Twisted Proposal (7 page)

After a several minutes, I decided to suck it up. Before leaving the bathroom, I washed my face and reapplied my make-up hoping I’d done it right. My babysitter was leaning against the far wall, smirking at me. I avoided him and returned to my gate.

Instead of sitting in one of the seats, which were rapidly filling up with people, I found a stretch of wall and sat cross-legged with my book bag resting on my lap. Folding my arms over my bag, I leaned forward and closed my eyes.

***

“Addison, hey, wake up,” someone said. Raising my head, I came face to face with Stuart. “Time to board the plane.”

When I stood up, I noticed the gamer guy was gone
.

              “Addison, come on,” Stuart complained, already in line.

“I’m coming. And by the way, I’m sixteen not five. I didn’t need a babysitter.” I slid in line behind him. He smelled like beer and mints.

“Well, when you start acting like a sixteen-year old, I’ll treat you like one.” He handed the flight attendant his ticket.

“Enjoy your flight,” she said to me as she took my ticket. I felt like screaming,
“I’m leaving my home, my life! There is nothing pleasant about this!”
But kept my mouth shut.

We entered a tunnel-like hall that ended at the entrance of the plane. I saw a sliver of black asphalt as I stepped into the aircraft; the gap made my stomach roll. Someone pushed me from behind, and I entered the plane to more happy greetings from the next flight attendant. My mouth had gone dry again, and I felt what was left of the toasted cheese from last night rising in my throat. 

Stuart led us to two seats near the front of the plane.

“You can have the window seat,” he said and stowed my bag overhead. Then he showed me how to recline the plush blue chair. It didn't go back far, but I could stretch out my legs a little.
If we crashed, at least I would be comfortable.
As soon I settled in, however, another cheerful flight attendant leaned over and told me I had to keep my seat forward during take-off.

How many people were flying on this plane anyway?
I unfastened my belt and stood up and noticed that almost every seat was filled behind us.

“Sit down, what are you doing?” Stuart said in a low voice.

“Nothing,” I refastened my seat belt and tried to push the thought of crashing away, but made the mistake of peering out the window. Guys in orange vests with yellow reflector panels on their chest were backing away from the plane, waving their arms above their heads.
Were they supposed to be waving their hands like that?

“That will only make you sick.” Stuart reached over and pulled the shade shut, as a loud voice came over the intercom announcing that the flight would take about four hours and discussed what to do in case of an emergency. I gripped the arms of the seat for dear life. Glancing up, I noticed the yellow oxygen mask that would release in a sudden drop in altitude. My vision tunneled out as I glanced over at Stuart.

              “Would you like a piece of gum?” he asked, his voice sounding like he was underwater.

              I blinked. “For what?”

              “It helps with the pressure changes.” He offered me a stick. "Don't worry. It will be over before you know it."

“I guess.”
But a piece of gum wouldn't cure my terror.

Chapter Seven

The plane jerked forward, brakes squealing as it turned onto the runway. My stomach flip flopped as I chomped the gum I’d been given.
Maybe if I close my eyes
. So I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself to lean back in the chair.
Everything’s going to be okay.
A strange humming sound radiated through my head as my muscles relaxed. For some reason, I yawned and rested against the pillow.
I could do this. Flying was easy.

A short time later, Stuart nudged me. “Would you like anything to drink?”

“No, thank you.” My voice was scratchy. Wow, I felt really out of it. I rubbed my neck, wondering if the gum Stuart gave me was drugged. 

“She’ll have a Pepsi, and I’ll have a Jack and Coke,” Stuart answered.

“Yes, sir.” The stewardess handed me a can of Pepsi and a cup of ice and brought Stuart his drink. I tried not to stare at the amber-colored liquid in his glass, but my mouth watered.

A few minutes later, Stuart disappeared into the bathroom and I drained his cup in seconds.
Phew, that was strong.

The Jack hit my stomach and sent warming vibrations throughout my body. A smile crept upon my face. For the first time that day, I was happy. I refilled Stuart’s glass with Pepsi. He’d never notice. An old woman across the aisle stared at me with a disgusted expression on her face, and I rolled my eyes at her. It wasn’t her business. I’d been drinking since I was ten and knew what I was doing. 

My gaze fell back to the window. When I raised the blind, my mouth dropped. We had to be thousands of miles in the air. Brown and green patches of earth faded below us as we flew through large white patches of clouds. It was unbelievable. I must have made a sound because Stuart slammed the shade down, making me jump.

“Keep that down and listen to this.” He handed me a pair of white headphones. Soft jazz filled my ears, and I flashed Stuart a grateful smile, but he wasn’t paying attention.
Go figure.
I closed my eyes again.

***

I was dancing in the living room of my apartment with Elizabeth. Her annoying charm bracelet jingled. I could hear her laughter, my laughter. She wore a white sundress, and her tan arms were free of needle tracks. She seemed so happy. I tried to hug her, but she darted out of the way. I tried again, and she jolted away from me with a grin. At first I was laughing with her, but after a few attempts, I became angry. She just kept smiling, taunting me.

Then we were outside on the roof of our apartment, and she was standing on the edge. I yelled out to her but nothing came out. I didn’t have a voice. Nothing. I walked over to her and reached out to grab her. She lifted her hand toward mine. The instant our fingertips touched, her dress faded to black and her hair blonde hair turned a dull gray. Her skin lost its color and became wrinkled and old. She mouthed, “I love you.” Then her body disintegrated into ash and blew away. I screamed.

***

“Addison, wake up,” a strange voice said, shaking me. 

My eyes flew open. I was on a plane. Stuart was leaning over me. I pushed him away.

He looked worried. “You were having another bad dream. Do these happen often?”

“No,” I mumbled.
It felt so real.
I sat up in my chair, ignoring everyone staring at me. I grabbed Stuart’s glass of melted ice and Jack to control my haggard breathing, but he removed it seconds later.

“This is mine. Here.” He replaced the cup with one filled with water.

Elizabeth just fluttered away into the night sky. “She’s ash,” I whimpered.

“What?”

“Nothing.” I didn’t want to explain myself to him.
Maybe this was her sick way of saying goodbye.

Stuart turned back to talking politics with some guy sitting across the aisle.

The old woman from earlier kept gawking at me. I tried not to let it bother me. I never had nightmares before.
Maybe it was stress-related.
I looked around for something to do. Part of me wanted to open the shade again, but my fear stopped me. So I grabbed the magazine that was in front of me in a little pocket on the wall. No way was I going to go back to sleep. 

An hour later, the captain informed us to put on our seatbelts to prepare for landing. Stuart handed me another piece of gum, but instead of chewing it I pocketed it. I didn’t trust him or the gum. So I fastened my belt and tried to relax, but all too soon I felt nauseated. I opened my eyes and glanced at Stuart, who was reading the
Wall Street Journal
. Part of me wanted to throw up right there on the floor, but I managed to hold it until we were off the plane. Thankfully, there was a trashcan at the jet way exit.

Stuart's face flushed as I straightened and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “Was that really necessary?” he asked.

“It was either that or on the floor.”

He handed me a Kleenex from his pocket. “Use this. Next time try to wait until you get to a bathroom. God, this is so embarrassing.”

“Excuse me. How about next time I just let it fly out my mouth!”
No way was I apologizing for something I didn’t have control over.

“Don’t be a brat. Come along. We have to get our bags.” He stomped down the concourse.

Now wasn’t the time to have a full-blown argument with him; it could wait. So I swallowed my pride and followed.

As we walked through the airport, sunshine shined down on us through large skylights and I welcomed the warmth and colorful plants that lined either side of the hall. We joined everyone from our flight in front of a silver conveyor belt.

“When your bag comes out, just step up and take it. It’s not that complicated,” Stuart instructed.

Before I could answer, a green light began to flash, and the metal tray began to move, delivering bags like an assembly line. Of course Stuart’s bags were the first to appear, and I watched as he stepped forward and grabbed them, rejoining me in seconds.
Seemed easy enough.

I shrugged my carryon over my shoulder and waited for my things to arrive. The bags kept rolling out, but mine never appeared. People gathered up their suitcases and left. A red light flashed, and everything came to a screeching halt. Stuart and I were standing alone.

“Where’s my bag?” Elizabeth’s jean jacket was in there. I climbed on the conveyor belt and peered past the clear plastic flaps leading to a warehouse-type building. There were trucks loading bags onto other belts, but ours was empty.

“You're not supposed to be up there," Stuart said from behind me. "Do you see it?"

“No, it never came out. Where is it, Stuart? I need that bag.” My stomach gurgled with anxiety.

“Okay, okay, just calm down. Come on.” He said and took off down a hall.

After ten minutes, we were still walking, “Where are we going?”

“To file a missing baggage claim.”

“That bag is really important to me. I need it, Stuart.”

“I know.” He opened a glass door leading into an administrative office.

We were told to sign in and wait.

“You did check it in, didn’t you?” I questioned, after a few minutes.

“Addison, I put your bag with mine. You were there. Unfortunately, this sometimes happens.”

I didn’t believe him.

It seemed to take forever until we were called back, and a man in a suit took Stuart's phone number and address. At first, I thought Stuart was genuinely concerned, but when he couldn’t produce the baggage ticket, I changed my mind.

“I knew it; you didn’t check my bag, did you?” I accused again seconds after we had left the office, coming to an abrupt halt. People were forced to walk around us.

              Stuart frowned. “Addison, people lose bags all the time. It’s not that big of a deal. Stop causing a scene.” 

              “But they don’t even have you checking in a third bag. They have my carryon. I mean I saw you put that sticker thing on it, but…”

              “Well, maybe their computers messed up,” he said as his left eye twitched.

              “I don’t know how you’re even a good lawyer. You can’t lie for shit.”

He whipped around, glaring at me, and pulled me to the side of the passageway.

              “You want the truth?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. I had the attendant throw your clothes in the trash, where they belonged. You can’t dress like that here.”

“Seriously?”
Who threw someone else’s clothing away
? I didn’t think he would actually admit it.

“Besides, you could use some new ones. So there, I told you the truth. Can we please go so that I can get home before midnight?”

This isn’t what Elizabeth would have wanted. I turned and sprinted in the opposite direction, leaving Stuart behind calling my name.

I cut to the right and darted down another hall but didn’t see any exits. So I kept running. There had to be a way out somewhere. I hit a dead end.
Shoot,
w
hat happened if there was a fire? How were people supposed to get out?
I spun around and froze. Stuart blocked my retreat.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Stuart asked, bending to catch his breath.

“Going home,” I replied, searching for some way around him.

“Like hell you are. Not after you dragged me halfway across the country to get your ass. You’re coming home with me. End of discussion.”

No.
I slumped against the wall. “I didn’t ask you to come get me. I was just fine without you. Those
clothes
were my things. Elizabeth’s jacket. Things I can’t replace.” I hated the sorrow in my voice. Burying my head in my hands, I tried to stop crying.

Stuart squatted down next to me. “Look I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“No, you don’t care, and that’s obvious. So just let me leave, you’ll never see me again, I promise. You know this isn’t going to work. Let me go,” I pleaded, staring at him.

He shook his head. “I wish it were that easy.” He grabbed my upper arm with a firm grip and hauled me to my feet.

What did that mean?

“Walk,” he ordered.

I didn’t move, so he jerked me forward and pulled me after him.

“Go to hell.” I resisted, reeling away from him.

“Addison,” he said, as a security guard approached us.

“Is everything okay, sir?” he asked, and Stuart released me.

“No, he’s trying to kidnap me,” I screamed.

“Sir, is this true?” the man asked.

“May I talk to you for a second?” Stuart stepped to the side but still blocking me. I didn’t know what they were saying, but I did see Stuart pull out his wallet and hand the guy money. 

“Ma’am, please go with your father,” the officer said, facing me.

“Are you for real? I tell you he’s trying to kidnap me, and he slips you a hundred and it’s all good?”

“Ma’am, please calm down.” The guard rested his hand on his stun gun.

“Don’t 'ma’am' me. People like you disgust me.” I glared at Stuart. “You got what you wanted. Let’s go.”

Stuart thanked the man, and we continued down the hall. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to him. “Try to humiliate me again and see what happens.”

I jerked loose but continued to stay close, feeling like a prisoner walking down death row. My freedom was now in the hands of someone I didn’t even know.
What did he mean when he said it wasn’t easy to let me go?

We collected his abandoned bags. Surprisingly, no one had touched them.  

“Where are we going?” I asked after five minutes of walking in no clear direction.

“Since I can’t leave you with the bags, we’re going to have to walk to the parking garage.”

“This isn’t my fault, remember?”

“No, it’s not, but you’re not making it easy.”

We exited through an automatic door depositing us outside to a light breeze and sunshine. I sighed.
He was right. The weather was nice.

On our walk, we passed a large flying saucer-like building. “What’s that?”

“A restaurant. I’ll take you there sometime,” Stuart said, as we entered a multi-level parking garage.

I didn’t deserve to go anywhere after the way I had been acting. It was childish of me to run away. I pushed the elevator button, but it was out of order.
Figures.

“Up the stairs we go,” Stuart said.

We walked up five flights to the top level, where a man was sitting in an air-conditioned booth reading a paper. He jumped up when he spotted us, and Stuart handed him another card. The attendant ran it and slid Stuart his keys.

“Thanks,” Stuart said, and the man buzzed us through the gate. Once inside I shrugged my sweatshirt off and ran to catch up with Stuart who was half-way across the lot.
Man, he was in a hurry.
He stopped next to a cherry red sports car.

“Talk about a death trap.” It reminded me of one of those little toy cars that kids rode around in.