Through Chrissie's eyes

An anxious afternoon

I said goodbye to Brian when the boys called him, I also said goodbye to Tim and Roger. I returned to the University with Jo, I was a little quieter than usual, and my friend didn't question me about it. I just arrived and soon slept, leaving to think about the date only the next day. It would still be a long day until the time came when I would see Brian.

I woke up at the usual time, even arriving a little later because of the show. I went down to the cafeteria and sat down on the usual table, reflecting on Brian's request. I blowed the coffee unconsciously, as thoughts drifted through my head. I had no idea what he was planning, he just said he would meet me, but where would we go? Would he take me somewhere common, another diner, pizza again maybe? Or was it something different? I didn't know, and not knowing it made me anxious. Anxiety bothered me, it was not a good thing, but it left me with a chill in my belly, which I liked in a certain way. I don't know why I felt all this anxiety. Brian was not a stranger now, I definitely considered him a friend. Then it would not hurt me, nor did I need to worry, to spend a few hours with him.

But the bloody anxiety didn't go away ...

I read a few more chapters of the library's "Around the World in 80 Days" copy, which helped my mind get distracted a bit. When I got tired of reading, I went back to my room. Jo had just gotten up and was tidying up her bed.

"Good morning, sunshine" she said, and I just nodded, feeling uneasy.

"Hi Jo," I said, distracted.

"You're not very fine, I'm sorry to say that," my friend said. "Has anything happened?"

"No, no, nothing bad happened, but something happened, I just ..." I shrugged, feeling so lost that I didn't even know where to get back to what I was saying "well, I just wanted to stop feeling anxious."

"Anxious ... why?" Jo crossed her arms in front of me and looked at me with an X-ray look, trying to figure me out "you're usually anxious, but few things leave you like this. So if you don't tell me, I can't guess, and ... I'd even try to push you to tell you, but I can't do it, because I'm a good friend."

"Yes, you are." I rolled my eyes, but I agreed, she really cared about me "it's no big deal, it's just that yesterday, I ... I mean, Brian ..."

She opened her mouth in shock at the name of the guitarist, I don't know what was going on in Joanne's mind, but a good thing should not be.

"Brian likes you !!!" She gave a little squeal that scared me.

"Yeah, he likes me because I'm his friend." I made a gesture with my hands to emphasize my explanation.

"Stop being silly girl ..." she looked at me with a disbelieving face. "Don't you realize that's another kind of liking?"

"Joanne, we are FRIENDS!" I said the last part louder.

"Okay, okay," she gave up for a moment. "What he said?"

"He asked me to go out with him," I said at once, causing Jo's little jumps, and a slight irritation of mine.

"And you said yes?" Joanne kept asking.

"Yes, I said, yes, that's why I'm anxious, there, I told you, are you satisfied now?" I sat up in my bed tightly, a little more irritated.

"I knew it, I knew it!" Jo clapped "you have everything to do with each other and I am proud that finally, you who never go out of the university, will go out with a rockstar!"

"Brian is not like that," I nodded. "You use the word rockstar as a synonym for bad boy, and he's just the opposite."

"But every rockstar has a bad boy thing." She shrugged, as if that was the case.

"I prefer the term musician, or guitarist," I said, "now that you know, can you leave me alone about this, okay?"

"Okay, but tell me everything later, okay?" she asked.

"Okay," I agreed with her terms unintentionally.

After that silly conversation, I ended up spending the day in front of the television, enjoying the passing Doctor Who marathon. It could be a program for kids, but it was very educational and fun.

A rare thing at the University was a day off and quiet, like what I was having today. Just today, what made the day go slower, and when the days were like that, I wasn't sure what to do. I relied on my books, went around campus, sat in the cafeteria. But anxiety tied me to the television.

At the end of the day and early evening, I got ready quickly, waiting for Brian to arrive. I waited, waited and waited, the hunger arrived and I tried to placate it with a sandwich, if we were going to eat outside I would have to refuse because I wasn't hungry now. I was alone, watching the news that was now on TV, Jo had gone out for a walk in the city. And ... Brian had not arrived yet. I even thought he wasn't coming.

Someone knocked on my bedroom door, making my mind lost if I focused on anything. I got up, not too fast, not slow, at a normal speed. As I opened the door, I came face to face with the late guitarist.

"Hi" he sighed "I'm sorry for the delay. I had to get three buses, and I still had to ask where your dorm was."

"I never really said where it was," I pondered, feeling my anxiety finally go away "but you found me."

"Yes," he agreed, smiling, "are you ready to go?"

"I am, just don't put me in danger," I joked and his response was a shy smile.

So I followed Brian into the unknown he had planned.