Best friends forever? Yeah, right. It’s been said you never really know a person until you go on vacation together. After knowing each other for three years, my learning curve flew off the charts.
I had so much excitement built up inside of me and she didn’t want to talk.
There we were on an all-expense-paid trip to Florida to study marine life. It was the day after Christmas and Jasmine’s father dropped us off early at the airport for our 6:00a.m.flight to Miami.
I peeked through the window as the American Airlines jet increased its speed and made its smooth ascent into the gray winter skies of New York City.
“Jasmine, look how high we are. There’s Citi Field. Maybe we can see our houses.”
“Holly, don’t talk to me until this plane is on the ground.” Jasmine gripped the armrests of her seat so hard her knuckles turned white. Her back was arched and her jaw was set in a hard line, like a boxer getting ready for that KO punch. Eyes closed tight, tears streamed down her face.
“I thought you told your father you’d be OK on the plane,” I said.
“I’m not as OK, as I thought I’d be.” Jasmine’s teeth were clenched.
I knew not to press the issue. Jasmine does things in her own time.
Three hours with nothing to do.
I took out my mirror to check my look. Dark circles under my sleepy gray eyes. Good hair day today. Sometimes, my curly light brown hair gets all jumbled up like a ball of yarn a cat unraveled. A selfie would be fun right about now, but then I’d have to explain why Jasmine’s not in the picture. What kind of person snaps photos of a friend in terror?
I browsed through the in-flight magazine.
I read the emergency instructions.
I counted the clouds.
I looked for shapes in the clouds.