Deception (Michael Clifford)

Thirty Nine

I hand my passport over to the lady and smile, she eyes me coldly over the metal rimmed glasses that perch on her nose. There's a 'beep' and she hands it back.

The screaming still follows us through the boarding gates, like a constant ringing in my ears. I never thought that I would get used to it like the others have, but I've proven myself wrong, it actually doesn't bother me that much anymore. Except for when they push. My throat closes up every time we have to walk through the squeezing crowd.

I readjust my bag strap and head down the window clad passage to the plane, this will be the first of three long flights back to the homeland. I steal a glance at the plane waiting outside, bags being loaded in underneath, the orange glow on the tarmac as the last of the sun sinks below the horizon. I sigh forlornly. Most of the passengers would use this flight as an opportunity to sleep. I doubt I will get much myself.
I step over the metal threshold of the plane to be greeted instantly by one of the red clad flight attendants, I show him my boarding pass and expect him to point me down the first aisle, I took the liberty to locate my seat online before arriving, so I wouldn't have to suffer any embarrassments. But he stops, takes the boarding pass from my hand and frowns at it, confused. I flex my hands, looking between him and my boarding pass.
"I'm sorry ma'am, may I see your passport?" He asks in a Californian accent. I stutter and try to dig it back out my bag, I can feel the people behind me leaning forward to eavesdrop. I pass it to him and he compares it to my boarding pass.
"Okay do you mind just waiting here ma'am? I'll be back in just a moment, my apologies." I watch him go and stand there awkwardly. I don't dare turn around to look at the line behind me, I know they're all looking at me, I can feel the impatience ebbing off them.
"Sorry, excuse me," a voice comes from somewhere behind. I freeze. Oh god, someone's going to say something. My face flushes red and I can feel my heart picking up. There's a hand on my shoulder. I jump and turn around to see Ashton standing next to me.
"Hey."
"Ashton? What are you doing?" I breathe with relief, I look ahead to the people already on the plane, "I thought you guys boarded already, don't you have priority?"
"We do, but I needed something from the shop," he brushes it off, "Is everything alright? I saw him stop you." He looks at me carefully.
I shrug nervously, "I don't know, I gave him my boarding pass, then he asked for my passport. I hope I haven't done anything wrong."
"Don't be ridiculous," he murmurs, and shoves his hands into his pockets. At that moment the flight attendant returns with my passport and a stewardess, she looks unsettled.
"Scarlet Ray Briarson?" She asks as she approaches.
I nod, "yes," she places the boarding pass in my passport and hands it back.
"There's seems to have been a mix up during the booking process," she explains, "which means your seat has been booked twice. Unfortunately, this means that you will have to be separated from your travelling companions," she passes a look to Ashton, who stands politely by my side. I feel a little disappointed, but relief also, if it means I won't be bothered. "We have a full plane today, which means that there are no spare seats," I feel myself begin to panic, "so for the duration of the flight you will be moved to business class."
"Excellent, that means you'll be with us." Ashton pipes up. I look between him and the stewardess, who seems a bit distracted by his presence.
"Business class?" I repeat, I've never flown business class before.
"That's right ma'am, follow me and I'll show you to your seat." She directs with her hand, I take a hesitant step forward but then stop. I feel Ashton come up behind me.
"Hey, you alright?" I get a shiver down my spine.
"Yeah, fine." I curse myself and follow the lady as she takes me through the curtains and into business class. Ashton follows closely behind. I look around at the little pods that fill the space, spacious leather seats that relax down into comfortable beds, wooden laminate sides to hold your drinks, touch screen TV monitor.
"Here you are ma'am," I'm snapped out of my daze when the stewardess stops in front of an empty pod, a blanket neatly folded on the seat. She goes on to explain the buttons on the side of the monitor, should I need any assistance, I thank her and she moves on. Once again, I struggle to lever my bag into the overhead storage, and Ashton quickly steps in to help.
"Here," he chuckles, and easily lifts it in.
"You know, there will be a time when I'll have to do that myself." I remind him, watching him close it.
He smiles down at me, eyes sparkling, "I know. But I like to help when I can."
He says, lingering for a moment, before dropping his arms and collapsing into the pod on the other side of the aisle. I sink into mine more slowly.
"So," Ashton says contentedly, "we're going home."
I nod, "yes."
"Well, not quite, we'll be staying in a hotel for the first few days, but then after that we get to go home."
I nod again. As much as I'd like to talk about our imminent return to Australia, I've just spotted a messy crop of black hair moving just in front of one of the pods, and my heart is pounding heavily in my chest.
"What about you?" Ashton asks, I drag my eyes away and focus. He's watching me curiously. I get that feeling of being analysed again.
"Um, a relative..."
"Oh nice, I'm looking forward to seeing my family when I get back. They messaged me earlier to tell me they'd be waiting at the airport."
I have to force a smile. "That's lovely."
"And my dog, I miss my dog."
Hearing him say that reminds me of Benji, I wonder how that guy is doing, probably enjoying himself on the farm, lazing around in the sunshine or chasing the chickens. I wonder if he would remember me.
"Your from Sydney right? Will you be visiting any other family whilst we're back?"
I cringe silently at the question. I don't want to tell him I don't have any family left to visit, so I just say, "Melbourne."
"Oh, right, well you can always hang with us if you want," he says, and almost unconsciously my eyes flick to Michael, "will you be staying in the city?"
"Uh no," I stumble, "South, by the coast. My grandpa owns a bungalow by the beach."
"Nice," Ashton muses, "I loved my grandad." My eyes flick to him as he goes silent, my attention caught but the past tense.
"I don't really keep in contact with him," I add guiltily.
Ashton's no longer looking at me, rather, smiling ahead at something I can't see.
"I looked up to him a lot." I watch him carefully, empathy now welling in my chest.
"Was he a good man?"
He nods, smiling further. "He was."
We sit silently for a few minutes, like we're paying respects to his memory, before Ashton straightens up again, "I'm excited to take get home, travelling takes its toll."
I agree and we fall into silence again, the seatbelt sign being switched on ready for take off.
I pull mine on and sit back, working myself up before we get into the air. A few rows ahead the messy black hair sits rigid in his seat, solid as stone. My fingers twitch and I let out a sigh. This is going to be a long ride.

~

It wasn't particularly long before I started to feel restless.
Hours had passed since we took off from the Tarmac and my limbs were starting to protest. I stretch to the side to try and alleviate some of the throbbing in my legs, to no success. Then decide ill be better off getting up and going for a walk. Pushing the blankets off me, I stand up and look down at Ashton resting peacefully in the adjacent pod, eyelids closed and that friendliness still shadowing his features. He has that air about him that makes you feel like you've known him for years. I shake it off and decide to look for the toilet, the idea of splashing my face with cold water sounding very appealing.
Through half closed eyes I trudge my way down the aisle, pushing my way out through a set of curtains and hanging my head. It took what seems like ages to reach the bifold door of the toilet, and even longer to walk back.
I'm half asleep when I feel myself walk into something solid and warm. I look up to see a large man looming over me, eyes as sharp as a falcons.
"Your not allowed through here." He assumes in an authoritative tone. I just stare at him unfocused, and raise an eyebrow.
"Excuse me please." Is all I mange to say, and try to squeeze past him. He steps in front of me.
"Sorry ma'am, your not allowed through here, please return to your seat."
"I'm trying to," I sigh, "but your not letting me." And try to step past again. He raise a hand.
"Return to your seat." He repeats.
"You don't understand," I mumble, getting increasingly annoyed, "my seat is through there, now if you could just shuffle to the side-"
He places a hand on my chest and in an instant I'm shoved back and something flashes in front of me.
"Get out of the way." Says a harsh voice, and I look up to see a tense set of shoulders blocking my view. My sleep clouded brain struggles to get a grip on what's going on, so I stare at the two figures in a daze. Something is said quickly between them, and then like that, my wrist is grabbed and I'm being dragged forward. I stumble along after it and past the guard that was trying to stop me, who now watches me with thinly concealed embarrassment, back into the cool space I was in minutes ago. I catch a glimpse of people resting in little pods and realise I'm back in business class, how far did I wonder?
When I finally look up from the hand wrapped around my wrist, to see a banded arm and black messy hair, my senses kick in. Instantly I dig in my heels and rip my hand out of his grip.
"Get off me." I mumble angrily, but in my half dosed state my feet don't react quite as quickly as I need them, and I'm sent tripping forward.
I try and grip onto a seat but I end up on the floor anyway, and look up to see Michael watching me. His green eyes calculating.
"Are you okay?" He asks, offering a hand, but I ignore him, muttering under my breath about not needing his help, and push myself up instead. Now standing less than a foot away from him, I close my eyes and take a breath, trying to wake myself up at least a little bit. The hum of the plane surrounds us, and the shuffling sound of people in their pods sleeping soundly. I breathe, ready for a sarcastic comment, "thanks for dragging me through-" something soft suddenly touches my cheek, and I freeze. I open my eyes to see Michael staring at me, green eyes glimmering through his fringe, his hand trailing delicately down the side of my face. I breathe out shakily, feeling my legs go a little weak. But then pull my hands into fists and step away from him, using all my strength not to lean forwards like I desperately want to. He blinks reproachfully.
"You can't just do that." I mumble, "not whenever it suits you." He drops his hand slowly back to his side, the dim light in the plane softly illuminating his face.
"Does it not suit you now?" He asks. I clench my jaw, trying hard to maintain my ground.
"No." I say firmly, then roll my shoulders, "thank you for your help."
That being my final word, I take a step forward to shuffle past him, and he ever so slightly turn his body out the way. Brushing past him, I have to hold my breath, the feeling of being that close to him in a small space setting my skin on fire. Then I finally get back to my own pod, and collapse into it unsettled. Ashton's still sleeping peacefully in the opposite pod, which is a relief, so I draw myself up into a ball, trying to slow my heart rate and get back to sleep. I tell myself that I'm angry at him, that he has no rite to look at me like that. But then I close my eyes and he's there, the way he'd look at me, the way he stroked my cheek. I sigh and roll onto my side, skin prickling, knowing that he's only a few rows in front. Time to give him a taste of his own medicine.

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Welcome back to the land of Deception :P
This chapter gives me heavy breathing, hope you enjoyed it, I'm trying to update more often now I'm back. Working on an Ashton fic at the moment as well, its making me excited and I haven't even posted the prologue yet.
Thanks for sticking around guys, and welcome if your new!
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