Celine and I are walking through the corridors on our way to the auditorium. Our photoshoot has been canceled and all the students are informed to meet at the auditorium.
"I would have slept for another hour, if I know, the photoshoot will be canceled," Celine whined.
"Stop it sleepy head. You have been whining about this for almost 30 minutes."
"Babe, I just remembered, I haven't had my breakfast. I'll go grab it, while you listen to the speech the Professor old Monk gives." Celine said while turning around.
"Don't try to escape." I grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around. We sat at one of the seats and I held her tight so she couldn't escape.
"It hurts, Lyn," Celine said massaging her wrist.
"Sorry. I wanted to make sure you won't run away." I apologized.
"Too lazy to do that...Well, here comes the Old monk." She said looking at Professor whose walking towards the mic to start his boring speech.
"He drank Old Monk for one time, there's no need to call him by names." I gave a gentle slap on her shoulder.
"And puked right after that. I still have that video." Celine started laughing hard.
I was telling her to stop laughing when we heard a tap on the mic and the Professor started his speech.
"Hello, students. We are here to announce that, our University is going to collaborate with the University of Melbourne, for an internship program. Students of final year are requested to fill the form and the program will be held in the same University for a whole week...." And...he went on with his usual discipline and well-mannered speech.
The forms are being given to every student and we started filling them.
"We better start packing," Celine suggested while we were walking out the auditorium.
"There's still a week to go, what's there to rush?" I said.
"I don't wanna miss things and if I do. I can't bring my room in France to Australia airport." She replied sarcastically.
"Too much for a detail, I understand," I replied with a small smile.
The days passed and the final day came, which was completed with my regret of not packing luggage.
"Babe, I told you to pack things, like a week ago." Celine started nagging.
"Now's not the time, Li. I'm packing." I said in a hurry.
"Pack sunscreen too. Heard the temperature is higher than France." She said while throwing the sunscreen in my bag.
"Thanks," I said and packed my bags hurriedly.
The evening we reached the airport and found our classmates. I was about to take a boarding pass when I got a call from mum. Celine took my passport and visa, gesturing me to answer the call, I went aside and answered the call.
"Hai, mum." I greeted.
"Hey, Eve. Where are you?" Mum asked.
"At the airport. Li is taking the boarding pass. Where's dad?" I replied.
"Eve," Dad answered after taking the phone from mum.
"Hai, dad. How are you." I asked. It's been a whole month since I spoke to dad.
"I'm fine. When are you planning to come home?" Dad asked.
"The semester holidays," I answered with a smile.
By that time Celine came beside me with the boarding passes. I kept the phone on speaker.
"Hello, mum and dad." Celine greeted. She's been my friend since I came to France and she got attached to the family more than me.
"Hey, dear. It's been a long time since I saw you too. How have you been?" Mum asked in a soft tone.
She was nagging on me and for Celine, she's being a big softie? That's unfair mum.
"I'm fine, mum. Actually, I'm planning to come home with Lyn, in the holidays." Celine replied with a smile.
"That would be great. We both miss you." Dad said.
"Me too dad," Celine replied with a smile.
"Celine, dear, take care of Eve. Every time she goes somewhere without us, she gets into fights." Mum started again.
"I will mum," Celine assured and we heard the professor calling us.
"Have to go, bye mum, bye dad," I said and ended the call. We boarded the flight.
"Seems like mum and dad misses you more than me," I said searching for my AirPods in my handbag.
"Everyone misses their favorite child." Celine mocked.
"I hate you," I replied and kept the earphones in my ears.
"Yeah, I love you too." She said with a smile.
We got off at Melbourne airport after a whole day and with the cost of jet lag.
"I'm so excited..." Celine said with an energetic tone.
"Li, don't you have jet lag, because I have, stop shouting. Moreover, what are you excited about?" I said taking my luggage.
"To check out the Kangaroos." She said dramatically.
"You're acting like, you haven't watched a Kangaroo, in your lifetime," I said rolling my eyes.
"I'm not talking about the animals." She said.
"Huh?" I asked.
"I heard the Australian guys are more handsome than the French." She said in a quiet tone beside my ear.
"Geez, Li," I replied.
We boarded the bus and went to the hotel. A room of two is allotted, like everyone knows Celine and I got ourselves a room. The next day we got ready and met our classmates at the hotel lobby around 10 in the morning.
We got on the bus and went to the University of Melbourne. I have to say, it's one hell of a Uni. The professor leads the way to the Auditorium and then we all sat on seats on the left side. I saw the students coming and taking their seats on the right side.
"Hey, look at that blondie. He looks hot." Celine pointed her finger towards a guy on the right side across the corner.
"Kinda. Stop pointing them, they may misunderstand." I said holding her finger that was pointing towards that blondie.
"It's fine, as long as they notice," Celine said not distracting her eyes from the guys on the right side.
I rolled my eyes in response. After some time the professors gave their speeches and finally, it ended.
I turned towards Celine only to find her still staring at the guys on the other side. I elbowed her to make her come to reality.
"Li, you're drooling," I said.
"Sorry." She replied checking her face.
"The meeting has ended? What did the Old Monk say?" She asked looking around.
"Nothing much, the internship starts from tomorrow. For today, we can check out the campus if we want." I explained.
"Great, let's check out the canteen first. I'm starving." She said while getting up from her seat.
"Fine." I smiled.
We went to the canteen and lost half of our appetite after seeing the queue.
"I lost my appetite," I said looking at the queue.
"I think I'll join the list of people who died of starving," Celine said in a low tone.
We got our food after standing in the queue for 30 minutes. I never felt this lucky. We took our food trays and were walking searching for a spot to sit.
"Lyn, there, it's empty," Celine said pointing out the empty table.
"Finally." I sighed in relief and was walking towards the table when I heard someone shouting from the corner.
"Hey, Bro. The professor's asking for you." He shouted waving his hands towards some guy. The guy he's calling must be behind him, that's when I heard footsteps approaching and a guy bumped to me hard enough for the food plate in my hands to fall on the floor and rushed towards the idiot who shouted.
"Holy shit," I said balancing myself.
Celine came running towards me. I looked up at the idiot who bumped into me. He high-fived his friend and left the place.
"Oh my god, babe, are you alright? Did you get hurt?" She asked in a worried tone.
"I'm fine. It's just the food." I replied.
"My goodness. C'mon, let's share mine. It'll be too late if we stand in the queue." She said with a smile.
"Okkay," I said and we went and sat at the table and shared the lunch. We got back to the hotel along with the others. The next day, we went to the University and the photoshoot has begun.
The professors have allotted the models and their photographers as a team for the group projects. I got changed into other clothes and was on set waiting for my photographer. Everyone has begun their work and yet the photographer hasn't arrived.
I waited for an hour and my patience started wearing off and so was my makeup. I found a technician guy and went towards him.
"Hello, I'm looking for my photographer. He hasn't arrived yet." I asked.
"Oh, can you tell me the photographer's name?" He asked.
"I don't know...I haven't met him yet." I shrugged my shoulders.
"Okkay. Can you tell me your name, I'll search for the photographer in the group allotment list.". He asked.
"It's Evelyn Lawrenson," I answered with a smile.
He searched the name on his iPad and found my photographer.
"It's Adam. I'll inform him, please wait for a while." He said.
I waited for another hour. My patience has gone completely and I was waiting for this Adam guy to shout on his face. That's when I saw the technician guy coming towards me.
"I'm sorry, Adam is busy with some work and he can't make it today. He rescheduled your photoshoot to the next day." He said and left the set.
"Fuck you, Adam," I said and went into the changing room. I went to find Celine after changing my clothes and found her on the set.
"Hey, Li," I said and sat beside her.
"Hey, babe. Did your photoshoot got completed early?" She asked.
"Nope, It's been rescheduled to tomorrow. The photographer couldn't make it." I replied.
"What? But you have to submit the project report, by the end of the week. Such an irresponsible brat." She said in a bit of an angry tone.
"You read my mind," I said with a smile.
"How's your photoshoot, going on?" I asked.
"It's going good." She said and was about to continue when she heard her photographer calling.
"It's fine, go. I'll wait for you here." I smiled.
"Thanks. I'll be back in 30 minutes, let's go back together." She said and left the place.
She did her photoshoot and came back after changing into casual clothing. We went back to the hotel. Celine took shower and I took one after she came out. I wore my tank top and jeans, we were about to go to the restaurant to have dinner, but Celine stopped me.
"Babe, hold, on." She said narrowing her eyebrows.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Why is there a red spot on the back of your shoulder?" She asked.
"Where?" I asked keeping my hands on the back of the shoulders.
"Here," She said pocking on the red spot.
"Ouch, Li," I said turning around.
"Does it hurt?" She asked.
"Slightly," I replied.
"How did you get hurt? It looks like you got hit by something." She asked.