Cerulean

i. balloons

i. balloons

The wind was off.

 I wasn’t sure how I knew it, but I felt it. The scent was different from its usual crisp and slightly floral odor, but it wasn’t noticeably altered. The sky was still a swift baby blue, nearly spotless besides a few clouds. The balloon wasn’t going faster than the fastest I’ve been, nor was it the slowest. I checked the burner. Nope, it was working fine.

 So what was odd today? I wondered. What was different?

 I decided to forget about it; it was probably all in my head, and I was making a deal out of nothing. I’ve been known to exaggerate my whole life; this was most likely just another “Michelle” moment.

 “How are we doing, Xandra?” I asked the pilot of the aerostat. “How long do you think until landing?”

 “One hour,” My best friend replied, pulling her chopped pink hair back into a ponytail. “That is, if I can speed this thing up.”

 I turned around to our sole passenger. He said his name was Sebastian, and he’d been quiet the whole trip, choosing to look over the basket rather than converse with Alexandra and me. He probably enjoyed the peace, and chose a balloon ride to claim it. Albeit, it wasn’t the cheapest way to have a moment to yourself, but it was one of the best. He probably had rich parents or something who would pay for anything that fancied him.

 Guilt washed through me - here I was, judging a boy I’ve never said one word to. I hated when people made assumptions about me, and here I was, doing the same to another person! I shook my head. What a hypocrite!

 As a sort of apology, I looked over at the brown-haired boy and said, “Hi, I’m Michelle.”

 “Sebastian.” He turned his head towards me so I could see his blue eyes shine in the light of early morning. I could tell then that he was gorgeous without needing to look at him any more, and I didn't have to: one glance was enough to know he was handsome.

 “Sebastian,” I repeated as I ran the name through my mind and tasted it with my tongue. Sebastian. That’s not a name you hear much anymore - I certainly hadn't seen anybody named that since the grumpy crab from A Little Mermaid. “That’s pretty old-fashioned, yeah?”

 He shrugged his shoulders, the wrinkles of the grey ripples obvious against the otherwise smooth cloth. For once, somebody had ironed their shirt, a chore most people didn’t bother to complete. It was nice to see that somebody had decided to look presentable without a real occasion. “It’s not the best name, but I don’t meet many people who have the same one, yeah? It’s… Original.”

 “That’d be nice. Michelle’s a pretty common name, so I’ve met lots of people who share it with me.” I took a step towards his side of the balloon, careful not to jerk the basket.

 “That’s because it’s a pretty name.” The boy’s head turned to mine, sunlight reflecting off of his blue eyes. “With so many nickname opportunities.”

 “I go by Chelle,” I replied, looking over the scenery. Woods were directly below us, with a scattering of cottages to the right. They lay on the seaside next to a glittering lake filled with seals and fish and everything retired couples could want for. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

 “Gorgeous,” he agreed, nodding. “I love it. It’s so - what’s the word? - serene.”

 “Serene,” I repeated. “Yeah. Serene.”

 “So, why’d you choose a private balloon? We usually reserve these for families and couples. So why come alone? Did somebody cancel?” I asked curiously. The raise of his thick eyebrows was enough to make me swallow my words and realise my rudeness. “I’m sorry, it’s just that - “

 “Nah, it’s fine,” he waved off my wrongdoing with a mild laugh in his voice. “I saw a hot air balloon the other day and wanted to go on one. I saved up my tips for a month, got my shit together and booked a flight.”

 I didn’t let his “tips” comment go unnoticed and, as I always do, picked apart his sentences to continue on with the conversation. “Tips? You’re a waiter, then?”

 “Close. Frozen yogurt scooper,” he grinned, shaking his head. “I work at a froyo place. We’ve got everything: popcorn chicken, bubble tea, the works.”

 “I’ll make sure to stop by when I’m in town,” I promised. My thick brown hair flew into my face, throwing itself into my mouth. I spit it out and promptly tied it up on top of my head, turning it into a two-foot whip not unlike that of Drake’s from Gone.

 “I’ll make sure to look for you,” Sebastian grinned. It was in that moment of felicity that I thought life couldn’t get any better; I’m in a hot air balloon, I’m co-piloting a hot air balloon with Alexandra, and I’m in a hot air balloon with a hot guy in a hot shirt in cool weather. Really, does it get any better than this?

 My halcyon moment was quickly distinguished by Alexandra. “We’re going through a rough patch,” she said, paying more attention to the air around us than I. “Sebastian, you should probably grip that hook - yeah, there. Chelle, can you help me with this?”

 I moved a bit closer to Alexandra, where she stands sending spurts of flame into the envelope from the burner. Her hands worked the burner, attempting to maneuver the balloon the route she had wanted to go. The wind shoved us around as if we were puppets and it was merely yanking our strings in the direction it wanted us to go.

 Sebastian bit the inside of his cheek. “Is something going wrong?”

 “Everything’s dandy, Sebas,” Alexandra said as she continued to send bursts of flame into the balloon. Her goal was to change the altitude of the balloon so she could change course. It was no use. The balloon jerked around, leaving all three of us grasping the sides of the basket.

 “We’ve got a hole in the balloon, Xandra!” I yelled, seeing a ragged tear on the side of the balloon. “And the burner’s not working, either.”

 “Shit, shit, shit,” Alexandra muttered, obviously panicking. “Chelle, grab the - “

 But I never grabbed what she wanted me to, because that's when we hit the tree.

jfc this was so shitty i'm so sorry but i wanted to put something up i mean goodness gracious what even. ugh. hope you liked it tho xox mar