Dorm 308

{ F O R T Y }

I was awaken by the sudden blaring sound of my phone ringtone. My hand reached out towards the desk beside the bed. My screen flashed Harry's name along with the candid picture I have taken of him while he was reading a book. He has his eyebrows furrowed together and his lip slightly parted. He always seems to do that when he's concentrating on something.

My first plan was to ignore the call and go back to sleep, but I know this boy doesn't know when to stop. I flung the heavy covers off my head and answered the call with a groan into the receiver. What surprised me wasn't the fact that Harry is calling me in the middle of the night, but the fact that his voice chirped enthusiastically from the other line.

"Good Morning, pretty potato, I'm calling to inform you that I'm on my way to pick you up." For a moment, I was silent. I was about to answer him, "why the hell are you picking me up?," when the thought that we're leaving for New York today struck me. I pulled my phone away from my ear and checked the time on my phone. It read, 2:53 AM and our flight leaves at 4:30.

"Why didn't you call earlier?!" I exasperatingly mumbled into the phone while flinging the covers away from my body. I quickly stood up from the bed but not without hitting my hip at the edge of the desk. The darkness made it hard for me to navigate the room, I put Harry on loudspeaker before using my phone as a flashlight.

"I reminded you to put on the alarm before you sleep last night. I guess you didn't." I can imagine Harry rolling his eyes at me right now. "Anyway, I already left my place. Take a quick bath so we can have time to grab something to eat on the way to the airport:"

I said sorry and the usual "I should have listened to you" line. I plugged my phone into my charger before hopping into the shower. It was only a few days before the flight when Elise told us about the Press Conference in New York. We were all excited and nervous when Elise told us about it. It's not a Press Conference for significant and famous people, it is more like a gathering of different Newsletter teams from different universities in the states. It will include leadership seminars from well known newsletter companies and they will conduct a contest for each writing category. I know it will be a huge opportunity for us because it is New York and a lot of companies will be there. Plus, I'll get to see New York for free.

Elise said that the school got an invitation to the event and they will cover the transportation fees, accommodation, and other necessary needs. But for Harry, he said he was willing to pay for everything for himself. I told him that it was okay if he can't come because of his classes, but he won't budge and insisted to come along with us even if it seems like he's a chaperone.

In a span of twenty five minutes, I was able to have a decent bath and dress myself up properly. I excluded my makeup routine because I'm sure I'm gonna sleep in the plane anyway. Harry arrived while I was still in the shower and used his spare key to get inside. He was lying on my bed when I saw him and I pushed him out of the room. He waited for me impatiently from the other side. Being the gentleman that he is, he volunteered to carry my luggage and my carry on handbag on the way to his car.

"Is there even a bakery or coffee shop open this early?" I asked him as we both settled down on his car. I fastened my seatbelt and watched Harry as he steered us out of the campus.

"We have to find one. My stomach can't and won't wait for that child sized meal in the plane." Harry complained. Living in a city doesn't make the streets deserted even if most of the people are asleep at this time. Neon lights from different bars, convenience stores, and motels shone brightly into the night as we swiftly passed by them. From time to time, I can see people in groups walking mindlessly down the pavement.