Introductions

by C. L. Stone

  Kota and the attendant waited for Silas and Victor to join them. Silas passed me a look, not seeming too displeased that I was actually sticking around.

  I held Victor’s phone to my chest, still feeling the warmth of his body that had heated up the metal cover. I found a small sofa not far from the entrance and sat down. The leather of the seat was cool against my bare leg but also sticky. I folded my skirt down, smoothing out the material and then rechecked to make sure the shirt was fully covering the bruise on my back. The boys disappeared into the back of the store.

  I was too nervous to even look at Victor’s phone at first. What sort of things could I learn about him? How trusting was he that he simply handed his phone to me without a flinch of concern? I swore to myself I wouldn’t betray his trust.

  A couple of attendants materialized next to me and asked politely if there was something they could do for me. I declined each time, expressing that I was only waiting. As other customers started poking through racks of clothes nearby, I appeared to be really interested in the phone. I found the Angry Birds app and became engrossed with knocking over pigs.

  “Sang. What do you think?”

  I looked up and my breath simply disappeared from my lungs. I felt my jaw drop and the phone almost slipped from my hands. Kota appeared in front of me in a black suit with light charcoal pinstripes. I caught sight of a tag against the sleeve that said Armani. Wasn't that really expensive? He wore a black collared dress shirt underneath. The whole ensemble was fitted to frame his body, and it showed. The cut was very nice. “What do you think of the black shirt?” His finger caught the bridge of his glasses and he slid them a little higher on his nose. He turned to show me the side, smoothing out the material of the jacket.

  My heart was doing flip flops. He could have modeled for the catalog. He was asking my opinion? I leaned forward, feeling the words rushing from my mouth. “It’s gorgeous.” It was the most awkward thing to say and I regretted it the moment it slipped from my lips.

  He blushed but I caught the corner of his mouth drifting up. “I mean do you think it’d be better in white? You know, something more traditional?”

  I shook my head. “It’d detract from the stripes. Though you’d probably want a tie. Maybe in red?” I had never been asked my opinion on fashion. I had a fledgling idea of what looked good to me. When it came to my own clothes, I just tried to match what I saw on television and what the other students were wearing.

  He seemed to consider what I was saying. “Elegant,” he said softly. He smiled at me, seeming satisfied with my answer. “You’re not too bored, are you?”

  I lifted the phone in my hand to half show it to him. “Level fifteen of Angry Birds.”

  He beamed. “We’re just wrapping up.” He waved to me and disappeared back among the racks of jackets and pants.

  I was on level twenty when the guys came back. They were empty handed. For some reason I had thought they would bring back those clothes in bags but then I remembered this was a fitting. The attendants probably needed to make some altercations.

  “Hey, you,” Victor said when he spotted me. His hands were in his pockets and his cheeks were flushed. His expression confused me and I stood up quickly to greet them. I handed his phone back. He took it from me, checking the screen. “You’re quick. And all three stars.”

  My smile faltered a little. “I didn’t ruin your game, did I?”

  He looked up quickly. “No,” he said and he tucked his phone back into his pocket.

  “He’s just twitterpated,” Silas said. The shadow of a grin stretched from his face, as if he’d just been laughing and was about to start into another fit.

  Victor shot out a fist to punch at Silas’s arm. “Shut up or I’m leaving you here.”

  I looked to Kota. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Come on. Let’s do something else.”

  “Where do you want to go, Sang?” Silas asked.

  I thought about it. “Is it bad if I say can we just walk around? I’d like to see what’s here.”

  “A sensible request,” Kota said.

  We left the store. Again I was next to Silas at the end and Victor and Kota on the other side of him. This time instead of talking to each other they took the time to point out different shops they thought I’d be interested -- mostly clothing and shoes. I hid my grin at their attempts to catch my eye and see if I was impressed. I wasn’t sure what they were wanting me to say.

  We were circling a courtyard where the mall split into different directions when someone walking by bumped hard into me. I staggered backward, catching myself before I fell. My hand went back to my arm, protective of the wound.

  “Hey!” Silas spun around. He caught me by the shoulders and brought me close to him before turning his head at the guy that had bumped into me. “Watch where you’re going.” His voice was deeper now, almost a growl.

  My heart thundered in my chest. Silas’s hands felt so big as he held on to my shoulders and he stood so close that I felt his body warmth. I think it made me more nervous than the confrontation.

  “Dude, she bumped into me.” The guy had dark hair, was thin, had a goatee and looked about our age. He had a couple of friends lingering behind him. Their pants hung low on their hips and they all wore oversized sport t-shirts. The guy who bumped into me gave me a look, tilted his head back and directed his chin at me. “Hey girl.”

  “I saw you lean into her,” barked Silas. He moved in front of me, shielding me. I gasped a little, stuttering. I wanted to say let’s get going but I couldn’t mouth the words. He seemed so angry. He turned his head back toward me. “Just stay behind me,” he said.

  “Dude, fuck you. You don’t know shit.” The guy was slurring his words a little, making it difficult to understand him.

  “Come on, Silas,” Kota said. I glanced at Victor. His fists were clenched, his jaw was set as he glared at the guys but he didn’t move. It was like he was waiting for something. I shot him a look and he caught my eyes. I gave a quick shake, my eyes wide, silently pleading with him just to back off. Let’s go, I urged wordlessly. I don’t want trouble.

  There was a silence that lingered on and my hands started to tremble. I reached up to Silas to touch his back, warming my palm against him.

  Suddenly Silas turned around and urged me forward. Kota and Victor followed. This time Silas put me on the other side, so I was walking between him and Victor.

  “Should I...” I started to say.

  “Just keep moving,” Silas ordered through clenched teeth.

  We turned into another part of the mall and passed a few stores before Silas pointed at a bookstore and we moved together into it. Victor grasped my good wrist, guiding me to the back. My heart was about to explode. It was close enough that he was almost holding my hand.

  Silas and Kota stayed near the front, glancing at the new novels on racks near the wide windows. They occasionally glanced at the door.

  At the back near the children’s books, Victor tugged me out of the alley and pushed me until my back was against a wall of books, hiding me from view from the front. He checked around me, glancing toward the door. He pulled back to face me. His fire eyes held a glaze as he looked at me and he brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen into my eyes. “You okay?”

  I nodded and tried to speak but hadn’t realized my throat was dry. I swallowed and then started again. “It’s fine. Did they walk away?”

  “I think they followed us a little but lost interest. Just hanging out for a moment to make sure.”

  I wasn’t sure how to suggest it, but it was almost like it was rehearsed the way they worked together. Without talking, they split up and knew exactly how to handle things. There was nothing for me to say. It wasn’t like it was possible or that they planned the situation. Like their silent communication, I supposed, was it just something they managed to do together? Do good friends get to know each other so well it’s like they can simply work in such a coordinated fashion?

 
Kota poked his head around the bookshelf. It spooked me a little but I caught myself. “You guys okay?”

  I nodded, smiling.

  “We’re good,” Victor said.

  “We’ll just hang around a few more minutes. Just look like you’re browsing.”

  “No problem,” I said. Now that the situation felt over, I was glancing at book titles, my eyes instantly attracted to some of the thicker volumes.

  “You like books?” Victor asked, catching my look.

  “Who doesn’t?”

  Kota almost gave a hoot in laughter. I didn’t catch what was so funny. Victor just smiled. “Have at it,” he said, ushering with a hand for me to lead the way.

  I felt like they were going to follow me. I hadn’t anticipated that. I lost myself in the shelves, checking for the fiction section and then noting the authors and cover styles of the novels.

  “I think it’s grouped by genre,” Kota said.

  I knelt, looking at a few titles I recognized. “It’s kind of mixed up. I think these are more horror but they lumped them with general fiction.”

  He looked over my head to check out what I was pointing to. He put his hand on my shoulder. It seemed such a casual touch, again something I’d seen other people do or read about. He seemed to do it without thinking and yet my mind was filled for the moment with nothing but the warmth of his fingers. He was so close that I could smell the sweet spice of his cologne. I felt my body tingling. It felt so intimate to me. “Do you like horror?” he asked.

  “Not spooky. More psychologically scary. Something a little bit smarter than a guy with a knife hiding behind a wall.”

  “You like smart killers?”

  “I like figuring out the best way to handle bad situations,” I said, although after the words slipped from my mouth I realized it sounded weird.

  When I looked back at him, a grin slipped away from his face. “What else do you like?”

  Victor had disappeared. Being alone with Kota now made my stomach twist, especially since he insisted on standing so close. I couldn’t back away unless I wanted to bump into the bookshelves. Was it normal for friends to stand so close to each other? I wished he’d stop looking at my eyes and face. I wanted to shield myself from it. “Depends on my mood, I guess. Mystery, fantasy...”

  His head tilted. “Classics?”

  “British, preferably. Sherlock Holmes or King Arthur. Although I did like Gone with the Wind.”

  Silas appeared from behind Kota. His brows were creased and he had his arms tucked into his body as if trying not to touch anything. “I’m pretty sure they’re gone.”

  “Good,” Kota said, straightening up and giving me enough room to stand next to him now. “The last thing we need right now is an altercation.”

  Silas nodded in agreement but glanced at me and then dodged his head around, his eyes scanning the store. “Where’d Vic go?”

  “We’ll get him,” Kota said. That gentle power from Kota’s voice became more prominent. Why did it feel like he was giving orders? “Meet you in the front.”

  Silas nodded and headed back.

  “He doesn’t care for bookstores,” Kota explained to me as we wound our way to the end of the aisle. “The lanes are narrow so he hates bumping into them.”

  I smiled to myself at the thought of Silas being so concerned but I couldn’t imagine him clumsy. He seemed to be fully in control of his body.

  It turned out we didn’t need to hunt for Victor. He was up front making a purchase. The store attendant was just putting it into a plastic bag as we approached.

  “What’d you get?” I asked.

  He turned to me, smiling coolly. “Some sheet music.”

  “He plays piano,” Kota explained.

  Victor narrowed his eyes at him. “I was going to tell her.”

  Kota bowed his head, looking apologetic. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m jealous. It’d be really neat to learn to play.”

  “Why haven’t you?” Kota asked.

  I shrugged. “Never had a piano to fiddle with.” My father made enough money for a big house, but he always said he couldn't afford to keep up with the whims of his kids and he rarely allowed things that cost money. I wanted to try to explain it but it felt too awkward, too soon.

  Again looks were exchanged between Kota and Victor. That was going to drive me crazy. I vowed to myself to try to catch their looks and understand this language they had between them. Were they feeling sorry for me? Confused? Thought I was pathetic? Were they going to laugh about the poor stupid girl later whose parents wouldn’t buy her a piano and walked alone in the rain at night?

  We left the bookstore and continued the tour. Walking between Silas and Victor was awkward. I was either brushing arms with one or the other and I kept trying to make my shoulders sink in, drawing my arms into my body. I was walking like an idiot, doing my best to not touch them. I wasn’t supposed to get so close so soon that I could just walk with my arm touching someone else’s, could I? Since I wasn’t sure what was appropriate the best thing to do seemed to be to keep a distance.

  After a while, my shoulders were sore. It wasn’t necessary anyway. No matter how I walked, Silas eventually needed to lean into me to get out of the way of people walking by and Victor walked like a snake, swaying back and forth across his path. As soon as I relaxed, Silas’s forearm brushed against mine. I was sure people thought we were holding hands. Victor on occasion bumped into me and only smiled when it happened. Something told me he was doing it on purpose.

  I could smell the food court before we ever saw it. Silas’s hand went right to his abs. His stomach gurgled. I glanced up at him, trying not to laugh at his mortified expression. He gave me a half smile and nodded. “I think it’s time for some lunch.”

  “How about sushi?” Victor suggested. “Do you like fish, Sang?”

  “No fish,” Kota interjected before I could answer. “Not after last time.”

  “I wasn’t going to take her there,” he said.

  Silas shot him a look.

  Victor gave a frustrated sigh. “Sang, what do you want?”

  “I didn’t bring any money, guys,” I said, blushing. I didn’t want to add that I didn’t have any at all to bring. My father didn’t give allowances. “You all pick something you like. I’m still kind of full from breakfast anyway.” That wasn’t really true. I was actually kind of hungry now that I was smelling frying oil and sweets.

  “You’re getting something,” Silas commanded. “Besides, Victor’s paying.”

  My mouth popped open in an ‘o’ expression.

  Victor nodded with confidence. “It’s my turn, anyway.”

  It was a thing, I thought. They took turn buying each other lunch? I wondered when my turn would be. It would be really embarrassing when they discovered I couldn’t repay them like this.

  There was a small debate about where to eat but Kota suggested a hamburger place. Victor got an Angus beef hamburger with Swiss and mushrooms, holding the condiments. Silas ordered three double cheeseburgers and a large fry. I mimicked Kota’s order, a chicken sandwich and medium fries.

  Victor removed a black credit card from his wallet and swiped it. His parents gave him a credit card? From what I’d read about in books, black credit cards were reserved for the really rich. Maybe the novels I’d read weren’t accurate so I dismissed it. After the order was paid for, I whispered a quick thank you to him. He blinked at me, his face turning red but he waved me off.

  Silas shooed us away to find a spot to sit while he waited on the order. We filled our drinks and then walked out into the middle of the sea of tables and chairs that surrounded a running carousel. I wanted to point to a spot close to the middle to see the paint on the horses but Kota was the first one to suggest a spot, one close to the outer edge of the court yard. It wasn’t crowded but he picked the place furthest away from where other people were sitting.

  We got to the table and Vi
ctor quickly pulled a chair out, looking directly at me. I blinked, muttering a thank you and allowing him to slide the chair in as I sat. Victor sat next to me, Kota sat in front of Victor. Silas plopped down in front of me with the tray of food.

  “People are animals when they get hungry,” Silas said. “The guy behind me was demanding a taco.”

  I laughed and Silas’s dark eyes lit up. He passed the food around.

  Silence fell over the table as we ate. I finished my sandwich and was nibbling on my fries as the guys finished up and started talking again. I was half paying attention to what they were talking about. I focused on people who appeared to be friends. I watched how they walked together. Sometimes they touched. Sometimes they had hands stuffed into their pockets and they bumped the other one in the direction they wanted to go without talking.

  Normal. This is normal. My mind whirled, worrying this day would end too soon. Who knows when I would get another chance to just hang out like this? Would they even care to invite me again? It probably didn’t matter. After today, they’d get over of being nice to the new girl. Either that or my mom would find out the truth eventually. I shoved those thoughts to the back of my mind. I was being paranoid and it annoyed me. I was being as self-destructive as my own mother thinking like that.

  Motion across the walkway caught my attention. The guy with the goatee and his friends were leaning against the wall of a video game store. The guy with the goatee folded his arms over his chest and he made kissing faces my way. At first my eyes widened but I tried to adjust myself, attempting to look bored and disinterested. He laughed but I slowly turned my eyes as if I hadn’t even noticed. I wasn’t sure if I was able to hide the blush I felt in my cheeks. I pulled myself back into the conversation, forcing myself to nibble at another fry even though I was full.

  “You can’t be serious,” Victor was saying to Kota. “Not another physics class. You’ve already taken all of them.”

  “Not a particle physics one.”

  “Tell me they don’t even offer that class,” Victor pushed a palm at his eye, looking pained. “It’s so pointless. It’s theoretical. You won’t use it.”