The Year We Became Invincible

by Mae Coyiuto

  After his good night message, I felt my phone buzz again. It was Ian.

  “Adventure. Next weekend.”

  It was the weekend right before my chemistry test. As much as I wanted to go, I needed every single minute I had to study.

  “Sorry can’t make it. Have a big exam.”

  “I can tutor you!”

  I needed the help, but I didn’t think Ian was the best person to ask it from.

  “No thanks. I’m fine on my own.”

  “You still think I’m a slacker?”

  “I told you, I’m fine on my own.”

  “Meet me at the coffee house tomorrow. Bring your books.”

  He was impossible.

  Looking forward to meet you,

  Camille

  Dear Future Partner,

  I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone so brilliant. He can answer every single problem I threw at him. He can balance any equation and recall any formula. He also explains things so well. He makes the most complicated concepts sound so simple. The only problem is that he doesn’t have the best attention span.

  “What is this?” Ian asked while looking through my planner.

  “That’s my umm…life plan.”

  “Please elaborate.”

  “I like having things planned out. That timeline is my next ten years. There, I am going to Berkeley and studying chemistry. Then I go to med school and probably graduate when I’m about 27.”

  “What are these?” he asked while pointing out some drawings I made. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

  “Oh… . That’s my future family.”

  “Don’t tell me you have a plan for that, too?”

  “Three kids. All three years apart.”

  “That’s insane,” he laughed, and I grabbed my planner back.

  “What? Don’t you ever plan out your future?”

  “Nope. I live impromptu.”

  “So what are you doing with Gabby?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you imagine what’s going to happen after high school? What about when she goes to Europe for college?”

  “We never really talk about it.”

  “You’re telling me that it doesn’t bother you that by this time next year, she will be miles away?”

  “I’m not going to let it bother me.”

  “Now, that’s insane.”

  “What? I like what I have with Gabby. I’m happy, she’s happy—why do I have to ruin it by thinking about things like that?”

  “What do you have with Gabby?”

  “It’s a constant surprise.”

  “A constant surprise?”

  “I never know what’s going to happen. Do you remember that rush you felt when we were running from the concert guard? That’s the constant feeling I have when I’m with her.”

  I then noticed a huge bruise on his arm.

  “Where did this come from?”

  “Oh. This? It was from the trapeze flying.”

  “How did you get that from trapeze flying?”

  “Oh, y’know… I wasn’t looking… and I slipped.”

  “I don’t remember seeing you slip. You were holding on to that bar so tightly that we had to pry your fingers off…”

  “Let’s take a break.”

  “Aren’t we already taking a break?”

  “You know there’s this research in Harvard that proved how studying in five minute intervals actually improves learning.”

  “Did you make that up?”

  “Yes, but now you’re already too distracted that we might as well take a break to freshen up that great mind.”

  “You take a break. I’m going to try answering these on my own.”

  “What’s the story with your whole ballet thing?”

  “What?”

  “I’m just curious. Did you wake up one day as a kid and wanted to put a tutu on?”

  “No, I woke up one day and I magically had pointes on my feet.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “I am, too. That’s why I’m trying to study.”

  “If you answer my question, I promise I’ll behave.”

  I started to tell him everything. I told him how I asked Dad if I could take ballet lessons. I told him how I hated ballet when I first tried it. I told him how Dad didn’t let me quit. After all of this all Ian could say was:

  “Hm.”

  “What?”

  “So what’s the next problem?”

  “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

  “I have nothing to say.”

  “When does that ever happen?”

  “It sounds like you do a lot of things because of your dad, that’s all.”

  “I was the one who asked for ballet lessons.”

  “But you also wanted to quit.”

  “I can’t just quit because I didn’t like ballet.”

  “What better reason is there? Do you even enjoy ballet now?”

  “I guess. I mean it’s really tiring to go after school and I haven’t been feeling like going lately…”

  “Then stop going!”

  “But my dad…”

  “It’s your life, not your dad’s. God, you even have your whole life planned out to become exactly like your dad.”

  “My dad is a great person. Is it so wrong that I want to be like him?”

  “No. I just worry that you’re so fixated on this whole ‘life plan’ that you don’t really know who you are.”

  “Do you always talk like this?”

  “Words of wisdom flow naturally.”

  I think this was the first time I looked at Ian. Like really looked at him. He had these folds under his eyes that kind of made him look like a koala. He only had one dimple, which I found really cute. He also had this smile that made you want to smile, too.

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  “For what?”

  “For throwing that pen at you and for thinking that you didn’t care about the exam.”

  “Oh, I didn’t care.”

  “So I was right?”

  “Being right doesn’t make it okay for you to judge people, Cam.”

  “Didn’t you judge me when you first met me?”

  He smiled and said, “My words of wisdom apply to me, too.”

  I started scanning the humongous Chemistry textbook I had when Ian said:

  “I’m sorry I distracted you during the test. I know it can be hard to ignore my universal appeal.”

  I threw my eraser at him.

  “Your head is the size of this textbook,” I laughed. I went back to trying to comprehend whatever jargon there was on the textbook, but Ian didn’t shut up.

  “Cam?”

  “Ian, please. I’m actually trying to study…” I said without moving my eyes away from my textbook.

  “I really am sorry.”

  I looked at him and said, “I know you are.”

  I kept thinking about the things Ian said. I kept thinking about the way Ian looked. I kept thinking about Ian. It’s normal to feel this way about your friends, right?

  Looking forward to meet you,

  Camille

  Dear Future Partner,

  I think I did something really terrible.

  I woke up this morning seeing a text on my phone. I was so excited thinking it was Ian.

  “Good morning! :)”

  It was Felix.

  “Morning!” I replied.

  “Are you free to hang out this weekend? :)”

  “I’m sorry, I can’t. I have a test I need to study for.”

  “Oh. Okay :)”

  I wish I liked Felix instead. I’m not even sure if what I felt was "liking" someone.

  Ian and I couldn’t be more different. There were really times when he drove me crazy. There were actually a lot of times when he drove me crazy.

  But he was the one thing I looked forward to. Just the thought of seeing him excited me. I hate that the time I spend with him is never enough. I hope that he
sometimes thought about me this way, too. I knew he didn’t. He was with Gabby and was probably thinking about Gabby. I need to stop feeling this way. How do I stop feeling this way?

  I decided to stop going to ballet practice. I was tired of getting scolded by Teacher Jessie every time. I was tired of feeling frustrated about not getting the combinations. I was tired of feeling my legs cramp. I went straight home after school. I was thinking about good excuses to explain why I was home so early.

  I was about to go in the house when someone opened the door. It was Polo.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “Sorry, I was just about to leave.”

  He walked out and drove off before I could say anything. Dad would go insane if he knew that Nikki was alone with a boy in the house. Nikki didn’t need a shoulder to cry on anymore. What she needed was tough love. I was going to get really mad at Nikki. I was going to tell her that I’m not going to stay quiet anymore. I was about to do that, and then I saw her.

  She was curled up on her bed, facing away from me.

  “Nikki…”

  “Leave me alone,” she sobbed. So I did.

  Nikki was quiet during dinner. Even more quiet than usual. She only said something after dinner.

  “Can I go to Kyra’s house?”

  “It’s a school night,” Dad said.

  “I have an essay due tomorrow, and I left my notes with her.”

  “Okay, but make it quick.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” she said, and she headed out.

  I knew she wasn’t going to Kyra’s. She was going after Polo. I knew it was right to forgive people who hurt you. But I didn’t think forgiveness meant allowing the people you forgave to trample over you again and again. That wasn’t forgiveness.

  I needed to do something. I knew that Nikki wasn’t going to listen to me, but I knew the person she was going to listen to. I went to Dad. I even told him about seeing Polo in the house earlier today. He had a straight face the whole time, and all he said was:

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  There was a lot of shouting and crying. The shouting was from Dad, and the crying was from Nikki. I was scared to go out of my room. I didn’t know if I did the right thing. I heard Nikki’s door slam, and it was silent for a while. I went to her room to see if she was okay. She wasn’t. She was really mad.

  “You’re already Dad’s favorite! You don’t need to suck up!”

  “I was only trying to protect you…”

  “You’re just jealous because you’ve never had a boyfriend.”

  “At least, I’m not a slut.”

  She threw her pillow at me. “I hate you!”

  When you’re that level of angry, you sometimes say things that you don’t really mean. I'm scared that Nikki and I actually meant what we said.

  I looked at my phone, and I wanted to talk to Ian.

  “On second thought, I can make time this weekend.”

  I sent that to Felix.

  Looking forward to meet you,

  Camille

  Dear Future Partner,

  I had my first date today.

  It sounds cliché, but I really didn’t know what to wear. All Felix told me was to wear blue. I only had two items of clothing in blue. One was a Smurfs t-shirt, and the other was a blue gown I wore to my cousin’s wedding. I chose the gown because I thought a first date called for something fancy.

  “You look lovely,” Felix said as he handed me flowers. I still don’t understand what he means by “lovely.”

  No one had ever given me flowers before. He couldn’t sit still in the car. He kept on adjusting his seat and sliding his hands up and down the wheel. It was weird to see someone so tall look so nervous.

  I should have worn the Smurfs t-shirt. It was like Cinderella got lost and ended up in a basketball arena instead of the ball. I wanted to hit Felix for not telling me to change. I was about to, but he looked so excited.

  “Have you ever been to a game before?” he asked.

  “No.”

  I didn’t really watch sports.

  “You’re going to love it.”

  It was intense. I didn’t really understand what was going on, but Felix was too occupied. I had never seen him react so much before. He was usually so calm and collected. When it came to basketball, he was shouting, swearing, cheering—he was a different person.

  He took me out to dinner afterward. We got a booth and he sat on the same side. I kept bumping his elbows and it felt really tight. But I thought it was rude if I asked him to move.

  “They have really good onion rings here,” he said.

  “Oh, I like onion rings.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  It was really awkward. He was fidgeting a lot, and he accidentally spilled water on me.

  “So basketball,” I blurted out as I was wiping my gown.

  “What?”

  “You seem to really enjoy it.”

  “My whole family is made up of basketball fanatics.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, my dad is actually the coach for the school we were cheering on a while ago.”

  “Did he play for the school before?”

  “Yeah, and he got drafted by the Houston Rockets during his junior year.”

  “Wow. He was that good?”

  “He was amazing. If you think the crowd a while ago was crazy, you should have seen how people reacted when my dad was playing.”

  “And you want to be like him?”

  “Yeah. I don’t think I’ve found anything I love as much as I love basketball. I feel different when I’m on the court. Do you feel that way when you dance?”

  I didn’t really want to talk about ballet.

  “So how did you get involved with the whole adventure stuff?” I asked.

  “I’ve always been pretty shy, and Gabby said I should hang out with her and her friends. I don’t have siblings, so I always thought of Gabby as my sister. She always looks out for me, you know?”

  “Yeah, I get that.”

  “Sorry I’m not that good with this whole…talking thing.”

  “I think you’re doing okay.”

  He smiled and said, “I really like you, Camille.”

  He looked at me, and I said, “I like you, too.”

  Felix was quiet on the ride back to my house. He walked me to my door, and we stood outside. He turned to me and asked, “Can I kiss you goodnight?”

  I wasn’t sure if I was ready to have my first kiss. I wasn’t even sure if I knew how. He was looking at me so expectantly. I nodded, and he leaned in. He was really tall so I had to reach. His lips felt soft, and he was very careful. It felt safe.

  Seconds later in my room, my phone buzzed.

  “Had a great time. Miss you already! :)”

  Except for the wardrobe misunderstanding, it was the ideal first date for a lot of people. Felix was sweet. Plus, he really was nice to look at. Maybe I would learn to like him as much as Ian liked Gabby. Maybe I would learn to like him as much as I liked Ian.

  Looking forward to meet you,

  Camille

  Dear Future Partner,

  I actually piloted a plane.

  Well, it was technically just for fifteen seconds, but I still piloted it. I even got a certificate to prove it.

  We rode in Gabby’s car on the way there. I knew it wasn’t right for me to feel that way, but I was excited when Ian sat next to me. However, Felix butted in.

  “Hey, do you mind if I sit there?” Felix asked.

  “Sure,” Ian said.

  Felix sat next to me, and he held my hand. He held my hand during the whole ride there. It took a while for the numbness in my fingers to wear off.

  I used to love playing with airplane toys when I was a kid. The plane we were going to ride in looked like an airplane toy brought to life. It was called an ultralight plane. David, the instructor, described it as a fixed-wing lightweight aircraft. Since it was everyone’s first time, we were each
going to fly with an instructor.

  “Is there anywhere I can stay while they fly?” Ian asked.

  “You’re not joining us?” Gabby asked.

  “I’m sorry, babe, I’m already scared of flying in regular planes. I don’t think I can do this.”

  “So it’s okay if you’re the one who wants to back out?” I asked.

  “Excuse me?”

  “She’s right, Ian. You would never let us hear the end of it if any one of us backed out,” Gabby said.

  “Yeah, Ian. Flying will make you feel the best you’ve ever felt. And you’re going to give that up because you’re scared of something that might not even happen?” I teased.

  “Fine. I’ll ride with you then.”

  “Me? Why me?”

  “Gabby is a terrible driver.”

  “Hey!” Gabby said.

  “Sorry, you’re great at everything else. And I expect someone as uptight as Cam to be a very, very careful driver.”

  “They only have two-seater planes.”

  “Oh, you have perfect timing! We are testing out this new model. It’s the first three-seater ultralight plane!” David said.

  “Perfect,” Ian said.

  I was in front with the instructor, and Ian was at the back. We were both strapped in and given headsets. David talked us through what all the complicated-looking gauges and buttons did. I could hear the engine starting to roar.

  “I will let you try the controls when we’re up there! You can take it easy when we take-off,” David said.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to try piloting later?” I asked.

  “I’m good,” Ian said.

  He looked really pale.

  The plane started moving, and it got faster and faster. I could feel my body pushing against the seatbelt. Ian suddenly put his arms around me and squeezed me so tight.

  “Sir, lean back on your seat!” David shouted.

  “Concentrate on flying!” Ian shouted back.

  He had his eyes squeezed shut, and he held me even tighter. I would have liked it more if it didn’t feel like he was crushing my neck.

  My favorite part about riding planes was the few minutes after the take-off. During those few moments, you could see the tops of buildings, skyscrapers, and mountains. Everything around you suddenly seemed so simple. It was even more beautiful seeing everything from the ultralight.