Disclaimer: Following the Red Eye, but from a view point mainly that of one of the minor characters.
"This is Rebecca." Her mom exclaimed to the pretty flight attendant, displaying her talent for stating the more than obvious. Rebecca herself, standing tall but small beside her, fingered the soft worn fringe of her pale yellow long sleeved shirt, trying not to focus on the fact her mom was doing all in her power to embarrass her.
"This is her first time flying alone."
Apparently it was also her duty as her mother to make the humiliation process as painful as possible.
The mocha skinned flight attendant leaned forward, freshly French manicured nails reflecting the high powered overhead lights against the sea green of her ironed uniform skirt.
"Well, you must be very brave."
There was no mockery in her tone, and so Rebecca surmised the kindness in the words was genuine. She nodded out of the simple act of being polite, but it really wasn't a matter of being afraid or brave. It was just a new experience, one of many she was sure to have as she matured. Not to say of course, that she wasn't anxious or nervous at the prospect of flying alone. She wouldn't deny the faint beginnings of butterflies already fluttering derangedly in her tummy.
Rebecca splayed one hand over the spot where the internal insects raged, and sighed. The flight attendant was wrong.
She was not scared, so she couldn't see how she was brave.
Her mother's hand was comfortingly firm on her arm.
"Are you sure you'll be alright now, sweetie?"
Rebecca raised her eyes to her mother's and saw concern there. She wished her mom wouldn't worry, she knew it was a parental prerogative and that love rode deeply under that maternal concern, but she wasn't a kid. She'd be thirteen in five months.
Movement from the left side caught Rebecca's eye. A lovely young woman, with woody dark hair and fair skin. Rebecca didn't think she had seen anyone as beautiful as this woman. She had to be a movie star. Whoever she was, she had heard the entire discussion so far. Rebecca caught her gaze and saw something in it she hadn't expected. Understanding, sympathy…Ms. Movie Star's eyes spoke as clearly as words themselves.
They said: "I have one just like it back home."
In her mind Rebecca imagined replying, "A mother?"
And in her mind's eye she could imagine Miss Movie Star shaking her head, "Nope. Dad."
To which Rebecca would inform her, "You got it easy. Mom's are much, much worse."
But all she really did was give a simple smile that said all those things and subtly rolled her eyes to show her loving exasperation with her mother.
Movie Star returned the smile, showing she felt her comrades' pain and moved past, just as Rebecca's mom's voice floated back in.
"Do you have your toothbrush?"
Rebecca tore her eyes from the lady's retreating figure. She couldn't wait to wear high heels like that. Too cool.
"Mom, I'm twelve…not nine." She smiled, shouldering her pack and bending down to take a hold of her blinding pink duffel. "I'll be fine."
"We'll take good care of her, don't you worry." The flight attendant claimed, a few awesome curls springing before her eyes, as she tried to quell her mother's insecurities while taking a hold of Rebecca's hand at the same time.
Rebecca turned back and said lightly to her hovering mother, "I'm a big girl. Tie my own shoes and read Dickens all by myself."
This statement was true. Her summer reading for the girl's academy, Nicholas Nickleby, was thumping uncomfortably against her back as she walked away, "Besides, it's a plane, not a terrorist nation. What could happen?"
Brave, brave little Rebecca.
Everything would have happened come morning.