Leanne

"My Mom's in Paris. So is my big sister. I need to talk to her so bad. It isn't the same on Face Time or a video call." Wilson said.

"Really? So, it's really important for you to get there. Hmmm..." Leanne paused to think about it.

Will Frank help us or cause a problem?

"How bad is that lump?" She reached out to touch the spot he'd pointed at earlier.

Wilson grabbed her hand, before she could explore the swollen lump. "Sorry, I just can't let you touch me there, I just can't."

Wow, is he touch phobic? No, I can hug him, but oh. I get it. Too close to his penis. Sex phobic, maybe? Don't know, don't care. He's the first guy who has ever treated me like I'm a person.

"It's okay, but we need to figure out how bad that lump is. Ice might be the only thing that's going to keep it under control. Last thing we need is for it to turn into an emergency when we land." Leanne reached out again. "You've been so good about getting me past my first take off, and you rescued my bag. I like you a lot, already. I've even had a crush on you for a long time."

"What!" Wilson pulled his butt all the way back in the seat. "Me? But why? I've never been on a date. Not once. The girls in our class just don't do it for me. Most of them are so worried about their makeup and hair, they can't even put two proper sentences together to write an essay."

"Because you always have a smile. Because you stepped between them and me a few times over the years. Because you have this haunted hurt look lurking behind the grin. And your singing, melts my pain," Leanne confessed. It felt good to get her secret off her chest. It was like a crushing boulder rolled away.

"But I would stop a bully no matter what. Jo-Jo is a menace. She picks on a lot of the guys too. Even me. Especially after I refused to take her to the Halloween dance in freshman year."

She spotted Frank coming down the aisle pushing a drink cart. The seat belt required sign was off. Leanne stood up and she could see the ice bucket on the middle shelf. There were bags of snacks on the bottom one.

"Trust me, I'm going to figure out if Frank is going to be a help or not. Let me do the talking, okay. Besides, I would never touch you that way." She hissed the last words out.

Wilson's jaw dropped.

"Sorry. But, okay, I'll let you talk to Frank. I'm hurting pretty bad. I've got a bad bruise on my back by my kidney too. Can't hardly think straight."

"What are you two doing way back here? I thought all you kids would be together."

Frank's cheery voice made Leanne smile.

"I don't like them. My buddy here has a couple of sore spots. I'm scared if you figure out how bad they are, we're going to turn around."

Honesty better work. There isn't another way to get a cold compress for Wilson.

"Well, I don't like them much either. That curvy blonde has a mouth on her. Are you injured?" Frank asked.

"Not if it's going to make us go back," Wilson said.

"That's my call. I'm the head steward on board. How bad is it?" Frank's change of tone made Leanne wince.

"I'm hurting. Might be pretty hard to walk off the jet if I don't get some ice on the one," Wilson admitted. "I have to get to Paris. My mother's there. So's my sister."

"Well now, that makes a difference. With a parent on the other side, we can make sure you get what you need to get there. Let me finish with this." Frank pointed at the cart, "and I'll be back with what you need."

"For now, do you have any orange juice? And maybe some water?" Leanne asked. "I'd love some nuts if you have any."

Frank nodded. "Do you want ice with the water?" He bent to reach for a couple of packages from the bottom shelf. "Mixed nuts. No peanuts though." He handed them to her. "Do you have any painkillers with you? Ibuprofen?"

"Geeze, I never even thought of that. Mom made me put a travel pack in my bag. I'll get them." Leanne put the nuts on the seat beside her and pulled her tote bag out from under her seat. "And yes, for the ice."

"What about you, kid?" Frank asked Wilson.

"Same, please. And thanks for the help."

Frank continued up the aisle, and Wilson shook his head. "He didn't ask for us to pay."

"Head steward, he said. I guess it's his call."

Leanne couldn't quite believe her good luck. She wasn't usually this fortunate. She tore open her bag of nuts and popped a few into her mouth. Nerves always made her hungry. She pulled her tray down and rooted around in her tote bag. Finding her way into the zippered side pocket, she found the little tube of Advil™.

"Here, take a couple of these. They're the extra strength ones, and we have enough for you to take more before we land."

Leanne shook two of the them out into Wilson's hand.

"You're a life saver. Your Mom is one smart woman." Wilson unscrewed the cap on his orange juice. "I didn't even think of putting any emergency stuff in my suitcase, let alone a pocket." He popped the pills in his mouth and took a swig from his bottle.

"I wish she'd figure out what my stepdad is up to then. He's always been hard on me, but now he's just creepy." Leanne turned her face away from Wilson so he wouldn't see the tears that threatened every time she thought about it.

"Shit, Leanne. Is he?" Wilson paused.

"Not yet, but he keeps undressing me with his eyes. And Mom doesn't get it. Maybe because she's usually half drunk at best."

What did Wilson think of her now? A drunk mother and a stepfather who wanted in her pants. Would he still want to be friends?

He didn't say a thing for a couple of minutes, and Leanne put everything in her bag. She started to get up when he grabbed her hand.

"Don't go. You haven't done anything wrong. You're the best thing that's happened to me in forever. I'm not letting you go."