Disasterpiece

I stood by the massive window in the VIP lounge, staring out at the tarmac where our plane was fuelling up. My eyes traced along the painted lines on the concrete, but as much as I concentrated on those lines the reflection of a sombre looking girl kept casting a shadow over my vision. I sighed and turned around so I didn’t have to look at myself anymore, leaning my back against the glass I watched the others socialising with one another, sharing new tunes on their iPods or just being boys (and Josie) and ruffling each other up. Uncle Frank came up beside me and leaned casually on the glass, folding his arms.

“If you keep frowning like that your face will get stuck,” he joked lightly, trying to bring cheer to my solemn mood. I looked up at him and smiled, turning up the corner of my lips just enough to please him.

“That’s what plastic surgery is for,” I replied, it was his turn to frown and look uncomfortable now – he hated the very thought of reconstructing your face in the name of vain. It probably didn’t help that plastic surgery had been an issue Mr. Squiggle had brought up during our relationship, the issue being that I needed it apparently. Uncle Frank straightened himself and placed his hands gently on my shoulders, turning my body around so we were standing front on.

“I want to say a few things,” he started, looking extremely serious as his eyes boar down protectively onto me. “Firstly, you can come home whenever you want, one call and I’ll fly you out straight away,” he said, I went to open my mouth to protest but he hushed me sharply.

“Secondly, now I don’t know which of Corey’s mates you’ve got feelin’s for and I don’t know if he has them too or what may be the case, but if he hurts you in any way I want you to tell Corey you’re leavin’ and come back home ok?” he finished, giving me stern look that was just daring me to agree otherwise.

“Uncle Frank,” I sighed heavily, stepping out from under his grasp.

“I’m serious Vixen, I won’t let you step a foot onto that plane until you promise me those two things,” he said as he folded his arms, like a certain determined five year old that I know. I sighed again I glanced over at Joey who was immersed in a drumming magazine, his long hair falling down the sides of his face like a shield blocking him from the rest of the world so he could concentrate on the inked paper before him. I watched for a moment as his blue eyes shot across the page, devouring each word hungrily, even from this distance the colour of his eyes were entrancing.

I bit my lip, I don’t think Joey could ever really hurt me, because as much as I was lusting over him I knew that we would never be together and being together with someone is when everything starts to hurt. So I could beat myself up about every little unintentional thing he did, but that would be me hurting myself, not Joey hurting me.

I turned back to Uncle Frank and wrapped my arms tightly around him. “I promise, and I also promise to call you as much as I can,” I said into his shirt, he wrapped his arms around me too and whispered ‘good’.

“Hey you ready to go?” Corey asked, popping up beside me. I let go of Uncle Frank and nodded.

“I suppose so,” I answered.

“Well you enjoy yourself darlin’,” said Uncle Frank, patting me on the back.

“I will try my dandiest,” I replied, hugging him briefly for one last time, above all I was going to miss his hugs and they way they made me feel. “And Corey you better look after her,” Uncle Frank warned Corey after we broke apart, Corey saluted him.

“Will do,” he promised, shaking Uncle Frank’s hand. Corey and I went to head towards the terminal when Uncle Frank tapped Corey’s shoulder to stop him.

“I’m just going to have a word with Corey, you go ahead,” Uncle Frank informed me, I gave him a look of suspicion but shrugged it off and continued on without Corey. I gathered that the ‘word’ would involve a lecture about protecting me from all that is evil...or something along those lines. The rest of the group were lining up at the exit with their tickets out, ready to board the plane. Josie and Sid were at the back of the line saying goodbye to Griffin so I crept up behind Griffin and wrapped my arms tightly around him. He squealed in surprise and struggled in my grip laughing.

“Gonna miss your Aunty?!” I yelled into his ear, giving him kisses all over his head while he couldn’t escape.

“No!” he yelled back, still laughing. I let go of him and pretended to pout and sniff.

“Well I guess I won’t have to buy you lots of presents while I’m away then,” I said, wiping fake tears from under my eyes. Griffin’s mouth dropped open and he leapt onto my crouched legs.

“I will miss you, I will miss you I promise!” he begged, shaking me with his little arms, his eyes popping out in sorrow. I grinned and hugged him again just as Corey walked up.

“I hope you’re saving some of that goodbye love for me,” Corey told Griffin who immediately let go of me so he could latch on to his father. I stood up and pulled my ticket from my pocket, giving Corey some space to say good bye to his son. Josie put her arm around my shoulders and pulled me towards the flight attendant who was checking our tickets, we were the last ones besides Corey left to go through. Josie grabbed my ticket and gave the attendant both of ours at the same time.

“Have a nice flight,” the attendant said when she gave them back.

“Oh we plan too!” Josie replied happily, taking the tickets she pushed them into her pocket and dragged me forward into the tunnel.

“So are you going to be ok sitting next to Joey?” she asked as we walked, my heart skipped a beat at the reminder. Truthfully I had no idea if I would be ok sitting next to him; I guess it would all come down to how he reacted...or if I could manage to pretend to be asleep for ten hours.

“I think it will be ok, in an awkward kind of way,” I replied as we rounded the end of the tunnel and came to the entrance of the plane. Josie unwrapped her arm from around me and pulled the tickets from her pocket, giving me mine back.

“If it goes real sour just swap seats with me ok?” she said, I nodded and followed her onto the plane where the hostess took our tickets and showed us to our seats. Josie’s seat was right on the other side of the plane to mine, so when she sat down she blew kisses of farewell to me, which I of course caught and pocketed. When I reached my seat, Joey was already in his still reading the magazine. I shuffled my feet awkwardly on the spot and coughed as lightly as I could – of course if I had to sit next to Joey I had to be in the window seat which meant I had to climb over him.

Joey looked up abruptly and blinked like he didn’t understand what I was doing so I indicated the seat next to him nervously so he would. His eyes seemed to bulge momentarily in their sockets as he quickly clambered to his feet to let me through. My insides jolted as I scrambled into my seat, dropping my handbag to the floor by my feet as I went. Joey slowly eased back into his seat, making a cautious effort to keep as much distance between us as he could.

I tapped my feet uneasily on the floor, already feeling like this was a bad idea and that I was about to be sick. In my peripheral vision I saw Joey clip on his seatbelt and go back to his magazine. I had never been on a plane before so the concept of a seatbelt was totally new. Trying my best not to look like I was copying him, I put my hands down the sides of the seat and grabbed the two belt ends. Looking down I saw that they weren’t like normal car seat belts, and when I went to put them together they were too short.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath as I tried to make them longer. I guess I must’ve looked pretty funny tugging as hard as I could on the belt straps to no avail, because Joey snorted with laughter. My face went red and my heart sank, I let go of the seatbelt and folded my arms, staring blankly out the window. Of all the stupid things I could make myself look like a fool using, it was a seatbelt. How degrading.

“Mind if I help, I’m pretty sure you have to wear it?” Joey asked, I looked over to see his face full on honesty. With a sigh I nodded and watched him put away his magazine. Grabbing the strap that was closest to him, he lifted the metal bit and pulled so the length came out easily, so easily that I felt even stupider. He held out his hand for the other strap, I grabbed it and passed it to him, our fingertips just brushing against each other with an electric shock type feeling as we exchanged it. I pulled my hand back quickly as he clipped the straps together and adjusted the length for me with a single tug.

I stared down at the seatbelt now fitted properly around my waist; Joey sat back in his seat quietly, folding his hands in his lap. I touch the metal clip lightly with my finger tip – it was still warm from his touch which gave me chills down my spine. Entwining my hands nervously I turned my head to the right and smiled weakly.

“Thanks,” I told him, grateful that he helped and didn’t make a big joke out of my stupidity. He grinned back at me, shrugging his shoulders.

“No problem,” he replied and his eyes connected with mine. It suddenly felt that everything around us shrunk into a far away background and it was just Joey and I sitting there, staring right at each other. Our slow, deep breaths rising and falling in time with one another like we were connected in some way. A strong urge built up in the pit of my stomach, I wanted to touch him, just his face; I wanted to run my finger slowly down his soft cheek just to know he was there, just to feel him close to me.

I blinked furiously and quickly looked away, not sure I could handle any more. My heart raced in my chest like I had just run a marathon, my breathing was rapid and heavy to coincide with that feeling. It seemed like the more time I spent around Joey, even if we weren’t really talking or anything – the more I was falling for him. Joey suddenly reached out and touched my arm gently; I looked up at him, trying my best to show no emotion on my face.

“I’m sorry about the other week,” he said quietly, retracting his arm slowly back into his lap. I swallowed and shook my head, he had nothing to be sorry for, it wasn’t meant to happen and neither of us could’ve stopped Sid and Josie walking in.

“You shouldn’t be, it wasn’t your fault,” I replied just as quietly, it was his turn to shake his head as he ran his fingers through his hair like he was trying to work out what to say; I fidgeted nervously watching him.

“I didn’t want to kiss you,” he blurted out, I felt like I had just been slapped across the face with a frozen ping pong bat.

“Wait that’s not what I meant...er, I mean it’s not that I didn’t want too, it’s just that it’s better that we don’t-didn’t,” he mumbled quickly, stuttering almost incoherently through his words. I tried to take in what he had said and understand it, but all I got was the same conclusion that I had come to before – it just wasn’t meant to happen and if that was the case then I hoped I never had to think about it again.

“Joey...” I said apprehensively, he looked up from his hands. “Can we just forget it happened?” I asked him hopelessly. A wave of relief seemed to wash over him and for the first time in weeks I saw him crack a genuine smile.

“Just friends then?” he proposed, holding out his hand; I laughed as I took it.

“Just friends,” I replied, knowing it was the best relationship status I would ever have with Joey Jordison.