To Jupiter and back

Chapter 18

As Jupiter entered the Uber, she turned to Billie and asked, "Have you got everything?"

"Yeah, I think so. The essentials are here," Billie replied, showing her phone, wallet, and the key to her house.

Once they arrived at the airport, they headed to the check-in desk. A middle-aged woman with black hair barely looked up from her computer as she asked, "Hello, which flight, name, and surname?"

"We are both on Flight Delta Air 5672. I'm Jupiter Jones," Jupiter said, sliding her ticket and passport to the lady. The lady clipped her ticket and glanced at Billie. Billie followed suit, handing over her passport and ticket.

With a quick check, the lady allowed the couple to pass through to the security gates since they only had carry-on luggage. As they approached the security check, a man instructed them to remove their jewelry and jackets. Jupiter walked through the scanner, which beeped green, indicating she was clear. However, as Billie walked through, the scanner beeped red.

Startled, Billie was pulled aside by a security guard who scanned her with a metal detector. It beeped right at her belly button, and she realized she had forgotten to remove her belly button piercing. Apologetically, she looked to Jupiter for help.

The man requested that Billie remove the earring, and she complied, albeit reluctantly. Unfortunately, the security guard had to keep it. The two walked away with their baggage in hand and headed for their gate.

"I'm sorry I forgot," Billie apologized.

"Baby, you have nothing to apologize for. The only thing I'm sad about is that he kept it," Jupiter reassured her as they walked through the duty-free shops.

"Let's get some snacks," Billie suggested, leading them into one of the shops.

"I want gummies," Jupiter said, scanning the shop for her desired treat.

"I want Takis and cookies," Billie added, browsing the selection of different snacks.

The girls grabbed two sodas, two big bottles of water, and their chosen snacks, bringing them to the cash register. Jupiter took out her card, but Billie stopped her.

"Junie, you don't really think you're going to pay?" Billie asked, pressing her own card to the register and paying for their items.

With their snacks in hand, the girls walked towards their gate when Billie noticed her favorite perfume in the perfumery aisle. She asked Jupiter to take a photo of her holding it, and Jupiter happily obliged, capturing the goofy moment.

Surprisingly, the airport wasn't too crowded, with a diverse mix of travelers passing through. Once they reached their gate, the two sat down on one of the seats.

"Okay, this might be a little too late to tell you, but I'm a little scared of flying," Jupiter admitted, gazing at the aircraft through the window.

"What?!" Billie exclaimed, surprised. "But you said you go every year to visit your grandma?"

"I do, but I always end up having a panic attack in the toilet," Jupiter confessed.

"We both know the plane won't crash. Plus, if it does, we'll be sleeping, so it doesn't even matter that much," Billie reassured her, trying to alleviate Jupiter's fears.

Jupiter's eyes widened, and she apologized for her comment. Billie took her hands in hers, assuring her that everything would be fine. They would visit Jupiter's grandmother, and everything would be okay.

As they sat in their seats, Jupiter's hands held tightly by Billie's, the plane began to board. They walked to the desk, handed over their tickets, and proceeded through the tunnel that led to the entrance of the plane.

"We have the left side, seats 24," Jupiter informed Billie, leading them to the first-class section. They settled into their seats, marveling at the screens that displayed a selection of movies.

"This is so nice," Billie remarked, flipping through the little pack of complimentary items.

"Look, we have earphones. We can watch a film," Billie suggested.

"You know what else we can do?" Jupiter smirked mischievously at Billie.

"What?" Billie asked, curious.

"We can join the mile-high club," Jupiter whispered, causing Billie to blush. The thought of engaging in intimate activities in a publicly-used bathroom wasn't particularly arousing, but she was up for anything.

"Later," Billie replied, placing her hand on Jupiter's as the aircraft began to take off.

Billie felt her ears clog and the pressure build as the plane ascended. She settled into her seat, which was spacious enough for two of her, and held Jupiter's hand tightly. The seatbelt sign turned off as the plane reached cruising altitude.

The flight attendants started offering dinner to the passengers since it was almost 10 pm. Billie grabbed a menu and asked Jupiter, "What do you want?"

"I want a little bottle of vodka, and for food, a burger," Jupiter replied, realizing her craving.

The flight attendants approached, asking for orders. "I want a vegan burger and a.."Billie looked over to Jupiter "Two vegan burgers and the little bottle of vodka" The flight attendant then requested to see their IDs, and Jupiter handed hers over.

Once the food was ordered, the girls explored the movie options on the screen. They settled on watching Spider-Man and grabbed a pair of headphones. Billie moved to Jupiter's seat, sitting on her lap.

"If I'm crushing you, tell me, and I'll move back," Billie said, concerned.

"Don't worry, baby. I'll always love when you sit on my lap," Jupiter reassured her, wrapping her arms around Billie's waist.

The flight attendant returned, looking surprised at their closeness. Billie quickly returned to her seat, and the attendant gave them their meals. The burger wasn't extraordinary, but it was satisfying their hunger.

Jupiter looked over at Billie, who was still eating, and asked, "Do you want some vodka?" She passed the little bottle to Billie.

Billie took a sip, but her eyes went wide as her throat burned. Jupiter laughed and apologized for the unexpected strength of the vodka.

...

After a while, the two girls fell asleep on the plane. They were awakened by a flight attendant shaking their shoulders and announcing that they were landing. They looked out the window—it was dark, and they guessed it was around 3 am.

Quickly fastening their seatbelts, Jupiter held onto Billie's hand tightly as the plane descended. Jupiter's anxiety peaked, but as soon as the aircraft touched down, a sense of relief washed over her.

They made their way off the plane and looked around the airport. Spotting the passport control area, Billie made sure to keep her head low. They finally reached the entrance where Jupiter's grandmother said she would meet them.

Scanning the area, Jupiter spotted her grandmother by her small car, waiting for them. With a wave and a shout of "Grand-mère!" (Grandma!), Jupiter led the way toward the only person who had understood her throughout her life.