Journey to Love, 5
Lily / James
Holy cow!! You weren't expecting this chapter out so soon, were you?? Oh well . . .
Oh yeah, last time I wrote I wanted 20 reviews minimum. That was a typo, people, (I said that in the reviews too). I was typing with my computer contrast on low, because I was mad at my brother and he was peeking over my shoulder and it's a long story . . . so I'm sorry. I usually don't demand reviews, but don't mind my craziness . . . I'm way off nowadays. I had a whack of fun writing this chapter, and I've tried to make it a little longer as well. Enjoy . . .
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"So, have you been here before?" James asked, conversationally. Lily shook her head.
"I've hardly been anywhere, really. What about you? Is this your first time?" she asked.
"Well . . . it's my first time in France. But I've been to other places with Pops," he said, leaning back in his seat.
"James?" Lily asked, a thought striking her. He nodded.
"Who is this Senorita person? You were calling me Senorita when the cops were here . . ." she said, trying to hide a smile.
"Oh, her. She is Martha Pecan. My previous girlfriend. She was from Spain," he said, focusing on the road ahead. Lily smiled knowingly.
"So . . . when are we going to reach Zurich?" she said, trying to keep the conversation going.
"Zurich . . . oh, what's left in Zurich? This is the real Europe. Now, you just relax. I'm here. Nothing can go wrong with me around," he said, in a carefree manner that bugged her.
As he spoke, the car squealed and Lily's head thumped forward and backward in her seat. With a groan and a screech, the car stopped. She stared at James.
Not meeting her eye, he tried to start it up again, unsuccessfully. He sighed. "Europe is best seen when walking," he said, sounding like a tape recorder.
Lily groaned.
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" . . . and Dad . . . he is strict, but nice. He is a man of his word," Lily was telling James. They were walking down the road, their car abandoned about 3 kilometers ago.
"James. . . I'm too tired. I can't go on anymore," she said, stopping to lean against the handrail.
James walked back to her. "What do you want me to do, carry you? Ok, Ok, listen. Just walk a little more, there is a house there and I'll see if we can find a room, ok?"
They walked ahead.
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"So we can move in now?" James asked, looking puny compared to the six foor tall man standing in front of him with a baby in his arms. The man nodded.
"Thank you," he said, smiling sweetly, which did not suit him. "Oooh, baby, cutie cutie," he said, and turned to Lily.
"Let's go," he said.
"WOW, what a beautiful room!!" Lily exclaimed, the minute she entered. "Look at the view from this window!!" she said, squatting down to examine a little table near the door. James plopped on the feathery bed immediately.
"So, where is your room?" Lily asked, still squatting. "This one," he said.
She turned. "Then which is my room?"
"This one," he said.
"You mean . . . the two of us are going to spend the night in the same room?" she said, unbelievably.
"That's how bad the situation is," he said, still plopped down.
"I'm not that desperate. I'm going," she said, starting towards the door.
"Look, look Senorita. You sleep on the bed, I'll sleep on the couch. Ok? No problem, see?" he said.
"No way. I'm leaving," she said, opening the door.
"Ok, bye," he said. Lily was miffed that he didn't seem disturbed.
"I'm not kidding, I'm really going," she said again.
"What do you mean? That I get the whole bed? No problem. Bye!!" he said, waving at her.
Lily stomped out.
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Lily sat gingerly on a pile of hay in the barn. She lifted a box of matches near her and attempted to light one. She wasted several of them before she got a tiny fire going. The warmth was not enough to keep her from shivering.
She heard the door creak open and looked up. James entered, carrying his travel bag and another packet with him.
"WOW, what a beautiful room!" he said, mimicking her. "What a beautiful design," he said, holding up an imaginary curtain. "You know, Lily, your sense of living is UNMATCHABLE!!" he said, looking at her. She made a face.
"WOW!! You got a fire. Oh, it's so warm in here!" he said, continuing to torture her. Then, he resumed his normal voice.
"We got a nice, cozy room, but no!! Because of you, we have to spend the night in a barn, of all the places!!". Lily didn't reply.
"Here, eat," he said, throwing a carton at her feet.
"I'm not hungry," she said, in a cold voice. "Ok. I don't care," he said, munching a ham sandwich. Lily's stomach grumbled, she was hungry but would not admit it.
Fifteen minutes later, James was smacking his lips and Lily's stomach continued to grumble. James sighed, picked up the carton, and crouched next to her.
"Eat," he said, in a much gentler voice.
"I told you I'm not hungry," she said.
"Ok. I'm sorry," he said, sounding as if it had taken him a lot of effort to say that word.
"What did you say??" she asked, staring at him in surprise.
"Sorry. In my anger, I said a little too much," he said, using the same words Lily had used that morning.
"It's ok," she said, taking the carton and smiling. "In big hearts like mine, small things like this always happen," she said, mimicking him again.
"But don't worry," he said. "I've got the tickets and timetable, everything's ready. Tomorrow, we take a bus to the station, and from there we stop at Bern. We can meet Sirius and Remus in the station there, while the Eurail stops," he said.
"Now, nothing can go wrong," he said, sitting down on the ground. To mark his words, a light sprinkle of snow fell through the numerous holes in the barn roof. In a minute, their fire was gone.
"Except for snow," he said, speaking to himself.
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Ok, that's it for this chapter. Read, review and enjoy . . .
Luv, Green Eyes