Matters of Chance

Chapter 14

The Sea-Tac Airport was filled with the sounds of suitcase wheels rolling against the tile floors. The chatter of people looking for their terminals filled Lizzie's ears. Though it was only 7:30 in the morning, the glossy halls of the airport were packed with travelers coming and going from Seattle. The high glass walls stretched to the ceiling and lit up the busy network of people.

Elizabeth and Jane walked through the airport, pulling their suitcases behind them. Elizabeth read the bright hanging signs as they passed, searching for her terminal. Jane occasionally tapped Lizzie to prevent any collisions with other travelers as they weaved through the mass of moving people. Elizabeth's eyes caught the large symbols on her left that read B14.

"That's it." Lizzie said, pointing to her left.

Jane followed her sister's finger and nodded. They both ducked into the terminal's waiting area.

Elizabeth faced her sister and frowned. "I think this is where you leave me, Jane."

Jane pouted. "I know. I have my own flight to catch."

Lizzie wrapped her arms around Jane and squeezed tightly. "Have a safe flight, Jane. I'm going to miss you."

Jane squeezed back. "You too, Lizzie."

Both of them were hesitant to let go, but Jane eventually nudged Lizzie away. "Text me when you're boarding, okay?"

Lizzie nodded. "And you text me when you've landed."

Jane smiled and gave Lizzie one last hug before disappearing back into the airport's crowd of people.

Elizabeth sat down on the nearest seat she could find and pulled her phone from her pocket. She flicked through her messages with Charlotte planning Elizabeth's pick up from LAX and then switched to a screenshot of her flight information. Her flight left at 8:20, about 10 minutes before Jane's. The flight to LA was about 3 hours long, and Elizabeth planned on napping the whole way there. She passed the time waiting for her flight by reading on her phone.

The intercom system sounded above her, calling for her flight to board. Elizabeth stood and grabbed the handle of her suitcase. She made her way to the boarding area. While she waited in line to get on the plane, she shot both Charlotte and Jane a text that she was boarding. Once she got to the front of the line, she showed her ticket to the attendant, stuffed her phone in her pocket, and walked through the metal tunnel into the plane.

Elizabeth was awoken from her slumber by one of the plane's speakers beeping above her.

The pilot's voice resonated throughout the plane. "We are around 10 minutes from landing. It was an honor to fly with you all, and I hope you all have a wonderful afternoon."

Lizzie sat up in her chair and stretched as best as she could without disturbing the people in the seats surrounding her. She got the middle seat in a row of three, and normally she would complain, but considered it worth the struggle for a cheaper flight. She glanced out the window, past the middle aged man sitting next to it. She could see the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles from above, and she couldn't help but think about how the city could swallow Meryton whole.

Once Lizzie got off of the plane, she turned her phone on and texted Charlotte that she had landed. The response was quick. Charlotte stated that she was waiting at her car in one of the parking zones, and that Lizzie would have to catch a shuttle to get there. Elizabeth looked out into the white interior of the airport. The sea of people moving around LAX made Sea-Tac look like a lake. Elizabeth took a deep breath and dove into the current of people, doing her best to navigate to the nearest shuttle boarding station.

Eventually, Elizabeth made it out of the airport and onto a shuttle. The shuttle was crowded, and there wasn't much room for Elizabeth and her suitcase to ride, but the vehicle slowly emptied as it made its stops. It was nearly empty when Elizabeth finally got to her stop. When she stepped off the shuttle, she saw Charlotte waving towards her a couple roads down. Elizabeth smiled and jogged her way over. She nearly tackled Charlotte to the ground in a hug.

"It's only been a couple weeks since I moved here, Lizzie!"

Elizabeth smiled. "I just missed you so much, so I had to come and visit."

Charlotte pushed Lizzie off of her. "Or, you saw a good opportunity for work, and are taking advantage of the fact that your friend will let you couch surf."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Can't it be both?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes and opened the trunk. "Here, put your stuff in and lets get going."

Lizzie did as she was told and hopped into the passenger seat. Soon they were off, into the traffic of LA, and what Elizabeth hoped would be an exciting week in LA.

Charlotte lived in a studio apartment in a highrise in downtown LA. It was small, only 300 square feet, but Charlotte had maximized the space by bringing very little down with her. The pristine white walls were completely bare, and the furniture was minimal. There was a couch, a small desk, a coffee table, and a cabinet.

Elizabeth looked around. "Uh, Charlotte? Where's your bed?"

Charlotte laughed and gestured to a wall in the far corner of the apartment where the cabinet was. "That's actually a Murphy bed. It folds in to save space." Charlotte gestured to the couch. "You'll be on the couch. I have spare blankets and pillows for you to use."

Lizzie smiled. "Thanks for letting me intrude."

Charlotte laughed. "I'm happy to have you. Besides, I've been dying to show you where I work. The offices are amazing."

"I'm looking forward to it."