A lot of this chapter is on Chicago's neighborhoods and structures, so the information comes from Wikipedia. Any and all mistakes are mine.

With current-day Chicago traffic, the ride from O'Hare to Cabrini-Green took almost exactly an hour. The best part about buses, though, is that they let you off in very convenient areas. The people behind making bus routes are not idiots, obviously.

I wonder what it takes to make bus routes. Probably all sorts of calculations of time and traffic and flow of people at different spots in the city. Time tables are tricky, too. I'd hate to be a bus driver.

We were more than halfway there, now, and I began to recognize several buildings after we got off 94 and split off into riding alongside West School Street. I could see the rows of houses right next to me, and I put my hand on the window, as if that would make the bus stop so that I could get a good look.

But the bus didn't stop. We flew past West School Street and merged into North Kimball Avenue, which was lined with familiar shops and restaurants. Radio Shack, Duncan Donuts, Pizza Hut, and a Valero gas station. After the stretch of businesses, townhouses lined the streets. Eventually they stopped hovering over us, though; as North Kimball broke into several intersections.

In the distance I could see an old nasty yellow building which was a rather large structure, and so stood awkwardly, towering over the lesser townhouses and businesses. It was not used anymore, I don't think, but the lover part of it had been made into Payless Shoe Source.

We split off into North Milwaukee Avenue, then, and after passing some low-scale businesses, the row houses started to make their ever-present appearance on the side opposite from mine.

"Hey," Britt had sat in the seat next to mine somewhere around that yellow building. I didn't see her, really, but I knew she was next to me when my heart slammed itself into a higher gear and started pounding.

"Hi." I replied easily, keeping one eye on the passing landmarks and rows of cars.

There was a small silence between us.

"So, did you know that Sam girl?"

And there it was. I turned to her completely and gave her a small smile.

"Yes, we grew up together." I didn't really need to elaborate, because there was nothing more to elaborate. Except… "She was my best friend."

Britt nodded. "You were really close." It wasn't a question, really, but I nodded anyway.

"Yes."

We sat around for a while, and I went back to watching the scenery. We were passing the Logan Square, which was a pretty good indication that we were in Logan Square.

Logan Square was number 22 on the list of the 77 community areas of Chicago. It sat in the North Side of Chicago. The North Side was made up of five communities in total: Avondale, North Central, Lake View, Lincoln Park and Logan Square. The North Side was the most densely populated residential section of the city, which was kinda strange, because I always thought The Loop was.

"So, was she waiting at the airport for you?" Britt's voice rang. It was a good distraction, because I was kinda tired of looking at boring landmarks, and remembering what my Chicago History class had to say about them.

"Yeah," I answered. "My friends told me they would wait for me at the airport every day until I came back, when I left." I elaborated, because, one person waiting at the airport for me screamed 'lovers' and Sam and I were not lovers.

Not. Even. Close.

We got off of Milwaukee for a while, and just kinda rode beside it before joining it again, just a couple of blocks away from our destination.

I looked around. The bus was empty besides us, and many of my traveling companions were either asleep or getting there. Some were mindlessly looking out the window or talking in hush voices amongst themselves.

We were coming up on the stop I wanted us to get off on, so I stood up and made my way to Mr. Shue careful not to fall

"Mr. Shue, we're about to get off." I informed him quietly. He smiled tiredly at me, and made motions to shake Finn and Rachel, who were sitting in front of him, awake.

By the time the two of us had woken everybody, we were clearly in Near North Side. The shops and houses that I only vaguely recognized were now as clear as day to me, even though it was night-time. The memories came back clearly and almost all at once, triggering each other.

Piece of sidewalk in front of a store—we used to walk down that stretch of sidewalk everyday—I remember we walked to Iguana Cafe from my house and we passed that building—Oh. My. God. Iguana Café. Best freaking café in Chicago—I really have to take everyone there—I wonder if I'll meet anyone I know there.

Cabrini–Green was a Chicago Housing Authority public housing development project on Chicago's Near North Side. It was bordered by Evergreen Avenue on the North, Orleans Street on the East, Chicago Avenue on the South, and Halsted Street on the West. Today, only a set of row houses, built in the 1940s, still remain. Over the years, gang violence and neglect created terrible conditions for the residents, and the name "Cabrini–Green" became synonymous with the problems associated with public housing in the United States.

Since the buildings have been demolished, many areas are fenced in, but filled only by vegetation. From the satellite it appears as though these areas are farmed by the residents, even if that is completely preposterous and not true.

When I left Chicago, not all of the buildings from the project had been demolished. I didn't really know which ones were part of the project and which ones were not, but I knew that they were not all gone.

I didn't live in Cabrini-Green, but knew my around there pretty well. Better, by far, than anyone whose address was in Gold Coast should.

The bus let us off at Orleans & Chestnut at around 9:15. Our destination, Horton's Motel, was literally across the street. The night had finally rested on one temperature-a cool 49 degrees-and seemed content to stay there. The cool air served as a shocker to many of my half-asleep friends, which was good, because even in more business-centered parts around Cabrini-Green, you had to keep your eyes open.

I eyed the structure before me. Horton's was painted a light yellow, and had seemed to have had its coat of paint redone since the last time I saw it. It stretched out lazily before me, and stood only three stories high, with dangerous-looking, balcony-like areas jutting out of its initial frame and just kinda hanging in mid air.

"So where to?" Britt was as cheerful as ever. Her optimism brought me back to reality and gave me some stability, so I gratefully wrapped my arm around her midsection, as much to make sure I didn't fall as to have some sort of contact with the present.

I pointed to the building. "That way."

Blehh. I'm tired. Its 3:18 in the morning, so I think I'll cut this off here. Things will get moving in the next few chapters, but I just wanted to give you guys a "thank you" present/update for all of the emails of story alerts and favs and comments I got from all of you.

Yay you!

...I need to sleep

:P