18 ways to die

2 - a plane to somewhere

"Welcome to JFK." I read the sign aloud. "Thanks, I feel very welcomed." The outside of the airport looks kind of like the Sydney opera house. Kind of. 

Jace smirks at me. "You're easy to please then if that's what you call a warm welcome." He opens the door and looks at me. I stare back before realizing he is holding it for me. Feeling embarrassed, I rush through the doors. As if the added speed will make up for my awkward interlude.

"Yeah well." I pause to look around at all the people busily running around the airport, some carrying suitcases and some just with briefcases or welcome home signs. "I'm not exactly accustom to them."

"Hmm." Jace walks beside me pushing our luggage cart. "You need more life experience."

I snort.

"With happy things."

I raise my eyebrows. "You could've thought of that before you decided to take me on a death trip."

"You act like there isn't a chance you'll be fine." He puts a hand on the small of my back to guide me in the right direction. The action makes me flinch a bit.

"Maybe there isn't," I say honestly.

"Maybe." He sighs.

"So are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"Are you going to tell me why you want to die, yet don't act depressed?"

"Talent." I smile at his eye roll.

"Funny." He says, although the way he says it you know he didn't find it the least bit funny.

I shrug. Hey, I try to be humourous. I should be getting points for a good attitude. Fake or not. 

We walk up to the kiosks to get our boarding passes. The line isn't very long, as there are multiple kiosks. The man in front of us looks pretty rushed, and only takes him a minute or so. As Jace steps up and starts entering information, I can't help but smile victoriously. Finally I'm going to figure out where we're going!

"Stop watching me so creepily," Jace says with his back turned.

I take a step back and stare at him wide eyed.

"I knew it!" He turns around and grins.

"Boarding pass." I holding out my hand flat to him.

"Nope!" He smiles. "Let's go check our luggage."

Little bugger is enjoying this.

"This better not be a regular thing. I cannot live this way. Next place we go, you're telling me. Okay?" I demand and follow after him to the line to check our luggage into the plane.

"Alright!" He chuckles. "If you insist."

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing." 

We walk beside each other in the line up. There are about ten other people waiting. I can see one woman struggling with her two young children. They keep trying to run off and look at things. I feel bad for the mother, she looks so stressed out. Just one reason of many why I'd never want kids. She finally finishes with her luggage, then grabs the kids little carry-on backpacks and her own purse, then pushes the children along to the mini food court. That seems to satisfy the tiny humans, and they stare at the huge menus, standing obediently beside their mother while she orders.

"Asia? Hey, Asia?"

"Huh?" I turn to look at Jace.

"We're next in line. So you like kids huh?" He nods in their direction.

Crap, I was staring. "God no." I laugh. "I was just thinking about how hard it must be for the Mom to look after the two of them. I wouldn't want such a responsibility."

"Well, if you ever did have kids you could learn from your own mother. I'm sure like most mom's she would love grandkids."

I give him a small, sad smile. "Yeah. My mother..."

If I've learnt anything from my mother, it's how to avoid responsibility.

Jace talks to the person at the desk for a moment, then takes our suitcases and hands them to her. She weighs them and sends them through, waving us away with a smile.

"Where to now? Food?" I ask hopefully.

"I ordered us a meal on the plane. It's a long flight," He says. "Let's get through security."

"Long flight huh? How long exactly?" I inquire, sounding quite suspicious.

"Long enough." Jace smirks. "You'll find out where we're going soon, relax!"

I race ahead of him to security, so when they request boarding passes he has to give me them. To my disgust, the only thing I learn about where we're going is the airport code. PEK. I've never heard of it in my life. Jace bites his lip to hold back a smile when he sees my face. I glare and continue going. It's one - nothin with Jace in the lead. For now.

"Would like like me to hold onto them or do you want to keep yours?" He asks sweetly.

"I'll keep it." I grumble.

Together we walk up the stairs to the large waiting area. It's got huge windows all across one side so you can see all the planes. I love airplanes. I've never actually been on one, but the thought of them makes me actually... happy. To me, they encompass freedom and possibility.

"Let's sit down." Jace touches my shoulder. I now notice that the whole area is filled with semi-comfortable seats. You know the ones that don't instantly feel awful but if you sit long enough you start to tell? Yeah, those.

"I think I'm just going to watch the planes..." I shrug off his hand and walk straight to the glass. A plane is taking off now, and there's one just disappearing above the clouds. Weightless.

I look out the window for a long, long, time before Jace grabs my hand. I flinch away. "What?"

"They're calling for our flight."

"Flight 678 to Beijing, please begin boarding." "Last call for flight 456 to San Francisco." Two calls come over the intercom.

"We're going to San Francisco?" I ask.

"No." He gives me a wild smile. "We're going to Beijing."

"Wait, like Beijing in CHINA?" My eyes widen.

"Exactly like Beijing in China." He grips my hand tighter. "Let's go to Asia, Asia."

"Oh hilarious. You're a freakin' comedian." I roll my eyes at him, but my heart is beating double time. I'm going to China. What if I die in China? Won't that just be the most amazing part of my story?

"Oh, I know!" He replies.

Wait a minute. I stop to study Jace's face. Why is he so happy? Isn't he making the same deal with the world as I am?

"Passport please." The man at the desk hold out a hand. I give him mine, and the boarding pass. It only takes him a moment to look over both mine and Jace's information. "Great. Have a nice flight you two."

"Our adventure awaits." Jace dramatically gestures to the gangway.

"So it does." I nod at him. 

* * * * *   

Yay, an update! If I can write, lets say... five more chapters before the Watty's due date, should I enter this story? 

Thanks for reading!

~Andrea Xx