Rising Above (Shooting Stars Sequel)

Chapter 17: Memories

Ella ||

I combed my hand through my hair as I anticipated the plane ride out to Orlando, Florida. Mitch was almost asleep in the chairs, while I stood watching out the window and tapped my foot. I checked my watch my dad had gotten me, on my right wrist. 11:37 p.m. There was two families with kids and three other couples. Further away, near Starbucks and Dunkin, there were other people. Taking a seat beside Mitch, I bounced my right leg, anxiously. Mitch's eyes opened up and looked at me. They were wide, alert and awake even though he just woke up. He moved his hand up and down my leg, trying to soothe my stress. It's not that I was nervous about flying, even though I was, I was nervous because our flight is at 2:00 and it's stormy out. Clouds, fog, wind, everything; the whole package.

"Hey, it's gonna be fine," Mitch says.

I just nod. He takes his hand of my thigh and laces our fingers in one and uses his other hand to wrap around the back of my head and kiss my forehead. I nestle into his chest with my eyes still focused on the large window used for enjoyment of the incoming and going planes. To be honest, I am fascinated by planes in general, not when they have to go through this weather though. My hand that is tangled in Mitch's starts to get clammy and Mitch releases me, realizing that I was overheating. Even in the 50 degree morning weather, I was dying of the heat. One of the little kids stare at me and then whisper something to their mother. I look around and notice a store was opening, it had water, magazines, neck pillows and food.

"I'll be right back," I turn to Mitch. He nods and stares out the window I've been staring out for the last 2 hours. Walking into the store, the clerk woman greets me and I smile oddly. I grab a magazine, but put it back noticing the selves of books. One book seemed to catch my attention. It was a bright violent (yes, I mean violent not violet) blue background with two black and white clouds. The title was 'The Fault in Our Stars' by John Green. I picked it up and flipped it to read the description. I nodded slightly to myself and snatched an orange neck pillow, two chocolate milks and three sour gummy worm packs. I placed the stuff on the counter and she checks them off.

"Really interesting story," she says. I look up as she checks out TFiOS. I smile, but quickly look away. "You might cry. Just in case." she smiles and hands me my bag and a little thing of tissues without charging me. I walked out and the lady was setting up to talk into the mic. I take a seat next to Mitch and quickly seat up my things and pull out my tickets.

"Flight 1410 to Orlando Florida is now boarding. Flight 1410 to Orlando Florida is now boarding," she paused. "People in business seats please line up."

People in fancy suits and dresses boarded the plane one by one. After a while, they called my wave. Mitch was 2 waves after me. I kissed his cheek and headed into the plane. Passing the people in business class, all eyes watching the people and I pass by them. I take a seat in row 7. Packing my stuff on the top, I slide into the seats and sat down. I pulled out the book I bought and put in my headphones. I played All Time Low 'If these sheets were the states'. Opening the book, I started reading. Soon enough, I'm on chapter 4 and a hand lands on my thigh. I look over to see Mitch taking the seat next to me. I smiled, not taking my headphones out since Mitch's headphones were planted in his ears. I looked back at my book and 'sex' by The 1975 started on my iphone.

**

Mitch nudged my arm and I looked up, removing a headphone.

"Yeah?" I say. He nods to the front of plane where the flight attendant was showing how to do things. The plane lurched forward and we started down towards the runway. I watched as we lost touch with the ground and we were eventually leaving the airport behind, as I admired the lights of the city. The full moon sat at top a tall building, creating a halo effect. The city looked amazing. Stunning even. I sighed and leaned my head onto the side of the plane, staring at the view, that we rounded. We flew even higher,into the clouds. The clouds divided and inside the plane grew darker. Specks of water collected onto the window. Suddenly emerging from the clouds, The moon sat half covered by the clouds and the stars among the moon danced in the midnight sky. We leveled off in the sky and the condensation on the window blew off. I placed my hand on the window, quickly snatching it back due to the temperature of the window. It felt below freezing. I looked over at Mitch and sheepishly smiled as his eyes drooped. He looked at me and I laughed.A small smile danced on his lips as he leaned his head onto my shoulder. I ruffled his hair and kissed the top of his head; the same way I did to Shane when he was younger.

**

We landed 4 hours later, at 5:56. The plane ride is 4 hours and 26 minutes long. Mitch sleep and ate the whole time. I finished the fault in our stars and my eyes were still red and my cheeks were raw from wiping them so much. Mitch slipping his arm around my shoulder and squeezed me tight to his side and planted a kiss on my forehead as we waited for our luggage.

"Why are you crying? Did I do something?" he asked, putting his hand under my chin. I giggled and grabbed his head, pulling him into a split second kiss.

"No no. You are doing just fine. It's just the book I finished on the plane," I noticed my luggage and escaped Mitch's handle on me. Pulling it off, his came tumbling down the shoot and onto the platform. We walked out off the airport after all security checks went well and sat on the side walk and waited for the bus.

"Did you reserve a hotel room?" I asked, picking at my nails.

"Nope," he answered, nonchalantly. I snapped my head up.

"Wait. So we don't have a place to stay?" My voice raised a little, catching peoples gazes from near by out door eating areas.

"We do. We do, it's just not a hotel." he is now caressing my arm, to calm me. I settled myself onto a pole on the sidewalk. Nodding, a large bus stopped and opened it's doors for us. I started to grab my bags, but Mitch held me back. We walked past the bus and into a parking lot. A car rental parking lot. He turned to me.

"Any car," he said. I scoped the cars pointing out a big shiny blue jeep. I glide my hands over the door and open it. The inside smells like burning cigars, I took a big whiff. Smells like my dads old jeep. Mitch calls over the rental guy. I sit in the jeep and close the door.

I was 8 when he had the jeep. Shane was 1. I remember leaning on the door, having the wind blowing my hair everywhere; leaving it in large knots. I closed my eyes and leaned in the door again, like old times. I felt a hand push back my bangs off my forehead, a kiss planted onto my forehead.

"You ready, Bear?" a voice echoed. I opened my eyes to my father, young; handsome. I smiled and looked down at my small childlike hands. I wore my favorite pair of jean shorts and a stripped tank top. My hair was pulled back into a ponytail other than the pieces in my face. I had purple flip flops on and my toe nails were a shade of light pink. Bubbly giggles came from the back of the car. I spun around already knowing what I'd find. Shane drooled onto his bib. His chubby cheeks were red and his eyes beamed. He giggled at my large smile and tried to reach for me. The drivers door opened and my dad sat down. I faced back to the front and we pulled out of the drive way. The wind instantly hit me and I leaned my arm on the middle console and the other on the door, window open. The sun shined down, brightly and warming. A hand placed itself on my and I looked at my hand. It was different now. Shane wasn't in the back, giggling so warmly; my father wasn't driving with his normal one hand on the wheel, the other placed on the door, his sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. We weren't driving down my street to the ice cream store. I looked up, Palm trees traveled overhead and clouds floated far above. It was Mitch. The hand on mine was not my fathers; it's was Mitch's hand. I looked out my window and turned up the radio.

One Direction sounded the radio, so I plugged in my phone.

"I don't know about your music, but my is pretty good," Mitch joked. I rolled my eyes and played 5 seconds of summer 'Don't Stop'.

****

GUYS I'm so sorry I haven't updated...it's been finals and every thing! I promise to update! I'm doing a third book! Schools out tuesday! so I'll be able to update more! hopefully!

Okay. so what Ella was saying, it's important to the chapter but she was just having a memory of the time she went for a ride with her dad. no biggy, just needed something to make the chapter longer!

VOTE COMMENT AND SHARE WITH YOUR BUDS! ALSO READ 'IT JUST HAPPENS' IF YOU LIKE 5sos