~10~ Not a Second of Belief

(Angel’s POV)

“Oh, Angel,” Nelly called.

“Hmm?” I asked, grunted as I moved over Brian’s luggage.

“My family’s party is this weekend. Think you’ll be back by then?” she asked.

“Well I didn’t plan to stay there for long, but since we have extra baggage, we’ll see,” I said. She raised an eyebrow.

“That’s only two bags,” she reminded.

“I meant—”

“Ready to go?” Meghan’s unruly soprano voice asked, hopping in the doorway.

“Oh,” was all Nelly said before raising up from the couch and walking away. She was obviously not a fan of Meghan. Neither was I.

(Brian’s POV)

The space was tight before we even stepped foot on the plane. When we did, things were worse because the plane seated in rows of three. Meghan, Joey, and Angel in one row; across from them was me in the aisle seat and two empty seats. Right when I was about to invite Angel to escape her awkward seating, a guy in camouflage started walking up.

“I believe that’s my seat,” his deep voice said. I happily obliged to standing up out of his way. He took the seat right beside me opposed to the window. He shut the blind and then turned to me.

“Sorry. I get air sick if I see all the clouds and stuff,” he informed. I smiled.

“No problem,” I assured. I held out a hand. “Thank you, for what you do for our country.”

He shook my hand firmly and I felt the warmth as if he was…Zac. I looked over to Angel who was nearly dying with Meghan talking off her and Joey’s ears.

“Poor girl,” the Army guy commented.

“I know,” I sort of laughed.

The flight attendant went through all the safety precautions and such and that’s the only time when Meghan would shut up. When we lifted off the ground and elevation rose, there was less and less speaking that you could hear…which was to my advantage when you’re riding in a plane with stupid Meghan of all people.

***

“There’s about twenty minutes until landing,” the flight attendant announced. “Please turn off all electronic devices.”

“Yes,” I thought in cheer, but Spencer said it.

“Agreed,” I smiled before looking over at him. “What are you looking so forward to seeing in New York?”

“My wife,” he said. Wife? He looked to be only in his mid-twenties.

“You look too young to be…”

“We were high school sweethearts and sh!t happened in my family so enrolling in the military was my only way to make income for college. So before I left, I married her so that I knew she was mine and I had someone to come back to,” he explained. “I had to take care of my family business as soon as I got here, but now…I just cannot wait to see her.”

“That’s nice,” Angel commented. I found her listening in while Meghan was finally asleep on Joey’s shoulder. I smirked.

“What are you doing for the rest of your life?” I asked. He shrugged.

“I’m going to attend and intern at West Point,” he answered. That’s a good choice. “And you?”

“I’m not…” in the Military, I mean.

“I meant what are you doing with your life? You look really young,” he commented.

“I’m going into my freshman year at RIU,” I informed. He nodded and then looked around me. “Is that your girlfriend?”

I looked back to see, Angel, slightly falling asleep on her propped up hand. I turned back to Spencer.

“No,” I answered.

“But she was,” he whispered. I nodded.

“Sometimes when you really love someone, you gotta—”

“Bullsh!t,” he commented in a laugh. What’s that supposed to mean? “I don’t believe that for a second.”

“Well believe it,” I scoffed. Angel was now asleep—or well at least she looked it. At the same time, Meghan was just now waking up as Joey was asleep too.

“Joey, wake up—”

“Shut up,” I called. She looked at me as if I was crazy. “I don’t know how you can be so cranky so much.”

“I’m just trying to wake him up—”

“Well stop it,” I defended. “He’s sleeping and he’ll be wrapped around your finger once we land, alright?”

“Not with y’all here…” she whispered. I narrowed my eyes and she sat back in her seat. Fu**ing b1tch.

(Angel’s POV)

“Where are we supposed to go?” Meghan asked once we claimed our luggage.

“We’re—” I gestured between Brian and me. “—gonna achieve what we came here for, but you two can…I don’t know. Sight see? Pick out a hotel? I don’t care.”

“Yay,” she cheered, but Joey’s face remained in a frown.

“Why don’t you want me to come?” he asked. How did he think he’d be allowed to come when he has a leech on his arm? I glanced to her—who was looking around airport—and then back up to Joey.

“Can I talk to you real quick?” I asked him. He nodded, his hand leaving Meghan’s for once. “You know why you can’t help us.”

One, because I told you not to even come and two, because you invited

her here.

“I don’t,” he denied. My look to him changed.

“I already said you shouldn’t have come and besides that order, you bring her along,” I retorted.

“What? You don’t like her?” he asked. I was his friend…or trying to be his friend. I didn’t want to hate on his girlfriend when he was happy with her, but…I had to. I produced a slight nod. “And Brian too?”

“Honestly…I don’t see why anyone would like her spoiled and whiny self,” I admitted. “Is she normally like this…?”

“No,” he sighed. What? And to WHAT to I owe the experience of seeing her in this annoying state!? “It’s you. She’s…jealous and the more I talk to you, or Brian defends you, she’s gonna act up—”

“Then why bring her!?”

“She wanted to come!” he yelled. “I couldn’t tell her where I was going and she figured that if it wasn’t ‘shameful’ than she can tag along.”

“Or maybe you just invited her yourself,” I reasoned, crossing my arms and recalling what Meghan had told me over the phone.

“What?” he spat at me as if I was crazy. “I didn’t invite her. I told her that if you were okay with her coming—which you’re clearly not—then she could come. If you didn’t want her here than—”

“She never asked me if I was okay with it,” I interrupted. “She simply said she was coming as if there could be no objections.”

He shook his head—but for what; disappointment in Meghan or doubting my tale? He grabbed the bridge of his nose.

“Well now we’re stuck with her,” I sighed. “If there’s any chance of you helping us, then you have to get rid of her. I don’t mean breaking up with her, but you need to get away—”

“I’ll break up with her,” he suddenly said.

“What?” I asked. Why would he do that? “Joey, you don’t need to.”

“Yes I do,” he said with a frown. “I’m getting sick of her and her games with people to keep me. She shouldn’t have to worry this much. Breaking up with her is the only way to get away.”

“Joey, you can just sneak out and come right back to her if you want. You don’t have to break her heart and send her literally all the way back to Florida,” I spoke.

“Yes I do,” he reasoned. “Just let me. She’ll take me back, I just need a break from her—one fu**ing break.”

I bit my lip, thinking that although it’d get her out of our hair; it would sacrifice Joey’s happiness. Suddenly, he took me into a hug.

“Everything’s okay,” he laughed. He released me as soon as I had started to hug back. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Fine,” I mumbled and he started to walk back over to Brian and Meghan—Meghan who was glaring fiercely at me with a devious look, even though to anyone else, it’d look like a smile.