Cities that Never Sleep

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"Let's go on a walk."

Katherine didn't look up from the several papers that were scrawled across the table in front of her. Instead, she was deep in thought-Finn could tell by her quiet mumbling, and the way her eyebrows furrowed when she was really concentrating.

"Katherine," he tried again, but knowing that she still wouldn't hear anyways, he placed his hands over the papers. Annoyed, Katherine looked up from her mess of notes.

He tried again. "Let's go on a walk."

She responded with a sigh. "Finn, you know I have to study for this exam. I won't get into medical school if I don't pass it." she explained for what seemed like the one-hundredth time. "Not tonight."

But somehow, they ended up a block away from the cafe, walking side by side on a street called 7th avenue. Although he never told her, this was Finn's favorite part of the city. Now, he was mostly tired of it-the rushing people, the crowded streets, the impatient cars. But on this side of the city, there was none of that. It reminded him of some quiet town somewhere in Europe, like perhaps France or Prague. Only a few mere grocery shoppers were passing by with paper bags in their hands, and each street-side was lined up with a bunch of different shops.

"I've never been over here before," Katherine admitted, her eyes glancing over an old, closed bookshop that displayed many of the classics on her list. "It feels like I'm not even in the city."

Finn shoved his hands in the pockets of his coat. "That's what I like about it. You can get away from all the noise, all the mayhem."

Katherine walked slower, now looking at Finn. "You don't like it here?"

"No...I just-I don't know. I came here, thinking it was what I was looking for." Finn shrugged his shoulders, as he couldn't seem to explain it to her. "Have you ever hoped or longed for something so much and once you've finally gotten ahold of it, you realize that it's not what you thought it would be?"

Katherine did know that feeling, but she never admitted it to anyone, or even herself. She thought of school. She thought of her studying for countless hours. Then, she rid those thoughts from her brain, only holding onto tonight.