  I have decided to post the short story that I wrote on the airplane coming back from Orlando. The main character represents Stephanie, and the other character (other than the pilot) represents myself. The implication that she likes me has been fictionalized. All else is true. Going Back by Alexander Dietz “We are beginning our descent.” The pilot spoke as they all do, mechanically, matter-of-factly; you knew how he was going to say it quite accurately before the thing was said. Even so, it touched her more deeply than if she had been hit by a baseball. For now, she was coming home.
For now, she was going back. The trip had only lasted a few days, but it had taken her away from herself. This is not to say that it was exciting or fantastic on any objective level, but it did let her catch a few breaths and look at things as what they were. She did not know whether she liked it like that. Although the holiday was a welcome one, she missed her family, her friends, and her quotidian life. She brushed back her long, silken hair before returning her tray table to its full upright and locked position. She was very pretty – you wouldn’t say “hot” or “fine” like you would for those big-breasted, big-butted girls who flaunt themselves, but she still had quite a body, and when you caught a glimpse of her face, it was hard to look away. The curves of her cheeks, the slope of her chin, and oh, those eyes; those eyes always knew how to get your attention. They were at twenty thousand feet. She thought of her world, the world to which she was coming back, the world where she had learned to become who she was.
He was there; she was quite aware of this, but she did not know how she should deal with it, what she should do, whether she should act at all. They had known each other for some time now. She knew, she thought she knew, how he felt about her. She had decided that she didn’t like him – yes, she liked him, but she didn’t like him. Of course not. He was foolish, he wasn’t the best-looking guy, he thought too much of himself, he had made some choices that she knew were immoral, and he didn’t even seem to regret them. She wasn’t sure if he even respected her, given some of the things he had said. That wasn’t the reason they weren’t together, mind you. She just didn’t like him. Not like that. But there was something there. She couldn’t put a name on it, and it didn’t mean anything.
Did it? They understood each other, and they had something, but it was probably just something platonic. He still loved her, though. There were other girls, and things change, but he still loved her. On the other hand, there were definitely other guys. Should they just keep things the way they are? It was working out, for what it was worth, and if anything happened, it would probably end worse than if nothing happened.
They had been down that road before. Most likely, it would take them to the same place. Wouldn’t it? “We have arrived at the international airport. Local time is 1:03 pm. We hope you enjoyed your flight, and thank you for choosing us.” She looked out the window. It was raining, but it didn’t matter. 
