ASAP: Ch-7
10:30am. Too early to be up on a Saturday, if you ask me. I shrugged on my coat, staring at myself in the mirror. It was one of those times where I knew that if I worked myself up too much, I would give up entirely. I had to go though. I couldn’t put myself before others. Bertie needed his camera, and I wasn’t about to let him down.
I could feel my brain over-thinking everything. You see, I always had this thing about the London Underground. The way it always managed to make me feel lost, even with all the simple maps surrounding me. The way it always had an excuse to be busy.
I pulled my bag off the banister and left the house, slamming the door behind me. Proving to myself that there was no going back now. And it almost felt.. exciting.
Bertie had figured that we could meet halfway. To him it was just a way to get his camera back. To me it was a game plan.
At exactly 10:45am I arrived at the bus stop, just in time to jump onto the bus. I paid for a ticket and sat at the front.
At 11:00am the bus pulled up at the train station. I braced myself before going inside. I could see by the amount of cars in the car park that it was going to be busy. Deep breaths. I marched into the building like I meant business, although inside I was panicking about getting lost in the swarms of people. As of yet, it seemed there wasn’t actually anyone around; just a couple of families and an old man reading a newspaper. Oh.Well there’s nothing to worry about, is there?
“One ticket to London, please.” I said, as I got out my purse ready to pay.
The man behind the plastic window ignored my polite smile and bluntly replied: ”Six pounds.”, with a rude look of disapproval at my hair.
Wow, he’s a bit rude.. and that’s a bit pricey. I slipped the six coins into the little bowl-type-thing underneath the window that separated him and I. I gladly took my ticket with a slightly shakey hand, and began walking through the barriers and down the stairs, my trainers squeaking on the shiny tiles. Closer and closer towards my fate.
Boarding the train was easy, it was practically a ghost train. It was when crowds of people began squeezing in that I started to freak out inside. I slipped in my earphones and played my music loud, blocking out the world around me.. and hey, this seat is kind of comfy..
…..
“Hey Violet, is that you?”
“Hmm.. what?” I grumbled, as I opened my eyes, realising that I had been asleep. A thought flashed through my head, for just a second I thought that I had slept through every single stop, but then I looked up. I looked into the most incredible blue eyes, I swear they were like circular windows framing the greek ocean. Then, my eyes took in the face surrounding the incredible eyes, and I realised that it was Bertie. I ripped out my earphones and coughed awkwardly.
“You are Violet, right?” He asked again.
I stood up, way quicker than you should on a moving train. Bertie stepped back, alarmed.
“I am she.” I replied curtsying, immediately feeling stupid afterwards. Why am I curtsying?
He laughed. He laughed. It’s okay because.. he laughed.
“Hi, I’m Bertie Gilbert.” He introduced himself, reaching his hand out for me to shake. As if I didn’t know.
“Hello.. I’m Violet Harwood.” I said, accepting his handshake.
“So, um, here’s your camera.” He handed it over. “I guess neither of us were doing art projects.
I laughed, “I guess not. Hang on, let me get your camera out of my bag.”
I rummaged around in my leather rucksack. Keys, phone, cardigan.. no camera. Jeez, where is his camera? And then I remembered. I had left it on the table, by the mirror, at home.
“Uhm, there’s been a slight mishap…”