An Irvine Christmas

CHAPTER 6- Welcome to Colorado

      "So...you excited to be stuck next to Ashton for 6 hours?" Astrid winked as me. I ignored her question and walked onto the plane. I walked all the way to the back of the plane I passed everyone else's seats. Luke and Sierra were the second seats from the front with Michael and Crystal across from them.
       "Hey Phoenix!" Ashton was smiling like a little kid that just got a gold star.
       "Hey Ashton." He got up so I could have the window seat. How did he know I loved the window seat? I gave him a questioning look as I sat in my seat.
        "Astrid told me you loved the window seat."
        "Ashton! Phoenix! We're watching you!" Astrid was yelling at us while standing on her seat watching us. They were two rows down and across the aisle. Calum's head popped up right after she yelled at us and did the I'm watching gesture to us. I just rolled my eyes and watched everything that was going on outside of the plane.
         "Welcome on board! On flight ..." I've probably heard this speech one million times before. I turned it out by putting my earbuds in and blasting my music. I leaned me head against the window and kept watching everything going on around the plane.

         "Phoenix?" I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew Ashton was shaking me and calling my name.
         "Yea? What's up?"
         "I was wondering if you wanted your bagel?" He handed my bagel to me as he took a bite of his.
         "Thanks." I unwrapped the paper that stuck onto my bagel and took a bite. Ashton went onto his phone and put one earbud in. I pulled out my laptop remembering the two projects I had to do.
        "Whatcha doing?" Ashton looked at my very full and confusing laptop screen. I had to of had twenty tabs open.
       "Work" I huffed and took another bite of my bagel.
       "What do you do?"
       "I'm an interior designer by day and bartender by night."
      "Wow superhero style, I like it." He laughed as he kept his eyes trained on my screen. I tapped around trying to find the exact tab I needed.
      "Do you really need like twenty million tabs?"
      "Yes I do each one is actually very important."
      "Wow that seems like a lot of organization I do not have." I laughed. He was right though having my job was a lot of organization most of the time I wonder how I do it.

       By the third hour into the flight I was finally done with both of my projects. But knowing my work I will probably get another project to do before the end of the week.
       "Finally done?" Ashton asked me as I slid my laptop back into my bag.
       "Yep! Finally done." I smiled at him then leaned my head back to try to fall asleep.

       "Yo Ashton can I borrow your charger?" I heard Calum taking to Ashton, I was too tired to open my eyes so I just sat there and tried to go back to sleep. That's when I realized my head wasn't leaning against the headrest but instead it was laying on Ashton's shoulder.
       "Y'all are cute." I could feel Calum shake Ashton's head.
       "Stop it! Your gonna wake her up!" I could hear Calum snicker and walk away. I drifted back to sleep for a few minutes after.

       Right when the tires hit the asphalt I woke up. I'm used to always traveling by myself so I know how to wake up once we land.
       "Good morning." Ashton smiled at me.
       "Welcome to Vail, Colorado! It is currently 29 degrees outside. It is 7:30pm..."
       Once the plane stopped and the seatbelt light switched off everyone jumped out of there seats like they were going to get off the plane faster that way.
      "Your one heavy sleeper we hit turbulence 3 times while you were out."
      "Yeah that's what happens when you travel as much as I do." We started gathering our stuff as we waited for the rest of the passengers to exit off the plane.

      "Is anyone really good at driving and wants to be our designated driver for this trip!?" We were off the plane now and waking to baggage claim.
      "Phoenix is a really good driver!" Astrid looked at me and wiggles her eyebrows. Everyone started looking at me with pleading looks on there faces.
      "Fine I'll drive, whose name is the car under?"
      "Van! And it's under Hemings."
      "Thanks." I walked away knowing Ashton will get my suitcase for me. I found the car rental area and got in line to get the van.

      By the time I got the keys and information the rest of the group were waiting for me by the elevators and escalators.
      "Let's hit the road gang!" I yelled at them as I started to get on the escalator. There was cheering and chanting behind me as they started to follow me down to the car lot. After 10 minutes of me looking for the van without any of there help I finally found it in the back of the lot.
     "Load her up!" I opened the back of the van and slid my suitcase into it with everyone else following after me. I jumped into the driver's seat and started the van up. Everyone piled into the back laughing. The passenger door opened and Ashton hopped in.
    "Luke told me to sit up here with you and help with directions." Ashton said as he pulled out his phone and looked up directions.
     "Sounds good to me." I said as I slid the van into reverse and backed out of the parking spot. I started driving down the highway towards our cabin.