Elle Jones

Chapter 28: Arriving Shortly

On the next morning, the passengers, Austin, and I had woken up to the smell of burning coffee and hot breakfast. Female flight attendants waltz across the small, blue aisle carrying trays of food and beverages.

White dishes of dry toast, cooked sausages, and scrambled eggs plopped in front of the hungry passengers, who were too slow to even blink their eyes.

While some helped themselves to the suspicious cuisine, I requested two black coffees for me and Austin, who opened his eyes to see an untouched coffee mug in my hands.

"Morning Austin," I greeted. "How do you feel?"

"Nauseous," he mumbled. "Like listening to one of Mr. Anderson's ethereal singing."

I sigh in agreement.

Mr. Anderson was our first-grade math teacher who writes cheesy songs and raps about equations 24/7.

"It's breakfast time already?" he asked, wiping his eyes.

"Yeah, " I answer cheerfully, handing the cup to my best friend. "Here you go."

Smiling, Austin clears his throat, takes the cup from my hand, and wholeheartedly drinks his coffee.

"Thanks, Jack," he grunted, setting down his mug. "So, where are we?"

I squint my eyes. "I have no idea."

Drinking my coffee, I turn my gaze to the window, revealing clear azure skies, white balls of air, and a dark blue ocean shifting underneath us.

Taking in the sweet bliss, I thought back to Isadora taking me and Jacob to the beach where we made sand castles and play in the waves.

Whenever I trip or sprain my ankle, Isadora would pick me up in her strong arms, kiss my cheek, and find a bandage to patch my wounds.

Like most mothers, Isadora was caring, fearless, and intelligent. She enjoys listening to Bob Marley, teaches Jacob and me French, and whenever it rains, she would let us go outside and make mud pies.

Before Isadora went AWOL, she was the anchor to Joseph's ship.

They cook each other meals, take walks around the park, and whenever they kiss, Jacob would cover my eyes.

Sure, we have a shitty apartment, enormous bills to pay, but we were happy.

I was too busy thinking about my mother when a thought came to me.

"Oh shit, " I cursed. "I almost forgot: last night, I put your sketchbook in my backpack."

Sipping his coffee once more, Austin furrowed his eyes at me.

"Why do you have my sketchbook?" he asked.

"You fell asleep while you were drawing," I explain.

Unzipping my backpack, I pulled out Austin's sketchbook, but first I had to make sure that no pages were either ripped or crumbled.

But when I open it, almost every page was filled with comic book characters.

Characters from Marvel, DC Universe, Naruto, Cowboy Bebop, and Death Note were carefully sketched in dark charcoal pencil.

Sure, he got the features right: high cheekbones, strong jaw, and their arms look as though they have been working in the gym.

But when I turn to the last page, I notice a watercolor painting of a beautiful dark-skinned girl smiling right at me.

Brown dreadlocks with dark indigo highlights make up her hair; she has radiant hazel green eyes, and her face was shaped like a heart. A streak of pink brushed along her cheeks, as the girl's dark eyebrows and lashes fluttered like a bird's wings.