Airborne

“Hey.”

My head whipped around to the voice whispering in my ear.

I pivoted on my feet and turned to face the person standing less than a metre away.

“Hey,” a small smile formed on my face.

“You know when I saw you, I was sure I must have been dreaming. I mean Jade Reynolds on time – Now that’s a miracle in the making.”

“Shut up.” I leaned forward and punched him on the arm.

He grinned and rubbed a hand over the injury, “Ouch.”

A small cluster of people walked towards us and we drew apart to let them pass.

The smile on his face dropped momentarily, “I’m glad you came.”

I stared into a face I knew as well as my own, “I thought my hair could wait until tomorrow.”

“God Jade, you’re so funny…” He muttered with a roll of his eyes.

“I try.”

He walked towards me and grabbed my hand, “Come on. Let’s go.”

My eyes fleetingly took in the passers by. Now here was diversity visible for all to see. A tiny corner of the world; represented by the numerous faces.

Soon the faces quickly blurred into the next, melding into the unseen as his pace increased. My hand gripped his tightly, not wanting to get separated from him.

“You know this isn’t a race?” I hoped the less than subtle hint would slow him down, but as usual it fell on deaf ears as he continued to hastily pull me through the crowds.

We made our way through the dining area, looking for a free table.

After much pushing and shoving, we managed to find an available one tucked in a corner and sat down.

He shrugged out of his jacket, “Do I know how to treat a girl, or do I know how to treat a girl?”

I copied his actions and took off my jacket, “McDonalds, a very classy act.”

He chuckled and got up from his chair, “Now mademoiselle, you just sit here and I shall get our food.”

I watched him as he went, his dark, curly head moving towards the queue. He was a tall guy. He’d once told me that he’d been an awkward kid, gangly, all legs and arms. “Toothpick’ that’s what they used to called me’; those were the words he used when speaking of his childhood. At the time he’d laughed it off, but I knew it had left a mark on him, had hurt a little more than he’d let on. And now, there he stood, still gangly, but with a certain charm.

I drummed my fingers on the table, waiting for him to bring our food.

“Excuse me,” said the woman stood beside our table, armed with a duffel bag.

A small gap lay between our table and the next, making it difficult for her to get out.

“Oh, sorry.” I pulled my chair in and let her pass.

I reached down and pulled out my mobile from my jacket to look at the time.

Less than two hours to go.

I hastily pushed the mobile back into my pocket, and with the same effort strove to push the feelings that threatened to spill.

I leaned my elbows onto the tabletop and cupped my face in my palms. Once I had managed to compose myself, I looked up and found myself staring at him.

He was at the counter now placing our order and I couldn’t help but wonder what was taking him so long.

He was charming the socks off her.

I could tell the cashier had already processed our order, but still she stood there conversing with him.

By nature, he was outgoing and friendly. Sure girls didn’t flock to his door, but once he talked to you, something just drew you in. Charismatic was the word people liked to use.

The girl laughed at something he said, tilting her face to the left. Too bad he was taken.

“Back so soon,” I enquired as he finally sat down with the tray.

“I thought about running off and leaving you here, but I was worried you’d scare off all the kids.”

“Ha, ha, you’re cute,” I grabbed a fry and bit into it.

“So the girls say.” He winked at me, grabbed a bunch of fries and started to chew.

I made a face, letting him know his eating habits weren’t very impressive.

We sat there quietly eating our food, each of us in our own world. Usually he was like a train wreck – unstoppable. But we both knew today wasn’t the same.

“So…what’s the first thing you’re going to do?” I asked the customary question in an attempt to break the silence we’d fallen into.

He shrugged his shoulders, “Take in the sights. Breathe in the fresh air.”

I forced myself to laugh, “So much to do, which one do you do first?”

“Yeah,” he grinned half-heartedly.

“So…you wanna get going?”

“You’re finished already? God you’re a pig Jade.”

I mock gasped in horror and chucked the remaining fries at him.

“Sorry…sorry…” He held up his hands in surrender, “I know a lady’s weight is a sensitive subject.”

I glared at him, “You’re walking in dangerous territory.”

“Okay I’ll stop. I know when I’m beaten.” His smile fell from his face, “Time to make a move.”

Our previous light banter forgotten, we zigzagged our way out of the restaurant. Shoulders slumped, I walked with my head bent. His dark mood mirrored my own, yet all I wanted to do was make it disappear – someone like him always deserved to smile.

“Hey, let’s go in here.” I pulled him by the arm and dragged him into the little store.

“What do you want to do here?”

“Oh I don’t know…buy a hat?” I grabbed a wide brimmed hat off a rack and placed it on my head. I did my best vogue pose, hands on hips, head tilted and was rewarded with the sound of rich laughter.

“What?” I did my best puppy dog wounded eyes.

He chuckled lightly and pulled the hat off my head, “That’s not you…”

He turned to the rack and grabbed a flat cap. With gentle hands, he moved the hat around until it was positioned just right, “Now this…this is you.”

I smiled and looked up at him gratefully, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He returned and for that brief moment in time, we stood there just staring into each others eyes.

“Err, we should get going.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. I nodded my head slowly. After I had removed the cap we made our way out of the store.

“So what’s the first thing you’re going to do?” He threw my earlier question back at me. Still in a haze I didn’t answer immediately, “Throw a party?”

I laughed as he pushed me to the side, “You’re cute.” There he went again, repeating my words.

To this day, I still found it hard to believe how we managed to be so close when we were so different. We were the typical introvert and extrovert, both with different takes on the world. His lenses were rose tinted, while I preferred to think of myself as the more realistic one. His glass was always full, and mine always half empty. Yet with all of that we clicked, complimented the other.

It was him that had made the first move. Back at the beginning of sixth form college, I had been the diligent student, with the sole objective of getting my A-Levels and then onto University for that precious Degree. No time for fun – that was my motto. Then he’d asked to borrow my pencil in History and that was the beginning.

“This way,” he gently led me away from the oncoming group of people.

“Thanks,” I muttered in appreciation.

“No probs.”

“We’re here,” I whispered.

“Yeah,” he turned to look out the window, to the world outside. “Yeah.”

His eyes were glued out the window; I silently willed him to turn those baby blues on me but still he continued to stare hypnotically at whatever had grabbed his attention.

“Well…” I shuffled nervously on the spot, trying to think of something to say.

“Its nice weather for this time of year, isn’t it?” I cringed in horror, “I can’t believe I just said that.”

He laughed, “Don’t worry, I forgive you.” At long last he deigned it okay to favour me with a glance.

“We’re good, Jade.”

It felt as though he’d glimpsed inside me then, felt the uncertainty that seeped within me. We’d never been here before, and I just didn’t know how to rectify the situation. And I desperately wanted to fix it.

“We’re good?” I asked him hesitantly.

He nodded his head, reached out a hand and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“We’re good.”

I stared deeply into the depths of his eyes, hoping to maybe get a small glimmer into his soul.

“Hi, guys.” I turned to look as Sarah walked towards us.

“This part sucks, huh?” She smiled gently at us, and came and stood beside him.

I quickly glanced over at him, “Yeah.”

“You all set?” I asked Sarah.

“No. But it’ll have to do.”

I laughed nervously in reply to her comment.

“Err…Just a moment, I’ve got to get something. You guys stay here and I’ll be back in a second.” He walked away, leaving Sarah and I to stare quizzically at each other, wondering what he was up to.

“Don’t be too long,” Sarah shouted out to his retreating back, to which he raised a hand in acknowledgement.

“Men, can’t live with them, can’t leave without them,” Sarah said.

I smiled timidly, not sure of what to say. Truth be told, Sarah and I didn’t really know each other too well. We weren’t strangers, yet we weren’t friends. The fact of the matter was: She had something I wanted and I had something she wanted. But neither of us ever said nor would say the words aloud.

“That’s a pretty necklace there.” Sarah pointed to the chain at my neck with the small sapphire stone.

“It was a birthday gift,” I told her, remembering that particular day with more than a passing fondness.

“It’s gorgeous.”

“Thanks.”

I wasn’t sure of what to say next, but I was confident that Sarah would take control of the situation with skilled artistry. If there was one thing Sarah was known for, it was her impeccable social skills.

The gift had been an unexpected surprise. He’d presented it to me in the early hours of my birthday, come bounding to my door at the crack of dawn and knocked incessantly until I had finally been forced to haul myself out of bed to open it. My first birthday away from home, a time when university life had been scary and strange; and there he’d been to make it a little bit better.

From the position I stood, I had an excellent vantage point of the large clock. Each second passed quicker than the last. Time was moving too quickly, but there was no way that I, nor anyone else for that matter, could slow it down.

I grabbed at my necklace, hoping to steady myself against the spiral of anxiety that I was hopelessly drowning in.

A speaker announced the arrival of the end and still he was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is he?” Sarah hastily searched the faces looking for him.

“I don’t know,” I answered in reply.

We stood side by side waiting for him to make an appearance.

“I’m back.” My hair slapped my face from the speed in which I turned to face him.

“Where the hell have you been? It’s getting late,” Sarah accused him.

“Don’t worry.” He cajoled her, turning to face her. “Can you give us a sec?” He peered into her eyes, pleading with her until she reluctantly nodded her head and moved away.

“This is it,” I whispered to him, unable to believe my own words.

He nodded his head in agreement, “This is it.”

I felt like shouting at him, that this wasn’t it. That this shouldn’t be it.

“Don’t cry, Jade,” he said painfully. I screwed my eyes shut tightly, praying for no tears so that I could grant him his request.

“No tears,” I answered gruffly, throat dry and parched.

“That’s my girl.” He leaned forward and chucked me under the chin.

“I got you a present.” He opened the carrier bag I had failed to notice and pulled out a gift that made me smile.

Gently he placed the cap atop my head, “This is you.” His words tore into me and I bit my lip to stop it from trembling.

“Thanks.” I punched him on the arm playfully.

“Ouch,” he replied with his customary response and winked at me.

“Thank you,” I reiterated, hoping those two words conveyed my gratitude for everything.

He pulled me into a hug and I clung to him tightly, burying my face into the crook of his neck.

“No thank you, Jade,” he whispered into my hair.

We stood there, each clinging to the other, until the tannoy rang again asking all passengers to board the plane.

We pulled apart and looked at each other for the last time.

He drew his thumbs across my cheeks, wiping all traces of my tears.

With gentle hands, he cupped my face and kissed me on the forehead,

“I love you, Jade.” The intensity of his gaze stole my breath. I felt a sharp pang in my chest as he broke into one of his rare special smiles.

I returned his smile with one of my own, “I love you too.”

I stood on the spot as he walked towards the airport gates, watched as he bent down and grabbed the duffel bag lying at Sarah’s feet. And in slow motion, I watched as he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. Together with joined hands they boarded the plane.

Goodbye Adam.

I thought I’d try something different and here it is. Although it killed me to give them a sad ending, I felt it suited the story best.

Reviews are love.