✔️Soundtrack to My Youth (18+)

Until the Time is Through

Sam 1999

"This is the final boarding call for flight BA9723" The ground crew announce over the loud speaker. As the boarding line starts to dissipate I decide now is the best time to join it. I do this for every flight, wait until almost everyone has boarded and then make my way on, it was something my Mum used to do and I'd panic that we'd miss the flight as we sat back and watched everyone scramble up to be first on but by hanging back I'm almost guaranteed that every wanker who rushed on first is now settled in their sets and I can just breeze on through the clear aisle without being pushed and shoved, it's not a foolproof plan, theres always someone who is blocking an aisle, trying to grab items out of their carry on, that they threw up into the overhead compartment.

"Let's go Sammy" Shayla squeals with excitement beside me, she puts up the handle on her small carry on suitcase, the only luggage she brought with her, and joins the end of the line. We have our boarding passes and passports checked and are waved through pass the gate, down the long tunnel that leads to the plane.

"Shay, I gotta ask, did you pack enough? We will be in Australia for two weeks and all you have is that tiny suitcase" Veronica would have her whole wardrobe and then some for a two week holiday but Shayla, like myself, seems to just bring the bare essentials.

"Yep, it's funny how many skirts and singlets you can fit into this thing, thank christ it's Summer and I heard Aussie Summers were notorious for being hot" She looks so pleased with herself too, I feel bad that I have to correct her.

"Ah Shay, it's Winter in Australia right now" She stops dead in her tracks, looking at me confused, luckily there was no one behind us. "It's in the southern hemisphere"

"Feck! I thought it was near Germany" She starts walking again, her cheeks turning a shade of red that matches her hair.

"That's Austria, completely different country" I laugh, shaking my head.

"I didn't even pack a jacket, let alone any Winter gear, feck, I'm going to freeze me tits off" She giggles, I'm glad she found the humour in her mistake and didn't have a full blown melt down like most girls would, not that Shayla has ever been like most girls, she's always been a go-with-the-flow, carefree chick.

"First stop when we reach Claremont is to go to the shopping centre and get you some decent Winter clothing"

"I'm starting to see now why I failed Geography" She laughs. We enter the plane and hand over our boarding passes to the cabin crew greeting everyone and directing them to their seats. The plane is only partially full, there's still a lot of spare seats, Shay and I are directed to an empty row of 3 seats near the emergency exit, I was offered the row when the check-in staff saw my height and said it would be best seat to stretch my legs out. The aisle is completely clear as we are the last ones to board, making it easier to navigate our way to our seats, once seated a member from the cabin crew comes by to brief me on how to operate the safety door in the case of an emergency.

"Did you call your girl to let her know you're coming home early?" Shayla asked when we were taxiing down the runway, she had told me on the way to the airport that she liked to talk during take off, to distract herself from her fear of flying, she put down to watching way too many episodes of Aircrash and rattled off at least 6 different ways an aircraft can be brought down, she would have told me more if I hadn't begged her to stop. I love flying, it's like going on a ride at an amusement park but the last thing I need before getting on a long haul flight is to hear how it could just break up, mid air or stall and come crashing down into the ocean.

"I'll call her when we get to Singapore" I had emailed Veronica, telling her I'd be home on Saturday morning instead of Monday, I changed the flight to give myself some extra time with Roni, even if it will only be a few hours.