blue one is one of the last. We  load them onto our trolley, then we go and wait for the coach.

"How long's the journey?" I ask.

"I think it's an hour. Hey, is that the sea?"

I squint. "Must be. Or just a really blue, big field."

Chanel whacks me with her bag. "Don't be silly."

We have to wait for another half an hour for the bus, and when we get on it, it's crammed with people. We find two seats, and settle down. Chanel plugs herself into her iPhone, and Naomi goes to sit near the front because of her car sickness. I decide to look at the scenery rushing by.

I snap a few pictures on my camera, and then I see the sea - different to the one near the airport, cleaner and bluer somehow. I start to get excited, and make Chanel take out her earplugs to look at the countryside.

"It looks warm," she says wistfully. "So much nicer than the sea in England."

"No kidding."

Chanel plugs herself back in, and I take a few more pictures. 

The landscape is so different to England. It's more shrub like and barren, but beautiful all the same. The sky is a pale azure blue, and no clouds are to be seen. 

The coach starts to slow down, and I feel a thump on the back of my seat. I turn round to see a boy of around fifteen laughing with his mate. I face the front again, when I feel it again. I whip round, and this time the boy is giving me a sheepish grin. I glare, and prod Chanel. "This place is full of teenagers."