The President's Daughter

Chapter Five

"Hello er... Miss Wilkinson. Welcome aboard."

The stewardess greets me with a bright smile.

"Um... thanks," I reply awkwardly.

I quickly make my way past the stewardess and into the sea of people that are trying to reach their seats. I glance back at the stewardess, only to find that she is no longer where she was. Just as I turn my head, a bag collides with my face.

"Watch it!" I exclaim.

The man with the bag only merely glances at me.

"Sorry then," he says.

He looks back at me with hard eyes, seeming to be considering something at the same time. I shrug.

"What d'you want?" I ask.

The man looks away.

"Nothin'," he replies.

I push past him and continue looking for my seat, 19 A.

14... 15... 16...

Just as I pass row 17, I am pushed from behind. I trip and fall, sticking my hands out to break my fall. I hear a gasp from behind.

"Oh... I am so sorry," a female voice says.

I feel hands on my hips that seem to be trying to lift me up.

"Are you all right?"

"It's okay," I reply.

I notice a warm hand that is hovering near my face. I look up and notice that a teenage boy with black hair and a tanned complexion is offering his hand up to me. He says something in Spanish... I think. I can't understand him.

"Amigo, I don't understand you," I say.

"That's fine," the boy replies without a hint of a Spanish accent.

This shocks me. Who is this boy?

"Huh?" I ask.

"I'm seeing if you're a local or not," the boy says. He moves his hand closer to me. "May I?"

I accept his hand and he pulls me up. He grabs my plane ticket I dropped and hands it back to me.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," the boy replies with a smile.

"Can you to hurry up there?!" someone yells.

"Oh! Sorry," I say.

"Are you in the seat 19 A?" the boy asks.

I glance at my ticket.

"Yes," I answer.

"You're next to me!"

He gestures for me to move on. "Ladies first."

I scurry to row 19 not because I'm embarrassed by this whole episode, but because everyone is becoming irritated. I quickly shift into my seat near the window and shove my ticket in my pocket. The boy slides next to me.

"Alexander Nicholas Johnson," the boy says while sticking his hand out for a handshake. "But I stick by Nick."

"Er... Alexandra Maria Alvarez," I say while shaking his hand.

"Pleased to meet you, Alexandra Alva... er... Miss Alvarez," Nick says with an awkward smile at the end of it.

"Um... likewise," I reply awkwardly. "But you can call me Alex."

"Why can't I call you Maria?"

"I'm kinda used to Alex."

"But you can become used to Maria."

"I like Alex more."

"But I like Maria."

"You know, call me whatever you want!"

Silence follows after this statement. I turn so I am facing the front, however, I notice Nick studying me curiously in my peripheral vision.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What?" I reply without looking, still irritated.

"Are you Mister President's daughter, Alexandra Wilkinson, but you changed your name?"

I sigh and look at Nick. "Do you have to know?"

"I'll take that as a yes. Um... how about you tell me more about you first, then I'll tell you more about me?"

I consider this for a moment.

"Let's make it the other way round," I say.

"Hey, I'd take it if I were you," Nick suggests. "I've already got the upper hand, so you have to try to find even ground. I'm sure your father's taught you about this."

"Fine," I answer.

Nick smiles.

I take a deep breath. "As you are well aware of, I'm Alexandra Maria Alvarez, and yes I'm the President's daughter. I er..."

I pause for a moment, thinking about what I'm about to say.

"Um... I'm sixteen and I'm fed up with security and everything stalking me, so I decided to leave. Done."

Nick does not look at all satisfied with this.

"More," he demands.

"Why?!" I snap back. "Why should I trust you when I've only just met you? That's one thing my father's taught me."

Nick laughs. "You're a politician in the making sweetheart."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever."

"I know that I'll find out more about you," Nick taunts. "About how you changed your name and the scandal that made you leave."

I roll my eyes again. "I'm not scandalous."

Nick looks me in the eyes.

"I know you," he says. "I know more than you think."

I allow a slight pause before I continue the conversation.

"Now, your turn," I say with a smile.

Nick raises his eyebrow.

"Okay," he breathes. "As you are more than aware of, I'm Alexander Nicholas Johnson, and yes I'm just an ordinary citizen like you've just become."

"Hey!" I snap.

Nick laughs. "Anyway. I'm sixteen and a half and I'm fed up with living a boring life, so I decided to drop out of school and move to Spain where I can start a new life... and it seems as if things have already got off to a great start!"

"Hey!" I exclaim. "I'm not gonna let you follow me around like a security guard! That's why I left in the first place!"

"Rubbish!" Nick says with menace. I flinch. "You're whole statement is flawed. A, because you left for some scandalous reason, not because of security. And B... you will follow me!"

Nick looks away, which signals the end of the conversation.

The pilot makes an announcement: "Good afternoon everyone. Welcome aboard and thank you for choosing to fly with us. I'd especially like to welcome aboard Miss Alexandra Wilkinson, who we are very privileged to have on this flight. Can everyone please give her a round of applause!"

I gawk in shock. It must've been the stewardess who told the pilot of my attendance on the flight! I notice people are looking around for my face, scanning their seat rows and straining their necks as they look over their seats at the people in front of them. Nick hands me a blanket, which I gladly accept and bury my head in it. I ignore the rest of the pilot's announcements and clip my seatbelt on. Nick pulls me to a seating position and takes the blanket off me.

"Calm down," he says. "It's only a plane full of people."

I sit back in my seat as the plane takes off the runway and commences its flight.