Escapade » z.m

14. Zayn- I Wanted To Buy The Whole Bakery

You know the way something has its vibe? An atmosphere of its own? A different feel to it?

The way music works. It stabs your heart, open all wounds and let them bleed. Until what’s left is a hole. And then you can pour new memories, new joys, new wounds in that emptiness.

This is how music heals, by killing you. Showing you all of the people you can be instead.

Taking you to a whole new different dimension, where you can dream, create, be so many versions and still be yourself.

That’s how I feel in Ravenford. Enveloped in a vibe, in its ambience. Wrapped in its music.

College is over, and it is now evening. To say I enjoyed my first day of college would be an understatement.

I shift my weight and lean against the iron railings for support, waiting for Every and Gemma to arrive.

I am standing outside the campus gates, constantly checking my phone to see the time. This is mostly to get my hands to remain occupied, otherwise they feel useless.

The two watchmen standing by the gates are doing everything but keeping a watch.

Frankly, they are watching, and if that includes staring at me with sceptical narrowed eyes then I am no one to question.

I want to have some conversation to kill time, but neither of them look either like William or the two watchmen that stand by the hostel gates during night hours, so I keep my distance.

I should have brought a book with me. I knew I should have, but I hadn't known them coming here would take so long.

What was taking them so long anyway?

They’d said their home wasn’t that far.

I decide to recite my schedule for the evening, so that I don’t forget, seeing how easily things slipped from my mind now days.

Thesis on What Katy Did. Reading the History chapters and making notes and research for Sociology project.

I had located where the Computer Lab is— just one alley further from the Library —before coming here, so that I could get to it in the night after a cup of coffee and without getting lost, for once.

Every and Gemma had went home after College was over at four pm. And I had returned to my hostel to relax.

Every had insisted on exchanging numbers because she wanted to meet me in the evening and would call to tell where to meet.

She told me she would be here for her work shift in the Library. It was Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as far as I remember her telling me.

Gemma had also called, only some time ago, though her calling me was a surprise. Seeing how we hadn't exchanged any numbers.

When I had asked, she told me she got the number from Every and was calling to ask for a favour.

And she is keeping it a surprise.

I have a grave feeling in my chest it will be more of a shock.

I look down on the blacktopped road that I stand on, now a little further away from the railings. It stretches wide, the road. Showing the way I came from and then running farther right, leading to places that are still unknown to me.

Ampton Park isn’t so far from the University and Imperial University covers most of this side of the road.

I keep staring down. The birds are singing and I’m hemmed in their muffled chirping as they sing, hidden in the burning trees.