Ten

Note: Okay, I just want to point out, Jessie and Buzz are NOT on the same flight in this chapter. I just had to break up the story a little, thats all. :)

Jessie dressed in her brand new, fresh out of the packet uniform. It was the same as the other JAL cabin crew she had seen over a year ago. This was her first of five test flights, and she was excited and nervous at the same time.

The training in London and Tokyo had been an amazing experience. She had learned so much in thirteen weeks, and her old nerves had slipped away, just like at the beginning when she'd started on check in. That world seemed like a lifetime ago now. She still kept in touch with Dolly, her best friend, although that was harder when she'd been in Tokyo, for obvious reasons.

Someone had mentioned to her when she was on the training course that 'the first six months are always the hardest' – well she had three months under her belt already, and another three couldn't possibly be that bad.

She looked at herself in the mirror, putting on her smart blazer, liking the way the bright colour of the red scarf complemented her new, shorter hair, that she'd had cut before she'd gone to London for training. Now, instead of its usual braid down her back, her hair fell just below her shoulders, with layers cut neatly into it.

"I'm cabin crew, Dad," she whispered, and brushed away a tear as it rolled down her cheek.

Buzz was starting to lose patience with the stupid airline. It seemed every time he had a good co pilot, Sharif would stroll into the cockpit grinning inanely all over his face, bragging about being swapped over. Once or twice, Buzz could understand, but it seemed to be happening all the time recently.

Today was no exception. Sharif had strolled in an hour before take off while Buzz was preparing the engines for their check, sat down in the co pilots chair, messed with some papers, and then asked, "So how's your red headed lover today then?"

Buzz had thrown him a glance that told the co pilot to shut up, and then returned to his checks. He always managed to get the flights that took him to Tokyo, since he loved the place inside out, and knew all the good hotels and places to eat. He doubted Sharif knew anything worth knowing about the place except perhaps the local brothels and watering holes. But recently he had wondered if he was doing something wrong. Maybe he should be flying to Australia, Singapore, China. Anything to get away from Sharif and his busy bodying.

And he was still going on about Jessie when he knew full well that Buzz hadn't spoken to her in months. Nearly a year, he'd calculated to himself, at one stage not too long ago. The chances of her turning up again were slim to none. Not that he'd ever have a chance. She'd have met someone by now, someone tall dark and handsome. Not like him. He was the wrong side of thirty, with brown hair, and all those fabulous meals in the restaurants of Tokyo were starting to show a little. Not that he didn't work out – he did push ups every day, and went to the gym during his time off.

No, he should have grabbed his chance when he'd had it, Buzz thought. No point closing the metaphorical gate after the metaphorical horse had bolted, after all.

"Okay so this is where you can store your things," Harmony guided Jessie to a small bunk, "You can sleep here, the stewardesses take it in turn, there will be two of us on every six hours, and the captains will change and take it in turns as well, there's two of them every six hours as well."

Jessie nodded and put her bags down, while Harmony jumped up on a upper bunk. "You don't get to choose who you fly with, either, doll, so you better get used to that too."

Jessie glanced at her, sensing some kind of atmosphere. When Harmony had first greeted her, the small Korean girl had seemed welcoming and friendly. Now she suddenly wore a sneer on her face as she looked down at Jessie from above, and Jessie felt a chill sneak up her back.

That three months she had to get through was obviously going to be harder than it looked. And she hadn't even started her first test flight yet.