Sky rolled her eyes to the ceiling of the plane as her left foot tapped the ground. Checking her phone for the time, she tried to peer around the man in front of her to see if the line was moving at all. She hated people who didn't travel. They disorganized and unsure of themselves, causing unnecessary delays.
They tied up the security line by their ignorance to the restrictions and their inability to pack correctly. They clogged the airport walkways. They delayed disembarking the plane by waiting to collect all their things once the plane had landed. Sky wasn't a very uptight person and most things didn't bother her. But this, this was one of the things that got on her nerves.
She glanced again at her phone and shot a look around the guy again to see the people in front of her reaching above their heads for their luggage. If Louis had planned on her making the boat, he shouldn't have put her in the back of the plane. He knew as good as she did how late that could make her and she was already cutting it close.
She watched as the man in front of her reached over her head and roughly grabbed his standard, nondescript black bag. He was reaching for his computer bag when she seized the opportunity and snuck around him, quickly catching up with the person in front of him.
"Have a nice day," the flight attendant said, as Sky exited the plane. She winced at the flight attendant's fake smile, knowing her cheeks must be tired. Sky zig-zagged through the other passengers along the walkway. When she hit the end, she pushed into the airport and broke into a run.
A gentle tapping on Knox's shoulder woke him up. Pulling the sleep mask from his eyes, he stretched, taking in his surroundings. Calvin was seated next to him. Marcos was across the aisle, waking up. The slight hum of the plane faded into the background as a voice came over the loud speaker.
"Ladies and gentleman, I have turned on the seat belt sign as we prepare for our final descent into Miami. Flight attendants, prepare for landing," the captain said. Knox watched as seats returned to their upright position and tray tables clicked back into place.
"Want some water?" Calvin asked, holding out a large water bottle. Knox accepted the bottle and took a long drink.
"How long was I out?" he asked. He watched as Calvin turned off his computer and placed it back into his computer bag.
"A few hours."
"Did I miss anything?" he asked. He lifted the shade of the window and looking out into a clear sky.
"No. We're be landing in the next thirty minutes. There will be a car to meet us that will take us directly to the port," Calvin said. "We're arriving at the end of the boarding process and we will be going through a private entrance, so we shouldn't have much trouble."
Knox nodded and stretched again, thankful for the space first class seats had. When the plane landed he rose and waited as Calvin reached overhead and grabbed his duffel bag and Knox's black leather backpack. Knox saw Marcos doing the same. He took his backpack and walked off the plane, following the few people in front of him. As they neared the end of the walkway, there was a team of four security guards waiting for them. He reached into his backpack and pulled out his baseball hat and pulled up the hood of his jacket.
"Knox, these guys are going to walk with us to the exit," Marcos said.
"Got it. Thanks so much," Knox said, making eye contact with all four of the men.
"Let's go," one of them said. Knox followed as they exited the walkway.
The airport was a blur as Sky ran through the terminal, following the signs for baggage claim. She ran past the sign warning her she was leaving the secured area and came to a halt once through the door. The baggage claim area bursting with people. She looked around trying to make sense of the whole situation when she started to notice a pattern. Almost eighty percent of the people present were teenage girls.
She pushed through the crowd and was arriving at her baggage carousel when the area erupted in screams. Her hands flew to her ears in shock. She watched as the mass of girls surged towards the doors she had just come through. As she waited for her bag, she watched the crowd of girls. She frowned when she saw girls walking away from the crowd, crying, saying inaudible things and blubbering.
"What is going on?" a couple standing nearby asked each other. A look of bewilderment on their faces.
"Knox Hamilton is here," a girl in her early twenties answered them.
"Who?" the woman asked, a confused look still on her face.
Sky didn't wait for the girl's answer when she saw her bright green suitcase making its way along the carousel. She reached down and grabbed it off the belt. She pulled it behind her as she exited the airport and felt the warm Miami sun on her skin.
She waved a taxi down and quickly slid into the backseat. "Miami port, please," she told the driver.
Knox sat in the premier club lounge on a leather sofa, absentmindedly watching the television until Calvin appeared with their bags on a luggage cart. He stood and joined him and Marcos by the door.
"It's getting crazy out there," Marcos said, "No handshakes or autographs today. It's too much of a security risk. Ready?"
"Ready," Knox said. He followed right behind Marcos, Marcos' back the only thing he could see, with two security guards on either side. The first part of the airport had not been crowded and Knox's presence hasn't caused any commotion, but the security guards had told him that a crowd had been growing in the baggage claim area for the last hour and a half.
Screams filled the air as they pushed through the door and Knox looked out on a sea of girls. A wide smile spread across his face. Marcos cleared a path that the security guards reinforced as they slowly made their way through the crowd. Knox stayed close to Marcos but said hi to everyone he passed and smiled.
Some girls started to cry when he made eye contact, other screamed and looked like they might faint. He was crushed in on all sides for a few minutes until he felt the warm air when they reached the exit. Marcos rushed him to a waiting black SUV. Knox jumped in, climbing into the backseat as Marcos and Calvin hurriedly loaded the luggage into the car.
"Go," Marcos told the driver, as he got into the car and buckled up. Knox watched the crowd of girls push through the doors and against the security guards trying to keep them out of the street. Some broke free and tried to run after the car but it was moving too fast for them to keep up.
Sky handed the driver cash and grabbed her bags as she raced towards the port. Ahead of her was an enormous cruise ship, as tall as a skyscraper and almost a block long. It was blue and white one with the word Faraday scrolled across the bow in large elaborate writing.
There were a few stragglers still walking in to the civilians entrance as she headed further down the ship. It was chaotic as she made her way through port workers and delivery trucks, until she made it to the employee entrance.
"Cutting it close, aren't you Sky?" a voice called out. She turned to see a port worker in his dirty jumpsuit giving her a sly smile.
"You know how I love the thrill Bobby!" she called back, matching his smile and turning towards the check in table.
"Sky Bennett checking in," she said, a little out of breathe. She pulled her employee badge out of her backpack. The man behind the table took it and began to make marks on a page before handing the badge back to her.
"Here are your room assignment and work schedule" he said. He handed her a packet of papers. She thanked him and walked up the ramp and onto the boat.
"Sky," a voice called out. Sky turned and found a tall, hulking guy with bright blonde hair walking towards her. She smiled. "I didn't know you were going to be on this trip," Anders said. He caught up to her as she looked for her room.
"It was last minute. Louis called me up this morning and begged me to fill in," she said.
"This morning?" he asked in surprise.
"It's been a crazy morning."
"I'm surprised you made it in time. Where did you fly in from?"
"Boston. I was visiting Elliot and Cece, so it wasn't too bad. It was a three and a half hour flight but getting here from the airport was enough stress to give me a heart attack."
He laughed. Someone behind them called out to Anders. "I gotta run but I'll see you up on deck tonight," he said. "Isn't it so nice to up here?" he added before leaving.
Sky agreed and continued her search. Turning the corner, she saw her room number at the end of the hall. She slipped her key into the slot and pushed the door open. She hit the light switch and dragged her bags inside. She made a full turn, taking in her room.
The entrance was walled in by a closet on one side and a tiny bathroom on the other. But it quickly opened into a room with a queen size bed with two night stands on either side. There was a television mounted to the wall with a desk and chair under it.
Sky ran and jumped on the bed, letting out a small squeal. This was the nicest accommodations she had ever had. Usually, she was stuck in a bunk bed, sharing the room with three other girls and a bathroom with eleven girls. She dragged her bag onto the bed and started to unpack. It was going to be a good week.
When Knox's SUV pulled into the port, it was almost empty, except for workers. He climbed out of the car and tilted his head upward, taking in the whole sight of the large blue and white ship. Marcos started to pull luggage out of the back of the car. Knox slug his backpack over his shoulder and followed Calvin towards an entrance.
"Hello! Welcome to the Faraday. We are happy to have you on board," the tall, blonde guy greeted them at the entrance to the ramp. He was wearing khaki shorts and a blue polo shirt. "I am here to help you with anything you might need." Knox was impressed at the glitz and grandeur of the ship as they were led through the maze of hallways. There wasn't a surface he could see that didn't sparkle or shine. As they stepped onto the elevator, Knox watched as worker scanned a key before pressing any buttons.
"This unlocks your floor," the worker explained when he saw Knox looking. "We have taken all security measures to ensure your safety. No one without this key will be able to access your floor." he said. Knox could see Marcos was happy to hear that.
"Thanks," Knox said. The gold, reflective elevator doors opened into a spacious hallway. The worker led them down the hallway and stopped at the second door. He handed Knox a key card.
"This is your room. I hope you find everything to your liking. If you need anything, please let us know," the worker said. "If you come with me, I can show you to your rooms," he said to Calvin and Marcos.
"You good?" Marcos asked, dropping Knox's bags.
"I'm good," he said. Knox slide the key into the slot as Calvin and Marcos followed Tyler down the hallway.
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