...And It's Blue

18

I loved plane rides, especially the window seat. The last time I traveled on an airplane was around five years ago, when my parents were still alive. We had taken a small trip to visit my grandparents in New York. My parents always let me sit next to the window, even though they knew I would be using the bathroom frequently. I had a problem as a kid.

I looked out the window and watched the clouds turn into shades of pink and purple. I remembered how I would always point to random clouds and say they looked like certain objects or animals, even when they didn't resemble them at all. My parents would simply play along, calling me a genius.

I was woken up by light taps on my shoulder. "Hey, we've arrived at the airport," his soft voice roused me. I looked around, dazed, taking a moment to remember I was on an airplane. Once that realization settled in, I stood up quickly, excited, only to hit my head on the ceiling of the plane. I dropped back down into my seat, clutching my head in pain. That hurt like a bitch.

"Are you alright?" Aiden asked as he bent down to my level. He held the sides of my face in his palms, inspecting the top of my head and lightly rubbing the area. I played with the hem of my T-shirt, doing my best to avoid looking at him.

"Be careful next time," he said gently. I nodded my head shyly and stood up to help Aiden with the suitcases.

We took two cabs to the beach house, and as soon as we arrived, the scent of sand and seawater enveloped me. Stepping inside the expansive house, we wasted no time in deciding roommates.

"It's obvious Ash and Ava will share a room," I pointed out, looking around at the rest of our group.

"I do not want to share a room with Jay," Xavier declared, earning a pout from Jay himself.

"I am a great roommate. I will share a room with Lacey!" Jay insisted, but was met with a chorus of 'no's from everyone else. "Lacey, come on, it'll be fun, just like old times!"

"I thought we girls could stay in one room," Zoe pouted, and Emma nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, that's a great idea. I think you girls should share a room. You can talk all night long, it'll be very fun," Aiden chimed in as he playfully nudged me towards one of the rooms.

"Wait!" Jay pulled Aiden back. "Let's decide this fairly. Lacey, who would you rather pick? Me, your best friend of 10 years, or Zoe and Emma, people you met like a month ago?"

"Jay, that's rude," Zoe shot back. "Unnecessary and unfair."

"Oh, shut up. It's true," Jay retorted.

"It's hard to believe she's friends with you," Emma teased Jay lightly.

"Guys, please, let's not argue about this," I interjected, trying to diffuse the tension before it escalated. I had noticed how heated these two could get every time they argued, and they seemed to argue over everything lately.

What donut to eat? A long essay from both parties. What to do on the weekend? A whole debate. What movie to watch? A list of pros and cons.

It was ridiculous and funny so we never bothered stopping them. We didn't take either of their suggestion into consideration most of the times anyway. Like I said, they were ridiculous.

"Fine, let's play rock, paper, scissors and decide once and for all," Jay suggested, already fisting his hands. "Best of 3, Zoe. Whoever wins gets to share a room with Lacey." They both started playing the game, and I stood there speechless. None of them even asked me what I wanted.

Well, I really wanted to share a room with Aiden, but that seemed impossible. Ultimately, whether I roomed with Jay or the girls didn't matter much to me.