Jonathan and Elizabeth

Jonathan Maxwell was thankful that he had moved into a dorm for the semester.

“You be good, John. Come home for the usual holidays,” his father reminded him, patting his son on the back. The black-haired man could only nod and gave his father one last smile before the older man left, Jonathan heaving a relieved sigh and falling back into his bed. Jesus. The old man would never give him a break.

“Oi, Johnny boy! You in there or what?”

“Come in, Parker.” Almost immediately a blonde boy burst into the room, grinning widely and wheeling in a giggling brunette. Jonathan raised a brow. “Who’s this lovely miss you stole away from the eatery?”

“This,” Parker announced, “is Celia.” Celia wasn’t bad-looking at all. She was definitely shorter than Jonathan’s 5’11, blonde curls bouncing off her shoulders, tips a faded blue. “Celia and I hooked up this summer – ow!” 

“Hooked up is a nasty term,” she complained, “We met and decided to have a relationship.”

“Okay, okay.” He winked at Jonathan, “Met Celia in the countryside. Turns out she’d study here too, so why the hell not?”

“It’s great to meet you, Jonathan,” Celia beamed at him, and they shook hands. “What’re you taking up?”

“Economics,” the man replied. “Going to be a banker.”

“Johnny boy’s into the boring stuff,” Parker interrupted, yawning loudly to emphasize. “Nothing like good old Architecture to get you really in. Coffee and noodles have been my best friend since first year.”

“That’s old American bullshit, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. But what else can I get? Your lucky ass is loaded and shit,” Parker looked at Celia, “Maxwell here is loaded. I’m surprised he’s even going to college.”

Jonathan gave a hard look. “Education isn’t that easy to come across.”

“I agree, cut him some slack.” Celia elbowed Parker, “Besides, it’s going to help him get richer in the future. Didn’t you tell me he nearly got perfect in his A-levels?”

“Christ, Celia, don’t tell him that-”

“It’s not exactly an achievement,” Jonathan muttered sheepishly, pink dusting his cheeks.

“To me, it is. Nearly banged up mine – that’s what I like in a guy – intelligence. Not that I’m flirting when I have this goof,” she smirked at Parker, who had the decency to grin, “He’s enough for me.”

“You’re sweet, babe. Wanna head out with us, Jonathan? Go out for some lunch?”

Jonathan looked back at his room, currently undecorated.

Ah, blast it.

“I’m game.”

* * * * *

Jonathan wasn’t surprised that Parker had gotten a new girlfriend – he was the player of the school, flirting and hooking up on the weekends and walking in with a new girl on the Mondays. Lucky ladies were able to get with him for two to three weeks before he moved onto someone else. Jealous onlookers spread that he had crabs, but Parker didn’t give a shit and kept searching.

On the other hand, Jonathan had a few here and there, but never too serious. And he couldn’t blame them for choosing Parker, the man had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a killer body (as he had heard from swooning girls as he passed by the gym). Jonathan preferred keeping low-key, studying and working, sometimes having a drink at the pub or smoking when he felt like it.

Besides, he knew that his father would kill him if he ever failed. Years back, his mom had passed and ever since, his father wasn’t quite the same. They never bonded. He had a cousin in Wales, but that was about it.

So college was an opening door for him. He quickly signed on for dorms, and though his father was surprised, he approved of it.

“You’ll learn independence through that,” he said. “Washing your own clothes, getting your own food and studying with whatever schedule…don’t mess it up, Jonathan.”

He didn’t plan to, at least.

“Got you a coffee,” Parker passed him a hot paper cup, Jonathan catching and immediately drinking. The caffeine hit his system faster than it should have. “And Celia’s bringing a few of her friends here. You’ll like one of them; she’s foreign and ready to mingle.”

“You make it sound like she’s some kind of exotic performer or something.”

“She’s not, actually. She’s German, just moved here actually – her English is pretty good for a German, and her accent’s damn fun – oi, you lot! Here we are!”

“We know, we know,” Celia replied patiently, bringing along another blonde (just how many blondes there were, Jonathan thought) who had her hair up in an artsy bun. “Elizabeth, you know Parker. No need for introductions. You can sit next to Jonathan – Jonathan, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, Jonathan. You two can do the introducing for yourselves while I lecture Parker on laundry.”

“Goddamn clothes can’t wash themselves,” Parker complained.

Jonathan looked up to get a closer look, and felt all coherence melt away as Elizabeth slipped next to him.

“Hello,” she greeted.

Yup, accent is still there.

“Hi,” he managed. “Elizabeth, right?”

“Elizabeth Meyer.” She gave an easy smile, “Jonathan?”

“Maxwell. Me. I mean, Jonathan Maxwell. That’s me,” he laughed nervously. “Jesus, I’m sorry. I’m not that used to meeting new people. Seeing as I’ve known all my high school mates for the longest time.”

“I feel the same way. All my friends in Germany, I have known since childhood.”

“Which part of Germany?”

“Berlin.” She shrugged, “Winchester is quieter.”

All her Ws turned into Vs.

“What are you taking up?”

“Teaching and maybe a history minor. I…I don’t know yet.”

Silence came closer, but she swatted it away with her next question. “You?”

“Economics. Not sure if I want to minor, the course is enough already.”

At that, she smiled. It wasn’t as reserved as her first smile.

But either way, it still made his stomach twist.

* * * * *

He decided that she was beautiful.

Elizabeth’s hair was a light blonde, almost white. Her lips curled into a smirk when she was amused, and to make it better, her green eyes expressed everything. She fell a few inches shorter (but was still taller than Celia), lithe and having a rather feminine shape. Frequently she would appear with Celia and Parker, rarely would she appear alone to ask him out for coffee.

She wanted to know everything.

She surprised him with how chatty she was. Their conversations would be endless, stretching many topics for long periods of time. Jonathan found himself talking more than he usually would, pointing out his own opinions and listening to hers. She was a breath of fresh air who opened his mind to the undiscovered and even the wacky, and the traditional, conservative Jonathan found himself not minding at all.

Once, he stumbled upon her sitting quietly in the gardens, six months later.

“What are you doing here all alone?”

“Just thinking,” she replied quietly.

He frowned and sat next to her, seeing something in her hands.

“Mom and dad just sending letters. Made me realize how much I miss Germany,” she admitted. Jonathan fell silent. He really didn’t know what to say.

“Elizabeth, I…”

“No, it’s fine.” She turned to him and smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her green eyes. “Just homesickness, you know. Wish I could go back to Germany for the break, but it would be too expensive. They’re trying to make ends meet.”

“But they support you being here, right?”

“Yeah, of course – I just miss them and the family.”

Jonathan was quiet for a few moments.

“You know, you can spend break with me.”

She blinked.

“You mean, with your dad? Won’t he mind?”

“He won’t. I’ll invite Celia and Parker, too.”

Elizabeth couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“I like that, Jonathan. Thank you.”