Now it was time for Richie and Potsie to head back to Milwaukee. Before they went through security at the airport, Potsie offered to call Ralph and the Fonz back in Milwaukee to let them know that they were on the way home.
"Thanks for letting us know, Pots. See you soon."
"All right, Ralph. Either you or the Fonz can come and get us."
"I'll tell him that."
"Ralph's going to pick us up at the airport when we show up, Rich."
"What did he say about the Fonz?"
"Nothing really. Just that the Fonz might end up picking us up at the airport and not the other way around."
"Ralph will pick us up. The Fonz likes his motorcycle."
"True, Rich. I don't plan to try driving one anytime soon."
Richie had to agree with Potsie, but didn't bother saying it out loud.
"We can just talk on the way home."
"We're talking right now, Rich. We can't have quiet on the way home. I need someone to talk with."
"Let me see your plane ticket," Richie told his friend.
"Why do you want to see it for?"
"Because I want to know if we're sitting together."
Potsie handed it over to Richie.
"Thanks, Potsie."
"You're welcome. I still don't understand why you need to look at the plane ticket."
Richie looked at both of their plane tickets.
"What is it, Rich?"
"We're not sitting together, Potsie. This is why I wanted to double – check."
"If I had a girl sit next to me, I could try having her talk."
"If she's interested in hearing about you."
"Why wouldn't she? You know the girls like the Fonz more than we do."
"It would work for him if he was on the plane with us."
"You're right, Richie. You know how the Fonz is."
Now they went back to their rooms and start packing before heading to the airport and go through security and all of that stuff.
After they finished packing up and handing the keys back at the front desk, Potsie offered to call for a ride to the airport.
"Did you enjoy your stay, Mr. Cunningham?" the woman behind the desk asked.
"Yes. The room was nice and clean."
"I'll tell housekeeper that."
"Thank you."
"Do you think you'll come back to Ohio?"
"No. I was only here for work," Richie told her.
Potsie rejoined him just then.
"Richie, the taxi is on the way over to take us to the airport."
"Thanks for letting me know about the time."
So Potsie and Richie chose to wait outside for a change since it was nice and sunny instead of raining.
"Good thing Ralph and Fonz weren't here with us."
"Why do you say that, Richie?"
"Ralph doesn't need to share jokes with the person I interviewed for the newspaper column. I'll work on that while we're on the plane."
"Instead of talking with someone else?"
"Right. I need to get this done by tomorrow night so it can go into the newspaper."
"Are you going to call your boss when we get in?"
"That's the plan. That way he would know I made it with something to publish."
"That makes sense. I'm sure you'll share this with your mom and dad, then."
"Yes."
They talked until the taxi showed up and take them to the airport.
Potsie offered to tip the driver, and that was fine with Richie.
Once they got to the airport, it was time to go through security and do all of the waiting until their flight was called.
"Too bad we can't sit together."
"Potsie, don't be upset about it."
"Who says I was worried?"
"You sounded like it, that's how."
Potsie didn't see any reason to argue with his best friend, so he kept quiet.
They didn't say much while waiting for their flight to be called since Richie was already starting to get his notebook out and write about the interview with Bill Thompson.
"You can do that later, Rich. We don't have much time to wait."
"Don't tell me what to do, Potsie."
Potsie watched as Richie got out his notebook and pen so it would be ready once they get on the plane.
When their flight was called, Potsie followed Richie.
They were on the same flight, but not in the same aisle.
"Talk when we get to Milwaukee, Potsie."
"Fine with me."
When Richie found his seat, it was now time to buckle up and get ahead with the writing he was planning on doing.
Potsie saw that he was right after all – a girl sat next to him.
Richie didn't pay attention to who Potsie was going to sit with, and he wanted him to see that.
"Hi. Is anybody sitting here?" he asked a brunette who was in her early thirties.
"No. is this your seat also?" she asked.
"Of course. That's what my ticket says."
Richie could already hear Potsie talking with a girl.
"The Fonz would love to see this," Richie said to himself.
But there was no reason for Fonzie to know since he hangs out with girls half the time.
Their flight was only a few hours, so Potsie talked with the girl next to him the entire way to the airport in Milwaukee.
"Do you want to stay in touch?" Potsie asked her.
"Why would I want to do that? We're not going to be friends or anything."
Richie agreed with the girl.
"She's right, though," he said to himself.
When they made it to the airport in Milwaukee, Richie offered to make the phone call to Ralph and the Fonz.
"Fine with me."
When Richie returned, he said, "Ralph's going to pick us up in about twenty minutes or so."
Then Richie added, "Potsie, why would you want to keep in touch with a girl you don't even know? She's not going to be friends with you."
"Just making conversation."
Potsie did know about Richie listening in.
Fonzie even offered to ride with Ralph, and he didn't mind it.
"Thanks for offering to keep me company, Fonz."
"I'd like to see Cunningham myself. This is why I want to come."
"That's all right. You're always welcome to come with me."
"I knew that."
Richie would want Potsie to share with Ralph about the conversation with the girl he sat on the plane.
"What are you thinking, Richie?"
"That Ralph and the Fonz might be interested in hearing this conversation that you had with the girl next to you."
"Of course they would."
"You can mention about the staying in contact thing, but the Fonz would probably be on my side."
"He usually is. Did you get everything done?" Potsie asked.
"Most of it. I'll finish it tonight after calling my boss."
"Good," Potsie replied.
They didn't say much when Ralph and Fonzie showed up to take them home, and there was no need to.
Several minutes later, both Potsie and Richie saw that Ralph and Fonzie finally made it.
"Here they are, Rich."
Richie looked on Potsie's left side and saw their friends come over.
"Looks like you made it safely," Fonzie told them.
"Yes, we did. We're ready to go home."
"We missed you, even if it was for a short while."
"It was just you, Ralph."
"I thought you missed Rich also."
"No. I understood he was out there in Ohio for a reason, and wasn't going to be gone for a long time anyway."
"Thanks, Fonz."
"You're welcome, Cunningham."
"There's something Potsie wants to share with you about what happened on the plane."
"What's that?" Fonzie asked once they headed to the luggage claim.
Potsie told them.
"You wanted to stay in touch with a stranger? That's not cool, Potsie."
"I thought it was."
"Not that kind of cool."
Both Richie and Ralph agreed with the Fonz.
"Well, would you mind dropping me off at home, Ralph? I need to make a phone call to the boss and get this done in time before deadline."
"Sure, Rich. Then Potsie and Fonz can keep me company without you. I'm not ready to be bored yet."
Ralph and Fonzie didn't have much help on carrying the suitcases since there wasn't much of anything else after that.
"Did you take your motorcycle, Fonz?"
"Not this time. I rode in with Ralph."
Once Ralph dropped off Richie, he said, "Thank you for picking us up, Ralph."
"Anytime, Richie. Glad you both made it home safe. Right, Fonz?"
"Right."
Now it was time for Richie to make that phone call.