*** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters.***
The early morning sun came through the cracks of the closed curtains and woke Elizabeth up. She turned over in her bed and looked at her alarm clock. It was only 6:30am, yet she felt the need to get out of bed. Today was the first day of her senior year at New York University and she wanted to enjoy the day as much as possible.
She had spent the whole summer working a temporary job at one of the local NYPD's offices, and now that classes were to start again, she would be able to enjoy her morning ritual of coffee and a walk in Washington Square Park, instead of traveling on the subway in the early hours to get to work on time.
As she slid from bed, she smiled. She'd finally made it to senior year. It wasn't easy being a double major in psychology and international relations, but she knew it the end it would all be worth it. She looked over at her signed poster of Silence of The Lambs. It was her favorite movie of all time, and it was the reason she was here. Clarice Starling had been her example most of her life and all she wished was to become an FBI-agent like her hero and, smiling at the poster, she realized she was slowly getting there.
Stepping to the bathroom, she was determined to enjoy the beautiful late summer day, so she wasted no time, and hopped in the shower, quickly washed her hair, lathered herself , then rinsed off. She dried off, then walked into her bedroom, stepped in front of her closet and decided on a light, summer dress today.
She shared a Greenwich Village apartment with two roommates. She thought back on how happy she was to have found this place. When she applied to NYU, she received an extra letter from the housing office. This apartment had caught her eye, and she had been so excited when she called the landlord to find out there was still a room available. And to make it even better, her room had its own bathroom, so she didn't hesitate to secure the lease. She then paid her three month advance.
The rent was expensive, as she made her home in one of the most sought after areas in Manhattan, but her dad had left her a large trust fund, and, before he passed away a few years ago, had told her to promise him she was to use it for something she would enjoy. She knew deep down in her heart that he would approve of her choice.
When she made her way downstairs to the main living area, she noticed that the apartment was still very quiet. Her roommates probably were still asleep or not home yet.
Donald Ressler was an English major and while being a bit uptight, she liked him and she knew she could count on him if she ever needed to. He'd asked her out during the first semester of her freshman year, but she'd always turned him down. She was very focused on her education, and nothing was going to interfere with her chances of making it to the FBI Academy.
Two years before, her boyfriend of two years had turned out to be a cheater and liar, and she vowed never to endure that ordeal again. She told Donald she wished only to be friends, and they'd done so ever since. He'd been dating Audrey Bidwell for a while and Liz figured it would only be a matter of time before Donald would pop the question.
Her other roommate was a tall man from Africa by the name of Dembe Zuma. He was a bit older and a graduate student at Columbia University. Over the last 3 years Liz had only spoken with him on a few occasions. He was a very reserved man and kept to himself most of the time. The few times they spoke, she enjoyed his company. He was very calm, well-educated and seemed to have a great knowledge about many topics. She learned he'd had a difficult childhood and that he had a daughter. Liz would run into him occasionally at the gym a short distance from their apartment. Those times they worked out together, Dembe proved to be an impressive sparring partner. He was gone much of the time, and Liz figured her quiet roommate may have already left for the day as classes were to start at the other universities around the city as well.
She grabbed her purse, iPhone and sunglasses, then headed out the door, taking her time as her first class wasn't until 11. She walked a block to the nearest Starbucks and decided to get a tall Latte and a blueberry muffin for breakfast. Before paying for her coffee and sweets, she gazed at her phone waiting for a text from her best friend Samar.
Samar had gone on a first date the night before and Liz was dying to know how it had gone. She found no new texts in her inbox and deduced Samar was still sleeping. She smiled and hoped her friend would be able to get up in time, as they both had the same class at 11 o'clock. Samar was also an international relations major, and they shared some of the same classes. They shared a close friendship and Liz couldn't imagine her life without her best friend.
Elizabeth walked a few blocks to the park with her breakfast. She felt so happy to be here and looked forward to the new school year. As it was such a beautiful summer day outside, the park was already crowded with joggers, people walking their dogs, moms with their children in strollers and commuters walking towards the subway. She figured she might as well enjoy the most of the early morning sunshine and looked for a bench to sit on so she could eat.
She spied several benches nearby, but most of them were already taken. An older retired couple was sitting together, holding hands, and as she watched them, she smiled and thought to herself I hope someday I can grow old like that with someone I love. She walked a bit further and decided to sit down on a bench that was bathed in sunlight. Perfect, she thought.
"Excuse me sir, is this seat taken?" She asked the man with the newspaper.
"Certainly not, go right ahead", the man replied, but didn't look up.
She sat down on the bench and pulled the muffin from the brown paper bag.
"Enjoy your breakfast", she heard him say in a deep voice.
"Thank you", she said and slowly started taking small bites, while she looked around at all the early morning movement in the park.
The buzz from her phone told her she had a text waiting.
It was Samar.
TBC
*** I do not own the Blacklist or any of its characters.***