Cabin Fever

Chapter One - Josephine

"Have you got your tickets ready?" Anna asked apprehensively.

"Yes." I reply with a smile which soon fades as I realise we are the next ones in line.

As silly as it sounds, I'm hoping the attendant won't want to see my tickets. There's probably no ink left on them where I've been holding onto them so tightly!

As expected, the lady in front is given the go ahead to board the plane with a friendly smile and well practised gesture of the hand by the same flight attendant who is now beckoning me to come forward.

I watch the lady in front bend down to pick up her hand bag before straightening herself and her outfit out and boarding the plane with no issue.

I had half hoped she might drop her bag, anything to take the pressure off of me and my building anxiety.

Reluctantly, I step forward and the attractive lady in her blue and white uniform takes the ticket from my hand before looking at me a little gingerly. "Row C: 25b" She informs me.

Stepping across the threshold, I turn slightly and await for Anna to accompany me.

Don't get me wrong, looking back at the masses of people in the queue behind Anna is hard to stomach, but not as hard as the thought of boarding without my good friend by my side.

I watch as the pretty lady retrieves Anna's ticket and as she does so, a small wave of fear begins to wash over me.

It only occurred to me in at that exact moment that the stewardess would now announce out loud where Anna would be sitting for the next few hours. What if it wasn't next to me?! Why hadn't I thought of this before!

"Row E: 18a" The attendant smiles.

Dang.. I really wanted to sit next to Anna.

"S'okay! I'll be just behind you." As if reading my mind or perhaps my panicked facial expression, Anna soon places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "We can always text?" She suggests with a smile; waving her phone at me.

Before I can think how to respond, I am instantly distracted by what I've heard from just behind us.

"Row C: 25c" I hear the flight attendant announce. I quickly crane my head to see who my neighbour will be for the next five or so hours and to my absolute horror, I see that it will be Hero.

"Is something wrong, Josie?" Anna's face comes into focus as I look to her for help.

"Wrong?" I repeat in a dream like daze, already hearing the hundreds of "What-If's" beginning to kick in.

"Hey." Hero joins us, keeping his eyes trained and fixed upon Anna.

Apparently, I don't exist anymore.

"Hey! What number are you?" I ask already knowing the answer but secretly hoping I heard it wrong.

"25.. Something." He shrugs out of the corner of my eye, confirming what I already knew.

"What about you?" He asks Anna.

"Oh, I'm a few rows further back. But hey, maybe we could set up a little group chat?" She suggests for the second time while waiting for a reply that I am unable to give in my current state.

"Sure, sounds good." He replies with ease.

How can he be so calm? I still can't look at him. I'm in no way ready. Just standing next to him is painful enough!

It hurts. It really hurts