As/n: This is the sequel to In the Blink of an Eye… everyone is older now… Owen is 17.
Chapter 1
"Peanuts?" The flight attendant asked.
"No, thank you," Troy said. ""I don't mean to bother you," He added in a whisper for his son, Owen, age 17, was fast asleep on his shoulder. "My son had a very bad allergy to peanuts… would it be okay…"
The flight attendant nodded in understanding. She walked away and soon a voice came on the intercom:
"Would everyone in first class please kindly not open their peanuts? We have an allergy on board and we do not want to endanger the person. Thank you and enjoy the rest of the flight!"
Heather Evans, age 17, shot her bright blonde head up from her People Magazine, a soft smile spread across her face. Although this was no way laughing matter, she couldn't help but to out a small laugh. She could imagine the look of embarrassment spreading on her friend's face. On the contrary, Owen was still fast asleep on his father's shoulder having been up all night treating his diabetes.
Heather's smile faded. Owen's health was nothing to laugh about. On fact, Owen had come close to death on numerous occasion. If it wasn't his allergy it was his diabetes and if it wasn't his diabetes it was his newly discovered asthma. Owen sure had the bad side of things but that's what made him so likeable. He was always looking at the bright side.
Suddenly, Owen arose, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"Good morning, Sunshine!" Troy laughed.
Heather's heart glowed at the sound of Troy's voice. Troy was possibly the world's greatest father. Although faced with the death of his wife and daughter, he always managed to stay strong and keep going. Much like her father, Ryan. But her mother, Emily, was still alive and she had no siblings of remembrance.
The gang may have been nine people but they acted as one. Heather couldn't remember the last time she had a peanut product or missed a debate meet. Sure, age played its part in the group, the youngest being four years old, but they stuck together and that's how it always had been.
"Heather," Troy asked. "Would you switch seats with me? I need to talk to your father."
Heather nodded and shut her magazine. She quickly shuffled across the aisle and plopped down in Troy's old seat.
"What'd you want to talk to me about?" Ryan asked, stuffing his book under his chair.
"Nothing," Troy sighed with a smile.
"Then why'd you say-," Ryan began.
"Heather was up all night with Owen and I. I think she deserves to talk to him a bit." Troy looked over at the laughing teenagers. "Besides, I might as well let my future daughter-in-law sit next to my son."
Ryan spit out his coffee.
"What?" He asked, wiping his coffee off of his face with his sleeve.
"Oh, come on, Ry," Troy said with a laugh. "It's only too obvious! …You aren't going to be the overprotective father, are you?"
"No… but… I mean, if I'm not… who will be?" Ryan asked, his mind on his ex-wife, Emily, who currently lived in Manhattan. She had left in hopes to cover her secrets… sadly those secrets were soon to be revealed.
"I wonder the same thing all the time," Troy said with a sad glance at his son.
…
"Okay, okay," Heather said between laughs. "You told them that diabetes was contagious? And they believed you?"
"Yeah," Owen laughed. "The cheerleaders haven't bothered me since!"
Heather yawned, rubbing her bright blue eyes. The bags that circled them emphasized the point that she was exhausted.
"Thanks for staying up with me last night," Owen said, ceasing all laughter.
"It's fine," Heather said, waving her hand. "It was nothing!"
"No, it wasn't nothing," Owen said seriously, staring straight into her tired eyes. "If you hadn't found my stuff…" He shuddered slightly. "Thanks. I mean it."
Heather blushed, their faces now inches apart. She could smell the mixture of mint toothpaste, Drakkar Noir cologne (a gift from his father), and several medicines go through her nose. The smell would've been very odd to others but not Heather. No, this smell was home.
They were so close now that Owen could feel her heat pouring over him. He breathed in her strawberry shampoo and closed his eyes. Their lips were only inches away…
"Peanuts?" A flight attendant asked, offering a bag of half opened peanuts to them.
"Uh, no thanks," Owen said, scratching his neck, something he did when he was embarrassed.
"Didn't you hear the intercom announcement?" Heather asked, outraged.
"Oh, that person'll be fine!" The woman said, waving her hand at the matter. "It's not like he'll drop down dead if he eats one!"
"Yeah, he could drop down dead if he smells one!" Heather spat.
The attendant was getting frustrated now.
"Oh, what do you care?" She asked madly.
"I care plenty!" Heather shot at her.
"You're not going to die!" The woman said.
"Yeah, I am!" Owen said, angrily.
The woman looked form Owen to the peanuts and back at Owen.
"Oh, I-I uh- didn't know…"
"No one does," Owen said bitterly. "And no one cares either."
The woman shuffled away as quickly as she could.
"Gosh," Heather said, turning to Owen. "What jerks!"
"Heather," Owen said thickly, grasping at his chest. "The peanuts… were open…" He choked out with great difficulty.
Heather bolted out of her chair and opened the overhead compartment. Troy had seen this sensed the urgency of her actions. He helped her pull a black Northface backpack out of the compartment.
Troy stopped when he saw his son's pale face.
"What happened?" He asked, frozen in shock.
The urgency spread throughout the plane; everyone was staring now. Heather dove into the backpack and fetched the plastic bag of medicines: an inhaler, a finger prick, food in case he got low… no Epi-pen.
"The bag of peanuts was half open," Heather breathed, fishing through the bag.
Owen let out a thick cough, his eyes shut in pain.
"Dad," He moaned, clutching at his chest.
"Owen, keep breathing," Troy instructed, now searching frantically through the backpack.
"I can't," He gasped. "It hurts."
"Hold on!" Heather said, desperately.
"Somebody help!" Troy screamed.
The stewardesses rushed up, quickly seating Heather in an empty seat behind Owen.
"Sir," One said to Troy. "You need to sit down immediately. We'll handle this."
"That's my son!" Troy shouted. "I'm not just going to go sit down and do nothing!"
"Dad!" Owen gasped, air slicing through his teeth.
"Get out of my way!" Lily Baylor screamed, pushing her way through the crowd. She grabbed a bobby pin out of her hair and quickly bit off the plastic end.
Swiftly, she grabbed Owen's wrist. He let out a moan. Clenching her teeth, Lily poised the pin inches above his wrist. She had one shot to get this right. She lifted the pin higher and-
Right on target. Instantly, the blood stream opened up and Owen's breathing eased up.
A moment of silence followed then a scattered applause. Lily placed an evenly tanned hand (her father was black and her mother was white, her skin was genetics and it often made others jealous) on Owen's head.
"Good," She breathed and returned to her seat.
Owen's eyes remained closed, his chest slowly moving up and down.
"Thank God," Troy whispered. He kissed Owen on the forehead. Owen groaned. "Don't ever scare me like that again, you hear?" Troy said.
Owen nodded not opening his eyes. He laid his head back and breathed deeply. Troy returned to his seat next to Ryan.
Heather crept up behind Owen, tears brimming her blue eyes.
Owen slowly opened up one, brown, sleepy eye.
"Hey, you," He whispered hoarsely.
Heather's tears fell and she threw her tired body onto Owen's/ She put her sobbing head onto his chest.
"That was so scary," She whispered.
Owen laid a hand on her shaking head.
"I know," He returned in a whisper. "I know."
Soon, all of the anxiety had died down and everyone quietly returned to their seats. They went back to their previous activates as if nothing had happened. Troy, however, couldn't do that. For the rest of the trip, Troy didn't take his eyes off of Owen. He glanced in Owen's direction out of the corner of his eye and smiled.
Heather had fallen asleep on Owen's chest, Owen asleep with her, having pulled a blanket over them.
His breathing perfectly steady.
As/n: Tell me what you think! I'm going to be busy this weekend though. I'm in a play on Sunday. … HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL! It's a group of all girls though so I have to be Troy but I don't mind. Troy rocks! Oh, and Pixie is Taylor! It's going to rock!!!! Thanks!