Across the Pond (Prince Harry #2)

Chapter Fourteen

"No," Meredith said, "the paparazzi didn't bother me at all today. They took pictures and said nothing. They didn't even follow me. It's quite impressive."

Harry's face still showed worry over FaceTime. "And you didn't receive anymore notes today?"

"No. I think it was just a Halloween thing, to be honest. See if they can scare the RA."

"You don't exactly scare easily."

Meredith smiled and laid down on her bed. Her backpack was all backed up, ready for a three hour shift at the desk until she stayed up until one in the morning just in case something bad happened. She watched Harry was was uneasy, continually, and he always thought. In Scotland, he was at least at peace. Now he looked like he might hurt himself thinking too much. He was worried, Meredith knew, but there wasn't much he could do. As many times as Meredith said it was fine or she could handle it, it just made Harry worry more; it also angered Meredith a bit that he didn't believe her.

"I think you miss me," Meredith said.

Harry cracked a smirk. "You don't have to think about it. I do miss you."

"Is that why you look like you're going to vomit?" she asked. "You could try sleeping." Meredith watched him carefully. "You can't sleep, can you?"

Harry smiled at her. "I'm just nervous, Mere."

"Harry, breathe. We'll be fine. I'll be fine." Meredith rolled onto her feet. "Think happy thoughts."

"You're my happy thoughts," he admitted, "and then I think about other things."

"Okay, Harry, seriously?" she groaned. "I'm very protected here. Paparazzi can't come into my classes. They can't come into my building. I've scared a few of them off so badly that they won't take a step toward me."

"What about the death threat?"

"Happy Halloween!"

"And if it's more?"

"We'll worry about it when we get there." Meredith sighed. "I'm supposed to be the worrier here, not you. You're supposed to be happy and lovely, and you're supposed to make me laugh and blush. I worry. You smile and look pretty."

Harry chuckled. "I'm sorry I've been failing at my job."

"Harry, that's not what I meant. I mean that... people are going to come after me. And I guess I'm just going to have to deal with it. But finally I might getting used to it. There's an understanding between the paparazzi and me. My residents are chill. My classes are going fine, and hopefully I won't fail computer science. As for the death threat... well, it doesn't compare to Jack. It could all be some joke." Meredith smiled at Harry, putting on the brilliant smile. She hoped to charm him. "Be happy for that. And there are other things in your life to be happy for. What about those?"

"Honestly, I think of you most of the time."

"It's charming but creepy, Harry."

Harry smiled. "What time do you have work?"

"Fifteen minutes." Meredith shook her head. "I blame this on me. Your sleeping pattern is thrown way off because of me. I mean, there is a six hour difference between us. But you should sleep during night time. We'll find a time to talk during the day. Now, go to bed."

"I have to get up in four hours."

"We can talk them. I'm paid to still be awake." Meredith smiled. "Now, go to bed. That's an order."

He let loose another smile. "I love you."

"I love you." Meredith hung up and grabbed her bag, heading for the front entryway of the dorm.

Duty nights were easy to Meredith because they were usually all the same. She went on a round at eight, which lasted, for her, about thirty minutes even in the small building. She sat at the desk and did homework, unless she got a call or someone wanted something. At ten, she went on another ground. She was at the desk until eleven, which it then closed. She held the duty phone until one, but at midnight, she had her last round.

The eight round was quiet like usual. Meredith caught a few in their rooms doing homework. Meredith had a conversation with most of them. She moved on. Meredith sat at her desk, working on homework. It was a quiet night as Meredith fiddled with her thumbs. Meredith usually didn't do much homework at the desk, and tonight wasn't too different. She finished her homework early and just waited.

At ten, Meredith went on her second round. There were a few more people studying now. Meredith never understood the people who could study late at night; she enjoyed sleep too much. She wrote things down and headed upstairs. First floor was good. Meredith moved to second floor, her own floor, and it only took her twenty steps before she smelt weed.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Meredith asked herself. It was the same room from only a few days ago. Meredith sniffed a few doors around the room, and none of them smelt of weed. Pressing her nose into the door, Meredith almost got high from the scent of skunk.

Sighing, Meredith stepped back from the door and called Campus Safety. It was stupid to smoke weed in the dorm because it left an order that was easy to recognize. Also, the dorm was one long hallway. Eventually the scent would hit her at the other end of the hallway.

Five minutes later, Campus Safety showed one, one officer this time, and he smiled at her. However, getting a foot past Meredith, the smile left his face as he smelt the weed. "Jesus," he muttered. "It smells like they have a skunk in their room." His face turned completely hard and his hand banged against the door. "Campus Safety. Open up!" He listened and then banged on the door again. "We can smell it. Open up!" He listened and then banged on the door again. "I hear you. Open up!"

The door swung open to reveal the resident that always caused the problem. Meredith had a nickname for him: Creepy Resident Dude. The dude, who smoked weed a lot and Meredith just got a bad feeling from him, stood in the doorway, looking angry that they interrupted. "I'm not smoking weed," he said defensively.

"We can smell it," said the Campus Safety officer. "Your RA called it in."

"It's in her mind," the resident said. "She's making it up. She's been after me for a while. She just wants attention. Don't you, princess? It's all in her mind."

"We can smell it," the Campus Safety officer reiterated. "I'm sure the whole hallway can smell it too."

Meredith had the clipboard and wrote down everything that was being said. Though when her eyes did come up, Creepy Resident Dude stared at her with hatred. Meredith tried to be scared, but at this point, it was all sass. She was annoyed and tired. Plus, the smell of weed made her nauseous.

"Where's the weed?" the officer asked.

"Look, man, I don't have weed."

"Did you smoke it all?"

"I haven't been smoking weed."

"Is that why I can smell it?" the officer asked.

"It's all in your head."

"Well, if that's true, can I come into your room and check to make sure?"

"No, man."

"No, man?"

"No, officer. No, sir," Creepy Resident Dude mocked. "I don't have any weed."

"Then let me come into the room and check."

"No. We can talk outside."

"Why can't we talk in here?" the officer asked, never hesitating. He had in this situation enough times in his life to know the retort next to come out of the resident's mouth.

"Let's go to the lounge."

"Why?"

Creepy Resident Dude tried to hold his ground, but he was a small man, at least four inches under Meredith. And the Campus Safety officer was even taller than Meredith. "Come in," Creepy Resident Dude said. "Check my room."

Meredith waited outside as the Campus Safety officer went inside the room and looked around. Creepy Resident Dude stood in the hallway, watching Meredith. She wrote down something and then her eyes came back up. Arching an eyebrow, she pursed her lips. No hesitation shined on her face. Creepy Resident Dude took it as a challenge.