The plane cabin buzzed quietly as the two settled in for their long-haul flight from Florida to China. Jake, 19, flopped into his seat next to Gaby, his girlfriend and college classmate at the University of Kentucky. The flight was nearly 19 hours, but that didn’t phase him—he had one goal: annoy Gaby the entire way.

Gaby, 18, adjusted her hoodie and tucked her carry-on beneath the seat. “Okay, babe,” she said, looking over at him, “if you start being weird, I’m moving across the aisle.”

Jake smirked. “You’re not going anywhere. I need someone to bother for the next 19 hours.”

She rolled her eyes with a grin and pulled out her neck pillow. “I regret everything.”

As soon as the plane took off, Jake started the chaos. He kept poking her side just enough to make her squirm, then pretending he didn’t do anything.

“Jake, stop,” she warned for the third time, batting his hand away.

“I’m just checking if you’re awake,” he replied innocently.

At one point, he turned her overhead light on and off repeatedly.

“Why are you like this?” she muttered, turning her head to the side as she tried to nap.

“Because I love you,” he whispered, before sticking a piece of gum on her tray table.

Gaby stared at him. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

“You’re lucky you’re stuck with me for 17 more hours,” Jake said proudly.

Later, as she finally dozed off with her head tilted toward him, he took a quick selfie of them—her asleep and him throwing up a peace sign—and sent it to their friends group chat with the caption: She’s asleep. Time to start the real mischief.

She stirred awake eventually and peeked at his phone. “Did you seriously post that?”