Spring Break

The senior class is headed for their trip. The princess prepares to meet with her adviser.

“Tickets-everyone get your tickets out.” A man with brown glasses stated while him and another teacher were walking down an aisle of students. The students were all busy rummaging through their suitcases or in the case of girls through their purse for there plane tickets. One by one each of the twenty-five students took out their plane tickets and held them in there hands. The students were in line with anxious faces on them. They were ready to get on the plane. There was one student left who couldn’t seem to find his ticket. All the teens turned around and found him in a heap of sweat going through his ordinary hand me down black suitcase. The man with the brown glasses walked over to him as did another teacher, a woman, with a yellow sun dress and white flip flops.

            “Mr. Orson”, the student looked up toward the teacher with the brown glasses. “I can’t find it.” He said with a high pitched terrified voice while lifting through his clothing in the suitcase. “I swear I put it in my front zipper bag as soon as we left the security gate.” The boy with his brown eyes looked as though he might let out a tear.

            “Bryan, you do realize that without your ticket you can’t go with us to Hawaii for spring break.” His voice sounded more like he didn’t want to be bothered with the mess than disappointed.

            “Oh dear are you sure you looked all over.” The woman was leaning over Bryan not sure of whether to touch his belongings or not.

            “Yes. It was right here.” Bryan said pointing to the outside zipper of his carry on suitcase.

            “Well we’ll just have to call your mom to come and pick you up. I am very disappointed you didn’t keep up with your ticket. If we didn’t have to be on the plane right now we would retrace your steps.” The lady said and Bryan could see her forehead wrinkling above her ocean blue eyes.

            All Bryan could do was sink down onto the hard linoleum floor of the airport. He watched as Mr. Orson started filing the students back in line toward the door to get on the plane. Bryan just sat there with his legs crossed and his head in his hand. He couldn’t believe that he was going to miss the trip to Hawaii. He needed so badly to get away from his life for a little while. He didn’t really have a choice in the company since it was the chosen senior trip, but he didn’t care he would be away. Suddenly he heard snickering behind him and he turned to see who was laughing behind his back. He realized it was none other than varsity football player AJ McNeil. AJ McNeil was Mr. Perfect or at least everyone thought he was.

            AJ McNeil was about six feet tall and athletically built. He was the perfect specimen that teenage girls dreamed about. He had blondish brown hair and grey eyes and Bryan hated when he walked by and girls would swoon. The girls never really had a chance though AJ was spoken for by none other than a Goddess. Not a Goddess the Goddess, Bryan thought, her name was Tiffany Spincer. Tiffany hung with her crowd and they were known as the IT girls. Tiffany was the leader she was about five foot six inches so AJ towered over here. She had bright blond hair like Gwen Stefani that came down to her shoulders. She always wore makeup perfectly and she had the nicest body he’d ever seen even though she wasn’t really athletic she was lean. She never noticed Bryan though to his dismay. He didn’t really exist in her eyes or anyone else’s ever since he can remember he’s been an outcast.

            He could remember crying to his mother in the third grade because other kids called him four eyes because of his glasses and his mother just told him they were all jealous. He figured out this wasn’t the case by sixth grade when he started getting bullied for everything he did. Bryan never really had any fashion sense truth be told he didn’t really care what he looked like when he went to school. It was school not a runway. In the seventh grade he met Tiffany Spincer because they became lab partners in Biology. Back then Tiffany wasn’t as much of a pain as she is today she was actually kind of sweet to Bryan. He fell in love with her instantly and decided to ask her to the dance in the eighth grade. Tiffany agreed to go with Bryan, but when he showed up to her house she wasn’t home. Bryan didn’t lose hope he asked his mom to drop him off at the school dance and that’s when it hit him. He saw her with AJ McNeil and when he came up to her to find out what was going on. A huge crowd gathered around them and they all started laughing. Tiffany yelled out to him that he was a loser and she would never be seen with him. Tiffany would never know how much she crushed his heart that day. She would never know how much she changed him forever.

            Bryan from then on tried to be invisible. Bryan never once again took a liking to another girl, but still remains secretly in love with Tiffany. Bryan is your average guy except for the fact that he needs to wear glasses to read things up close. He is bullied day in and out for his lack of fashion sense because he tends to wear almost every day skinny jeans and a button down shirt with some suspenders. Bryan tends to give off the nerd vibe pretty deeply. Especially because he has some really long hair that he wears in a pony tail and it doesn’t hurt that he gets pretty good grades. People at his school think he’s smart so sometimes they sit by him so they can cheat off of him. Bryan is not overly smart he is just one of the students who actually reads there book and does his homework. Bryan tends to tell the teacher when he feels a student has cheated off of him which gets him pummeled a few times a weak. He takes it though he just curls up in a ball and waits until they stop and when he puts his arms down he sees AJ McNeil just about every time. Bryan knows that AJ is the one who puts people up to it he just can’t understand why AJ hates him so much.

            AJ was snickering behind Bryan’s back as people were zipping by either headed in there direction or going behind them. Bryan looked up at AJ’s grey soul less eyes and then put his head down. He thought this was just what he needed AJ to gloat about him not being on the trip. Bryan didn’t see, but AJ slipped something beside his bag.

            “Mrs. Redner, Bryan’s been wasting our time. His plane ticket is right there.” AJ said leaning over Bryan and picking up the plane ticket lying atop his suitcase.

            Bryan looked over in disbelief snatching the ticket from AJ. “That’s a lie. I searched everywhere. He must’ve put it there.”

            Mrs. Redner definitely did not look like she was in the mood for this. She looked at Bryan as though he was lying the whole time. She glanced over to Mr. Orson who was in the doorway of the airport terminal helping a redheaded girl show her ticket to a black man sitting in the booth who checked it then told her to proceed. Mr. Orson just used his hand to say c’mon because he didn’t want to be bothered also.

            “Alright boys just grab your stuff and let’s get on the plane.” Bryan began throwing his stuff back in his suitcase and carry on. “I’ll take your ticket Mr. Atwell.” Mrs. Redner said looking stern with her hand out. Bryan knew then that she didn’t believe him, but he didn’t really care. He handed her the ticket and grabbed his suitcase. He didn’t like the fact that she seemed to stay by his side like he was a two year old. He could hear AJ McNeil behind him with his friend Nate Brennan laughing and he was pretty sure the subject was him. He held his cool though. They got up to the door and Mrs. Redner handed the black man his ticket. He watched as the man who was clearly around his fifty or sixties checked his ticket over and suddenly had a realization it could be wrong. Nope. The man handed him his ticket back, but Mrs. Redner took it. He followed a boy in front of him who was shorter than him go down a long corridor.

            He could see that by the end of the corridor people had taken to leave their suitcase right by the door. He released the handle on his suitcase and checked to make sure that his name was on it. He decided that he still didn’t want it under the plane and grabbed it and stepped onto the plane. On the plane he could see a stewardess waiting near the door. He saw the young woman take a look at the short kids ticket and point him to left area of the plane. He walked up lagging his suitcase behind as its wheels felt like they were being pulled over a rocky surface.

            The inside of the plane was simple. Somehow he imagined a much bigger plane like a 747, but he got stuck with this mini commercial flight. He flashed his ticket to the woman and she showed him also to the left. He wondered why he didn’t get to sit toward the right and snuck a peak as he turned toward the left. Instantly he knew why because that side was first class or this planes version of it. He could see that each section of seats got divided by a white sheet that went down and the seats all could be reclined back. He saw a couple near the doors with their white sheet down blocking their view from whoever was in front of them and there seats reclined down. They looked relaxed and he longed for it. His ticket had said 20B. He instantly saw Tiffany sitting next to her BFF second leader of the IT girls, Ashley Breh, she was pretty too he thought. Not that he would ever have a chance with either of them. They were in row three Tiffany was seated near the window giggling with Ashley, he imagined them talking about the beach. He passed the red headed girl with freckles who he noticed earlier at 16A located on the right side of the plane. He could see she was unsuccessfully trying to negotiate a window seat with a cute brunette. Finally he arrived to row twenty and was thrilled that B meant he got to sit by the window.

            Bryan also noticed the short guy from earlier he thought it was funny how they were going to be sitting together. He was going to introduce himself when the short guy with black hair looked up toward him with his black eyes and rolled his eyes. Bryan decided then it was going to be a long trip. He decided to put his luggage up in the carrying department overhead the seat. He could see it was already getting full, but he found a spot for it. Just before he was able to put in his luggage someone from behind him came fast and bumped him so his luggage almost hit the short guy and the guy behind him put in his brown suitcase. Bryan turned around to see who it was and he knew immediately. It was who it always is AJ McNeil making his life hell.

            “Oh sorry, dude.” AJ said pointing to the short guy sitting their with his mouth open.

            “It’s okay.” The short guy said quickly making Bryan get the feeling that he was on the outside and wanted in the in crowd so bad. No wonder he didn’t want to sit by Bryan. Bryan was a social reject he must’ve thought.

            Bryan didn’t pay attention to the remark instead he moved further down the aisle of seats and found a compartment by row twenty-five to put in his suitcase. He grabbed his carry on and walked back up the aisle to his seat. He was glad AJ had went to his seat all the way up front near Tiffany. Bryan guessed that he was in four A because Tiffany had switched her window seat for an aisle one. Bryan sat down in his window seat and stared obliviously out through the window. He needed these few days of paradise. He noticed Mr. Orson and Mrs. Redner being the last two people on the buses. They came in and Mrs. Redner sat up from while Mr. Orson came to sit in the back by row twenty-five. After putting in his luggage he did a roll call. All the students had their name called and subsequently raised their hand indicating everyone was on the plane. He gave the stewardess the young woman Bryan passed on the way in a nod and she disappeared. Next thing you know the pilot flashes on the seat belt sign. More stewardesses come in making sure we are putting on our seat belts. Bryan is a little anxious he’d never been on a plane before.

            There is only one aisle-the middle, so it didn’t take long for the stewardesses to check our seatbelts. Then the both of them disappeared a young one and an older one. The plane starts moving slowly Bryan could see from outside the window the plane had to get on the runway for take off. Bryan continued watching as the plane stood still for a few moments. He could hear the endless chatter of all the kids on the bus. He really wished they would all shut up. Suddenly the plane started moving again slowly at first then increasing the speed. Next thing he knows is that they have lifted off the ground and are getting higher and higher. He couldn’t hide the excitement from his expression he gave a huge smile to the short guy next to him whose only reciprocation was a nod. It’s a start Bryan thought.

            He was still getting used to the humongous airport being suddenly tiny when all at once his ears started pop uncontrollably. He yelped in pain and he could hear others do it as well. He’d heard about this, people would tell him when you fly your ears pop. He didn’t think they really would though and suddenly the chatter around him seemed to get lower. For a brief moment he could hear the conversations and he knew they all were focused on their ears and the change in hearing.

            “Attention class it is completely normal for your ears to pop. When we land in Salt Lake City for the layover all you’ll need to do is chew some gum and you’ll be fine.” Mrs. Redner said turning around because the kids were seriously complaining like two year olds.

            Then the pilot came in over the intercom. He went on about what time it is now and the times were expected to be landing in Utah. This was going to be a long four hour flight from Detroit, Michigan to Honolulu airport in Hawaii. The class actually lived in Jackson, Michigan they took a bus to get to Detroit to catch the plane. It was only like six o’clock in the morning. Bryan was going to make sure he slept the entire fours if he could. A stewardess finally emerged going through the aisles and asking people if they wanted drinks, earphones, or peanuts. Bryan looked to see what Tiffany was getting if anything he saw her get a drink, but couldn’t tell which one. By the time the stewardess asked him if he wanted anything he told her that he’d like just ice water and a no to the earphones. The plane offered earphones, the ones that go in your ears not on them, because they have Sirius radio connected. The short guy next to Bryan grabbed headphones and a Pepsi from the stewardess. Bryan would have loved it had it not been that in his carry on he brought snacks, a word search, and his CD player with a few CD’s.

            He grabbed his silver CD player and a CD by Eminem called The Hits. He folded down his table that was connected to the seat in front of him as did his neighbor so they could set their drinks down. His neighbor was already hard at work switching the radio stations that was located on his armrest. Bryan put the CD in his player and moved his seat back a little bit so he could relax. The CD started on the intro and he pushed the skip track button a few times so that it finally settled on The Way I Am. He closed his eyes and tried to drift off to sleep.

 

 

 

            She was in a pitch black room surrounded by four walls. She searched the room desperately looking for a way out. There was no trap door no way for her to escape. The four walls all began to move in on her. She imagined her parents, her protectors, her people all outside of the walls laughing and pretending as though they didn’t know she was in the four walls. She tries to scream loudly to get their attention, but her voice never works it always fails. She tries to hide the corner, but the walls are closing in on her now. Finally there is no more room for the walls to close they are surrounding her she begins to feel the pressure of the weight against her skin. She cries loudly as she feels her bones begin to crack. She cries loudly praying for death to take her.

       The walls start to retreat back to their former place she falls down in the middle of the four walls. Her body is shivering from the pain of the pressure of the walls. She lies their on the ground on the verge of death, but death never takes her. She’s left in agony as once again she peers through those walls and she sees her once happy parents lying on the grounds of their castles blood spewing from their mouths. She finds her castle in flames her people being killed one by one. And yet she can’t move she’s forced to lie there while death wont take her. She is supposed to lie here and suffer. She knew who he was he was the man attacking her kingdom while her parents are away. He is the man trying to bury her and her town in the ground. His name is Desmond. She always saw his face while he was suffering taunting her. The pain of it all killed her and she only cried more. She woke up screaming from the pain of it all.

            “My lady may lady it’s alright.” It was one of the servant girls who always stayed at her beck and call. She was fair looking with pale skin and dark eyes. She was sitting on the bed holding her like a child.

            She was soaking wet with sweat. “What happened?” She had known what occurred in her dream she wanted to know what they heard or saw. She released herself from the girls grasp.

            “My lady you were screaming and crying we tried to wake you, but you were fighting us.” She said motioning toward another servant girl who happened to be holding her nose.

            “I’m sorry Beatrice.” She said, "I don’t know what happened". It’s another of Desmond’s nightmares he keeps trying to invade my mind and drive me crazy. She turned toward the other servant girl who was dipping a wet cloth into some water. “Allia, could you summon Ether Ceae for me please.

            “Yes certainly my lady.” Allia said and quickly walked out of the room. Beatrice came over to the wet cloth Allia had and walked over to the young girl’s forehead and pressed it over her.

            “My lady what happens if the warrior doesn’t come to defend us?” Beatrice asked toward her.

            “I can’t rely on maybes. I will bring the warrior back and he will defend us. I can promise you that.” The young girl said while trying to look Beatrice in the eye, but her thick brown hair was falling in front of her face.