Secrets

Chapter 7: Reagan

Chapter 7: Reagan

Reagan was waiting at the airport for the Wane's. To be more specific, she was huddled with many others under the jutting ledge above them to shield them from the rain. The rain was hard, hitting the ground like hail. Reagan already knew that it would feel like sleet: she had learned this the hard way. The flight was in view now, an enlarging shape in the sky.

Rico was there too, shivering in a coat that made Reagan's thin coat look like luxuriously thick merino wool...or something even better. Merino wool was the best wool that both children knew off. Rico would have usually been cycling and delivering newspapers to the outskirts of Venice and a bit beyond to the smaller towns, even though the weather was terrible. Reagan knew this because she had seen him many a day cycling in a hurry to deliver newspapers for the staff and older children of the orphanage through a deluge of rain. So when he turned up, she had immediately demanded an explanation, fearing that something terrible had happened. She asked why he wasn't delivering newspapers.

He would have been, Rico had explained very quickly, if not for the attacks.

A mere hour ago, The Dark had set up a few explosions up on the outskirts of Venice, he said. They threatened that anyone who attempted to leave Venice would go BOOM, pretty quick. The only way even messages like newspapers could get across was if the person had a special pass. Rico's newspaper agency was probably trying to acquire those passes at that very minute. So Rico had been dismissed early with his wage and a newspaper that been printed when the printer was extremely low on ink. Of course, he had gone immediately to the airport.

Reagan stared at the ground. She couldn't stand the cold and the rain any longer. She reached inside her small backpack and pulled out her thickest overcoat and a decent jacket with pockets inside for warmth. She looked at her comfortable overcoat longingly, then she handed it to Rico.

"Reagan-this is yours-aren't you cold-thanks." Rico sighed and gave in. He slipped it on. It was warm, very warm. Much more comfortable than the torn scrap of hair-thin cloth he had been wearing before. If he was at home, Juliet could've made his own 'jacket' a lot more comfortable. But he wasn't at home, and he wasn't complaining either.

Reagan was reading his mind. She knew that he was probably going to benefit from that jacket more than her, anyways. Plus, there was a reason she hadn't given Rico the other jacket. The envelope felt heavy and safe and warm inside her jacket. The seal was not yet broken. It was still unread.

The plane started to descend onto the runway. A voice spoke through the speaker- spoke, not crackled, since this speaker was in quite good condition.

"The flight for Rio de Janeiro is leaving in ten minutes. Passengers are asked to make way to the plane now. Please make sure that you have a Permission Slip. Passengers are reminded that Borderline Passports stamped by The Dark shall be required for anyone wishing to go out of Venice after 11:59 tonight. Thank you and have a safe flight."

At this, several people started to walk away, either inside the building to ask the people at the desk an inquiry or to the plane. Some people started rummaging in their bags and purses and handbags for something. That something turned out to be a small pouch. For everyone, the material it was made of varied. Reagan had a good guess that it depended on what they could afford. Some pouches were silk. Some were leather. Some looked like they had been made of a square cut out of a rough potato/rice sack. The pouches held a piece of thin paper, curled up inside it, signed by certain 'authorities' and granting citizens who held it permission to leave Venice. The orphanage had these passes, though it didn't look like someone in the orphanage was going to be leaving town, much less leaving the country altogether.

Rico was saying something. Reagan didn't hear him. Or notice him at all, as a matter of fact, until he was tugging at her shoulder. The plane had landed, that's what he was saying. That's all Reagan could make out above the sudden hubbub of noise. Then the crowd swarmed forward and Reagan realised that the people in the crowd must've been friends and family of people on the plane that Xa was on.

There were several people inside the airport. Reagan and Rico hadn't been allowed in because they weren't meeting someone inside, with a passenger of a flight that had just finished/about to start, weren't passengers of a previous/future flight and the fact that they weren't with an adult. But they eventually found the Wane's among the crowd of people. Mrs and Mr Wane immediately switched to Fuss Mode. They went full-on: Hair ruffling, suffocating hugs, cheek kisses, fussing over clothes, and other things that involved some choked squeaks and red faces and other signs generally meant for overall embarrassment. Or severe shortage of air. Or in Reagan and Rico's unfortunate case, the unfortunate combination of both. Xa gave them the same treatment (fortunately, with less force and zero use of the words and phrases 'sweetie', 'sweetums', 'you're all grown up now!' and 'your a big girl now!' And of course no kisses and fussing over clothes. Just hugs for Reagan and a light punch on the shoulder for Rico for making a mock-insult remark. Which doesn't seem very similar when you think about it.......)

Cole stood back, leaning and almost falling onto the conveyor belt, scowling blackly. Though, Xa explained, this mood wasn't caused by the usual reasons. These reasons being mainly the following:

a) Being an overall champion scowler

b) Trying to concoct a way to drive Xa to insanity but having a mind blank

c) Deprivation of contact to an electric device that he could use to go on FaceBook even though he was under age

It was, in fact, irked by his stomach, which had started to burn around halfway through the flight.

Reagan grinned inwardly. The flight sounded as mind-numbing King Boredom himself. King Boredom, or KB, was favoured nickname for the Integrated Maths and Science teacher at the orphanage. Integrated English and Art was the crowd favourite. Sport was tolerable. Even Languages wasn't too unbearable. But Integrated Maths and Science? Everyone, start running for the hills, now!

"Come on, Reagan, you're staying with us for the night!" said Mrs. Wane. "Rico, dear, you're quite welcome for a few hours too!"

And Rico replied with what looked like a submissive nod. It was actually a nod that was meant to conceal his excitement.

And then they started the journey to the rented apartment.

Author Note: Hi guys sorry if I don't post another chapter for a week or so, I'll be really busy. Thanks! :) 

Xxxxxxxx Wakagrl