Declan reached for his glasses. He had been sleeping for what seemed like only a few minutes. As he put his glasses on, he noticed her. Had she been there the whole time?
"Hey," he said, still half-asleep. "How long have you been here?" He ripped the blanket off him and threw it on the ground.
"Not long," she lied. Miranda had been there for almost an hour. Declan looked so cute when he slept, she did not want to wake him, so she waited.
"What's up?" He said, as he sat up.
"I have to go to Baltimore. I was just wondering if I could get the make-up work a little early?" As she talked, Miranda fiddled with her high school ring, trying not to look in Declan's eyes.
"Why are you going to Baltimore?" Miranda knew he would ignore the second sentence.
"It's my alma mater's anniversary. They are gathering all of the alumnae for this...um.... ceremony thing,"
Declan found a potato chip bag conveniently on the coffee table, and popped one in his mouth. He was about to ask her how long she would be gone, when he realized what she said. "What anniversary is it?"
"150th...."
He nearly choked on his potato chip, but was able to swallow it. "One hundred fifty.... wow. That's amazing,"
Miranda smiled as she realized what would make Declan go on the trip for her. "They say there are ghosts there, haunting the statutes of Mary and the convent,"
"Really?!" he paused thinking of a way to go, but he could not.
Miranda found herself outside an airplane terminal to Baltimore. She sat there thinking, waiting for the plane to board. I'm going back to high school, she thought, I remember the classes...Latin in senior year, Shakespeare with Mrs. Buck, and who could forget Physics with Ms. Kelly? After all, she was the one who inspired me to go into science. Winning the IND/Mercy game senior year by only one free throw. Skipping lunch to hang out in Mr. Antal's library. Sharing an after school snack with her best friend Anna Georg. How long has it been? Eight years...it seems so long ago -
Miranda snapped out of thought as she heard her name being called by a familiar voice. She glanced to the hallway, and saw a man running towards her, carrying a suitcase, with clothes hanging out and wearing a sloppy wardrobe. "Miranda! Hey!" he called. Suddenly, she recognized him - it was Declan. He walked to the terminal.
"What are you doing here, Declan?" Miranda said, rather bluntly. She was under the impression that he was uninterested in actually going.
"What? And miss up the chance to find some ghosts? Never...." He said as he threw his suitcase onto one of the chairs next to her.
She smiled. She was finally having an escort to the prom that she never went to.
*~*
"This is it," Miranda said as they pulled up to the entrance on Aisquith Street. "We got here early so I can show you around," She parked their rented car, and walked up to the entrance.
The front door accosted you with a Latin slogan: Pro Deo Et Patria. The front door was bedecked heavily with black iron in linear designs. Declan stood in awe as Miranda buzzed in on the intercom. "Sister Hildie, we're here,"
Declan was still standing in awe as a short nun came to the door and opened it. "Well, come in, hon. Come in, come in," she said with a friendly voice and a big smile. Declan followed Miranda into the building.
"Hey," he said, still half-asleep. "How long have you been here?" He ripped the blanket off him and threw it on the ground.
"Not long," she lied. Miranda had been there for almost an hour. Declan looked so cute when he slept, she did not want to wake him, so she waited.
"What's up?" He said, as he sat up.
"I have to go to Baltimore. I was just wondering if I could get the make-up work a little early?" As she talked, Miranda fiddled with her high school ring, trying not to look in Declan's eyes.
"Why are you going to Baltimore?" Miranda knew he would ignore the second sentence.
"It's my alma mater's anniversary. They are gathering all of the alumnae for this...um.... ceremony thing,"
Declan found a potato chip bag conveniently on the coffee table, and popped one in his mouth. He was about to ask her how long she would be gone, when he realized what she said. "What anniversary is it?"
"150th...."
He nearly choked on his potato chip, but was able to swallow it. "One hundred fifty.... wow. That's amazing,"
Miranda smiled as she realized what would make Declan go on the trip for her. "They say there are ghosts there, haunting the statutes of Mary and the convent,"
"Really?!" he paused thinking of a way to go, but he could not.
Miranda found herself outside an airplane terminal to Baltimore. She sat there thinking, waiting for the plane to board. I'm going back to high school, she thought, I remember the classes...Latin in senior year, Shakespeare with Mrs. Buck, and who could forget Physics with Ms. Kelly? After all, she was the one who inspired me to go into science. Winning the IND/Mercy game senior year by only one free throw. Skipping lunch to hang out in Mr. Antal's library. Sharing an after school snack with her best friend Anna Georg. How long has it been? Eight years...it seems so long ago -
Miranda snapped out of thought as she heard her name being called by a familiar voice. She glanced to the hallway, and saw a man running towards her, carrying a suitcase, with clothes hanging out and wearing a sloppy wardrobe. "Miranda! Hey!" he called. Suddenly, she recognized him - it was Declan. He walked to the terminal.
"What are you doing here, Declan?" Miranda said, rather bluntly. She was under the impression that he was uninterested in actually going.
"What? And miss up the chance to find some ghosts? Never...." He said as he threw his suitcase onto one of the chairs next to her.
She smiled. She was finally having an escort to the prom that she never went to.
*~*
"This is it," Miranda said as they pulled up to the entrance on Aisquith Street. "We got here early so I can show you around," She parked their rented car, and walked up to the entrance.
The front door accosted you with a Latin slogan: Pro Deo Et Patria. The front door was bedecked heavily with black iron in linear designs. Declan stood in awe as Miranda buzzed in on the intercom. "Sister Hildie, we're here,"
Declan was still standing in awe as a short nun came to the door and opened it. "Well, come in, hon. Come in, come in," she said with a friendly voice and a big smile. Declan followed Miranda into the building.