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location : heathrow airport, london, england

time : 4 am

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rolling their heavy suitcases behind them on the shiny white airport floor, sammy, bertie and dodie make their way towards one of the check-in counters, laying their passports down in front of one of the airline's employees who types in their information as they heave their suitcases on to the luggage conveyor.

bertie mentally thanks his mum for having driven them so early as he normally always had to wait in a long queue.

when all of them have received their tickets and have double-checked that they didn't forget their passports there, dodie lets out a big, contagious yawn.

"i am so tired!" she speaks, her voice still  a bit groggy.

"we have another two and a half hours to spare before our plane takes off." sammy states after looking down on his watch that was secured on his wrist and then lets out a big yawn, too.

"we still have to go through the security control but our gate won't open until at least an hour before take-off." bertie informs them, fixing his glasses that had wandered down to the rim of his nose and pushing a hand through his newly-dyed whitish-but-still-blonde hair.

"maybe we can have some breakfast in between security control and take-off then?" sammy suggests, shrugging.

"sure but i won't eat anything," bertie says determinedly, "i can't be trusted with the start of a flight and food. those don't really mix well together for me."

sammy pulls his face together, his nose crinkling up at the image forming in his head of what could happen if he sat next to him on the plane.

"are you sure, bertie?" dodie asks him, furrowing her brows, "you know the flight takes over twelve hours, right?"

he nods, "i'll eat once we're in the air."

dodie nods contentedly and sammy adds, "you better, i am one hundred percent sure i won't be able to get a minute of rest when your stomach growls on the seat next to mine. by the way, what seat are you on?"

each of them get their tickets out again, to check who of them will be sitting where. they can hear lots of suitcases rolling past them, accompanied either by slow or hurried steps.

sammy is relieved and delighted to see dodie is supposed to sit in the middle, plus he gets the window seat. that's a win-win- for him at least .

the three of them move to the security control, greeted by a queue that moves along faster than one would normally expect.

sammy and dodie can feel how bertie gets more and more giddy and awake with the minute, excited to see savannah in the states. 

the project that brings them there is pretty exciting as well, seeing as bertie and sammy want to film another one of their always brilliant short movies. other than during the last few years of school, they would have more time to commit themselves to this project and wouldn't be limited to only what they already know. they were excited to meet new people and try new stuff.

dodie, sammy and bertie look forward to this trip for another reason as well, they would also get to see one of their good friends, evan.

the three of them met evan and savannah on a class trip to paris when they were still in school. they had met in the hostel they were staying in at the time and kept up to date with the two of them via internet.

after bertie's backpack was opened and checked because their filming equipment and bertie's laptop were in there, they have managed to successfully go through the control.

dodie's feet are cold now because she was asked to take off her brown boots and had to walk around in socks until the very end of the security control. but now she had her shoes on again, tying together the laces as sammy helps bertie restore his possessions safely in his carry-on. they zip up the rucksack and go on to sit in a small airport shop that offers coffe, tea and baked goods to stop for breakfast for dodie and sammy. the smell of the offered goods causing their stomachs to grumble even louder.

they eat and each have a tea, only having light conversation because they still haven't recovered from the alarm that went off way too early this morning and that left them in a nearly zombie-like state.

the time passes slowly, but soon enough their gate number appears on one of the many screens scattered across the whole airport and they leave to go and sit there.

dodie gets the book she was currently reading out of her backpack but after a while of not being able to make out the sentences clearly and her eyelids getting heavier and heavier with every word she tried to take in, she gives up and tries to force herself in staying awake until they are in their plane seats.

she puts the book back and sees that sammy's eyes are closed in the seat opposite of hers. she turns to her right and notices bertie's leg bouncing up and down.

"nervous?" she asks him, deciding that talking to bertie would keep her up.

"somehow yes but also no?" he says or, rather, questions his own answer. "more excited than nervous, i think at least."

dodie nods.

-

finally buckling up their plane seats after they have stored their backpacks in the compartment above their heads, dodie closes her eyes and is happy to return back to sleep.

but before she can, she feels someone poking her side and turns to see sammy joking around. the person sitting in front of him already has brought their seat all the way back and sammy seat was apparently stuck, so his face was very near to the back of the seat of the person before him.

also, bertie was very energetic and happy all of a sudden, not tired anymore and wanting to tell sammy about the day he first saw savannah, which wasn't necessary as he had been there as well.

"why is it always me who gets the worst seat?" sammy complains, pulling a ridiculous grimace, though he would've bet that he had the best one before sitting down in it. 

dodie slightly shakes her head at that comment and tells him to ask a stewardess about it, because she is up for nothing but sleep. she also manages to convince bertie to get at least a tad bit of sleep, especially if he's nervous about the take off and he agrees, much to her joy.

-

after sleeping through the most part of the twelve hours in air, dodie's eyes open immediately  before they begin landing and she stretches before looking to both of her sides and seeing that bert and sam are also already awake. 

-

getting off the plane, sleep still in their eyes and their heavy rucksacks on their back again,  they go to retrieve the rest of their luggage after having to endure pass control.

when they found their suitcases, they heave them onto the floor and roll them behind them towards the exit. 

bertie is the first one out in the airport hall and he spots sav right away. he runs toward her and they hug and share a sweet kiss. 

sammy and dodie stand behind bertie awkwardly and wait until it's their turn to greet savannah. 

"hiiii!" sav greets them and hugs them, too. 

"how are you?" dodie asks and the two of them dive straight into catching up, and dodie notices that savannah won't let go of bertie's hand no matter what, even haven taken his suitcase in her other hand. dodie wishes she were in love again but to her it seemed as if she never would again. 

"so what's the plan again?" sammy asks and dodie looks at him closely, tilting her head to the side slightly. 

"uh.. yeah, so tonight we will all stay at evan's place who couldn't come along right now because he's still at work but i got his keys. and from tomorrow night on, bert and i will stay at my parents' whilst you two stay at evan's so that it won't be too crammed in his apartment. right?" she looks at bertie and he nods. 

"what time is it now?" dodie asks as soon as they step out, warm sunlight engulfing them. 

savannah lets go of bertie's suitcase for a second to get her phone out of her jean pocket and looks at the screen before putting it back. "11:50 am. i parked the car right there, let's go."