Chapter 2
A Name Coming To Light
Four hours later and we were strolling through a park on the outskirts of London.
"OK, ummmmm, favourite movie?" I question Harry as I eat my icecream. I watch as Harry's face scrunches up in concentration and I feel a small smile tug at the corners of my mouth.
"The Notebook." He tells me. I raised my eyebrows. Who knew?
I'd gotten to know Harry during our long walk. He's funny, lives here in London with another guy whose name I can't remember, he has a sister called Gemma and his mum's name is Anne. He hasn't always lived in London though apparently, something came up which caused him to move here. Something he was very vague about.
"Ummm, ok hobby?" I ask.
"Singing." OK, well that's not what I thought he'd say. I cast him a curious glance and I can't help but think what an awesome pop star he'd make. I snort at my own thoughts shaking my head in self-exasperation.
"I'm imagining old time rock 'n' roll." I give him a side-long look.
"Something like that, yeah." and then we keep walking. "What about you? Hobbies?" He asks.
"I actually write a bit and I draw sometimes too. And I can sing a killer version of the Phantom of the Opera." I joke and Harry laughs with me. I don't tell him that I'm currently helping my Mum design her new fashion line with a few modern twists. We'll be written as co-designers.
"I'm sure that's true." he pauses for a few seconds and then, "what about your favourite movie?"
"Can't think of your own questions?" I snort.
"Fine, would you rather never have chocolate again or never have cheese again?" He shoots back and I gape at him.
"That's a cruel 'would you rather'." I accuse.
"What can I say, I'm a mastermind. So which one?" He pushes.
"Jeeze, give me a minute would you?"
"Time is ticking. Every moment brings us closer to the end of chocolate."
"Stop it."
"Tick, tock. Tick, tock." He twitches his finger back and forth with the sounds.
"FINE! Cheese. I'd never have cheese again." I finally decide.
"Good choice. It'd be sad never to have chocolate again."
I just glare at him.
"Alright, now your favourite movie?" He asks again and I just laugh at him, shaking my head.
"It's The Conjuring 2."
Harry shoots me an unimpressed look. "Weirdo."
"Thanks." I snipe back. "You know, I've had a really good time today. It wasn't what I expected my day to be, but I was not disappointed." I tell him truthfully. It's strange, today was supposed to be me being dragged around a mall by my sister and it's turned into something much more pleasant. With a stranger I met in the CD store. Probably not my best idea, walking away with a stranger.
"Yeah, I had a good day too. Thanks for saying yes back there."
"Don't mention it."
"Didn't your parents ever teach you about stranger danger?"
"I'm sure they did. Right after they told me about eating my vegetables and that too many sweets are bad."
"Ah, I understand. You tuned out?"
"Oh. most definitely." and then Harry laughs, the sound deep and husky and it makes me laugh too.
We'd moved deeper into the park now, walking towards a fountain in the middle of the green space. I stared at the fountain for a while. Watching the way the mist created phantom rainbows. Watching how the larger drops created never ending ripples in the pond below. There were a few coins scattered under the water, wishes dropped into the restless water. The sound of the water filled the empty space of the park. People were scattered here and there enjoying the sunshine. Their conversation thrummed under the waterfall beats.
"I love this place." I tell him.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"Every time I come here, something is different. It's never ending, and even if you see the same thing; people picnicking, walking, cycling it's always different because the people are. Sometimes I try to imagine what their lives are like. Who they go back to at the end of the day, or who they don't. What they do to fill their time or what is predefined. It's not just the people though, the fountain's water is always different, never quite flowing the same although a constant speed, the catching light always changes. It's an organised chaos." It was so easy to talk to him. Just let things flow.
"I've never thought about parks like that." He replies softly, shuffling behind me and taking in the park in a new light.
"I can't stop myself from thinking about it." I chuckle slightly, brushing off the conversation.
We finally settle on a retaining wall, a short distance from the fountain.
The silence isn't uncomfortable. Perhaps we're both lost in the tranquility of the park and our own minds.
"You still haven't told me your name." Harry's voice broke into my musings.
"Haven't I?"
"Nope."
"How interesting." I shoot back and Harry huffs in annoyance and amusement.
"I guess I can keep calling you Songbird for a while then."
"Unlikely, my name is Hope." I tell him finally. It's just ridiculous that I hadn't told him yet.
"Hope. Interesting name."
"Yeah, my dad chose it. He always said I looked like Hope." I'd never understood my Dad's reasoning but I didn't mind my name.
"Better than some names though."
"Definitely."
"Well, I'm glad I met you, Hope." Harry says after a few silent minutes.
"Likewise." And my heart skips its next three beats at the smile he sends my way.
YOU ARE READING
Meant For You
FanfictionSometimes love just sneaks up on you and sometimes it's for the best. Sometimes though things go horribly wrong and you don't know which way to turn. Sometimes it's a mix of both. Hope lived a perfectly normal life, or as normal as can be with a mum...
