I'm sorry for leaving without notice, but I've made up my mind. I'm off to pursue my dreams. Hopefully, it turns out well. Wish me luck.

The moment her finger tapped the 'send' button, she released a deep breath, feeling a weight being lifted off her shoulders. She switched her phone to airplane mode to cut off all communication in case someone tries to reach out to her, and she knew there would be many due to her impulsive decision.

With no connection to the life she had left behind, she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, taking a moment to absorb the surreal nature of her decision. She could hear slight shuffling beside her as someone occupied the seat next to hers, most likely her flight neighbor for the long journey.

Almost immediately, the Captain's voice came over the intercom. She had planned to tune it out, but one thing caught her attention, something she couldn't ignore as it made everything feel more real.

"... this is your Captain, Asad Gidado speaking. Thank you for choosing British Airways. This is flight 14T from Nigeria to Manchester. Our estimated arrival time is 5:00 hours local time. We have a special guest with us today. Seated among you is my wife in chair A16, hey baby..."

A chorus of "awws" filled the cabin, prompting her to open her eyes and look in the direction of the mentioned seat. Sure enough, a woman sat there, her face blushing as people whispered about the cute couple.

The wife shyly hung her head low, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. It seemed she wasn't a fan of being in the spotlight.

The Captain, Asad Gidado, continued in an amused tone, seemingly unaffected by the public display of affection, unlike his wife who wished she could disappear. "...it's her first time flying on a plane piloted by me. So, I'll make sure to get you all safely to our destination, or I'll never hear the end of it from her.

On that note, please fasten your seat belts and switch your phones to flight mode. If you need assistance, the cabin crew is available..."

Amina huffed and rolled her eyes before muttering under her breath, "Let the single breathe, people." Despite her words and actions, she couldn't help but be in awe of the couple. It was a cute display of affection, and she internally swooned. If it didn't make her feel so single, she would have cheered for them too. They were undeniably head over heels in love, the kind of love everyone desires.

On another note, she couldn't help but think she would faint if her love interest showed public affection like that. She disliked being the center of attention and preferred observing others from behind the screen.

That's what she was good at, and that's why she had left her old life behind to pursue her dream. A dream that not many understood the value of, but a dream that she wholeheartedly adored.

Her dream involved closely observing human interactions and portraying them in a way that touched people's souls.

As the flight prepared to take off, she held her breath and gripped the armrest tightly, her eyes shut and her heart pounding. She could feel her heart racing within her chest, and her fingers digging into the armrest.

She tried to practice the breathing exercises she had been taught, hoping the time would pass quickly. She always hated the moments during takeoff, as they felt the same every time.

It wasn't until the plane was safely in the sky that she released her grip on the armrest. Slowly opening her eyes, she was startled by what she saw.

The armrest was actually a person's arm. She had unintentionally held someone's hand tightly, most likely leaving bruises due to her strong grip.

Her widened eyes shifted to the person sitting beside her. She couldn't see his face as he wore a cap and kept his head low, shielding his face. He hadn't reacted or even glanced at her when she realized her mistake.

He retracted his hand the moment she let go and flexed it slightly before resting it on his thighs. If he hadn't done that, she would have thought him inhumane for not reacting to such a grip.

And then it dawned on her. Her lips parted, and she apologized profusely, stringing together a series of apologies. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize I was holding your hand. SubhanAllah, I truly apologize. I have a fear of takeoffs and landings, and I couldn't help it--"

"If you're so afraid of planes, maybe you shouldn't have boarded one," he interrupted in a low and gruff voice. If she hadn't been paying close attention, she might not have heard him.

Her expression slowly morphed into confusion. He hadn't turned his head or made any indication that he was speaking to her. If she hadn't initiated the conversation, she would have thought he was talking to someone else.

Despite his rudeness and interruption, she didn't allow his words to affect her. She knew she had made a mistake in the beginning, so she swallowed her pride and ignored the small voice in her head telling her to give him a piece of her mind.

"Look, I know I made a mistake, which is why I'm apologizing. I didn't mean to do that--"

"Do you really expect me to believe it was a coincidence? Pathetic. You people are running out of excuses," he scoffed, cutting her off once again.

Amina felt an overwhelming urge to strangle him. She was annoyed by his behavior, as if she had done it deliberately to gain his attention. Who did he think he was for her to act that way? And who gave him the right to speak to her so rudely? She only wanted to apologize for her mistake.

Instead of responding, he pulled out a pair of Airpods and plugged them into his ears, shutting her out completely. He took out his phone and began tapping away on it.

Annoyed to the core, Amina huffed and muttered under her breath, "Pathetic," before turning around to face the front. "Rude people everywhere. May Allah make things easy for you."

She repeated her breathing exercises several times until her anger subsided. The flight continued smoothly, but she still had many hours ahead of her, stuck next to a man who had single-handedly ruined what should have been an enjoyable day.

A day where she had chosen herself and taken a step forward. He made her question her decision, but she refused to let him ruin it. No way.

With that mindset, she retrieved her MacBook and powered it on. Her fingers moved swiftly to open a manuscript she had been working on for a long time. Flexing her fingers, she positioned them on the keyboard, ready to pour her thoughts onto the screen.

Her mood instantly lifted at the thought of doing what she loved most—writing. It was the axis around which her life revolved.

Plugging in her Airpods, she scrolled through her Spotify to find her pre-downloaded book playlist. As Taylor Swift's song "Daylight" blasted through her ears, a smile formed on her lips in anticipation.

Setting her phone aside, she embarked on long hours of writing, accompanied by music, a lengthy flight, and the beginning of a new story.

***

The plane touched down at Manchester Airport precisely at 5:00, as announced by the Captain. Amina was impressed by the accuracy but didn't dwell on it. What bothered her more was the fact that she had barely written 200 words during the long flight. All her determination had been wasted on mindlessly scrolling through her social media feed and listening to her playlist.

Only when she heard the announcement of the flight's landing did she realize how much time had passed. She woke up from a short slumber and observed everyone preparing to disembark. Glancing at her neighbor, she expected him to at least have the decency to wake her up, but he didn't even do that small act of kindness.

She considered him the worst of them all. His face was hidden behind a black mask, and he wore a cap that concealed his identity. He adjusted his cap before standing up, matching the movements of the other passengers.

With a disapproving look, Amina muttered, "Yau naga rigima, this one is he having a contagious disease ko dai duk iyeyi ne? Uhm! Wetin concern me with someone like him seff." (Translation: "Why is he so serious? Does he have a contagious disease or is he just like that? Hmm! What's my concern with someone like him anyway.")

Quickly gathering her belongings, Amina picked up her Airpods from the armrest, almost forgetting them. She was momentarily stunned, unable to remember when she had taken them off while dozing off and attempting to write.

Not dwelling on the thought, she hurriedly packed everything, double-checking to ensure she didn't forget anything, and joined the flow of people exiting the plane. The process of going through immigration and the airport was draining, especially since she had just woken up from a nap and was in a bad mood. She was relieved, though, that she managed to get through it without snapping at anyone.

Walking through the terminal, she noticed a particular group that caught her attention. They seemed like enthusiastic fans, dressed in matching jerseys and holding placards with the name "AT04" written on them.

“Are you sure he’s coming out? I can’t spot him. ”

“I’m certain. The new source I heard from is legit. He is boarding this plane.”

“Then he should be out any second now.”

“Oh my God, I can’t believe this, I’m about to see AT in person! I’m dying, am I dying?!”

“I don’t know about you, but I’ll die happily today once I see him in person.”

Amina stared at them with a side-eye, wondering if they were in their right senses to be so excited about a celebrity of some sort. She couldn't believe they were acting this way, whoever this person was.

She pondered if he was even worth the fuss, except if he happened to be a Korean actor. Even then, she listed a few specific actors she considered worthy, like Lee Jong Suk, Park Seo Joon or Ahn Hyo Seop and she doubted this person fit the criteria, judging from the jerseys and the name. She sighed in disappointment, thinking that seeing her bias would have lifted her mood after the incident on the flight.

Turning around, she realized she had taken the wrong lane and accidentally bumped into someone. She stumbled and dropped her MacBook with a loud thud, her heart sinking with it. Although she managed to regain her balance, she wished she had fallen instead. She stood there with her mouth agape, staring at her beloved laptop lying on the cold floor, hesitant to pick it up, fearing the extent of the damage.

Her mind raced with thoughts of her manuscripts and all the work she had put into them. She had left home to pursue a writing career, and now everything seemed to crash right before her eyes in the airport.

Lost in shock, she watched as the person responsible for the mishap picked up her MacBook and inspected the damage before daring to hand it back to her. "Sorry about this--"

Amina tuned out his words, not wanting to hear any apologies. Slowly, she looked up to meet his face, instantly recognizing him despite never having seen it before. She remembered the gray hoodie he had been wearing and the cap he had kept on throughout the flight.

Anger surged through her like molten lava. She couldn't hold back and gritted out one word, unable to restrain herself. "You."

She wasn't sure if she misheard, but she thought she heard him curse under his breath, and his eyes flickered behind them before meeting hers again.

In a low voice, barely audible, he spoke, as if not wanting anyone else to hear. "Look, I'm sorry. But you were the one who bumped into me." He stated the obvious, but it only infuriated her more.

"Do you think that makes me feel any better?!" She knew it was her fault, but upon seeing her life's work vanish, she had lost all sense of reason.

"I apologize. If it bothers you so much, I'll compensate you for it. Just please, lower your voice." He whispered the last part, his eyes constantly checking behind them to ensure no one was eavesdropping.

His words only fueled her anger. Who did he think he was? "I don't want your stupid money! For God's sake, just who do you think you are?!" She didn't care if she was causing a scene.

He huffed, "Keep your voice down."

"Don't you dare tell me what to do, you rude jerk!" At this point, she had successfully attracted the attention of people around them, much to his dismay.

Onlookers began to stir and others stopped to observe the situation. She didn't let that deter her, while he seemed desperate to be anywhere but there.

"I'm so sick of you. Who do you think you are, huh? Just who the fuck do you think--"

Before she could continue, he abruptly pushed her MacBook into her arms, sensing more people taking an interest in their conversation. Stepping closer, he closed the distance between them and muttered in a low tone, meant only for her to hear.

"If you like, hug a transformer. You can't drag me into the mud."

"What the..." Before she could process his words, he had already pulled back and swiftly maneuvered his way through the crowd, leaving her alone, the center of attention.

Even if she wanted to follow him, she couldn't due to the numerous eyes fixed on her, and she despised it. Clenching her fists tightly, she glared in the direction he disappeared, cursing under her breath. "Damn it!" This was not how she expected her first day of supposed freedom to go.

To hell with him, whoever he is.

***

Hello everyone! Assalamu alaikum!

I'm backkkkkkkk!!! Who missed me? Abeg Abeg don't embarrass me, I know you missed me😂🥲

Guysss I had such an eventful day! Concluded my semester exams today, finally finally alhamdullilah after FIVE WHOLE MONTHS! Five months semester no be joke o and then had an event to attend afterwards. I have a splitting headache now but I'm sticking to my promise of publishing this book.

How do you guys like it so far? This one is for my kdrama girlies😩💞

Asad and Yas made a cameo appearance, oppressing us individuals. As always. It's okay, all is well😒😭🤌

Then we have Aahil and Amina, two characters from Ace of Spades
Now before you ask for queen of Spades, I answered a question about when I'm releasing it on my podcast, the latest one. You can check out "Pepsi with Jannah" on Spotify to know how far with that.

I repeat, this book is a standalone so you don't have to read AOS to understand it. Yawwa.

On another note, have you heard that Aishatu and I are having a writing class in a week? Registration for early birds ends tomorrow and general registration ends next week Sunday.

If you have more questions about it feel free to drop it in the comment below or send me a dm.

Let me know your thoughts on this book though.

Here's to the start of a new journey.

Love, Jannah Mia ❤️