Spaceking

Chapter 16: You Look Like A Queen

"Hi Internet!" I heard Dan shout behind me as I beeped my Oyster card and got through the barriers. "As you can see, I'm outside! Beep!" He went on, as het too got through and then circled around with the camera. "I'm showing a new friend of mine around London! Say hi, Jo!"

"Hey guys!" I smiled and waved politely at the camera over my shoulder. "Oh come on, Joanna," Dan whined. It seemed that all he did was whining. "Introduce yourself properly and show that head of yours!"

I turned around, waiting for Dan to catch up with me. "Hey," I waved again, rolling my eyes. "I'm Joanna." I didn't really know what else to say. "That's it."

"Not true!" He said and turned the camera to himself. "She's been in London for three days, she's from Belgium." "That's not really important, is it?" I asked. "Yes it is! You're my only Belgian friend." "What about Jolene and Lisa?" He shrugged. "Well, okay, but they're not here."

"So!" he turned his gaze back to the camera. "Me and Jo are going to hang out for the rest of the month! Until she has to go back home." "Oh are we now?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. My insides got all warm as he said that. "Of course! You're my hang-person now," and as to prove his point, he threw his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into him. I smiled widely, feeling only happiness. "That's going to hurt Phil when he hears that," I countered, mouthing Phan to the camera.

"Phil's got Jolene."

"Oh right!" "The lovebirds," we wiggled our eyebrows. "But, Dan!" I changed the subject. "What are we going to do today? And if I might add, guys, Dan's only using me so he doesn't have to think of something original to do."

"You may not add!" He yelled, turning the camera saying: "Don't listen to her, she's Satan in disguise. But Jo, we're first going to Covent Garden!"

I ignored what he said and rolled my eyes. "And what are we going to do there?"

"Go see what street artists there are today! And also, getting some breakfast for this bad boy," he pointed to his stomach. "You didn't have a breakfast?" I asked him surprised. I wouldn't think it was a possibility for Dan to ever not have breakfast. "You got me up early, girl."

"I send you that message nine thirty, half an hour before we had decided on."

"And enough talking, see you at Covent Garden, guys!" I quickly waved before he slammed the camera shut. I grinned at him, and he frowned. "You're completely ruining my video." I held up my hands, innocent himself. "You're the one that decided to have me in it."

"Ugh, why do I do this to myself," he groaned. I chuckled, throwing my arm around his back-waist. I didn't think about it, and maybe I better had. "Stop whining, baby, you love me."

He smiled at me and returned the embrace around my shoulders. I looked up at him and we just smiled at each other before he chuckled and took a grip on my hand instead, pulling me a certain direction. "Of course I do. Come on, it's this way."

*************************************

I clapped my hands together as the two men in front of us bowed. My hand quickly shot to Dan's plate as he was taking some change out of his pocket to give. I took a piece of apple between my fingertops.
"Hey," he said, slapping at my hand. But it was already too late, and I put the apple in my mouth. "You had exactly the same to eat."
I shook my head, pointing at my plate. "I'm a big girl. My plate's empty."

"Big girls don't steal food," he said, chuckling nonetheless.
"They do when it's getting cold," I crossed my arms, but not after eating another one of the pieces.
He shoved the rest of his last pancake in his mouth, imediately standing up. It almost spilled.
"God," I shivered. "That is disgusting." He smiled at me. And even with the pancake crumble on his teeth, it was still one of the most beatiful smiles.

"Where to now?" I asked, leaving my seat to follow him. "Somewhere else," he said over his shoulder. I rolled my eyes, and suddenly there's a camera shoved in my face.
"What are you doing?"
"As you can see," he talked, "Jo is the owner of a mighty eyeroll that can kill bears and crush dreams."
"And what might that dream be?"
"I'm not sure yet, but I am sure that you're crushing it."
"Nice."
"So guys," he turned the camera around. "I just had breakfast, Jo had second breakfast."
"I'm a hungry girl."
"And we saw some cool theater. I filmed some of it, it'll be edited in. God," he sighed. "I always forget what pain in the ass it is to edit vlogs."
"Tja," I said. He turned to mee with a confused look. "What was that? What was that noise you made?"
I frowned. "Tja?" I asked. He nodded. "What does that mean?"
"Oh right!" I laughed. "I suddenly forgot that you're British. Tja is something we say in Belgium. It's like 'I'm sorry mate, but it's just that way'."
"Aha."
"What?" I laughed as he pressed his lips together.
"I forgot how weird you are."
"Maybe that's why you like me so much," I grinned. "Something else we say in Belgium: 'soort zoekt soort'."

"And what does that mean, smartass?"

"That you always search bits of yourself in other people. The ones you are alike with, become frequently your best friends," I explained. "However, they also say: opposites attract," I continued. Dan still had his camera shoved in my face and I giggled as I pushed it away. "Alright potato, time to get this out of my face and focus on you. I'm sure this is not what they want to see," I said, pointing at my face.

"Potato?" He asked surprised. "Why do you need to be so hard on me and my poor manly ego?" He whined, clutching his heart. He pointed to a street on my right. "It's that way." We followed the street, and on the end of it, there was a small park. "There are a lot of butterflies here normally," Dan pointed to the big bushes, that attracted the small animals. "You're not scared of them, are you?"

I shook my head, looking up at the group of butterflies. Most of them were a blueish colour, but there were two red ones too. They were bigger than the rest and looked like some sort of royal pair.

"Hey look," he pointed the two out. "They look like king and queen."

"Hey! That's what I was thinking!" I laughed. He chuckled, sitting down on a bench. "Pfff," he sighed. I turned around to face him. "Don't say you're tired already!"

"My physical condition isn't the best."

"I noticed that. But why do you pick two places out that are far from each other, then?" I went to sit next to him, and ignored the fact that when I leant back, I felt his arm press against my shoulders. He smiled so innocently at me, forming his dimples. I silently sighed and leant my head on his arm to look at the sky. This guy was going to kill me.

"I wanted to show them to you. Both of them."

"Thank you, Howell. I really appreciate it." I blinked slowly, opening my eyes to Dan hanging over me, scaring me. I shoot up straight and slap him on his shoulder. "Howell!"

He was laughing his head off, turning to me with a soft "Dewit," before he started laughing again. Apparently I was so funny that even smartass Dan couldn't come up with a comeback. I raised my eyebrows at him, crossing my arms and legs. My back was straight and I stared at him until he noticed. When he looked up, there was a shot of surprise in his eyes, followed by amusement and something that looked like.. Affection. A whole lot of it. Don't you dare blush, Joanna. You're a queen.

"You look like a those butterflies. You look like a queen."
Dammit Howell, you made me blush.