Red-faced, he finally raised his seat. Instantly, I could breathe—and bend my legs. The flight attendant passed by again and gave me a tiny thumbs-up. Even my mom whispered, “Kind of mean… but genius.” The rest of the flight? Peaceful and way more comfortable.

When we landed, the guy glanced at me but didn’t say a word. As we walked off the plane, my mom chuckled and said, “Sometimes standing up for yourself takes creativity.” I nodded, proud of my snack-based revenge. Though next time, I might just beg her for first class.