Author's Notes: So we're in our second destination – London, England. Apologies for the massive delay between chapters, but I've been so busy - I've hardly had time to squeeze work on this into my day-to-day life. So without further ado, let's resume the fun...and begin, the eventual drama.
Song 2
Miles' POV
Another seven hour flight just came and gone. Only this time, we actually crossed the sea with no land in sight rather than it being on the horizon to the side, in places. I much prefer flights that are over empty oceans – makes me feel more open and I get the feeling that I've finally got some space and some privacy to myself. I've been sat alone in my bedroom for the past half hour now reading up on a few travel books and interesting reads about London and especially, the country of my birth. Once we were up in the air, Dad and Pops sat down with me and explained a little bit about this country and why it was my birth-place. Pops seemed to look a little unsure and even uneasy when Dad was speaking, as if what Dad was telling me was wrong or something like that. Not that it matters I'm sure of it – London's going to be great, I can tell. Just reading all these books about not only the tourist attractions but the culture and the history of the city – it's really caught my eye. Not only that, but they have an art gallery too – something I'm DEFINATELY going to go to, no matter what.
"Miles..." Dad peaks his head through the silk curtain and calls me to which I take off my cordless headphones and pause my MP5 player. "We're going to be landing in the next 10 minutes, so come on and sit back down so we can land..."
"OK dad..." And with that, I close the three or four books I have scattered around me on my bed and make my way up and back out to where the passenger's seats are. I see everyone else has already sat down and fastened their seatbelts and Dad sits next to me and watches as my fasten mine as well.
"BING-BONG...Good afternoon sir and fellow passengers...this is your Captain speaking..." The pilot's voice calls on the speakers over-head. "...we will now be making our descend down to the ground and landing in the Private Quadrant of London Heathrow Airport in a matter of moments. Can I remind all passengers to make sure they've fastened their seat-belts and returned their tables in the correct up-right position. Descend will last approximately 15 minutes and all passengers must remain in their seats until the jet comes to a complete stop and the hollographic lights turn off. Once again, thank you for flying and enjoy the remainder of your vacation...thank you..."
Sat next to the window, I look out to see a huge stretching city going beyond the horizon marks around – city blocks upon city blocks of buildings and roads and the odd field here and there. As the plane begins to descend in a circular pattern, I can just see the airport below us and the thin runways with one strip further away than the rest. As we get lower, the detail of becomes much more complex and exciting. Moving blurs turn to vehicles and detailed roads, blocky shapes turn to detailed and puzzle-like buildings and everything around them becomes much more visible with every dropping foot we go.
"You looking forward to it, Miles?" Dad asks me.
"YEH...I can't wait." I reply with a smile.
And it's true...I CAN NOT wait! This is my first ever chance to see
a part of the country that my dad told me I was born in. I still find it strange though that I could be born in a country so far away and yet for some strange reason, I ended up in America. I'm not the best at Geography back in school, but I know for a fact that America and England are pretty far away from one another. Why the heck would I end up in a country so far away from here. Not only that...but why did I end up there in the first place.
"Almost there...almost ON THE GROUND." Daniel reminds us all as HIS excitement builds up in a different way to mine – bouncing up and down in his seat and waiting for the plane to come to a sudden thump and stop.
But no matter how either of us are expressing our feelings in here, the fact of the matter is still the same – we just CAN NOT wait.
WOOHOO! WOOHOO!
WOOHOO! WOOHOO!
Eventually, after a few more minutes of looking out the window at the ever-increasing size of the ground below, the plane finally toches down on ground. But not before a patient wait for it to actually stop and move to the proper place – landing down on a super-long runway and then having to be navigated to the private section at something like one mile an hour. I take this quite annoyingly long amount of time to take a look at ground level finally, towards the city in the horizon – a never-ending blur of greys, blacks, browns and whites of all different shapes and sizes below a cloud-scattered blue sky. The airport lies up ahead to the east along with all the other runways where I see other public planes taking off and even landing at different times.
"Boys, go and get all your stuff packed away in your rooms once the plane comes to a stop – we need to be ready to get off as soon as possible, so no delaying, OK?" Pops speaks in his chair opposite dad to which both me and Daniel nod. But I don't need to go back – I already pakced everything away in my bags and double-checked it afterwards. Besides, even if I needed to, I don't want to get up yet – I still have to remain in my seat until the plane stops, and I don't wanna break that rule and stuff.
The plane is guided into a glass-roof private section of the runway fields. Judging by the makingt of it, they seem to have focused a lot more on architecture than usual. Not that I'm complaining – I like the style of the design and the way they applied it makes the area look really nice.
At long last, the plane comes to a stop and the seat-belt sign fades off. It only takes a few seconds for all 7 of us to unfasten our seatbelts, pick up our online bags and move down the already fitted escalator down to the ground. But as usual, since I left my bag the furthest in the plane, I end up being the last one out of the plane – meaning that me being the only British born person on this plane makes no difference to the fact that Daniel can just shove to the front to walk on solid ground first. But it doesn't bother me that much, it was just something I wanted to do, not that I had to do.
But as soon as Dad's off the bottom step, I can finally move down and as I look around, I can finally embrace this new area and this new place altogther. The outside environment kinda catches me by surprise first off – having spent my time in a small place for 7 hours in the air doesn't do anything good on your body and on your head, so it takes me a bit to get accustomed back to solid ground and back down-to-Earth.
I got my head checked,
By a jumbo jet.
It wasn't easy,
But nothing is……no…
But as soon as I'm focused and fixed on it again, I take my first step onto British soil – my first time in England and hopefully the first of many. And I can't help but feel really excited about my time here in this country. Yes, there's definately a sense of joy that I'm feeling right about now – something which I haven't felt for quite some time, to be brutally honest.
We follow the glowing lights on the ground which signify the path we must take around and after a few minutes of going around one hell of a maze of corridors and electronic stairs, we all at last get to where we need to be.
And after an hour of getting our bags back and waiting for our dads to sign and check over everything, me and Daniel are quickly guided through the airport and out into the collection point out front where two large shiny stretched black vehicles are parked. It hasn't got the length of a limo, but it sure has the same class and look of one, that's for sure. Me and Daniel hop into the back and after Dad straps us both in as tight and as annoyingly as he can possibly do it, we're off – down a few ramps and tight channels and on to the motorway towards this ever-growing stretch of city.
"Woah, look at that...it's HUGE, dude!" Daniel says – leaning his face against the window and looking out the ever-stretching horizon of the city of London.
"It would be Daniel...London's one of the biggest cities in the World."
"Yeh, I can see THAT." Daniel rolls his eyes and laughs – sticking his face even closer to the glass window.
"Daniel, get your face off the window, I don't want you marking it."
"Sorry dad." Daniel scrunches back into his seat after apologizing to Pops.
I on the other hand look out my own window on the left past the lanes of traffic and out at the distant city. And it only comes to light now – somewhere within that massive city was where I was first born. I still find it unbelievable that I've come so unbeliavbly far from a city like THIS to a city like LA. I mean, they're both big and whatnot, but still...this is London – I've only ever seen a few shots of it either on the news or on my laptop back home...but NOW, getting the chance at last to see it face-to-face and hopefully, to actually walk through it is something I'm really looking forward to.
WOOHOO!
When I feel
heavy metal, WOOHOO!
And I'm pins and I'm needles, WOOHOO!
Well
I lie and I'm easy.
All of the time but I'm never sure why I need
you.
Pleased to meet you!
-
Kyle's POV
It's only been 10 minutes since we left the airport and my personal organiser is already doing its usual crazy thing with all the latest plans and organised schedules that I've now received. I whip it out, activate the holographic screen and quickly begin to read what's been received and uploaded onto it. Just as I expected, my British PA Representative has just sent me my weekly schedule for my time in London. The schedule is as follows:
Weekly Schedule for Mr. Kyle Marsh-Broflovski - Week Commencing 5th June 2030:
Monday: Exhibition Presentation + Public Speech at Tate Modern – 14:30
Meeting with KBSM World Representatives – 19:00
Tuesday: Financial Times Interview – 12:00
Secondary School Lecture at Chelsea Green School – 13:30
Private Family Dinner with ArcArt Plc. 20:00
Wednesday: Meeting with BBC World Representatives – 13:30
Organisation meeting of KBSM-BBC Channel Contract – 15:00
Private meeting with Kenny McCormick – 17:30
Thursday: BBC News Interview – 14:00
ITV News Interview – 15:00
Sky News Interview – 16:00
Friday: Weekly KBSM Board Meeting – 11:00
Christ...and THIS is what I class as a less-busy week for me – I'd like to see anybody else other than Stan try and have a go at pulling off a successful week such as this every week of the year. I know I said that this was part of our vacation, but I can't forget about the family business at the same time. Even away from America, I still have responsibilities on the business side of life. Still, that doesn't mean I won't make the most of what free time I'll have this week. And with it, I'm going to spend some quality time with Miles, especially on Friday. I get the feeling that he hasn't really felt himself these past few weeks – maybe it's just that end-of-school feeling, I always felt like that during 4th grade back in South Park even though I never showed it.
Well, when Friday afternoon comes and when all this work is out of the way, I'm going to spend some quality father-and-son time with him and hopefully get him smiling and cheerful again – I love making Miles happy no matter what it takes and I'll always try my best to do so.
"Schedule plan?" Stan asks – peaking his head to the side as he brings me back to the main subject at hand.
"Huh...oh yeh...yes it is. Not looking forward to it all though, but it has to be done I'm afraid."
"Oh I'm sure the dinner out will be nice – the four of us all out as a nice happy family with one of the biggest art corporations in the World." Stan gives a smile.
"Yeh...I guess so."
"Is there anything you have to do on your own, at all."
"Yeh, I've got some stupid school lecture in the West of the city."
"Oh Christ." Stan rolls his eyes and we both laugh softly.
"Exactly."
Both me and Stan have had too many bad experiences with giving lectures and speeches to schools across America so far over the past few years and I'm pretty confident that one school in Britain isn't going to change things for the better. It seems that everytime I go to one of those places, it's always the same image of bored grumpy kids who look like they don't give a dam and I always seem to be giving the same lecture about not wasting your life and making the most of it, but that's only because half of my speech is planned – the other half is asked for by the teachers and staff at the schools. But no matter what I say, if I'm lucky to get no annoying interruptions or sniggering taunts from the students, than instead, I get row after row of bored faces that look as if they're about to fall asleep.
I got
my head done,
When I was young.
It's not my problem,
It's
not my…problem…
"Well..." Stan puts his hand next to mine. "...let's hope this one is better, huh?"
"Yeh...let's." I smile back and put my hand around his.
As the road we travel along gets thinner and thinner and eventually moves into the loud and busy district of the city centre, the driver up front takes the digital dark screen off and calls back to us.
"Sir, we're approaching the hotel district, we should be there within the next 10 minutes."
I give him a quick 'thanks' and inform the boys that we'll soon be there.
10 minutes later, just as my driver said, we arrive at our 5 star hotel situated just off from the centre of London. The vehicles drive up to the classy marble-coated entrance around the entrance's oval road and up to the giant gold-coated glass sliding doors and carpetted stairs. Men in red coats and uniforms walk up to the doors and open them for us just as others begin to carry our bags out and into the hotel. Me and Stan watch as we see Daniel's and indeed Miles' face light up with the sight of this posh and classy hotel. It's not long before Kenny's vehicle parks up behind ours and out of that pops out the scruffy-haired blond along with his two kids.
"Woah, check out this pad – bet the people inside here have got friggin' diamonds encrusted into their asses."
"Shut up Kenny...we're staying here, remember."
"Exactly...I thought we already had diamonds in her asses. We are THAT rich, after all."
And after me and Stan give him the usual odd look again, we begin to make our way into the building – people opening the outer doors for us as we get close to the entrance itself. And as soon as we get past the inner electronic glass doors, nearly everyone in the main lobby looks straight at us. Whether they're looking at us becasue of who we are or looking at us because me and Stan are holding hands remains to be seen, but without stopping we go straight to the registry area to collect our card keys to our rooms. Room 806 and 808 it turns out to be and it's with that the four kids rush to the lift to get up.
-
10 Minutes Later
-
Miles' POV
WOW, this place is great. I've already been in here 10 minutes and I haven't even opened my bag to unpack – it's THAT good. The beds in mine and Daniel's room are decorated in lovely geometric patterns in these very warm brown and cream shades and the room itself looks very warm and welcoming – the brown walls would suit much better over a cream one that's for sure. As for the rest of the room, it's great – carpetted cream flooring and contemporary design fill every single room with huge beauty. God, I can't get over how well they've designed this place, it's beautiful. And heck, they've even got some good-looking artwork on the walls too. This place is bloody brilliant.
I turn my attention to my brother who hasn't stopped jumping up and down on his own bed like an idiot.
"Hey, calm down, this is a hotel for God's sake." I say – giving him the odd look as he messed up the duvet on his bed.
"Ah, shut up, it's MY bed until we leave here, I'll do whatever the hell I want." And he continues to pound the duvet into a thousand creases with his airborne feet.
"Well please don't mess mine up – I don't want to annoy the people who have to clean it up again afterwards."
To which Daniel laughs, "Miles, they're paid to do that, you could burn it for all you care and they still wouldn't give a dam."
"OK, I think THAT would annoy them, bro."
I walk over to the balcony door, open it and step out onto the black-painted metallic balcony complete with an italian-styled array of architecture built around the supports and the railing too. All I can see from this side is the stretch of skyscrapers and city blocks – all toned in a surprisingly dull shade of browns, greys and blacks. I'm sure the city below has much more colour and excitement going on than from what I can see up here, so here's hoping I get a chance to see it all during this week.
WOOHOO!
When I feel
heavy metal, WOOHOO!
And I'm pins and I'm needles, WOOHOO!
Well
I lie and I'm easy.
All of the time but I'm never sure why I need
you.
Pleased to meet you!
-
Kyle's POV
Even in the most comfortiest and relaxing of rooms, I still can't let my focus go for even just a second on how stressful and difficult and worse yet, important this week is going to be for me. They ARE things that I want to get done and things that I have wanted to be done at some time or another, but I never could predict how much it would weigh me down. And as I look up at the ceiling – body stretched from pillow to the bottom of the duvet, all I can think about is the amount of people and interviewers and board commitees and important individuals who'll be looking at me as I give crucial announcements, speeches, lectures and whatnot on dozens of different subjects and crucial topics.
I've had my body in exactly the same position for a few minutes now – my black jacket-coat and shoes lying on the carpetted floor next to the bed and me just lying on the bed in my white shirt and black trousers.
Suddenly, I hear the bedroom door open. Looking down in my gaze, I see Stan coming through the door and closing it behind him.
"Awwww, what's wrong. Tired from all the travelling?" He asks.
"No, it's not that. I'm so awake I could jump up and down on this bed like a little kid again if I wanted to." I smile to which Stan gives one back. "It's just...this week...I never would have thought it would get me as stressed out as it is now."
Stan takes a seat on the bed and looks down at me. "Don't look on the bad-side of it all. Look on the positives – the business is landing a massive television trading deal, you're having an exhibition of over 100 of your paintings on show at the Tate gallery...AND...you're being invited for a private dinner with one of the biggest art trading tycoons in the World, that of which is very rare in this day and age with somone as highly respected as him. And you say you're still stressed over all THAT?"
He does have a point. "Yeh...but, what about all those talks...and meetings...and interviews...and hard questions...and paper-work...not to mention making sure I don't fuck up the contracts as well."
Realsing I'm in a worse state-of-mind now, Stan takes off his jacket and shoes and climbs on top of me – blocking my view of the brown ceiling and old victorian light-shade. Looking down at me, he gives me a smile to which that lightens up my face as well.
"Listen...Kyle, don't worry about it." He puts one arm around me. "I hate it when you're all worried and stressed out like this – it's not good for you, y'know."
"Yeh
I know."
"Well then...stop it." He jokes and we both smile.
"Look...how about..." His smile soon turns to a smirk. "...if I
give you an extra special treat tonight...will THAT take your mind
off the bad side of things and focus more on the good."
"What kind of...extra special treat?" I give a smilar smirk back.
"Oh come on...do you really think I'd spoil the surprise."
"OH, so it's THAT kind of treat, huh?"
"...Maybe."
"Well...alright then...but, what about the boys?"
"I'm sure Kenny'll spare us one night and take the kids out to the city somewhere."
"As long as we give him certain "limits"."
"Yeh, we don't want the boys coming back with more than just new CITY sights."
"God, no matter how many times he know he's only joking, we still worry that he's serious."
"Well, that's Kenny for yer'." We end with an exchange of warm smiles and pressing lips as Stan puts his arms around me and I bring him closer to me as we kiss. "So with the boys out for the night...I've got plenty of reason to give you a treat, my love."
"Well, I look forward to it Stan. I would pay you back afterwards...but I guess that wouldn't be fair, huh? After all, I already gave you my half last week."
"Yeh, and I get LONDON of all places to call MY romantic setting."
I laugh – realising the massive contrast the two locations have. "It's not the location that matters Stan..."
"...Yeh,
you're right, it's the content that's more important..."
"Heh,
looks like I've taught you well...I look forward to seeing how
it'll pay off."
"Oh trust me Kyle, they'll be less SEEING as far as you're concerned."
That meer ending tag-line only builds my interest and curiosity even more to find out what he has planned later tonight.
And as we give each other another long loving kiss, we hear a knock on the door and immediately rise up to answer it.
-
Author's Comments: So, there we have London Stay Part 1. Expect plenty of lessons to have rubbed off on Stan in the next chapter as he's already hinted at. :P