Chapter Text
Skye:
"What-Oh! Thanks!" I say, as Jake grabs my suitcase without a word and lifts it onto the conveyor belt. He just nods in response. I shrug and continue walking along with the class. We are on our way to Bangkok for the annual school trip. Right now we're on the way to our gate. As we arrive the plane just started boarding. I walk to my seat and notice Jake walking behind me. Soon enough, I get to row 29 and try to figure out where my seat is. Then I feel a light push on my back. Turning around confused, I see Jake gesturing to the right. As I sit down, I watch him go to his seat, which is next to me but the aisle still separates us. Focusing on my phone again I try not to get too nervous about flying, since it’s my first time because I couldn’t afford it. The plane starts to take off and I grab the armrest tightly as I squeeze my eyes shut. Just before that, I believe to see Jake staring at me but I choose to ignore it. He never talks anyway and seems to just observe or live in his own world. The single thing that connects us is that we are the only gay people at our school that I know. Unlike my expectations, we didn't get a lot of shit for it, in my case because I am nice to everyone and the class president as well as the school leader. And probably because only my friends know, but it‘s not really a secret, I just don‘t tell everyone. And Jake... well, you don't want to mess with Jake. He is a street fighter, very fit and muscular. A fact that I seem to have noticed a lot in the past few weeks... but he would never like someone like me. No, not possible. A few hours pass and almost everyone on the plane is asleep, I mean, we are flying in the dead of the night. Suddenly the plane starts jumping up and down. I jolt up from my seat and grip the armrest so hard that my knuckles turn white. ''Hey... calm down. It's just some turbulence. I've experienced this often and much worse but here I am.'' I hear a deep voice whisper right into my ear. Jake has leaned over to me and this is the first time I have heard him talk in a long time. "What do you mean often?" I ask curiously. “I… travel a lot.”
“Ohh… that's why you're never at school!” “Yeah…” He nods dismissively. I take that as my cue to stop talking and think about something else. Then I realize that the Turbulence stopped and Jake distracted me the whole time. I glance at him to see if it is a good time to thank him, but he is already focused on something on his phone.
The Plane lands and we find our way to the luggage belt. Considering it's already quite late, I sit on a chair near the one where our bags are supposed to arrive. All the students are complaining, and soon enough I find out why. Our bags won't arrive for another half hour. I sigh and close my eyes, I'm exhausted from all the stress of traveling. While I slump down in my seat, trying to find a comfortable position, I wonder how Jake does this so often. Just as I start to fall asleep, I feel someone sit down next to me but I'm too tired to open my eyes and see who it is. Unlike my usual self, I let my head drop onto the shoulder of the person next to me, too exhausted to even care. To my surprise, the person does not move away but rather repositions to make me feel more comfortable. The last thing I remember before I fall asleep is a distinct smell rising to my nose, it kind of reminding me of the sea.
Sometime later I wake up again and see my luggage in front of me. Confused I look around, there’s no one’s sitting next to me. A few seconds later I spot Jake sitting a few seats away from me, I think I catch him glancing in my direction, but I brush it off as me being too tired to see properly. The teacher probably saw me sleeping and brought me my luggage. Right?... No one else would do that for me. I get yanked out of thought when the teacher announces the room arrangements. I lift my head and listen attentively. Boys and girls will sleep on separate floors in the hotel, anything else will be inappropriate.
The boy's rooms will be announced first. There are four rooms with three people sleeping in there and one room for a duo. At first, I hope to be in the room with only one other person, but then we get told that these people would have to share a bed. I quickly change my mind, because I would be really uncomfortable sleeping in the same bed as a straight dude, not to mention what he must be thinking having to share a bed with me. But in the end, we don't have a say in the room arrangements anyway. The first room consists of the Jocks, the second one of the group of weird theater kids, and the third room is for the skater kids. It's very clear the teachers tried to be nice and wanted to keep the friend groups together in one room. I get very nervous because my friend group consists of four people, and I am the least close to any of them because I usually hang out alone, they just consider me part of their group to get in favor of the teachers, because I'm their favorite.
And, just as I feared, The other three of my ''friends'' get grouped into the last triple room. Now there is only me and Jake left. Great. Now I'll not only have to share a room with him but also a bed? This will be a nightmare.