24 Hours (Wattys 2016)

Hour 23

Hour 23

(5:00 am EST)

"Hey Beckett." I nudged.

"What?" He got close up to my face.

"We're going on a," I paused. "Hot aiiiiiirrr balllooonnn ride."

"You're crazy." He shook his head. "What company opens up this early."

"Surprisingly a lot." I smiled. "Let's go!" I skipped to Beckett's car and opened the door. "Come on." I beckoned for him to come to the car.

"Demanding much?"

"I'm not demanding." I pouted. "I just want to make sure we get there on time."

"Who else besides us is going on a hot air balloon ride at five am?"

"Surprisingly a lot." Beckett began to laugh. "I'm serious. The list was almost full."

"Okayyyy." He teased.

"Beckett come on." I begged him. "We're going to be late."

"Fine." He made his way to the car slowly but he eventually got in and we made our way to the field where the hot air balloon company was located at.

When we got out of the car there was a group of people huddled around the air balloon waiting for the instructor to tell them it was time to get on.

"Told ya." I smirked as we joined the group.

"The ride will last for about thirty minutes. We instruct you to keep your arms inside the balloon and if you have a camera or phone you can bring it on board but it is not our responsibility if you drop it. If you choose not to take your electronic devices we have lockers that you can put them in." The man with a 'Alans Hot Air Balloon Company' shirt on said. "You will be allowed to come onto the balloon in about five minutes. Please uses the restroom if needed and lock up your devices if you choose not to bring them." The man smiled and then walked onto the balloon to get it situated, as the group dispersed into pairs and smaller groups.

"We should bring the polaroid on." I said.

"Yup." Beckett agreed. "I don't trust you holding it though."

"Me?" I asked. "You're the clumsiest person I've ever met."

"I'm not clumsy." He defended, but as he finished his sentence he tripped.

"Yes we all believe that." I laughed.

"Hey. That was a one time thing."

"That's cute, but you're not holding the camera." I gestured for him to hand me the polaroid.

Beckett reached into his bag and got out the polaroid and as he was about to hand it to me he dropped it onto the grass.

"Yeah. You are definitely not holding the polaroid." I joked.

"I can't help it."

"I know." I patted him on the shoulder.

"My dreams of being able to hold a polaroid camera while on a hot air balloon has been shattered."

"Such a tragedy." I pretended to wipe a tear.

"You can start filling into the hot air balloon." The man announced.

"Let's go ya cluts." I reached my hand into Beckett's hand and we made our way into the hot air balloon.

The balloon started taking off and Beckett and I looked at each other. Both with a smile on our faces.

"This is so cool." I squealed.

"Look at the sky." Beckett pointed out.

"Keep your hands inside the balloon sir." I told him. "Don't want them to be chopped off by wind."

"Or an aggressive bird." Beckett added.

"Oh yeah. Those are the worst." We both bursted out into laughter as the rest of the passengers stared at us, which made us laugh even harder.

As the balloon got higher the colors in the sky became more vibrant. I took the polaroid and Beckett and I turned our backs to the sky. Soon enough a polaroid came out and went from black to a picture that I would keep forever.

We turned back around and admired the colors in the sky as the sun started to peak out.

"I wish we could just pause in time and stay in a certain moment forever." I sighed.

"Me too." Beckett replied.

"If I could I would pause right here." My face lit up at the thought of that idea. My head slowly tilted and fell onto Beckett's shoulder.

"I would pause at the very first moment I knew I loved you."

"If only it was just that simple."

"You know maybe it's better that we don't pause in specific moments." Beckett suggested. "Because if we paused we wouldn't be able to experience all that the world has left for us to explore." He whispered. "And I know that I would want to be able to see what is still out there for me." He said. "Don't you?"

"Yeah." I said. "Yeah. I do."

The balloon made it's descend back to the ground, and Beckett and I continued to explore what was left out there in the world for us.