The Mind Behind The Beanie || ✔

Sneaking Through An Airport and Other Illegal Sports

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When we finally got up to the TSA officer, we presented our I.D.s with no problem. He read our boarding passes and scowled as he glanced at our I.D.s and then back to us.

"Are you two together?" he asked with a gruff voice.

Before I had the chance to respond, Conner's shocked voice sliced the silent air that had been between us.

"What?" he asked in shock. "No, we're just friends- well, at least, I think. We haven't had a chance to figure it out."

"Sir, I'm asking if you're traveling together," the officer said and scowled even harder. "The airline doesn't care as to your relationship status."

I was facing the TSA officer, so I couldn't see Conner's face, but the heat that seeped into the air was enough to tell me that he was blushing very hard. If I hadn't been so anxious, I would've started laughing so hard, but nerves got a hold of me.

"Yes, we're traveling together," I said, my voice surprisingly calm.

The TSA officer looked us up and down one more time and gave us our tickets and I.D.s back.

"Go ahead," he said. "Next!"

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While waiting for Jack, Goldilocks, and Red to get through the line, I had some time to think. Specifically, about what had just happened. Did Conner want us to remain friends? He kind of made it sound that way. Or did he just that because we were around other people?

Unfortunately, Jack got out of line along with Goldilocks too soon for me to come to a proper, and logical, answer. It took a long time for Red to come, as she had been farther back in the line. Nearing the time when she was at the front, we were shuffled to the front of the metal detector scanning section, and we could not hear what was going on.

I saw Red go up to the counter and the officer look at her boarding pass and I. D. with no problem and stamped them, no question. Things were finally going according to plan! Or not. I saw Red stamp her foot and point her finger at the officer.

"HOW DARE YOU, SIR!" she yelled, loud enough for everyone to hear. "THAT IS THE BIGGEST INSULT I'VE EVER RECEIVED IN MY LIFE!"

The officer's normal scowl shifted to a look of terror. Red stormed past him and the other remaining TSA officers that were stationed at the end of the line. She stormed right over to us and huffed.

"What the heck just happened?" Conner asked. "What did he say to you?"

Red held up the fake I.D. of her that bore the image of Amanda Campbell. "He said this was a good picture of me!" she exclaimed.

I looked at our friends as we queued up for the metal detector. I could see Goldilocks smirk, but when I caught her eye, she tried, without result, to get rid of it.

I tried hard to be empathetic to my friends, but no empathy came. Conner had to promise Jack that he would get his boots back when putting them in the scanning bins. I had to keep Goldilocks from putting Hero in a bin. I then tried to convince Red to put her jewelry in one of the bins but to no avail. She had to be scanned by hand because she refused to part with any of it. Once we were finally through, I breathed out a sigh of relief. I spotted the shops in front of us and knew, we had officially snuck into the airport.

"I can't believe we just pulled that off," Conner said, voicing my thoughts to a 'T'. "I don't think I've breathed since we joined the security line."