Digital Notebook

Sketch 1

"Flight 0635 has just landed from New-Zealand at hall 11B. I repeat..."

I'm nervously looking around for the board. The big board that every airport has. Hall 7B. Hall 7B. I can't find the board. Hall 7B. Flight 0635. Hall 7B. Where's the god damn board? I desperately cling myself to a stranger. 'Sir, can you help me, please? Where is hall 7B?' The Chinese woman stares me right into the eyes like a weird exotic animal just screamed into her face.

I let her go.

I walk in complete disorientation through the airport when all of the sudden, I see a small sign. Those signs are everywhere and I didn't pay attention to them. I'm really in a hurry now, so I need any help I can get. I scan the sign as fast as I can. 1B, 2B, 3B, 1C, 2C, 3C to the right. 4B, 5B, 6B, 4C, 5C, 6C to the left. This is nothing. Quick. Almost done. 7B, 8B, 9B, 7C, 8C, 9C straight ahead. Okay, I was right. Nothing important. But, wait. 7B? 7B! I sprint forward and follow the little signs that are actually really important, I realize.

I need to find Harvey now. He'll get lost if I don't. Well, whatever. He'll probably get lost too if I'm with him. But he's still my brother, and he's finally home after a year of work and vacation in New-Zealand. And I missed him.

I feel a panic attack coming up. It's at least half an hour after that woman said that the plane landed and hall 7B is still nowhere to be seen. I keep following the directions that are indicated by the signs, but I'm running out of breath. I go slower and slower. Until I really need to sit down for a second. After I took a breath and calmed down, I look up. There is a sign right in front of me. On the sign is a number written in big letters. 7B.

I stand up like I've been stung by a bee and I bump my toe against my bag. Even though I now have a nagging pain in my left feet, I look around. And there he is. The brown hair with a big pluck on the back of his head, tall and with two big black suitcases and a trolley with more bags. He has not changed a bit. He's standing in the line of a Starbucks, looking at the menu. I already know what he's gonna get. A black coffee. His usual. I put down my bag and walk straight towards him. The pain in my feet calmed down a bit and I start to run. Faster and faster. I go in for the biggest hug in my life. I tackle him out of the line and we fall together. 'Oh my god, Harv. I've missed you so much!'

'Who's Harv?'

'Harvey. Not funny. I've actually missed you and I'm trying to be sweet. Let me be a good sister for once.'

'I'm sure you're a good sister, but I truly have no idea who Harvey is.'

Irritated as hell, I glance at his face. 'Harv! Don't play games like thi... Oh. You're not Harvey.'

'I'm glad you realized. Now, can I please place my order and go on with my life?'

A faint red glow appears on my cheeks. The boy I'm lying on top of is staring me in the eyes. 'So, when were you planning to get off of me?' I'm speechless and I stand up as fast as I can. Once I'm standing on two feet again, I see that everyone in hall 7B is looking at us. The faint red glow is not very faint anymore. I wipe the dirt off of my clothes and look around. The boy is still sitting on the ground. 'You did fell on top of me. Now I have to go back to the end of the line again and I'll probably be too late for my meeting. The least you could do is help me to get up and buy me a drink.'

I laugh nervously. At least he's funny about it. I look around for my bags, which are exactly where I left them. 'Well, have a good day stranger.' I say as I walk away to go find Harvey. The real one. I turn around to walk away. 'Uhm, I was serious.' I turn around, even more annoyed than before and find him still lying on the floor waiting for me to help him. I sigh.

Reaching out for his hand, he grins at me. At first, I thought I was the one who was being stupid because I just floored a complete stranger, but now this mysterious boy is really starting to get the hang of it. He stands up, weighs the dust away, grabs his bags and turns back to me. 'A grande caramel macchiato for me with an extra espresso shot and a chocolate muffin. Feel free to order something for yourself as well.' Did he really need to choose the most expensive stuff on the menu?

I decide to learn this prick a lesson. 'Well actually, I need to find the real Harvey before he completely disappears in the deep halls of this airport. His flight landed exactly...' I quickly gaze at the big clock above the Starbucks sign. '...43 minutes ago. So I'm going to have to hurry.' The boy looks at me strangely. 'Then why on earth are you still here.' Jezus, this is the dumbest boy I've ever met. 'Well, you kind off kept me here.' I roll my eyes, determined to find my brother within the next 10 minutes. He has to be in this hall anyways and he's probably laughing at me right now, watching this entire scene happen. 'I did not keep you here. I asked you something and you chose to follow it yourself. Which hall to do you have to be in any way?' I look around searching for my brother and slowly backing away from the boy, which I still don't know the name of. 'Hall 7B. why would I be here anyway?' 'But there hasn't landed a plane here for at least two hours.' Wait.

'I came to pick up my mom, but her flight has been delayed. I fell asleep on that couch over there and woke up two hours ago. I just decided to get a coffee, when you tackled me.' I stare at him like he just told me the earth is actually flat. When the news finally sinks in, I panic. 'But where did Harvey land then?' The boy looks amused and grins slightly. I want to punch that fucking smile off his face. The only thing he does is step closer to me. My breathing starts to speed up when he leans in for my ear and whispers: 'Are you going to buy me a drink or what?'