Previously on Flightmate...
Studious E refuses to go on a road trip because she has to study. She hurts C's feelings and feels bad. So she decides to ditch her plans for once and agrees to go to Europe with B and C. But, after announcing her change of plans, she suddenly can't breathe.
Chapter 2: Best Trip Of Your Life
All of a sudden, Elena was engulfed in one of the strongest Care-bear hugs she had ever received in her entire life. Though she could barely breathe, she felt the joy Caroline was drowning her in.
'Thank you Elena!' she shrieked. 'This is going to be the best trip of your life, I promise!' Caroline was crying tears of joy.
'Hey what about me?' Bonnie said in a mock sad voice. She was grinning at the two of them; Elena saw the glee and relief in her eyes.
'Awww… sorry Bonnie! Group hug!' Caroline pulled Bonnie in, at last allowing Elena to breathe.
The three friends embraced on the Gilbert porch, warm summer air hazing their minds, faint evening light and the glow from Elena's house bathing them, unaware of what's in store.
'Hello ladies, thank for choosing to fly with Mystic Air' said the red-haired flight attendant, smiling politely as she passed them. The plane had two columns, around twenty rows of two seats. The artificial plane air entered Elena's nostrils, the soft sophisticated silence filled her ears. Elena, Caroline and Bonnie made their way through the aisle, searching for their seats.
'14A… 14B… 14C' Caroline read off their plane tickets. They stopped in front of a row of seats and looked at the seat numbers. There were 2 pairs of 2 seats, set on either side of the aisle. 14C was the aisle seat, separate from 14A and 14B. As they realized it, they glanced tentatively at each other.
'Ok, looks like one of us will have to sit alone.' Caroline said, in her usual blunt fashion. Bonnie and Elena peered at each other. They knew Caroline wasn't going to be the one.
It was either Bonnie or Elena. The air quickly filled with tension as they waited for someone to give in.
'Alright, alright I'll sit alone,' Elena finally said. I'll have some quiet. She said to her girlfriends, 'I won't be doing a lot of talking anyways.'
Bonnie and Caroline looked at her apologetically.
'Seriously, I'll be fine! I brought my books for situations like these,' she patted her bag. 'Besides, it's not like we're sitting on the opposite ends of the plane. I'll be on the other side of the aisle!' Elena said, smiling. She began fishing her books.
Bonnie finally spoke up. 'Okay Elena, but if you want to switch, just ask. Okay?' Elena smiled, and nodded her assertion.
Turning back to her seat, Elena fished out all the books she needed and placed them her seat. Holding her bag over her head, she reached up to stuff it into the luggage rack. It was over three feet above her head. She stood on her tiptoes and was swaying under the bag's weight. Just as she was tipping it over the rim, someone brushed past her, bumping into her leg.
She tripped and crashed onto the floor. The bag smartly missed her and landed on the stranger's head, rolling off and smashing his toe, making him wince.
'OWWWWW!' he yelled, rubbing his foot in pain.
'Sorry!' Elena said, her voice many pitches higher than usual. 'Are you okay?' she asked him softly.
His head was bent away from her as he tried to ease the pain away from his toe. After she spoke, the man looked up and Elena's eyes widened with surprise. He had an angry expression on his face, but that did not hinder the effect of his dark beauty. He was wearing a black John Varvatos t-shirt underneath a black leather jacket. She could see his muscles. His black leather pants snugly fit his lower half. He had cheekbones as sharp as a knife and a distinctive jaw line. Elena thought that if he stood very still, he could pass for a Greek statue. His pale skin contrasting with his thick black eyelashes and black eyebrows, his midnight-black hair, made her head spin. But what caught her attention were his eyes.
You only see those eyes once in a lifetime.
Elena felt as if she was floating on her hormones. Her sensible side told her not to stare but, she just couldn't help herself. He had the most amazing eyes she had ever seen. Their contrast with his other features was overwhelming. She wondered if they were contacts and if they were, she doubted any man-made contacts would have such as an impact on her. She found herself trying to assign a name to his eye color. Misty blue, she brainstormed. But the blue in his irises seemed to be in constant motion. How does that happen? Gazing into his eyes was like watching the waves of the ocean, through soft misty blue smoke. That was as closest as the English language could come to describe them.
'No, but I'll survive,' the handsome stranger spat out, his rudeness forcing her back to reality. Elena caught herself replaying the last moments in her head, trying to figure out what she asked. Swooning over his two gloriously blue vision tunnels, was not a good thing when you're trying to maintain a conversation.
'I'm sorry,' Elena replied, talking to his feet. She picked up her bag. Standing on her toes, she tried once again to tip it over. After several tries, the bag did not stray further than the edge.
Elena felt sudden heat on her back. She turned around only to come face-to-face with him. She swiftly turned around, trying to avoid eye contact.
His hand nudged hers away from her bag. 'Let me do it,' he said, and easily picked the bag and pushed it into the overhead bin.
Somewhere in her mind, Elena retained basic manners. 'Thanks,' she muttered, moving away from his overwhelming presence as quickly as possible, plopping down in the seat next to the window.
He however, did not move. Elena looked at him from the corner of her eye.
'Well this day just keeps getting better and better,' he said sarcastically, clasping a ticket. '14D. You are sitting in my seat.'
Elena stared at him spellbound. Was it possible to screw up this badly in succession?
'Sure yeah,' she said, standing up and trying to walk in the limited legroom. A pair of hands grabbed her waist and forced her down on her seat. As Elena looked up, outraged, Damon brushed past her legs and occupied the seat next to her.
Who did he think he was?
'Hey! She was moving, you don't have to be rude,' Caroline said, coming to her rescue. Bonnie stood behind her and glared at him with narrowed eyes.
The blue-eyed stranger slowly turned around, eyebrows raised in incredible amusement. Elena watched Caroline and Bonnie's eyes widen as they got a good look. I know, who knew he was a jerk?
'I've had a no good- very bad day. My foot got squished under this woman's bag and I'm sorry if I don't feel like engaging in teen drama right now.' He rudely replied. Talking to a glaring Bonnie, he said, 'so why don't you just leave me alone and discuss the latest episode of Gossip Girl with blondie?' He turned around and bee-lined to his window seat beside Elena and with a scowl sat down beside Elena, who was still standing.
She couldn't believe what just happened.
Great. I have to sit beside a total jackass for 7 hours.
14D? Damon? See what I did there?
Also, I hate travelling by plane because I always get sick or get bored. I wanted to write met-on-a-plane AU and there is a severe lack for this couple.
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