Heartbeat
Plane rides are always interesting
"Oh God, I think I'm going be sick!" My best friend says.
"Kayla, we haven't even taken off yet, chill out!" I reply.
"I have no idea why I agreed to this, this is going to be the longest flight of my life!" Kayla groaned while starting to buckle up in her seat.
"Look, here's the medicine your doctor gave for your air sickness, and these are the sleeping pills he gave to you so you won't be complaining to me every 2 minutes" I say handing her 2 pills from her bag. I may sound bitchy, but I actually love taking care of her.
"Fine, I'll take them just so I can get through this damn flight" She says chugging down the bottle of water we bought before we got on the plane.
Me and my best friend/roomate Kayla are headed from LA to London. I am a journalist for Rolling Stone magazine and my boss informed me two weeks ago he would be flying me out to London to do a write up for this new British band called "One Direction". Since Kayla just had a bad breakup, I figured bringing her along would be just what she needed to get over her ex.
As I'm loading our carry on luggage into the overhead compartment I feel someone watching me, I turn to my left and a few rows across from me in the back I see a dark haired, tanned skin boy smiling at me " He. Is. Gorgeous.! " I say to myself. I smile back then carry on with what I was doing. As I go to sit back down I look over and Kayla is already sleeping "Wow, those pills work fast." I chuckle to myself.
*****
20 minutes into the flight as I'm walking back from the restroom the dark haired boy stands up from his seat and stands in the middle of the aisle.
"Excuse me." I say while trying to walk past him, he stops me.
"Hi babe, you alright?" He asks with a British accent "Oh God, could he be anymore attractive?! No, no stop it Riana!" I say to myself.
"Uh, I'm fine. Can I help you with something?" I try to say as serious as possible, pushing my thoughts out of the way.
"Yeah, you can help me by telling me your name, love." He smirks and I hear a curly haired boy sitting by the window chuckle
"Riana." I tell him.
"Beautiful name, I'm Zayn." He reaches his hand out, I shake it.
"Well it's been nice chatting with you, Zayn. But I need to head back to my seat now." I say while brushing past him and walking back to my seat leaving him in the aisle by himself.
"Oooh, she's playing hard to get!" I hear one of his other friends joke.
"Nice one mate! Beautiful name?! You are such an idiot!" I hear a boy with an Irish accent say while laughing.
"Niall, stop making fun of him! It's alright mate, now sit down before we get in trouble" I hear the boy with brown hair say.
Chuckling while I sit back down I feel those little butterflies in my stomach "Compose yourself Riana, no boys remember, no boys!" I tell myself.
When I first moved from Hawaii to LA last year to be closer to my job my first assignment was to do a write up and interview with this small band in LA that would play at a local cafe. After meeting them, I had started dating the drummer of the band and it almost costed me my job because I was paying too much attention to my boyfriend instead of keeping my mind on work. Now, everything is business. I stopped dating, nor do I build a personal relationship with my clients. Work is important and this is my dream job, I am not going to let some guy get in the way of that, no matter what.
My thoughts get pushed out of the way as the flight attendant says
"Ma'am, complements of the gentleman over there" She points to Zayn
I look over at him and he has this smug smirk on his face like he won this little game he was playing.
I smile at him, then tell the flight attendant
"Jennifer is it?" I say while looking at her name tag, she nods her head.
"Well, Jennifer, tell that gentleman that I cannot accept this drink."
"But ma'am he-"
"No buts, just do whatever with that drink, I don't want it. Thank youuuuu" I say, a little more bitchy than I intended.
She gives me the fakest smile ever then walks away. Pshhhh.
*****
10 minutes later
As I'm writing out some notes down in my notebook for the concert I feel something tiny hit my head and hear boys laughing " so second grade, are they really throwing something at me?! " I think. I already know who it is "Zayn." I sigh.
"Riana, don't lash out, he wants you to get upset so just let it go and-" My speech to myself is interrupted by another hair tie hitting the back of my head and I hear the same annoying laughs only coming from those 5 boys. "Fuck it" I think and flip him off, finger in the air, without even looking back. I hear their laughs quiet down and I silently smile to myself feeling accomplished and hoping this will be the end of his childish antics.
"I hope that finger wasn't for me, my dear?" I hear a deep voice behind me say
I scoff "What do you think?!" I say while turning around and seeing a priest.
"Oh my God, I mean, oh my gosh I'm sorry Father, no that wasn't for you, I'm sorry." I say while feeling my cheeks get flushed. I look over and see Zayn and his friends laughing at what just happened.
*****
I finish whatever paperwork needed to be done, I put them back into my messenger bag and I get up to use the restroom again. I walk in the opposite aisle hoping I won't run into Zayn again, and I try my best to avoid all eye contact in hopes I don't have to interact with him anymore during this flight. But I can see from the corner of my eye Zayn getting up from his seat and following me from the other aisle
"Fucking hell." I curse to myself.
I walk faster, he starts walking faster. As I make the corner Zayn is blocking the doorway to the only bathroom stall open while smirking down at me.
"Great." I silently think.
"Can you move, please?!" I tell him, slightly raising my voice.
"Sorry babe, no can do." He smirks again. "That fucking smirk." I think.
" What is your problem?! Why are you being so difficult?! I'm obviously not bothering you and whatever you're doing, so stop trying to buy me drinks like some whore at a bar, stop throwing hair ties at my head like a 5 year old child, and stop trying to block the doorway to this damn bathroom or so help me God I will throw you out of the way." I practically yell, I surprised myself at how angry Zayn has gotten me.
He looks at me surprised also then says
"You know babe, holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else, you are the only one who gets burned."
I angrily laugh "Wow, so you're quoting Buddha now?! Look, save it! And stop calling me babe, I'm not your babe." I say then push him out of the doorway. As I push him, by some reason, I was not intending for this to happen, my hand touches his chest then he puts his hand over mine and holds it against his heart and smiles.
"I-um-I-" I stutter while trying to remove my hand, but he grips it tighter.
He chuckles "I hate to be corny, love. But you feel this?" He says while his grip on my hand tightens a little more "It only beats like this for you." I feel my face turn a deep shade of red.
We stare at each other for what feels like hours but in reality it's only been 10 seconds.
I quickly remove my hand, break the eye contact and spin on my heel as I almost run my way back to my seat suddenly not having the urge to use the restroom anymore. I sink back into the chair and pull my headphones out of my purse hoping the music will help me drown out my thoughts for the rest of the flight on what just happened. And hopefully by the time I we land, these feelings in the pit of my stomach will go away. Because these aren't just butterflies anymore, birds are flying around in my stomach.
"What the hell is happening to me?!" I think.
"Kayla, we haven't even taken off yet, chill out!" I reply.
"I have no idea why I agreed to this, this is going to be the longest flight of my life!" Kayla groaned while starting to buckle up in her seat.
"Look, here's the medicine your doctor gave for your air sickness, and these are the sleeping pills he gave to you so you won't be complaining to me every 2 minutes" I say handing her 2 pills from her bag. I may sound bitchy, but I actually love taking care of her.
"Fine, I'll take them just so I can get through this damn flight" She says chugging down the bottle of water we bought before we got on the plane.
Me and my best friend/roomate Kayla are headed from LA to London. I am a journalist for Rolling Stone magazine and my boss informed me two weeks ago he would be flying me out to London to do a write up for this new British band called "One Direction". Since Kayla just had a bad breakup, I figured bringing her along would be just what she needed to get over her ex.
As I'm loading our carry on luggage into the overhead compartment I feel someone watching me, I turn to my left and a few rows across from me in the back I see a dark haired, tanned skin boy smiling at me " He. Is. Gorgeous.! " I say to myself. I smile back then carry on with what I was doing. As I go to sit back down I look over and Kayla is already sleeping "Wow, those pills work fast." I chuckle to myself.
*****
20 minutes into the flight as I'm walking back from the restroom the dark haired boy stands up from his seat and stands in the middle of the aisle.
"Excuse me." I say while trying to walk past him, he stops me.
"Hi babe, you alright?" He asks with a British accent "Oh God, could he be anymore attractive?! No, no stop it Riana!" I say to myself.
"Uh, I'm fine. Can I help you with something?" I try to say as serious as possible, pushing my thoughts out of the way.
"Yeah, you can help me by telling me your name, love." He smirks and I hear a curly haired boy sitting by the window chuckle
"Riana." I tell him.
"Beautiful name, I'm Zayn." He reaches his hand out, I shake it.
"Well it's been nice chatting with you, Zayn. But I need to head back to my seat now." I say while brushing past him and walking back to my seat leaving him in the aisle by himself.
"Oooh, she's playing hard to get!" I hear one of his other friends joke.
"Nice one mate! Beautiful name?! You are such an idiot!" I hear a boy with an Irish accent say while laughing.
"Niall, stop making fun of him! It's alright mate, now sit down before we get in trouble" I hear the boy with brown hair say.
Chuckling while I sit back down I feel those little butterflies in my stomach "Compose yourself Riana, no boys remember, no boys!" I tell myself.
When I first moved from Hawaii to LA last year to be closer to my job my first assignment was to do a write up and interview with this small band in LA that would play at a local cafe. After meeting them, I had started dating the drummer of the band and it almost costed me my job because I was paying too much attention to my boyfriend instead of keeping my mind on work. Now, everything is business. I stopped dating, nor do I build a personal relationship with my clients. Work is important and this is my dream job, I am not going to let some guy get in the way of that, no matter what.
My thoughts get pushed out of the way as the flight attendant says
"Ma'am, complements of the gentleman over there" She points to Zayn
I look over at him and he has this smug smirk on his face like he won this little game he was playing.
I smile at him, then tell the flight attendant
"Jennifer is it?" I say while looking at her name tag, she nods her head.
"Well, Jennifer, tell that gentleman that I cannot accept this drink."
"But ma'am he-"
"No buts, just do whatever with that drink, I don't want it. Thank youuuuu" I say, a little more bitchy than I intended.
She gives me the fakest smile ever then walks away. Pshhhh.
*****
10 minutes later
As I'm writing out some notes down in my notebook for the concert I feel something tiny hit my head and hear boys laughing " so second grade, are they really throwing something at me?! " I think. I already know who it is "Zayn." I sigh.
"Riana, don't lash out, he wants you to get upset so just let it go and-" My speech to myself is interrupted by another hair tie hitting the back of my head and I hear the same annoying laughs only coming from those 5 boys. "Fuck it" I think and flip him off, finger in the air, without even looking back. I hear their laughs quiet down and I silently smile to myself feeling accomplished and hoping this will be the end of his childish antics.
"I hope that finger wasn't for me, my dear?" I hear a deep voice behind me say
I scoff "What do you think?!" I say while turning around and seeing a priest.
"Oh my God, I mean, oh my gosh I'm sorry Father, no that wasn't for you, I'm sorry." I say while feeling my cheeks get flushed. I look over and see Zayn and his friends laughing at what just happened.
*****
I finish whatever paperwork needed to be done, I put them back into my messenger bag and I get up to use the restroom again. I walk in the opposite aisle hoping I won't run into Zayn again, and I try my best to avoid all eye contact in hopes I don't have to interact with him anymore during this flight. But I can see from the corner of my eye Zayn getting up from his seat and following me from the other aisle
"Fucking hell." I curse to myself.
I walk faster, he starts walking faster. As I make the corner Zayn is blocking the doorway to the only bathroom stall open while smirking down at me.
"Great." I silently think.
"Can you move, please?!" I tell him, slightly raising my voice.
"Sorry babe, no can do." He smirks again. "That fucking smirk." I think.
" What is your problem?! Why are you being so difficult?! I'm obviously not bothering you and whatever you're doing, so stop trying to buy me drinks like some whore at a bar, stop throwing hair ties at my head like a 5 year old child, and stop trying to block the doorway to this damn bathroom or so help me God I will throw you out of the way." I practically yell, I surprised myself at how angry Zayn has gotten me.
He looks at me surprised also then says
"You know babe, holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else, you are the only one who gets burned."
I angrily laugh "Wow, so you're quoting Buddha now?! Look, save it! And stop calling me babe, I'm not your babe." I say then push him out of the doorway. As I push him, by some reason, I was not intending for this to happen, my hand touches his chest then he puts his hand over mine and holds it against his heart and smiles.
"I-um-I-" I stutter while trying to remove my hand, but he grips it tighter.
He chuckles "I hate to be corny, love. But you feel this?" He says while his grip on my hand tightens a little more "It only beats like this for you." I feel my face turn a deep shade of red.
We stare at each other for what feels like hours but in reality it's only been 10 seconds.
I quickly remove my hand, break the eye contact and spin on my heel as I almost run my way back to my seat suddenly not having the urge to use the restroom anymore. I sink back into the chair and pull my headphones out of my purse hoping the music will help me drown out my thoughts for the rest of the flight on what just happened. And hopefully by the time I we land, these feelings in the pit of my stomach will go away. Because these aren't just butterflies anymore, birds are flying around in my stomach.
"What the hell is happening to me?!" I think.
