"Distance is but a myth for two in love"
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"This is the final boarding call for passengers booked on flight 34B to New York. Please proceed to gate 3 immediately."
Matt gritted his teeth, his hands balled into fists. His knuckles were turning an angry red. He was looking through the huge glass window of the business lounge at the runway, his eyes transfixed at the plane ready for departure. Yet, his mind was nowhere near leaving.
A hand squeezed his shoulder lightly, "we might miss the flight."
He turned around to be met with Ciara's apprehensive gaze. She was a colleague of his, working and fighting alongside him in a gang of seven people.
He nodded curtly. He looked around for Edward and found him busy typing something in his phone, sitting on a leather couch in the far corner of the lounge.
"Good to go?" Matt asked the rest of the gang. There was a total of six exclusive of him, all busy in their own worlds. Jasper and Kilter were in the middle of a fist fight. Lilian was concentrating on the black nail polish she was applying on her pinky finger, she always found it a challenge to colour her bitten fingers, especially the last one. Audrey was talking on the phone, her voice soft and serious.
They stopped and stared at him.
"What?" Matt asked, irately.
"Thought you were planning on staying the night." Audrey shrugged, disconnecting the call and got up to leave. She walked past him to the gateway and the rest of the gang followed. Edward stayed back to leave with Matt.
"I called him," Edward said, softly so that no one could hear. "He said the funeral is today at four in the evening."
Matt looked at him questioningly, "we need to be there."
Edward shook his head, "no. It isn't your fault."
Matt opened his mouth to protest but they were already past the gateway and inside the plane. He looked at the closing door in dismay and after giving a good glare to the welcoming air hostess who looked at him perplexed, he took his seat in the business class.
"I have no idea why we are bound to rot inside this fucking Hell," Audrey grumbled, loud enough for the whole crew to hear. She rested her legs on top of the seat infront of her. No one said anything. Whenever the lot was on a mission, they could use one of the private jets of the organization, but this time they were using a public one.
It was a long journey to New York and Matt knew it wouldn't be a good one neither.
*
"You'll be late," Britney grumbled. She was checking herself in the bathroom mirror, adjusting her messy bun. The women who had occupied the other booths had already left, but seems like Belle found an eternity in her one.
"I know," Belle grumbled, shouting from one of the booths. "This is a weird toilet."
"And that's what you call a disabled one," she replied. At that moment, a formally dressed lady entered the bathroom. She seemed to have spilt something on her skirt and was busy washing it off. Britney gulped and was debating over her decision of signalling Belle to not come out. As if Satan was right beside them,Belle came out of the toilet with a satisfied sigh.
She stopped as the lady turned around. Belle's hand twisted wierdly, and she smiled at the woman who returned the gesture. She walked with a lopsided gait to Britney who silently helped her walk outside by holding her hand.
The minute both of them were out, away from the lady's vision, Britney guffawed with laughter, her hands clutching her stomach.
"Shush, Britney," Belle said. "We are in an airport, not your home."
It didn't stop Britney, infact it made her laugh even more. Tears of bliss were edging at her lids, threatening to fall.
Belle rolled her eyes, "laugh all you want, shiznit."
She stomped her way back to the shop where Tom and the twins were, leaving Britney and her maniac self alone. Her stride was quick but her height couldn't tolerate her speed and eventually she walked in a normal pace. Britney was quick to catch up with her, her laughter ceased to indistinct giggles.
They neared the shop, the twins' tiny figures coming to view but Tom was nowhere to be found. Ivor was the first to spot them, she tapped Ian and pointed at them. The two waved at Belle and Britney.
Belle smiled and waved back. Once they were all together, Ivor hugged Belle tightly, her petite figure pasted to Belle's legs. Belle, speechless, reciprocated with a less tight hug.
"You okay honey?" Belle asked, with a little doubt. Ivor didn't reply.
Rolling his eyes, Ian pulled Ivor from her hugging mania and replied, "you took so much time, Ivor thought you lost your way back. And worse, someone kidnapping you," he said with a scoff, "I mean, who would want to kidnap you?"
Belle scoffed, "you're so mean."
"Forget him," Ivor said, narrowing her eyes at the scowling Ian, "he's been in bitch mode since this morning."
"Who's in bitch mode?" Tom said, coming with a bag of soda cans in one hand and a paper bag in the other.
"Ia-," Britney started.
"Where were you?" Belle demanded, cutting short Britney's reply.
"I should be the one asking that," Tom said raising his eyebrows questioningly.
"I-"
"Ohmigod! Belle was inside the disabled washroom, and guess what?" Britney blurted all at once, before Belle could shut her up. So instead, she rolled her eyes.
"Why would you want to use the one for the disabled?" Ivor said, her face scrunching into disgust and a hidden smile.
"Because her mind is disabled," Ian bursted all of a sudden, his voice soaring high. "And that's why she wants to leave. Stupid girl!"
Everyone was quiet for a moment, trying to absorb Ian's sudden outburst. A tear rolled down Belle's eyes, it was already difficult to leave everyone. When she'd just got enough courage to leave her home and loved ones, Ian, of all people had to make it even harder.
"You know what guys, Ian and I are gonna take a stroll," Tom said holding Ian's hand and leading him away. The three girls watched as the two disappeared behind the mesh of a crowd and silence took hold of them.
After some time, Ivor tapped Belle and she looked down at her, "I want ice cream," Ivor said.
Belle smiled and nodded, "anything for my baby."
Sitting on the colourful cushioned sofa in Baskin Robins, the three each had an ice cream of their choice and yet the unnerving silence didn't seem to have taken departure.
"Don't worry, he'll get over it," Ivor said, her sticky hand resting on Belle's shoulder. Belle didn't seem to mind, instead her mind was spiraling around the circle of her possible disappearance in the near future and how her family would react. It pained her to think of it. It pained her even more to think of what she would find in New York.
"You'll be late for the flight," Britney said, checking the time on her wrist watch.
Belle nodded and stood up to leave. They all left the shop, Ivor with her third serving of her favourite mint and chocolate chip ice cream in one hand and the other having a strawberry icecream for Ian.
Tom and Ian came back, he was silent but not grudging, which was an upgrade if you take it in an optimistic point of view. Ivor handed Ian's ice cream, to which his face lightened like the shining sun in Arizona.
"Take this," Tom said, placing a wooden box on Belle's hand and wrapped her hands around it. Belle looked at him dubiously but accepted it with a smile and put it inside her backpack.
"Brit, I wanna show you something," he said, entwining his fingers with hers and pulled her away. It was quite obvious that he was dragging her away to give the siblings some privacy, but the blush in her face was prominent.
"I think she likes him," Ian said, after they left. It seemed that Belle, alone, wasn't an audience for their act.
"Hm, yeah," Ivor agreed.
"So, um," Belle started nervously, not knowing what to say.
"This is the final boarding call for passengers booked on flight 34B to New York. Please proceed to gate 3 immediately," the speaker screeched. She needed to leave soon.
Belle looked tensely at the two staring, expecting blue eyes.
"I love you two, okay?" she said biting her lips, nervously. The two nodded in sync.
"And...and I won't miss you," she said. They nodded again, in sync.
"Don't you want to know why?" she asked. They nodded again, in sync. She felt her breathing get shorter and faster
"Be-because I love you and when someone loves someone, they need not worry ab-about distance okay?" she said. They nodded again. "So you will be always here," she pointed at her heart. They nodded again.
"When I'm gone, you shouldn't miss me also, okay?" she asked, and surely her 'gone' wasn't the temporary one they thought it was. This time, they didn't nod. A tear rolled down Ian's eyes, unshed masses perched on his lids. She inwardly groaned, his twin mirrored the same.
"Goddamit, I love you so much." She pulled both of them towards her, embracing them. She stayed that way for as long as she could remember, her arms encircling the two little ones.
For one last time, she thought.
A/N: Heya Lovelies! Hope you enjoyed reading this chap as much as I did writing it.It was so hard writing this chap, specially the last part considering it needed to be emotional. I suck at writing how one feels. Does my writing need more improvement in this field?
Quick question: what do you think is in the wooden box?