❝ 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕓𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕟𝕚𝕔𝕜'𝕤 𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨.❞

    "Welcome aboard, Mr Kiener," a woman gushed at me. I tried to refrain from recoiling. Sometimes good looks could be such a bother. All people saw was the angle of bone here and there and a couple of blazing eyes that could be replicated anywhere else. It was rare that people looked beyond that. I glanced backwards, looking at Bryn and Kennedi.

    A smile flashed across Kennedi's face from beneath the cascade of blonde hair. It created slight dimples and creases that moved her freckles. Even though it was gone quickly, it was still there. She dipped her head down; seemingly someone not to be loud or extroverted. That was something I appreciated in so many ways-she just got on with it and never needed anyone else's validation. Casting her eyes to the side, I could see the shape of her face like a silhouette. It gracefully moved up and over her cheek bones then slanted sharply at her mouth. Her tanned skin seemed to capture the gentle rays of the sun which only gave her an extremely ethereal quality that glowed out of her beautiful skin.

    Each of her shoulders curled in, towards her chest. She was as statue at this time, drilled down with a sense of being completely exposed, on display. Each of her fingers were laced together with one another, holding herself together amidst her fragility. The essences of summer, a goddess of the sun. Her golden hair draped down softly curling along the ends. Every time she appeared the day never ended and smiles never faded. She was a siren leading everyone to sudden happiness. I knew I should have looked away but I couldn't.

    Her eyes, god. How did people even get so lucky to have different coloured eyes? Her blue eye was a brilliant bright blue. Each time our eyes caught one another, I would stare. I don't know what I saw in her eyes. Maybe it was love, maybe it was her soul, maybe it was just really intense and vivacious blue attractive eyes. But I knew I saw something. Her other eye was beautiful too. It was like a deep forest surrounded by wet dirt due to summer rains, and now the sun's forming above all, dripping honey and illuminating the world. It's the first time I had ever seen paradise in soul windows, only one eye bearing so many colours, still, with so many emotions and words, none could describe such beauty contained in so few genes. The fact she didn't know how beautiful she was astounded me. Spending your life in front of cameras and being drilled with all the right ways to walk and pose, I had always found something new to perfect about myself. Kennedi seemed to have been living in a shell of beauty all her life. I turned back around towards the attendant who was batting her eyelashes rather frequently at me.

    Snap out of it, Nick! Get a grip! You are planning to visit your girlfriend! Your beautiful girlfriend! What more could you want? I frowned. I really hated my conscious sometimes. Especially when it made good points.

    Stop leading her on. You're only going to break her heart. You can't do that.

    "What are you thinking about, Nick?" Kennedi asked, jumping up and down and waving her arms in an attempt to wake me up. I couldn't help but laugh, especially when Bryn snuck out her phone to record our odd exchange.

    "Nothing important," I replied casually, "let's go, fair maidens; there is a plane waiting for us!" I began to walk forward however, I paused when I heard Kennedi and Bryn begin to pound on the desk.

    "What do you mean our tickets aren't valid?" Kennedi asked in confusion. The attendant sighed, running a hand through her hair wearily. I guess it had been a long day for her.

    "We had to re-arrange seating arrangements," she said in an apologetic tone, "but," she brightened, "we have extra room in first class. You may enjoy the flight from there. You'll be in First Class A13." I couldn't help but have my heart skip a beat as Bryn and Kennedi smiled in a way you only did with your best friend. Thanking the attendant, Bryn collected the bags in a way that seemed like she did it on a daily basis while Kennedi ran up to me, her eyes shining.

    "Looks like we'll be seeing more of each other," she smiled, taking a bag from Bryn who approached us quietly. I looked over at Bryn, the look she was giving me was unreadable however it was filled with caution. I wondered if she was looking at me that way because she knew how inevitable the ending of our friendship would be.

    I smiled in response, Kennedi on my right and Bryn on her left. We walked through the glass tube that connected the plane to the airport. We paused as Bryn whipped out her phone. Kennedi seemed to be taking that opportunity to gaze at the sunrise. Mellow blues and pinks blurred together in a silver mist to create another gorgeous scene. Even when the world was drowning in grief and hardship, the sky remained beautiful. That was the one thing that had kept my hopes up—if the sky remained vivid and powerful, then so could I. Kennedi seemed to bask in the new light and it seemed to bask in her presence too. It's gentle rays kissed the shine in her hair, reflecting and making her seem more like a goddess than a regular girl. It wasn't long before I got so distracted by Kennedi that I tripped over my own feet and landed on the floor.

    Hard.

    "Ouch," I sighed. I stood up, grabbing my bags which had been strewn over the floor. I looked over at Kennedi who was now looking at me. Bryn seemed oblivious to this fact or she just didn't want to partake in our little encounter which I didn't blame her for. It was getting increasingly more and more confusing. Kennedi looked like she was trying her best not to laugh. It didn't seem to be working too well for her. "Even models fall sometimes," I groaned, "but we do so gracefully. Like a ballerina." At this, Kennedi laughed.

    "You're one hell of a ballerina," she giggled. Taking Bryn's arm, she began to race down the rest of the tube, ignoring Bryn's protests as she rushed to put her phone away before racing Kennedi down the hall. Bryn was definitely the type of friend everyone needed. One to keep you out of trouble but also had no problem with chasing you down the hall if you took her away from her photographic experiences.

    As we entered the plane, the flight attendant smiled at us. I tried to smile back when I noticed a small blush decorating her cheeks. I sighed internally. Looks. Again. Why were they the only important thing? I absent-mindedly handed her my ticket. She checked it and moved to her right, showing us a small flight of stairs.

    "Your seats will be in the first cabin on your left," she said, smiling graciously as many flight attendants did.

    What did she mean by cabin? I wondered. Bryn and Kennedi shared another look. They were hard to decipher but I instantly knew this one was about confusion. We started to move as the smile on the attendant's lips started to waver. Her eyebrows creased as she started to give us weird looks.

    Suddenly everything made sense. I glanced at the top of the cabins which seemed extremely luxurious. I noticed small, silver plaques on the tops. I checked my ticket; A14. I glanced at Bryn who showed me her ticket while I showed her mine. A13 and A14. What could go wrong?

    I followed behind the two extremely excited girls, not knowing quite what to expect. The first class system on this plane was new and I didn't really know anything about it. That was until I saw the room.

    The floor was covered in a fluffy, light grey carpet which was slightly darker than the hue of the walls. There was one bed in the centre as well. I don't know why but it looked amazing. I reverently rubbed my fingers along the silken mattress and pressed my cheek to the cool, velvet pillows. The comforter was thick and irresistibly soft, like a billowing cloud. I toppled into it, relieved to rest my weary feet. There was nothing more that I wanted to do but succumb to the gentle and warm embrace of sleep. But the room didn't end there.

    There was also a small chest of drawers where I think we were meant to store our stuff which Bryn had decided was exactly what she was going to do. Kennedi quickly followed suit, moving around to look at the beige, lounge chairs. There was a large flat screen TV on a coffee table and I couldn't help but feel like this was more of a hotel than an airplane suite.

    "This is," I trailed off, looking again at the room.

    "Amazing," Bryn finished. Kennedi's phone buzzed and she quietly slipped from the room, Bryn hot on her heels. Bryn mouthed she'd be back soon with Kennedi and I relaxed. I took the time to dial my best friend. I slammed his number into my phone, listening to the phone ring.

    Pick up. Pick up.

    "My man! What's going on! I thought you didn't get reception on planes!" A familiar voice from the other side of the line said. I grinned. It had been too long without this guy.

    "Julian! God, it's great to hear your voice." Julian laughed from the other side of the line.

    "What's going on, Kiener? Getting nervous meeting your girl? The team could come and support you," he teased. I smiled. I missed the team. Before I got into modelling, I had been really heavily focused on soccer. It had been the real highlight of my life. Well, part of the highlight of my life anyway. I was thrown back to memories of a girl. One I had met online. One who went by the name of Marshi. I remembered waking up in the mornings and running to text her. I remembered the long nights of quiet and painful desire to see her. I remembered the girl I had fallen in love with so many months ago. I had always loved her and I guess I always will. Distance never changed that and it couldn't now. But I did know that I had space to love other things and other people in my life. Something she had taught me which I had never forgotten.

    "Earth to Nick," Julian's voice called from the other side of the line, "what's up with the sudden call?" His voice held a surprising measure of sensibility; Julian had changed over the last couple of years and it suddenly struck me with how much I had missed and given up.

    "I need to talk to you," I replied, my voice catching, "I need to talk to you about a girl. I need your help." A swift silence ensured on the other side of the line. A quiet breath escaped his lips and I knew what we were both thinking.

    The rain was pouring as per usual with German weather. I ran onto the pitch, ignoring the sting in my eyes are tears began to form in my eyes.

    "I'm sorry, Kienai," I had never seen her face but I feel like if I had ever heard a voice such as her's I would never be able to recover and love another quite like this. I listened to the agonised lilt in her voice, calling me closer while she tried to push me away. "I'm so so sorry."

    I ignored the calls of other players as I ran towards the goals. Soccer had always been a release for me. Run onto the field, be around people who cared about the sport as much as I did. To run and be free, to not worry about friends, about family about me. To worry only on scoring the next goal and defending what was mine.

    "I love you. You know I love you. I have always loved you." I tried not to sound like a petulant child. I could hear how hard this was. I could feel it, even though we were hundreds of miles away from each other.

    "Then why leave me? Commitments aren't easy I know, but, angel, you said we were forever."

    The goals loomed up ahead and I ignored the thunder that crackled overheard. I knocked someone out of the way, taking the ball before gunning towards the goals. The ball was being tightly controlled and I slammed my foot into it's side, jamming it into the goals. I dropped to my knees, a low cry sounding deep in my throat. The pain I felt was wild. It was like an animalistic impulse. To hurt and to take something as compensation even though I knew I would never have done that.

    "I have to. I'm sorry, baby, I don't have a choice. I have to let you go. Not because I want to but because I have to. I know I promised you and I will keep my promise. You have been my star in the night sky but dawn is breaking now. And with the sunrise, we will face a new day and a new challenge. Together we are stronger and we will take on the world," her voice broke and I shed a tear. I never cried, "but not today, my love. Not today."

    I took a breath to steady myself, "I'll wait for you. Always and forever."

    I sighed. Julian was waiting patiently although I could almost feel his worry through the line. It seemed to crackle in the air just the way the lightning had on that stormy day on the soccer field. I started at the beginning. The decision to surprise Alyce and then my delayed flight. How Klarissa had met a girl and thought she had hung the moon. How I had bought Kennedi a little lemon tart in the hopes of making a new friend that had made such an impression on my sister. Then I started talking about Kennedi.

    "I know this was all meant to start out with you meeting your girlfriend. I know you love her," I could hear a strong cautiousness in his voice, something I suspected wouldn't go down well with me, "but are you sure?" I noticed the hesitance in his voice, an emotion I had never associated Julian with.

    "What do you mean am I sure?" I asked, trying not to snap. Sleep pulled at me and I sat on the bed, resisting the urge to fall asleep. Julian knew I loved Alyce. He had known I had moved on. He should have known better than to question my feelings for her. I wouldn't be travelling on a plane to see her if I didn't love her right?

    "Seriously, Nick," he said wearily, "are you sure you're not just infatuated with her?" I scoffed into the phone, beginning to pace.

    "What's the difference, Jules?" I tried to think but sleep swam in my brain and I felt like I was about to drown in it. I was confused and tired and this sudden interrogation wasn't helping.

    "Infatuation and love is different. Infatuation is making your girl your world. You get to experience it and live there with her but it's completely different to being in love. Being in love is making your girl part of your world." I paused. I didn't like where Julian's sudden love expertise was leading to.

    "Thanks for this," I said, my voice catching, "I'll call you when we land. Bye, Julian." I heard frantic scrabbling on the other line.

    "Wait, no, Nick do-". I sighed, looking at the call ended on top of my screen with no satisfaction. I furrowed my head in my hands, throwing the phone violently, hearing a soft thump as it hit the carpet. I thought back to everything. To Marshi, to Alyce, to Kennedi. Julian was my best friend. He should have known what I felt for Alyce was based on less than attraction and more of the deeper stuff. He should have known. I hated that he had even questioned it. My head shot up upon hearing a quiet ahem near the door. I turned around seeing Kennedi leaning on the doorframe. She tousled her curled, blonde hair backwards as she smiled in a way that was both gentle and made me want to bear my entire soul to her.

    I suddenly panicked, wondering how much she had just heard. She held up her hands quickly, joining me on the bed.

    "I know what you're going to ask," she yawned, "but I didn't hear anything. Your secrets are still well," she tried to look for the right words, "secretive." I laughed, as tired as I was. Bryn quietly joined us, sitting in the chair, scrolling on her phone, "but I noticed you throw your phone onto the floor which did not look so great," she added, catching my sudden downcast expression, "and if you want to talk, I'm here for you." I smiled at her and shook my head in the tiniest negation. 

    "No, but thank you." She looked at me in concern and I wondered what it would be like to be able to say yes and to be able to be in her presence when she wanted to help and fix you even if she couldn't.

    "Are you sure?" I tried to smile reassuringly at her even though I had no idea if it was working.

    "Positive, princess," I smiled, "just booking troubles. The regular, you know?" She smiled back but I could feel worry radiating off her in waves. I could feel awkwardness in between that and even Bryn seemed to be feeling it. More than usual anyway.

    "So, shall we explore the plane?" I asked, grinning devilishly. Kennedi's head shot up and Bryn stifled her laughter. 

    "I thought'd you never ask," Kennedi smiled, linking our arms together.