The weekend had past by in a blur. My mind was still crawling over the little-big squabble mum and dad had the other day.
What did they mean? What had happened eighteen years back? I knew how stupid it may seem but I had a strong urge to build some time travel machine and go to see for myself.
I wanted to ask but most of the time neither of them were home, and the time when I came across them, they would flee as if I were a disease. First I had thought it was just the normal routine but it had become too much of a coincidence, for me to believe.
So, today when I woke up I had made up my mind to get hold of either of them before they get to work.I decided I'll get my answers, I had to confront them. Still in my night suite, not bothering to freshen up, afraid that I might miss them again, I walked down towards the kitchen following the mouthwatering aroma.
"Mum?"I asked as I entered the kitchen. She was putting together a sandwich. I went over from behind, back hugging her, I placed a kiss on her cheeck. "You must go and freshen up first."
"Mum about th-"
"London, I have to get going. Work calls. I had stuffed the fridge with tetra juices, have the sandwich before you leave. I love you, okay?" She said placing a soft peck on my forehead.
That was exactly what I meant. They were dismissing conveniently. Letting the issue loose for the some other time, I decided to freshen up.
After a nice warm shower, I pulled on a comfy sweatshirt and slimfit black denim. The weather outside was a lot more cooler compared to the heat just a few days back.
Munching on the sandwich, I made my way out of the house, managing to lock the door with a single hand. I got my Harley out of the garage. Finally shoving the last piece of the sandwich in my mouth I put it in gear.
It felt nice to let the wind weave through my hair as I sped on towards the college. I always put on my helmet, as a person grown in the big city, I had come to follow the rules from a very young age. But on days like today it felt good to break some rules. Smiling to myself I let serotonin run through my body. Although I didn't get the answers I wanted it still felt like an amazing day, oh how wrong I was.
After parking my bike under the shed, my usual place, I made my way towards the cafeteria. And just as I thought Clarice was there, but sitting on the table with her legs on the chair that Kai was sitting on. To someone it might look weird, but we already were well aware that Clarice was born weird.
"Hey London! You came in very early," she said jumping off the table onto her high heels. How does the girl even managed that?
"You finished the assignment Professor Canaluope gave us?" She put an arm around my shoulders dragging me with her to the first class.
Doomed
The first three lectures took forever to finish as I waited desperately for the lunch break. Monday and Thursday were the only days our lunch breaks coincided with the seniors. As soon as the lecture got over which I had desperately awaited, I practically ran out of the class. But I didn't go to the cafeteria, instead I made my way towards the Modern literature class I knew that the second years had just finished.
I stopped myself before I could crash into the guy I had waited to meet for so long.
"You got the script done?"I asked bouncing on my feet.
"I want to see." I almost ripped open Neil's bag to get my hand on the project file.
"Patience London. I don't understand just the other day you were going along with the story as if someone had made you agree holding you to the gun point. And now you are acting like a child wandering in Disney Land." Neil said shoving his folder away from my reach.
"For starters Neil Rivera I'm not a baby. But you kept us in the dark for the whole weekend. And the cliff hanger you left on the group chat! Be grateful that you are not buried underground, for I could have just killed you for making me die of curiosity."
I just needed to see for myself what I had gotten myself into, working opposite you know who...
"Okay I get it, but let's go get the others as well. We can have the reading together then."
I almost ran to the cafeteria pulling Neil with me. As I constantly complained about how slow he walked. After a lot of pushing and pulling, Neil and I reached the cafe. But what I saw there made me stop in my step making Neil crash into me.
"Why'd you stop like that?"
I just pointed at the sight in front of me. Even Neil was a little taken aback would be an understatement. Lorenzo sat besides Felix talking, and suddenly they broke into laughter. Laughing as if they had seen the funniest thing ever. It was safe to say that these two crackheads were going along better than I had assumed. Like minded breeds do find salvation in their own kind.
Why did I even quote that on them-
"What's so funny? Show me." I said as I tried to take a peek at the camera screen both Lorenzo and Felix were staring at, a moment ago. Felix suddenly flicked the screen off.
"Why is my picture in your camera? I was trying to have a look." I asked him trying to get hold of his precious device which he at once switched off.
"That only means one thing, I didn't want to show it to you." He sneered as his eyes crinkled with the laugh he was holding in, just then his eyes met Lorenzo's and it left him in yet another fit of laughter even though the latter was now back with his solace and still self. It looked pure madness, them going along and it definitely got to me though it shouldn't have so much.
Weird. Maybe it was absurd to even think that I might have a truce with the latter first, Felix was already friendship goals here.
"So, if you are all done let's have a look at the script, shall we?" Sometimes I think Neil is the only sane one in our group. Me exclusively included.
"Oh Finally! Open it, will you?" I said finally getting my hands on the file. I started reading, aloud taking my place across from Felix and besides Neil.
"Shh.. London, we don't want the whole cafeteria to know our story!" Felix shushed me glaring daggers.
"But it will take so much time for each one to read, it would be easier aloud." I pointed out.
"You know what, Edwards is right but this not the right place. Come on, get your asses off, I know just the right one." Lorenzo said getting up and gesturing towards the tallest structure on campus with his dazed eyes.
So reluctant at first, we went following him in close step. After many corridors and two flights of stairs, we reached what looked like an abandoned classroom, but locked.
Lorenzo got out a key from his back pocket, opening the door wide to let the three of us enter. It was indeed an abandoned classroom. It also had a small balcony but the wall separating the wall and the balcony had been broken and all ruins were piled up to one side. Also there were vines dangling and a few potted plants kept in front of the window, in the direct path of sunlight. My mouth was open in awe as I looked around the room. The room looked everything but abandoned, somebody used it on regular basis.
"Close your mouths, there might be some bugs around." With a sudden flinch we all shut our mouths. Embarrassed but still in awe.
"Damn Enzo I never knew something like this could exist." Felix said as he looked out of the in-room balcony. I joined him there too. The view was beautiful, unlike our own classrooms whose windows looked over the college grounds. It showed the backside of our college, which was semi submerged by the forest.
"T-this is absolutely breathtaking." I said looking over my shoulder towards Lorenzo, who was still standing by the door, proud of his little place.
"Be grateful, I'm in the Council and I've the keys." He said as he too walked over to the balcony, besides me.
His grey hair fluttered to his face but he didn't bother to put them back. His brown orbs hid behind the curtains as he closed his eyes, feeling the breeze caress his face. He looked so peaceful. I would have almost stroked his face if he had not opened his eyes. I pulled back my hand, averted my eyes, a flush covered my face as he caught me staring.
"So shall we start with the discussion?" I wanted to give Neil one massive hug for saving me, unknowingly, from the building tension.
All of us joined Neil at the centre of room, bringing our own chairs from the abandoned pile in the corner. Lorenzo dragged in a desk and hopped on it like some lazy monkey. We soon settled down and Neil started to read. "But I wanted to read." I poked in between.
"You are being such a baby today. What happened to you over the weekend?" Felix asked.
"I'm not a fucking baby! I just want to read."
"This is not a fair copy, I need to make changes as we read, put in your suggestions. You can read tomorrow when I get you the fair copy. Fine?" Neil said, like the adult he was, always solving the problems.
So Neil continued. While we listened to the rich words falling from his mouth. The story was beautiful. I had seen both the movie and the required DVDs from our earlier discussion over the weekend, and Neil had done an amazing job of merging the stories and various plot lines, while adding a little touch of his own as well. So it went on as Felix, Lorenzo and I, poked in between once in a while putting in our own things or removing off the excessive non required stuff. The story had a sad ending with the lovers parting off to go onto their own ways.
"So basically Enzo's character has sapphire blue hair to showcase the warmth of their love. But towards the end the colour will fade away as the warmth recedes and their love comes to an end?"Felix concluded as we finished reading the script.
"Yes exactly. So meaning..."Neil was doubting himself so speak the next words as he looked over towards Lorenzo.
"No! No fucking way I'm dying my hair. I'm doing the acting and that's already a lot to consume for myself."Lorenzo said, moving his hands in the air to convey his words without speaking, but couldn't. So finally added,"I won't."
"But it would look so fine, making the end memorable." Felix urged him trying to make the most of their new friendship.
I didn't get the point in his reluctance in this case, his hair were already dyed platinum gray. It wasn't like his hair were a complete alien to some foreign chemicals.
Annoying loser
"Look I don't know what's your issue here. You just have to spray dye them temporarily, plus you already have bleached them earlier. And dying does highlight the character more..." I told him with an understanding underlying that might knock some sense in him, though I doubted that highly.
"It highlights their love. C'mon Lorenzo don't make this any more difficult." Neil coaxed his eyebrows at him putting away his file, stating the obvious facts.
"But-"Lorenzo looked like he wanted to argue further but one look from Neil shut him down.
"So we are done here. You'll have your scripts by tomorrow morning and by this time tomorrow we will start shooting the first scene." the professional producer of our team ended.
"But isn't it like a bar scene? How are we going to shoot that?" Felix pointed out.
"Yeah, it was that way in the original movie. But the bar would be too loud to shoot in, so I was thinking of altering it to the pub instead. What do y'all think? We can shoot at Rotes Gutränk." He said raising a single eyebrow in question.
"Sounds like a plan. So we are meeting tomorrow in the cafeteria collecting our scripts, memorizing it through the day and shooting it by the evening?" I said summarising the whole plan.
"Yeah, that's all about it."Neil agreed.
"But what about my camera? I have to go get it after the lectures get over. I can't carry it around the whole day and neither can I risk putting it into the lockers."Felix asked.
"Let's do it this way, after all of our classes are done for the day we can meet at the parking lot and go to the cafe via Felix's house. He can collect the camera as well as he will have a ride to pick him up, we can use my Thar." Lorenzo suggested in a small tone, like the unbothered he was.
Everyone agreed. So we left our secret hideout after putting everything back in place. Neil excused himself for his next class and Felix went along with him. Whilst I waited as Lorenzo locked the door, I could have just walked away on my own but I knew I would obviously get lost in the empire size structure. So I stayed.
Lorenzo and I walked side by side, down the stairways. Suddenly my stomach grumbled reminding me that I had skipped lunch and one morning sandwich wasn't healthy for surviving the day, I felt embarrassed when I saw Lorenzo's face lit up with a nasty smirk.
"Hey stop that." I don't know if I mumbled that to my hungry stomach or to the loser besides me.
"C'mon let's grab something before next class."
I simply nodded, obviously taken aback at first but I assumed he might be hungry as well.
So out of nowhere he grabbed the hood of my sweatshirt and pulled me down with him as he ran down the huge staircase. Butterflies popped into my stomach, mostly because every step I took I felt like I was about to crash headfirst, leaving a blood mess for other's to clean up, but Lorenzo's tight grip did not let me. In no time we were standing in front of the college cafeteria. Lorenzo's grip on my clothing loosened as he walked towards the counter, leaving me begging to catch my breath.
Fucking little- who pulls someone that way! Nasty annoying gorgeous brat
I went and sat at our usual table, that was currently empty. Soon Lorenzo came over handing me a hotdog, he took a seat across me. I frowned looking at the hotdog in my hand. Not to be impolite or anything but the stuff looked stale, it just looked. It wasn't I hoped.
But before I could have said something, Lorenzo stopped me,"Don't complain it was the last thing left, before the next delivery would come."
I was about to tell him that I could have waited till the next delivery, but he stopped me again. As if reading my mind he said, "The next delivery was not due until an hour. So shut up and eat."
Still frowning I munched on my hotdog. He checked the time in his cell and it was probably time for his swim club, soon enough I had to leave for my lecture as well, he parted ways first.
The hotdog which I prayed wasn't stale left a warm feeling in my chest, or was it something else. I wondered as I climbed the railings towards my next class.
~¤~
(A/n: Hello readers,
Alors, que pensez-vous de la sensation de chaleur dans la poitrine de Londres? Cela va devenir beaucoup plus intéressant.
As Maads told in the last chapter, it has been raining here unusually and heavily. I love the rain, it makes me want to write, with a hot cup of coffee by my side. But it's becoming a lot bad here, the streets are getting flooded. I'm grateful that we don't have to go out anytime soon. Anyway you guys be safe.
And now I'm going to go and attend my online lecture.
Lots Of Love -Aarch)