Chapter V Our Could Have Been's

Where could they all go?

I went to the class room but its empty. That is true even for the other rooms.

Do we have a scheduled laboratory today?

Without any choice, I walked down three floors. The elevator is vacant but the stairs are preferable. It gives me time to sort this out. Traversing the journey to the physics laboratory is rubbish. Finding the laboratory unoccupied, I decided to wait in the students' park.

"I knew I'd see you here,", Vance started formally.

"Let's go," he continued.

I followed without reluctance. But when we are a step away from the gates of the university I began to ask, "where to?"

"Somewhere. Its a great day to waste."

"What about our class?" I protested.

"There is a board meeting. Before you fuss about not getting informed, I just received the news too. Again it is a waste to stop by here. Let's get going."

I accepted his request to dance. I let him lead on and I followed along.

Before it registers where he is taking me, a recognizable scent dawns on me.

"This is fun", I said to him with extreme gaiety.

As I cannot await for any response, I ran towards the soul that is calling me. I ran my eye along the shelves of the book. There were sundry classical authors, Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, Arthur Conan Doyle, Shakespear, Lucy Maud Montgomery. I examined no further, for Vance himself recalls my attention.

"If you shall have someone, for you deserve the best no doubt, who among the heroes will you choose?"

"Take a guess", I replied high-spiritedly.

"Mark Darcy, perhaps?"

"Is it a question or an answer?"

"Mark Darcy," he retaliated.

"Not bad, not bad. It is the safest answer. A lady I might consider senseless for not wanting Darcy's gallantry. His gentleman like, genuine, imposing character makes him the most favorable among women. On the contrary, all heroes of various book has their own kind of unique, to Mark Darcy and other principal characters.

"So who?," he interrupted.

"George Knightley," I said joyfully.

For a while he stared blankly.

I laughed. "You are not aware of his existence in the fictional world right?", I hurried on teasingly.

Shoving him the book entitled,"Emma", in his hands I babbled

"Read this and you shall know more of him. From there you could perceive a thing or two to please me."

"Hey! No need. My asking is not an implication that I take interest in you."

"Hmmm, not something Mr. Knightley will likely say," I gushed.

Wanting to remove himself from his present disposition, he sneered," Hurry up and choose a book",implicating that he is retreating.

"But there are no new classic book in the shelve."

Sensing his discomfort, I grab the book I am pushing to him and hastily proceeded to the cashier. Plucking the bill out of my purse, a sturdy arm stopped me midway and paid instead.

"This is not how Mr. . . ," I'm about to provoke him again but he left my sentence hanging as he cautioned,

"Be done with it. No heroes in the book are made with the same attributes. That is why every book is interestingly unique."

And that is how Mr. Knightley would have articulated....

As we leave the bookstore, I thought the dance was over.

We are about to near the end.

Figuring out the new ambiance of the environment, I was embraced with a noisy atmosphere. Hearing out screams, laughters mixed up with cries, I almost can't take it. The tapping of a giant, mushy, fluffy mascot adds up to my irritation.

You saying," It will be fine," wasn't reassuring either.

It is clear, that you are getting back at me for pestering when I hear you utter,

"Three tickets for the gyro drop please, thank you."

The sound of the music as we are dancing through this day, was suddenly turned off. Nevertheless our movement continued in silence. Up until I choose to break it.

"Vance," I called, "I might be afraid of heights but there is a notion I am not afraid of..-falling." With that said, I held on to his hand as we are preparing for our destination- down, and together we fall.

"Can I be your Mr. Knightley?" he whispered amidst the maddening crowd.

The words you murmured were left in the air unfathomable in the middle of the raging sharp loud cries.

I wish to ask him again but the screams are beseeching and leaving a desire to join in the rumble and as easily as I am persuaded, I gave in.

The dance is trivial, but entertaining.

It was fun.

Until it came to me...

It could have been a date, but we got company, all this time, we are with Eleanor.