"Ladies and Gentleman. We will now be taking off. Please fasten your seat belts and bring all tray tables and seats into the upright position."
Lila Simmons breathed steadily in through her nose and out her mouth while her knuckles turned white from gripping the armrests of her first class seat too tight. Really she had been shocked that her uncle purchased a first class ticket. She was certain they had marked the ticket wrong. All her life, she had been all economy class, all the time. Her seat bet was tightly fastened. The plane started to back out of the gate and her grip tightened. "Nope. A hundred times nope," the girl muttered and screwed her eyes shut. She heard the faint chuckle of the man sitting across the aisle from her. Shit. Uppity rich people are in first class. They're laughing at her!
The plane began to pick up the pace steadily trudging towards the runway.
"Afraid of flying, huh?"
Lila opened her eyes, casting a side ways glance at the person who spoke to her. He was a young man across the aisle from her, the one she accidentally hit trying to drag her bulky suitcase onto the plane. Oops. She shook her head, "nope. Not afraid at all why do you ask?"
He chuckled again and gestured to her position, "Something about the panicked look on your face, I just assumed." The airplane shuddered as it glided over a pothole in the runway. Lila let out a small eel and shut her eyes wants more. At this point the man was laughing.
"Ok. I'm a teensy bit afraid of flying. Just a teensy bit."
She felt someone slide into the seat next to her and Lila turned her head to see the young man sitting next to her, a cheeky grin planted firmly on his face.
"Sir! Could you please return to your seat? We're just about to take off." The flight attendant scowled at him.
He flashed a dashingly handsome smile at her, one that even Lila would admit, would make any girl weak kneed.
"Sorry, m'am. Its just this young girl here is afraid of flying and I figured that since this seat wasn't taken that I should comfort her."
"My hero…" Lila muttered and the flight attendant sighed.
"very well, but please just fasten your seatbelt," She said shortly and hurried to her seat and strapped her self in.
The plane became to pick up the pace, gaining speed as it hurtled down the runway.
"Oh godohgodohgodIdonotwanttodie" Lila's grip tightened on the arm rest as the plane began to slant upwards.
"So where you from?" The guy next to her asked.
"Uhm… I'm from.." The plane slanted further, "Sarasota. I'm from Sarasota." Lila glanced at the man, why did he want to know that?
"Do you have any siblings?"
The plane shuddered as it lifted up into the air but Lila didn't notice as she looked at the man weirdly.
"I have an older sister. She's a pyschiatrist. She lives in Gotham which is why I'm headed there. Why would you want to know that? Can't you see we are about to die from failing to take off?" She rambled. He shrugged his shoulders in response and looked out the window. She followed his gaze and realized they were already up in the air. What?
"Wait… What?"
He grinned showing off his pearly whites, "Simple trick, kid. Distraction."
"Oh clever. Very clever." Lila nodded as she shut the window. Nope, no looking down at the ground to see how high up they were before they plummet to their doom.
"Yup. that's me. The most clever man alive"
Lila snorted at the guy's cockiness, and then sighed, "You must think I'm a total baby for being afraid of flying, right?"
"Not a total baby. You'd be a total baby if you had started crying," He responded cheerily, "Though it looked like you might burst into tears at any moment."
"Hey! I held back. Why aren't people scared of flying? Its terrifying. You're literally hovering hundreds of feet in the air defying the laws of physics."
The man raised an eyebrow at her, amusement showing in his crystal blue eyes, "Thousands, actually."
"Thousands?"
"Thousands of feet."
"Ohhhh boy! That makes it all the better." Lila slammed her head back into the head rest, "Thanks, kind sir, for bringing that to my attention."
"Hey… Kid. If it makes you feel any better, I know ALOT of people afraid of flying me not being one of them obviously, but you know."
"Thanks. That makes me feel a lot better" came the dry response. He chuckled and they sat in silence for a little bit as the plane floated through the air.
Lila looked at the young man. He couldn't have been more than 24 years old and was very sharply dressed. He had black hair that was nicely styled and a high cheekbones. From what she could tell from the way his clothes fit his body, he must have been ripped. He grinned as he noticed her looking at him, "well?"
"Oh uhm.. Sorry. You don't have to continue sitting with me…" She blushed and relaxed her grip on the armrest.
"Nah.. Its ok. I have to make sure you make it through the flight."
"What're you, a superhero?" she muttered.
He grinned and puffed out his chest, "Why that I am, Madam. And as a hero, I must do everything in my power to protect people"
Lila laughed. He made her feel at ease with his charming smile and what not. The man settled back into his seat. Lila looked t him curiously, "So…why aren't you afraid of flying?"
The man grinned, "Lets just say I was raised flying"
"Your parents are pilots?"
He laughed and shook his head, "No… They were- we were, circus people. Trapeze actually."
Lila gaped, "seriously? That is so cool! I could never do trapeze…" She paused for a moment, wait were? Were they like retired or something? "so..are y'all retired?"
He nodded slightly and looked distant, "you could say that." He turned towards her the charming smile on his handsome features once more.
"So tell me about yourself, kid."
"Uhm… theres not much to tell. Born and raised in Sarasota. Haven't been anywhere else other than Disney World. That was by car. Uhm.. I'm 16. Oh and my name's Lila."
"Pleasure to meet you, Lila."
Lila and the man chatted for a bit longer about Florida and Gotham until she felt her eyes drooping. All that panic about the flight hadn't given her an ounce of sleep the night before and she just…
The plane trembled and the lights flickered in the cabin as people scrambled back to their seats. The motion jerked Lila awake where she had been sleeping on the mans shoulder. He was reading the sky mall magazine, flipping through it nonchalantly. The plane rumbled and dipped down before evening out once more.
"Just a bit of turbulence. Seems as though its storming near Gotham, go figure. Oh by the way I swiped you some peanuts while you were asleep!"
Lila mumbled a groggy thank you and rubbed her eyes. She noticed a small wet patch on his shoulder where her head had been. Shit had she? Yep. Lila Simmons just drooled on an attractive older guy's shoulder. The man took note of where she was looking, and chuckled lightly.
"Hey. You drooling on my shoulder wasn't nearly as bad as your snoring. You were out, kid."
"What?!" Mortified. She was mortified. She was never sleeping again. Ohmygod. No.
He laughed, "I'm just kidding, kid. You don't snore. But yes, you did drool a little bit. No biggie. My little bros do it too. Hell, even I do it."
"Like that makes me feel any better. Y'all are guys! Great! Fabulous. I am a drooler." She huffed and slammed her head back on the head rest.
"You're going to give yourself some brain damage if you keep doing that."
"I've hit my head against worse." She muttered.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have begun our descent into Gotham International Airport where the high is 68 degrees with some stormy weather up ahead. So if you were planning on some sightseeing when you got there, consider rescheduling-"
the man snorted, "like Gotham has anything site-worthy. Aside from Batman and the Asylum."
"Our descent into Gotham will be a turbulent one so hold on tight, folks. We'll be there shortly."
Lila tensed up again, "Turbulence?" She squeaked. The man gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, and cracked his goofy smile.
"Kid. You'll be fine. Besides even if we were to crash land, I'm a superhero remember?" He waggled his eyebrows at her as the plane began to lower itself.
She laughed and cracked open the window seeing rain droplets streak across the plastic-y glass. Through the gloom, she could see the dingy grey skyline of Gotham City come into view. She sighed. Terrific. Sunny beautiful Florida for this place.
The plane jerked as it lowered getting closer to the ground and she let out a small eep and grabbed onto the man's arm.
The plane landed and pulled in towards the gate. It was pouring rain outside form what Lila could tell. She unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled her backup up from under the seat in front of her. She looked up to where the overhead bin.
"Here let me get that for you. don't want you hitting anyone again now do we?" The man laughed and pulled her bulky duffel bag down. He himself was only carrying a sleek messenger bag.
They got off the plane and once Lila reached the inside of the airport she nearly fell to the ground and kissed the floor. Land! ACTUALLY GROUND! YES! She happily cheered but then her face dropped when she took in the size of the airport. How was she supposed to find her way out of here?
She felt someone tug on her arm and she saw the man from the plane, "Just follow me kid. Your sister is picking you up, right?" She nodded and followed him to the pick up area of the airport. There she saw her sister, her bushy blonde hair damp from the rain and her glasses had little droplets on them. Her sister waved excitedly.
"Well theres my ride, kid. I'll see you around!" the man slipped away.
"Thank you..." she paused, "wait How will you see me around.. and whats your name?!" But he was already gone and she was soon engulfed by her big sister.
Note: So this is my first story. So I hope y'all like it! Please don't be too harsh.