Grade11 crush | ✓

21

"If you let people's perception of you dictate your behavior. You'll never grow up"

***

''I shouldn't have drunk that much,'' Aaron muttered while stroking the temple of his head.

Last night was crazy and we didn't get back to our apartment before midnight. Our sleep schedule was messed up and the only sleep we would get would have to be at the plane to Bangkok. We've been in Malaysia for three days now and those three days have been so memorable and this is definitely the trip I'd take again. Our next destination was Bangkok, Thailand. Originally we planned on staying in Malaysia for a week but we thought, why not take a two days' trip to Bangkok and then come back two days before traveling back home. The tickets to Thailand from Kuala Lumpur wasn't expensive at all, it's cheaper than France so, why not?

''You're right about that,'' Katie with her makeup free face grabbed her suitcase from the taxi and entered KLIA without even sharing glances with us. She hated flashing her bare face to people, especially boys but little did she know that she was beautiful even without the makeup. She was one of the few girls that was lucky enough to have beautiful natural features that would have boys go on their knees for them regardless. I pulled the hood of my hoodie over my head and entered the airport as well with my backpack and suitcase with me. It's really hot, but once you entered the airport you'd get that cold air condition temperature biting your skin if you weren't wearing a sweater.

''I'm so tired,'' I whine, leaning my head on the hand of my suitcase. Asher stroked my head and snickered, ''You'll get plenty of sleep on the airplane and in the hotel,''

I knew that the minute we would land in Bangkok we would have only six hours to sleep before we would have to wake up again and follow our tour guide around in Thailand because tomorrow, or today, we were going to ride elephants. It was Katie's suggestion. Who knew she loved animals?

The airport was quiet and most of the stores were closed considering it was 2 am in the morning and most of the employees would be at home sleeping.

Lucky them.

We did the usual, check in, go through security a billion times and then wait for the airplane and then find our seats. This time Aaron didn't score a beautiful Asian girl next to him, instead he got an old Singaporean man. If it wasn't for the fact that I was tired, I would be the one dying out of laughter because of the facial expressions that Aaron gave.

I wasn't sure when I fell asleep but when I woke up because of the noisy chattering the cabin was dark and most of the passengers were fast asleep. Our flight was heading towards Amsterdam and the flight there was around three hours and it was still in the middle of the night so I would've really appreciated if the people chattering would've turned down their volumes.

Asher was watching a movie and so was Aaron, I guess none of them must've heard the chattering seeing as how they're both pretty much focused on the screen in front of them. I turned to look at Katie but she was deep asleep. ''Leave me alone, please.'' I squinted my eyebrows and peeked through the gap between the seats.

''Are you sure you don't have a bomb under your scarf?'' The manly voice said, ''or hidden in your bag?'' I nudged Asher's shoulder, he quickly removed his earbuds and looked at me puzzled. ''Listen,'' I say while nodding over to the source of the voices. Aaron next to us pulled off his earplugs as well. He must've noticed us staring at a direction because he tried to search for it too, until he finally spotted it. A couple of rows a head of us was a guy standing in front of someone, I couldn't see but I'm guessing it was a woman considering she had a feminine voice.

He was wearing a normal t-shirt and pants and if it hadn't been for the crazy look on his face, I would've considered him good looking. ''I don't have anything hidden, can you leave me now?'' The girl asked. She sounded calm, unlike him. He sounded frustrated.

''How do you expect me to sit in a plane with a terrorist who's probably going to blow up this plane half way there?''

''The fuck?'' Aaron snapped under his breath. I watched as he unbuckled his seatbelt and walked over to the guy. Asher unbuckled his seatbelt as well and got up on his feet. ''Where are you going?'' I question.

''Nothing goes right when Aaron is annoyed,'' He shrugs as he follows Aaron to the guy. I unbuckle my seatbelt as well and get up on my feet to get a better look. By the way they were talking so loud, I'm surprised none of the staff or passengers were woken up. Everyone was asleep and the curtains that parted the cabins from each other was closed.

''What's the problem here?'' Aaron asked stepping closer to the guy which from my perspective wasn't the smartest move seeing as how frustrated he was. I'm sure that if Aaron and Asher hadn't stepped up, the girl would've been slapped right there and then. I got out of our seats and bolted over to where they were standing, but I was hiding behind Asher. I could see the girl closer to now.

She was probably around eighteen or nineteen and she was really pretty. She was wearing a grey veil around her head and normal clothing that didn't seem suspicious in any way. I guess the veil must've triggered this racist guy's emotions because I couldn't think of anything else.

I hated how the media was presenting other people with different faiths and races as terrorists or bad people. I had tons of Muslim friends when I was younger and if what the media said was true, that all Muslims are terrorists, then I wouldn't have lived to this day.

''Do you see her?'' The guy looks at the girls who's shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

I want to hug her, now.

Aaron looks over at the girl and nods, ''Yeah,''

''What do you see?'' The guy questions,

''I see a beautiful lady, what do you see?' I didn't see it as Aaron trying to hit on the girl, I see it as Aaron trying to help the guy with the messed up the vision to see what's right about her. ''A terrorist,'' He spat.

I noticed how Asher had his fist clenched so I touched him lightly and held his hand. He softened his hand in mine, but his jaw tightened. Anyone could tell that the two of them was provoked by the situation themselves and it warmed my heart to see atleast some decent people standing up for her. I mean, I would've too but I'm sure I'd get beaten up into a pulp instantly.

Like what was I supposed to beat him up with? My purse?

''Why don't you step away from her?'' Asher said annoyed. Instead of obeying Asher, the guy stepped closer to the girl. ''Why should I? I'm taking one for the team,'' He said as he leaned in. The guy was about to wrap his hands around her veil when Aaron gripped him around his wrist and shook his head. ''Try touching her, you won't ever board another plane in your entire life.''

''What makes you think you can take me down?'' The guy asked cocking an eyebrow. His eyes trailed down Aaron's hand, then over at Asher and then over to my little petite frame hiding behind Asher. He smirked as he tilted his head to the side, ''What do we have here?''

Asher dragged me behind his body to hide me and said sternly, ''She's no one you should care about,''

''Well, I'd like to get some of her and maybe if this girl doesn't blow up this plane – a little some of her too.''

Disgusting.

Aaron looked over at Asher and cocked an eyebrow. ''Can I?''

''I'll even help you,'' Asher responded. At first I was confused at what they were talking about but when Aaron turned his head around to look at the guy, I knew what was going to happen.

''Goodbye Bangkok,'' He exclaimed before crashing his fist into the guy's face.