Ephemeral

Chapter 4 | Private Jet

The hand steered me in front of the fanciest car I had ever seen. It had a beautiful glossy black finish and looked to be fresh from the dealership. The surface was so smooth and polished I could see my reflection in it. 

I look rough. 

A nudge forward brought me out of my daze; the hand on my back moved me towards the now open door.

I slid into the back of the car, buckling myself in, and sitting on the nice brown leather seats. I was hardly ever in cars, but I could tell this one was extremely expensive. I didn't want to dirty such a nice vehicle, so I kept my feet on their heels, preventing the soles of my shoes from touching the plush carpeting below.

My backpack was placed onto the seat beside me as both brothers entered the car. The larger, more intimidating one took the driver's side, while the one who led me into the vehicle seated himself in the passenger. I opened my mouth to thank them, but stopped when I saw the reflection of stern, brown eyes staring back at me through the rear-view mirror from the driver's seat.

Have I already messed up?

The car ride to the airport was silent. Neither brother made any effort to start conversation, which I appreciated; however, the dead air felt smothering. I merely gazed out the window and zoned out. The city whirred past in loud, colorful blurs, hundreds of people living today differently. The weight of exhaustion was enervating my body and causing my eyelids to flutter, but the presence of strangers was preventing me from falling into a needed slumber. Would this be a proper time to ask their names? My body jolted as the car suddenly stopped and parked in front of a large gate that opened onto a tarmac.

Despite never being on an airplane before, the fact we didn't pass through any security was alarming. No other cars were present at the gate; instead, they were driving through terminals and parking in the multi-level garages. There were taxis and vans emptying out a variety of people at the entrances, their drivers smoking cigarettes or sipping on coffee to keep themselves awake during the long hours of endless traffic and commute.

The gate to the tarmac before us slid open, and our car started driving through. I looked around the large paved landing space and saw countless numbers of commercial airplanes parked at their gates, workers loading and unloading the cargo holds, carelessly tossing luggage and bags. 

On the runway, massive planes could be seen taking off and landing. Their wheels pulled up into their belly as they glided upwards through the air and into the clouds. The planes arriving carefully kissed the ground and slowed down into a total stop before driving into their gate to be emptied of people and their belongings.

Instead of driving towards the airline planes, the car continued driving until it stopped in front of a massive, matching black, glossy plane with the letter 'M'  in shimmering gold on the side. My formerly half-lidded eyes widened at the luxurious private jet before me. I had yet to see the interior, but I was confident in saying it must have cost a fortune.

They own a plane? How rich are these people?

My blatant gawking was interrupted by my door swinging open, revealing a smirking brown-haired brother. "Nice, isn't it?" I cautiously nodded, embarrassed that he witnessed my awe-struck stare. His smirk grew as he swept his hand out to welcome me out of the car.

Right.

I hastily grabbed my backpack and slid out, forgetting about the persistent pain coursing through my body. I audibly took in a sharp inhale as my feet hit the ground and my bag collided with my back. "What was that?" The authoritative voice of my other brother cut through the crisp fall air. Concern flashed over the face of the one standing near the car door; his eyes trailed up and down my body, quickly examining for any obvious signs of injury. The long baggy sweatshirt from Danny did a great job of concealing how slender my malnourished body really was; my hollow cheekbones intentionally hidden behind my hair were currently the only visible signs of starvation.

I quickly thought of an excuse for my wince. "M-my leg fell asleep," I answered, sounding unsure as I kept my eyes trained on the black asphalt below me.

There was a couple seconds of silence. Only, it was not entirely quiet with the sounds of car horns and airplanes in the distance. A 'tsk' was heard, followed by an unnerving reply. "Very well then," his controlled voice sounded unconvinced.

Good save.

Despite his concern, 'Brown hair' closed the car door and silently guided me by the shoulder to the stairs that led into the plane. As we entered, I was astonished by the grandness of the interior. All black leather recliners and couches adorned the cabin, coupled with matching dark wood tables and trays. The dim bronze lighting made the space more intimidating instead of relaxing.

"Sit anywhere you'd like, cara," his hand slipped off my shoulders. I scanned the extensive seating options and saw that the most intimidating brother was sitting up front. His powerful aura made me shiver, everything about him screamed complete superiority.

No thank you.

I walked towards the back of the plane and slid into a plush leather recliner. It had a dark wooden tray, free from any grooves or marks, contrary to the splintered and scratched wooden dining table I'm used to.

Both brothers were seated in the front of the plane, talking to each other with furrowed brows and hushed tones. Before I could worry about whatever tense conversation they were holding, the plane doors slid shut and a 'ding' was heard overhead.

I had never flown before.

I bit my lip when the plane started to move and roll towards the airstrip. I felt as we accelerated down the runway, my stomach doing backflips. I closed my eyes before the plane shakily took off into the air. My hands gripped the armrests and I kept my eyelids glued shut until we were steadily flying.

I wanted to open my window shade slightly to see the clouds, but my brothers didn't say if I was allowed to or not. Looking over, their window shades were closed as they worked on their laptops. I better keep it shut.

The sky would probably be too bright anyways. It's fine. With the pastel bluish purple color of my irises, I was very sensitive to light. The attic was dark, so I was able to avoid any excessive brightness there. Tony's windows were all tinted from the advertisements plastered on the outer side. At school I would sit in the back, away from everyone and consequently away from the windows. I was lucky my condition didn't affect my eyesight significantly. Sometimes I'd have to squint at the board in math class or adjust a book's distance so I could read properly, but other than that, I could see just fine.

Regardless of how badly I wanted to see the fluffy clouds, the window shade was going to remain shut.

Wheels squealing and heels clacking could be heard approaching the aisle. Two stewardesses dressed in tight, black pencil skirts and white blouses emerged from the front of the plane and into the aisle. I hadn't seen them when we boarded or after we sat.

The women pushed the cart up to my brothers and took their time pouring them select beverages. Smiles plastered the flight attendants' faces as amber-colored whiskey poured into two crystal tumblers. My brothers paid no mind and waved the women towards the back of the plane.

The flight attendants slowly made their way towards me and scowled.

"Anything for you?" A brunette huffed, scanning her eyes over my body in judgment. The other one tapped her foot on the floor, crossing her arms and staring into my eyes directly. Both looked slightly disturbed by my appearance, a usual reaction from strangers. 

I nervously shook my head and they walked past with their cart.

I tried hard not to fall asleep on a plane with people I didn't know, but my body just felt so heavy. My vision darkened and I curled into a small ball in the seat, the slight hum of the plane lulling me to sleep. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note:

Thank you guys so much for reading! 

The chapters will still be getting longer, so hang in there!

Edited.