The Switch

"It looks like... you'll have to sit in 9D" Joshua said looking at me, while receiving silent nods from my other companions.

"Why is it that I'm always the one stuck in these situations." I complained.

"Cuz..." Paul's voice trailed off as we sat, and suddenly he tore his gaze away from me.

"Wha... now you're gonna ignore me?!" I protested.

"Excuse me, that's my seat." A familiar honied voice rang in my ears.

As I looked up, I swear my heart was going to pop out, from my throat. While I mustered whatever strength I could-urging my voice box to just say something, anything.

"Aliz... ye... yes... um... sorry." I squeezed my legs in, 'say something better' my mind mocked me. 'You can do this- she's just a girl, man- up! And for Heaven's sake stop mimicking josh.' 

I struck an attacking gaze towards my comrades, my so called 'comrades', from the corner of my eye leaking some of the killing intent piled up in the years, making them flinch. I was not asking for much just a heads up would've sufficed.

I couldn't believe my bad luck, was this some kind of a joke? I thought, looking around trying to find a hidden camera. But no that wasn't it, it seemed as though I was a target of lady bad luck- and she was having a hell of a time laughing at this situation. For me this was an 'at that moment he knew he had...' moment, when Sasha, yes, the same one who was vigorously waving her hand towards us on the airport- the same one who was pestering me for about a year now, walked towards me with a grin, which scared the living hell out of me.

"Hi Rumi, it seems we'll be close to each other for the next..." she glanced at her watch then continued, "14 hours, until New York!" She beamed in her annoyingly squeaky voice, while her pink Ombre hair covered her dark eyes. 

"Aliza, please can you switch seats with me?" She asked.

Aliza looked at me, I was too shy but, in this matter. I pleaded her with my eyes, almost letting a tear escape from them.

To my astonishment, thanking my luck that it had shined at the right time. Aliza said, "No, I would much rather prefer to sit in the seat which has been assigned to me, thank you." in an almost robotic voice, which I thought was her, mocking Sasha. 

I glanced at my side to where the others were seated. Suddenly, I was encountered by three pairs of eyes-urging their sockets to let them loose, I couldn't help but let out a faint hushed squeak.

"What was that?" Sasha asked in a stern voice.

"Nott... (cough, cough) nothing." I covered my mouth, smiling at my sheer luck, and surprisingly- Aliza's assistance.

Finally, when the captain had announced that the plane will take off soon, and implored everyone to get seated, she took her window seat- although unwillingly. At last, I loosened my stiff shoulders and wiped the beads of sweat trickling down my forehead. Suddenly, I felt a light nudge from my right, I saw the person it had originated from, and my heart stopped when she winked and whispered, "Nice outfit by the way." To that I smiled and returned her compliment, "although this is a men's outfit, you look great in them." I winked back.

"Who said... women can't wear it." she protested with a smile.

The rest of the flight was unexpectedly mediocre with no clinging of Sasha or sadly nudging of Aliza. However, on the other side, Josh was sleeping like he had no care in the world, and Seb was playing a multiplayer game with Paul on who could toss the minute paper ball successfully in josh's mouth first. I felt, after a long time, an emotion I thought was lost- joy.

All the joy in my life had been caged when I found mom's condition was getting worse by the day, they said it was a generic illness and that her father-my grandfather had died because of this same illness, which made me distraught.

 I was pulled back to reality when I heard Aliza's soft voice, "So... what's her deal?"

I observed Sasha, relieved that she was finally asleep- I answered, "You really don't wanna know... but thank you though- for saving me."

"To be honest I hate window seats, so yeah... it was for me too."

"Wait what?!" my jaw dropped. "you kiddin right?" I asked.

"Yeah, yeah... how could you not like window seats Aliza, you mad?" she said in a mocking tone.

"Ok, ok... I get it, not the first time?" I laughed.

"literally all the time." She sighed.

"Well... still, thank you."

She stood up and gestured me to squeeze myself. She stood on the deck, and without any warning lifted her hands to unlock the overhead locker. Her shirt lifted revealing her smooth milk like skin, which in the matter of seconds made me flush. Trying my very best to avoid staring, I looked at her, struggling in retreating her bag. I quickly stood up causing my watch to entangle with her shirt, blushing I apologized and signaled her to sit.

"Aren't you a clumsy gentleman." She said, carefully untangling my watch from her shirt.

Embarrassed, I regretted moving my muscles, but was soon blessed with her laugh.

"Ok... can you grab me the blue bag, please." She said after her fit of laughter was over, and she was safely seated away from my hands.

"Yeah sure."

I grabbed her bag and handed it to her, "hey... did you um... get this bag in that offer with the luggage bag?" I asked while slumping back to my seat.

"yeah, I brought the luggage bag with me too... wait you got the same deal?!"

"Yepp, I brought the luggage one but, the hand bag was not my type." I finished.

"Well, aren't we full of coincidences." She spoke. "Anyways... umm here." She handed me a paper.

"I prefer a chewing gum to be honest." I smirked.

"Well... ok I guess, you weren't interested in my phone number then." She said with a wider grin than normal.

"N... no, no I didn't know you were gon..." She laughed and shoved a pen in my hand, "I'm just messin' with you, ha-ha-ha." She continued. Her number alone would suffice against all that had happened in the last 24 hours, all those envious eyes would burn after knowing this, if they would know of this in the first place.

We landed on JFK international airport. The trip from there was a blur as soon as I sat on the next flight, the last before our arrival to Iceland. I had slept the whole flight, because this time I didn't have Aliza to accompany me and I had a days' worth of fatigue to cover for.

"Rumi we're landing c'mon, wake up you jerk!" I couldn't see who had said that, but I knew it was Paul.

"Leave him, he's still roaming in the lust realm." To that- I woke up, rubbing my eyes and glaring at Seb. A smile crept on my face.

"I still don't believe she just gave you her number, like who the hell does that?" Seb said recollecting the events I told them about.

"I told you didn't I, it's all about the face my friend." I chuckled "All about the face" I said slower than before , gesturing towards my face for effects. While at the same time receiving Paul's fist on my arm. {he was true to his form-bulky, and his temper radiating from his brown eyes.}

I was lost in my thoughts the second we had received our entry stamps, and continued to collect our luggage from the baggage reclaim area. Although, I was slowly coming back to reality, I was suddenly thrown back to my thoughts, when I saw my blue luggage bag, which to my amazement reminded me of Aliza.

My mind was lost in the vertigo of thoughts, while visions of her smile, and her brown eyes winking at me ignited brightly in my mind. Thankfully, this time no one tried to bring me back to reality. Wishing to stay in this infinite slumber of thoughts, our car skidded to a halt bringing me back to life.

"við erum komin herra." The driver said.

"We're here sir." Our guide translated. "Welcome to Reykjavik." He stated.

"Everyone fall in line, group heads please assort your members and their luggage." The man with the shabby beard spoke. "And please escort them to the main gate of..." he looked down at his notes, searching for a name.

"Reykjavik City HI Hostel" the guide finished.

"Yeah... the Reykhaveek hostel." The bearded man tried repeating. "And yes, lastly... group leaders take your room key from me, your further instructions are already pasted in your rooms, now you may begin your first day in Rey... Iceland." He finished, not bothering to finish the complicated name.

"He really needs to decide whether to call you group leader, or head Lmao!" Paul joked, slapping Seb's shoulders lightly.

As I stepped on the cold white snow before the entrance, I looked up towards the sky- hoping to catch a glimpse of the Aurora. However, I couldn't see anything in the sky, but at the time I didn't know that the northern lights were only visible at midnight and on clear nights. Seb took the key and lead us towards our room.

"look at this Rumi!" Josh said with no hint of his stuttering. I looked to where his index finger was pointing.

"What! Oh c'mon! number 9, what the hell man." I said frustratingly. {There's seriously something up with this number.}

We stepped in greeted by two diagonally placed bunk beds covered in green sheets.

"Shotgun!" Paul shouted jumping to the upper bunk.

"You know... it's only used when you want to sit in the passenger seat of a car." Seb corrected shaking his head in disappointment.

"By the way... Rumi when will you... message her?" Joshua asked, apparently back to his shy self.

"Nah mate, I'm gonna obey the three days rule. I don't wanna go against the teachings of Barney." I said, proud of the HIMYM reference.

After allocating ourselves I turned towards the blue bag sitting underneath my bunk, I unzipped the American Tourister bag only to find something that made my spine freeze, and my hands tremble.

"Yo broooo! What the hell are you doing with ladies' lingerie!" Seb snorted jumping from his bunk only to land near the open bag. I swiftly shut the bag in order to prevent his perverted thoughts to avail.

"I don't think I can follow the three days rule anymore Josh." I said, as I read the small name tag attached to the handle 'Aliza Martin'.