Rewind

XXX: London

     The plan is perfect and actually convenient because my parents are in a crucial part of the research they are carrying out so they wanted to spend the whole weekend working on it but they were worried about me, hence when I suggested I wanted to spend the weekend at Sam to study they were relieved. When they have these moments they usually take me with them to uni and I spend my whole time at the library, but they still worry and that's inconvenient during their work so this arrangement really suits them. I think they would even let me go to London if I tell them but I rather not risk it and go with what we planned with Sam.

That's why when I'm dropped at Sam's I know my parents won't even call me because they'll be too busy working as to remember they have a daughter. I'll have to send some text messages to remind them to eat and to tell them I'm alive.

And once I'm with Sam, Mrs White drives us to the train station where I'll meet with Zeke.

"Take care, don't do anything reckless and please promise me this is the last time you do something like this," Mrs White makes me promise and I nod.

"First and last. If I ever do a field trip again, Sam will come with us and my parents will be aware of it," I swear and give her a hug before I get off the car. Sam comes with me.

"I'm so excited I feel butterflies in my stomach!" Sam shrieks and I laugh because I feel the same way. I'm so eager I can't even begin to have expectations because if I do that I'll get too anxious.

I'm just carrying a backpack with the essential things I'll need to stay overnight. Zeke made all the arrangements to stay there—we'll stay at a Beth's friend's flat—and bought the tickets for the concert. I bought the train tickets.

When we make it to the platform he's already there, all dark and mysterious keeping people away in this cold day. He's even smoking but I know he'll throw it away the moment he sees me, and his whole aura will change, too. He's like that.

"Zeke," I call out loud and he turns in my direction, the cigarette trapped between his lips that curl up in a happy smile. He grabs the cigarette, throws it to the floor, steps on it before picking it up and throwing it to the rubbish bin; only then he walks up to us.

"Hello there," he says, his eyes so intent on me and I feel my heart racing and my stomach filled with butterflies. It's so funny to say that because I know it's not like that, yet I go for the socially accepted metaphor. "Hi, Sam," he greets later and she has this humongous smile. For some reason she reminds me of Sponge Bob with that expression.

"Hi," she squeals and I blush, even Zeke blushes a bit. I think both of us are too aware of this situation, that this is a date and Sam is only making it more evident. "Okay, I'll leave you two and amuse myself somehow while you two enjoy Snow Patrol..." she sighs heavily and we chuckle. She loves Snow Patrol and I don't blame her, I've been listening to them the whole week, which means loving them. "Have fun!" she still wishes us giving us a hug each. "Take care of her, okay? Don't kill yourselves or something," she adds addressing Zeke in particular. "Bye!"

And then she runs away, leaving us two alone there. It's a bit awkward but we're saved when the train arrives. We don't say anything as we board and look for a place to sit. As I said, we're too aware so for a while, none of us says anything, we just look at the landscape. Eventually I start to relax as I see the scenery and I get excited, realising we are actually going to London, just the two of us. And when Zeke sees me like this, he also relaxes. We start a casual conversation about the places we've visited, and I, of course, can barely contribute to this conversation. I can fully describe Manchester University and the science department, which is what I've gone to the most. Zeke has visited other places and he likes to travel alone.