Hollingwood University

Chapter 17

*ZZZZZ* *ZZZZZ*

I don't know why the inevitable phone creators decided to add vibrate mode to our cell phones, because honestly it's just as annoying to wake up to like our ringtones.

I groaned, feeling around for the snooze on my phone until I ended up dropping it. If this thing breaks while I'm in England, I'm screwed.

After I got my head to wake up, I grabbed my phone and answered the call.

"Hello?" I answered groggily.

"Something tells me you're not ready yet." that was Ethan's voice travelling through the speaker and annoying me even more. But that feeling quickly vanished when I remembered what I had to be doing.

"Oh my god, alright give me fifteen minutes and I'll meet you in the lobby." I said.

"No worries dear, just make it quick because traffic to london gets nuts at nine thirty." he replied, then hung up quite rudely. My clock read thirty five after, oh man, I am such a bad friend.

I hopped out of bed, skipping the shower since that'll take too long. I just washed my face and brushed my teeth, combed out my hair and put on a layer of make-up. Then I stripped off my pjs, quickly packed them in my bag and threw on a pair of jeans, a pull-over sweater, and my UGG boots. I then pulled on my coat and hat as fast as I could, grabbed my bag, and high-tailed it out the door and downstairs (but not without locking the door of course, I'm not that careless). That entire process took no less then twelve minutes exactly.

Ethan was down in the lobby like he said, in his dark washed jeans, a Ramones shirt, converse, and a heavy coat for the winter snow. He also had a bag all packed like mine...but mine was cuter.

"Morning," I greeted him. He turned around and smiled at me.

"Morning stranger, ready to go?" he asked, then bent down and picked up my bag along with his.

"Yeah-hey you don't need to do that, I'll take it," I protested.

"Absolutely not, you're my guest, and this Christmas, the rich boy is serving the waitress for a change," he replied. I placed my hands on my hips and gave him a flat look.

"I'm not going to win this disagreement am I?" I asked.

"No you're not, now follow me. Car's outside," he replied. I sighed and followed him into the cold. Snow was sprinkling down onto the already white lawns and trees. Fairy lights and christmas ornaments were hung all around, and light up snow men and reindeer sat in the courtyards. It was really beautiful.

Ethan led me over to his car: a black mercedez benz W221, not surprising. He popped the trunk and placed our bags into the back, then unlocked the car for me. I was about to get in on the right side, but then noticed the steering wheel on that side. Then I remembered that driving in England is lop-sided.

"You confident enough to drive in England yet?" he asked.

"No fucking way," I scoffed. Ethan just laughed while I got in on the other side of the car, then followed suite on the driver's side. 

-

For most of the car ride it was dead silent, besides the music from the radio of course, but neither me nor Ethan could keep a real conversation going, it was mostly small talk and asking 'Are we there yet?'...yeah you can guess who was asking those questions. At first it was just me and my boredom, then I just did it to piss him off a little bit. It worked ;).

After forty five minutes  and a stop for breakfast at McDonalds, we arrived to a beautiful brownstone in one of the London neighborhoods...and I mean rich london neighborhoods. I felt very inferior already. I just hope they like me.