Previously on Flightmate...

B, C and E are on a plane to take them on the journey of their lives- a trip to Europe. However, they meet a sexy stranger who is pissed at Elena for dropping her luggage on his foot. He acts like a total d-bag but Elena has to put up with him because they have to sit together for the next 7 hours.

Chapter 3: A Great First Flight

Accepting her fate and fully knowing that neither Bonnie nor Caroline would switch with her, she sat. She let out a soft sigh. She looked over to give Bonnie the why-is-it-always-me face. But, Bonnie was otherwise engaged in a whispered conversation with Caroline. Elena turned around, minding her own business. Suddenly she felt her phone buzz. Elena got her Samsung Captivate out and checked her messages. She had 1 unread message.

Jenna: Elena I got your note. I am slightly worried but I know you'll be fine with Bonnie and Caroline. Text me when you get there.

'All passengers please switch off your phones, laptops and other electrical devices. The plane will take off in 10 minutes. Thank you for flying with Mystic Air,' a cool female voice announced in a well-practiced tone. Elena quickly put away her phone and stared at the seat in front of her. In her hurry to get out of the house as soon as possible to please Caroline, she only just remembered to leave Jenna a note. She was gone the last two weeks on her honeymoon with Alaric.

It was a weird day when Elena got home from school only to find Jenna kissing her history teacher, a box of opened Chunky Munky melting behind them on the dining table. Jenna tried to be indiscreet but their lips detached only after the door closed. Alaric turned bright red and awkwardly, walked away while Jenna tried to explain herself to Elena. After the initial shock, Elena told Jenna that she was fine with it and as long as she got a heads up, she was cool with them. She didn't want to ruin Jenna's chances at love just because it was her history teacher and not on-and-off boyfriend Logan Scumfell.

She was so happy when she saw the silver ring on Jenna's hand a few months later. She knew to warn Jenna the engagement was a bit too early, but after Jenna spilled the beans that she and Alaric had been seeing each other for five months before Elena walked in on them, she was overjoyed. Elena was surprised she didn't notice them. She just assumed she was getting over Logan. Bonnie was right. I am too cooped up in my room.

As the plane cruised on the runway, Elena realized that she didn't tell Bonnie or Caroline that she'd never travelled on a flight before. They didn't ask. However, they were her friends. Although they did push her around, they were always there for her. She was part of an great trio. Elena hoped Caroline and Bonnie did not look at her right then, because then she'd have to pretend to not be having a nervous breakdown. The nausea was waiting at the bottom of her throat; ready to spill out at the slightest movement. Calm down, she told herself. Tons of people do this every single day.

Yeah but I'm not tons of people. And if I can't hold it in, I'm going to throw up and there's no way I can hide it from him.

'All passengers please fasten your seatbelts. The flight is ready for takeoff.' The cool voice cut off as the plane began its run. It started gliding smoothly over the runway. See? It's not so bad. Elena focused on a spot and took deep breaths, calming herself. It worked.

Everything stopped.

The engines fired up and now the plane hurtled full-speed down the runway. Please take off, hurry up, make it stop. Instead the plane kept speed-gliding ahead and Elena thought her seat was to tear from the bottom of the plane, sending her flying due to the inertia. The blaring sound grew even louder. An uncomfortable vacuum filled her ears like a sound filter. Elena thought she couldn't take it anymore. She felt the wheels leave the tar and-

A hand grabbed hers and she was flying.

Elena took a deep breath, clinging on to the hand, her senses focused on not throwing up and not levitating. Her ears suddenly cleared with a pop. The hand left hers at the same moment she opened her eyes. A whirring sound filled her ears and Elena turned to her right. She observed the man beside her - he was ignoring her. Gazing past her flightmate and out the window, she watched as the people and houses got tinier and tinier by the minute. He was also gazing at the landscape, a sad expression on his face. He looked so sad that Elena's soft side wanted to comfort him. But, she remembered his earlier behaviour. He deserves it. But there was such deep pain in his eyes. It was too much for her.

She looked out the window again. They were surrounded by thick white fluffs. Elena felt surreal. It was exactly like in the photographs.

She looked to her left and saw Bonnie and Caroline smiling at her. Glancing towards her right, she saw male beauty. They were in the midst of clouds, almost 30000 ft above sea level.

As long as he doesn't open his mouth, this is going to be a great first flight.

Elena did not want to get out her book just yet, since her brain was unable to process words due to her current surroundings. So, resting her books on her lap, she tilted the chair back. She couldn't help grinning at the level of comfort in the plane. Everything seemed so familiar and felt exactly like she imagined. The thought gave her no comfort and she fazed into a deep sleep.

'Elena!'

'Matt, hey!'

'Hey do you think you could come to the old cemetery in the woods? Me, Tyler, Caroline, Bonnie and some buddies are having a par-tay!' Matt punched the air with excitement. Her Matt.

'Oh… uh Matt, today's family night, remember? I can't- I mean my mom won't let me!'

'Oh. Can you talk to her and just come? Please?' he looked at her with his baby blue eyes.

'Ummm…'

'Please? It'll be a lot more fun if you're there!'

'OKAY! Okay! Fine! I'll be there!' she giggled at his childlike excitement.

'Love you Elena! You're the best! See you in 10!'

Elena smelt something good. Amazingly, deliciously good. She opened her eyes and blinked. Her head was resting on someone's shoulder. Firm but soft. She didn't want to pull away. She was still too sleepy to lift her head up. Whoever it was smelt heavenly! It was a mixture of citrus... lavender and did she detect a hint of musk? Fully regaining consciousness, she tilted her head up, encountered a very cocky smile under a set of very blue eyes and stopped breathing.

She'd seen that blue before.

'Oh GOD!' She leaned away from him. Of all the people in the world, she had to fall asleep on his shoulder. Well, he was sitting right beside her.

Surprisingly, he didn't seem upset or prick-y. She looked back at him and prepared herself for his verbal onslaught. On the contrary, she saw his eyes twinkle with- was he smiling at me?

Yes, indeed he was.

His cocky smile widened as Elena's face showed embarrassment to confusion to anger.

'Stop smiling!' Elena whispered as angrily as she could, only causing him to widen his Cheshire cat smile.

'I know you were dreaming about me. Explains the drool.' He said cockily doing the… wiggly eye thing. How does he do that?

'No, I was not!' she said angrily. 'I was-' Why must she tell him? She was not going to waste her time arguing with this man. 'Never mind. Sorry for dozing off on your shoulder. That wasn't very decent of me.' She said, looking straight into his eyes. If he was going to embarrass her, Elena wanted to tell him he couldn't.

'No it was not,' he said, a smile threatening to break out over his lips. 'We haven't officially met. I'm Damon.' He said, a finger pointing at his chest. Elena looked at him. It wasn't an unusual name but she didn't think he was a Damon. She couldn't think of a suitable name for him really. His beauty temporarily disabled her mind. Thank god, he was a douche. It's not fair for someone to be a good person as well as attractive.

But now that he said it, Damon suited him.

'You must be Elena.' He guessed, completely surprising her.

'How do you know my name?' she asked, slightly alarmed.

'It was on your bag. Elena.' His cocky smile had returned.

'Well someone observed.' Elena said, amused.

'My eyes do much more than turn on women you know,' he said, winking at her. Elena narrowed her eyes in disbelief. So he did know the effect he has on women. Well that's just worse isn't it?

Damon however already moved on. He looked down to her lap and snatched one of her books, before she could even move.

'Call of the Wild' he said, appraising the book. 'You re-reading this?' he asked her.

'No,' Elena said, reaching for her book, even though she was re-reading it. What's it to him? He annoyingly held it above her reach. She had to stand or straddle him (read: embarrass herself) to get it.

'Give me that! Just-' she almost yelled, yanking his hand down with one hand and grabbing her book with another. She got it, but Damon's smile didn't waver.

'Ooo who is this?'

Elena shifted her gaze at his hand. A picture of her and Matt, in his car. First day of freshman year.

'NO!' Elena yelled this time, successfully managing to get it out of his hand. She looked at the picture. Memories hit her like a tornado. She remembered her dream and she felt her vision go blurry. Stop it Elena. You already fell asleep on his shoulder; you don't need to break down too.

'Answer my question.' Damon demanded.

'What question?'

'Who is this?' He asked, pointing to her picture, which Elena pulled out of his reach.

'It's not important!' she yelled, exasperated by this man. 'And even if it was, why would I tell someone like you?'

Elena knew she'd been rude. At that moment, at that emotionally unstable moment, she didn't care. His eyes suddenly lost their spark. His body stiffened in obvious hurt. Immediately he tuned out.

Elena was very taken aback by him. He is so… bipolar. He went from playful to angry to indifference within five seconds. However, she didn't want to talk to him anymore. She took the opportunity to snatch her bag away from him. She expected him to snap out of it any second, clutching the bag tighter.

He actually looked away.

Puzzled, she put her picture in the bag and looked back at him. He was scrutinizing the clouds outside his window, lost in his own world.

Yes, definitely bipolar.

'Ma'am, Sir, your lunch is here. Would you like vegetarian or non-veg?' A tall brunette airhostess said, dragging a trolley full of food behind her. Elena looked at Damon, checking if he was going to order first. His face was still as stone.

'Non-veg, I guess' Elena said, still looking at him, waiting for an answer. He didn't respond. I didn't piss him off that bad, did I? He's got to know how much of a prick he'd been!

She returned to looking at the tray, her stomach growling.

The air hostess leaned over and first placed the tray in front of Damon. He sprung back to life when he noticed her. He considered the food. He smiled, doing the eye thing again. Elena observed the air hostess' reaction. Her eyes widened for a long time, and the line of sight between them could be lit on fire, it was that combustible. Elena felt like she was intruding on something private. Also, she was slightly disconcerted that he snapped out of his head because he decided to flirt, not because he was actually sorry. The air hostess noticed my awkward position, got embarrassed and bent behind the food trolley, fishing for my food.

'Do you have no manners whatsoever?' Elena whispered irritated, watching Damon tucking his napkin. The contrast of bad boy and napkin was as weird as it was cute.

Damon looked up at her grinning, their impasse a few moments ago completely forgotten. 'Hey it's not my fault that some girls just can't resist my good looks, my style, my charm,' he said full of himself. He finished, 'and my unflinching ability to listen to Taylor Swift.' he forked a meatball and chewed it, his eyes casually fixed on her.

Elena rolled her eyes and smirked. What a player.

The brunette reappeared with Elena's tray. She placed it on her side but what Damon didn't notice was a paper napkin left under Damon's tray. Watching the brunette wheel the trolley forwards, Elena couldn't stop gaping at her forwardness. Even Caroline wasn't so indiscreet. She looked over at Damon only to find him busy munching his food.

Damon stopped stuffing food in his mouth when he felt her eyes on her. 'What?' he questioned, still chewing the food.

'You know you can't just lead her on…' Elena said, watching his Adam's apple rise and fall as he swallowed. She snapped out of it and pulled the paper napkin from under his tray. She read it, smirked and handed it over, an explain-yourself look on her face.

'Oh!' he exclaimed. 'Andy Starr...' he read the note. He turned around, grinned slowly at the retreating back of the waitress, folded the note and slid it in his pocket. The cocky smirk was etched on his face.

Elena was amazed.

What a player.

UPDATE EVERY MONDAY! Also, YAYY summer is finally here!

Twitter: anupapaya
Tumblr: arrogantanupapaya

You came, you read, now you review!