Chapter 20
<Jasper Coven>
It's 6 A.M. and Isaac, Alex and I are dragging my luggage through LAX to the check-in area. The attendant behind the desk asks for my name and flight number. I give her the information and she prints off my boarding passes before allowing me to set my luggage on the scale. Once each bag has been weighed and paid for, she hands me my boarding passes and tells me to have a good flight. I nod and pull my backpack strap higher up on my shoulder. Isaac and Alex lead the way towards the security line, which has too many people considering the early hour. I turn to Isaac and try to contain my tears.
"This is the right thing, Jasper, I promise you'll be better off not being in L.A. for a little while." Isaac says with a soft sigh. "I'm just a phone call away."
"Speed dial 1," I smile and pull Isaac into a tight hug as I try to fight back the tears in the corners of my eyes.
"Call me when you land. A car will meet you on the ground and take you to your house." Isaac says as I let go of him.
"Thank you for everything." I say, my voice choking up.
"Hey, man, no tears, you're gonna be just fine." Alex chuckles and pulls me into a hug. I give him a tight squeeze and then step into the line.
"I love you guys, I'll see you soon." I wave to them as I snake my way through the maze that makes up the waiting space. I step into line behind a family where the mom is trying to wrangle her rowdy kids. I pull out my phone and scroll through my Instagram as I wait to be called to go through security.
~~~~~~
"This is the final boarding call for flight 2235 to the Everington Regional Airport. All groups may now board." The gate attendant says over the intercom as I rush back to the gate, lunch and boarding pass in hand.
I give her the boarding pass and she scans it before allowing me to board. I rush to my seat, the last one to be filled on the plane. I sit down and slip my backpack under the seat in front of me before I start eating my turkey sandwich. It's the first real food I've had since I got out of the hospital. I chew quietly as the flight attendant gives the safety demonstration and tells us all to prepare for take-off.
Once the sandwich is gone, I begin to eat my chips and take sips of my soda in between as the plane lifts off the ground. When my lunch is gone, and the seatbelt sign has gone off, I pull out my phone and am about to put in my earbuds when I hear a small voice call my name. I turn and see a girl of about thirteen holding out her phone.
"You're Jasper Coven," The girl says, her hands shaking.
"Yeah, that's me." I reply with a smile. "What can I do for you?"
"Could I get a picture? No one will believe that you were on my flight." She returns my smile and hands the phone to her mom. She puts her arm around my shoulders and grins widely. I give my best smile and once her mom nods that they got a good picture, the girl gives me a tight squeeze before the pair of them go back to their seats. I slip in my earbuds and put my music on shuffle as I close my eyes.
~~~~~
My flight has landed and I'm following people off the jet bridge into the small space of the Everington Regional Airport. There's a group of people waiting to pick up their families, many of them holding signs and flowers. I look around for someone holding a sign for me and I find him standing in the back corner of the crowd with a cup of coffee and a sign with my name. I walk towards him, fiddling with the frayed strap on the end of my backpack.
"Hello, Mr. Coven. Mr. Silverman sent me to take you back to your house. My name is Tom." The man holds out his free hand and I shake it.
"Thank you for coming, Mr. Tom. I have some bags to pick up and then we can be on our way." I say and walk over to baggage claim where the alarm has started going off, signaling that the luggage carousel is going to start. I spot my bags quickly and grab the three of them off the moving belt of the luggage carousel. Tom takes one from me and leads the way out into the Texas heat. We walk towards a black Range Rover and he pops the trunk. I lift my suitcases into it and then take a seat in the backseat of the car. Tom slips into the driver's seat and pulls out of his parking space.
YOU ARE READING
A Girl Named Callie
Spiritual*sequel to A Boy Named Jasper* ~~~~~ When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6) ~~~~~~ Jasper has been in L.A. for almost five years. Not a day w...
