A Sky Full of Stars

3. Glasgow

Emilia found her way inside Glasgow. Leaving the base was difficult for two reasons. The first reason was that she didn't have a car, and the second reason was that she didn't know how to leave the base without having any ID.

Oh well.

Outside of the base was a line of taxis. She took a taxi ride from an old, Scottish lady who drove into Glasgow and dropped her off near Bothwell Castle. She got out of the taxi cab and looked around her. The streets were crowded with people bustling in and out of shops. Statues, such as Homeless Jesus and Sir Walter Scott, were located next to older-looking buildings. Cars drove on the left side of the road. At every corner stood a pub or a Scottish gift store.

Emilia sat down at a park bench and pulled out her phone. Derrick texted her multiple times, asking where she was and if she was safe. She replied with her location.

A rainstorm forced her into a pub. She walked in, and the musty smell of roast dinners and semi-old beer wafted into her nose. The pub was small and had tables of two grouped carefully across the room. A soccer game played on the T.V. and dedicated fans screamed at the players' triumphs and mistakes. She sat down at a table and waited for someone to walk up and take her order.

After watching a few people order at the bar, she did just that. She ordered a drink, a beer called a Kozel, and walked to a table nestled in a corner and far away from the noise. She took a sip and pursed her lips in disgust. The Kozel tasted disgusting and bitter. She walked back to the bar and ordered another drink, this time a fruity blue drink called WKD.

She took another sip and enjoyed the fruity taste. She stayed in the pub until the rain stopped. Once the pub was crowded, Emilia left the pub. She walked out and around the streets. Finally, she stopped at a park.

She sat down and started to people-watch. People-watching became another habit she developed after living in so many places. People-watching was a good way to ease herself into a new culture and a new place. A statue stood in the center of the park. Kids played and splashed in puddles. Their parents scolded them when they were done. Pigeons nestled around the park and waited for any food droppings. She heard a conversation about getting a sheep imported from Wales and a town called Birkenhead in England.

As she watched two toddlers run through puddles, a guy sat down next to her. He mouthed 'hi' and she smiled. She slid closer to him and mouthed hello back.

"You alright love? Whit's yer name?"

"Emilia and I'm okay. Yours?"

"Logan. You're not from here, I guess. From yer accent."

"Oh, yeah. I'm from the States. Houston."

Emilia inched closer to Logan, so she was an arm's length away. She found and made a friend, which was a difficult task for her throughout her moving career.

"What made you come over here?" Logan asked.

"My family. My father and brother are both in the US military and we just moved to a base outside of Glasgow," Emilia explained.

"How did you get here?"

"I ran away. I'm hesitant about change sometimes. I took a taxi and the taxi driver dropped me off here."

"Have you been to a pub yet?"

"I have and tried a beer. It was disgusting."

Logan laughed. "Yeah. Some beers are disgusting, and some are good."

Emilia nodded her head. She was slowly opening up to someone and it felt nice. This time, Logan moved closer to her. Their clothing brushed against each other.

"Have you done this before?" Logan asked. "Moving around?"

"Yeah, I've moved 3 times already. I'm a military brat," Emilia said.

"What's a military brat?"

"A child of military parents. It's a term that gets used a lot in the military."

Emilia told Logan stories about her family and all the places she lived in. Logan listened and asked questions when Emilia said something that sounded unfamiliar to him. Emilia didn't mind though. She loved that someone was just listening.

"You wanna get some ginger? I know a pub a wee down there," Logan said. He stood up and pointed to the direction of the pub.

Emilia smiled and felt a vibration in her pocket. She pulled out her phone and saw that Derrick had texted her once more and asked if she was okay. She replied back and gave Logan her full attention.

"Sure. Lead the way.''

And from that moment on, she knew she was going to be okay.