Before I Hit The Ground

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".......Alright, now I'd like to introduce Liza! Congratulations! You've completed level seven of the AFF and today will be your first solo flight since you've joined our business! So as your first assignment with our aerial photography unit I would like for you to be our photographer for the Johnson's family flight today." Camille a tall forty-something blonde and the owner of The Sunny Skies Skydiving Facility announced into the megaphone she used for our surprisingly large staff meeting and everyone cheered. I nodded and gave stiff smile before she dismissed us to suit up and greet and brief our clients for the day. 

I began to walk from the staff room on the left side of the hanger and headed toward the locker rooms that were on the right side, the company had twelve planes and twenty pilots/instructors and were working on building a second location. It really had come out of nothing but Camille hoped it would become a chain business. It was based right here out of Palm Springs California making it a quick commute.

"Liza!.......DAMN GIRL SLOW UP!" I turned my head to find Cody, Amber, Josh, Natalie, and Trace hustling up to meet me, they were the instructors who would be tandem diving with our clients today. Upon seeing Trace's dark hair and features and cold blue stare I tense and my mind flickers back to a drunk night a few months ago that was fuzzy. 

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"That's right B*tch fu*king take it........"

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"Congrats on level seven L!" Amber a feisty, twenty-three-year-old, five foot one Redhead and Natalie a thirty-year-old blonde who had been my mentor, wrap me in a bear hug and squeeze the air out of me shaking me from the memory of a night I thought alcohol erased, the guys stood back and watched the two beautiful girls who were determined to kill me. Not that I would mind really......

"Thank you......" I gave them a weak smile and began to walk towards the women's locker room. They fall into step with me and wave bye to the guys.

"Hey, Liz?" Amber tapped my arm.

"Hmm?" She gave me a weird look. 

"A-are you ok? I mean you looked kinda scared when you saw us walk up?" She looked to be choosing her words carefully, her green eyes battling to hold my gaze. 

"Um, yea I- I uh I'm just a little nervous to be going up alone for the first time...." She bit her lip.

"Are you sure it wasn't anything else? Like maybe one of the guys?...... Or something!" she added the last part quickly, I narrowed my eyes a little she seems to know something that I don't.

"Ummm no why?" Her face fell.

"Nevermind, we better get ready." She walked over and began to suit up and I did the same.

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"Welcome to the Sunny Skies Skydiving Facility! My name Is Cody! We're so glad you chose to spend your vacation with us! Today will be pretty routine so each of you will be paired with one of our fabulous instructors! Trace, Amelia, Josh, Natalie, and myself! This is Liza she'll be taking pictures of all your fun today" I gave a small wave and the family smiled. Cody was my age, a sweet guy, he was tall with broad shoulders, blonde hair and hazel eyes, He always paired himself with the most nervous flyer and helped them feel safe. 

"And don't worry it's completely safe!" Josh added. Josh was slightly shorter with dark curly hair and warm brown eyes and had a flirty attitude, I assume he would do his best to get paired with the blonde and beautiful daughter the family had.

"I'm Natalie and I'm going to be the leader of today's dive, I just have a few waivers for you to sign." Nat was like a mother to the newer employees and would help them learn the tricks of the trade as she put it. She was five seven and had dark hair that hung loosely at her shoulders but today it was in a low pony. She began talking to the parents. 

"So we'd like you all to suit up and then I'll take a picture here in the hanger and then a few on the plane," I said when she had finished in my best fake work voice.  As  Cody and Amber assigned each member of the family an instructor Trace walked up beside me and threw his arm around me and my body goes cold which happens when I become anxious.

"Hey, baby you want to grab a drink with me after work?" He said his hand slipping to the small of my back and I shivered. 

"Um sorry, I- uh have plans." And you scare me for reasons I don't understand I added in my mind. It's not like he wasn't attractive, he was, it's just that he frightened me. 

"Oh Come on sweetheart make room in that busy schedule for me. Please?" He gave me puppy-dog eyes and his hand slowly moved further down my body but I stepped away before it reached its eventual destination. He gave me a look of irritation with a strange darkness behind it.

"I'm sorry I can't I have visitors coming to stay with me tonight." It was a lie but I could lie very well. 

"Fine but I better get some time to visit you for a night soon." He said as his gaze roamed me and then winked before turning to greet his client the young boy with messy hair and mischievous eyes. He introduced himself and high-fived the adorable 12-year-old. I shook my head and messed with my camera until the family was ready and entirely briefed. 

"Alright, family stand with your instructor and say SKYDIVING!" I say smiling and taking a few pictures. The boy held his hand up to put bunny ears on his sister,  his sweet innocent face grinning harder when his sister picked him up quickly and kissed his cheek, cute kids.

"Ok, you guys ready to go up?" Cody beams and leads the way to the plane, Trace and I are the last ones to board and he places his hand firmly on my ass as I climb up the stairs into the plane, when I look back he gives me a smug smirk and removes his hand.

"Didn't want you to slip and fall." He lied. 

"Yea sure ok...." I climbed in and took my position towards the front of the plane since I would be the last off.

I sit quietly and snap pictures of the family laughing and talking with the instructors, they seem so happy.... the parents sit holding hands while their son asks Cody and Trace questions about the plane and the eighteen-year-old giggles and blushes at something that Josh says and Amber punches his arm laughing. Natalie sits going over forms and speaking with the pilots she's the main instructor today. 

Everyone is enjoying this time their having...... everyone but me. I can't stop thinking of my mother, she passed not long ago and this was only my second day back from the time off I begged Camille for. Planning her funeral by myself had hit me hard and seeing the few people of the one hundred fifty  I had invited show up had made me feel like a failure of a daughter. 

She was the only person who has ever supported me even when I ended up in the hospital with a stomach full of pills and a bleeding wrist she said she loved me. How could she love me? I was useless, forgetful, ugly, annoying......

"Alright everyone lets go over our decent again!" Natalie shouted above the engine shaking me from my thoughts. Maybe this will be my first and last solo flight........