Mayonaka Soñodora Meets Cinema Bizarre

14. On the Plane

"Looks like that contest got a lot of attention," Cho commented, studying on the the magazines laid out on the table in DJ Rob's office. She couldn't read it, as it was in German, but the page she had opened to to featured a shot of Bill and Strify from our photoshoot.

It had been two months since the contest, but neither band had left yet. This morning DJ Rob had called us to Cherry Tree, saying he had a proposition. I was hoping it was a paid trip to somewhere sunny, as the June air still hadn't quite warmed up to summer temperatures in Seattle.

"It says people in Germany are curious about the matchup too," I told Cho, reading over her shoulder. I had taken German in high school. Though I could never quite figure out how to speak it, I could translate written information well enough to get by.

"Do you think that's what DJ Rob wants to talk to us about?" Ai asked, her blue eyes wide. A nervous tremble tugged at her lips; she didn't want to lose Yu again.

"Something like that," DJ Rob's voice answered before I could. He was leaning against the doorframe of his office, arms crossed over his chest. As we watched, he came into the office, passed us, and sat down at his desk before speaking. His eyes were calculating as he spoke.

"How would you girls like to go to Germany?"

Apparently Germany had been so intrigued by the "contest," they wanted to reenact the show. Ai, Cho, and Bachiko were excited about the trip, and Fuji was excited about what it could mean for us, but all I could do was worry about the language barrier.

"Don't worry, I can translate for you," Strify assured me. I could tell that he was trying not to look hurt about the fact that I hadn't asked for his help.

As we boarded the plane a week after DJ Rob had told us about the trip and 2 days after Tokio Hotel had left for a concert scheduled earlier in the year, I tried to relax. It was in my nature to be independent and self-sufficient, much like my mother, but I should have known better than to try to do everything myself.

The flight has few passengers compared to some I'd been on, but there was enough to make sitting in coach a bit uncomfortable. I sat wedged between Strify and the window, watching the people below us load the cargo on.

"Does this always take so long?" Bachiko complained in my ear. She sat behind me, next to Fuji.

"Pretty much," I sighed back. With nothing better to do, I curled up in my seat to start reading The Bar Code Rebellion for the third time.

"A new book already?" Strify asked, surprised. Just the day before I'd been stretched out across his lap, barely halfway through Allison Brennan's Killing Fear.

Now, I shrugged. "I couldn't sleep last night," I admitted. A huge yawn followed the statement, illustrating my problem. I grinned up into Strify's face, ignoring his reproachful frown.

He rolled his eyes. "I don't know hoe you don't get sick of all those pages," he commented.

"It's all about the stories, not the pages," I explained, scanning a passage about August's fate.

"Yeah...sure," Strify muttered, sounding unconvinced.

I smiled to myself as he slipped his arm around me. My worries could wait; for now, I would just enjoy the flight.

Around noon, we touched down at New York's LaGuardia airport to catch a connecting flight to get overseas. We has a 6-hour layover, and Strify saw that as the perfect opportunity to get some shopping in.

"It'll take us half an hour just to get to the city, I told him, frowning.

"Who cares?" pressed Ai, who also wanted to go, "I know you've been here a lot, but this is our first time."

Looking around at Ai, Cho, Bachiko, and Strify's hopeful faces, I couldn't say no.

"We didn't get to see much last time we were here," Kiro added, adding another weight to their argument.

"Fine, whatever," I grumbled, wondering how and when it had become my decision, "but we have to say hi to my family and we're going to Forbidden Planet.

Ai and Strify cheered, swinging each other around in a victory dance that caught the attention of several passersby. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling, wondering what I'd gotten myself into.

"What about Chinatown?" Bachiko asked hopefully.

I shook my head firmly at that. "That is a day trip, not a quick visit," I informed her.

Five hours later we arrived back at the airport, arms laden with purchases. There was a murmur of excitement among us, muted from the buzz it could've been by exhaustion from dealing with the crowds and, worse than that, my family. New Yorkers are a distinctive kind of people--high-energy, short-temper, no patience, oversized ego.

"Suddenly a long plane ride doesn't seem so bad," Fuji groaned, falling into one of the empty chairs by our gate.

"I'm gonna sleep," Bachiko informed us, curling up around a plush she'd bought at Forbidden Planet. I sank into a seat opposite them, my nose already buried in the newest volume of Shugo Chara! Encore!

Strify took the sets next to me, and beyond him, Ai and Yu shared a seat. Shin dropped into the seat next to Bachiko, his head pillowed on her back. She shot him a confused, slightly derogatory look over her shoulder, but she didn't say anything.

"How long do we have to wait here?" Romeo asked, rubbing his hand over his tired face.

Fuji checked the time on her phone. "Twenty minutes to an hour, depending on when we board," she replied.

"Too long," Kiro groaned dramatically, pretending to fall against Cho. She yawned as if to agree with him.

In the end, we only had to wait half an hour. Then we were all settled into the could-be-comfier seats of the plane's cabin, waiting for takeoff. I sat by the window again, with Strify to my left and Romeo to his. Shin, Bachiko, and Fuji sat in front of us, and Kiro, Cho, Yu, and Ai took the two rows across the aisle.

As the plane rumbled towards the runway, I yawned.

"Saya? Are you tired?" Romeo asked, leaning around Strify to look at me. Strify leaned back making an odd face.

I nodded. "Couldn't sleep last night," I murmured.

He gave me a look of sympathy before sitting back.

Strify leaned close. "Why don't you try to sleep?" he asked, "We won't be landing in Berlin for 8 hours or so."

I nodded sleepily. "Ok," I murmured, resting my head on his shoulder. My eyelids slid shut as I felt the gentle pressure of his lips on my hair. Not long after, I was lost to sleep, "4 Real" by Avril Lavigne playing in my ears.