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Mimosa

Marissa McCarthy

    I’ve been planning this vacation for months. I put in so much overtime to be able to take this. “Now boarding flight 948 to Honolulu, please make your way toward the gate to be checked to board, thank you.” The attendant at the airport spoke into the overhead speaker to let everyone know it was time to go. I gather my things from the seat where I was waiting and quickly throw everything I had out into my Michael Kors backpack. I hurry toward the gate and scramble to get my ticket ready. As soon as I get the ticket ready into my hands, everything I had shoved into my backpack pops out all over the floor. My face beat red, I fall to the floor and try to work as quickly as I can to get everything back into the bag. “Seems as though nothing has changed with you, isn’t that right Haleigh?” I freeze and I slowly start to look up at the familiar voice I’ve heard before. “What the hell are you doing here, Matthew?”
    “What do you mean what am I doing here? I’m doing the same thing you are, boarding a plane to go to paradise for a few days, to get away from it all,” Matthew looked into my eyes and spoke those words in the same monotone, deep voice he’s always had since he was 12. Matthew is an ex of mine, my first love to be exact, and I wanted nothing to do with him. When we were together, he paid no mind to me, couldn’t give a rat’s ass about how he made me feel. He was as tool and I fell for him, like the idiot I am. I quickly stand up and show the attendant my ticket, trying to avoid speaking to Matthew any further. He follows me into the tunnel, and we make our way into the plane. “Please don’t sit next to me, please don’t sit next to me,” I’m violently thinking to myself as I’m making my way to my seat.
    “12...13...14... ah 15A,” I put my backpack overhead in the craft and sit in my seat. The seats are close together, almost sitting on top of each other. “Oh Haleigh, well don’t you look at that? Luck must be on my side today,” he puts his bag next to mine, closes the overhead, and takes his seat right next to mine. I can feel his arms touching mine, the supple soft touch I used to crave, I felt disgusted now. “Before you speak anymore, I want to tell you that I have no interest in conversating with you. I want to relax and enjoy the start of my vacation without the presence of you, do I make myself clear?” I investigate his dark, blue eyes and sternly make my peace. “Crystal,” he whispers.
    For the next hour, no words were exchanged, no looks, nothing. This was an eight-hour flight with no layovers, I get out my ear buds and iPad and start watching Demon Slayer. I see him looking at my iPad from my peripheral vision and decide to leave it alone, not like he’s talking to me, and he can’t hear what’s going on in the anime so I’m fine.
    The airplane has taken off and has reached cruising altitude, so the airplane attendees are starting to walk down the aisle with the overpriced drink and snack cart. She reaches my aisle and asks if there was anything I would like. “Mimosa, please.” I pause. Another voice overpowered mine, Matthew and I asked for the same thing and he of course, was louder than I was. “Make that two, please.” He pays and hands me the second mimosa without saying a word to me. I was confused. Why would he order this for me? Why didn’t he say anything? Why?
    “T-Thank you,” I stutter to say to him. He looks over at me and gives me the same goofy smile I fell in love with over five years ago. “Don’t mention it. So now that you talked first, you going to explain to me what the hell is going on in this anime?” I chuckled and smiled back at him. We started talking about the show, and of course, I sound like a total nerd. He looks into my soft, hazel eyes and just stops talking. “W-What is it?” I question him. I’m getting nervous as he isn’t saying a word to me, just staring into my eyes. “I missed those pretty eyes of yours.” I tremble and I feel my face turning beat red, I turn away and start watching the anime again, this time his hand intertwined with mine, and the feelings of anger and hatred start vanishing.
    In the blink of an eye, we made it to our destination. I start gathering my things and start thinking about how Matthew and I were reconnecting, after so long. I stand up and he is still sitting, even though our aisle was the next to leave the aircraft. “Get up, we need to leave,” I raised my voice to him. He didn’t budge. Five minutes go by, and we are the last ones to leave the plane. “Okay, you got me alone, what is it?” I asked, trying to figure out what he wants as I’m grabbing my backpack from the overhead storage. “I’m sorry,” he started to say, “I’m sorry for everything I did to you. It was never my intention to hurt you, and I hope you can forgive me.” I look away from him, and smiled slightly, “Whatever, let’s go, I need a drink.”
    At the beginning of this trip, I saw Matthew and wanted nothing to do with him or his existence. Now here I am, smiling and laughing with him, sharing mimosas as we stare into the deep, blue sea and sky of Honolulu. I look over at him and feel peaceful. We clink our glasses and diminish into the gold sand of our own paradise.

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