Right Place, Wrong Time

19. False Blooms

Fingers stiff with cold, Joey tugged his thin jacket tighter around him. The last few days had been filled with glorious spring sunshine and that morning had been no exception, but now, on his way back to his dorm, the sky had clouded over an ominous pale grey and his breath puffed out ahead of him in clouds.

Slowing at the bus stop, he thought he might be better off walking all the way home if only to keep his circulation going until he saw a figure walking towards him bundled up much better than him, one he was always warmed to see no matter how bone cold he was. She raised a gloved hand and he waved one back, quickly shoving it back in his pocket.

"You look fucking freezing," Lauren said with a smile when she reached him.

"I am," he said, and she huddled close to him, trying to transfer him some of her body heat. He gave her a grateful smile and wondered if he shouldn't underdress for the weather more often.

"I'm sure this doesn't help," she said softly. She ran a gentle hand over his head, hair still not quite at normal length after he had to shave it for a show — because his professors hated him, apparently. She'd laughed the first time she saw him, hand clapped over her mouth in shock, but in that way of hers that somehow didn't knock his confidence. Now there were embers in her eyes, and fire coursed through him at her touch even after she pulled her hand away.

That burning was joined by ice singing his skin, and he looked up to see flakes flurrying down. One landed in his eye and he blinked, tilting his head back down to Lauren.

"Fucking snow," he said, shaking his head. "It's March."

"Yeah," she sighed, sounding thoroughly unsurprised.

"I saw daffodils yesterday," he said indignantly, unwilling to accept this sudden reversal. "I was going to-" He barely managed to stop short of saying that he was going to pick her some. He knew how much she loved flowers and had stared at the bright yellow blooms sprouting up from the soil for several minutes before deciding the gesture would be too much.

Luckily, she didn't seem to notice, and was instead shaking her head in amusement. "Fake spring," she said. "Rookie mistake."

"What happened to seasons?"

"You don't have seasons either. Just warm and hot."

"At least it makes sense. Unlike snow in March." He held his finger out and let a snowflake settle on it, lingering there for a moment before melting into his skin. Lauren's hair was dusted with it and he was even more aware of the dampness clinging to his own head, longing for the warmth of his beanie.

"Get used to it," she said. "Snow in April is like classic Michigan."

"I plan to spend as long soaking up the California sun as possible." It was only a week until spring break and then he'd be going home, to his parents and the agreeable climate but away from all his new friends.

Lauren sighed. "No need to rub it in."

"You could come visit," he said, before he could think it through.

Even though they'd been standing still, Lauren stumbled a little, and he steadied her by her elbow. She looked up at him, a small crease between her eyebrows like she couldn't work out if he was being genuine or not. And although he hadn't meant to say it, it was out there now and he didn't want to take it back.

"Really. We've got a guest room, you could get out of the cold for a bit. I'm sure my parents would love to meet you."

She bit her lip. "I have work," she said softly. "But thank you for offering."

"Of course," he said, trying not to show any disappointment. The thought of having Lauren to visit over break, a brief flare of joy in his chest, fizzled out as fast as it appeared. But of course she had her own life here that didn't revolve around him.

In the quiet brought about by the snow, they could hear the bus coming before they could see it, and stood without speaking until it pulled up beside them. Joey held out his hand for Lauren to get on first and he followed her, passing his hands over the seat backs as they walked further down despite there being hardly anyone else on it. Before they sat down, the bus pulled away and Lauren stumbled again, but luckily Joey was right behind her so she hit his chest — and stepped on his foot.

"Shit, sorry," she cried, but he guided her into a seat and sat down next to her, relishing the warmth.

"You'd think a dancer would be a little more graceful," he teased.

"Tell that to my sense of balance." He laughed, but she was frowning as she put a hand on his knee. "Is your foot okay?"

"Don't worry about that. I barely felt it." Which was true, but he'd also completely forgotten as soon as she'd made him laugh.

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you making fun of me for being small?"

He couldn't help grinning. "Defensive much?" he said, gently nudging her with his elbow. "I would never."

"Sure you wouldn't."

Really, he found her height incredibly endearing, but he didn't think that would go down any better, so he switched topic entirely.

"What class have you got today?"

"Movement," she said, shaking her head slightly at his ironic smile. "And then voice tonight at 7."

He grimaced sympathetically. "That's late."

"It was the only time that didn't clash," she whined. "What about you?"

"I have a film class," he said. "And it's our last class together next week, right?"

"Mhm. This semester flew by. I'll be a senior before I know it."

Joey felt his heart lurch, and wished he'd chosen a different course of conversation. Though it was inevitable that she was graduating and leaving him behind, he didn't want to acknowledge how fast that time was going to pass, instead trying to stretch out every day they did have together. In her eyes he could see his own sadness mirrored, an ending drawing close when it felt like they'd barely begun.

"We should get breakfast one day next week," he said abruptly. They'd seen less of each other than normal through midterms and Joey felt the absence, so he was desperate to hang out with her before he was away from her for a few weeks over break, especially with the reminder of how precious their time was. He knew they'd text and FaceTime in the interim, but it wasn't the same as actually being with her.

"That would be nice," she smiled genuinely, then it shifted into a smirk. "You think there's room in your schedule to fit it in?"

He put an arm around her shoulders. "I can definitely make time for you."

The bus pulled up at the next stop, but Joey was so busy staring at Lauren that he didn't notice where they were until she pointed to the doors.

"Isn't this your stop?" she said.

"Shit, yeah." He leapt up, hoping the driver would see him and not close the doors yet — although being stuck on the bus with Lauren for a few more minutes wasn't exactly something to complain about. She passed his backpack up to him and he slung it over his shoulder. "I'll text you about breakfast. And get home safe tonight, okay?"

"Okay," she smiled.

He hurried to the doors, saying a thank you to the driver, and stepped out into the air that was shockingly cold after he'd acclimatised to the heat of the bus. Even so, he didn't start walking straight away, braving it a few moments longer to wave to Lauren through the window before the bus drove off again.