Plane Jane
Jane awoke exactly ten minutes before her alarm rung, meaning it was now ten to five a.m.
Her suitcase was packed, and her clothes for the day were neatly folded on her bedside table, along with the book she was currently reading. All Jane had to do was get dressed, lock up, and get in the cab.
She could picture herself rising from her bed and getting ready to leave without rushing. She would even have time to sit on her sofa and read whilst curled up in a blanket as she waited for her cab to arrive, all because she had gotten up ten minutes earlier.
But she didn’t. Instead, she rolled on her side, closed her eyes, and clutched her duvet, letting the darkness and silence engulf her.
***
Stansted was as busy as always. Endless queues coated the airport, and despite having had not one, but two, large pumpkin spice lattes, as it was autumn after all, in the span of two hours, Jane still felt like she might pass out at any given moment.
She briefly contemplated turning around and going home, before remembering her mother would definitely lose her mind if Jane dared to miss her wedding. She had already tried to get out of it, claiming to be busy, and she ‘would absolutely attend her next one’, but it was all in vain.
So here she was, lining up for the fifth time, and cursing her mother for wanting to have a destination wedding.
***
A few hours and delays later, Jane had finally boarded the plane, she had even been lucky enough to get a window seat: the best thing about her journey so far.
She sat down, fastened her seatbelt, and put on her noise-cancelling headphones as the other passengers boarded the plane. She did notice a few children, but if she kept them on throughout the entire flight, she would be able to ignore any crying.
Maybe this journey won’t be so bad. Jane thought. The duration of the flight isn’t even two hours, and it will be nice to see some of my relatives.
But it was just as she had started to relax that Jane felt someone tap her on the shoulder, and her day became so much worse.
***
Jane turned around and immediately regretted it.
‘Jane! Hi! I knew you were flying to Avignon today, but I didn’t think we’d be on the same flight, let alone sitting together! Isn’t this so exciting?’ She sat down. ‘My goodness though, you are looking rather pale, it’s way too cold on these planes.’
Oh God, not you. Please, anyone but you. She thought. But managed to offer the girl a thin smile. ‘Alina. It’s so nice- what are you doing here?’
Alina furrowed her eyebrows. ‘I’m going to the wedding, silly.’
Jane’s heart skipped a beat. You have got to be kidding me. ‘Oh? You were invited?’
Why on earth would my mother invite the girl I despise to her wedding?
Alina responded with a laugh, and Jane soon joined her, hers being out of nervousness.
‘It’d be strange if I weren’t invited.’ Said Alina. ‘Since I’m the groom’s niece and he’s getting married at my parents’ villa. My whole family will be there. Did you… not know?’
Of course Jane didn’t know. She wasn’t exactly close with her mother, and it did seem something mommie dearest would leave out on purpose. If Jane had known, no crying, screaming, or blackmail would have worked in forcing her to come.
But if there was one thing Jane considered worse than going to her mother’s umpteenth wedding, was letting Alina Fay know she had family problems.
After all, she wouldn’t have understood. Alina had a perfect life, a good family, money, good looks, intelligence… or at least she did back at school. Jane hadn’t bothered to keep in touch with anyone, let alone her. The moment she had collected those A level results she was gone.
It was that very privilege that made Alina so… cheery. And incapable of understanding that not everyone was as lucky as her and could afford her lifestyle, leaving Jane having to explain why she couldn’t afford to do or buy something in front of her entire class, many times.
For Jane, it was impossible to think that someone so smart could truly be so oblivious, meaning that Alina must have been doing so on purpose.
Unwilling to go through another misunderstanding, Jane faked a laugh. ‘Oh you. I was just joking! Of course I knew you were coming to the wedding.’
I wish I were literally anywhere else.
Jane’s plane soon took off, and Alina didn’t stop talking for one second of the entire flight. It was going to be the longest week of Jane’s life.