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Jerome Clarke had joined the mathletes for two reasons. One: His teacher forced him into it. Two: Mara Jaffray was on the team.

If it wasn't for reason two, Jerome wouldn't even be on the plane right now. They were flying over to America for a competition. Jerome's right hand shook and water fell onto his lap as he brought the plastic cup to his lips. He had chosen the aisle seat, so he could easily run to the bathroom, Mara was beside him, and Fabian was beside the window. Mara arched an eyebrow as he dropped the bottle, but the steward caught it, fastening it tightly.

"Everything okay?" Mara asked softly, Jerome nodded at her with a small smile, but then Fabian spoke up

"Jerome's a nervous flyer." Jerome glared at Fabian, who raised his hands in innocence "Don't worry! Only one in a billion planes crash," Fabian nodded, but then frowned "Or is it million…maybe thousand-"

"Don't worry," Mara cut him off "We'll be fine,"

The plane rose, and Jerome winced at the pressure on his ears, but Mara and Fabian seemed fine, quizzing each other on basic maths questions so they wouldn't slip up. When about nine minutes into the trip, the plane started to drop. Everyone felt it, all the passengers turned to the stewards, if they were calm then you could be calm, but they weren't calm, they were running up and down the aisle. The food tray slid down the corridor and crashed against the white wall. People started screaming.

"We're gonna die!" Fabian screamed.

The plane dropped lower and somewhere in the mayhem, Jerome realised that he was holding hands with Mara Jaffray. Should he tell her? Should he tell her now as they raced closer and closer to their deaths that he loved her "Mara," he began loudly, she looked up at him, eyes wide with fear as she clutched his hand, lower and lower they dropped, faster and faster "I lo-" he stopped when the plane stopped falling. Everyone stopped screaming and there was dead silence, when the pilots voice called out

"Sorry about that folks, just a little turbulence, should be plain sailing from now on."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and quiet shatter resumed.

Fabian gasped for breath "Probably one in ten."

Jerome looked down at his intwined hands, and Mara hesitantly pulled away with a shy smile "Sorry Jerome, what were you saying?"

Jerome opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again "I was just gonna say goodbye," he lied.

"Oh." Mara said, rather disappointedly. "Well…at least we're all okay."

Fabian rolled his eyes "You know guys, you're both in love, now if you excuse me, I'm going to be sick in the bathroom," he stood, pushing past them both and leaving. Jerome and Mara looked at each other, before nodding.

"I do love you," Mara looked down at her lap

"You're the reason I joined mathletes," Jerome grinned "I love you, Jaffray,"

There was no more turbulence, and despite the almost life ending experience, Jerome was a little less scared of flying.

After all, there was a less than one in a billion-million- thousand-ten, chance of the plane going down.

"It's a good think Fabian can do maths," Jerome groaned, rolling his eyes. Mara laughed, kissing Jerome softly.

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