airplane ﹙short story﹚

four

With one earphone dangling against their chest, the melody of the end credits scene was faint in his left ear. The volume had been turned down significantly after the movie wrapped up it's interesting tale.

Theo propped the phone screen down with a sigh, his head tilting backwards into the fabric of the rest behind him. Two and a half hours barely felt like a scratch in their perilous journey. He imagined Javier, in a similar position, sandwiched between his parents.

No likely giving him an earful for getting crumbs all over his lap.

It made him snort with faint amusement.

Theodore's elbow was propped up against the arm rest settled on the aisle side of his seat, twirling the scrap of paper between his two fingers disinterestedly.

He had tried not to let it linger on his mind, but it kept stubbornly working its way back.

Who wrote the note?

Theo had subtly searched the seats in his close perimeter, but was met with only snoring old geezers or middle aged women saddling their babies on their lap.

He'd traced the handwriting a few times, over the delicate ink. It was neat – almost had to be written by a girl. But none close enough to him know he'd been deeply engrossed in a film.

"Excuse me?"

Theo's eyeline lifted, brows pinched briskly. To his left he noticed a boy, broad shoulders, tan skin, gazing at him with an eye raised. It didn't take rocket science to know he had addressed him.

"Are you alright?" The blond spoke once more, his voice quiet and almost honey like. So polite. It made Theo's anger flare.

"What's it to you, pretty boy?"

The blond seemed a little taken back, before a kind smile etched on his strawberry lips. "You think I'm pretty?"

Now it was Theo's turn to be taken back, a scoff tight in his throat. "It wasn't a compliment, you moron."

"Pretty is a common compliment."

"Not to a guy. That's just weird," he snapped, fingers reaching for his discarded earphone with a sneer playing on his lips. The blond seemed to shrug lightly, the smile still sweet on his lips.

Theo's inside twitched.

"I was right. You are kind of cute," he hummed, flashing Theo a wink, before he settled straight in his seat, fingers thumbing at his phone screen.

Theo had never tossed a note to the floor so quick.