Loose Ends | Kat

january 8, 2018 | kat

Missed chapter 4? Go to @kmorgannn18's account under the story Loose Ends | Miles. Sorry for not posting on time - I was up until 3am watching The Greatest Showman. 

Please enjoy!!

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UNIVERSITY OF LONDON, U.K.

THE MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE of the university before me was both daunting and enchanting. I'd hoped it would calm my nerves to pretend this was a castle and not my first day of college in a foreign country, but the fluttering in my stomach told me otherwise.

Students who obviously knew the campus much better than I did walked briskly past me to get to their classes. I wasn't in a rush. None of my classmates dared take morning classes, leaving me to wander campus alone. But I didn't mind. I got to spend my final semester before graduation in London of all places. That in and of itself was exciting.

I pulled out my phone again to check my schedule and try to figure out where exactly in this expansive building my class was being held.

"Lost?"

I turned around to find a tall guy standing almost a foot away from me with the most stunning green eyes and a mop of curly golden hair. He carried himself with confidence, and his lips were pulled into a small, cocky smile as if he knew something I didn't.

"What?" I asked. "No. I'm fine."

He chuckled. "You're American and you're wandering around like a lost puppy. Let me guess: studying abroad?"

I crossed my arms. "So what if I am?"

His eyes flashed with something close to mischief and he raised his hands in surrender. "Calm down, Miss Americana. I'm just trying to help. You know, 'chivalry's not dead' and the lot?"

"I'm not on the market for a knight in shining armor, but thanks anyway. I think I can handle this on my own," I said before turning and walking away.

"You're going in the wrong direction!" The guy called out.

I glanced at him over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "How do you know where I'm going?"

"First off, if you keep walking in that direction, you'll end up in the middle of Regent's Park. Second, you're carrying a Criminal Law textbook." He pointed a finger behind him. "Those classrooms are that way."

I stopped in my tracks. A quick look around me clearly indicated I wasn't where I needed to be, which meant this stupid British know-it-all was right. Reluctantly, I changed my course to where my class hopefully was.

"I don't need your help," I told him as I walked past, still trying to maintain my pride. That is, until I realized that guy had an ego bigger than Mount Everest.

"What, no thank you?"

"Nope," I called back before making a turn through an entranceway.

Who did he think he was?

The expansive corridor was mostly empty by the time I got to the end of it, entering the door marked 216. The classroom itself wasn't as impressive as the exterior of the school. Rows of chairs surrounded a desk and whiteboard like an amphitheatre. Most of the seats were already full, but I secured a spot in the middle.

I quietly removed a notebook and pen from my backpack and listened to the students around me. Meet-and-greets, exchanges about how final exams went last semester and what families did over Christmas break, curiosity about what others were studying and how close they were to graduation.

As soon as the clock hit 9:00, a middle-aged man with a beard and thick glasses entered and placed his briefcase onto the front table. The students all began to settle as he passed around a small green packet.

"Good morning everyone. My name is Professor Donahue, and this is International Criminal Law," he said. "Hopefully you're all in the right class. Feel free to leave if you aren't. We won't judge you." A few scattered laughs bounced around the room after Professor Donahue's attempt at humor. He smiled warmly. "What's being passed around is the syllabus for this course. Do not lose it."

As I received mine, I passed the remaining papers on to the next student absentmindedly. The professor started to lecture on information in the syllabus, what we would be studying, and how each day in class would go. Boring.

"Now, I know the end of the semester seems far away, but our final for this course is a group project," Professor Donahue explained. I rolled my eyes. A group project? My seven semester streak on the honor roll was in the hands of some stranger? "My reason for bringing this up is because you will be working on this project and meeting with your partner periodically throughout the semester and applying what you learn throughout the course." He turned on the classroom projector and displayed a list of all the students' names in pairs. "There are five minutes left in class. Please use them to find your partner and exchange information."

Everyone immediately got to their feet, wandering the class to try and find who would be partially responsible for their final grade. I squinted to get a better look at the list and quickly found my name.

Katrina Burke and Miles Tennant.

Sighing, I packed my things and stood with the rest of my class. I walked up and down the aisles, asking a classmate their name or responding when they asked for mine. No sign of a 'Miles' yet.

I stopped a nice-enough looking guy with a shock of dark hair before he exited the amphitheatre. "Would you happen to know who Miles Tennant is?"

The boy's face broke into a grin. "An American?"

I gave him a tight-lipped smile. "How observant of you. But do you know—?"

"Yeah, yeah," he interrupted, and pointed behind me. "He's the tall blond bloke over there."

"Thanks," I said. But nothing could have prepared me for who I was about to see.

That boy from earlier with his arrogance and handsome face was the Miles Tennant that I had to willingly spend my time with if I wanted to pass this course.

What a sick, twisted joke fate had played on me.

Before I could even consider what to do next, Miles made his own way over. He must have noticed me watching him. Hopefully he could see my obvious disdain. Surprisingly, though, he looked amused as a carefree grin played on his lips. It was annoyingly attractive. Of course, he knew that already. I immediately scorned myself for letting the thought pass through my mind.

"I see you found the classroom, Katrina," he said. "Or should I call you partner?"

"It's Kat," I corrected. "And yes, no thanks to you."

Miles raised an eyebrow, though my words clearly didn't have the effect I thought they would. "Is that so? You know, Kat, I rather like this game. Not sure it will help us with our assignment, though."

"What part of this is a game to you, exactly?"

His smirk melted into a grin. "That depends on you."

I heaved out a frustrated sigh. This was ridiculous. I unlocked my phone and gave it to him, a new contact template open. "Just give me your number and I'll text you later about the project."

Miles typed at my screen before handing my phone back. "We'll be in touch," was all I said before I pushed my way out of the room.

This was going to be a long semester. 

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Chapter 5 on @kmorgannn18's account next Tuesday at 9PM EST (I hope) under the story Loose Ends | Miles