The Guadeloupe Squadeloupe

Chapter XXXV: Perry

"I'm not afraid of storms for I am learning to sail my ship." ~Loisa May Alcott

Though we are not falling out of the sky, this plane ride is worse than the one before. We couldn't manage to stay in the sky before, and now it seems this flight won't come to an end.

Having members from HEXA on board doesn't lighten anyone's spirits. Bob and I share nervous glances from across the aisle, and I find myself squeezing my sister's hand even harder.

I try to distract myself from our current situation by looking out the window. The color green floods my field of vision, sprinkled with the occasional blues of water. Vertigo doesn't come over me until I feel Diana escape from my tight grasp.

"Chill, Perry," she smiles slightly, probably finding my discomfort amusing. "I'll be back in a minute."

She walks down the narrow path of the plane, and closes the small door to the restroom. I try to once again distract myself, this time by playing a game Diana and I would play on long road trips to pass time; the goal is to make a conversation with someone, but the first word of each sentence has to go in alphabetical order.

A pillow would be nice to have right now.

Better yet, an order of french fries.

Can you eat fries with your head rested on a pillow like that?

Doesn't stop me from trying.

Each fry would get its grease and salt all over from the crazy angle you're laying because of the pillow.

"Fries and pillows can coexist so just stop!" I accidentally say aloud, gaining the attention of the rest of the squad. Some shoot me strange glares, and others try to hide their laughter.

Gosh, look what you've done now, I think. As I try to form the sentence starting with "H," Alice crosses the aisle and fills Diana's seat. She looks calm, considering the situation, and I can't help but hope that it rubs off on me.

"How do you do?" She asks. It takes me as second to realize her question starts with an "H." I take a deep breath, feeling just a bit calmer already.

"I'm fine," I answer in a shaky voice, continuing the game.

Her eyes stare back at me with hard concentration. I'm fooling no one.

"Just take another deep breath." She smirks. It amazes me that she can handle all this stress without imploding. That's the only way I know how to take my possible peril.

The door to the bathroom opens with an air conditioned whoosh, reminding me I'm on a plane. The shock of reality jars me and feelings of absolute terror course through me. I'm helpless, I'm helpless.

Diana makes her way to my table to sit down next to me and sees instead Alice and me, closer together than I thought we were.

Rather than looking offended that I chose Alice over her (although technically Alice chose me), Diana raises an eyebrow before making her way to Guad, who looks surprised to see her sitting down next to him. My sister isn't wrong in assuming that if she wants to have any sort of relationship with Guad she's going to have to make the first move. However, I'm not very sure I support anything she wants in regards to the Chilean.

My eyes find themselves on the HEXA scientist once again. With his slicked blonde hair and stone cold face I don't find it hard to imagine him in scrubs and a mask, leaning over a young Bob and injecting drugs into his veins. Considering all my friend's been through, I find it a lot easier to sympathize with him over Guad.