Come with me... Airplane... Love

Looking down at the airplane in her hands, she smiles softly but still the tears are flowing. A small beeping sound playing somewhere in the background. The world around her is moving in slow motion but the memories are still moving fast, racing through her mind. Almost visible to the eye.

 

Yixing and AeRin had stayed together since their first meeting. Almost attached at the hip. They sent messages by airplanes, a new plane would be sent once every week, if weather allowed. Messages would be labeled with a date to be sure they knew the context of the message. AeRin secretly kept all such airplanes in a chest, a log tapped up on the inside of the hood. Although undeclared, the ritual became that the last person to hold the airplane would send it over in the morning, once the receiving end’s window was open, with a morning message and something interesting.

 

On such a day as today, it was the now newly teenage girl’s turn to send the message. She heard the slams of the doors downstairs. Her parents were fighting again. It was hard not to wake up when the violent sounds of yelling, door slamming and sobs. She sighed as she sits up and looks at the time. 7:00 AM on the dot. Not terribly late, but early considering it was summer time and the weekend at that. Sighing, the girl quickly remembers the airplane that she received the night before and quickly goes to retrieve it from her desk. She scans over the messages from the day before.

 

It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it? The breeze is just right for our messages, how often do we get to send these at night? High school will be fun for us, won’t it? We’ll be okay I think. I’m excited AeRin. I am.

 

It is beautiful. I love looking at the sky. The stars are twinkling and even the moon is out. I wish I could get a better view of it. High school though? I guess it may be fun. I’m worried though. You know how I get when new people are involved Yixing. Oh, how’s learning the guitar?

 

I like the view I have, it’s beautiful as is. But I wish to get closer as well… my view is bright and cheerful. Beautiful and lovely. AeRin, I know how you are around people, but I know you’ll do well. You always adjust and you have me, right? Guitar though? I love it. It’s great. I should play a song for you sometime. Hey,  AeRin. Do you want to go somewhere tomorrow?

 

I’ll have to see it from your point of view sometime then. Oh! A song! Please do. I like to listen to you playing music. Somewhere? Would I? I would love to! Sounds like fun! Anywhere in particular Yixing?

 

That’s for tomorrow. I’ll be the one to decide it though. Shouldn’t you go to bed?

 

I do… I guess I’ll go to sleep now. Good night and sweet dreams.

 

Good night AeRin. Sweet dreams.

 

She smiled and looked up and out of her window, checking to see if her friend had woken up yet but was disappointed to see that regrettably he was not. Sighing she turned away, setting the airplane on her desk again and open the door slightly, listening in to her parents most recent argument. AeRin knew that despite her own happiness in moving here her father and mother were not so pleased and constantly argued over it. Where they should have been. How their life should have been. AeRin didn’t know everything regarding their arguments though after all she was only a 13 year old girl how was she supposed to figure out everything regarding her parents’ marriage? All she knew was that in the few years that have passed since she moved in she has gain a younger sister, AeCha and that her parent’s fighting got worse. She snuck down the stairs, feeling her stomach being empty and starting to rumble. Being careful of the creeky steps she got down the stairs easily and slowly made her way into the kitchen.

 

“Oh, AeRin.” Her mother’s fake smile showed along with the tear stains that were on her cheeks. The older woman was making breakfast, omurice to be exact. Something AeRin liked a lot. But something was off and AeRin knew it. Despite their fighting, AeRin’s mother and father had always reconciled somehow for the children and for the family’s “happiness”. She looked around for her father, letting her voice come out slowly.

 

“Where’s Dad?” She looked at her mom innocently, only to see a frown, cold and distant gaze that rested in the direction of the door. The older lady folded the omelet, putting it onto a plate and set it on the table as she sat across from where her daughter was expected to sit.

 

“AeRin… Dear. Mother and father...” The choked back tears were trying not to be set loose, AeRin took her seat and set her hand on her mother’s. “We’re splitting up AeRin.”

 

Splitting up? Mother and father were splitting up. What exactly did she mean? “W-what?”

The fake smile of her mother’s started to crack and fall apart.

 

“Mom and Dad are getting divorced. Dad… is leaving us.”

 

The teenage girl stared at the sobbing woman in front of her, seeing the grieving pain that she had received from her father. Over the past 13 years of AeRin’s life she had always seen her mother show the large amount of love she possessed for the whole family: AeRin, AeCha and her husband. But never once had AeRin seen her father return that love. What had gone wrong? Does Dad not love Mom?

 

Is love like this?

 

Does it crash so easily? Perplexing questions rattled the girl’s mind but not for long since her younger sister came downstairs and all had to be happy for young AeCha.

 

Confused and sad. AeRin ate in silence, trying to understand how love worked. She got up once finished and made her way back to her room, looking over to see the paper plane on her desk.

 

She walked over and opened up the plane, dating a section before writing a brief message.

 

Good morning Yixing. I hope we’re still hanging out today, I need to see you. I need to tell you something. But first, my interesting tidbit. Hm… Well my dream last night was about flying to the moon. You were in it and we both had a lot of fun. But I woke up to screaming again, so I don’t know how it ended.

 

Folding it back up, she walks over to her window, seeing that Yixing’s window was now open and the older boy looked over at her, a grin on his face. AeRin leaned forward testing the breeze before sending over the airplane. Watching it glide over she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming her down. Seeing the boy who now read the message she sent, always calmed her. He calmed her. She relied on him, she knew this and she was frightened for the day it would have to end.

 

Before writing a message, the boy looked up at her and nodded, indicating they were still going to hang out today. AeRin felt a smile play across her face, turning into a grin before running over to her closet to find clothes to wear. As she was getting ready she heard the crinkle of paper and felt the breeze against her slightly. She smiled and finished dressing herself before walking over to pick up the plane.

 

Good morning Aerin. Of course we’re still hanging out today silly. I need to see you as well. Something to tell me? What is it? I’ll wait until we’re there. Be ready in 10 minutes, okay? And bring paper and pens. We were flying to the moon in your dream? Sounds like fun. I guess your dreams wanted you to feel closer to the moon like you wanted to be last night. You woke up to yelling though? Your parents again? I’m sorry AeRin. I really am. I’ll see you soon, let’s brighten up that day!

 

Smiling, she runs to do as told, getting ready quickly and packs a small bag with some treats, money, pen and paper before going downstairs quickly.

 

“Mom. Yixing and I are going to hang out. Is that okay?”

 

Her mother nods as the doorbell rings, AeRin runs over to answer it, swinging the door open and hugs the boy in front of her who chuckles.

 

“Someone’s happy to see me.”

 

She lets go only to playfully glare at boy. “Well if you don’t like it...”

 

The boy shakes his head, smiling. “I like it a lot. Bye Mrs. Kim.” Yixing waves to the women behind AeRin and then takes the hand of the girl in front of him, pulling her away calmly.

“So where are we going?”

“The field.”

“The field? How come?”

 

“I saw some flowers there yesterday and wanted to bring you.”

The girl’s smile only brightened. “What color were they? Are they pretty?”

 

He looked over at the girl, the look on his face peaceful and happy. “They we pretty, but I know something prettier.”

 

The girl tilted her head. “You do? You know something prettier than flowers? That just doesn’t seem possible” She shook her head and turned forward walking along.

 

“I know something prettier than a lot of things. But I don’t know if I’m ready to share it yet. Oh. I brought my guitar, I’ll play something for you.” The boy’s eyes lingered slightly on the girl before smiling as she turned to see him looking at her. Both teenagers played off this small interaction naturally before joking around as they reached the field. They played in the grass, even picked some flowers, Yixing even started to teach AeRin how to play the guitar. Finally though, they were relaxing, Yixing strumming lightly onto his guitar while AeRin layed down and looked up at the sky. The girl sighed.

 

“My parents are divorcing Yixing. My father is leaving us.” The music stops abruptly.

“What? I mean, I knew they fought a lot but…”

 

“My mom told me this morning. Dad’s gone…” Feeling the tears b onto her own eyes as the idea finally settles and registers itself into AeRin’s mind. “Yixing… my dad’s gone. Didn’t he love us? Didn’t he love my mom?”

 

The girl let the tears stream down her face. “Is love so easy to crash?” She feels the softness of a finger brushing away her tears. Looking over at her friend she gets up and hugs him. “I’m so glad we’re friends. You’re always here for me. I trust you Yixing. Sometimes I think I’m even reliant on you.” She chuckles at the thought, pulls away slightly before wiping away her tears.

 

The boy smiles softly in front of her.

 

“The truth is I have something to tell you AeRin.”

 

“You do?” She looks at him worried, he nods but reaches for her bag.

 

“First, let’s fly.”

 

“Fly?”

 

The boy chuckled and took out the paper and pen. “Let’s write our feelings and thoughts on a paper plane and let it fly. Let it take care of our worries for us. Okay?”

 

The girl smiled and laughed a little. She knew the idea sounded ridiculous but she agreed regardless. Something in what he said, made her believe that it was possible. Yixing always had a way in doing that. Making her believe in the impossible. The folded the plan and started to write on it, starting with the date.

As they finished writing, Yixing handed her the plane and nodded, as if to signal to send it off.  With a light toss, the paper airplane took off into the distance, the worries and feelings settled into place. Everything seemed lighter and not so much of a burden anymore.

 

“AeRin, what I wanted to tell you was. I think I li-“

 

“AeRin! Dinner time!!!”

 

The girl’s eyes widened and she cleans up quickly. “Sorry, Yixing. It’s time for me to go, tell me later okay?” She smiles and gives her friend a hug before running off leaving him alone.

 

Eyes lingering onto her every moment until she’s gone from his sight, Yixing groans before picking up his stuff and moves to retrieve the airplane with the message he had been wanting to tell her.

 

AeRin, I think I like you.