This is my new story called guess who cause... That's kind of the aim of the story. This is just a kind of introductory chapter so I hope you enjoy the randomness!
Sorry in advance if your favorite character doesn't appear in this chapter. He/ she probably will at some point.
Chapter 1
"Last call to all passengers boarding flight GLS102 to Glasgow. All passengers should now board the plane." Hilary announces from the microphone at the boarding desk and releases her finger from the button once she finishes the announcement and joins her co-workers at the gate entrance, checking the last of the passengers boarding passes.
"Think that's it." Says Matilda as she gentle bows her head then scuttles down the walkway to the plane, leaving Hilary and the other attendant, Claude, behind to deal with any late comers who had missed their flight.
"So that's Matilda gone until... Friday." Says Claude, striking up conversation. If truth be told, Claude wasn't much of a speaker and was often awkward when he did speak.
"Mm-hm." Hilary replies absent-mindedly and types some things into the computer, completing some last minute procedures. "Doors locked… That's us done."
"Well since you're done, maybe you should come chill at the bar." Mariam says as she pops up out of seemingly nowhere and rests her forearms on the desk casually.
"Aren't you meant to be working just now." Scolds another voice.
Mariam looks round and Hilary looks up to see Max, who like many, never seem to be at where they're needed.
"Aren't you?" Mariam shoots back without missing a beat.
"I don't start work for another ten minutes!" Max replies as he rubs the back of his, ruffling his blond mane as he does so.
"We'll don't you think you should be preparing for work?" Hilary shoots back at him. Hilary was one of the few people who took work seriously. She had the best record of never being late and never misses a day. It has been awhile since she has worked as an air hostess but she is far happier working on the ground inside the airport anyway. After all, she has good company down here and doesn't need to put up with any rude passengers – what more could she ask for?
"What's the hurry." Max says in a child-like manner and yawns. "No one else ever shows up until the last minute. Second even!"
"No wonder why there're always huge queues down at check-in." Claude says, suddenly reappearing out of nowhere.
Mariam gives a snort of laughter. "You're not joining us, Maxie." She says to which Max responds with a pout.
"Come on Hilary." She says and walks on ahead.
Hilary clears the desk, gathering papers into a bundle then into her arms and follows the bluenette, bowing her head once in respect to her colleagues.
Xxxxx
"Yes, grandpa... More... Steaks..."
Pink eyes look at black eyes.
"Should we try to wake him up again?" Mariah asks as she takes out a nail filer from her red waistcoat, ready to poke the sleeping form with.
Rei gives a nonchalant shrug, giving Mariah the deciding factor. The pink haired girl jabbed the pointy end of the nail filer into his rib region the best she could. But it was difficult when the victim is (a) curled up in such a tight ball and (b) has positioned his arm defensively over his delicate areas. And on top of that, he had picked out a secluded spot to sleep in.
He would've remained safe too if Rei and Mariah had not noticed the only staff area closet on the third floor was shut off completely. That was unusual considering the fact the latch was meant to be broken, making it incapable of shutting fully and hence earning a title known by all staff, the jammy closet.
"Heyyyy!" Diachi's loud voice belts out from behind the two. He had just entered the staff room and had immediately notice the odd behaviour of the only other people in the room.
"Hi Diachi." Rei greets.
"What'cha doing over there?" He asks in his strong accent.
"We're trying to wake Tyson up." Mariah replies from her lowered position, coming to the conclusion that the boy was out for good.
Diachi peeps into the closet to see Tyson lying in what looked like a demented version of an unwinding foetal position.
"We've been trying for a while now." Rei admits.
"But he still in a deep sleep." Mariah adds.
"I can wake him up." Diachi announces and barges between the two and into the small closet. He sits down then takes off his shoes which are worn and scuffed in appearance, an abomination to the security uniform regulation. How he managed to get his shoes so scratched up in the short time of two months since he started working here was beyond everyone who knew him.
Rei and Mariah looked at each other again. They knew where this is heading. Mariah whips out a tissue to cover her nose with and her phone to prepare for the shots.
Diachi places his sweaty shoe in front of Tyson's nose, not too far as to spare him the odor but not to close as to intoxicate him; over intoxicate him.
Rei and Mariah watch the unsuspecting victim closely. They were sure what was going to happen next after seeing Diachi make random holiday goers sniff his shoes for 'suspected criminal purposes'. According to Diachi it makes perfect sense.
Tyson's nose twitches after the first inhalation and his form shuffles further away from the foul smell and after the second inhalation, his face screws up and before Diachi had a chance to withdraw his shoe, Tyson reacts more vividly and leaps up in a burst of incoherent, angry speech.
"Diachi! I was being fed endless steaks and noodles by gramps after beating him!"
"Being fed?" Mariah echoes. "How old do you think you are?"
"That's not the point!" Tyson yells and rises to his feet, not bothering to dust his shirt or straighten his semi-undone tie. "The point is he ruined my dreams." He points an accusing finger at the smaller boy.
"A boy who dreams of being fed steaks and beating a seventy year old man at kendo…" Mariah shakes her head disapprovingly and says to Rei who nods his head slowly in agreement.
"What are you guys even doing in here anyway. You're meant to be working."
"Our shifts finished almost twenty minutes ago."Rei replies after consulting his watch.
"TWENTY MINUTES AGO!" Tyson exclaims, his eyes widen in surprise and scurries past his friends and darts out of the door faster than a bullet.
"What's his problem?" Diachi asks as he stares at the door and scratches the back of his head.
"Word on the street is that Tyson risks being fired if he's caught slacking off again." Mariah replies.
"If I was the boss he would've been fired long ago." Rei starts then pauses when he notices his friends' odd looks. "What? This is business!"
Xxxxxx
The bar is quiet today. Not many people usually did come to the airport at this time of day since most scheduled flights were either gone already or not due to leave until much later. And there was always that everlasting queue at check-in…
"Hi girls." Mariah greets in a sing song voice as she approaches the bar where three girls were: two sitting on the deep red barstools and one working behind the counter.
"You're late." Mariam says bluntly as she dries the glass in her hands with a dishcloth.
"Probably too busy wih Rei." Julia comments whilst the others agree.
"No, it was Tyson." Mariah says as she plops down onto the barstool next to Julia and signals for Mariam to make her the usual after work martini she rewards herself with.
"You're cheating on Rei with Tyson?" Hilary asks astonished.
"No! Don't be silly, we saw him in the jammy closet, sound asleep like a baby. But then Diachi came along and woke him up. That guy sure can sleep." Mariah explains.
"Oh." The girls say in unison.
"Anyway, latest word on the street in that Tyson's at risk of being fired again," Mariah pauses to allow for a reaction and a few shakes of the head later, she continues on, "Max has quit his job at check in."
"Really? He didn't say anything about it earlier." Hilary says, looking over to Mariam.
"… Where's he moving to?" Mariam asks, a bad feeling churning in her stomach. She could only pray it's not to where she was thinking.
"Candiful Life, the sweet shop."
"Fuck." Mariam says on impulse.
"Why's that bad? It's not even on the same floor as you!" Julia says.
Ever since her first day working as a barmaid at the airport's only bar, The Early Bird, Mariam had always loved her job but about half a year into the job, the airport hired Max to work at the noodle shop on the other side of the airport. Over a two year time period, Max had switched nine jobs, each time inching closer and closer to the bar and, more importantly, closer to Mariam.
"It's not but it's directly below the bar and over there, "Mariam points to the right of the mini stage, that's always prepared for Ming Ming, the cabaret singer, "that's a stairwell that links the bar to the doors right beside Candiful Life. It'll literally take him ten seconds to get from his new work to here, less if he's on a sugar high." Mariam lifts her glass of gin and tonic kept behind the bar to her lips and takes a deep swig of it.
"Let's move on." Julia suggests and signals for Mariah to announce the next piece of news.
"Queen and King may actually be brothers and sisters."
Julia looks at Hilary who exchanges looks with Mariam.
"I thought you said they were dating." Julia says on behalf of Hilary and Mariam.
"Well, I was working away like usual today and I heard them talking and she called him her brother!" Mariah exclaims in excitement.
The other three exchanged looks again.
"Are you sure that's not supposed to be a cute-"
"But mostly incestual." Mariam cuts in.
"Nickname." Hilary finishes.
Mariah looks at her friends doubtfully. "Does that really seem likely?"
"So you don't think they were secretly having a 'stock room' romance then?" Julia asks, using her fingers to make air quotation marks around the fitting name that Mariah had branded the relationship.
"I don't know. I'm just reporting the latest pieces of news that are inevitably going to be spread around the place. I'm just ahead of the game." Mariah says with pride and confidence.
"Okay then, Miss Ahead-of-the-game. What other pieces of news are brewing in this place?" Mariam quips.
Mariah clasps her hands together in an excited flurry. "Well, saving the best for last," Mariah turns to Julia. "I heard from the office workers that your six month flight ban has been overturned."
Julia looked at Mariah stunned. "Seriously?" she says, "I can be an air hostess again?"
"That's what the latest word around the office is." Mariah says proudly. She seriously loves being friends with everyone at work.
"How does that make sense? She gives a passenger a black eye and is only banned from flying for three months." Mariam says to Hilary.
"Yet you give someone a bloody nose and you get your flight attendant license revoked." Hilary raises an eyebrow. "You still sore about it?" Hilary asks, putting on a sympathetic look.
Mariam throws her head back in laughter. "Nah, I like working here. I get all the free drinks I want."
Across the other side of the room, just entering the bar are two guys, each lugging a small suitcase behind them as they strolled in, carrying an icy demeanor. The guy walking ahead is wearing a dark blue, almost black, blazer coat with the airport's main airline logo emblazed on the front chest pocket. His intense stare is maintained ahead as he walks up to the bar, further along from where the girls sat.
His friend who walked slowly behind him, a two toned blue haired man who is wearing the same uniform took the seat next to him.
"We don't have all day Mariam."
"That bastard." Julia muttered under her breath.
"Let it go." Mariam says in a lowered voice to the girl then in her normal voice, "Aren't you in a good mood today, Tala." She shuffles along the bar to serve Tala and Kai.
"I better get going. Raul'll be waiting for me by now." Julia bids her goodbye then leaves the bar.
"I'm guessing she's still mad at Tala." Hilary says.
"Well, she better get over it soon cause there's an unconfirmed rumour that apparently her first job's on Friday and he's flying the plane." Mariah says. "Makes me wish I was an air hostess."
Hilary gives Mariah an odd look.
"What? It'd be fun to see what happens on that flight."
Xxxxx
That's it for this chapter. Hope you liked it and if you did, drop me a review please! Also, this is the first story I've written that's not in the past tense so tell me what you think and whether I should go back to the past tense or not!