“Excuse me, are there any window seats available?” I didn’t want to be stuck next to another sweaty old man who has to crawl over me every time he needs the bathroom. 

“We had a window passenger cancel last minute, so if you would follow me to the rear of the plane sir?” She smiled like she’d practiced it in the mirror that morning. The circles under her eyes were coloured in with a heavy concealer. She pointed to a soft leather seat that looked like heaven. Though I would soon realise choosing that seat could induce hell.

“That seat there,” she confirmed. “The one next to the boy in the flashy suit.” 

I shuffled through the various armpits of people loading their luggage onto the plane. Which made me curse my disappointing height. It was a miracle they let me take my skateboard in carry-on, though it made a few old women grimace, disapprovingly. My board dragged along the aisle because there wasn’t enough space to hold it properly. When I got to the seat the boy stood up for me. I felt superior when I realised that I was taller. He reached over for my luggage and pulled it from my grip. Then lifted it with shaking arms as if my suitcase was filled with bricks. He wasn’t even tall enough to get it into the overhead compartment without jumping. Why offer help if you're too weak? Idiot. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me smug. The guy held out his hand like we were business partners. I’d never shook someone's hand before, I mean who did that these days? Which hand was I supposed to use?

I looked at his hand. “Gloves?”

“Planes can get ch- chilly.” He mumbled through a British accent.

“K’, well my name’s Riley, thanks for ya help.” (He didn’t really help though.)

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Riley.”

I slid into the window seat and sunk into the cushion. The suit boy tottered into his chair awkwardly. With an unnatural posture.  What was most interesting about him was how light he was. Platinum blonde hair and pale skin. He was like my opposite. 

My phone buzzed. 

Mum: Will you be here for dinner? (7:02)

Mum: I know your upset, but don’t do anything stupid. (7:29)

If I had listened to her instead of boarding that plane… 

But I just switched my phone on airplane mode and ignored her. I didn’t even stop to think about the consequences of my impulsive decision. But it was a decision I’d repeat in my mind a million times in the next four hours. 

The pilot went through the usual stuff. Safety instructions, emergency exits, how to order food and finally he asked the flight attendants to prepare for take off. “Let’s have a safe flight to Fukuoka tonight.” And then the speaker went silent as everyone settled into their seats and fastened their belts. As the plane engines rumbled I got a small rush of adrenaline. The boy next to me flinched and clutched his seatbelt. I chuckled. “It’s gonna be fine bro.”

“Right, fine.”

He looked around sixteen, just a little younger than me. He anxiously checked his watch as the plane sped up. “Heh, got somewhere to be?” I asked, smiling.

He wasn’t listening. Some kid was kicking my seat from behind and a toddler was crying in the front of the plane. I tried to remember if I forgot anything important. Phone, charger, skateboard, clothes, shoes… but the feeling that I’d left something behind wouldn't go away. The engine got louder and louder. The sound of the wheels shrieking against the concrete drowned out the toddler’s cry. Thank god. 

I found myself counting down to predict when the plane would go airborne. 

Five…

I was glad to not be stuck next to a sweaty old man.

Four…

The flaps on the wings extended.

  Three…

         Two…

Suit boy grabbed onto my arm. As if I’d be any help at all if the plane crashed. 

 One.

It felt like my seat sank as the nose tilted up. Everything felt suddenly heavy and slow. Much like the beginning of a rollercoaster. 

Suit boy pulled out a hard briefcase, similar to the ones people keep flutes in. His leather gloves matched it well. He didn’t seem like the type to dress up. His hair was wavy and clean but unbrushed. And though his suit looked serious, it wasn’t an expensive fabric and it was slightly too big for him. The watch he had was silver, probably the only expensive thing he had on him. He checked it every ten seconds which made it hard to look away from him. I leaned into my seat. “You never told me your name, suit boy.”

“My name? It’s uh, Sarah.” He croaks.

“Dude, that’s obviously a lie. Can you at least tell me your age?”

“I’m negative twenty.”

“Sure you are.”

I liked this guy. He was uptight and anxious but it was funny to watch. The way he reacted to everything I asked him was strange. He would squirm in his seat and look away. I wanted to tease the answers out of him. “So why are you going to Fukouka? Are you on holiday from England?”

“What?”

“Your accent sorta gives it away.”

“I see.”

“Do you wanna know why I’m here?”

“I get the feeling you’re going to tell me regardless of my answer.”

“My girlfriend lives in Fukuoka.” Ex girlfriend. “When we called last night she said she was sick of long distance. So I’m going to move over there for her!” She told me it was over. She told me not to overreact like I always do. She said she wanted to start her new college life without any ties to home. But I couldn’t help it. “My girlfriend’s name is Sarah too. Weird coincidence right?”

“My name isn’t Sarah.”

“So you did lie. Since you refuse to give your real name though, I’ll have to continue calling you Sarah. Ya’ know, this isn’t the first time she’s broken up with me. She did it when I flunked out of high school too.” Why remember that now?

“You… talk a lot.”

I couldn’t help it. I knew I was making the wrong decision so once I started talking I couldn’t stop. “Yeah? Deal with it Sarah.” I leaned into the window. “I don’t want to go to Fukuoka anymore.” This year I’d been nothing but a mess. I’d been poisoning everyone around me with my heedlessness. I couldn’t go and poison my ex-girlfriend too.

“W- where would you prefer to go?” He asked, looking down at his briefcase.

“You know? England doesn’t sound too bad.”

That was the first time I made him smile. It caught me off guard because I’d almost forgotten he was younger than me. His smile was so childlike. Gentle. Compared to his usual anxious expression, it was flustering. “You don’t smile a lot, huh?” 

He frowned again. And then let out a wicked laughter. A laugh that someone this innocent looking shouldn’t have. He looked up at me, without meeting my eyes. “Would you like to help me with something?” He checked his watch.

“Okay?”

But something didn’t feel right, because he wasn’t anxious anymore.

I watched him fiddle with the lock on the briefcase. His eyes were hidden by his hair, but I could tell they wouldn’t match his smile. “I would like to show you something, Riley. And once you see it, I am going to tell you some demands that you will then repeat to that flight attendant.” He pointed to the woman in her thirties, with the robotic smile and heavy concealer. “What?” I laughed a little. He pressed a code into the padlock, then lifted the two metal latches. My heartbeat, I could hear it outside of my chest. As if it was screaming for me to get away. And I didn’t know why.

He pushed open the briefcase. The first thing I saw was bright red and cylinder shaped. Then a pile of tangled wires connected to a green platform. It was a bomb. I stayed perfectly still, like any movement might ignite it.

Sarah looked at me. “Do you understand?”

I nodded slowly. 

“Good. The plane will land in Fukuoka at seven o-clock as scheduled. By then, I want seven hundred thousand dollars ready. Plus three non-steerable parachutes, and enough fuel for a two hour flight. If these demands are met, I’ll let the passengers disembark in Fukuoka, safely.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off of the bomb. “Why…?” I mumbled.

He looked annoyed. “Are you really asking me why at a time like this? You’re an idiot. The reason doesn’t make a difference. You’ll still die if you don’t do as you’re told.”

I flinched. I could be killed? I could… 

“Riley? I’m sorry. But I need you to go and tell the flight attendant, okay?”

Why…

Why me?