After expertly landing the scouting plane, I popped the canopy open and hopped out onto the tarmac. Breathing in the fresh air, my lungs welcomed the faint smell of oil and metal; a familiar scent that brought me back to the days when this airport had been bustling with activity—before it fell into disuse. I looked around at the deserted runways, which were littered with debris: abandoned cargo, scattered tools, empty fuel barrels, even a few rusting aircraft. This place had seen better days.

A whoop of excitement broke me out of my contemplation—I spun to see a pair of legs clad in cargo pants hanging from the engine compartment. As the legs emerged, a white, grease stained tank top was revealed until finally her head was clear. The face that gazed at me had slightly thick eyebrows, tousled blonde hair, a small nose and freckles, as well as a smear of machine grease on her forehead. My childhood friend was examining the plane I'd landed; She'd been the one to repair it. Jeanne was a certified greasemonkey, while I was a pilot and She had roped me into a test flight of her latest project. Her thorough examination of the craft didn't take long—soon the tomboyish mechanic turned to regard me with bright eyes, completely unfazed by the grease and oil stains on her top half.

"Well?" she asked expectantly, her tone slightly anxious.

I took off my cap and ran my fingers through my short brown hair. "It's fine," I nodded, "the thing flies like a dream."

"I'll be damned!" Jeanne grinned like an excited child, flinging her arms wide. "Hug!"

Jeanne smelled of grease, sweat and metal—there was no way I was going to let her hug me. Backing away, I looked for an easy escape, but my childhood friend could easily guess at my intention to flee. Her mouth perked up into a mischievous grin and the chase was on. If I'd just told her to clean up first, she might have listened but my actions were a challenge. Jeanne's competitive nature meant that the tomboy wasn't going to let me escape an embrace, no matter how much she stank.

"Hey, no fair!" Jeanne shouted from behind me, the sound of her voice getting close.

She lunged past, spinning to block my path before dashing towards me—I couldn't escape the impending bear hug.