Skybreak [not to be continued]

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The cold draft had been blowing into my room all through the night, and I slept in: unable to part with the warm comfort of the bed.

Awakening at after 10, I rushed about to try and get ready in time to meet with the distant family member who I was meeting at 11:30 - who had mentioned about me temporarily renting a room in their flat. The wooden hotel room floor was frozen and stepping upon it made my feet freeze: I really couldn’t wait to leave here. I ran about to find a suitable outfit (not that it mattered if Alaska’s style hadn’t changed) but also remembering to safely lock up my guitar before darting out the door; the door slamming as the famous Big Ben chimed eleven o’clock.

The underground was bustling, but fortunately not too overcrowded and I was able to swiftly navigate myself to the correct train which would take me to where I was meeting Alaska, my mum's cousins daughter - who was a few years older than myself and studying at university. She had kindly offered that if I was ever in London that she had a spare room which I could use, and I was hoping the offer still stood.

It was only a few stops (I didn't even have to change trains), to get to the cafe. I arrived at 11:20, with plenty of time to spare and grabbed a seat in the corner - pulling my beanie off my head to reveal my hair, which had completely messed itself up in the 20 minute journey. The cold air had created static inside my hat, consequently resulting with my hair being extremely frizzy. I was running my hands through the loose waves when a loud group of people ran through the door: laughing like there was no tomorrow.

It was Luke, Ash, Cal and Mikey.

I quickly pulled my hat back on and stared down at the table. This was the fourth or fifth time we'd ran into each other - and each time it was completely accidental and coincidental that we were even in the same place. After all, London was a large city.

The door opened again, this time letting in a tall, blonde girl with an arm full of folders through its open arch. She flicked her blonde locks behind her shoulder as she spotted me in the corner and ran over, her graceful steps making it seem she was almost flying in her heels.

"Gray!" She exclaimed - carefully placing her folders on the table with one arm while the other pulled me into a hug. "Oh Gray, Gray, Gray. I haven't seen you since you were this tall." She gestured to around her stomach height, before looking at me now.

"Alaska, hi!" I smiled at the eccentric girl who stood in front of me, raising my eyebrows at her ... interesting choice of dress. She was wearing a patchwork dress, made of a combination of white fabrics, matched with a red leather jacket and matching stilettos. Her style hadn't changed at all since I'd last seen her; which was probably at my uncle’s wedding, 4 years ago.

"How are you - I haven't seen you for such a long time! Would you like a coffee?" I asked her politely, keen on making a good impression on her: especially since I was hoping for her to rent me a room in her apartment.

She nodded and I ordered the hot drinks, as we sat chatting in a small booth in the large coffee shop situated in London: the famous city that I was soon to be living in. 
~

I followed Alaska out from the tube station and towards the skyscraper where her flat was situated. I stared in shock at the sheer scale of the buildings around me; I was used to the small cottages and single and double storey dwellings that were common to the countryside – not these towers that grew out of the ground like man-made beanstalks.

She led me through the open doorway and up several floors into her flat, which was decorated in the same style that she was renowned for. I gasped at the beauty of the abstract collection of belongings that somehow all fitted together to create a relaxing scheme.

"Welcome," She greeted. "To my flat."

I nodded, my eyes (unable to stay focused on one place) darting around the room in an anxious attempt to see as much as possible. The style was strange, but somehow it had worked and I was in awe of her interior design skills. I shook my head, and formed a coherent sentence to respond. "It's beautiful!"

Alaska's face lit up. "You like it? Oh that's amazing; no one else quite seems to understand my style."

We went on to discuss the subjects we had talked about in the cafe: rent, prices, the amount of time I would be staying, etc... Until finally, Alaska announced that I could move in whenever I wanted, as long as I had given her a couple of days’ notice. I had informed her I would just be staying temporarily (only a month or so) and she had been so accepting that I could help but thank her for all the help she was giving me.

I briefly said goodbye before I walked, with a spring in my step, back down the stairs and through the bustling streets to the tube station. Even the typical English rain, now a torrential downpour around me, could not dampen my mood. A rare, beaming smile had etched itself across my face, as I shook of my umbrella while trotting quickly down to the stairs to the underground station - where the strange warmth engulfed me.

Even as I stepped onto a train, I was still in disbelief that I would be moving into a flat: an actual apartment. Something that I could call my own - well, at least I could temporarily.