Bail | LRH

Chapter 25: risk & reward

Adrian Casey

"It's so early" I whined, dragging out the last part of the word 'early' as I closed my eyes and rested my forehead on my dad's arm as we waited in line at TSA. We had woken up at two in the morning for a five A.M flight to Aspen because in three days I would be competing at one of the biggest competitions of the year against some of the best female snowboarders in the country. Aspen was always one of my favorite places to compete, the energy was always high, and the competition was some of the toughest anyone would be facing during the regular season. Needless to say, this week was going to be one hell of a ride, and I was going to have my work cut out for me.

The line for airport security felt as if it were moving slower than a turtle trying to cross a highway. The airport was always busy so it didn't surprise me that the line was long, but I was beyond ready to sit at the gate waiting to board the four hour flight.

Much like the ski lifts, the plane ride was everyone's last moment of peace and stillness before the chaos hits you. As soon as you step off of that plane, everyone is in business mode and you're no longer there to mess around and sight see, at least until you were done competing, but until then, it was strictly business.

We made it through security with ease and were walking down the long corridor carrying backpacks stuffed with everything that wouldn't fit in our suitcases, which meant extra clothes, charger cables, and for me a blanket and a small pillow. Although I was used to traveling from city to city to compete and staying in different hotels, I could never seem to get comfortable using hotel sheets and pillows; it's always the thought that someone else's head has been on the hotel pillow, or their body was tangled up in the blankets that make me feel uneasy, so I learned that bringing my own makes me feel better and more relaxed.

"Here it is, Gate 26A" my dad said, looking down at his boarding pass then back up at the big blue sign that hung above a seating area. "Salt Lake City to Aspen; yup, this is us!" He read the screen above the flight attendant desk indicating which flight corresponded to the gate.

We quickly found some empty seats and dropped our bags on the floor. I slumped into the slightly uncomfortable chair and pulled my white beanie down over my eyes as I rested my head back.

"I'm going to go get a coffee; watch our bags while I'm gone" my dad said as he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and left me alone to protect our belongings.

I nodded, even though I still couldn't see him because the beanie was blocking my vision. I wanted to take a nap, but at the same time airports were one of my favorite places to be. The possibilities here were endless, and everyone had different things to tend to. Some people might be flying home for the first time in a while, while others might be moving away from home chasing their dreams. The airport was a pretty magical place if you think about it because anything could happen.

This rang true because with these endless possibilities I had just thought about, someone was ripping my beanie off of my head, causing me to jump in my seat and turn my head rapidly from side to side wondering what was happening, and who was snatching my beloved beanie. I made a one-eighty degree turn and saw Michael holding in a laugh as I flattened out my hair.

"I should have known," I said, ripping my stolen beanie out of his hands and placing it back on my head, shaking my head playfully at him. "What are you doing here? Are you on this flight too?" I motioned toward the loading dock.

"Yeah, this was the only flight the four of us could find seats near each other because for some reason we booked them so late this year," Michael said, rubbing his eyes. He was clearly just as tired as I was.

"The four of us?" I asked, looking around because he was the only person in front of me at the moment and there was no sight of the other boys.

"The other guys went to grab some McDonald's breakfast before the flight, but I wasn't hungry" Michael clarified and I sent him a nod in response.