In An Aeroplane Over The Sea

I sighed, seeing that Zack had shifted his position from his single seat to lying across both seats. When I took a step forward, I also saw that the man I was supposed to be sitting next to had taken advantage of my absence, and had fallen asleep in my seat. Not wanting to disturb either of them, I noted that across from Zack was Alex, and next to Alex was an empty seat. “Alex,” I said quietly, and he looked up from the small, leather bound book on the unfolded table in front of him. “Can I sit there?” He smiled and nodded, before allowing me to sit in the middle spot. I folded my legs up under me and leaned against the plush seat.

I was just about to close my eyes and catch up on the sleep I knew I needed, until Alex decided to engage me in conversation. “So… you and Zack, huh?” My eyes snapped open.

“All I did was fall asleep with my head in his lap,” I protested. Alex chuckled.

“That’s what they all say.”

“So what’re you doing over here?” I asked, changing the subject quickly, yet fluidly. Or, at least I thought I was being fluid.

“Writing,” he replied nonchalantly.

“Like, songs?” I questioned, and he nodded.

“Songs… poems… anything that comes to mind,” answered Alex.

“That’s nice,” I said softly, leaning my head back and preparing to close my eyes.

Alex blinked. “Wait, aren’t you going to ask to see them?”

My eyes opened abruptly. “Can I… see them?” I asked slowly, as if it was some kind of trick question.

“No,” he said, smirking.

My brow crinkled in confusion. “So why did you ask me to ask you to see them?”

He just shrugged in response. “I’m not sure.” I sighed, wondering if it was worth trying to fall asleep. He was just going to interrupt me again.

“Can you at least tell me what you’re writing about?”

“A girl,” he replied confidently.

“It’s always a girl,” I scoffed, unlocking the tray table in front of me before locking it back up.

“Yeah, well,” replied Alex, and I closed my eyes for what felt like the hundredth time. “But this is a different kind of girl,”

I sighed heavily. “How? Is she a boy?” I snapped, and Alex chuckled.

“No, she’s just not like normal girls. Like, she has short hair and stuff.”

“I had short hair once,” I mused, adjusting the rubber bracelet on my wrist. “It was short like yours, and red.”

“Seriously?” Alex asked, and I nodded. “Why isn’t it like that anymore? Girls with short hair are cool. They’re like… pushing the limits, and shit.”

I shrugged. “The color faded and my hair grew back.”

Alex stared at me for a second, his dark brown eyes scanning mine and making me feel small and insignificant under his glare. “That was deep,” he finally said.

“No it wasn’t,” I replied with a small chuckle. “That’s what happens when you change your hair. It goes away. Unless, of course, you dye it with permanent dye, and then it stays forever. But I was only fourteen, so my mom said it had to be the kind that lasts for only six weeks,” I rambled, a clear sign of my exhaustion. Alex just grinned.

“Maybe it’s time for you to go to sleep,” Alex commented, and I nodded swiftly. “Alright, I won’t bother you anymore,” he said softly as I began to make myself comfortable in my new surroundings. I still wished I was sleeping next to Zack again, but I decided to take what I could get.

“Thank you,” I murmured, my head lolling over to the side. All I could hear was the occasional whisper of the other passengers, and Alex’s pen scratching away furiously at his paper. The sound was relaxing.

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My eyes shot open quickly as the plane bumped unexpectedly. Alex was asleep next to me, and I looked over to my actual seat and saw that the man had refused to sit in his allotted space. But when I glanced over at Zack, I happily noted that he was wide-awake. I carefully scooted past Alex before sitting down next to Zack. He grinned at me while pulling out his earphones. “Did you have a good nap?” He asked, and I nodded.

“How much time is left?” I questioned, crossing my legs under me.

“Only another hour and a half.” I sighed in relief, wanting to get off of this plane as soon as possible. “Are you going anywhere else besides Amsterdam?”

I shrugged. “Maybe. It depends if my grandparents will let me. I’ve always wanted to go to Germany.”

“We’re playing a couple shows in Germany,” Zack mused. “You should come along.”

“I’ll try,” I replied honestly, my fingers grazing his ever so slightly. “Jack made me a myspace, so if I can’t go I’ll at least be able to keep in touch with you. He even put me in your top friends.”

“How did he put you in my top friends?” asked Zack, cocking an eyebrow.

I shrugged. “He knew your password.”

“Unbelievable,” murmured Zack in response. I just chuckled softly before leaning my head on Zack’s shoulder. I’m not sure when I feel asleep exactly, but that was the last thing I remembered until everything went dark, and sleep overtook me.