Another time perhaps? Chp 2
It was the fourth time in as many days that Caroline had wandered past the pub. It wasn't exactly her parents local, but it was a nice pub, at least her Mother had thought it was acceptable as pubs went.
Today Caroline barely even registered that she was passing the destination that she had set out so particularly to pass, she had pretty much resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't going to bump into the girl from the other night and she was letting her thoughts return to the books she wanted to order at the small library.
"Caroline?!" A voice called from the door of the pub.
Caroline turned to find the girl of her recent daydreaming standing smiling broadly at her.
"Hi!" Caroline said in genuine surprise, momentarily lost for words.
"Kate." Kate supplied.
"Yeah, Kate...Hi." Caroline said as Kate came out of the pub and took a few steps toward her.
Kate was wearing ripped jeans, the light coloured type that were meant to look distressed, and Caroline could see the toes of her black Dr Marten boots poking out from beneath them, her T-shirt was white with a slogan that Caroline couldn't make out beneath the bright orange oversized shirt it had been coupled with. Kate had three thin braids on one side of her face, where they were tucked behind her ear, which had a long earring dangling from it.
Caroline felt dowdy in her plain fitted dress, but at least her small heels brought her closer to the impressive height of Kate.
"Where you off to?" Kate asked now.
"Library." Caroline replied, wishing at once that she didn't sound so stuffy. "Some research to do." She expanded.
"Oh yeah? What subject?"
"Chemistry." Caroline informed.
Kate raised her eyebrows as she processed the information. Caroline was used to a mixed reaction when she told people what she was studying, it seemed a lot of people still thought this an odd subject for a woman.
"Where do you study?" Kate continued curiously.
"Oxford." Caroline said. "I've just graduated from a four year course and I'm going back to complete my masters next year."
"Blimey! Oxford? You must be some kind of genius?" Kate commented, clearly genuinely impressed.
"What about you?" Caroline asked, finding she was actually interested.
"I do languages, at York. I just finished my first year. I love it. I am near enough to come home when I want to, you know, like when I run out of clean clothes or I need a decent home cooked meal. But I get to be there and do my own thing." Kate chatted on.
Caroline nodded knowingly. Part of the reason she had selected Oxford was the distance, the main motivation of course had been that it was the best, she didn't like to settle for less than the best when it came to learning, but the distance had certainly been an attractive prospect. It felt like she was in a different world when she was there, like she was someone else and if her parents had been able to call on her at the drop of a hat it really wouldn't have been the same.
"Are you going to come in for a drink?" Kate asked hopefully.
Caroline raised one shoulder in an uncertain shrug. "I should probably get going." She said, trying to casually glance inside and see who Kate might be with.
"Come on, my mates are going now, we could sit out back, they have a nice beer garden." Kate persuaded.
Caroline wasn't sure why she was even hesitating, she had come this way in some hope of seeing this woman again and now she was ready to run away, knowing full well she would regret it later.
"Okay. It's a nice day I guess one drink wouldn't hurt." She agreed finally.
Kate gave her a dazzling smile and held the door of the pub open so Caroline could enter before her. Kate raced past her now to the bar and ordered two drinks. The jukebox was playing a pop song that sounded vaguely familiar to Caroline, a hit from a few years back, probably the last time this place updated its music. It was the Bangles, one of her previous housemates had played it often. If she knew whats she wants. Catchy.
Caroline noticed two young men and a woman getting up from their table and coming over to where Kate stood at the bar.
"We're heading off." The young girl said, her hand squeezing Kate's arm as she passed giving Caroline a guarded smile.
One of the lads that passed elbowed Kate gently in the ribs and gave her a smile. "We'll see you later."
Caroline hoped they hadn't left on her behalf but was glad to see them go. Kate carried the drinks outside to where a couple of wooden tables stood empty. It was nice out here, the grassy slope was bathed in sunshine and boxes of flowers lined the walls with colourful blooms spilling out of them.
Kate placed a glass of wine before Caroline and sat her own half glass of lager on to the table.
"Is that alright?" Kate asked suddenly unsure. "I saw you were drinking it the other night."
Caroline ginned at Kate's sudden nervousness and nodded. "It's great thank you." A thought suddenly occurred to Caroline. "Was that...a boyfriend?" She asked, surprised by her own boldness but all at once desperate to know.
Kate nearly choked on her first gulp of beer. "Gary? No way. He's just a friend. I am currently considering my options, relationship wise." Kate grinned. "How about you Caroline? Have you left your heart in Oxford?"
Caroline frowned fleetingly into her glass. Caroline's heart, if she even had one, which people had called into question in the recent past,was no longer in Oxford. Well perhaps a small piece of it lingered there but she had to put that disaster firmly behind her.
Xxxx
Caroline let herself into the quiet house and thought she heard her Mother in the kitchen, her usual domain. Caroline opened the door to find Celia at the dining table. On seeing her daughter Celia got up and turned away, seeming to wipe at her face with both hands. Celia's eyes had the red rimmed look of someone who had been crying. Caroline didn't ask why, she could guess why, so she pretended not to notice.
"Hi Mum." She said, taking off her blazer and hanging it on the back of a chair as she moved to flick on the kettle.
"Caroline, you've been gone ages!" Celia accused.
"Yea, I bumped into someone and went for a couple of drinks." Caroline said as if it was a regular occurrence.
"Well, your dinners completely ruined, I'll have to put it in the bin now, waste of good food." Celia tusked. "I wish you'd have rung."
"Mum I didn't say I'd be back for dinner, I am 22 years old and for ten months of the year I don't even live here!" Caroline began sharply.
Celia looked tired and hurt. Caroline knew that once she would have done anything to keep that face from looking the way it did now. When she was at school she liked nothing better than being at home with her mum for one of their girls nights in, watching television or listening to the radio together, Celia telling her stories of her youth. Now when Caroline looked at her mother she couldn't help but feel that twinge of disappointment, of betrayal. No matter how she tried to push it aside she couldn't help but feel that her mother had let her down and when she could throw herself into her studies she could almost forget it, but here with her now it was becoming increasingly difficult.
What was the point in days like today where she had spent time with someone who she had instantly clicked with, whether that was as a friend or something more, when she knew that nothing could truly come of it? Her Mother would never support her, let alone what her Dad would say.
"I'm going to take my tea up to bed." Caroline sighed, the shine slightly fading from her day.
Xxxx
A/N- Thanks for reading. Back soon. xx
