Chapter 13: Sharing Earphones

< Shirley >
Once I entered my bedroom, I told the maids to put my already packed luggage in the car. Then I got ready into a comfy white top matched with a light brown cardigan and skinny black jeans, along with a bracelet watch, ready to leave for Manitoba.
Mom and Dad already knew I was leaving for Rianna's wedding that day, so I left without informing anyone. A chauffeur drove me to the airport where I boarded the plane, along with my friends.
I was looking around for my seat in the business class when I noticed that my seat was the farthest from the others as if it was intentional. It wasn't even the window seat.
Sulking, I slumped down on my designated seat and looked at the person beside me, who was quietly talking to someone over the phone with his head turned towards the window.
I hoped for the man to be friendly, so we could chat all the way till we reached Manitoba. But I should have known better than to hope anything when my luck was this rotten.
As he turned his face to my side, our eyes met. We both just stared into each other's eyes blankly for half a minute before letting out in sync, "You?"
Was it too much to ask for my seat partner to be a nice, gentle person? Probably it was. Because the person next to me was Dylan Sarcastic Lewiston—out of all the freaking people in this world. What was with me and him meeting every-freaking-where?
"What the fuck? Why you? You can't be here. You didn't tell me you were going somewhere!" we both started talking at the same time, "You're copying me. Don't copy me! Shut up, copycat!"
"Gents first." Dylan cleared his throat and fixed his collar.
"What a gentleman!" I mumbled to myself, earning a glare from him. "I will speak first!" I demanded.
"Yeah, knock yourself out. I'm not listening." I wouldn't spare him without lending his ear to me. He had to listen. I would make him.
Taking a deep breath, I started chirping, "I'm going to attend my best friend Rianna's wedding. Can you believe it? I cannot. I'm so excited. She's the first one among my close friends to tie the knots, so I'm ecstatic. But there's also something else that's bothering me. But that's not the main issue here. It's my friend's wedding. The dress I selected..." I ranted for more than ten minutes before asking, "By the way, where are you going, Dylan?"
"This plane won't take me to Antarctica, now will it?" I didn't get his words, so I tilted my head to the dead in confusion. "Of course, I'm going to Manitoba too, idiot," he added.
To cover up my idiocy, I said, "I meant, why are you going there, Dylan?" One thing I noticed was that he didn't mind me calling him by his first name, which I initially thought he would create a fuss about as time went by.
"I don't remember signing any contract with you, stating I'll answer all of your stupid questions," rubbing that on my face, Dylan started flipping through a business magazine.
I swear on his life, his sarcasm will be the death of me.
I let out a frustrated groan and settled in my seat.
"You are so mean. Can you ever be nice to me? We're going on holiday. Be chilled. Would it kill you to answer my question?" I complained, crossing my arms against my chest, but got no reply.
I glanced at Dylan through the corner of my eyes to find him wearing earphones to block me out. My nose flared with anger as I pulled off the earphones. I wasn't going to let him tune me out. If anything, I would ignore him.
Before I plugged the earphones on, I heard Dylan say, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
I drowned myself in the music that was playing, ignoring him completely. I didn't look at his way until he tapped my shoulder.
"What?" I let out.
Dylan motioned me to take off the earphones, but I shook my head stubbornly. He gave me a tight-lipped smile and waved at someone. Soon, an air hostess came to me and started saying something to me. To listen to her, sighing in defeat, I pulled out the earphones, only to hear that I was being told to fasten my seat belt.
How embarrassing...
Without looking at Dylan—who was most probably smirking at me—I quickly wore the earphones again. Not a minute after that, Dylan pulled a single earphone out of my ear. I was about to snap when he said, "Let me hear it too."
I looked at him weirdly for a moment before settling back, letting him share the earphones with me. I averted my gaze at my lap, suddenly feeling conscious of how people would view us. They would think we were a sweet couple who shared their things. But they couldn't be further from the truth. Although I wouldn't blame them. We did look good together.
I immediately shook my head. What the fuck was I even thinking? Me and Dylan? No way.
However, it still felt nice as we both listened to the same music, feeling the same emotions of the song. It was a bonus fact that Dylan wasn't a blabbermouth who would talk when I didn't want him to, although I was one, yet I would never disturb anyone when they wanted peace. Also, we both had the same taste in music, which could be an interesting future topic for us, only if he was willing to let me in his shell.
The next hour passed by silently and peacefully. I was completely drowned in the music with my eyes closed and my guard let down. Dylan had dropped the earphone a few minutes to start working on his laptop. All of a sudden, an air hostess handed me a cup of coffee—the same coffee that was spilled over Dylan—and left.
I gaped at the cup, jaw-dropped. I never even ordered anything.
As expected, I spotted a piece of paper under the cup and opened it, and gasped.
"Yay, we're flying to Manitoba.
I'm so very excited about your best friend's wedding. It would be nice to paint this auspicious day as another of your best friend's death anniversary, wouldn't it? How very convenient.
Anyways, tonight at 8 o'clock, I'm planning to kill one of your friends.
However, I'm looking forward to seeing you in your beautiful dress.
~Your beloved."
I felt a shiver run down my spine as I read the context.
He was here too...
I didn't realize my hands were shaking as another hand grabbed mine and asked softly, "Are you feeling sick?"
I turned my head to my right at lightning speed, to find Dylan looking at me with neutral expressions like always.
"Is something the matter?" he asked again. Was that concern for me?
"N-no, nothing. I'm fine," I replied hurriedly.
"I'm just asking because you look funny. Not that I'm concerned or anything." Dylan turned away his face and retreated his hand.
"You're the last person I expect to be concerned for me," I retorted and rolled my eyes. Why did I even expect anything from Dylan? He was probably worried I would throw up on him due to motion sickness.
I turned my attention back to the paper in my hand and crumbled it before dipping it in the coffee. As if I was going to drink that shit. What if there was some drug in it?
"Waste of a good cup of coffee," mumbled Dylan from beside me.
Wait, did he...
"Did you read anything?" I asked.
"No," came his reply before he continued scrolling through his phone again.
I took him for his words since Dylan wouldn't fret over such things and leaned in my seat once again after placing the cup down.
I started thinking about what was happening to me. Why now of all times? Just after I met Dylan and had started to climb the stairs to my success. Also, why was that person dragging my friends into this? Why not my family? God forbid, though. I would kill that guy if he touched my family members.
And I would also make sure he paid if he hurt any of my friends. But the million-dollar question was, who was he?
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