20-year-old Leah Whiteford needs to get away. That's how she finds herself over 2000 miles from home in the bustling city of Chicago that is the furthest thing from the life she has left behind in Los Angeles.
She fully intends to keep her head dow...
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I've been burned on the altar of the rising sun It's alarming to see how far I can run. But I wind up the same as I always, Crying in a heap in some hallway, crumbled and blue. I gotta try something new.
~ By Myself (Daisy Jones & the Six)
"It's just a big silver Jelly bean." Kaiden says, reaching his arms up and looking at his distorted reflection in the surface of Cloud Gate. An older woman to his left gives him a dirty look at that and he presses a hand to his chest in mock hurt.
"You're offending the other tourists." I nudge him, sticking my tongue out at him in the structure and he beams back at me. "It is though right?" It's clear he's seen it in person before and allows me to gaze at the simple yet enchanting work of art in wonder. Mandy, upon discovering where we were headed today gave me a full, detailed rant about the designer. Regardless, I loved this giant bean for reasons I couldn't quite describe.
"In a way." I agree with him and smile at his reflection before dropping my gaze to him. The sun was going down, my feet were killing me from all the walking around we'd been doing and my shift at Jackie's beforehand but I felt calm, peaceful. A little cold, sure but I just tug my coat further around me.
"This was the first thing I came to see. Admittedly I didn't know very much about the city other than this," he stuff his hands into his coat pockets "well, this and deep dish pizza but I'm not a fan." He adds. "Kaiden my god shut up, you're going to get us both deported." I wasn't much of a fan either but I wasn't going to say that out loud. He only laughs.
"You're safe Leah, citizenship and all. I on the other hand might be risking my visa." He jokes but it's the first I've given it any thought. While Kaiden still had to finish his studies and could work in the US after that, I had no idea how long for. "How long can you stay?" People were shoving up against us but I pay them no mind when he looks contemplative, maybe even slightly uncomfortable.
"Until I finish my degree then possibly for another year depending on if I can find a job. It depends on alot of things really. Although, either way I'll probably have to go home for a while eventually." He turns away from me at that, towards the structure and while I can still see his face it doesn't give much else away.
"Want to grab some coffee?" He says eventually before I can ask him anything else about it and I abandon all thoughts of him leaving. In all honesty, I don't know how Alistair was going to cope. I'd only been friends with the two boys a short while but it was clear how close they were.
"Sure." I nod even if I probably shouldn't. It was getting later and it would likely keep me up all night but I wasn't ready to go home yet, even if I had to finish the book I was working through by Monday.
We grab cappuccinos from a small cafe, which he makes us clink together in cheers without providing any reason for it and walk down towards Buckingham fountain which is lit like a palace and forces me to stop and admire it. Kaiden has been walking silently by my side, occasionally saying hello to passing dogs, not the owner, only the dogs which made my cheeks hurt from smiling.
