A London Thoroughfare.
Chapter one
2 A.M.
They have watered the street,
It shines in the glare of lamps,
Cold, white lamps,
And lies
Like a slow-moving river,
Barred with silver and black.
Cabs go down it,
One,
And then another.
Between them I hear the shuffling of feet.
Tramps doze on the window-ledges,
Night-walkers pass along the sidewalks.
The city is squalid and sinister,
With the silver-barred street in the midst,
Slow-moving,
A river leading nowhere.
Opposite my window,
The moon cuts,
Clear and round,
Through the plum-coloured night.
She cannot light the city;
It is too bright.
It has white lamps,
And glitters coldly.
I stand in the window and watch the moon.
She is thin and lustreless,
But I love her.
I know the moon,
And this is an alien city.
I looked out the window, London looked as sad as I felt. It had been raining the few days I had been here. I had been traveling around with nowhere to go for 1 month.
Beverly Hills was now a memory, Toni was gone, the gang far from my everyday life. I came to London intent on passing through to France at least that is what I told myself
when I jumped the train. The truth was, I knew I wasn't passing through. I continued to look out the window. London was an alien city but the moon looked the same, familiar,
it reminded me of her. She was here and I needed her desperately. She always had guts. She always surprised me too. She never did what you expected her to do. When we
got back together before she left for London, I can't lie I was disappointed she didn't return. Was I shocked? No, she had guts to move away and to get the training she had
dreamed of. Even if it meant leaving me behind. I was proud of her. Even with an ocean between us, I will always love you.
I walked over to the bed and sat down taking my head in my hands. Something had to give. I couldn't do this anymore. There was a part of me that was nervous what I'd
come to find here in London. Maybe thats why the 3 days I had been here I had been holed up in this hotel room. It's not that I worried she would be with someone else. I
didn't deserve loyalty from her. I didn't even have the balls to tell her I was getting married myself. The idea I wouldn't be welcome with open arms did sting and hung deep in
my heart. Then the other part of me didn't give a shit. She was family, she was one of my best friends. I'm sure by now she had heard what had happened to Toni and that I
had left. I hadn't talked to anyone and surely they didn't know where I had been these last 4 weeks. I had left Beverly hills because there was nothing there for me anymore.
Here I am in the city that Brenda has lived for the past two years. I sit in this hotel room, watching the cabs, the cars go by wondering what she's doing. If that ocean wasn't
between us, would she still love me? The truth was I didn't have much else to lose. Only the most important first love of my life. Oh the irony.
It was 2am, I found myself walking towards where I knew she lived. She had wrote me letters after staying here in London. Her telegram confirmed she hadn't moved at
least as of 4 weeks ago. I looked up at the red brick building. Rain dripped from my hair. Taking a deep breath I slowly climbed the 5 steps up to the front door. Opening it
slowly, I entered the lobby area. It was vacant because of the time but brightly lit. It was lined with a dark orange cough and mailboxes across the walls. I was pleasantly
surprised that it had a lift not having much energy or courage or that matter to walk up 3 flights of stairs. I entered and pressed the 3rd floor. It was a big building, located in
the lively area of London's west end. The ride up was slow, it was an older building and the elevator was loud. The doors clanked open and straight ahead was a long hallway.
There was maybe 5 apartments total lining both sides, the walls pale yellow with dark brown doors. I hesitated long enough for the door to start to close. I quickly shot my hand
out making them reopen. I moved cowardly slow down the hallway reading the numbers and letters as they got higher down the small passage. The last apartment on the end
read 4E. This was it, the moment I had been dreaming of and also dreading for 3 days. My fist came up quickly but hesitated, the dark wood door glaring at me. Dylan…it's just
Brenda. I thought. Thump thump thump, the back of my knuckles hit her door. I moved my wet hair from my face and waited. It took a couple full minutes for me to hear
movement in the once silent apartment. I heard the jitter of the doorknob and silence. I looked down quickly knowing whoever was behind that door, was peering at me through
the peep hole. I glanced up and smirked knowingly. She still lived here, I felt her.
"Dylan?" I heard questionably…soft…surprised. I smiled hearing the familiar voice.
The fumble of a lock chain being opened, the turn of a dead bolt, a twist of a door knob. Then the dark wood door swung open as blue grey sleepy eyes, as sad as my own
stared at me. I thought quickly at what to say for a moment but in an instant she was in my arms. Her small arms wrapped tightly around my neck. I buried my face in her hair
and instantly felt relief. Welcome arms was exactly what I received. Four weeks of running away led me here. Far from where I began yet felt more like home in that instant
than ever before. I tightened my hold on her petite frame and heard her exhale. London was an alien city but this, this I knew. This I loved.