Someday BEGINs Today

“Oh my god, that’s actually ME. I’m getting on a plane. Like… an airplane. In the sky. With strangers and pretzels and possibly existential dread.” Maya muttered to herself.

The loudspeaker crackled overhead, announcing final boarding for Flight 207 to Florida. Maya’s fingers tightened around her passport like it was the only thing keeping her anchored to Earth.

She took a deep breath hug around her bag like it was a comfort animal. “Okay, Maya. You graduated from college. You're going to get through GRAVITY.”

She handed over her boarding pass to the flight attendant and sat in her seat.

She muttered under her breath, “First flight of my whole life, don't crash, please. I haven't even had Florida orange juice yet.”

Her phone beeped. It was him. Her long-distance friend.

Ethan: “You're so quiet today. Am I concerned or are you scheming world domination AGAIN?”

Maya nibbled her lip, smiling despite the lump in her chest.

Maya: “Maybe I'm flying under the radar today.”

Ethan: “Flying? You mean like, in a figurative sense, right? Because I know you, you'd faint on takeoff. Since as I have a rather good memory of you calling airplanes 'death metal birds'.”

Her laughter slipped out from her trembling but sincere.

Maya: “You just NEVER know, Ethan. One day you will be surprised!”

She stopped and sent him a picture of her coffee mug resting against the airplane window, rain pouring down the glass.

Ethan: “Airport coffee shop, again? You more or less reside there, don't you?”

Maya: “Something like that… except this time the view's going to move”

He sent a confused emoji.

She held her thumbs poised over the screen, then went on:

Maya: “Anyway, I'll be a little off-grid for a couple of hours. But who knows, Ethan… perhaps the next ping on your phone won't be from MILES away.”

She turned her phone to airplane mode before he was even able to respond, suppressing a smile. "Mystery level: professional."

The engines roared on. Maya's heart raced.

She clutched the armrest, softly muttering to herself, “Okay, this is okay. People fly every day. Babies fly. Birds do this for free.”

The aircraft began to roll down the runway, and she closed her eyes when it took off.

“Ohhh no. We're flying. We're really flying. Humans shouldn't be doing this. This is UNnatural!”

And then she put her head out the window, watching the city slide away from her.

“Okay… okay wow. This is crazy. I love it. I hate it. Maybe it's also kinda amazinggg.”

Clouds drifted past, golden in the sunset. Maya leaned her forehead against the window, her reflection smiling nervously back.

“You better be READY, Ethan,” she whispered. “Because I’m coming all the way to Florida to ruin your peace in person.”

The thought made Her belly half-giddy, half-uneasy flip.

What if he didn't recognize her right away?

What if this was awkward?

What if actual life wasn't quite as magical as all the minutes they'd shared crafting together online?

For so long, their friendship had only ever existed in a life of pixels and screens. The kind of friendship they shared nearly every heartbreak stories, silly jokes and long stretches of SILENCE that somehow still felt COMFORTING.

And now, after all those years, she was bringing it to LIFE at last.

As the plane soared up into the air, she closed her eyes and smiled.

“Someday,” she whispered, “begins today.”

And somewhere below those clouds, in the Florida state under the sunny weather, Ethan had no idea his best friend the girl who would describe airplanes as “metal coffins with Wi-Fi” was on the verge of a transformation that would change her world forever.

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TO BE CONTINUED…

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Author’s Note:

Stay tuned for part 2 which will be written by Rowan Finley. His profile is listed below: