Find Me a Cure

Chapter 33: We're Soaring, We're Flying

Surely, I didn't like him. Like, like like. Surely, I didn't even like him. Like, just like. I only just tolerated him on a normal basis. So how could I like like him, if I didn't even like him?

But then again, surely, a normal person would be able to behave in a normal way to a person whom they have normal feelings towards?

His voice from the termination room sang in my ear: We are not normal people, 202.

Question. Why was it that I only admit to liking him when I was not on good terms with him? I mean, I was rarely ever on good terms with him. But the day after the frat house saw a whole new low. I didn't even properly speak to him after that, and nor did he. And nor did I care!

But I really like him, so I do care.

No, I don't! He's unkind! And, he literally has no emotions, so this would be waste of time if it were real, so thank the stars it isn't.

It was totally real.

"Em, you're in seat 4A on the side column with Arya," Amanda said, handing me my flight ticket. "Arya, you're next to Em in seat 4B." She handed Arya her ticket. "Ev, stop looking so stony, they're going to think we're about to hijack the plane. And, Everest, you are in– let me see... seat 4C, but in the middle column with me and Ja— Emerald, for goodness sake, put your hoodie back on!"

I vigorously lifted the damned thing over my head in irritation. I was supposed to be "unseen to avoid delays".

"Thank god, you're not wearing that awful eyebrow ring," was actually the first thing Amanda told me when we walked into the airport. It was so early that the sky was still inky, which wasn't really saying much, seeing as it was winter.

"It's not awful," I had retaliated the same time Jay told Amanda to leave me alone.

Arya, who was the only one with a suitcase, looked at me teasingly. "I think you look beautiful without it. Doesn't she look beautiful without it, Ev–?"

I kicked her.

"I just don't want to miss the flight," Amanda said, absentmindedly for the seventh time. "I had to bend over backward to get these tickets, especially when it's so close to Christmas. I mean, I could have booked the private jets, but they keep track of them back at the Front, so that would be a suicide mission," she rambled.

Despite doing things legally this time, I was more stressed in the duration of this plane journey than the last. Initially, I sat by the window and Arya beside me.

About two minutes after the plane stopped accelerating upwards, as soon as the seat belt sign went off, Everest called Arya over.

"Why's he calling?" I asked.

"I don't know, I haven't asked him yet, have I?" she replied and went.

I craned my neck to see what was up. I couldn't see much except Arya's back. She was there for so long that I eventually got bored and turned to admire the clouds decorating my window. Just as that was beginning to get tedious as well, Arya returned.

I turned. "What took you–" But it wasn't Arya who was sitting beside me anymore. I looked over and saw Arya sitting in Everest's seat (she gave me a friendly wave, which I did not return), and on Arya's former seat was–

Ugh.

I initially intended with such strong willpower to ignore him. But he didn't let me ignore him, because he spoke immediately.

"I didn't mean what I said yesterday."

I determinedly stared ahead at the seat in front of me, and savagely responded, "Okay."