Switzerland

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"Ya know," Clancy said excitedly as he a Ruby stared out the huge airport windows at a long jet with a pointed nose,
"The Concorde can go 60 miles in two seconds and up to two thousand miles an hour." Ruby looked impressed.
"That's London to New York in two hours." Clancy nodded empathetically.
"I can't believe we are actually getting one to London for a stopover." Hitch walked over with a coffee in his hand. He looked unruffled as usual despite the early morning start.
"You better believe it kid. I don't think Brant and Sabrina would like you to take any other plane. It was nice of your father to buy tickets for all of us to go to Switzerland." Clancy sighed.
"The whole of Twinford can't wait for our presentation when we come back, if there wasn't so much attention he wouldn't of bothered."
"Good thing it is a big deal then." Said Hitch as he glanced up at screen. The white words "Gate Closed" had changed to green ones that said "Now Boarding". A pretty sounding clear voice sounded over the intercom system.
"All passengers going on Flight 743 to London, your gate is open and you are free to board the plane." Hitch handed Ruby and Clancy their hand luggage and the three of them joined the back of the growing line. As they shuffled towards the front of the line, Clancy took the opportunity to share more facts about the supersonic jet they were about to board.
"Did you know the Concorde takes off with 300 tons in weight, more than a half counting for the fuel and lands with less than 150 tons?"
"Yes Clancy, I knew that."
"Did you know that while you fly on the Concorde, you can't actually hear the boom when you break the sound barrier?"
"Yes Clancy."  Ruby rolled her eyes, but despite her annoyed exterior, Ruby was inwardly very glad that Clancy and her had patched things up. She had missed him beyond belief.
"What a surprise." Hitch was saying sarcastically. Ruby staggered. She was on the wall again. She could feel it's roughness scratching against the backs of her legs, Clancy eyes, squeezed shut, the unusual hotness of his lips.
"Ruby?" Asked Clancy, he looked concerned. So did Hitch. They were each holding on to either one of her arms.
"Are you alright?" Asked Hitch. "Do you feel sick at all." Ruby stood up straight again and brushed down her shirt.
"Fine," she dismissed them breezily. "I just thought I had forgot something, that's all." Clancy and Hitch looked suspicious to say the least, but their arrival at the front of the line spared Ruby any more questioning. Hitch flashed the passport attendant his famous dazzling smile and she smiled prettily back at him.
"Passports sir? Are these two children with you?" Hitch nodded.
"Yes, I work for Ruby here, Clancy is coming along as a friend." The flight attendant scanned their boarding passes and passports, then handed them back.
"Enjoy your flight sir." Ruby, Clancy and Hitch strolled down the air bridge and cut off at the first exit. Ruby could smell the plane's perfume like scent. The cabin crew must have sprayed some air fresheners in the cabin. The stewardess handed Hitch a guide to London and Clancy and Ruby a child's entertainment package. As soon as they entered the cabin, the two kids dropped the packages simultaneously and pretended not to notice. Hitch found their seats. Ruby and Clancy were sitting in the right isle and Hitch sat next to them across the row with seats next to someone else. Clancy begged for the window seat, and Ruby let him have it because she didn't want to lean over Clancy to talk to Hitch. Once they were all seated, the cabin crew gave the safety procedure performance and the captain Mark Bannister told them all sorts of facts about the Concorde over the intercom (to which Clancy listened to eagerly and Ruby tuned out to), they were ready to take to the air. Clancy was practically bouncing in his seat and Ruby grinned at his pleasure. Hitch couldn't hold back a smile. He had felt very sorry for Clancy when Ruby had chosen to ignore him, and he was glad the two were back on their old good terms, but he could see what Ruby couldn't see, which was how every second that Ruby's attention was diverted elsewhere how Clancy's eyes always landed to rest on her. Hitch shook his head.
"He's fallen, and fallen hard." He muttered to himself. He could see why. Ruby might have been impossible at times, but there was no denying her natural beauty and genius. Her personality was a bit of a handful but Hitch thought that with Clancy that worked to her credit. If Hitch had been her age he would have most certainly enjoyed her company.
The engines revved up as they sped down the runway, Clancy looking out the window with a growing 'o' of surprise on his face, Ruby sitting back with her eyes closed chomping on a bit of gum, and Hitch assessing the rest of the people on the plane to try to establish if there was a threat.
An hour into the flight the stewardess came round with light refreshments. The plane had come out of its steep climb and had long since broken the sound barrier. It was now cruising a an altitude of 25,000 feet and at 2,000 miles an hour, Mach 2. Ruby was less bothered by this feat and was more worried about the fact the only beverages on board were champagnes, wines, soda water and juice.
"Got any pomegranate juice?" She asked the attendant. The man shook his head.
"'Fraid not ma'am. It's only apple or orange." Ruby gave a huff of exasperation.
"Apple juice then please. Clance, what do you fancy?" Hitch had pulled out War and Peace in his effort to add Russian to the list of languages he already was fluent in. The flight, Ruby mused, was certainly an interesting experience, maybe not as cool as Clancy seemed to look at it, but a lot more interesting than the one from Twinford to New York. The old VC10 made a very irritating whirring noise while Ruby was trying to sleep, but the Concorde was almost silent as it sped through the air.
Two hours later, the Concorde landed in London, drizzle pouring down its windows as soon as it touched down. Hitch checked his watch.
"We got two hours till our next flight." He told them, "we'll have to hurry."
After what seemed an age, the trio landed in Switzerland. Now Ruby had something to admire. Switzerland was covered in bright blues and greens of the sea and the trees, and the mountains were peaked with snow. The airport was not as large as New York, but as Ruby had put it, it had a whole lot more character.

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