𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 ✈︎

⋆ 𝟏 ⋆

It's a Thursday morning, and I awaken with a start, my alarm blaring loudly next to my head. The time is 7:15 am. I'm flying from Los Angeles to New York today with a connecting flight in Chicago.

I have approximately two hours to get to LAX, go through security, and find my gate. But with LA traffic, I need to leave in half an hour at least, so I get dressed, hurriedly eat a form of breakfast and call a cab.

The cab arrives fifteen minutes later, and I arrive at the airport at 8:00. By the time I'm through security, I have twenty minutes left to get to the gate.

✯✯✯

"Group C may now begin to board the plane."
A voice says through an intercom.

I arise from my seat at the terminal and line up to get my boarding pass scanned.

Once the plane is in the air, I pull down the tray table, take out my laptop and begin working.

✯✯✯

It's 3 pm. The plane arrives in Chicago twenty minutes late, and I consequently have to sprint to the terminal, toting a heavy suitcase behind me. It's in sight, and I see one other person left who hasn't yet boarded. I sigh a breath of relief and continue quickly to the gate.
But when I arrive I notice something a bit off. The other passenger still hasn't boarded and the overhead departure screen now read:

[ 3:50 pm 🛫 Denver ]

I walk up next to the other passenger. He's talking to an employee behind the counter.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"It appears that they've stopped boarding the plane."

"What?" Says the other passenger.

"It's already out on the tarmac sir, there's nothing we can do."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"My brother is on that plane!"
The other passenger yells.

"I understand that. How old is your brother?"

"Twenty." The passenger coughs.

"May I have a look at your boarding passes?"

The other passenger and I hand them to the employee.

"It appears that you were in boarding group B, Madam."

"Yes, but my flight from LAX landed twenty minutes late, I just ran here directly."

"I see..."

"I was also on that flight, sir."
The other passenger says.

"May I see your pass from that flight as well?"

"Hmm. Both tickets were First Class?"

"Yes, Sir."

Seriously?
I feel a tremendous urge to roll my eyes.
First class and he's late?

"Ma'am, would you mind if I had a look at-"

I handed him the pass from my last flight.

"Huh...Boarding Group C..."

"Yes?"
I ask.

"It seems as though you wouldn't have had enough time to make it from there to here with a twenty minute delay."

"Oh..."

"But sir, you should've been able to get here in time. First Class leaves the plane first, correct?"

"I got here when Group D was boarding. But I had to use the restroom, and I was only gone for two minutes. The attendant told me that the plane didn't leave for another ten-"

"When's the next flight?"
I interrupt, not interested in hearing the rest of his long-winded excuse.

"Tomorrow evening."

"Tomorrow evening?"
The other passenger asks.

"Well where the hell are we supposed to stay until then?!"

"I'm very sorry for the inconvenience, ma'am. Rest assured the airline will find you both an excellent hotel room for the night."