I open the envelope that I know my plane ticket will be in. It came just in time. I wipe my eyes, trying to rid any falling tears.
I'm flying out to London tonight. I've never been on a plane before and I have to go alone.
I want to see Harry as soon as I get there. He said he couldn't be at the airport because he was helping Gemma and his dad plan everything out.
He hasn't told me how he feels about Anne's passing. Every time I try to talk to him about it he changes the subject completely.
"Leah?", my dad walks into the room. I hide the plane ticket behind my back. He looks at me oddly. "What are you hiding?", his expression grim.
I wasn't planning on telling him that I'm going to London but I guess now I have to.
I hand him the ticket. He looks at it for a moment, before looking back at me, his face full of confusion. "A plane ticket to London?", he asks. Then suddenly his facial features contort somewhat. He looks scared. "You are not going to London for that boy", he says sternly.
I sigh. "It's not like that Dad", I look at my feet. "Then what is it?", he raises his voice slightly. "His mom passed away and I'm going to her funeral", I continue to look at my feet. I wipe under my eyes. His breath hitches, I can hear it. I look up at him. His eyebrows crease together and he almost looks like he's about to cry. But he pulls it together, shakes it off like nothing happened.
He sits on the bed next to me. I know he has to be somewhat upset. He went out with Anne for a short time. He surprises me when he puts his arm around my shoulder. "Give his family my condolences", he says. I look up at him. He nods. He's going to let me go, no more questions asked. I can tell.
When dad leaves the room I begin packing. I don't really know how long I'll be in London. I don't know when Harry will come back. I can't be there for more than four days because if I miss anymore school I won't be able to graduate with all the other seniors. I don't know. I'm just going to have to see how it all works out.
I decide on packing three days and two nights worth of things. If I happen to stay longer I can borrow something from Gemma, I guess. I carefully fold my black dress for Anne's funeral. I wipe my eyes again and put it into the suitcase. I make sure to keep my passport close so I don't forget it. I got it last week when Harry called me and told me to get one soon. He knew Anne didn't have much time.
I finish packing quickly because I want to be at the airport for 4:00pm. My flight departs at 6:00pm.
I'm really getting nervous. Harry told me not to worry about the plane ride. He said it would be a smooth ride. It's a straight flight. I'm grateful for that. If we stopped I would probably get lost or something. He did warn me about jet leg. The flight is 9 hours. I leave the Seattle airport at 6:00pm so that would make me arrive at 3:00am but there are time zones. I'm really going to get to London at 11:00am GMT. It's so confusing.
A couple hours later, my dad walks back into my room. "You want me to take you to the airport so you don't have to leave your car there?", he asks. I was going to have Ellie bring me but since my dad asked I'll let him take me. "Sure, thanks", I nod.
**********
Dad drives into the parking lot at the airport and parks his car. Do you know how everything works? You've never been on a plane before or been through any airport procedures. "Harry told me about them. I'll figure it out", I say. He nods and turns off the car. "I'll walk you in?", I don't think he means for it to come out as a question. "Okay", I give him a smile.
He helps me with my suitcase and leads me into the doors. It's weird that a little more than a month ago I was in my dad's position. God, I miss Harry. I just want to comfort him and hug him and kiss him and.. "Leah", my dad interrupts my thoughts. "Hmm", I hum. This is as far as I can go. I didn't realize how far we walked. "Oh", I say. I step into the baggage check line. "Be safe okay? Call me if you need anything", he says, kissing my forehead. I'm surprised by his affection. "I will. Love you", I say. He smiles, waving goodbye. I watch him walk out of the front entrance.
Once he's gone, the nerves really kick in. The baggage check line moves slowly, which makes me even more nervous. I constantly check the time.
When it's finally my turn, I give a small woman my bags. "ID?", she asks. I pull out my passport and hand it to her. She nods and hands it back. She writes something down, rips a piece of paper, then gives it to me. She puts my bag on a conveyer of some sort. "You'll find your bags once you are off of the plane. Attendants in your arrival airport will help you", she says. She motions for me to come through. "Next", she yells, causing me to jump slightly.
I have to then get in another line to go through security at my departure gate.The line here isn't as long. I step in. My heartbeat accelerates as I move down the line. I'm so incredibly nervous.
When it's my turn they make me show my boarding pass first, which Harry sent with my ticket. I'm not sure how. I've never done this before but I thought you got your boarding pass at the airport.
They make me remove my shoes, as they begin to look through my purse. A woman nods. "Step through", she says. I slide my shoes back on. I step through two poles. Nothing beeps. "Good", she says under her breath. The man searching my purse is done and nothing has to be removed. "Thank you", they say. I smile, trying my best to hide my nerves.
I move into a large room. I read the sign above the door to make sure this the right place. I walk up to the desk. The woman behind the counter is dressed in business attire, her hair is slicked back into a bun. She smiles at me as I walk up. There is a older man to my right showing his passport to another young woman.
"May I see some identification please?", she asks kindly. I open my passport and show it to her. I hand her my boarding pass as well as my ticket. She looks at them and types something into her computer. "Okay you're all set", she slides my things back across the desk top. "Thank you Miss Walters, have a nice flight", she smiles warmly. I return the smile.
I walk passed the desk, deeper into the large room. I check the time. The plane takes off in a little less than 30 minutes. Just on time.
I sit in the only open chair I can find. A man with sharp features and slicked hair sits to my left and a woman with a young child on her lap sits to my right. I smile politely at them both but neither return the gesture.
A couple minutes later everyone starts to stand up and begin walking to the narrow hallway to enter the plane. My heart beat quickens. I take a deep breath. I look at the jumbled letters and numbers above the door and the little red words that say "Direct flight to London, England". I check my ticket. This is the right flight.
The hallway leads to a gate where I can see the plane. I follow everyone outside.
Everyone patiently waits in line to board the plane. Flight attendants are on both sides of the steps, helping people find their seat. I twist Harry's ring and take another deep breath.
When I get to the first step the flight attendant grins at me. She asks me to show her my ticket. "Row 24, seat 1", she motions to the plane. "Take a right when you enter the airplane. You'll see the row number above the seats", she says. "Thank you", I whisper. I push passed her and walk up the steps.
As soon as I step foot on the plane my stomach flips. There are people everywhere, trying to shove luggage into compartments, hastily looking for their seats, bumping into others. I take a deep breath.
I try to think about Harry. After all this mess I will get to see him, comfort him. I have that to look forward to.
Hopefully it will be enough to get me through the ride.
After I squeeze through the people in the aisle, I find my seat. The seats in my row are numbered 1,2,3, then the aisle, then 4,5,6. No one is sitting beside me yet so I can easily walk to my seat. It's a window seat. I'm not sure if I'll hate it or enjoy it.
I take a seat. I watch as the plane slowly fills. An older woman sits in seat three. She smiles at me and I return the gesture.
A man then slides passed the old woman and sits next to me. I hate how close I have to sit by these strangers. He carries a duffle bag. He leans over to put the bag in the overhead compartment. I have to scoot back so he doesn't bump into me. " 'Scuse me", he murmurs.
He sits down, fixing his jacket. I realize he's more of a boy than a man. He looks young, maybe 19 or 20. His lips pull into a small smirk, when he notices my stare. I immediately look away, blushing.
I focus at the airplane's wing out the window. I twist Harry's ring, occasionally moving it to other fingers, then back to my middle finger. I don't exactly have slim fingers, so his ring fits my middle finger quite well.
"What's your name?", the young man asks, startling me. I turn my head towards him. "Leah", I comes out more like a whisper. He sticks his hand out. "Scott", I shake his hand politely. He looks a lot like Ellie's boyfriend, Louis, but a little younger, and his hair is darker.
"Thought we might as well know each other's names if we are going to be on this nine hour plane ride", he smiles. I don't really know what to say so I just nod.
He turns away from me and greets the old woman as well. It makes me feel less uncomfortable now that I know he was honestly just being polite.
Once everyone is seated, the pilot's voice comes over the intercom. I squeeze my hands into fists. "We are preparing for take off, please buckle your seat belts now", the intercom squeaks a little. "The weather conditions are clear, no storms anywhere in sight. Have a good flight", the pilot adds.
I shakily find the safety belt and buckle it across my hips. I try to be careful not to touch Scott's hip, where the belt buckles. Scott buckles his belt as well. He does it quickly, not caring that he brushes against my hip. I scoot over slightly, trying not to make a big deal out of nothing.
Scott holds out a piece of gum. "So your ears won't pop", he says. I take the gum. My hands are shaking. "Thanks", I say, putting the gum into my mouth.
"There's no reason to be nervous", he says. I squeeze my fists tightly. "Just relax, I promise it'll be just fine", he adds. I nod, taking a deep breath.
The plane begins to rumble and the runway behind us begins to dissipate. I don't look out of the window anymore. I squeeze my eyes shut. "Relax", I hear Scott say again.
The moment the plane leaves the ground, there is a huge bump. I hold my breath. The plane shakes a little more. My ears pop. I realize I wasn't even chewing the gum, it was just kinda sitting in my mouth.
"You're all good. The hardest part is over", Scott says. I open my eyes. I chew on the gum to relieve some of the pressure in my ears. I hesitantly look out of the window. We are already high up. It's really a beautiful sight. The buildings look so small and the cars look like little dots.
I exhale. "See not so bad", Scott smiles. "Yeah", I breathe. "So I take it this is your first flight", he continues to grin. "Mmhmm", I hum. "I fly a lot. This will be my third time going to London. It's beautiful there", he says. I don't mind the conversation, it even calms me down a bit.
"Why are you going to London?", he asks. I knew this questions was coming. I pause for a moment, "My boyfriend's mom passed away. I'm going to her funeral", I say quietly. He stays quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry to hear that", he frowns. "Your..um boyfriend lives in London then?", he asks. "He lives in Seattle but his sister and mom..live in London", I say. "He's been in London awhile helping his sister take care of their mom. She had cancer", maybe I'm saying too much. I don't want to tell Scott Harry's life story.
"Oh", he says, "my condolences". I nod, smiling sadly.
"Why are you going to London?", I ask, changing the subject. "Just for a trip. I'm meeting my mom there. She flew up last week", he says. "It doesn't get boring touring the same city multiple times?", I ask. "I usually don't go on the tours. I just go to have fun. London is a great place", he grins. "My mom and I travel a lot, all over the world. It's amazing", he adds.
I wish I could travel around the world. I hate being stuck in Seattle. It definitely gets boring there.
I look out of the window to see how high we've gotten. All I can really see is clouds. It makes me a little queazy at first, but it really is a beautiful sight.
I look back at Scott. He's got headphones in his ears and his eyes are closed. It doesn't seem like a bad idea. I pull my headphones out of my purse and plug them into my phone. I put them into my ears and turn on some music. I decide on closing my eyes as well, trying my best to relax. If I fall asleep now maybe I won't be so tired when I get off of the plane.
I jolt awake. The plane is shaking roughly. I feel sick. Scott is picking at his thumb nail. He turns his head towards me. "Damn I didn't want you to wake up because I thought you'd freak out", he looks at me. "And you're freaking out", he exhales.
My heart pounds in my chest, waiting for some kind of response.
"It's turbulence", he says. "No need to worry", he adds. I take a deep breath. That's normal, right? Airplanes usually go through turbulence?
The shaking starts to die down. The intercom bings. "Sorry folks, we just went through a small wind storm, I apologize", the pilot says.
I look around. No one else on the plane seems to be as panicked as me. They must be used to it, like Scott.
"You want something to drink?", Scott asks. "Um sure", I say. He motions to a flight attendant. The woman walks over, a plastered smile on her face.
"How can I help you, sir?", she asks. He sticks his finger out to her, telling her to wait a moment. "What do you want to drink?", he asks me. "Just water please", I say. My throat burns.
"Can you please get this lady some water?", he asks the flight attendant. The plastered smile never leaves her face. "Of course, would you like a bottle or a glass?", she looks at me. "Bottle is fine, thanks", I say. She nods. "Do you need anything, sir?", she looks back at Scott. "A coffee please", he says. "Sure thing", she says. She might have even winked at Scott, it was hard to tell.
She returns with our drinks. She hands me my water bottle, which was tucked under her arm. "Thank you",I say. She gives Scott his coffee and various sugars and creamers. He nods.
After awhile I get sleepy again. We still have a good 5 hours to go. I put my headphones back into my ears and try my best to sleep.
When I wake I feel extremely odd. It's bright outside again. I check my phone and it says the time is 10:09am. My phone switches with time zones so I know now that we must be somewhere in Europe. I look over at Scott. He's asleep and so is the old woman to his left.
We are supposed to land 11:30 GMT. I don't really understand the 24 hour clock so I keep my phone on 12 hour. I'm pretty sure there is only an hour left of the flight.
My stomach flips. I can't wait to see Harry. Now that we are so close, I'm getting nervous. I wonder if he honestly misses me as much as I miss him.
When the hour passes and the pilot speaks on the intercom that we will be landing in about five minutes, I wake up Scott.
I shake him a bit. He unconsciously pulls out his headphones. "Scott", I whisper. His eyes crack open. Then he pops up, startling me. I jump back, almost hitting my head on the window. "What's wrong?", he asks.
It might be weird if I tell him I wanted to wake him to comfort me during the landing so I say, "I wanted to tell you that we are about to land". I think he gets the point because he smirks. "Oh okay", he says.
"I might have lied. The landing is a bit more scary than take off", he scrunches up his nose. My eyes widen. "It's fine though. Trust me", he nods. I take a deep breath.
The landing is actually pretty smooth. The plane bumps a bit, but it's not so bad. I look out of the window once the plane has stopped rolling. I can't believe I'm here.
I switch my phone off of airplane mode. I unbuckle the seat belt. Scott laughs when he realizes I've had it on the whole flight. I shrug my shoulders.
Everyone stands and begins getting all their things together. Scott reaches past me to get his bag from the overhead compartment. I should have carried on a bag. I'm going to have to wait much longer now to get my bags.
We begin walking down the aisle to get off of the plane. My legs are sore from sitting so long. I walk down the steps towards the big sign that says "passport control". Almost everyone from my flight is headed there. I look around. It's so weird to think I'm in another country.
I'm glad that Heathrow is so easy to go through. There are signs everywhere telling you exactly what to do. I stay close to Scott, just in case I get confused.
After showing my passport I follow the next sign that reads "baggage reclaim". I follow Scott into the room where there is a big conveyer belt filled with bags. "You have more bags other then that one?", I ask. "No but I thought I'd come with you just incase you got confused", he shrugs his shoulders. "Oh, thank you", I blush.
"Your name is on your bags right?", he asks. "Yeah, back in Seattle they put little tags on them", I say. Men are piling bags onto the belt. I see one and grab it, then shortly after I find the other.
"Okay all good", I say. "Open them up to make sure they're yours. You don't want to accidentally take someone else's", Scott suggests. "My name is on them though", I say. "Better safe then sorry", he grins. "Okay okay", I say. I squat down and unzip them to check. They are mine. I give Scott a thumbs up and he laughs. I feel like Scott and I could've been really good friends.
We walk to customs and my heart beat triples. I'm so close to seeing Harry.
When I checked my phone he said he would be meeting me in the lobby. I'm glad he can make it, originally he said he wasn't going to be able too. I'm nervous to see him though. I wonder of he looks any different. Probably not but who knows.
I follow Scott into the customs line. It goes quickly. Scott gestures for me to go first. The men open my bags and check inside. Once they are cleared, I move through. A woman hands me a brochure. "Have a great time in London", she says. My heart drops. I won't be having a great time in London, I came here for a funeral. I bite my lip.
Scott comes through and the woman hands him a brochure as well. He frowns when he realizes she's given me one. "It's routine", he says. "I know", I smile sadly.
When we start to walk separate ways we stop. I'm going to miss Scott, I really am. He was great company on my first flight.
He walks back over to me. He sticks out his hand for me to shake. "It's been great talking with you Leah", he smiles. I shake his hand. "Thank you for everything", I say, meaning every word. "No problem. See you around maybe", he smirks. I nod and release his hand. He walks towards and exit door to the parking lot. He turns around once more to wave goodbye. I wave back, sighing.
I follow the sign that points towards the lobby. My heart pounds. I can't wait to see Harry.
I round the corner to see an escalator. Down at the ground level I see family members holding signs to find people. There has got to be more then 200 people down there. I walk to the top of the escalator and scan the crowd for Harry.
A woman pushes past me. "Excuse me", she huffs. I move out of the way for the people trying to get through. I doubt Harry would be down there anyway. He's probably on the far side of the lobby by the entrance. I step onto the first stair of the escalator, continuing to scan the crowd.
I suddenly see my name. It's scribbled messily on a poster board but I can read it. I find the hands holding the sign. My eyes trail down his tattooed arms until I see his dimpled grin. I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to hold back tears.
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Wow I haven't updated in a month and I'm so sorry. I've been sooo busy. I'm really going to try my best to update more often. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to like and comment! xx