Take Off

“Yeah, if you’re nervous about flying, it”s probably not the best idea to book a six-hour flight.”

“Well, good thing it”s not the flight that”s making me nervous,” I admitted while scratching the back of my neck and looking away.

“What are you nervous about?”

It was the funeral that was making me nervous. It was seeing my mom after our argument that was making me nervous. It was being on a flight for six hours with my celebrity crush that was making me nervous.

“I’m nervous about a lot of things.”

“And pray tell, what are these ‘things’ you are nervous about?”

“Nope,” I refused while pursing my lips. “That”s the only confession you”re getting out of me for this whole entire flight. No more soul searching or heart-to-hearts.”

Lexi half-smiled as she raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?” I glared at her while nodding. “I guess we”ll see in about six hours then,” she challenged.

And at that, the plane”s nose lifted toward the sky as we climbed through the air, getting higher and higher until the ground could no longer be seen.

***

The fasten seat belt sign turned off as the plane steadied.

“So,” I dragged out the words before continuing, “Since we are going to California together, now are you gonna tell me what song you”re shooting a music video for?”

“Let’s just say it involves drag queens.”

My lips visibly parted as I replied, “You”re going to perform in a music video with drag queens, and I’m going to a funeral? That doesn”t seem at all fair.”

“We can switch places if you want,” she offered jokingly while keeping a straight face. “Where is the funeral?”

“Some place in San Diego called Kings Cross Church. Where is your music video shooting?”

Lexi cracked a smile. “Nice try, Autumn,” she said while narrowing her eyes. “Are you actually going to go to your dad”s funeral? Like you”re not just going to follow me around when we get off the plane, right?”

“What other reason would I have for being on a private jet with a total stranger right now? You”re not all that interesting anyway,” I teased while lying through my teeth.

“More interesting than you!” She retorted. “And stranger? Is that what you think of me? I thought you knew me better than that.”

“You know what? You”re right. I definitely know one thing for sure about you.”

“Which is?”

“You have a dog named Dori,” I laughed.

Lexi rolled her eyes as she let out a deep breath. She slumped back in her seat, slouching as she did so. “Oh, come on. I thought you were going to say something like, ‘Oh, Lexi Harlow, she”s so funny or she”s so sexy,’ but no, you just had to comment on knowing my dog”s name.”

The light from the window shined brightly, and the sky was finally visible as we rose above the clouds. I stared at her in awe as the sunlight hit her in all the right places. Once again, Lexi Harlow had managed to put me in a trance with her beauty. It was almost as though I was looking at her for the first time again.

“Lexi, you”re so unbelievably sexy, but the word I was thinking of to describe you is more synonymous with beautiful. You have been my number-one celebrity crush for a reason, Lexi! You’re fucking attractive. That much is quite obvious.”

My cheeks became beet red at the sudden admission, and my eyes widened in horror. I whipped my head in the opposite direction to try and maintain as much dignity as possible while mentally slapping myself in the face.

“Autumn,” Lexi said while placing a hand on my upper arm, causing me to turn back toward her. “You never have to feel embarrassed about calling me beautiful. You never should feel embarrassed about calling anyone beautiful. If anything, I’m the one who feels a little embarrassed, you know?” I stared at her in confusion. “Low self-esteem,” she said while doing jazz hands. I laughed at the gesture. She dipped her head while looking at her lap. A small smile grazed her lips. “Calling me beautiful is the best compliment I could ever ask for, so thank you.”

Her hand still lightly grasped my arm as I gently placed my hand on top of hers. “You don’t need to thank me for telling you the truth.”

Her eyes seemed to light up at my words. She licked her lips as she looked out the window of the plane.

“You know, there are three things I wish someone would”ve told me before I tried to commit suicide,” Lexi confessed. “One: that I am beautiful no matter what the tabloids say; two: that being perfect is overrated; and three: that pain comes in waves. It does not stay with you forever.”

“With time,” I echoed the same words she had told me at the airport.

“Huh?”

“All things will get better with time,” I repeated. “That’s what you said at the airport.”

“Yeah?” She raised an eyebrow at me, as though she were unsure of my point.

“Maybe you were right.”

“I’m always right,” Lexi shrugged.

“Pfft. Get over yourself.”

“Never.”

“Good,” I grinned at her. “Because you’re fucking amazing, Lexi.”

“Touché.”

Sticking my neck out to peek past Lexi, I glanced across the aisle to where Andrew and Brian were sitting. “Do you think they are listening to us?” I whispered.

“Probably,” Lexi laughed while turning her back toward me as she faced them. “Hey, do you think you guys could put in headphones or go take a nap or something?”

Andrew smirked as Brian laughed at the request.

“Headphones, it is Lexi,” Andrew decided, popping in his earbuds.

“I think I”ll go lay down,” Brian said while raising an eyebrow as he unbuckled his seatbelt, heading toward the opposite end of the plane. He opened the door that separated the main area from the sleeping quarters and closed it silently behind him.

“Better?” Lexi asked.

“Better,” I stated. “Actually, do you mind if we listen to some music for a while? I just need to not talk for a while.”

It wasn’t that I hated talking to Lexi, I just hadn’t had a conversation with such depth in a very long time. It was nice getting to know her, and I loved that she wanted to know me, but sharing so much of yourself could feel so exhausting.

“I’m not relaxing enough for you?”

“I just feel like if I talk anymore, I might vomit. I haven”t shared this much with anyone since the third grade.”

“Wow, maybe I can moonlight as a therapist.”

“Only a therapist for me, though, right?”

“Of course, that”s me, Lexi Harlow—Autumn Blake’s personal therapist.”

I huffed out a laugh while saying, “But seriously, I could really go for some music right now. Do you want to share an earbud?”

“I don”t know. You might listen to some trash music…” she tapered off.

“Lexi, I listen to your music,” I pointed out.

“Oh,” she paused. “Yeah, I guess you do. Gimmie that.” She ripped the AirPod out of my hand.

I shook my head while reaching to pull the other AirPod out of my bag. While looking inside my carry-on, it hit me.

“Oh, shit.” My luggage was onboard the plane that I had missed. “I think my suitcase is gone,” I panicked.

Lexi looked around as if she were expecting my suitcase to be on the ground somewhere near us. “Shit! I should have reminded you to ask if they could hold your luggage at the San Diego Airport! I”m so sorry!”

Seeing her frantic expression helped lessen my worry, for some reason. I wasn’t sure if it was because it seemed like she cared so much about me or if I had just realized that there were more important things to focus on. Regardless, it was just a suitcase; it could be replaced. What couldn”t be replaced? Meeting Lexi Harlow couldn”t be. Talking to someone about my emotional baggage for the first time in a long time couldn”t be. Supporting my mom when she needed me the most couldn’t be. My dad’s funeral couldn’t be.

My face softened as I said, “Hey, it’s okay. I can buy new things. I just need to focus on getting to the funeral…wearing this.” I motioned to my current attire as my face contorted into a frown. “Well, at least I won”t be naked,” I bargained.

“Why would you be naked?”

“You never know,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows at her. I placed the right AirPod in my ear and watched as Lexi shook her head and did the same on her left side. Scrolling through my extensive list of songs, I took my time searching for something good and eventually found just what I was looking for.

Currently playing – Edge of Midnight by Miley Cyrus ft. Stevie Nicks.

Seeing Lexi nod in approval next to me, I closed my eyes as I leaned my head against the headrest.

***

I woke up to see Lexi playing the imaginary drums as she hit her lap with her hands while jamming out to the music.

Currently playing – Misery Business by Paramore

I immediately broke out into laughter, causing Lexi to be snapped out of her private jam session. By the look on her face, I could clearly tell that she was hoping I would keep sleeping throughout the whole song. Biting my lip, I smiled while staring at her deviously as I began to play the best air guitar possible and mouth along to the words. I heard Lexi laugh audibly through the headphones and then proceed to join in. Both of us were furiously head-banging while emphatically lip-synching the words as we put on a show for no one except ourselves.

Or so I thought.

That”s when I caught Andrew snickering at us from the corner of my eye. Lexi followed my gaze, still lost in the music, as she looked him dead in the eyes and unbuckled her seat belt to stand up. She started to rock out even harder than before. Lexi turned back to me and clicked my seatbelt until it came unlocked. Grabbing my hand, she pulled me violently out of my seat while smirking at me, daring me to join in.

Do you honestly think I’d say no to Lexi Harlow?

I grabbed my phone as a makeshift microphone and started performing like my life depended on it. I then shoved the phone in front of Lexi’s face as she began to sing the words aloud. By the time the song ended, we both broke out in breathless laughter, too tired to conjure any real sound. Andrew started with a slow clap that gradually became faster as he applauded our oh-so-phenomenal performances.

“That was more tiring than actually performing at one of my concerts.”

Panting heavily, I smiled back, unable to process what just happened. “So, is this what you do on these plane rides? Put on private shows for your flight crew?”

“Not usually, but being here with a friend is making things more interesting,” she admitted as her chest still heaved from the previous workout.

“Ha! I did it! I made Lexi Harlow become friends with me!” I bounced my legs so that my feet tapped against the floor as I threw my arms up into the air.

“Yeah, yeah,” Lexi rolled her eyes.

“Wait, if this isn”t your normal routine, then what do you usually do?”

“Sleep, watch movies, get massages, and sometimes karaoke.”

“You have karaoke?” I asked, visibly shocked, before registering the rest of what she had stated. “Wait, you have a masseuse onboard?”

The look of pure bewilderment on my face caused her to smile as Andrew chimed in and said, “You have no idea.”

“Oh, fuck off, Andrew,” Lexi scolded playfully.

“How about something more…tame? Do you have any board games?”

She paused, opening her mouth slightly before closing it again. “I don”t know. Let me check.”

“So, you”re telling me you have a masseuse on the plane but not a deck of cards or something?”

Lexi walked toward the head of the plane, and without turning around, she stuck her middle finger up in the air, then disappeared behind a blue curtain. When she returned, she held a box with the word UNO on the cover as she glared at me.

“For your information, my masseuse isn”t here. She doesn”t fly with me all the time, the same way my chef doesn”t always fly with me. This time, it”s only my two security guards, two flight attendants, my assistant, and the pilots,” Lexi retorted, feeling proud.

“You have a chef?” I exclaimed.

“Oh my god,” she rolled her eyes, causing Andrew to laugh. “You know what? Never mind. I never claimed to be low maintenance.”