by Dana Burkey
Deciding I had seen enough, I was about to go back to watching TV when something caught my eye. Looking closer I noticed a small puncture mark in the crease of my elbow. The small red dot looked just like the one left after they removed my IV when I was in the hospital back in the spring. Thinking about it more I realized it could have been why I was asleep the entire time Steven was bandaging my arm and while I was carried to a different vehicle. The real question, however, was how Olena found a syringe in the simple first aid kit we picked up while stealing a new car.
“Are you okay?” Steven asked, suddenly right beside me.
“Yeah,” I managed, swallowing hard in an attempt to settle my stomach and clear my head.
“Come on, let’s clean up your arm,” he said as he helped me to the chair near the TV.
I took deep breaths while he moved around the room before returning to me, his wet hair sticking to the side of his head. Using the first aid kit he purchased while I was still unconscious he began to clean up the skin and dress my wounds once more.
“Thank you,” I paused, “for all of this. You didn’t have to come.”
“Yes I did,” he assured me, making eye contact with me while his hands paused in their work. It looked like he was going to say more, but then thought better of it. Instead he averted his eyes back to my arm and continued his work.
Not knowing what to say I watched as Steven’s hands gently ran over my arm, cleaning the blood, applying ointment, and then wrapping each wound. His hands worked quickly, while still never touching my damaged skin harder than needed. I noticed he was using butterflies on the deeper cuts that likely needed stitches. I only hoped they would be good enough to hold the skin together and keep infection out until I could get it looked at by a doctor. Before I knew it, my arm was wrapped once more, this time without blood spots soaking through the thick layer of gauze.
“When this is all over,” he smiled while taking hold of my hand, “let’s not do anything with glass, or guns, or hit men for a while, okay?”
“Absolutely,” I agreed, lacing my fingers between his.
Sitting, looking deep into Steven’s eyes, the stress of the last 24 hours melted away. Despite all we had been through, it was a comfort to know I had him with me. It was great that Olena and I had the chance to talk and work through some of the questions I was dealing with, but even that alone was not enough to calm my raw nerves. Steven, however, was like a life raft in this sea of confusion I found myself floating through.
The air between us felt suddenly charged with emotions. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest as Steven leaned closer, closing the space between us. As our lips finally met I felt energy coursing through my body. Although we had kissed once in the car earlier in the night this was somehow much more passionate, fueled by what we had been through and also what we knew was still to come.
Our kiss deepened as I pressed my body closer to Steven, my arms winding around his neck. As his hands circled around my waist I could feel his heart beat as he pulled me off of my chair and closer to his body. Weaving my fingers through his wet hair I shivered as his hands touched a patch of exposed skin on my back. His hands began slowly sliding up under my shirt when we both paused. Someone was knocking on the door.
Pulling apart suddenly, I willed my breath to slow as Steven moved quickly to the door. Glancing through the peep hole, Steven’s shoulders relaxed as he let out the breath he had been holding. He stepped back just as Olena opened the door, bringing with her a cluster of shopping bags.
“Alright, time to get ready,” Olena announced before looking between Steven and myself. I could feel my cheeks flushing under her gaze, my eyes rooted to the carpet.
“So, what’s the plan?” Steven asked, his voice a little deeper than I was used to.
Olena paused, as if she knew she had interrupted something. As I finally looked up I saw she was giving Steven a warning glare. The look surprised me, but after the last few hours we had been through it was clear Olena was still trying to protect me from getting hurt. Hopefully our upcoming trip to Russia would help her see Steven was not going to be the cause of more pain for me any time soon.
Pulling out items from her shopping bags, Olena arranged clothing, bags, and a variety of supplies onto one of the queen sized beds. Part of me wanted to know where she got the money to pay for everything, but I quickly decided that at this point it was better not to ask.
“Alright, here are the passports,” Olena said, handing us each a blue booklet. Flipping mine open I saw my photo staring back at me. I did not know where she got the photo from, but once again figured it was a question better kept to myself.
“This looks real,” I said out loud, flipping through the pages to see only one stamp from Canada.
“It is,” she nodded. “I was in Ohio before I drove to Michigan to find you so I picked it up. Getting one for Steven was tough, but it should do the trick.”
“So, we’re just going in there as ourselves?” Steven asked, tucking his passport into his bag like it was no big deal. Apparently I was the only one freaked out that Olena had snuck into my house before last night.
“Yes,” Olena nodded. “We are just college students on a backpacking trip.”
Looking at the supplies once again, I suddenly understood the casual clothing she had purchased, as well as the large packs. I heard of quite a few students I graduated with who had headed to Europe for the summer with plans to travel around to as many countries as possible before flying home. It was the perfect reason for three teenagers to fly halfway across the world by themselves.
“We have tickets to fly to Moscow at 2, so we need to get moving,” Olena explained as she handed us each a pile of clothing. “If we leave for the airport in half an hour, we should have plenty of time to make it through security before our flight.”
Turning my back on Steven and Olena, I could not help but smile as I changed into my new gear. Olena had provided me with a tie-dye shirt and a black zip up hoodie, cargo pants, and hiking boots. Pulling my hair into a ponytail I surely looked the part of someone about to backpack through Europe. While I sat lacing the new boots I took a minute to go over the details in my head. I knew I needed to be calm when we got to the airport, and talk believably about my plans to see Europe when we went through customs.
“Are you okay?” Olena asked, sitting beside me on the bed.
“Yeah, just trying to get myself ready,” I nodded. “You know, for our awesome trip across Europe.”
“There you go,” she smiled. “You are going to do fine.”
“I hope so,” I sighed, fiddling with my hoodie strings.
“How is your arm doing?” Olena asked as she laced up her boots as well.
“Much better. Steven helped me wrap it again after my shower.” As I explained, I could feel blush rising in my cheeks at the thought of our time after my arm had been treated.
“That is what you were up to while I was gone? Just first aid?” I could hear the doubt in her voice as Olena paused in her shoe tying to look at me.
“We may have kissed a little,” I shrugged. Despite my casual tone I could feel my cheeks burning with blush. I suddenly felt like we were in 8th grade all over again.
“Are you sure he-” she began before cutting herself off, as Steven exited the bathroom now dressed in his new clothes.
“Time to go?” Steven asked in the silence that suddenly filled the room.
“Yes,” Olena mumbled. “We should go.”
Shrugging at Steven, I pulled my pack onto my back before turning to follow Olena out of the motel room. Steven moved next to me and took my hand as we walked towards the main office to check out. It was just after noon, the sun lessening the sting of the cool fall air.
“Where’s the car?” Steven asked, looking around the parking lot for the car we had arrived in.
“It is in the middle of downtown in a parking deck,” Olena explained. “That way anyone tracking it will be put off our trail. We
will take a taxi to the airport.”
I squeezed Steven’s hand, doing my best to stay calm. I had assumed we would have the car ride to get our Europe travel story straight, but instead we would have to just fly by the seat of our pants once again.
“You ready for all this?” Steven asked me as we waited outside the motel lobby. Olena was inside turning in our keys and calling for a cab.
“I think so,” I shrugged, biting my lip. “If we’ve made it this far in one piece, I think I should be able to get through just about anything.”
“You’ll do great,” he smiled, leaning in to give me a quick kiss on the lips.
Smiling, I leaned in to rest my head on his shoulder. At least our “disguise” as college kids meant we could still play the role of a happy couple. It was a small consolation, but exciting all the same.
“The taxi should be here any minute,” Olena smiled, exiting the lobby. “Russia here we come!”
Although it was clear she was now in character I found her smile and enthusiasm infectious. I found myself grinning as well, suddenly not as worried about what was ahead of us. Olena was good at this, masking her real feelings to get a job done. If worse came to worse, I would let her take the lead. Hopefully, we could make it through the next few days.
“Okay, your turn. What’s your favorite book?” I asked Steven, snuggling closer to him under our shared blanket.
Olena was on the other side of me, asleep for the first time since her nap on our drive from Ohio. After takeoff she fought to stay awake for a little while before finally succumbing to her exhaustion. Now, only an hour later, I was enjoying time alone with Steven. I was starting to get tired myself, but I knew I would have plenty of time for sleep later. After all, we were only two hours into our 11 hour flight. And right now, asking each other all the questions that never came up in our time together so far was proving to be a good way to pass the time.
“I read Into the Wild a few months to go and really loved it,” Steven explained as he absentmindedly ran his fingers through my hair. “I don’t know if it’s my favorite. But it’s kind of my favorite for now. Like, until I read another book that I like better.”
“I heard about that one,” I noted, remembering my senior year English teacher telling us about it in class. “Sounds like a perfect one to read before this trip.”
“A little bit,” he laughed. “Only let’s make it home in one piece, okay?”
“Deal,” I nodded.
“Do you think anyone has noticed we’re gone yet?” I asked after a few moments passed in comfortable silence. I kept my voice low, afraid to break character even now.
“I’m sure my roommate wonders where I am, but he probably just thinks I’m staying at your dorm for the weekend,” Steven explained casually, his voice also little more than a whisper.
“That’s good,” I said, trying to match his casual tone despite the heat rising in my cheeks. “I have a feeling Norra is starting to wonder. Hopefully she doesn't start asking around or call the cops or something.”
“Maybe you could call her when we land in Moscow,” Steven offered. “I don’t know the time difference but you could have the front desk at the dorm pass on the message if nothing else.”
“Good idea,” I agreed. “When we don’t show up for classes tomorrow people might start to get worried.”
“Oh wow, tomorrow is Monday already,” Steven realized aloud.
“Hopefully we aren’t in Russia too long,” I yawned.
“Sounds like someone is ready for sleep,” Steven noted, planting a kiss on the top of my head.
“No way,” I frowned with a shake of my head. “We might not have another chance like this. In case you haven't noticed, Olena is not your biggest fan.”
“Wait, what?” he asked, shifting in his seat so he was facing me.
“I don’t think Olena likes you much,” I began again. “I think she realized she interrupted something when she came back to the motel this morning. She was kind of shooting daggers at you with her eyes for a little while there.”
Stevens’s laughter was not the response I was expecting, but it soon had me smiling as well. Wrapping his arm around me, Steven pulled me closer as his laughter faded.
“I have a feeling she is so used to protecting you she is wary about letting someone else take the job,” Steven finally explained.
Leaning in for a kiss, Stevens’s lips lingered on mine for only a second before he pulled back. I wanted the moment to last longer, but it was better not to let things get heated like during our last kiss. It was not the time or the place for a kiss like that, especially with Olena sitting right next to me on our crowded flight.
“Alright, new question,” Steven smiled. “What’s your favorite TV show?”
With a smile I cuddled back into him, resting my head on his chest before answering.
“Don’t laugh,” I warned. “But I really like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
“I don’t know that one,” Steven yawned, pulling the blanket a little closer.
With a smile, I began explaining the show to him, starting with the movie that began it all. Closing my eyes I pretended we were having this conversation somewhere else. My dorm room, the library, even in class. As we continued to chat and share little things about ourselves, I found myself slowly drifting to sleep. We had a long day ahead of us, and my body would need to be ready.
“Okay, how about this one?” I asked Olena, pointing to a photo in the magazine on my tray table.
“No way,” she laughed. “You would look so weird with red hair.”
I laughed and continued to flip through the pages in front of me. Olena had purchased the stack of magazines before we boarded our flight. Now, as Steven got a few more hours of sleep, we were passing time chatting about hair styles, clothing, and our favorite celebrities. If I didn’t know better, it was like we really were just some college students getting ready for a vacation in Europe.
“Oooh, he’s cute,” I announced, pointing to a photo of Leonardo DiCaprio on the set of his upcoming film The Beach.
“Yeah, he was really good in Romeo and Juliet,” Olena agreed with a shrug.
“Gotta love a cute guy with blond hair,” I giggled. “Gets me every time.”
“You mean like Steven?” Olena asked, her voice taking on a sharp edge.
“Exactly,” I nodded. “What don’t you like about him?”
“What?” She sounded almost shocked, despite her less than hidden feelings for him so far on our trip.
“Come on,” I sighed. “I saw the way you looked at him in the motel earlier.”
“Oh that,” she mumbled, as if suddenly caught. “I just do not want him to take advantage of you.”
Finally tearing my eyes off my magazine, I looked at her in shock.
“How would he take advantage of me?” I asked, my mouth hanging open after my question.
“Well,” she began slowly. “You are emotional right now. A lot is going on. And I just do not want him to think it would be a good chance to make things more serious when you are just responding to all the crazy stuff happening.”
“I appreciate your concern,” I smiled, relieved at her explanation. “Steven and I have been getting closer for a while now though. We’ve known each other all school year, and spend a lot of time together. Sure, all the intense stuff is making us a lot closer faster than normal. But we were getting there on our own even before you showed up. Thanks to you it’s just like we skipped ahead a few weeks.”
Olena nodded and smiled, but I could tell something was still bothering her a little. Then again, we were on a flight to Russia where we would likely be running from more men with guns. Worrying about Steven and me was the least of her concerns, but one of the only things she could talk to me about right at the moment.
As the seatbelt light blinked on above us and a flight attendant began going over landing procedures, I pushed Olena’s concerns out of my mind and turned towards Steven. Shaking his arm
gently, I whispered his name a few times until his eyes slowly opened.
“We’re landing,” I explained, as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Time to put your seat up.”
Nodding, Steven fixed his seat while Olena packed up our magazines. Putting my tray table up I glanced out the window to see the view of dark clouds. We were too high up to tell if it was raining or snowing, but I knew it would only be a little bit before we found out.
“Uh, thank you,” I heard Steven say next to me. Glancing over I could feel my heart speed up. The flight attendants were delivering immigration papers to everyone. We were now face to face with the lie we were about we weave.
“Hey Olena,” I asked casually. “What’s the name of the place we’re staying at again? I can’t remember.”
“Here,” Olena smiled, handing me a piece of paper. On the paper was the name of a youth hostel, written in both English as well as Russian. Copying the name with a shaking hand I passed the paper to Steven, before silently praying customs did not call the hostel to see if we had reservations or not.
Looking at Olena’s paperwork I saw she had written we were buying return tickets in France two weeks from now. Once again I hoped this information was good enough to get us into the country. I didn’t want to have to call my parents and explain why I was in some Russian prison. Showing my filled out card to Steven he filled out his answer blanks as well before flashing me a quick smile.
“This trip is going to be so much fun,” he said to me, his hand resting on mine. I could tell he was trying to build up my confidence before I had to face the customs officers.
“Yeah, I just want to be there already,” I smiled, gripping his hand as tight as I could without hurting him. Lifting it up closer up to him, Steven gave my hand a quick kiss before lowering it back to the arm rest. Ignoring Olena’s soft grunt on the other side of me I rested my head on Steven’s shoulder as the plan began to lose altitude for landing.
“How long are you planning to stay in Russia?”