It Just Kind Of Happened

06: MAYBE THEY'RE AMAZED

MACKENZIE X HENRI

They were about to board. All of them were awake, except for Henri, that was thankfully safe from the screech Daniel Webber let out. Mackenzie could've sworn that a banshee was beside her, screaming the life out of everyone in that place. Well, almost everyone... Henri wouldn't hear it. Lucky him.

Slowly moving from the comfortable position she decided to carefully wake up the sleepy boy. His face was pressed against her beanie and Mac could only wonder how he didn't suffocate with the stench that was probably coming out of her hair. Henri's arms were draped around her and in her mind, she was screaming. She had just met him and still there they were. Mackenzie blamed Henri's cuddliness. It was irresistible.

Careful graphite-stained-fingers poked his cheeks slowly, as if afraid to wake up a bear. Well, a baby bear. Stuffed, baby bear. Henri. And even though she huffed and puffed and poked, he wouldn't wake up. And like, she had no problem in letting him sleep, especially when he did these cute noises and whines. But they were about to board. Or in their case, they were about to miss another flight.

And that's the story of how Mackenzie Maine found out that Henri Walsh was ticklish. It was a tiring night, the four of them stuck in the airport and their fate was in her hands. Summer Hills was her motivation. Daniel Webber, the pressure. With not so much force at all, Mackenzie decided that she had no other option, she had to try. So she did. Her fingers jabbed his waist, lightly. But if was enough; a few jabs and Henri was already up and about, breathing harshly with crazed eyes. So Mac and Summer did the only acceptable thing, at a time of crisis like such. They laughed. And okay, for Summer to laugh was nothing, but Mackenzie Maine was laughing. Even Daniel cracked a smile!

For about five minutes, until they were all settled inside the plane, Henri kept a cute little frown on his face, ignoring every other attempt of peace offered to him by Mackenzie. He knew that he wouldn't be irked for much longer. That's just how he was, forgiving. Although there was nothing to forgive there. She just woke him up. With tickles. And even though that bummed him a little, he couldn't be mad with Mackenzie. No, not with those freckles of her. They were going to be his undoing.

Mac was still poking. His arms, his cheek, his back, his nose. But it was okay. For started, he knew that her hands were clean, except for the graphite. She had baby wipes in her bag because she wrote that her hands can't always be dirty, or else the drawings will be blurred. Secondly, it was Mackenzie. She looked like Puss in Boots with those doe green eyes of her staring intently at him. It didn't even look like she was nineteen years old. And lastly... Guess we all know, right? THEM FRECKLES.

During those slow, butt-breaking hours that they spent sitting on the floor — and no, not a single one of them thought about getting up and sitting on a chair — Henri got to know part of the complex puzzle that Mackenzie Maine is. He found out she is of nineteen years old and is studying Arts and Sciences. Her major was still yet to be declared, and she was nervous because her exploratory year was coming to an end. She had two older brothers — twins — and a dog. She was born in Bogota, but partially raised in Boston, to then be moved to Brazil for a couple of years, for only then settle in New York. Loving the city in which she grew up, Mac chose to study in Boston. She was a sophomore at Brandeis University.

And it amazed Mackenzie, really. It amazed her how he was studying in California and she, in Boston, and even though they were a few ways away, they still managed to meet in this airport. Daniel would probably have an explanation for this. That would probably lead to another question, but at least it would satisfy her soul for a few minutes. Mac just had to remember to ask him, later.

Henri was amazed too. But it wasn't with the way the universe works and how incredible was that they met somewhere along the way of their not so long lives. Is it ever enough, though? Life. Does it ever have one moment when someone says they lived long enough? Surely not. Especially if they were beside Mackenzie. Yeah. Mackenzie amazed him. Mackenzie and those freckles.