Up in the Air Pt. 01

"Kim," I heard the blonde say. "You still have your foot there? She's gonna flip her lid."

"I don't care," I heard Kim say. "It's way more comfortable sitting like this." There was quiet for a moment, and then, I noted confusion in her voice, "She hasn't said anything anyway, so maybe it's not bothering her?"

It was most definitely bothering me. Despite trying to keep my attention fully focused on the movie, I couldn't help but focus on her foot in the corner of my eye. Whenever she'd adjust her position, or her toes would flex or move, I'd catch it as a distracting movement and my attention would be disturbed. On top of that, the smell, though light, kept working its way into my nose, and I found myself uncomfortably squirming in my seat. Apparently, her foot was way more annoying than she realised, and I wasn't about to confirm to her that she was actually being successful in irritating me; I reasoned that would only serve as encouragement.

Still, despite her ignorance, it was such an awkward intrusion to my personal space that I didn't know what to say, and the two seemed so childish that it wasn't as if they'd listen anyway. I'd had plenty of run-ins with trashy teens in the past, and there was simply no reasoning with them. If anything, a reaction on my part would likely just serve as a catalyst to more of the same treatment. This was why I hated sitting in economy in the first place; the class of people was just so low and tacky. Therefore, I just remained quiet and pretended like I didn't even notice her foot was there anymore. I was so far above them in social class, that I wanted her to feel completely insignificant.

"Maybe she hasn't noticed," the blonde said.

"Of course, she has, she was going to say something earlier," Kim said. "Anyway, I'm comfortable so it's not my problem."

"Can she hear us?"

"I don't know. She has her earphones in."

"Don't you think it's weird?"

"What do you mean?"

"That she's...not saying anything. Like, why not?" There were giggles from behind. "I mean, it must be bothering her."

"I don't know. Maybe my foot is Karen Kryptonite." Kim wiggled her toes, causing me to look and grimace, before leaning away and against the window. More sniggers followed, and I secretly blushed while being the butt of their jokes.

This continued for the next half hour, and after another glass of wine, I found that my bladder was becoming full. Obviously, this wouldn't have been a problem if I actually had the row to myself, but Kim's foot was blocking my exit. I thought about trying to step around it, but with the armrest down, there was no way of climbing over without bashing Kim's foot.

I stewed and squirmed, a burning sensation growing in my bladder as I struggled to stem the tide from spilling over. As my forehead began to sweat, I looked over at Kim's foot with both frustration and fury. Just move it, I thought to myself, you've proved your bloody point, now get back in your seat. However, her foot remained resolutely in place, as if tormenting me as I was trapped there in my dire need to pee.

Eventually, feeling as if I was about to urinate all over the seat, I had no choice other than to say something, even though I was concerned of the consequences. Surely, there was going to be some kind of snide comment or mockery, but by this point, the need of my bladder was conquering all.

I turned in the seat, and peeked through the gap. "Hello?" I asked. Both girls were snuggly beneath the airline blankets, while they were watching whatever on the televisions. Only Kim's one leg was visible, poking over from beneath and obscenely stretched through the gap and into my row. It was only when I waved my hand, that both of them looked up at me.

"What?" Kim said, while removing her earphones. "What is it?"

"Excuse me," I said while clearing my throat. "Could you...could you please move your foot so I can pass? I need to use the lavatory."

She almost had a look of disgust on her face, before she leant to the side and peered through the gap in the seats. Then, she bent her knee slightly, so that her foot was pressed flat against the armrest, before moving it back a few inches. I looked at it, then at her, and did so a few more times while I waited for her to move it completely. However, Kim had already re-inserted her earphones and was back to watching her movie.

I groaned in frustration, and had to awkwardly clamber over the end of the armrest as it intrudingly poked into my pussy. Throughout, I struggled to avoid touching her foot, convinced that doing so would only give her an excuse to chide me further. Probably to throw out some dramatics and make me out to be the villain. While almost tumbling upon clearing the armrest, I steadied myself, then meandered my way down the aisle until I could use the restroom.

It was so cramped in comparison to the one in business class, and there was barely any room to even sit and stretch out. My knees were practically up against the wall, the same way they had been so in the seat back in my row. Anyway, it was a relief to pee, first of all because I was in desperate need to, but also, to enjoy some time away from Kim's bloody foot! Even that claustrophobic restroom, which harboured a urine and chemical combination smell, was a better choice than having to breath in the odours that occasionally wafted over from Kim's invasive foot.

I strung out my break for as long as possible, until someone else knocked the door, then, I sighed, before leaving and returning to my seat. Again, I had to clamber over Kim's foot. Despite making eye contact with her as I returned, and scowling to communicate the inconvenience, she didn't make any moves to remove her earphones or retract her foot. As I looked away and moved into my seat, struggling to hurdle her foot, I even thought I caught sight of a little smirk on her lips.

Once back in my seat, I noticed Kim's foot immediately stretch right out until it was overhanging the end of the armrest. She wiggled her toes, as if to mock me with the amount of space she was taking up. She must have been laying right back in the seat and enjoying the extra room. I sighed, and rolled my eyes at her pettiness, before putting my earphones back in.

I was just about to un-pause the movie, when I heard Kim speak behind me. "Go on," she said. "Do it. Just like I said."

"Noooo," I heard the blonde reply. "She'll go ballistic. She's been quiet for ages and I don't want her throwing another temper tantrum." She let out a sigh. "Remember what she was like before take-off? Total drag."

"Chrissy, I'm telling you, she won't," Kim said. "She's barely said a word about me having my foot there the whole time. I mean, she asked me to move it so she could go to the loo, and then again to sit back down. I barely moved it, and she had to climb over it like a moron." I heard her snort to herself.

"Shhh," Chrissy said. "She'll hear you."

"She has her earphones in. She's not even listening. Look. Hey, lady?" There was a pause, before Kim added, "See. She doesn't have a clue."

"Yeah, but still."

"God, Chrissy, just do it already, you chicken. What you so afraid of? I've been doing it for like an hour and look"—her toes violently wiggled and I grimaced as a fresh wave of foot odour assaulted me—"I'm still doing it."

"Okay," came a tentative response, and immediately I was on edge.

I remained sat still in my seat, head facing forwards. However, my back prickled with anticipation, and I kept looking out the corner of my eyes, on alert for whatever scheme the pair of them were cooking up. Obviously, there had been a discussion while I was in the restroom, and it seemed they weren't done with tormenting me yet. Seconds passed by, and nothing happened, before I suddenly flinched, the skin going tight on my neck as I felt something push against my left elbow. Instinctively, I lifted my arm, and buried it into my chest.

"Oh my God," I heard Chrissy say. "I accidentally touched her. She moved her arm."

I heard Kim cackle in laughter, but she composed herself, and said, "Okay, so, let's see what she does now."

I swallowed nervously, then looked around, concerned by what else they were going to do. I wasn't entirely sure what she'd even touched me with, but clearly, they were still intent on annoying me as much as possible.

"See," Kim continued. "Nothing. Do it again, Chriss."

"Noooo," I heard Chrissy answer. "Once was enough."

"Stretch out like I'm doing. I'm telling you, she won't say anything."

"Well, okay..."

Once again, my back prickled as I awaited whatever Chrissy was about to do. The saliva was flowing around my mouth as I remained in a heightened state of trepidation, and then, I shuddered as I noticed movement to the left of me. I turned slightly and peered down, just as a flash of something white and red moved onto the armrest. I blinked rapidly as I tried to comprehend what I was seeing. This time, it was obviously Chrissy's pale foot that was invading my space; shrouded beneath a thin, translucent sock. Her heel rested on the armrest, and her diminutive, red-painted toes, so bright that they blared through the thin sock material, lightly pressed against the wall of the plane. Despite knowing it was weird, I cocked my head and took a better look. Even through the sock I could see her feet were way more well-cared for than Kim's, with her polish fresh and her toes neatly filed. On the second, slender toe, there appeared to be a ring with a pink butterfly at its centre. I was so curious in the decoration, that for a moment, I forgot that her foot was only there as a means to goad me.

Therefore, despite her feet being nowhere near as unkempt and unsightly as Kim's, I wrinkled my nose in disgust, continuing to keep my arm lifted in the air and away from them so that they wouldn't touch me again. As a result, despite being sat alone, I found I was forced into a cramped and contorted position. I glanced from side to side, and felt like I was completely boxed in, with two feet invading my space. My composure was completely rattled, and I didn't know what to do. Of course, every instinct was saying I should turn around and yell at them, but I'd allowed Kim to taunt me with her foot so much already that it felt like the moment had passed. If I said anything now, she'd probably just mock me and ask why I hadn't already said anything for the past hour or so. I'd let it build up so much now, that it had become something far weirder than the initial provocation for which it had clearly been intended.

So, instead, almost inconceivably: I said nothing. I didn't say a word. Not even a peep. I didn't turn or glare at either of them. I just sat there, awkwardly and uncomfortably, while both of their feet trapped me within that narrow, solitary seat. I kept my eyes locked to the movie ahead, pretending like I hadn't even noticed that Chrissy's foot was there in the first place. If I adopted a stance of being oblivious, well, then they wouldn't think it was weird that I wasn't saying anything, would they?

"Did you do it?" Kim asked.

"Yeah. I'm stretched out. Her arm is not there anymore." Chrissy's pretty toes wiggled in the same way Kim's did every time they spoke, as if they were celebrating the space to freely move. As they stretched and spread, I awaited the inevitable stink to come, however, none did. Apparently, even though they were closer in proximity, Chrissy's toes didn't wield the same pungent weapon that Kim's grotty feet did.

Kim giggled fully. "Wow, you stole her armrest."

Chrissy began giggling too. "Yes, I guess I kinda did."

"Comfortable?"

"Yeah, it's way better." I noted her foot kick back and forth, before leaning away from the wall and instead reaching out across, hovering above my leg a couple of inches. I pulled my arm in even further so that her toes wouldn't touch my elbow. "So much better," she said, and she must have settled back as her foot moved right down the armrest. "Why isn't she saying anything though?"

The hairs stood up on my neck as she drew attention to my inaction.

"No idea, but I honestly don't care. Maybe now she's not picking on an innocent flight attendant, she's showing her true colours. Maybe she turns to jelly when someone talks back to her." I felt my seat shift as Kim must have leant against it. "Isn't that right, bitch?"

A spark ran down my spine as I realised she was talking directly to me. Though, with my earphones in, I swallowed nervously while pretending like I hadn't heard her.

The two of them cackled to each other. "Yeah, she probably can't hear us," Kim said. "I mean, if she heard that..."

"She'd start being a Karen again."

The two of them guffawed, and I felt my seat jiggle with their laughter. Amidst their amusement, Chrissy's foot lurched over and her toes touched against my contorted arm.

"Oh my God," I heard her say.

"What?"

"My foot is touching her."

"Right now?"

"Yeah," Chrissy answered. "Wait." I cringed as I felt her socked toes prod at my forearm a couple of times, and then, I involuntarily shivered as the soft, silky material tickled its way along my skin as she obscenely stroked me. "I'm touching her with it right now."

"Like, right now?" My seat shifted from someone leaning against it. "She's just sat there, watching a movie."

My head may have been pointed straight forward, but I definitely wasn't watching the movie. I couldn't concentrate on anything, other than the humiliation of just sitting there while allowing Chrissy to rub her foot all over my arm. I knew it was odd that I wasn't saying anything, I mean, how could I pretend I didn't realise what was happening when her foot was directly touching me? However, I was speechless and completely shook that she'd do something so inappropriate. They were so brazenly goading me and invading my space to extreme levels, that I was caught off-guard. I'd been brushing Kim's foot off the whole time to the point that I'd acted like it wasn't bothering me. I'd allowed the provocation to build up to the stage that now they were evidently comfortable annoying me further.

Suddenly, Kim's foot disappeared from the armrest a seat over, and I let out a relieved sigh. Finally, she'd realised that they were comfortably trotting all over acceptable boundaries, and as a result, I spread out over the armrest immediately to my right, so that I could lean away from Chrissy's foot.

However, before I could even get comfortable, I felt Kim's toes poking against my right elbow. I flinched, and looked down, lifting my arm on instinct, and immediately, the grubby toes of Kim's foot moved onto the armrest that was right next to me. I blinked, and then was surprised to see that her toes disappeared. However, a second later, the toes of her left foot pushed against me, as her right foot returned to the armrest a seat away that it had already been resting on. Immediately, the smell increased, and I squirmed uncomfortably as my nose tingled.

"Wow, this is so much better," I heard Kim say. "I can like spread right out with both feet now." I looked out the corner of my eye at her feet with resentment while I was hunkered down in my seat, squashed right up in the middle in order to avoid the feet either side of me

"One leg is enough for me," Chrissy said. "I already feel way better."

I was biting my tongue, on the verge of spluttering some kind of retort, some kind of insult. Some kind of angry outburst. I had been more than reasonable with this pair of trashy teens; almost acting overly appeasing due to my earlier disruptive behaviour. I mean, I knew I was in the right, but I wasn't an idiot, and had been aware that my actions could be perceived as annoying to everyone else. I didn't want to be that woman who complains about everything, but, I also didn't want to be that woman that allows everyone else to walk all over her.

My lips were trembling as the anger raged, and when Kim relaxed her left foot so that the top of her toes rested up against my forearm, in effect, leaving me with a foot touching both of my arms, that was enough. I turned towards her, and was about to let rip with a tirade, when Marketa paused at my row while walking along the aisle. "Would you like more complimentary wine—" She trailed off while holding the bottle; her mouth hanging open in surprise. Our eyes met for a moment, before hers began looping around in a merry-go-round, darting between each of Kim's feet, myself in my awkward, cramped, position and then finally Chrissy's foot. After about three rotations of confusion, she looked up at me, and our eyes met once more. My face immediately sank into a deep, humiliated reddened blush, and then, completely mortified by the position she had found me in, I inexplicably looked forwards and pretended like I was selecting a new movie; as if none of this was even happening.

Even as Marketa remained crouching there at the end of my aisle, bottle of wine still poised in her grip, I pretended like I hadn't seen her and was ignorant to her presence. I even began to hum some ridiculous jingle, as my finger shook while I tapped at various buttons on the screen that I wasn't even paying attention to. My behaviour was ludicrous, and I could see by her hesitance that she was struggling to understand what she was witnessing; a woman, with two girls' feet all over her, pretending like it wasn't happening at all.

In my peripheral vision, I could tell that Marketa was looking at the girls' feet again, until eventually, her mouth closed, and she stood up. She seemed somewhat flustered, and she turned to continue to walk down the same direction of the aisle, before she paused, then took a step to return up the other. Again, she stopped, spinning and looking back towards my row, crouching down, and clearly about to say something. However, when I ignored her, and continued to mindlessly tap the screen, all while my cheeks were lighting up with embarrassment, she stood up straight, adjusted her skirt, then walked off while shaking her head.

Both girls burst out laughing having witnessed the entire, awkward exchange, which only made me sink into my seat and cower ever more.

"Oh my God," Chrissy said. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah, shit is wild."

"The flight attendant was like: what the hell is going on?"

"And she's still not saying anything," Kim marvelled in a bemused tone. "Maybe she really does like it?"

"You reckon?"

"I mean...why else would she let us do this?" With that, Kim shamelessly lifted her leg, slumped down the seat and then pressed the toes and ball of her foot into my cheek. While I gasped in surprise, she pushed until my head was forced right over and near the wall next to the window. Immediately, I was overcome by an intense feeling of embarrassment and I simply didn't know how to react to something so humiliating being inflicted upon me. On top of everything that was happening with my space being invaded, and with how Marketa had witnessed it all, I felt tiny and without any power.

Part of me had an urge to call out for help, but then I realised, to who? Another part of me didn't want to bring attention to what was happening. I'd been so animated and aggressive before take-off, that the last thing I wanted was for anyone to see me captive in such a precarious and embarassing position. It was bad enough that Marketa had already witnessed their feet all over me, but imagine she saw Kim's foot now pressed against my face too. If I yelled, or screeched in anyway, then everyone else in the cabin would look over and see what was happening.

As her foot sunk into my cheek, I stared across the aisle opposite. Thankfully, the guy immediately adjacent was asleep, along with his wife next to him. Their daughter, in the next seat over, was engrossed in whatever she was watching on the screen in front. The final teen furthest away, was playing some kind of game on a tablet. While I remained quiet, my humiliation was still somewhat secret. I wanted to keep it that way until I could figure out a direction out of this whole, mortifying situation.