After The Matterhorn - Chapter Three
I hope you are enjoying the story so far :-)
And I know it's sad how Brittany is upset.
But don't lose heart, chapters three, four and five work together to bring certain things to light and lift Brittany's spirit.
I have already written most of chapter four (it is handwritten in my notepad from waiting at bus stops & such - I need to type it out) and will finish it soon.
And thankyou for that first review, and to those people who have added me to their favourite writer list.
You encourage me to go on :-)
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Three hours into the flight and the meal cart started moving down the corridor. It was strange how all felt hungry, but considering the boredom of a half-day flight, anything to break the monotony was welcomed. The jet had three aisles of seats, and two lanes for walking. Each seating aisle had three seats.
Dave originally booked the tickets with the boys in the three seats adjacent to the left window, and the girls in the center aisle, with himself in a seat in the right aisle of the same row. But as this would be the first overseas flight for the girls, Theodore suggested that they have the fun of the window seats. The girls, of course, were delighted. And for what seemed like most of the trip to Europe they spent spotting faces and animals in the cloud formations.
This time, there was a quieter atmosphere. Maybe because the anticipation of travelling to Europe had passed and life was due to return to normal. Chill-out time would best describe this moment. For all except Brittany and Dave who were each busy with photos and various papers.
"Can you please wait a moment Jeanette? Can't you see I have, ahh!" Brittany let out a small gasp as Jeanette tipped Brittany's food tray, landing spaghetti over whatever it was Brittany was working on. Brittany had the left window seat, Jeanette center, leaving the seat beside the walking lane for Eleanor who had already opened her meal and was watching her two sisters – wondering who would be blaming who first.
"You were lucky there was no sauce on that!" snapped Brittany, "Go spill your own spaghetti."
Jeanette responded in her usual manner, which was more silent toleration and acceptance of her sister's words than actual response. Perhaps an upward glance and half-roll of the eyes, but a passive response nonetheless.
The flight stewardess was also politely waiting for Brittany to clear her tray table.
"Jeanette, take these please?" Brittany held out a a half-dozen sheets of paper.
"Uh, Eleanor..." Jeanette awkwardly looking left and right at her sisters, as each of her hands held meal trays – Brittany's and her own.
With an unspoken "Fine." Eleanor grabbed Jeanette's own meal tray from her right hand, emitting a quiet "Sorry." to the stewardess in the aisle, still waiting to pass over Brittany's and Jeanette's orange juices.
Her hands stuffing photos and papers down the seat pocket in front of her, Brittany was not in the least bit interested in 'chilling out'.
"Okay!" in more of a large sigh and exhale than an actual word, Brittany dropped her hands down on her now empty tray table. Save for a small stick of lip balm that she somehow managed to apply during the commotion.
"Sorry about the spaghetti," Jeanette started, "You can have some of mine if you don't mind spinach ravioli."
"It's okay," Brittany returned with an air hostess-like smile and bounce in her voice, "Time for a break!"
Eleanor passed on their plastic cups of juice, then returned to her lasagne. She wondered how Theodore was enjoying his, then glanced over and noticed he had already finished.
TEN MINUTES LATER...
"So efficient, so well laid out." Jeanette silently said to herself. "I like airplane food."
And in one of her neater moments, carefully began rearranging the empty food platters and used cutlery.
"Hmm, the serviettes were placed between those plates... now where did I put them... ah! There they are!"
She reached into her seat pocket and pulled out the serviettes along with the stack of papers that Brittany handed to her earlier. One of them caught her eye. It was an early publicity shot just after they made their new name as 'The Chipettes'.
Flipping through the papers, Jeanette's eyes went a little wide as she read an email dated sometime during their Swiss stay, negotiating a concert performance for the Chipettes in five cities. A tour of their own! Then she noticed the proposed date – five days from this present day, four days once they had landed and settled.
Without the slightest head movement, Jeanette flicked her eyes over to her lead sister, the one whose name was on the communique. Oblivious to Jeanette's discovery, Brittany was busy eating. Rather than interrupt her, Jeanette passed the letter to Eleanor, holding it beneath her face, Jeanette's facial expression simply saying, "Read this."
Eleanor was busy writing paper aeroplane letters and throwing them to Theodore and Simon. Alvin was asleep as Dave predicted. Eleanor thought Jeanette wanted to join in on the fun, so she folded the letter into a paper plane and before Jeanette realised what Eleanor was intending to do, threw it across the aisle at the boys.
"Ellie!" hissed Jeanette.
"What?" came the instant response. "Oh, that was.... not for throwing...." Eleanor's voice trailed off.
They both looked at Simon who had caught the letter and was reading it with Theodore. It only took a few seconds for each of their expressions to change. Theodore's face was a look of surprise and hurt that the girls hadn't shared this earlier. Simon's was a mix of confusion and slight embarrassment. The kind of embarrassment that is felt when you accidentally discover some private information about someone you know.
Eleanor shared Simon's lack of confusion, while Jeanette merely pointed with her left hand at the one whose name was on the letter. From this the boys surmised that Jeanette and Eleanor were just as in the dark as they were. It was Simon who made the next move. He unbuckled his seat belt and moved into the aisle walkway, crouching beside Eleanor's seat, letter in hand. Eleanor saw what the fuss was about and in hushed tones, the three of them bounced questions of each other. Also wanting to know, Theodore joined the party, crouching next to Simon.
If Theodore hadn't come over aswell, there was no knowing how long they could have stayed there talking as Brittany had her ear phones plugged in. But with Simon and Theodore both crouching in the corridor, and with Eleanor and Jeanette leaning over them, Brittany's interest was piqued. She leaned over and when she noticed the letter in Simon's hands she let out a small cry and almost fainted in her seat.
Of course Brittany planned on releasing the wonderful news that the Chipettes had a tour of their own. Of course she never intended on hiding ANY information. She was not the secretive, scheming type. She just didn't plan for it to come out like this. For one, she hadn't finalised the contract. And everyone knew how Brittany strived to present herself. Ordered and beautiful, elegant in every way. And this unfinalised unexpected discovery was not the way she intended on presenting her hard work.
"Uh, Brittany...." Eleanor started, "Just when were you planning on announcing the biggest tour of our lives? When we were travelling to the first...."
Eleanor didn't get a chance to finish, as Brittany broke down in tears. Between sobs one could hear what sounded like, "I'm trying so hard..., It's never been easy..., You don't really know...."
"Is everything alright miss?" A flight stewardess asked.
Brittany realised she was making a scene in public and out of embarrassment abruptly made her way to the nearest unoccupied toilet, avoiding eye contact the best she could. She didn't even stop to take back the letter or any other papers.
The toilet door shut.
The lock clicked.
A stunned silence.
The boys thought it best they move back to their seats and leave the two remaining Chipette sisters to talk things over and somehow take Brittany back. As Alvin was now awake and wanted to know why Brittany was seen charging for the rear toilet section in tears, it was indeed best that Simon and Theodore head back. Maybe even give an explanation to a concerned Dave. Just one problem – no one had an explanation for Brittany's upset.