Across the Pond (Prince Harry #2)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Meredith was back to reality, and it sucked. For the rest of her break away from university, she worked at the department store, playing the same old songs on the piano every day. Every hour or so, some would take a picture of her, Prince Harry's girlfriend. It had been getting better as people got more used to be her being there, but with the recent picture of Prince Harry and her, it was almost back to square one. 

University was a welcomed sight. There weren't as many people passing through every day and her dorm room was a great place to hide. Her residents were used to the antics of their RA, so all became normal again.

For the week with Harry, Meredith had felt like a princess. She floated in happiness. There wasn't anything that could bring her down. She was at peace. Coming back to university, it wasn't bad, but it felt like a piece of her was missing. Sometimes she grew sad, but Harry knew what to say to put a smile on her face.

However, her mind was taken off of this as she went back to her schedule. It was a new class schedule filled with geology, Writing 301, Writing 480, Politics 260 and German. Her classes were at least better this semester, and she was more interested in them. With the passing of computer science, she thought she might have an easier time. Yet, geology was another downfall of hers. She just needed the science credits. 

Pictures of Prince Harry flooded her constantly as he went back into the public eye. She was happy to have the pictures every day, where he was happy with his work. But since the pictures of him and her in Vancouver, the paparazzi had decided to rejoin her Superior, Wisconsin.

Stepping out of her residence hall, Meredith looked at the paparazzi that were stationed across the street. All of them raised their cameras and started snapping photos. It was a "warm" day in Superior's winter, which allowed the paparazzi out of their dens. Soon enough, it would "chill" again and all of them would disappear into warmer climates.

"Hey, Meredith!" a paparazzo yelled. "You're good with your fingers." He snapped more photos of her, light on bright as he stationed himself across the street.

By now the paparazzi knew better because if they came close, police would come. This across the street yelling was a warm up to them. They could swarm her at any point. Meredith kept her head up as she walked across the street. Paparazzi kept their feet planted, only holding their cameras a little closer to her. The numbers had at least decreased to a sad seven. Meredith named all of them in her head, and she knew to whom they sold the pictures. 

"You type real quick," he continued. "You'd be a great secretary."

"Of State," she finished. "Thank you!" Meredith pretended to be proud. Her red rain boots squeaked in the snow. "I would be a great Secretary of State. Thank you so much. I'll consider it."

The paparazzo didn't like that. "You're a bitch."

"You mean boss." Flipping her hair back, she continued onto class. Cameras clicked behind her, but Meredith kept her shoulders back and head held high. With the first day with the paparazzi, it probably wasn't good to anger them already. Meredith didn't mind too much, but for Harry's sake, she wanted to play nice for a few days.

At least they didn't show up on the first day of classes, but they let a week sink of classes before adding their presence to the mix. This semester was proving to be more difficult than the last, so she needed that week to adjust.

After class, Meredith walked past the paparazzi again. She glanced at them through her sunglasses, and the lurched forward. Cameras came close forward, yet she stood tall. One broke from the pack, and then three huddled forward, throwing cameras into her face. She stood above them, marching forward. This was just an annoyance, and the paparazzi would be punished by this break from protocol. Into the building, the paparazzi were pushed outside as two police cars showed up outside. Sighing, Meredith went up to her room.

"I'm fine," Meredith commented as soon as she answered her phone. "Do you have nothing better to be doing?" She put her books away on her desk.

"We're just keeping an eye on the paparazzi, that's all," Harry said.

"It's just a few. The others were fine." Meredith smiled. "Did you hear my burns?"

"I did. I'm very proud of you."

"Were they good?"

"Very good," Harry smiled. "How was class?"

"Same old. We're talking about our personal narratives, which is the same thing I'm doing in the class. It's looking like the writing classes will be easy this semester." She plopped down in her desk seat. "They're both creative non-fiction."

Harry frowned.

"What?"

"Creative non-fiction?"

She smiled. "It's a possible thing. Would you like to read some of it?"

"I'll take your word for it." Harry sighed. "What are your plans fort this evening?"

"I have duty tonight, where hopefully nothing will happen. The residents have been good so far, but it's only a matter until they light something on fire. So I'll up until one in the morning, but at least I have later classes now." Meredith smiled. "Oh, and German might happen twice a week instead of once a week, so it'll be so much better. I may actually learn some of the language."

Harry laughed.

"And your day? You looked to be having fun."

"Were you keeping tabs on me?"

"Yes, because I like to see what you're doing. It seems so much more interesting than what I have."

"What do you have?"

"I have to read a two hundred page book by next Tuesday on the psychology of personal and healing narratives."

"Yeah, I win." He settled back. "I was in sport class with some kids at a local school. It's for getting kids active."

Meredith nodded. "You were wearing a jacket today."

"It was chilly."

"How cold?"

"Thirteen Celsius."

"Fifty-five degrees and you were wearing a jacket?"

"Not all of us can come from the arctic," he responded.

Meredith shook her head and smiled. "I'll call you tomorrow, Harry. I have an office hour."

He smile. "I love you."

"I love you. See you."

"Have fun."

Opening her door, Meredith sat back down at her desk and started to do homework. It only took five minutes before someone showed up at her door with a problem. With an arched eyebrow, Meredith listened. Well, she did until another one of her residents showed up to tell that they smelt weed down the hallway. Oh, how it fun to be an RA.