Somewhere Else

Chapter 15: The Road Not Imagined (i)

"Let's hope she doesn't call on us, then," I murmur, looking down at my worksheets to avoid eye contact with Elina, who is casting her glance around the class, searching for her next prey.

"Zuzi!" She exclaims, with something of a look reminiscent of the cat that got the cream. "What did your group come up with? Can you share it with the class?"

Zuzi shoots us a look a horror, then drawls, "We think... that this is a topic that's too personal to discuss. We didn't come to a conclusion."

A few sniggers ripple throughout the class.

"Different ways to learn a language," says Elina slowly, fixing Zuzi with a flat look that reveals that she has been onto us all along, "is a topic that's too personal to discuss?"

I have to bite my lip to hold in my own giggle.

***

"I don't know why only I got in trouble," Zuzi mutters as we are walking out of the classroom. "The two of you didn't do the work either!"

Priscilla only laughs in response.

I don't react; I'm once again looking at my phone. Aksel's text about the weather – the weather, of all things – is still boldly displayed on the lock screen. I haven't unlocked my phone since the whole to-do Zuzi and Priscilla were making about the text in class earlier.

I should reply to his inane message. Except I don't quite know what to say.

Why has he been texting me? Was it something about my visit last Saturday that made him want to stay in contact, when he was all ready to cast me out before?

It is suddenly quiet. I look up from my phone, noting that Zuzi and Priscilla have both stopped talking.

I turn to Zuzi, a question on my lips, when I see her staring at something in the distance. She directs her next words at me, even though her doesn't take her eyes off what has caught her attention. "Emi... I think that guy over there is interested in you."

"He's been staring for a while now," Priscilla agrees.

"Either that or he's a stalker looking for his next victim," Zuzi says.

"Who?" I turn in the direction they're looking in.

"Or... wait." Maybe it's my stoic expression or the utter stillness that has come over me, but Zuzi is starting to come to a realisation.

Why is he here?

Without another word, I break away from the group and march up towards Aksel. He straightens up from the wall he is leaning against to greet me when I stop a few metres away. He opens his mouth, but I don't give him a chance to speak.

"What are you doing here?"

He shrugs, looking a little uncomfortable now. I think he can sense my prickliness even from all that distance away. "I was in the neighbourhood. I took a walk and ended up here."

My look of disbelief speaks louder than what I don't say.

I know where he lives – I've lived there. And I've always had to take a tram to even get to the university. There's no way he took a walk and ended up here at random.

He shrugs again, interpreting my look correctly. "It was a long walk."

I look down at the ground, taking in his Converse-clad feet. He doesn't wear sneakers to work. The shoes mean that he's gone home to change before this. That's a long way to walk right after work. It occurs to me that he might not even have had dinner yet, before I forcibly block the thought out.