cheap thrills :: [malik #fdc]

eleven. san diego

"Mari?"

She looks up, eyes wide as she stares around Zayn's bedroom, making sure she's got all of her belongings from the hotel.

He smiles kindly. "You ready?"

She nods.

And he takes her hand, her suitcase and tote in the other.

"Let's go."

There are a lot of sad goodbyes this early morning.

Mari didn't honestly think it would be this way.

Here, in Rio de Janeiro's Galeão International Airport, she says goodbye to Marcello and Luke and Calum and some others not going back to The States.

"Text me," Luke says.

"I'll let you know when I'm in Cali," adds Calum.

Aspen nods. "All of us, let's plan a reunion soon."

"Be safe, cariño," Marcello whispers, "We'll miss you on this side of the world."

And that kind of fucks her up. He's saying his goodbye's to all of them, slipping them all goodbye gifts that he'd picked out for each of them.

"They're all different," he says, "Different and unique, just like all of you."

And there's Lennon.

She's on a separate flight directly to Washington, but at least she's boarding a flight on the same airline. At least she's got all of TSA and that walk to their gate to do together. At least there's still time until they have to say goodbye.

So, at the curb of the airport, Mari and Lennon and Zayn enter the airport. They go through TSA together and wait just before the gates as Mari slips on her shoes and stuffs her iPad back into her tote.

Zayn taps the girl beside him. "What's your gate, Lenn?"

"G4," she sighs. "Damn, I wish I got a connection in San Diego, too. That was smart, Zayn."

"Just kind of worked out that way, honestly," he admits. That's how he flew to Colombia. He didn't expect to meet Mari on the flight.

"Yeah, but, y'know," Lennon shrugs. "You're still lucky."

Mari rises with a stretch, her shoes tied. "What time's your flight?"