Legion of Loch Ness

Chapter Twelve

       After arriving in London, Arabella had done her very best to stick to the itinerary she'd made for herself. Unfortunately, she kept getting sidetracked by tourist localities and numerous restaurants that claimed they served the best fish and chips in the city. It was almost alarming how easy it was to picture herself there next year, as a student, walking through long London alleys. Although she conceded, it was difficult to imagine herself without Jason, who tended to inadvertently pop up in her various reveries.

      Her cell phone had lost signal completely, so she'd had to rely on the hotel's phone to make an international call and inform her mother that she'd made it safely. After warning her about the dangers of walking alone in the streets, Arabella thought she'd cleverly throw in a joke about Jack the Ripper. Unfortunately, her mother hadn't responded well to that, staying on the call for an additional forty minutes in order to detail the many crimes that took place in London, constantly reminding her to remain careful. Once her mother had reluctantly signed off, she was left free to explore the city.

     Her first day there had been completely sidetracked by distractions, so Arabella was determined to closely follow her plan for Day 2. First, she had a tour booked for the prestigious university of her dreams. She'd sent in her application but hadn't heard back yet, so perhaps it was presumptuous of her to tour the college now. Still, she couldn't tamp down her excitement as she edged along the old cobblestone path leading to the castle-like building.

     A small table had been set up outside the entrance, a few students touring the college lined up along the side. The person running the table was a girl around her age, who smiled at her when it was her turn.

     "Name?" she asked politely.

      "Arabella Thameson," she replied, smiling warmly back at her. It was difficult to explain, but the air in London seemed more comfortable to Arabella. Perhaps it had to do with the recent rainfall; if she concentrated enough, she could practically track the beads of moisture woven through the fogged air. "I'm here for the tour of the main campus."

      "Ah, yes," the girl picked up a name tag that had Arabella's name printed on it in thick black letters, along with a folder that contained a few documents. "Enclosed are the plans for the day, along with supplementary information about applications, acceptances, and so on. If you have any questions, feel free to ask anyone with this badge," she paused to point at the golden tag pinned to her sweater, before continuing "For assistance."

     Arabella thanked her and moved to her designated group. But they already seemed well-acquainted, pausing when Arabella hovered near them. She smiled as she entered their little ring, attempting to emulate Victoria's natural conversational skills. "Hi, I'm Arabella."

    Some of them smiled back, while others looked on curiously. One of the boys raised his brow, smirking easily as he took in her appearance. "An American! What a surprise."

      Of course, it hadn't been a surprise, Arabella thought with a roll of her eyes. Countless foreigners had booked the tour at the college- it was one of the most highly-ranked institutions in the world, after all. But she took his comment in stride, tilting her head as she considered ways to wipe the cocky smirk off his face. Before she could reply though, another voice cut in, quiet and sharp as always.

       "If just one American is such a shock to you, you'll be astonished to know there's an entire country of us," he said. Despite the impossibility, a gasp escaped her and she turned to find the startlingly handsome Jason standing there, an expression of unimpressed boredom on his face. "I'd be happy to locate a world-map for you, if you're interested."