Gwen sat and looked at it.<br/><br/>"Why don't you open it, Mom?" Toby had asked her when he handed her the letter in after-care. Gwen had waved a hand, rather dismissively, and smiled at him. It was from Elijah, Gwen was sure.  She had driven home and now, just before she had to leave for her induction, she sat and looked at the envelope. It was still closed.<br/><br/>She couldn't deal with it right now. She couldn't.<br/><br/>So, Gwen put the note on her dressing table, picked up the old satchel she'd put her paperwork in and made her way to the College. She kissed Toby first, thanked Mrs Quincey - checked that Mrs Q was still alright to have Toby on Thursday night, and she got in the car.<br/><br/>The evening was a whirlwind. There was a group of twenty of them; they had paperwork to fill in, basic skills tests to do, and a tour. Gwen had to have her photograph taken for her student card, she went to the finance office to pay her fees and book deposit and she was aware that they were a large group and she knew no-one. She was surprised at how busy the College was, and Gwen had to admit that she wasn't<i> attempting</i>to get to know anyone. Distracted, Gwen knew, was the word for how she was feeling. She walked through everything, but her mind wasn't on it.<br/><br/>Damn him, Gwen thought. She should have opened that envelope before she left. It was on her mind, that was the issue, and she knew that. She wasn't listening to the woman who was giving them the tour, listening to her talking about the canteen. Gwen was trying to stay in the background here, but she came to the conclusion that she was actually becoming obsessed - just for a moment, she would have sworn that she saw Elijah walking into the staff common room, but that was ridiculous.<br/><br/>The evening passed, quickly enough, and she made her way home. Dropping her satchel back down, Gwen thanked Mrs Q, and then, when her elderly neighbour had gone, she made her way into the bedroom and read the note.<br/><br/>After maybe twenty minutes of reading and re-reading. Then, she got a piece of sparkly home-made paper, the kind of which she'd used to make Rosalie's book. What was she going to write, she wondered. And then, she knew.<br/><br/><span style="font-size: 22px">Dear Eli,<br/>
There was no need for you to thank me. It was my very real pleasure to be able to pass on my backstage pass to you both -  and we will simply have to agree to disagree on the meal! <br/>
<br/>
I'm not avoiding you Eli, and I mean it most sincerely when I say that I would<b> hate</b> to think that you would avoid anywhere because I was there. My stepping away from the two of you was meant as a gesture to reassure Miss Sinclair that, no matter my personal feelings, I would most certainly not wish to make your date uncomfortable. You made your choice, and I respect it completely. </span><br/><br/><span style="font-size: 22px">I hope that the two of you are very happy, Eli. I wish you nothing but the best. I hope that we can be friends. </span><br/><br/><span style="font-size: 22px">Very best regards,<br/>
Gwen.</span><br/><br/>That would work, she was sure. It was polite, it was clear, and it was true.<br/><br/>So, the next morning, when she dropped Toby off, she gave the (sealed) envelope to the office, and asked for it to be put in Rosalie's backpack. It would be there when Eli picked her up. Then, she went to work, picked Toby up, took him home, fed him and then went back to work. When she got home, she studied for two hours and then fell into bed. And she did the same on Tuesday and Wednesay.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: right"><span style="font-size: 22px">Thursday…..<br/>
</span>​</div><div style="text-align: left">Thursday was College again, and she picked up Toby (no longer in afterschool), then dropped him at home and made him food. Then, she picked up her satchel and Toby looked at her with his lower lip sticking out. "I don't want <br/>
you to go Mom!"<br/>
<br/>
Oh please no, Gwen thought, not now. His first day of school, now her first proper evening of classes. What was Toby doing? <br/>
<br/>
"NOOOOO!"<br/>
<br/>
It was thirty minutes later and Mrs Q took charge. "Right. Guinevere. Out. Out of the apartment. This young man and I are going to have words." Gwen looked at Mrs Q with wide green eyes and then kissed the elderly woman on the cheek and ran. Was she cowardly, she wondered, but she had to get to class. She got there with minutes to spare, but Gwen had to admit that she loved the atmosphere, the feeling of being there.  She was still very unsure whether she could do this but she sat in class, she took notes, she went to the Computer Services Induction, and when her tutor asked questions about the readings they'd been given, Gwen was delighted to be able to put her hand up. She remained in the classroom at the break time, not willing to spend money in the canteen. At the end of her class, she gathered her things and left. She hadn't socialized at all, had simply kept her head down and so, she walked out alone when everyone else had left.  Gwen made her way to the library, she wanted to get some books out for the week. If she got a head-start on the assignments, then she'd be happy.<br/>
<br/>
The librarians were more than helpful, and by the time she exited, Gwen was clutching four text-books to her chest. She felt one start to slip and she glanced down, just adjusting it slightly. And then, she looked back up, suddenly aware that someone had walked around the corner, nearly walking into her.  Green eyes widened in amazement. She stood, dressed in skinny jeans and with a white blouse tucked into her waist. Gwen's red hair was tied back and she wore an expression of disbelief.<br/>
<br/>
"Eli?"<br/>
<br/>
He was in a suit, he was wearing a badge on a lanyard, and he looked like...  "You work here?" Unconsciously,  her hand lifted to her hair. "I... I... or... is Miss Sinclair .. here? I...I'm just..." For the love of all the gods, Gwen, she thought to herself and she looked up, determined to stop jabbering like a fool. "I'm just going home. It looks like you're doing the same. Shall we walk to the car park?"​</div>