The Cost for Freedom

Chapter 1

"Please stow your carry-on luggage underneath the seat in front of you..." the flight attendant was going through the usual boarding procedure before takeoff. I zoned out as I plugged in my headphones and listened to my music while looking out the window. The roughly nine hour trip to France would be long, but thanks to my parents, I was sitting here in first class. Not that they were rich or anything. Far from it after sending me to school. But I had a job set up for when I came back and it would all be worth it. I hoped.

It still had not fully hit me that I had graduated college. School was over with for good and I honestly couldn't decide if this was a good or bad thing. The best thing now was this champagne I was handed before takeoff. They told me I'd have to drink it pretty quick as my family was one of the last to board. Fine by me.

A bump on my side from my brother, "Alex, what drink did you get?" asked Jeff. He was my older brother and was currently working in New York City. He loved it but could be a bit of a snob at times. The best of the best were in the big apple as he would say and he was always wanting more. He worked in Wall Street. At only 22 years old he had graduated from Penn State and was rocking his finance degree right into the big leagues of New York. The only reason he really got the job was his confidence. I've met most of his friends and they are like him, with their slick words and quick talking.

"I got the champagne, I'm celebrating remember?" I said as I raised my glass, "not tailgating..." I quipped as I pointed to his beer.

"I'm not celebrating though am I? I got to do that when I graduated, and oh yeah, when I got a job, and now that I'm engaged..." he laughed back at me.

Jeff had been dating a girl since he graduated college 3 years ago and now that he was 25, they were engaged. When I visited Jeff in New York my senior year, my first time through senior year that is, I had met Melissa. She was nice enough, but seemed to be sucking up to me. Until I realized apparently she was just that nice to everyone, not just me. I guess I was just a little more mean spirited than her, or a little more independent at least. But Jeff deserved someone like that, one who would adore him and take care of him.

"Look, I would really enjoy this vacation a whole lot more if you didn't give me crap every single time I raised a glass, OK? Otherwise this is about to be a really long vacation," I teased Jeff.

"Oh alright, but hey Alex, would you at least order the good stuff now? You're out of college now, so being a poor student isn't an excuse anymore!" He jokes with me.

"Well there's the excuse right there isn't it? I'm out of college now, so with debts and all, I'm the poorest I'll be until I start my job."

"Good point," he laughed, "but only use that excuse when we get back from vacation. For now, get whatever you like, because, I mean, you are celebrating, aren't you?"

"Ohhhh fine!" I surrendered. He had won the argument using my words against me. "Just get back to your tailgating beer will ya?" He continued to laugh with me before we both went back into our own rhythms. I sipped on my champagne and plugged in my headphones whilst he noisily gulped down his beer and got comfortable in the aisle seat beside me.

".... Smoking is prohibited on the entire aircraft, including the lavatories. Tampering with, disabling, or destroying the lavatory smoke detectors is prohibited by law," the flight attendant continued with her speech until takeoff. I leaned back into my seat once we passed cruising altitude. Looking out the window was only interesting for as long as you could see things on the ground. Anything past that and everyone knows it's all just clouds and sky.

With my headphones plugged in and the monitor in front of me, I picked out a good movie to bide my time until it was time to fall asleep later. They served us a nice dinner already and breakfast would be served before we landed.