22
“So, how was your weekend?” Clémentine asks, grimacing at my haggard face when I arrive on campus.
“Meh.”
I force a smile for her anyway.
“Okay or terrible? Tell Auntie Clem everything.”
“Awful, terrible, horrible.”
“Well, you clearly had time to study your synonyms at least,” she jokes weakly. “Why didn’t you want to go out with me? It would have been a good distraction.”
“I didn’t feel like it. What did you do?”
“I went to Hannah Goldberg’s place to work on our short film.”
“Yeah, right. You went to see Aaron!”
“Pfff. I put on my killer jeans, you know, THE jeans. I could barely breathe, but I looked amazing.”
“And? Was he impressed?”
“That dumbass wasn’t even there!”
I burst out laughing. Clémentine tells stories better than anyone, and she’s the only one who can boost my mood with a single, well-timed sentence.
“Were you at least able to unbutton your jeans when you were sitting down?”
“I told Hannah I was bloated and unzipped them all the way down, then flopped onto her bed! Now she thinks we’re BFFs… But whatever, I think I’m done with guys.”
“We could start a club,” I say, my misery catching up with me again. “What if we got a cat and shared custody?”
“Still no news from Vadim, huh?”
“No, and it’s been exactly a week. He got arrested last Monday.”
“Why won’t they release him? Did he kill an old lady or something?”
“I don’t know. I ran into his friend Felix on Friday, and he wouldn’t tell me anything. Except that it was my fault and I should stay away from him.”
“You know… I mean, you do you, but… maybe that’s not such a bad idea.”
“Oh, come on! Not you too, Clem. Don’t start. I take back what I said about getting a cat together!”
“No, I know, Alonso is talking crap. You have nothing to feel guilty about, Alma. But if what Vadim did is serious, do you really want to get dragged into it? I mean, his rebellious side was fun and sexy and all, but dating a criminal?”
“A what?!”
“The cops came to arrest him, and he’s still in custody. There has to be a reason for that!” she says.
“I’m sure he’s innocent. Or that there’s a good explanation…”
“I’m just saying, why are you so hung up on Arcadi when there are tons of other guys at college?”
“None like him,” I murmur, more to myself than to Clem.
I always defend Vadim, but my best friend’s words affect me more than I’d like to admit.
What if she’s right? What if my parents, my brother, and even Timothy were right all along?
Doubt creeps in, and I think back to a few months ago.
Back when I didn’t know Vadim, when my life was simple and predictable—boring, maybe, but not frightening like it is today.
When my boyfriend was the most sensible, reassuring person I knew.
How did I end up here? Falling in love with an uncontrollable, irresistible guy who is impossible to figure out.
A guy for whom I’ve lied, stayed out all night, and even vandalized a gymnasium.
Am I becoming a delinquent like him? Is doing other people’s homework in exchange for money enough to get you sent to jail?
Has he done things that are even more serious? Should I run before it’s too late?
Clémentine drags me to the first class of the day, making peace in her own unique way: “Well, I still love you even if we don’t always see eye to eye.
I’ve got your back until the day I die. Hey, look at that, it rhymes!
I’m a poet and I didn’t even know it! Okay, I’m quitting film and switching to poetry! ”
“You can’t major in that.”
“Okay, I’m gonna drop out and start a college which only offers fun subjects. Poetry, jump rope, napping, making animal noises.”
“That’s called kindergarten!”
“Hey, I’m not done! There will also be classes on how to flirt, dancing in your underwear in front of the mirror, and even Twix tasting. So Andrew Clark will enroll, for sure!”
“And there we go, you’re in love again…”
“Listen, a guy who loves food that much definitely knows how to enjoy all of life’s pleasures, you know what I mean? Come on, let’s go.”
At lunch break, I’ve barely stepped out of the classroom when I spot Felix slouching on a bench outside.
When our eyes meet, he forces a fake smile.
Looking decidedly uncomfortable, he gets up and slowly walks toward me, his movements restricted by his huge, baggy pants—whose crotch is almost between his knees.
“Hey, Lancaster. Can we talk for a minute?”
“I’m listening.”
“In private would be better. If your friend could take a walk…”
“With pleasure, Alonso!” Clémentine replies. “Careful, you’ve got a toad trying to escape from your boxers.”
“It’s the coquí frog, and it’s a symbol of Puerto Rico, you idiot. Don’t look down there if you can’t handle it,” he taunts, rubbing a hand over the amphibian print on his underwear.
“Maybe you should give your big brother back his pants back, little guy!” Clem retorts, unfazed.
“So what did you want to tell me?” I cut in, to put an end to their ridiculous bickering.
Felix waits until my friend is far enough away before softening a little. His “tough guy” act gradually gives way to that of a sheepish kid who has done something stupid and doesn’t know how to apologize.
“I think I was a bit too hard on you the other day. So, yeah, sorry.”
“Okay… Is that all?”
“No. Vadim is going to be released. They have nothing on him. Or almost nothing. And he gave Keith something for you. Since I’m a nice guy, I came to give it to you.”
Felix digs into one of his vast pockets and pulls out a yellow piece of paper folded several times. He dangles it in front of my face, between his index and middle fingers. I reach for it, but he dodges me and lifts his hand above my head.
“And since I’m also a curious guy, it goes without saying that I read it. I think you’re going to like the message…”
“Then why don’t you give it to me?”
“Because I’m a little short on cash, you know. If you could make a little contribution for coming all this way… I didn’t have to do this for you. Besides, I can always leave if you aren’t that interested in reading it.”
“You want me to give you money, is that it?”
I can hardly believe it.
“You catch on real quick when you want to, Alma. It would just be a little something to help me out. Vadim will pay you back. Although, you’d need to know where to find him first, right?”
“I have barely anything on me.”
“How much?”
“Twenty or thirty dollars, I think.”
“That’ll do.”
Am I really going to pay to receive a note addressed to me? This guy doesn’t seem to have any limits… And he scares me. But Vadim has written to me, and his words are priceless.
After a discreet exchange which makes me feel like some kind of drug dealer, Felix saunters away without looking back, and I bolt to the girls’ restroom.
I lock myself in and lean against the cold wall, my mind racing.
With trembling fingers, I unfold the slip of yellow paper.
My mouth is dry, and my heart is pounding.
Vadim’s writing is more illegible than ever. Did his hands shake too when he wrote these words?
Free soon! I’ve been thinking about you so much… Longest week of my life. You + Me at the Sunset, 8 p.m. Tell me you’ll be there. V.
I’ve waited seven days for this. And now I still have to wait another seven hours. It’s nothing, but at the same time it feels like forever.