The Stalkers' Guide To Roadtrips

Day 18: There's Fresh Air Inside, Right?

                                                It’s such a pity a boy so pretty,

                                                        With an ugly heart

 

Start Destination: Helsinki, Finland

End Destination: Helsinki, Finland

Via: Hartwall Arena

 

9:03AM (GMT) / 11:03AM (Local Time)

 

We wake up one by one the next morning, each of us slowly waking although it takes all of us a while. I am the last up; I have had a fitful night of sleep and so I took the opportunity to have a lie in. In my head it is a good decision, despite tossing and turning all night I somehow do not feel exhausted the next morning.

When I reach the kitchen Rosie is cooking a big breakfast and is chatting to El and Levi who are sat at an island counter in the middle of the room. They all look up when I enter but Levi refuses to meet my eye. I mumble a good morning although it is cut off by a loud yawn.

“Somebody’s still tired?” Rosie teases.

“I’m not really,” I reply, “my body just thinks it is.”

Elise laughs at me and beckons me over to look at whatever is on her laptop screen. She appears to be taking the opportunity to catch up on her social media sites and I watch as she scrolls through tumblr, stuck in an endless stream of posts, not that I’m complaining. Occasionally Levi looks over at her screen in confusion, trying to work out what it is that we find so amusing about pictures of band members. He doesn’t understand, he isn’t as obsessed with something as we are so he’s never experienced this kind of idolism.

I ignore his looks and instead focus on wondering how on earth people come up with some of the stuff I’m looking at. It would never occur to me to edit pictures of Blakely to make them look like Shadowhunters. Some people are so much cooler than me.

It is as I am wondering this that Rosie places a plateful of food in front of me. I am about to insist that it is too much when my stomach lets out a loud rumble and I realise just how hungry I really am. It appears I need food, and nothing is going to stop my stomach from getting me to it.

The kitchen falls silent as we tuck into the food and I once again feel the urge to thank Rosie’s parents for blessing the world with her cooking skills. They make me feel seriously inadequate, and she is going to be the best roommate to have at university.

I seem to not be the only one in that sort of mood, Levi lets out moans of appreciation and Elise has a look on her face as if she is tasting ambrosia. We all compliment Rosie on her cooking and she just blushes nervously.

When we’re finished we quickly collect and wash up our plates before having a discussion about the days plans and going our separate ways to get dressed and ready for the day.

10:17AM (GMT) / 12:17AM (Local Time)

 

When we stumble out of the house we are dazzled by the sunlight almost blinding us, I squint and Levi quickly rushes to shield his eyes.

The two of us keep our distance as we begin our walk, Rosie and Elise somehow managing to make the conversation flow without awkwardness, I skill I wish I had but have never quite managed to acquire.