You Left Me the Password to Your Heart

People were walking or rushing through the wide space of the LAX airport with their suitcase dragged behind them or in their hands. Kids ran around with their stuffed animals or toys as their parents took care of luggage in the check-in counter or just simply sat down on the benches, waiting for their flight. The Californian sun shined through the wide windows as a girl walked in through the sliding glass doors with her suitcase dragged behind. She took off her sunglasses and went straight to the check-in counter to check her flight.

The counter for British Airways wasn’t that crowded, so she only queued for five minutes before stepping forward to the counter. She took off her sunglasses and smiled at the lady behind the counter that greeted her with the same warm smile. “Hi, I want to check in my luggage for the flight to Bristol today.”

“Sure, can I have your name and your passport?”, the lady asked before darting her eyes to the hidden computer screen inside the counter.

“Yea, it’s Peyton Jones.”, she replied before fishing into her bag for her passport. When she found the electric purple passport holder, she took it and placed it onto the counter.

The lady nodded and when she found Peyton’s name, she clicked it and the boarding pass slid out from the slot that was near the computer. “Okay, here is your passport and boarding pass.”, she said and gave Peyton her things back before tilting her head to the side, looking at Peyton’s suitcase. “So, only one?”

Peyton nodded without taking off her smile from her face. “Yes.”

“Okay, we’ll take care of it, and you have an hour before your boarding call. Have a nice flight.”, the lady smiled again as an airport crew took care of Peyton’s suitcase.

Peyton thanked her and gathered her stuff, dumping them into the bag and walked into the gate. She needed to call her dad and there was no way she could do it outside where some families were saying goodbye to each other or people who only there for their relatives. As she was waiting for her turn to walk through the metal detector, she took out the Minnie Mouse stuffed that her mother bought for her when they went to Disneyland when she was only five years old.

She sighed when the Minnie still had the smile on her face and she touched the little locket she put on around her neck. The locket was from her mother and she felt like her mother was near every time she hugged the doll.

“Okay, miss, it’s your turn.”, the airport security said, making Peyton snapped from her thoughts. She muttered sorry and put her bag on the X-Ray rail before putting her cell phone into the empty gray tray. Peyton walked through the metal detector and it didn’t beep, so the security let her through. She thanked him and got her stuff back.

When she was about to walk up the stairs to the waiting lounge, hysterical screaming was heard behind her. She looked back and saw a group of teenage girls, surrounding four guys who were trying to get through the metal detectors. Peyton turned her whole body to their direction and narrowed her eyes to the guys who just got swarmed, but now already went through the detectors.

‘Probably some poppy band.’, Peyton rolled her eyes and continued her way up. When she was already at the lounge, she found an empty seat and it was near the windows that gave the view of the runway. She sat there and placed her bag on the side before pulling her phone out from her pocket and dialed her dad’s number.

After two tones, he picked up. “Peyton? Where are you? Are you already on your flight?”

“No, I’m still at the airport. There was a bit of a problem back in the office, you know, the summer issue, but I worked it out and I’m waiting for my flight now.”

“Okay, what time are you going to arrive? Do you want me to pick you up?”

Peyton bit her bottom lip and think. She wanted to spend some quality time with her dad, and even though it’d be only the drive from the airport to her dad’s house, it’d still be great just being the two of them. She couldn’t handle her stepmother and she never could have a conversation longer than five minutes with her dad when she was around. “Peyton? You there?”

“Yeah, dad, I’m here. No, you must be busy with Caroline, I’ll take a cab or something.”

“You sure? But text or call me when you land, okay?”

“Okay, I will.”

“Hey, sweetheart, I gotta go. I’ll see you soon.”

“Yea, see you soon, dad.”, she said bitterly before hearing the click from the other line, signaling that her dad already hung up. Peyton sighed and slouched back to the couch, placing her phone on her lap.

Her eyes scanned the lounge and found the guys that got swarmed downstairs on the other side of the lounge. They were talking and laughing at each other, probably about how some of the girls were like rabid dogs around them. Their voices were loud and booming, so it wasn’t that hard for Peyton to eavesdrop, even though she had no intention to.

Peyton ran her fingers through her light brown hair and her eyes fell to a guy, who had a little Mickey Mouse keychain hooked on one of his belt loop, along with some laminate passes. She narrowed her eyes and rolled them, followed by snorting under her breath. ‘His girlfriend probably bought it for him.’

Then, she felt like she needed a drink and there was a water fountain near. Peyton looked at her watch and right in time, the lady in the speaker announced her flight. She rushed her steps to the fountain while fidgeting with her phone as she tried to get it back into her pocket. She didn’t look to her side, so she bumped with a guy who was rushing too.

All of their stuffs that they had in their hand fell onto the marble floor. “Oh my God! I’m sorry, I didn’t see where I was going, I’m rushing!”, Peyton chirped as she just looked at her stuff and picked them up as fast as she could. “Once again, I’m sorry!”, she blurted out as she picked up the white gloves that she knew as Minnie’s, before rushing to the gate, ignoring her thirst.

When she was at the gate, she gave the flight attendant her boarding pass and her ticket. Peyton tapped her foot as the flight attendant scanned her ticket and pass before giving them back to Peyton. She thanked her and rushed into the connecter to the plane.

Inside the plane, she found her seat and thanked God in her mind that she booked a first class seat so she would be away from the crying babies and whining elders in the couch. Peyton took out her iPod and plugged in the earplugs, pressed the play button. Fire (Aim Your Arrows High) by VersaEmerge quickly filled her earlobes.

“Finally.”, she muttered and took a look at her stuffed doll that she had in her bag. “We’re going—“, she trailed off when she realized it wasn’t her doll. It was a Mickey Mouse. “What the…? This is not mine.”

She turned around the stuffed Mickey and blinked trice before realizing what happened. ‘That guy must’ve had my Minnie!’