un2

Angelia pushed herself back in the seat of the large airplane, shutting her eyes tightly and clutching the armrest untill her knuckles whitened. She had ridden in an airplane only once before now when she and the Jaysuns had gone to attend the funeral of Aarons mother in Canada. On that one plane trip she found that actual landing of the plane scared the be-jesus out of her. What if some one thing in the landing gear was broken? What if the plane didnt actually stop and ended up crashing into the flight tower?

�Stop it.� She scolded herself out loud. �Your only making it worse. The landing gear is fine and the plane will stop when it�s suppost to.� She paused and sucked in a breath. �I hope.�

A deep chuckle from the man who sat next to her made her snap her attention to the left. She glared at him who had sat in the aisle seat, silently reading some papers throughout the plane ride. When he turned to look at her he stopped laughing but a grin remained on his lips and an amused sparkle in his green eyes.

�I�m sorry. I didnt mean to laugh like that.� He appoligized, his voice deep with just a hint of a sounthern accent. �I just fly so much it�s kind of funny to hear some people afraid of it. I think I may spend more time in the air I do on the ground.� Trying to take her own mind away from the impending landing and her fear of it, she insteed tryed to concentrate on noseing into the life of the man next to her.

�Are you a...a...� She grasped for the word which was just on the tip of her tounge. He looked at her in amusment when she sighed in frustration. �You know, one of those people who fly a plane?�

�Pilot?� He supplied and she nodded. �No. I just do alot of traveling with my work.�

�What is it you do?� She pryed.

�Oh, I�m...uh...with a band.� He awnsered after a small hesitation. He turned her face from her just slightly and ran a hand throught his spiked blonde hair. She looked at him a bit closer, noticing for the first time the familar look of his face. Just as she was about to ask about this band of his, the plane jerked as the back wheels touched the runway.

�Oh my god!� She squeeked, her head snaping back and her eyes clenching shut once again. Her fingers dug into the armrest. The man next to her sighed in releif at the distraction. He really didnt want to be regonized. As a matter of fact, he was tremendously surprised she hadnt regonized him already. He patted the back of her hand.

�Calm down. I promise you will live to see another day.�

�Easy for you to say Mr.I-fly-more-then-anything-else.� She replyed without opening her eyes or releasing her death-grip on the seat. He just grinned again and patted the back of her hand once more before beginning to gather his papers.

Only a few minutes later Angelia walked out into the busy airport, the man from the plane walking just in step next to her. Just before they had stood up she had watched as he covered his hair with a baseball cap and his eyes with a reflective pair of sunglasses. She thought it a little odd to be putting these things on when he was going to be inside, but didnt question. Now the two walked side-by-side towards the baggage claim, feeling oddly comfertable and companionable with the other.

�So what brings you to Memphis?� He asked after a few moments of silence. Angelia didnt awnser right away. All throughtout the plane ride she had forced herself to not think of why she was going to Tennesee. Insteed she had concentrated on the in-air flight, on reading the book she had brought with her, even on naming all fifty states alphabetically, backwards. Only now she was actually in Memphis, and with the stranger-man�s questions the worries and plauging thoughts returned.

�It�s a long story.� She replyed. He didnt fail to pick up on the mix of emotions present in her voice. Anger, sadness. �One that I�m not really up to telling.� He nodded, not asking more questions though his curisoty was eating at him already. They stopped at the baggage claim, each scanning the many pieces of luggage passing slowly by. �What about you?

�What about me?� He asked as he reached out for a large black duffle bag.

�Why are you in Memphis?�

�Visiting a friend.� He shrugged, slinging the bag over his shoulder. He watched as she reached out for a suitcase, her arm not quite long enough to reach. �Here, let me get it.�

�Thanks.� She took the bag from him, pulling a handle from it and easily wheeling it behind her as the two began towards the exit, chatting like old friends on their way. They were laughing over a joke she had told when they arrived at the exit.

�Oh my god... I have to remember that one for Joe.� He commented when he had stopped laughing. �He�ll love that.� The two people stepped outside, waiting amidst bunches of other people for a taxi.

�Joe? Is that the friend your out here to see?�

�Well he�ll be there. I�m not the only one comming in to see this friend. He�s a popular guy.� He smiled. �A major pain in the ass at times to. Called me at three this morning because he couldnt sleep.� Angelia widened her eyes.
�If I were you, I would be flying down just to kill him.�

�The thought has crossed my mind.� He replyed amused. A taxi pulled up in front of the two and he stepped forward to open the door. �You go ahead. I�ll catch the next one.� He grinned at her.

�Such a gentleman.� She grinned as she slid into the seat, him shutting the door behind her. �Well I thank you for you company and chilvary...ummm....� She searched for his name before releizing that he had never told her.

�Lance.� He supplyed.

�Lance.� She repetaed with a smile. He smiled back.

�Not a problem.....� He trailed off and looked at her expectantly.

�Angelia.�

�Angelia.� He repeated as she had before. �Like the Richard Marx song, I assume?�

�Yes. My par-� She stoped abruptly and an odd look entered her eyes. �I was named after the song.� His curiosity had retured with the look in her eye. Before he allowed himself to ask questions which he had no right to ask, he steped back from the car.

�Well maybe we�ll run into each other sometime.� He said instead.

�Maybe but untill that happens, goodbye Lance. And thank you again.�

She rolled up the window and watched as he walked away towards another cab. She had the feeling he was right about running into him again, the only question was when.

�Ok. Where are you going. Miss?� The cab drivers southern-accented voice.

�Just to the nearest hotel.� She awnsered, the thoughts she had momentarly forgotten with Lance returning.

On the short ride to the hotel she decided that the first thing she would do was go to the police station and ask to look through the missing children records. But that was tommorow. Now, she just wanted to get to the hotel and sleep untill then.