chapter thirty-five
off to a flying start

     GETTING TO THE airport in time was going great. 

     Nina wanted to blame her younger brother for making them late, but in reality, it was Ned. Just as they were about to go, he was still asleep, and while Nina was too nice to kick him awake, MJ had no fear, and full on shoved his sleeping bag off the window seat and with a smack! He hit Nina's floor. They had to wait for him to get ready when they were already falling behind on time. In addition with the traffic, jaywalkers, and everything else one would find on the road to the airport, in was a miracle that they actually got there before the plane took off. 

     But, in the end, they managed to make it even before roll call began. (Ned spent the next twenty minutes or so stating to Michelle that he━in fact━was not going to make them late while they waited for Peter to show up). Nina said goodbye to her father, who drove them all out here. 

      Hugging him, she didn't mean to hold on so tight, but she couldn't help it━not after what Ned had accidentally said last night. Had they moved on? Had they forgotten and replaced her? It was stupid, and silly, and not the truth, but Nina's thoughts were plagued with the possibility. 

      "Hey," her father chuckled at her attack hug, rubbing her back, "someone's gonna miss me, eh, honey?"

      "Of course, I'm gonna miss you," she mumbled into his jacket before squeezing tighter. 

      Her father pursed his lips and she felt him press them against her hair. He brushed some of it away from her face. "I know," he told her gently. "It's hard to let you go after five years, even for a school trip."

      Nina's stomach churned at the mention of the Blip. Her parents rarely ever talked about it━she believed they didn't want to talk about it around her: about how they divorced, and then got back together, and had Ian. It seemed like a rollercoaster Nina didn't personally want to hear, either. Every child believed their parents were soulmates, ands he always thought her parents were the embodiment of it. And maybe they were, for after all that happened, they found each other again. But did it also mean it could happen again? 

      "Do you love Mom, Dad?" asked Nina in a quiet voice her friends couldn't hear. 

      Her father pulled away at the strange question. He cupped her cheeks, incredulous, "Of course, I love your mom," he told her. 

      Nina just wanted to hear it. She really wanted to hear it. She shuffled her feet awkwardly, "Do ... do you still love me?"

      Her father looked hurt, and she looked away, ashamed she'd ask the question. But he seemed to understand. He brushed more hair off her face. She stood to his nose, now. She remembered when she used to think her father was the tallest man in the world. (Then again, she was six at the time). "Honey," said her father softly, "I love you, and you mother loves you. We love you so much. And it was a miracle━a miracle you returned to us. I don't want you to think that we don't, ever, honey ..." he kissed her forehead and Nina nodded. "Now," he smiled at her, nudging her cheek, and she managed one, too, "enjoy your trip. Stay in your group. Don't stray away too far and remember to call us when you wake up and before you're about to go to bed, all right? I don't care if it wakes me up."

      "I will," said Nina, "I promise."

      She hugged her father again, and she felt as if he didn't want to let her go. 

      Nina waved goodbye, slowly making her way back to her friends waiting in the airport. In the time that she spoke with her dad, it seemed Peter had arrived, and was chatting to Ned and MJ about things under his breath. She smirked a little, deciding to ignore the strange conversation (argument?) they had last night and tried to sneak up to him. She fished into her backpack and pulled out her favourite plushie and with a stifled giggle, threw it right at him.

     It hit his back and he jumped up high, hands flying up to cover his face. Nina giggled, hands flying to her mouth in surprise. Peter looked down at what had hit him lying by his feet, and as he picked it up, he frowned, seeing the shirt Nina had forced onto the miniature Spider-Man: a babie's I love Spider-Man shirt with the Spider-Man logo in the form of a heart. Peter sent her a flat look, showing her the plushie, not at all amused.

      "Seriously?" he waved it at her as he walked up to her. "You're really bringing this? Why did you throw it?"

      Nina took it back, smiling smugly, "Well, I thought you'd catch it and sense it with━you know━your Peter Tingle."

     Immediately, Peter's eyes clenched shut in a cringe. He threw his head back, "Nina," he whined, "I swear to Thor's Magic Hammer, please don't call it my Peter Tingle."

      "What? Why not?"

      "You know why."

      Nina was grinning, playing dumb, "But May said━"

      "Nina..."

     She chuckled, grabbing her luggage and tugging it with her towards the group with Peter at her side. Despite what he said about the Spider-Man plush, he took it and fiddled with it, frowning at the shirt she put on it. Nina went to accept the earphone MJ offered, showing her an episode of Just the Facts with J.J.J when something else caught her gaze. 

      Somebody was calling Peter on his phone. Nina frowned at the Unknown Caller ID. She watched him glance down at it, sigh, then send the caller to voice message. When he noticed her curious glance, he said, "Scammer."

       She nodded, but part of her wasn't convinced. Either way, she let it be. Vacation, she reminded herself. 

*ೃ༄

    SOMETIMES, NINA forgot some of her classmates were supposed to be younger than her. It wasn't like she forgot the Blip happened (she could never forget that day), but the kids that survived and grew up to their age, it was so hard to register that they were five years younger━born five years after, and now the same age as Nina and her friends that returned. She could sit in between Betty Brant, their favourite bossy blonde who had a dream of investigative journalism who Nina's known since Freshman Year, and then Zoha Rahman, a sharp, witty Pakistani girl who was in Nina's physics class when she returned. And there'd be no difference in age, no difference in maturity, except the gaping reminder that when Nina remembered (and it hit her tremendously hard), there was five years there that she lost. Five years she can never get back. 

     It was like this with Brad Davis.

    Nina actually remembered Brad. Her and Peter's Middle School was right across from their Elementary, to which Brad attended both. When they were in eight grade, they went to the elementary school to see the new sixth graders and introduce them to the next step in their education. Peter had been stuck with a kid who wanted to play basketball, but always got nosebleeds whenever he over-exerted himself. Peter had to take this same kid to the nurse, with his hands and many tissues covered in blood, stating that he was glad that he'll never have to go to school with this kid. 

     That same kid grew up in the five years of the Blip to a raging sixteen-year-old who no longer got nosebleeds and was a new star in the Tigers Basketball team at Midtown. He grew very tall, quite muscular, and with quite the intelligent brain that made a few people Nina knew absolutely swoon (or quite a few). 

     Nina couldn't register━at all━that this teenager was the same kid who cried with a bloody nose on their middle school playground. She couldn't understand any connection between that Brad Davis, and this one that seemed constantly around her. Sending her Snapchats, inviting her to parties, offering to help her with her homework or asking to study in the library with her company. 

     He was coming on the trip with them, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Sure, Brad was nice. He chatted with her in the school hallways, and joked with her in Literature. He got her, Peter, Ned and MJ into some pretty cool parties after the Pep Rallies. But Nina just couldn't━she couldn't seem to grasp the differences between the Brad she once knew, and the Brad she knew now into good graces. She just expected him to have a nosebleed every time she looked at him!

     He had stepped onto the plane with her. MJ had gone earlier to find their seat. There were no four seaters on the plane, and so Nina, Michelle, Peter and Ned had to split in their tickets. It was a small price to pay during an nine-hour-flight, especially when they were prepared to stand up and chat with each other when they could and then sleep through the rest of it (at least, that's what Nina's plan was).

      Brad was tall. Way taller than Nina. She felt like she was craning her neck half the time to talk to him. But he shuffled in behind her, able to see over her shoulder and check where the rest of their classmates had all settled.

      "I think we're all near the middle," he pointed in front over the next few shoulders of some elderly couples enjoying their retirement. "I think I see Michelle over there━" Nina couldn't. She tried to stand on her toes, but her eyes strained trying to see over everyone else. 

     It wasn't even like she was that short! (Sure, MJ made fun of her because Peter was taller━though, now Nina had a feeling it was more of a jab at Peter than anyone else). But she was taller than some other girls, and Ned, and a few boys. Who she wasn't taller than, was the actual lumber-jack-looking guy a few shoulders down. 

    But eventually, she saw a blank-face staring at her. As soon as Nina saw MJ, she grinned and waved━as if they hadn't just been talking a few moments before stepping onto the plane. Michelle rolled her eyes. She sat in a three seater with Betty Brant in the centre, and there was a spot on the aisle waiting for Nina to arrive. 

     Nina looked around, eager to know where the rest of her school friends were. Brad was right━most of them were scattered amongst the centre, but some were laughing at the front, or snuggling for a long sleep in the back. She saw Peter and Ned halfway down at the window seats. Peter was already watching her━as if he had had the same idea:  amongst all of the people, he had searched for her, as if he wanted to know exactly where she was. And when she locked his gaze, he held up a hand for a soft wave, smiling awkwardly. Nina found herself blushing, looking away to hug her bag against her chest. 

     She continued her way, shuffling down the aisle with Brad behind her, trying to get to MJ so she can put her things above and sit down. She got stuck behind Mr. Harrington and Mr. Dell, who were chatting as they searched for their seats.

     "Do you want the first shift or the second?" Harrington was asking Dell, swaddled in his cardigan, shirt, beige jacket and looking like that one, lonesome Uncle at a cousin's birthday. "I can take either."

     "Give me the third shift," said Mr. Dell in complete contrast. For someone that Nina was sure believed in witches, he certainly didn't look like it in his attempt to be the 'cool' teacher in a dark denim jacket and jeans. "I took an Ambien."

     Mr. Harrington frowned as Mr. Dell shuffled past him, "Hey, I━I can't chaperone these kids alone ..." he rushed to follow. 

     "Yo, Parker!"

    Holding his phone that was already live on TikTok, Flash stepped out of the next compartment with a glass of champaign and a smirk on his face. Nina hovered by Peter and Ned, her brows furrowing. She set her jaw, immediately rolling her eyes. Even if he Blipped, or aged five years, she was sure nothing would stop Flash Thompson from being an asshole. He gestured towards where Peter sat who stared back at him, already annoyed. "This is called an airplane," began Flash, as if speaking to a toddler. "It's like the buses you're used to, except it flies over the floor neighbourhoods instead of driving through them."

     Nina gritted her teeth. She wanted to shoot something back in defence of her friends, but when she saw the flight attendant right beside Flash, an even better idea came to mind. "Uh, excuse me, miss?" she raised a hand and the flight attendant glanced over. Nina smiled politely, before pointing to Flash. "He Blipped, so he's not twenty-one, he's actually sixteen."

     Flash's smug smile dropped. The flight attendant's eyes widened and she quickly snatched the glass right out of his fingers. Nina smiled to herself, proud as other in the plane chuckled. Flash quickly disappeared after the attendant, stumbling over his words, "S━she's lying━I don't even know this girl━"

     Nina's smile moved onto Peter, bouncing her shoulders a little in excitement over what she had just done. Ned gave her a high-five as she continued on her way, but she kept glancing back at Peter's reaction, biting back a beam to see him chuckling in his gratitude━a little breathless and impressed, so much her cheeks reddened and she quickly ducked her head down, wondering why the second time around, she was just as flustered as the first. 

     In following, Bret dipped down into their seat to add, "Classic Nina, right?"

     Peter's smile dropped as soon as he passed. Sitting right by the window, he had the perfect view of Brad rushing over to help Nina put her bags up above her seat that were too high for her to reach. It made him bitter, setting his jaw and wishing he was tall enough to do that. 

     Classic Nina, he had said. Classic Nina, as he smiled and joked with her, making her laugh about something as he secured her bag that had that stupid Spider-Man Plush━only for her to realise and awkwardly ask him to get it back down so she could have it with her. Classic Nina, Brad had said, as if he knew Nina back to front more than Peter did. It infuriated him━Brad infuriated him. 

     "Did you know Brad was coming?" muttered Peter to Ned, not able to take his eyes off of them. 

     Ned shook his head, scoffing out a soft, "It's━it's so weird. Like, one day, he's that little kid who cried and got nosebleeds all the time, and suddenly, we Blip back and he's totally ripped and super nice. And all these girls are after him."

     Peter blanched. He stared at his best friend. He's ripped (He's Spider-Man!), and he's super nice (right?). Why shouldn't Nina want to talk to him? Instead of chuckling and making jokes with Brad over there? She couldn't be 'after him' like Ned said? No, of course, not━that didn't make sense. That wasn't Nina. 

     "N━Not all the girls are after him," argued Peter weakly, defending his feelings that couldn't help but feel hurt and jarred at the worrying thought. 

     Ned made a face, "No, man," he said truthfully, nodding at Nina who sat down next to MJ with a final smile to Brad, "they're all after him." Not realising the fall on his best friend's face, Ned turned back to face the front, pulling out his laptop and headphones. "Anyway, onto more important things. It's a nine-hour flight. We can play Beast Slayers the whole time..."

     Peter wasn't really listening. His eyes were fixed━glowering at Brad who sat in the seat in front of Nina and MJ, and then at Nina herself, who huddled up in her oversized jumper, getting herself comfortable. She fiddled with a bandaid she had on her hand from a scratch she  got skating after school two days ago. She pulled out that plush toy and showed it to MJ, who instantly seemed ready to chuck it right out the plane windows. 

     He remembered his plan. He couldn't give up on his plan just because Brad said Classic Nina. 

    So, with a deep breath, Peter whispered to Ned, "I need your help to sit next to Nina."

    Ned's worst fell away, and his shoulders dropped with that disappointed sigh that made Peter give him a pointed look, "Seriously?" he said.

     "Yeah, seriously!" echoed Peter in the same tone.

     "What about our plan?" exclaimed Ned in a hushed voice. "American bachelors in Europe!"

     Peter slumped as well, "That's your plan," he said. "That's a solo plan. Come on, this is my plan," he grasped his arm, almost begging. When Ned continued to sigh, glancing briefly back at Nina, Peter added, "Please? Ned, this is my chance to make everything right again."

     His best friend threw his head back against the plane seat, but Peter knew he had won him over. 

    In the middle aisle, Nina frowned when Betty wasn't impressed by her Spider-Man plush toy, either. The blonde brought out a book and set in on her lap, opening it up to the page she last left it. Nina shared a glance with MJ, who was already putting her earphones in, putting on a podcast about True Crime and leaving Nina to herself. She wasn't surprised by it, but admittedly felt a little sad. She liked sitting in silence with MJ and not feeling the need to say anything, but Nina missed having a friend who always talked, who made judging jokes about people who passed them in the corridors. Nina knew Felicia would say the guy in the seat behind them probably drove his wife away with that moustache and the couple diagonally to their left will probably disappear off to the bathroom together and come out very dishevelled. And Nina would guffaw and elbow her to stop, but secretly enjoy it. She would like the entertainment and the company━she would just like Felicia to be here to experience this with her.

     Nina shuffled down in her seat, hiding herself more in her jumper and staring at her plush toy. She played with the arms, immediately falling into a down at the thought of her old friend. Her thoughts wandered to what Peter had said last night━his suspicion surrounding Nina's statements that Felicia had survived the Blip, and deep down, she didn't want to admit that no, she didn't look further into it ... because she was scared of the truth. Really scared to think that no matter what, her best friend had pushed her away and left. 

     Though it was strange of him to bring it up. Very strange. And it made her suspicious of herself━not of Felicia, but of Peter. He hadn't told her something, and it struck her off guard, because they made a deal to never keep something from each other again. 

     The shadow looming over Nina made her glance up. She, MJ and Betty all frowned to see Ned at their seats. He gave them all a nervous smile, "Uh, hey, guys," he said in a soft voice, eyes flickering constantly over to Nina who sat up, confused, "uh, there's an old lady sitting in front of us━" he pointed back to his and Peter's seats, "━wearing a crazy amount of perfume and it's kind of setting of Peter's allergies." Nina's frown deepened. She made a face, trying to think of when Peter ever said he was allergic to perfume. "Um, you know, MJ━" he stared at the girl, ridiculously wide-eyed. Nina arched a brow at the exchange, watching her friend sigh as if this was something she was dreading, "━if you could just━you know━switch seats with him━"

     "He's allergic to perfume?" Betty said incredulously and Ned gaped at her, not expecting the question.

     Nina shuffled in her seat, "But ..." she began awkwardly, "... Peter doesn't have a perfume allergy━"

     Ned scoffed at her, looking ridiculous━like he always did when he was lying. "What?" he cut her off and she blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean?" he chuckled, wiping sweaty palms off his jeans. Behind him, still in his seat, Peter face-palmed (not that Nina noticed). "How do you not know Peter doesn't have a perfume allergy? It━uh━it━I mean━it makes his eyes water and he can't really see━"

     Out of nowhere from a few seats in front, Mr. Harrington's head popped upland he turned to face them like an estranged owl in a tree, "You say Peter has a perfume allergy?"

     Ned looked as though this was far from what was meant to happen. Nina went to tell Harrington that he really doesn't and that she didn't know what Ned was doing, but she never got the chance. Their teacher flung off his seatbelt, "I'll tell you from experience, perfume allergies are no joke," he stood up, pushing past Brad to get into the aisle. Peter also got to his feet, overhearing the conversation. He met Ned's gaze with an incredulous, what did you do? And Ned replied with a, Sorry? "I can feel hives breaking out already. MJ, stand up." She frowned, but did as she was told, taking out her earphones. She sent Ned a glare━an entire conversation Nina didn't feel like she was privy too. "Ned, take MJ's spot━" at this, Betty gaped, ready to object, "━MJ, you take Peter's spot. Nina, you can take my spot. Zach━" he called over the many heads to a boy with blonde hair, "━you take Ned's." He groaned, but got up anyway, freeing up two seats in the back. 

     "Uh━okay━" mumbled Nina, following diligently and gathering her things. She frowned at Peter across the aisle, very confused━and in fact, he looked quite the same. 

     "Peter━" Harrington motioned for Peter to step out into the aisle. He tried to argue, shaking his head and stammering words that got drowned out in the commotion, "━let's get you out of here."

      Nina shuffled around, trying to slip in past Brad onto Mr. Harrington's old seat. She apologised as she stepped over him, but he didn't seem to mind, just smiling brightly as he stood up to let her in. Peter glowered at the two of them. (Perfect, just perfect. Ned wasn't his wingman, he had accidentally became Brad's!). 

     Meanwhile, Mr. Harrington patted Ned's shoulder, grateful, "Ned," he stressed, "thanks for bringing this to my attention. Your safety is my responsibility. And Mr. Dell's, but he's ..." their gazes all drifted to their other teacher who was already snoring in his seat. "I got it for now. Let's go, Peter. Let's go!"

     She settled in her new seat, fixing up her Spider Plushie so he could sit on her knee. Brad noticed it and chuckled, pointing at the knitted black lenses, "Cool," he said.

      Nina's eyes brightened, "Really?" she held it up to show him. He took it, continuing to chuckle as he examined the knitted suit and arms. "I got it from Mr. Delmar━you know the sandwich shop━?"

    "Best Sandwich Shop in Queens?" he finished, grinning at her. 

    Nina pointed at him, unable to believe that he went there, "Yes, exactly! His wife made that. She's amazing, but I bought the shirt myself..."

     "'I love Spider-Man'," read Brad, arching a curious brow at her. She blushed. Peter walked past them, and for a moment, he stopped, feeling something inside him drop down to see the two of them chat. "Let me guess, a fan?"

     Nina shrugged, for once not realising Peter's gaze on her. She bit back an amused smile at her own inside joke, "Oh, you know ... something like that."

      Brad grinned, amused, "It's cute," he told her. She chewed the inside of her cheek, taking it back and setting it beside her on the spare seat. Nina didn't have to heart to tell him that she didn't like hearing that word in regards to her━especially from him. "Oh! By the way," she glanced back at him as he pulled out something from his jacket pocket. "I got a dual headphone adapter━" he showed it to her and she sat up, her interest piqued, "━if you wanna watch a movie?"

     Nina thought about it. She chewed her cheek again, automatically glancing over her shoulder in search for Peter. She didn't say anything to him, or to Ned or MJ, but she had been hoping to try and swap seats in the flight━Michelle would want to sleep and read, and Ned would want to play games ... the two of them could have had some time to themselves. Nina really would have wanted that.

     But now he was down the back of the compartment, stuck sitting between Mr. Harrington and a stranger, and Nina was all the way up here with Brad. 

     It seemed like it was going to be a long nine-hour-flight.

    And so, she nodded, "Yeah, sure ... um ... do you have any Star Wars movies?"

     "Uh..." Brad frowned, "... I mean ... I have the prequels? I don't really like Star Wars ... but Natalie Portman's hot, so ..."

     Nina swallowed back a few choice words. Yes, a long flight indeed. 

*ೃ༄

    a/n: hiiiii!!!!!!!

    I'm back at it with the memes y'all:

    also, I wanna do something to celebrate this book hitting 200k! 

    I was thinking a q&a, so if you guys have any questions about the book, about me, about my writing etc, ask in the comments here and I'll answer any next chapter! (as long as they're like sensible, y'know ahahah):

     once again, I love you guys so much and thank you for getting this book to where it is so quickly <3333