The Girl Next Door

Veronica stood in line and waited for her turn at the desk. The airport was packed and she silently patted herself on her back for getting there early. Finally it was her turn to pick up her ticket. That process only took a few minutes, seeing as though she had paid in advance, and soon she was on her way to her terminal.

A small trickle of excitement went down her spine as she thought about what this all meant. New job, new prospects, new city, new life. She let herself smile and put a small spring in her step as she neared the boarding terminal.

“Flight 135 to Chicago will began boarding in 10 minutes” a feminine voice boomed overhead.

Veronica’s smile faltered when she thought about Jason and the things she would be leaving behind. ‘But he left me first.’ she reasoned. This thought didn’t make things better. She still loved him and that fact couldn’t be changed. ‘I just wish he still loved me.’ she thought to herself. Now she was no longer excited at all. She was filled with an immense sadness, and the feeling as though she would never be happy again.

She approached the terminal and saw what seemed like an endless line of people waiting to board the plane. She took a spot behind a man with a little girl, just as the intercom announced “Flight 135 to Chicago is now boarding.” The little girl looked back at Veronica and smiled a toothy grin, although most of her front teeth were gone.

Veronica smiled back and the girl turned back around, giggling. ‘That could have been my little girl.’ Veronica thought sadly. She looked up at the back of the man holding the little girl’s hand. ‘And that could have been . . . ’ She let her thoughts trail off, almost unable to finish. She felt a tear threaten to creep out of the corner of her eye and blinked fiercely, trying to keep it away. She forced all other thoughts out of her head and shifted her weight as the line moved forward.

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Jason was running frantically through the crowded airport. He checked overhead television screens as he ran, seeing where her terminal was and that her flight was on time. ‘I’ve got to get to her’ he told himself as he continued to run. He brushed past people with total disregard in his quest. “Last call for flight 135 to Chicago” the annoying voice announced. Jason picked up his pace, knowing he was close to the terminal.

Then he saw her. Her smiling face as she gave her ticket to the stewardess to check. Her hair gracefully sweeping past her shoulders as she picked up a small bag and thanked the stewardess after being handed her ticket back. Her lean yet generous figure lightly stepping into the connection tunnel, leading to the place.

“Wait!” he yelled. She didn’t hear as she vanished out of sight. He ran even harder, if that was possible, pushing past young and old. He reached the boarding area, shoving the last few stray people in line out of his way. He shot past the stewardess and into the tunnel, ignoring her shouts of protest. He entered the plane and quickly scanned the crowd.

“Veronica!” He shouted after not seeing her. “Veronica! I’m sorry!” he shouted after getting no answer. A baby began crying and people looked at him, bewildered.

“Please sweetheart! I love you!” he was now moving among the rows of seats, scanning each one. “Veronica! Please!” He was still yelling and searching when he came across the dividing curtain that separated coach from first class. ‘Of corse’ he thought. ‘Her company paid for the ticket so of corse they’d put her in first class.’ He went to reach for the curtain when four pair of hand grasped his shoulders.

He turned his head to see two security guards on either side of him. Jason’s first instinct was to fight back, he knew he could take them on. But when he saw two more guards come at him from behind the curtain he decided against it. He could get into a lot of trouble with his superior for getting into a brawl with so many security guards on a plane, especially after 9-11. And the hands already on him reminded him of his sore, post-fight state.

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Veronica turned around in her seat as the guards went rushing past her. She had heard a commotion in coach and figured it was a seat mix up until she saw the security guards. She could only get a glimpse of the man they were currently dragging off the plane, in part to the others straining to get a view.

‘Poor guy.’ she thought. She didn’t know why, but she sympathized with the man. For all she knew, he could be on the plane to cause them all harm, but she didn’t have that feeling. She had the feeling he was somehow misunderstood. She turned back around in her seat and scolded herself for being so soft of the stranger.

“I wonder what that was all about.” an old, grey lady next to her thought out loud. Veronica looked over at her and shrugged her shoulders.

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Jason let the 4 guards lead him off of the plane and away from the boarding terminal. It took everything he had not to fight against the hands that held him and run back onto that plane. He was quickly escorted outside the airport, although it wasn’t the side he entered on. It was all the way on the other side of the airport, right outside the fence that separated the planes from the street.

He stood near the fence, a clear view of Veronica’s plane in his sight. It crept away from the connection tunnel and began riding away. Slowly it made its way into the air and Jason finally gave into the urge to let tears run down his face.

“She’s gone\" he mumbled, watching the plane climb higher and higher. He could hardly believe that it was happening. He always thought that he would have time if he ever wanted her back. His breathing was becoming shallow as it became more difficult for him to get air into his lungs. “She’s gone.”