Bookish London

Chapter 5 - Liz

I wake up in the morning, painfully remembering that today I must start that history lab work with that annoying brat that is Kyle James Carter.
Ugh, I only do it because of my grade, otherwise I’d flip partners whenever, if it wasn’t for the fact that Mr Charleston halves the grade if we change partners…honestly, I just want to get this thing over with.
I put on my uniform, grab my study bag, say goodbye to my mum and rush out of the door, I don’t want to be late.
It’s barely twenty minutes past seven in the morning and my brain just cannot function, so I catch the yellow line instead of the green one on the tube.
Which isn’t a problem, being that they are parallel until my school’s stop, although this is usually Carter’s turf.
Yes, we have different sides of the city where we usually go, completely different, as to avoid each other.
Surely enough, I walk inside the train and there he is, reading his Dorian Gray, with the only seat available right next to me.
Oh, my hell, why do you like to play these games on me. Fine, I’d rather stand anyway.
Unexpectedly, he looks up from his book, his brownish-green gaze turning towards me.
I stand there like an idiot and look the other way. This has never happened before…I don’t know how to act…it’s not like he owns the place for hell’s sake!
I don’t owe him an explanation for nothin-.
“Hey Cuthbert. What brings you here this fine morning?” what the hell- we’re literally underground you idiot! Why do I have to go through this without my coffee! I can’t do mornings without my coffee!
“Oh, shut up, Carter!” I yell, making the other travellers’ faces turn towards me. I turn my back against him and blow down my embarrassment.
I had gone all red over my face, because I hate causing a scene, I’m an introvert, I like being ignored, most times.
“Oh, come on, don’t give me that tone, Cuthbert! Sit here, don’t stand there like it’s normal!” the courage he has to say that- I will not accept this!
“Are you for real, huh, Carter!? Just leave me alone!” I woke up on my bad nerves today and his insufferable remarks are getting too irritating for my taste!
“What’s wrong? I just- I didn’t want- I was just wondering why you wanted to risk hitting the wall than sit comfortably next to me…is your hatred that deep?” he asks.
I don’t even deign him of an answer, and when I start to, the train doors open on our school’s stop, Temple.
I rush out, running up the staircase to the outside opening I see at the end of it, noticing that it is already twenty minutes to eight and I’m late to my coffee date with Kayla at our favourite place.
For hell’s sake, I hate Kyle James Carter.
“Cuthbert! Wait!” he yells, from down the staircase I have just used myself.
He then runs up to meet me, or so he thinks, because I already started to make my way towards The Temple’s Light, Kayla’s favourite breakfast place, and mine.
“Oh, come on, Cuthbert! Would you just stop-.” Is he still running after me- What?!
“Just go do your stuff, Carter. Like we never met on the train.” I say, and I listen for a while, hoping not to hear an answer, and my desires are fulfilled: he is gone.
Finally.
And anyway…why does he even care?!
I certainly don’t!
“Elizabeth! Why does it always take you forever to meet me in the morning, huh? And anyway…what was that all about? Kyle Carter chasing you down the street and demanding for you to stop and listen to him?! What did I miss in the meantime?! Did he declare his love for you, and you refused? Is that it?” she asks, all sparkling because I’ve suddenly become her new source of gossip.
She’s the one person I know who just can’t live her own life properly, she needs gossip to live…but it is fun to see how much info she can gather in less than a free period…I love her, but there is a limit to everything.                                    
“No, no and hell no! We just met on the train, something that never happens because I usually have my head focused on the important things I must do, like choosing the right line in the tube station! Hell, where do I have my head today…”
I wonder out loud, as I search for my notepad, because I wanted to show my best friend my most recent writings on my book.
At the same time, a waiter comes to take our orders, and Kayla almost shouts for her chai latte and chocolate donut, nearly deafening my right ear, and I order my usual, iced coffee and a chocolate chip cookie, to go, same as Kayla’s.
The waiter comes back five minutes later with our breakfast and the check, for which my bestie insists on paying.
“Come on, Kay! You’ll do next time!” I tell her, hoping she won’t make a scene for us and gently pushing out the door, then turning my attention towards the poor waiter, waiting patiently behind the counter.
“Here you go, and sorry about my friend’s loudness! Have a good day!” I say, walking out of the place.
At the same moment, the one person who ruined my tube trip here walks in. Of course, he has breakfast here too…hell no.
I walk out, not sending a single glance towards him.
He irritates me so…please let this day be over soon. Saints, it’s been too stressful already and we have yet to start the school day. Wow.
I catch up with Kayla, and we walk along the riverbank slowly, sipping our drinks and biting off our breakfast orders, eventually laughing at our own internal jokes, admiring the beauty of the Thames’s colour in the early morning.
We sit down on a bench, and I look for my notepad in my bag. I toss and turn everything that is inside my study bag: my notepad is nowhere to be seen. Where is it!?