Flight K109 (#1 ¬ Aiello Racing Series )

Mia James

"The weather here is like Francesca from year 10. Bipolar as hell."

Claire's voice echoes from my phone across the kitchen and I hear Andrea laugh and agree with her.

"Seriously though," she says, "sometimes it's sunny, sometimes it's raining, sometimes is sunny and it's raining. I swear to god there are full thunderstorms in 35 degree weather."

"That's England Andy." I say

Andrea grumbles something, "I'm going to run away and come live with you if this weather goes on Mia."

"You'll be sleeping in the cellar if you try that." I scoff

"I'll sleep in the garden if need be."

I shake my head and throw the pan I've been working on into the oven to bake. Andy and Claire start talking about something or another as I begin to clean up the counter and wash the dishes. My phone rings with a message from Elliot, I've given him his own ringtone so I know whether or not I want to open the message when it comes in. Not that it really matters, he's the only one texting me either way.

The text is just a picture of him making stupid faces in the mirror at the gym. I can see his personal trainer dude in the background, he looks so frustrated with Elliot I can practically feel it through the phone. Honestly I can understand why, Elliot doesn't seem like the easiest person to train. He's very......strong willed.

"Mia?" I hear Claire call, bringing me back to the conversation, "We asked you something mate. What were you looking at?"

"Probably another text from her boyfriend." Andy says

"Not my boyfriend." I say for what feels like the hundreth time in the last week and a half

"But he will be?" Claire suggests

I shake my head, "Not likely."

"Why not?" Andy groans, she's been wanting me to get a boyfriend for years, not sure if it's because she wanted me to be happy or if she just wanted to be able to bitch about her exes more with me, either way it hasn't happened yet

"You know full well why not."

Andrea rolls her eyes on the screen in front of me. "Seriously Mia? Are you really going to let fear dictate the rest of your life?"

I shrug, "Maybe." I say meekly, this is something we've talked about a million times the last couple years, but it's not getting any better

Claire sighs, "Sweetheart. I know your parents' divorce was horrible. And I don't blame you if you feel apprehensive about relationships after how it all happened. But are you really going to let that hold you back? Elliot sounds like a really great guy, are you sure you don't even want to try?"

"That's the thing Claire. I like him too much, he's a good friend. I can't risk losing that. What if we try. What if we try and it doesn't work and everything goes to shit and we never talk again? What then? For the love of god he might not even like me that way."

"What if," Andy starts, "what if you try, and it all works out, and you're happy, and it's even better than being his friend? It doesn't have to last forever, we're young Mia, but at least you try."

Happy? Like my parents used to be? Andy and Claire don't get it. My parents were the poster children of a happy couple. They met when they were young, fell madly in love, got married, had me. We were one big happy family with movie nights and dates and activities. My parents used to be my whole meaning of what love looked like. And then they weren't. Everything turned around in the blink of an eye. And look at them now, haven't spoken a word to each other in years as they ship their daughter around the continent because they can't be civil enough to work a reasonable agreement out.