Incentive
2
summer breeze - seals & croft
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It was four in the morning and James successfully dragged me through LAX and pushed me down on my respective seat. I groaned and he gave me a warning look, raising his eyebrow. He took a seat next to my left and sighed.
It always took a lot of effort when it comes to flights and my band. James, vocals, wouldn’t care about anything but getting on the airplane; Nate, lead guitar, would do anything to get off the airplane. Tim, guitars and backup vocals, had airsick problems. Dylan, bass, always took time before departure, flirting with nearly every single girl he sees. Me, drums, was always sleep deprived before every flight we have.
“Paige,” James called.
I turned to my left to look at him, raising an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Are you going to get mad at me if I tell you that One Direction are on the same flight?” He mumbled quickly without a pause.
I opened my mouth but ended up mouthing words. My ears started to pop and my chest started to feel heavy. My cheeks burned and my hands started to shake. “What?”
James looked down on his lap, pressing his lips together. “Don’t hate me, please don’t hate me.”
“Can we still get off this plane?” I whisper-shouted at him and I could hear the desperation in my voice.
“No,” he shook his head. “That’s why I told you now.”
“Why only now?” I glared at him, my hand squeezing his leg tightly.
He winced at the clasp. “Because we have an award show to go to!”
“You are a fucking turd.” I spat at him. I let go of his leg and crossed my arms across my chest, slumping in my seat and giving a huff.
Tim came in sight, leaning on the seat in front of us. He raised an eyebrow at the two of us and smirked. “James told you?”
I raised my chin up and decided not to talk to him, but gave a small nod.
“Better than her suddenly seeing them walking around.” James defended himself. “She might kill them on the spot.”
“Yeah, good idea, now she can be plotting his death.” Tim flared his nose.
I glared at him. “I’m going to flush him down the toilet.”
“See?” He raised his eyebrows at James.
“Shouldn’t you be vomiting by now?” James scowled, rolling his eyes.
“I’d rather walk to New York.” He nodded his head and turned around, going back to his seat a few spaces down.
Award shows are tiring and takes a lot of effort. You have to dress up and look nice, prepare a speech, try not to look upset when you don’t win, try not to trip, and try not to drink too much unless if you want to be on Perez Hilton’s blog.
A flight attendant approaches us with twinkling blue eyes. “I see Summer Breeze decided to join us today.”
James and I smile at her.
“Enjoy your flight.” She gave James a smile and I swear I saw her wink before turning around to leave.
“She likes you,” I murmured to James, stopping myself from snickering.
James gave her a look. “I never really liked blondes.”
“Hey!” I looked at him, swishing my dirty blonde hair in front of his face.
“You dye your hair, Paige.” He looked at me, raising an eyebrow.
I opened my mouth to answer; my shoulders ready to shrug, when someone else talks before me.
“Summer Breeze is here!”
James sighed. “Haven’t seen you in a while, Liam,”
“Lovely seeing you both,” he grinned, bowing. He raised an eyebrow at me. “Especially you, Paige.”
I tried my best to smile, but my lips wouldn’t go up. I gave him a nod.
“Don’t hit on her, seriously?” James sent him a glare.
He raised his hands up. “I wasn’t hitting on her, jeez. I have my own girlfriend-“
“Paige, you look-“
“Save it.” I cut him off dryly. I didn’t even bother to look at who suddenly decided to join our little conversation. Even if it’s been a year of no interactions with him, his voice was still so familiar. Every little memory started to come back and it hit me like a million bricks.
“Harry,” James said seriously.
“What?” He said like he hasn’t done anything wrong. “I was just going to-“
“James,” Liam suddenly said, “I think we should leave them alone.”
He scoffed. “Yeah, right,”
“Sarah is looking for you,”
The moment he analyzed the sentence, he stood up so quickly he almost toppled over Liam. Harry sat down slowly on the vacated seat, sighing as his body meets the chair. He still looked the same: band shirts and skinny jeans, his curly hair messed up. His eyes focused on me, and his lips were in a small smile. “You look nice, P.”
“Don’t call me that.” I said quietly.
His smile dropped and his voice was low. “But you like it when I call you that.”
I shrugged, rolling my lips in my mouth.
“Hey,” he moved closer, resting his hand on mine. “I’m really sorry, you know that, right?”
I shook my head.
He swallowed. “Well, I’m sorry.”
I faced him, looking at him properly for the first time in a while. He still had the same curly hair, green pools, although his complexion showed tiredness—there were dark circles under his eyes, and his smile wasn’t as bright as before.
“How much sleep have you been getting?” I said quietly, studying his face.
He looked taken aback. He shifted in his seat and licked his lips. He shrugged. “I’m not so sure.”
I raised my eyebrows at him. “How much sleep have you been getting?” I repeated.
“Is this necessary?” He looked at me.
“How much sleep have you been getting?” I said again, softer this time.
He scanned me and I held his gaze until he finally let out a sigh. “Not enough.”
“I thought so,” I studied him for a while, drowning myself into his green orbs. I moved closer to him, our arms touching. I gently touched his cheek with my hand, making his head rest on my shoulder. “Get some sleep.” I mumbled softly.
To my surprise, he followed me. His head slowly moved on my shoulder as he looked for a comfortable position. I scooted closer to him and looked down. His eyes were on me with an expression I couldn’t read.
“What?” I asked faintly.
He shook his head, closing his eyes slowly. “I missed this.”
I bit my lip and rested my head on the back of the seat, feeling Harry’s arms envelope around my waist.
He starts to snore softly after a few minutes. His breathing was steady and his face relaxed. His lips were apart and his curly hair fell on his forehead. I brushed them off and he moves at the sudden touch, his eyebrows knitting. I wanted to stay in that moment forever and memorize the whole picture, recalling how it felt to be loved and safe again.
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⇢⇢⇢
It was four in the morning and James successfully dragged me through LAX and pushed me down on my respective seat. I groaned and he gave me a warning look, raising his eyebrow. He took a seat next to my left and sighed.
It always took a lot of effort when it comes to flights and my band. James, vocals, wouldn’t care about anything but getting on the airplane; Nate, lead guitar, would do anything to get off the airplane. Tim, guitars and backup vocals, had airsick problems. Dylan, bass, always took time before departure, flirting with nearly every single girl he sees. Me, drums, was always sleep deprived before every flight we have.
“Paige,” James called.
I turned to my left to look at him, raising an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Are you going to get mad at me if I tell you that One Direction are on the same flight?” He mumbled quickly without a pause.
I opened my mouth but ended up mouthing words. My ears started to pop and my chest started to feel heavy. My cheeks burned and my hands started to shake. “What?”
James looked down on his lap, pressing his lips together. “Don’t hate me, please don’t hate me.”
“Can we still get off this plane?” I whisper-shouted at him and I could hear the desperation in my voice.
“No,” he shook his head. “That’s why I told you now.”
“Why only now?” I glared at him, my hand squeezing his leg tightly.
He winced at the clasp. “Because we have an award show to go to!”
“You are a fucking turd.” I spat at him. I let go of his leg and crossed my arms across my chest, slumping in my seat and giving a huff.
Tim came in sight, leaning on the seat in front of us. He raised an eyebrow at the two of us and smirked. “James told you?”
I raised my chin up and decided not to talk to him, but gave a small nod.
“Better than her suddenly seeing them walking around.” James defended himself. “She might kill them on the spot.”
“Yeah, good idea, now she can be plotting his death.” Tim flared his nose.
I glared at him. “I’m going to flush him down the toilet.”
“See?” He raised his eyebrows at James.
“Shouldn’t you be vomiting by now?” James scowled, rolling his eyes.
“I’d rather walk to New York.” He nodded his head and turned around, going back to his seat a few spaces down.
Award shows are tiring and takes a lot of effort. You have to dress up and look nice, prepare a speech, try not to look upset when you don’t win, try not to trip, and try not to drink too much unless if you want to be on Perez Hilton’s blog.
A flight attendant approaches us with twinkling blue eyes. “I see Summer Breeze decided to join us today.”
James and I smile at her.
“Enjoy your flight.” She gave James a smile and I swear I saw her wink before turning around to leave.
“She likes you,” I murmured to James, stopping myself from snickering.
James gave her a look. “I never really liked blondes.”
“Hey!” I looked at him, swishing my dirty blonde hair in front of his face.
“You dye your hair, Paige.” He looked at me, raising an eyebrow.
I opened my mouth to answer; my shoulders ready to shrug, when someone else talks before me.
“Summer Breeze is here!”
James sighed. “Haven’t seen you in a while, Liam,”
“Lovely seeing you both,” he grinned, bowing. He raised an eyebrow at me. “Especially you, Paige.”
I tried my best to smile, but my lips wouldn’t go up. I gave him a nod.
“Don’t hit on her, seriously?” James sent him a glare.
He raised his hands up. “I wasn’t hitting on her, jeez. I have my own girlfriend-“
“Paige, you look-“
“Save it.” I cut him off dryly. I didn’t even bother to look at who suddenly decided to join our little conversation. Even if it’s been a year of no interactions with him, his voice was still so familiar. Every little memory started to come back and it hit me like a million bricks.
“Harry,” James said seriously.
“What?” He said like he hasn’t done anything wrong. “I was just going to-“
“James,” Liam suddenly said, “I think we should leave them alone.”
He scoffed. “Yeah, right,”
“Sarah is looking for you,”
The moment he analyzed the sentence, he stood up so quickly he almost toppled over Liam. Harry sat down slowly on the vacated seat, sighing as his body meets the chair. He still looked the same: band shirts and skinny jeans, his curly hair messed up. His eyes focused on me, and his lips were in a small smile. “You look nice, P.”
“Don’t call me that.” I said quietly.
His smile dropped and his voice was low. “But you like it when I call you that.”
I shrugged, rolling my lips in my mouth.
“Hey,” he moved closer, resting his hand on mine. “I’m really sorry, you know that, right?”
I shook my head.
He swallowed. “Well, I’m sorry.”
I faced him, looking at him properly for the first time in a while. He still had the same curly hair, green pools, although his complexion showed tiredness—there were dark circles under his eyes, and his smile wasn’t as bright as before.
“How much sleep have you been getting?” I said quietly, studying his face.
He looked taken aback. He shifted in his seat and licked his lips. He shrugged. “I’m not so sure.”
I raised my eyebrows at him. “How much sleep have you been getting?” I repeated.
“Is this necessary?” He looked at me.
“How much sleep have you been getting?” I said again, softer this time.
He scanned me and I held his gaze until he finally let out a sigh. “Not enough.”
“I thought so,” I studied him for a while, drowning myself into his green orbs. I moved closer to him, our arms touching. I gently touched his cheek with my hand, making his head rest on my shoulder. “Get some sleep.” I mumbled softly.
To my surprise, he followed me. His head slowly moved on my shoulder as he looked for a comfortable position. I scooted closer to him and looked down. His eyes were on me with an expression I couldn’t read.
“What?” I asked faintly.
He shook his head, closing his eyes slowly. “I missed this.”
I bit my lip and rested my head on the back of the seat, feeling Harry’s arms envelope around my waist.
He starts to snore softly after a few minutes. His breathing was steady and his face relaxed. His lips were apart and his curly hair fell on his forehead. I brushed them off and he moves at the sudden touch, his eyebrows knitting. I wanted to stay in that moment forever and memorize the whole picture, recalling how it felt to be loved and safe again.
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You should carry on with this story definitely.
7/15/14