Chelsea has lived at Wellstone Academy for most of her life. Trevor started mid way through the previous year and has held Chelsea's attention captive since his arrival. She is quiet and reclusive, he is quite the opposite. As a two week long spring...
Trevor led Chelsea out of the hotel to the busy streets of Barcelona. It was late in the afternoon, and they were getting hungry despite the few snacks Trevor had picked up. She followed and hoped he knew where they were headed.
"Don't lose me. I have no idea how to find the hotel if I get lost," Chelsea said as she followed him into the street.
"Don't worry, I won't lose you," Trevor said as he took her hand.
The sounds that swirled around them muted and the sights of people moving past became a blur. Trevor's hand gripped hers firmly but with a gentle feel that stirred something inside her. Keeping her back straight and shoulders drawn back no longer seemed like a chore. She no longer worried about the shortened kilt or open buttons of her blouse. Somehow, his hand wrapped around hers brought new life to her body. It felt warm and strange, unfamiliar. It felt comfortable and exciting.
They had walked two blocks but for Chelsea it seemed like they hadn't moved at all. Time, like the people and buildings along the way, had passed by her unnoticed. The street in front of the hotel she saw as busy and crowded was just a sampler for where they were headed, Les Rambles. The street was alive with people and shops. The road was divided by a strip of land bustling with people, moving about small shops set under a canopy of trees. The buildings that lined the street on either side had no shortage of store fronts. Mixed in with clothing stores and restaurants were a healthy selection of hotels and souvenir shops.
Trevor quickly scanned the area before his eyes turned towards Chelsea. The look of wonder on her face and the feel of her hand in his made him feel at peace within himself. He took in a deep breath as shivers raced through him. She looked at him and smiled. The events that had darkened his character over the preceding week were tucked away and hidden. She had drawn out a version of Trevor that even he didn't know existed.
"Ahhh, yeah! This is called Les Rambles," Trevor stammered. "If you keep walking that way you'll get to the Mediterranean. There's a statue of Columbus right at the end. We're not going that far. At least not today. We'll go into the Gothic Quarter, have a look around for a while then find some place to eat."
On the east side of Les Rambles Trevor stopped in front of a clothing store. He paused for a moment and looked towards Chelsea. She gazed at the colourful patterns and trendy clothing displayed in the window.
"You might want to do some shopping here sometime," Trevor said.
Chelsea smiled but didn't say a word. Any clothing she had ever owned that was not part of a school uniform never had so much colour in a single item. Even the blue denim jeans on display were highlighted with bright multi-colour accents. A couple items featured on beautiful models of posters hanging in the window had caught her eye. If Trevor was suggesting this place, perhaps she might have to consider buying something. Perhaps.
"I should get your number, in case we get separated," Trevor said as he pulled his phone out of his back pocket.
Chelsea shook her head.
"What's this?" he asked, mimicking her head movement. "No? You follow me to Europe but won't give me your phone number?"
"I don't have a cellphone."
"No phone! Really?" Trevor said with a shocked expression. "Okay, well, do you have a pen, paper, maybe some place to jot down my number?"
Chelsea opened her purse and took out a small note pad and a pen. Trevor wrote down his phone number and email address then, on a second piece of paper, made a quick map and marked it with the hotel and a couple reference points.
"If we get separated, don't worry. I'll find you, just stay put. Stay wherever you are. If you can, get someone to text me or even email and let me know where you are. And, if all else fails, it's not much but this little map might help you find your way back to the hotel."
Chelsea slipped the note pad and pen back into her purse. Trevor waited until she was finished, then took her hand again and guided her into the maze of narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter. She trailed slightly behind for a while, not looking at where she was walking, instead taking in the sights of old stone architecture around her. Every direction she looked there was something to see; even looking down at the street under her feet seemed to provide a view of history. She eventually walked by his side with matched walking pace and her hand comfortably held in his.
The narrow streets gave way to the open space of Plaza Saint Jaume. Chelsea's eyes opened wider as she gazed at the buildings. To her left was the building that houses the government of Catalan. The face of the building was almost plain looking. The grandest feature was four pillars, two on either side of a doorway and a statue above it. Once she had moved far enough away form the front of the building, she could see a blue and yellow domed roof set back from the front. On the opposite side of the plaza was the Barcelona City Hall. Decorative windows flanked a central block. A pair of statues set in the façade on either side of an arched doorway sat beneath four pillars that extended up to the roof line where a coat of arms sat below three flags.
"Somewhere around here there's a walkway or something between the buildings. It's really—" Trevor said as they crossed the plaza. "—there it is."
Chelsea looked down the narrow road beside the government building. A decorative stone walkway spanned the narrow space to the neighboring building.
"I wish I brought my camera," Chelsea said.
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A/N - Heading photo of Les Rambles. Final photo, stone arch looking towards Plaza St. Jaume
