The person sat next to Ashley was oblivious to her worry. She was gripping the armrest so tightly that she was sure her nails would snap. The take-off had shaken her to her core, the sudden acceleration of the plane and feel of weightlessness left an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Luckily she didn't throw up, that had been her worst fear; well that and the plane crashing.

Realising that she couldn't stay gripping the seat the entire ride like her life depended on it, Ashley decided to pull the tray down and use it ask a desk to write her first letters. She decided on letters, one for Micheal and one for Miss Charles:

To Miss Charles

I'm writing this while on the plane. I hated the takeoff and not a fan of the flying part either really. Even though I'm glad to be doing this one my own, I would have felt a lot better if you were here. Anyway, despite being on edge at the moment, the view from the window is really quite something, I've never seen the sky so blue and want to just reach out and touch the clouds like I wanted to when I was younger.

I wanted to apologise in part at how I acted this morning, I didn't mean to snap at you in the car. The whole prospect of it all hit me at once and I just flipped. Anyway, I can't wait to meet my new family and don't worry I'm defiantly going to miss my old one.

Love Ash

Sighing she read over what she had written. Even though she was entirely satisfied with it she folded the paper and slotted into one of the empty envelopes she'd had in her bag. She'd even stolen a few stamps off the counter before she had left and therefore, stuck one on; thinking that maybe there'd be a postbox at the terminal. 

Once that was all done Ashley took another plain sheet and pondered at what she would write to Micheal. What felt like an hour went past and the paper in front of her lay blank. She wasn't sure what to write, should she repeat what she had already written or ask him about the kiss they'd had right before she'd left. Sighing, Ashley gave up stuffing the writing implements away and trying to see if she could catch up on some sleep instead.

❃❃❃

''Doody, what time we gotta be at the airport,'' Proof asked, he was sitting on a worn leather sofa in the basement of his mother's house. Marshall sat next to him, a notebook in his lap.

''Er, in an hour,'' Marshall shrugged nocturnally after glancing quickly down at his watch, ''Why?''

''Well if we don't wanna abandon the kid we might you know start driving over there,'' DeShaun pointed out.

''Fine,'' Marshall huffed shutting his book and taking a photo out of his pocket, ''Ashley Jackson,'' he read the name on the back before handing it over to his friend.

Proof took the photo and looked over it. The photo was of a girl, no older than sixteen, although her height made her seem as if she should have been younger. He glanced over her auburn hair and strangely deep blue eyes; she wasn't smiling, in fact, she looked as if she didn't want the photo to be taken at all.

''Looks like a moody teenager to me,'' Proof remarked handing the photo back.

''Yeah well, she better not be a whiny bitch. We already got Kim for that,'' Marshall mumbled pulling on a coat before then following DeShaun out of the basement and to his car.

''Man all we're doing is picking her up. We might not even see the girl again,'' DeShaun pointed out as he got in the passenger side of the car and buckled himself in.

''True,'' Marshall agreed, while starting the car up and pulling out onto the road.

❃❃❃

''Enjoy your stay,'' the over-enthusiastic employee sated as he handed Ashley back her passport. All she did was let out an exasperated sigh as she followed the crowd in the direction of the exit.

As she walked, she kept an eye out for Marshall and DeShaun. However, even after picking her suitcase up from the conveyor, she still saw no sign of them. So she sat down on one of the empty seats, plugged her walkman in and drifted away to the sound of 'Paradise City'. Ashely was sat on the chair for at least half an hour until a pair of hands yanked her headphones off her head.

''Whoa that's some crazy shit,'' the voice exclaimed as he'd caught the sound of the heavy rock sounding music that drifted from out of the headphones.

''Hey give that back,'' she lept up to reach for them, but she stopped as her Walkman clattered to the ground, although that wasn't the only reason she stopped. The person who had taken her headphones was one of the men in the photo Miss Charles had given her.

''Yo I'm just playing calm down,'' he bent down to pick up her Walkman, handing it and the headphones back to her.

''Thanks um,'' she wasn't sure which one it was since photo hadn't labelled the men.

''Marshall, DeShaun stayed in the car,'' he replied, picking up her suitcase off of the floor.

''You don't have to take my stuff you know,'' she spoke following behind him, her backpack flung limply on her shoulder and her walkman tangled up in her headphones in her hand.

''Well I'm being nice, don't get used to it,'' Marshall replied taking a sharp turning corner outside, the change in the direction nearly caused Ashley to become lost in the crowd.

''Slow down, Jesus I've only got little legs,'' she called after him nearly running.

''Get new legs then or fucking grow,'' Marshall huffed out, thankfully for Ashley he had stopped in front of a car, which contained the second person that was in her photo.

''That's real helpful thanks,'' Ashley mumbled getting into the back seat of the car, While Marshall shoved her suitcase in the boot.

''Ignore my boy girl, he got real problems. I'm DeShaun, but people call me Proof,'' DeShaun introduced himself, offering his hand to shake.

''Ashley,'' she gave her own name, even though she was positive he probably already knew that.

''I'm a lot nicer than Slim remember that.''

''Slim?'' Ashley questioned, just as Marshall sat down in the driver's seat.

''We got nicknames,'' Marshall explained.

''Rap names actually,'' Proof corrected him.

''Oh like 2Pac and Biggie,'' Marshall was about to start the car when her comment made him whip around to face her, ''What?'' She asked frowning.

''You into rap?''

''No not really, but it doesn't mean I haven't heard it,'' she explained.

''Right,'' Marshall breathed out starting the car up and proceeding to exit the airport. The girl he had in the back of his car had nothing in common with him or DeShaun; Proof was right about them probably never seeing her again.