The Struggle

The harsh light of the airport lights burned Jordan's eyes, causing him to barely be able to look forward hoping that Wade would be going the right way along with the rest of the group. A bulky bag dragged along the floor, wheels straining to hold the weight dragged behind him.

Suddenly in his stooping, sleep-lacking daze, a hand shakes him forcing him to stand back up and notice the crowd in front of him in a line slowly entering through a stone white door.

Seeing the cheery face of Wade ``You know that you can't fall asleep yet Jordan, at least wait until we are on the plane." He says Jordan had always wondered how someone was capable of being awake and cheery at 7'oClock but somehow Jordan always was. He always said something about early exercise and a regular schedule but right now Jordan's dazed and straining brain could barely even think of this as he attempted to stay awake in this never-ending line of students and teachers.

Although this week-long trip was the hype of the year being up since 5 depleted Jordon of his ability to be excited for nearly anything let alone a lack of shower or even regular thought. At least the plane should be comfy. He thought to himself, hoping to sustain at least his being awake with the hope of a comfy and quiet plane trip to Paris, something that although wasn't too difficult, he still worked towards getting into, let alone the help that Wade needed. Wade was still chatting about something to him, probably trying to keep his drained mind active would be his guess. Wade was a decently tall guy, around his height normally although the stooping caused him to appear at least a little shorter, he was wearing simple black jeans, a shirt for some sports team that Wade also liked whose mascot was some kind of growling brown bear on red and white with his trademark black and red striped leather jacket that he and him got last year when he was over for christmas.

Jordan had the same jacket but unlike the strange Wade, who was wearing a leather jacket in a cold and winter like airport during July(In Australia for you Americans), Jordan wore a sky blue woolen jacket zipped over a plain black shirt.

Wade unlike the rest of the people around him who felt temperature was standing tall, showing off his decently built body, his face having an obvious enough jawline that he would commonly called handsome by other, this paired with his shortened blonde hair made him contrast greatly with Jordan who was stick-like and had long and unkept brown hair that now was covering his slim face which unlike Wade would at best be called okay, as he saw it that also was unlikely.

He considered these differences in the two as they finally reached the gates leaving their bags with a tough looking guard and standing next to their teacher, Mr Arran who was checking off a board as students passed through which was the most likely what kept the line slow as he methodically went through the list with his bone like hands. Taking the time to check their faces and go down the list reading to himself the names in whispers before letting them through.

"Brighton, Carmain, Coriander, Cloughton, Dickson! Wade Dickson you can go and take your seat on the top floor, seat 72." Speaking like death, reading off the names to go through either the stairway to heaven or down to hell, even his voice grating at the barely woken mind of Jordan as Wade hurries along, slipping down the corridor.

Reading out again "Brighton, Carmain, Coriander, Cloughton, Dickson, Dright, Formonn, Georgeson…" he continued until he reached his name at the bottom. "Tarent, Jordan Tarent you are on the top floor, seat 73." Shooing him away as the line keeps moving forcing Jordon to move along following the path that Wade just followed, hoping that Wade had already found their seats as he goes out onto the walkway connected to the top floor of the enormous cloud white plane, with big words on the side in bright red reading French bee airlines, leaving his view as he shuffles onto the still claustrophobic plane.

Trying to focus on finding his seat, he scans over the seats attempting to avoid eye contact as he notices many faces as he notices Wade waving at him, nearly running as with flushed cheeks he settles on the seat down at the aisle seat next to Wade backpack huddled pushing his face into it.

"Hey Jordon don't get all panicked on me already, we just started so please don't breakdown. Come on, they even have a TV to plug stuff into so we can play games together, maybe watch a movie whatever it is you need." Wade says, attempting to console the now fetal Jordan. "Come on you can switch seats with me, I know that the excellent view will take your mind off things when we take off." Getting up and stepping over Jordan, then pushing the unresponsive ball over to his previous seat causing them both to break open and hit their head on the seats.

Rubbing his sore head, Jordan sets himself back up in a ball on the window seat, a sore yet triumphant Wade next to him puffing out his chest in victory.

After an hour of overhead calls, announcers and general hustle of the plane they were finally off and in the skies. Maybe after I relax for a bit everything will be a bit better Jordan comforts himself with as he stares out the window in silence, admiring the landscapes beneath. Watching the cars and buses, the buildings and roads pass by as they blur into little more than dots and ants from the air.

"Hey do you have the itinerary on you Jordin? I think I left mine in my other bag." Says the questioning Wade next to him, prodding at his bag with hopeful eyes.

"Yes I do, so just give me a sec ok." Scrounging through his bag and taking out a small little brochure and handing it to the hopeless Wade.

"Thanks." He then proceeds to look through the blue little paper, unfolding it and then reading out a couple of items on it with a comment here or there.

"What about you Jordon? Anything you're particularly excited about?" He queries.

"The louver most likely although I won't know until we get there." Not taking his eye off the window.

"Of course you would choose such a place as a brilliant nerd as yourself, maybe you will even get some inspiration for your own art, maybe even you will finally take your eyes off your phone while reading in the corner." He says jokingly, attempting to capture his full attention with simple pokes at his habits. It wasn't that he was wrong, the only reason he wasn't either reading or drawing right now was because he couldn't use his phone and the plane didn't support that stuff either.

"Maybe you will finally realize that you can stop talking." Replies Jordon in ameek attempt to reciprocate Wades pokes earlier

"Nah, i won't do that i'm too dense and perfect for that, plus do you really think you could go without my wonderful self for even a second." he says, putting his hand on his face and striking a pose. Snickering and trying to hold back his laughter, Jordan covers his face.

Changing his accent and pointing, in as a memorable way possible Wade says "Am I, incorrect?" Breaking Jordon as he bursts into laughter getting plenty of loud and harsh stares and shush's from the others in the plane.

Meekly apologizing "Sorry." As he forces himself to calm down.

Somehow Wade always figured out how to cheer him up. No matter whether miserable, angry, embarrassed or just quiet Wade always found a way to make him smile and ready to talk and have fun. Something that he didn't know why he did, why would someone like Wade even be friends with him, let alone pretty much only hang out with him despite his obvious popularity. But despite all that he still was his genuine friend, which to be honest was amazing.

After another 5 hours of talking and messing around while trying to avoid the wrath of the rest of the passengers an out of place announcement was made.

"Hello passengers, this is Captain Flanegan speaking, please prepare for turbulence there is a small storm ahead that we can't seem to ….." as gets cut off as static fills the plane.

Unease settling on the plane as the passengers begin to chatter nervously

"What's happening?" A soft, feminine voice says Jordan, recognising it as Sally Carman.

"Everyone calm down, I am sure that it is just the influence of the storm and that we will all be fine." Says the still grating voice of Mr Arran. "As the French say, 'Calme-toi, puis reflechis.' He tries to calm the passengers, to no avail. The rest of the plane began to panic even more

Turning to him, Wade with a sweating, nervous face says "don't worry as long as we have each other, because what in the world can separate best friends right?" He says as suddenly a flash of light blinds Jordan. Wincing at the terrible and excruciating light, he tries to grab onto Wade for stability, yet simply falls as the light parts, allowing for Jordon to see Bluegrass as he falls into the dirt. Pushing his dirt covered body up he sees a white screen reading

Welcome to Tutorial 6, Player Jordan Tarent.