styled ・Harry Styles

01.

When I left my apartment in a rush this morning trying to be on time to the airport for once in my life, I don't think I could have predicted the kind of day I was about to have.

My flight was set to depart from LAX at 9:00 am, and I live about half an hour away (when the LA traffic gods decide to favor me, that is). So, I woke up bright and early at 6:30 am and took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and haphazardly threw on some mascara and concealer. I knew I was going to be flying for a good chunk of my day, so washing my curly hair and waiting for it to air dry on a plane didn't seem the most appealing to me. Instead, I opted for a side braid and put on some black leggings, my black Pleasing crewneck, and white sneakers.

I double and triple-checked my backpack and carry-on because even though I grossly overpack for every trip I've ever been on, I can't seem to escape the fear that I've forgotten something vital. I'd like to think that I've gotten better at only taking the essentials with me over the last few years considering I travel between LA and New York at least once a month, if not somewhere overseas, but truth be told I will be an overpacker unti the day I die. I graduated from FIT about four years ago now, and while I absolutely adored New York, I decided to pick LA as my home base to be closer to my family.

This morning, I was flying to New York to do some preemptive planning for fashion week. Two years ago, after I landed my absolute dream job working as a stylist with Gucci, my life was quite literally turned upside-down. I went from being a struggling creative in the industry to working with my literal idols and creating runway looks. To this day, I don't know how I got so lucky, but I thank my stars every night for the life I live.

I got to LAX right at 8 am like I had planned, finally having enough time to get through security AND grab a cup of coffee before boarding. After the much needed caffeine fix, I made my way to my gate and had about 15 minutes to spare before boarding. I routinely checked my emails, texted Mama and Baba before I boarded, and checked my backpack just one more time to make sure I had my essentials with me.

I was flying business today, which quickly became the new norm for me after landing the Gucci position. When I was a little girl, flying business was something I could only dream of. My family wasn't poor by any means, but both of my parents are immigrants from Egypt so we certainly experienced our fair share of hard times.

Before I knew it, I heard my boarding group announced over the LAX speakers and gathered my belongings to board. I waited in line for a few minutes before scanning my boarding pass, and made it to my assigned seat about five minutes later. After stowing my carryon in the overhead compartment, I took my window seat and fished out my current read from my backpack. Just as I was getting settled in to my seat (and started praying that I'd be lucky enough to have no one sit next to me on this flight). I noticed a figure stop in front of my aisle out of my peripheral vision.

Which brings me to right now.

"I like your jumper." I hear a strangely familiar British accent say as I feel a body plop down in the empty seat next to mine.

I look up from my book and see a sight that most people wearing Pleasing merch never expect to see. I don't know if it's the pure shock or just the typical Monira urge to embarrass myself at any given time, but the only thing I can bring myself to say upon realizing that Harry Freaking Styles just sat next to me on a plane is:

"Harry Styles, why are flying business class?"

At that, he chuckles and replies, "Hey, flying business can do a lot to keep a man's ego in check."

I laugh as well and facepalm at my situation, realizing that he probably thinks he has to sit next to some crazy fan for the next several hours. Don't get me wrong, I do admire the man (hence the crewneck) but I'd consider myself more of a casual fan– it's not like I'm reading fanfiction and tracking his every move.