London Changed My Life

Nine - Exploring London

Dan

"What do you think of it, Elysa?" Max the tattoo artist asked.

"Um...it's amazing!" Elysa shouted. "This is amazing! I love it. Thank you so much." The tattoo was black and high on her bicep. She truly did look amazing. She was sweet like Phil but such a badass. There was no one else like her. She went to the counter and handed over money for the tattoo and piercings. Outside, she looked at me.

"What do you want to do now?" I asked.

"I don't mind. I'm free for the rest of the day."

"Well, have you been to all the sights?" She shook my head. "Well, guess who's being your tour guide for today?"

"Is it going to be the Queen?" I facepalmed.

"Yeah, we'll just head up to Windsor Castle and go, 'hey, Queen, give us a tour.'"

"Well, why not? Surely your posh accent will get you through?"

"It's not posh! I'm just articulate. I know how to fucking talk!"

"Geez, Dan. Calm down. I was joking." She laughed (which was like tinkling bells) and I glared at her.

"So, are you gonna take me places or not?"

"Yeah, I will. Shall we got to Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and London Eye?"

"Sure."

"Well, this way. So, how have you been?"

"Pretty well. Not much has happened. Went on a date." My heart twisted in my chest, jealousy coursing through me. "But it was a bust. Turns out he was seventeen." I let out an internal sigh, my heart going back to its normal position.

"Seventeen? Isn't that a bit young for you? How old are you, anyway?"

"I'm twenty-two." Okay, only one year older than me. "Twenty-three next September 8th. You?"

"Shouldn't you know since you're a fan?" I questioned, jokingly. "I'm twenty-one, twenty-two on June eleventh."

"You're right, I did know but I didn't want to seem creepy. Most information you give me I already know but it just sounds really weird, like I stalk you. Which I promise, I don't. I lived in Australia, I couldn't really stalk you."

"Elysa. Stop. Slow down. If you say you didn't stalk me, then you didn't stalk me. Simple." I never thought I'd ever say that. I must admit, though, despite Elysa being a fan she has become a great friend. Her smile, figuratively, lit up the room. She had similar band interests, we had the same humour but she was so different at the same time. She tells more dirty jokes than me, she can play the drums (she had uploaded videos of drum solos to her YouTube channel), she's like an older sister to Emma. I can't even begin to articulate how brilliant she is.

"You alright there Dan? Kind of fazed out."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About what?"

You, I thought. "Nothing much, really."

"Okay. So, there's lion statues and people are climbing on them. Can I join them?" Somehow, we had already made it to Trafalgar Square.

"Of course you can." She smiled wide and ran up to the lions. She's such a little kid. She pulled and pushed herself up to the stand and made her way to the lions. She scrabbled to get up on the lion but slipped back down.

"Come on, Elysa, you can do it!" I encouraged her. She smiled at me and tried again, and succeeded. She waved her arms in the air in celebration and motioned for me to join her. I shook my head but she beckoned again. I sighed but made my way over to her. I hauled myself up on the stand and then joined her on the lion. It was uncomfortable, though, sitting behind her. I felt like a creep.