Let's Fly Together

Look at the birds.

Look at the butterflies.

Look at the planes.

Under the wonderful blue sky…

Don’t you want to fly too?



There's this girl that wear jacket everyday at kindergarten. She was in my school and everyone likes her because she was bubbly.

I can't be bubbly. Bubbly was hard. Being cool and collected was better, but I like her and her bubbly attitude anyway, because that's just not me.

"I wanna use jacket too," I told mommy one day, and she just laughed. I found that laugh pretty and warm, so I smiled too.

"She's sick. Arciollets' body is fine without it," she said, and I remember frowning for a couple days after.



At elementary school, she was very popular. Everybody approached her, and I always make sure that I greet her at least once a day.

Later on, she came to me when I can't come through the crowds. She smiled warmly, and I remember shaking her small hand.

"I'm Saoirse Rochefort. Nice to meet you. What's your name?"

Her hand was so cold back then, I noticed.

"Arciollets Rathbone."



Couple days later, she was absent from school. I was disappointed that I couldn't meet her, and I was sulking the whole day.

But then, for a whole week, she didn't come. I was worried, so I forced mommy to bring me to her house. At first mommy refused to bring me, but when I started crying hard until the neighbors asked her what's wrong, she finally gave in.

I met Rochy in her bedroom. Her bed was white and soft, there were those cute white bunny dolls beside her. She smiled to me and I smiled back.

"Hello," I said, and she greet me back. "I heard you like bunnies."

Her eyes went bigger in amusement and handed a big, white bunny doll to her. I made mom buy it on the way.

She hugged the doll tightly and thanked me a thousands time. I said it was nothing and we talked a lot. We were talking about school's homework when a butterfly passed by her window.

"I wanna fly," she whispered softly.

I blinked several time before I nodded. "Me too."

We were suddenly awkward, and she couldn't get her eyes of the window. I was jealous.

"Let's fly together one day, then," I said.

She looked startled, but nodded furiously with a big foolish grin plastered on her face.



The day after.

Rochy was not home. The old lady with scary red nails came out instead and said that Rochy was in hospital of being very ill. This time, no matter how loud I cried, mommy wouldn't let me go. She said that hospital was not for a little kid, and that there's a monster trying to eat me there. Eventually I got scared and went home in sobs instead.

The next day, Rochy was already back to school and I was happy. Mommy looked very relief when I told her Rochy came to school.



A new girl came to town, and she introduced herself to me as Rena. I was the leader of the class, so I was in charge of new students and bring her to lunch with Rochy. Rochy looked rather annoyed before cheerfully greet her.

"Saoirse," she told her.

"Rena."



It went no more than three days before Rochy's smile died down. Rena was always clinging around us and Rochy somehow found it annoyingly disturbing with the fact that she always acted oh-so-cutely-when-she-is-not, as Rochy said clearly in front of my face one day.

I don't know what to do, and I was confused. Luckily the leader's title move to another student, and I couldn't be more pleased than to see the bright smile returning to Rochy once again.



After graduating from elementary school, we went to the same high school. Rochy wanted to go to the best school at another city, so I studied hard day and night so I can be accepted. I'm not that smart.

Rochy helped me a lot in every subjects, especially math and science. My logic wasn't very nice, so I believe that I must burdened her a lot. But because of that, we became closer and ended up as best friend.



"Let's fly with that," she said when an airplane passed by up above us.

"It's expensive," I blurted out, and she pouted cutely.

"But you said we're going to fly together."

I looked at her and ruffled her hair. "Yes, silly, later."

She lay her head on my stomach and sighed. She was so beautiful that my heart started to race, and I wonder if she could hear the sound of it.

“Hey,” she called me.

“Hm?”

“I…”

Another plane passed by and the sound covered her voice perfectly.

“What? I can’t hear it.”

“Nothing.”

I smiled, reaching out to stroke her brown messed up hair.



One of my friend popped out and tell me that he liked Rochy. He was a playboy. And I don’t know how to feel. There’s this very loud banging inside my chest and I can feel my tongue getting numb.

But then when he said that he was still in relationship with another friend of mine, I turned the request down and leave angrily.

I made a strong resriction for Rochy to not become close to that boy.



They said if you could fly, you would be free.



Senior high school.

Rochy stopped coming to school. "Her body is very weak," they said.

I was worried, so I skipped classes to meet her. But then she got mad, saying I'm stupid and education was more important.

I gave in and went to school the next day, but still in big denial. How could education be more important than her?



Second year of senior high school.

She was crying. She said that her life wouldn't be long, and her thousands of bunnies didn't help at all. She was furious, depressed, broken, but I don't know what to do.

So I said, "Let's fly."



I bought two tickets of flight to USA and we were sneaking out of the room. She wore her jacket, and I thought she was so pretty in that. We hoped into the taxi and went straight to the airport. Unfortunately, her mother figured out our plan, and she had waited for us there.

I wasn’t allowed to meet her again.



“Rochy,” I whispered yell to her at night.

She blinked several times before jumping out of her bed, clearly surprised. “Are you crazy? It’s midnight!”

“But I’m not allowed to see you,” I reasoned, and hoped into the room when she opened the window. “I miss you.”

She pouted. “Me too.”



A week passed, and all night I was there, talking and playing secretly with her. I brought presents, such as dolls and books, and we would ended up chatting all night or playing random things.

“Hey, you don’t need to do this.”

I was confused. “What do you mean?”

“Visiting me all night. You’ll catch cold, you’ll be sick. I’m okay on my own,” she said, and I slapped her head lightly because of that.

“I’m not sick, am I?” I grinned, and her lips curved into a weak smile. “I’m going to get us permission to go o plane, okay? We’ll fly together.”

She nodded and hugged me tight.



Hours passed so quickly, and I was begging that morning—it was Sunday afternoon and I went to the hospital to get permission from her mom to officially meet her—when the nurse ran toward us. Worry was written all over her face.

“Saoirse Rochefort is not in her room!”

We were all so surprised, and her mother looked like she was seeing a ghost.

My phone vibrated, and when I saw her name written as the caller, I quickly picked up. “Rochy, where are you?”

Her mother quickly snatched away my phone from me and yelled. “What the hell are you doing? Get back to your room now!”

I was waiting for a fine twenty seconds before the phone was back to me, and Rochy was whispering softly. “Hey, you can stop trying to get permission now.”

“Rochy?”

“I’m flying on my own.”

My eyes widened and I quickly get what she meant. I throw my phone and ran as fast as I can, climbing all those stairs from the twelve floor to the fifteen floor. She was standing on the edge of the building, ready to jump.

She walked forward.

I yelled.

Her left foot was not touching the ground.

I was a meter away from her.

She jumped.

I reached out to catch her.

We both fell.

She was startled.

I smiled.

I whispered something to her ear.

She broke down crying.

And we both hit the ground.



“Hey,” I told her. “I wanted to fly together with my love too.”