Anti-Stall

Spoilt.

Monday

I dragged my suitcase down to the lobby while Erica checked out of the hotel for us.The taxi driver helped me load our suitcases into the car.Erica dramatically collapsed in the passenger seat.

"What was that about?" I asked her as I slid into the car.

"You spoilt me to the luxuries of flying chartered and now we're flying back home in economy." She sighed.

What a drama queen! I let out a little chuckle. Arthur! Oh my gosh I'm a terrible friend, I didn't even congratulate him after yesterday's race, he put up one heck of a fight.

It was quite early in the morning so I just decided to send him a message.

You
What a race champ! Keep it up! I'm so sorry I completely forgot to congratulate you on your p5 after a bad qualifying sooorrryyy :/

Arthur
Thank you very much Nat! See ya next race, enjoy your break before the two back to back races!

You
And wish Charles too! Congrats on the podium finish to him! Go out and party!

Arthur
Yeah yeah I'll do that, if you're hitting on my brother I will puke. Yuck ew why?

You
I assure you I'm not hitting on your brother and that's mean! He's a good looking guy.

Arthur
Blech 🤢 WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT!? Okay bye, I'll be by my puke bucket if you need me. Have a good flight! I know it's no chartered flight but you have Erica with you.

You
Are you trying to hit on Erica through me!? Go puke your guts out, bye boy!

I'm friends with some very interesting characters and the group is only expanding.

Lando has challenged me to another battle the next time we meet. Callum wants to be my teammate because I'm the best twig fighter he's ever seen, he claims he knows talent when he sees it.

Mick and George think that I make a great addition to the group of goofs. Lance told me he knew I was a cool person the minute I said I wanted a PB &J sandwich. Pierre thanked me for introducing him to a food he thought was alien but now can't wait to eat more of.

Pops was right, embracing change was the only way to move ahead, I could have sat there and cried about how difficult everything was for me in the start, how Tim always picked on me but then I'd never meet all these people.

I wouldn't have found Erica! My ride or die. I would have never befriended Arthur, the sweetest meanie alive. I would have never bumped into Lily, someone I loved yet envied.

I would have never been able to open my heart to Charles, the boy who looks like a fairy and is definitely divine.

But what was I going to do about these feelings? Arthur definitely disapproved of the idea of me having feelings for his brother, should I keep them in me and bury them to the back of my head?

Okay, looks like we've got a topic to discuss on our long flight home. Hopefully this turmoil in my head will make up for you not being able to fly charter.

                                    *********

"A stop over in Paris and him sending you a text? This is a sign Natalie! A damn sign!" Erica squealed.

"It was just a 'hi and thanks for wishing me.' That's friendly. I'm not getting my hopes up. Admiring from afar is the best." I uttered.

"Natalie, you sound heartbroken!" She sandwiched my face between her hands,her eyes were glistening.

"Oh no silly! I'm far from heartbroken. I'm just being cautious!" I assured her, " It takes a lot to break me."

"Okay I'm going to sleep now." She yawned before snuggling into her blanket.

I wished her good night, yet again, at the end of the day me and my thoughts were all by ourselves. I knew I wasn't heartbroken, it's just more was at stake if I made the wrong choice.

I would lose two  friends because I fell in love with one. Charles, are you worth the chase? Am I ready to put so much on the line?

But when I close my eyes, it melts away. All I see is him running his fingers through his hair, the light on his sun kissed face, his hazel eyes and his coy smirk.

He treats everyone with kindness and respect, he's polite to me and his glances make me lose control over my own mind. He's shy but once he's comfortable around you, he blossoms. He's funny, he's witty, he's charming.

He is the guy you dream of, he is the young man a little child would look at and believe is a prince. Prince or not, he was a conqueror. He had conquered my heart and he was conquering my mind.

You aren't making this easy for me, why does everything in life come with a catch? Having to make "choices" was a loser move, who came up with the idea of not being able to have everything in life?

All this and yet one sole reason holding me back, Arthur. I would never want to destroy the friendship we shared, even if it means suppressing what I felt.

I know he'll come around, I'm not making a single move that would upset him.

All this thinking was tiring my brain out, Erica was fast asleep with a smile on her face.I tried to fall asleep but it felt impossible.

I wanted to blame it on the lack of space and comfort in the aircraft but who was I kidding?

I wish there was a way to know your in the good old days
Because if I'd knew ill be your today
I loved you since I met you
But I wouldn't allow my self
To truly feel the way I feel today.

The music faded in my ears as I slowly found myself drifting .