Page 143 of How We Began

One starts the day eating brunch with a gang of best friends, twin brother, and awesome boyfriend. One also goes for a romantic walk in the park, followed by a romantic trip to the pub, then tops it off with a romantic evening in bed.

One does not, under any circumstances, get out books of any description—diaries not included—even though exams are only about a month away.

7th May

I’ve just realised that I am going to fail my first year of Uni because I’ve been far too busy breaking every rule I set for myself in relation to:

Stalking

Obsessing

Sulking

Being drunk

Having sex

I don’t think the university is going to be happy with me.

10th May

“This is very good.”

Professor Johnson looked almost as shocked saying the words as I was hearing them. Ben wasn’t there. He’d had to shoot off to do band stuff, so I was left facing Crazy Johnson alone. I needed to show him the near-to-final draft of our group project. As this is officially the only academic work I’ve completed since my dire post-Christmas essays, my relief was immense.

“Oh, I am glad you like it.”

“It was your idea, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. It was a subject I thought I could understand.”

“Shall I tell you a secret, Lilah?” He leant towards me like he was going to tell me how to get a first without trying at all.

“Uh, if you want to?”

“In history you can find any subject that will interest you, or spark your imagination. You just have to find it. That’s the joy of studying history. You have all of time at your fingertips.”

Huh. I hadn’t thought of it like that. Time is there to dip in and out of, to see what takes your fancy.

“Um, thank you.”

“This year it was the story of letting go. Next year it could be completely different.”

I wondered what he was getting at. Unsure, I shrugged and got to my feet, turning to the door eager to get home for my meal for one: Cheerios.

11th May

(1:53 a.m.)

“Tell me your favourite song,” Ben murmured, kissing the sensitive spot under my ear.

“I don’t think I have one.”

“What? Everyone has a favourite song!”

“Well, I don’t.”

“Okay, that, my love, we need to work on.”