Page 14 of Meet Me at the Metro

“Don’t be.” I give him a sympathetic smile and wave the pencil gripped between my fingers. “Mine now.”

“That’s fair,” he quietly chuckles.

I take a good, long look at my friend when I’m confident that his attention is focused back on Professor Henderson, noting the pink hue still covering his cheeks and the sudden tenseness in his composure.

I decide not to ponder the reasoning behind Connor’s sudden uneasiness, letting the strange tension between us go as I focus back on the lesson. But it’s not long before my thoughts drift off again, this time to the people waiting for me back in the States. Lately, I haven’t found much time to think about Mom, Dad, John, or my other friends back home.

Something about that truth is so painful to admit.

The time zone differences and demands of school have made it nearly impossible to find opportunities to call orFaceTimeany of them. I’ve only been in London for a month now, but I’m starting to realize how quickly this city has consumed me.

Connor nudges me with his elbow, drawing me out of my disappointing thoughts. “You good?”

“I’m fine,” I whisper, forcing a smile to my face. “Just a little homesick. That’s all.”

The evening September breeze is refreshing as Connor and I make our way out of class. I always appreciate the glow of campus at night. I love the quiet serenity that lingers once the day’s sunlight is tucked away beyond the city’s horizon and most students have left the college for the day. The luminescence of the street lamps lining the cobblestone sidewalks guides us through the darkness now blanketing the campus courtyard.

“Blimey,” Connor sighs. “I don’t think Henderson could make class more miserable to sit through if he tried.”

“Don’t say that! You’ll jinx us, and that’s exactly what he’ll do just to spite us.”

“You’re probably right. We’ve got targets on our backs after today.”

“We definitely do,” I giggle. “At least he didn’t give us any assignments to get done over the weekend.”

“Our literature reviews must be so impressive that he decided to bless us with a break.”

“Yeah,orhe’s just tired of reading the garbage we keep submitting and has decided to bless himself with a break.”

“That could be true, too,” he laughs. “But speaking of break…”

“Yeah?”

“If you don’t have any plans tonight, I was thinking of heading to that new burger joint they just opened down the street. Would you want to tag along?”

“I would love to, but I can’t tonight,” I sigh. “I promised myself that I would make some calls back home.”

“Ahh,” he nods politely. “I see.”

“What about next week? I really want to come. It’s just that I need to call John and—”

“I understand, Ellie. We can do next week.”

“Good because I’ve been craving a good burger since I got here.”

“Alright then, next week,” he says, smiling so widely that I can see all his bright teeth. He starts walking in the opposite direction and calls back, “Have a good night. See you Monday?”

“Monday,” I nod in agreement. “Hey, wait!Do you want your pencil back?”

“Nah! My gift to you.”

“For what?!”

“For saving my arse from Henderson!”

I watch his silhouette until it disappears within the shadows of the night. My surroundings are quiet now that Connor’s left, only the hum of passing cars in the distant city streets and the sound of rustling tree leaves filling my ears. I pull my phone from my pocket and walk until I find enough bars to make my first call to John.

I settle on a secluded park bench hidden beneath the shade of an oak tree, granting me the promise of four service bars so long as I sit still long enough to keep them. Feeling safe under the dim rays of lamp posts and the seclusion I’m granted on this part of campus, I start aFaceTimewith John.

---