Trudeau

Long Walks

Ocean Eyes (Astronomyy Remix) - Billie Ellish

Past Lives - Børns

--

After the rather awkward dinner between everyone on the Canadian team, Justin and I decide to take a walk down the old cobblestone streets near the Forum and Colosseum.

I look at everything, "Rome ne fut pas faite toute en un jour." I quote the one French phrase I know, thanks to my Classical Studies teacher in college.

Justin laughs, "What an accent...." He sarcastically remarks.

I blush, put me in Rome with the Prime Minister and I'm a first grade girl afraid of boys all over again, "At least I tried! I'm from the south, you can't escape it-- no matter how hard you try!"

Justin's breathe looks like smoke as he opens his mouth the respond, "Rome wasn't built in a day." We walk in silence for a moment, "That's a good phrase. When did you hear it in French?"

I shrug, "Classical Studies. My teacher was saying that it sounds better in French than it does in Latin, so he told us the French version." I pull one side of my face into a smirk, "He never told us the Latin wording though." I shake my head, "Don't go assuming I know French now!" I raise an eyebrow.

"Can't promise anything!" Justin flirts. His ocean blue eyes shimmering when the street lights hit them.

The two of us walk, wrapped up in our coats, a good three feet apart. The conversation goes dead for minutes. The only thing you can here is the clacking of Justin's dress shoes against the pavement. We stop right in front of the arch in front of the Forum.

"Ugh, goals." I laugh, remembering who the arch is dedicated to. "You know, Tiberius was a total asshole, but he still got an arch." I bit my lip as my nerd side comes out a little bit, "I'm high key jealous. Like he literally threw people off a cliff when he was angry, and look what he gets!"

I can tell Justin is simply taking everything in.

"Sorry, I get excited around things like this..." I stuff my hands in my pockets and stare in silence.

"I'm not going to lie, this is a whole side of you I haven't seen." Justin remarks as we turn around and walk down the slight decline.

I shrug, "I was a classical studies major in college, this is me in my element!" I giggle. "Have you been in the colosseum yet?"

"Yeah, I went there when I was about 16." Justin confesses. "I wish it weren't closed now. Is this your first time here?"

I let a few moments pass as we walk by the aqueduct of Claudius, "No, I did a study abroad program and excavated Herculanum my junior year in college."

Justin raises his thick eyebrows, "Wow, you really were a classical studies major!"

"Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it." I quote. Once again, the conversation sort of dies there. The small talk is dwindling. The two of us walk in silence for a long time.

"Why did you higher me again? After everything?" I blurt out. We walk around what is left of the Circus Maximus. I blush, not meaning for it to come out. See, a total first grader again.

Justin looks over at me and says nothing. I hitch my breath, worried he won't reply. "Because, if a 22 year old can withstand those kinds of political and ad hominem attacks, you belong in politics. I'm not going to deny you that chance."

We stop on the cement. We face the hill that the palace of Augustus once rested, the ruins are dimly lit against the street lamps. The street lamps barely graze Justin's face. I raise an eyebrow, "Yeah, but why bother rehiring someone if there is a high risk for that backlash. For instance, the reporter today, she wasn't convinced."