RUMOURS
847 Words
London had two talents.
The first was making people late.
The second was raining when nobody asked it to.
Ella Morgan discovered this on a Wednesday morning when she stepped outside her guest house and immediately regretted every life decision that had brought her there.
Rain poured from the sky.
Not dramatic movie rain.
Not gentle romantic rain.
Just annoying rain.
The kind that somehow found its way into your shoes.
“You've got to be kidding me.”
Ella opened her umbrella.
The umbrella immediately flipped inside out.
She stared at it.
The umbrella stared back.
Neither of them seemed happy.
By the time she arrived at the hospital, her hair was slightly damp and her mood had officially filed a complaint.
Sophie took one look at her and burst out laughing.
“Oh no.”
“What?”
“You look like London won.”
Ella dropped into a chair.
“London always wins.”
The morning passed quickly.
Lectures.
Patient rounds.
Assignments.
The usual chaos.
But something felt different.
People kept looking at her.
At first, Ella ignored it.
Then she noticed students whispering whenever she walked past.
One girl smiled knowingly.
Another raised her eyebrows.
A third simply grinned.
Ella stopped walking.
“What is happening?”
Sophie suddenly became very interested in the ceiling.
“Nothing.”
“That is a lie.”
“Maybe.”
“Sophie.”
Sophie sighed dramatically.
“Fine.”
Ella folded her arms.
“Well?”
“There are rumors.”
Ella froze.
“Rumors?”
“Yes.”
“About me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Sophie looked at her like the answer was obvious.
“Daniel Scott.”
Ella nearly dropped her notebook.
“What?!”
A student walking past looked over.
Ella lowered her voice immediately.
“What do you mean Daniel Scott?”
Sophie bit back a smile.
“People think he likes you.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then Ella laughed.
Loudly.
Too loudly.
“That's ridiculous.”
Sophie raised an eyebrow.
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
“Very?”
“Extremely.”
Sophie leaned closer.
“Then why are you blushing?”
Ella immediately touched her face.
“I'm not blushing.”
“You are.”
“It's hot.”
“We live in England.”
Ella hated when Sophie made valid points.
The entire afternoon felt strange after that conversation.
Every interaction suddenly seemed suspicious.
Every glance felt important.
Every coincidence felt less coincidental.
And unfortunately...
Daniel Scott chose that exact day to keep appearing everywhere.
The hallway.
The ward.
The cafeteria.
The library.
At one point Ella genuinely wondered if he was following her.
Then immediately remembered he worked there.
By late afternoon she escaped to the hospital café.
Finally.
Peace.
Or so she thought.
“Mind if I sit here?”
Ella looked up.
A student stood beside her table.
Tall.
Friendly smile.
Dark brown hair.
“Oh.”
Ella straightened slightly.
“Sure.”
His name was Oliver Hayes.
A second-year nursing student.
Funny.
Confident.
The type of person who could start conversations with strangers without making it awkward.
Within minutes they were talking comfortably.
“So you're the famous Ella Morgan.”
Ella groaned.
“Please don't tell me you've heard rumors too.”
Oliver laughed.
“Relax. I've heard you're good with patients.”
“That's slightly better.”
“Only slightly?”
“Depends who's telling the story.”
Oliver smiled.
“You're funny.”
Ella laughed.
“That's what people say when they don't know what else to say.”
Unbeknownst to her...
Across the café...
Someone had just walked in.
Daniel Scott.
He wasn't paying attention at first.
Then he saw her.
And noticed she was laughing.
Not unusual.
Then he noticed who she was laughing with.
Oliver Hayes.
Daniel paused.
Just briefly.
Something unfamiliar settled in his chest.
A feeling he couldn't immediately identify.
He didn't like it.
Not because Oliver had done anything wrong.
Not because Ella couldn't talk to whoever she wanted.
But because for some reason...
He wanted to know what had made her laugh like that.
The realization annoyed him.
“Daniel?”
A colleague's voice pulled him back.
“You alright?”
Daniel blinked.
“Yes.”
The colleague followed his gaze.
Then smiled slowly.
“Interesting.”
Daniel immediately looked away.
“Don't.”
The colleague laughed.
“I didn't say anything.”
“Exactly.”
Meanwhile...
Ella knew none of this.
She was busy talking with Oliver.
And enjoying herself.
For the first time in weeks, she wasn't worrying about assignments.
Or placements.
Or making mistakes.
She was simply being herself.
As she left the café later that evening, she walked through the hospital corridor feeling lighter than usual.
Maybe things were finally getting easier.
Maybe London wasn't so scary anymore.
Maybe she was finally finding her place.
What she didn't know...
Was that someone else was beginning to realize she had already found a place in his thoughts.
And that realization was about to make everything much more complicated.
- Writer
