by Ingrid Diaz
“And my parents?” she asked tentatively.
I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. “I think you should take that up with Valerie.”
“I know,” she admitted. “But I want to prepare myself.” She stared pleadingly into my eyes. “Please.”
Why did she do that? She knew I couldn’t say no to her. “Well, from what I know, your mom left. Then came back. Then left again, and Valerie hasn’t seen her since. But your dad is living in Boston. Valerie told me she speaks to him often.”
Jessica nodded. “Thanks.”
“It’s weird,” I said. “Every time she tells me something about herself or her family, I forget that it’s your family too. That if everything hadn’t happened the way it did, I would’ve never met you. I would’ve never met Valerie. It’s so easy to forget that.” I still wasn’t sure which way Jessica would’ve had it better. She suffered either way, but at least had she been with her real family she would’ve known who she was.
It occurred to me that both Valerie and Jessica envied each other. I don’t think either had any idea how much the other had suffered.
“So how are the two of you doing?” Jessica asked.
I allowed the change of subject, even if it wasn’t so far from the original. “We’re doing wonderfully,” I said, grinning to myself. “She’s really great, you know?”
“I’m glad,” Jessica said, smiling at me. “You deserve that.”
“So, how are you and Mathew doing?” I asked, thankful that the topic no longer tore my heart to shreds.
This brought a smile to her face and I was grateful. “We’re doing great. We’re thinking of moving.”
The news shocked me. “Moving? Where?” I couldn’t imagine Jessica not living at the mansion.
Jessica shrugged. “Not sure yet. But we don’t want to live here for the rest of our lives. Two people don’t need a house this big.”
“So what are you going to do with it? Where are you going to go?” I had so many questions I couldn’t spit them out fast enough. Were they going to move far away?
Jessica laughed. “Calm down, Al. We’re not moving to the moon or anything. We’re just thinking of buying a small house nearby. Someplace that’s just ours. The mansion . . . it’s just not us.” She paused. “There’s one by your mom’s that’s for sale. We could be neighbors.”
I was honestly at a loss for words. Why would they want to give up this beautiful mansion? They were nuts. “Why don’t you build one,” I found myself suggesting. “By the sea, preferably.”
Jessica nodded. “We talked about that too. Do you really think that would be a good idea?”
“Yes!” I said, excited all of a sudden. “You can get Valerie to help you design it. She’s a great artist. You could make it really cool. Don’t buy that stupid house by Mom’s. I hate that house. It smells like cat pee.”
Jessica started laughing. “I’ll take your word for it.”
“You should build one, Jess,” I said seriously. “You can start everything brand new.”
“We’ll see,” she said, nodding. “So what do you want for your birthday?”
“Honestly?” I asked.
“Of course.”
“I want you and Mathew to be there.” I really was upset that they were going to be gone for my birthday. “But since that’s not going to happen, I want you to make me a promise.”
Jessica stared at me. “What’s the promise?”
“I want you to promise me that you will talk to Valerie,” I said. “And that regardless of what happens with our relationship—hers and mine, I mean—you won’t let it interfere with your relationship with her.”
Jessica looked down at her hands. “That’s what you want? Why?”
“Because I know that if you don’t do it for yourself, you’ll do it for me.”
“I promise,” she said.
Good.
“So is there anything else you want?” she asked. “Something I could perhaps purchase with my credit card?”
I laughed. “Yeah, how about one of those little islands in the Caribbean.”
“If only you were serious,” she said in mock sadness. “I’ve been dying to get you something expensive for years.”
I patted her shoulder. “I would never give you the satisfaction of buying me a yacht.”
She laughed. “There’s gotta be something you want.”
I racked my brain. “I’ll take a pack of gum.”
“What kind?”
“Surprise me,” I said.
“Very well,” she said. “A promise and gum it is.”
I smiled. “Best birthday presents ever.”
Ò
The next few days passed by in a blur. School took up most of my time. I had a lot to catch up on since I’d missed about a week’s worth of work while I’d been off gallivanting in New York. Only a couple of professors gave me a hard time about it. The others had been understanding. It still didn’t mean that I didn’t have to do the work.
Valerie started working on Tuesday and so our time together was cut even shorter. We talked on the phone a lot. She was still the only person I spent more than fifteen minutes conversing with. Every now and then I received an email from her. But it had been nearly a week since I’d last seen her. Luckily, we had plans for the weekend.
Unfortunately, it was still only Thursday and I was stuck in my dorm room attempting to memorize a scene for my acting class. It was a joint project with a playwriting class. They wrote the scenes. We acted in them. The one I’d been stuck with was bad. It was beyond bad. I was sure I’d have nightmares about it.
I was in the middle of practicing a line when there was a knock on the door. “Come in!” I called in a British accent. I don’t know why.
Quite appropriately, Jade walked into the room. “How’d you know it was me?” she asked.
“I didn’t. I was just being strange.” I handed her the script. “Here. You’re Rudolph.”
“The red-nosed reindeer?”
“No,” I said. “Rudolph the gorgeous yet misunderstood cowboy.”
“I’m a cowboy?”
I stared at her patiently. “No. You’re not a cowboy. He’s a cowboy. You’re a freak.”
“Can I incorporate that into the character?”
“Whatever,” I said. “Just read the lines.”
We stood in the center of the room. I was playing Mary Sue, the gorgeous yet misunderstood barmaid who was secretly in love with Rudolph. He didn’t love her back however for mysterious reasons. I suspected he was gay.
“‘Howdy,’” said Jade/Rudolph, the only cowboy with a British accent. “‘I’ve come for a drink.’” Jade frowned. “What kind of garbage is this?”
“Class project,” I explained. “Some people really shouldn’t be writing plays.”
Jade rolled her eyes and continued. “‘You are lookin’ mighty fine there, Mary Sue.’”
“‘Why thank you kindly,’” I said, glad I at least knew one line. “‘What brings you into town today?’”
“‘I was thirsty,’” responded Rudolph. Jade started laughing. Then composed herself. “‘I come bearing sheep.’” She was trying desperately not to crack up.
“‘They say a man’s only as good as the size of his cattle.’”
That did it. Jade started laughing hysterically. “Please don’t make me read this anymore,” she pleaded, once she’d regained control of herself.
I took the script from her. “You’re of no help. I have to have this memorized by tomorrow.”
“You’re acting in that?” she asked. “In front of people?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Well, break a foot.”
“Leg.”
Jade rolled her eyes. “Is it really that bloody important which limb it is?”
I sighed. “Breaking a leg come from bowing at the end of the show. If you get to bow it’s because you did a good job.”
“Wouldn’t it then be break your waist?”
<
br /> “Girls curtsy,” I answered.
“So what do you tell a guy?”
I opened my mouth but shut it again. “Never mind. It’s all highly debatable anyway.” I put the script aside and sat on my bed. “So what brings you by?”
“Just wanted to see how life was treating you,” she responded, joining me. “How are things with Valerie? Any plans for your birthday?”
“Things are fine,” I answered. “I haven’t seen her in a while, though. But I get to see her tomorrow. She’s taking me to Miami.”
“Really? What for?”
“I’m not sure. Something about going trick-or-treating there.”
“Cute.”
Well, it was now or never. “Valerie told me. About you helping her with the whole thing.”
Jade froze. Clearly she hadn’t been expecting that. “Ah.”
“You should’ve told me,” I said, feeling sad. I’d figured it out in a way but the truth still hurt.
“I know,” she said, looking down at the floor. “I never thought it would get so out of hand. I never thought you’d actually fall for her.”
“So why did you encourage me to?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted, sounding sad. “I was so happy to see that you were interested in someone besides Jessica. I just wanted things to work out between you and Valerie. I knew she was lying but I guess I figured that even if you guys ended up breaking up then at least you’d be over Jessica. I really didn’t think you’d fall so hard for her, Alix. When I agreed to help her, I figured the two of you would become friends at the most. And I never, not even for a moment, thought you’d actually sleep with her.”
“I see.”
“I owed her such a huge favor,” Jade continued. “I didn’t know how to say no. Especially since she seemed so desperate. I’m so very sorry, Alix. Truly.”
I nodded. “It’s okay. I understand.”
Jade didn’t say anything.
“But anyway, if you hadn’t done that, then Valerie and I would’ve never met, so in a lot of ways I’m grateful.”
She hugged me, a gesture so unlike her that I was stunned for a long moment. “I love you, Al. I would never do anything to hurt you on purpose. I hope you believe that.”
“I do,” I said, touched and shocked at the same time.
She let go of me, clearly embarrassed. She cleared her throat. “Anyway, the reason I came over was actually to give you your birthday present.”
I frowned. “But it’s not until tomorrow.”
Jade ran a hand through the peach fuzz she called hair. “I know, but I kind of promised this guy I’d go to this Halloween party with him tomorrow night.”
“Oh.”
“But if you don’t want me to go, I won’t,” she said quickly.
“No, it’s okay,” I said, feeling depressed. Why were they all abandoning me all of a sudden? If I didn’t have Valerie I’d be spending my twenty-first birthday giving out candy to obnoxious kids.
“He’s really cute, Al,” Jade said. “I met him at the bookstore. He was in the Sci-Fi section. And I was going nuts trying to find this book I wanted to buy. And guess who was looking at it?”
“The really cute guy?” I guessed.
“Yes!”
“Well, as long as he’s really cute,” I said, not feeling any better at all. But I was an actress after all, so I could pretend otherwise. I wasn’t about to ruin Jade’s night. “So where’s the present?”
“Oh, right,” Jade said, and dug into her book bag. “Here you go.”
She handed me a wrapped object which appeared to be a book. I tore the wrapper off and blinked at the cover. “The Joys of Lesbian Sex.”
Jade was grinning widely. “You’re welcome. I had to buy it used because I think it’s out of print. But I tracked it down.”
“Used?”
“Well, don’t fret, I wiped it off,” she assured me. “Do you like it?”
I smiled. “Yes, thank you.” I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or blush.
Jade stood. “Well, I’ve got to run. I’ll call you on Saturday and maybe we can get together and celebrate your birthday?”
“Sure,” I said.
“Hope you have a good one,” she said. She waved and disappeared into the hall.
I looked down at the new addition to my collection of classics. I was too embarrassed to open it, so I just put it aside for later.
I picked up the script and returned to memorizing the stupid lines. A few minutes later, the door opened, and Nicole walked in.
“Hey,” she greeted.
“Howdy,” I said. Perhaps the play was getting to me already. I needed a break. “Hey, do you want to come shopping with me?”
“What for?” Nicole asked, her surprise showing. We never did anything together.
“I need a costume for tomorrow.”
“Got a party?”
“I’m going trick-or-treating,” I replied proudly.
“How old are you?” Nicole asked, laughing. “Yeah, I’ll go with you. I should probably pick one up myself. There’re a few parties on campus I’ll probably be crashing.”
“Excellent,” I said. “I’m not sure what I should be. A witch . . . a princess . . . a vampire . . . an elf.”
“Straight,” Nicole suggested.
I laughed. “Nah, I couldn’t pull that off.”
Chapter 9
Alix & Valerie
“Everything’s set,” I assured Jessica. “Alix doesn’t suspect a thing. I told her we were going trick-or-treating in Miami.”
Jessica laughed. “Good one.”
I’d thought so too. Grinning proudly, I stepped in front of my closet to see what I could pull off as a costume at the last minute. I kept the phone to my ear as I rummaged through the articles of clothing.
“What time is she coming by?”
I glanced at my watch. “Soon probably,” I answered. “I totally forgot to pick out a costume though.”
“Smooth.”
A knock at the door kept me from responding. “I think she’s here,” I told Jessica, stepping out of the room.
“Okay, you know where to be and what time, right?”
“Got it.”
“See you there.”
“Bye.” I hung up the phone as I reached the door. In the hallway stood Alix, dressed as a pink fuzzy bunny, complete with an apron that read, “Pet me, I’m cute.” I cleared my throat to keep from laughing. “Uh. Roger Rabbit lives two doors down.”
Alix was not amused. “I have a little problem,” she said as she stepped into the apartment.
Please God, I begged. Don’t let me start laughing. She’ll dump me on the spot. I closed the door and regarded her seriously. “Go on.”
“Right,” she began. “So I was in the girl’s bathroom at my dorm, about to try on my very cool new costume.” She held up an empty bag with a pictures of a weird gothic outfit clearly displayed. “Except that inside, I found this.” She motioned to herself. “And I thought, ‘Okay, I need to go return it.’ Clearly.” She looked down at the floor and hesitated a moment, blushing a deep red. “But um, I thought I’d try it on anyway. Just . . . because.”
“Right . . .” I said, not sure where she was going with this. I smiled. She looked quite adorable in the bunny ears and pink furry body.
“Stop smiling,” she said. “This isn’t funny.”
I covered my mouth with one hand and leaned back against the door.
She sighed. “Okay, so I got into the costume. But the um . . . the zipper got stuck. So I figured I’d get Nicole to help me. But when I got back to my room, the door was locked. And I didn’t have the key.”
“So you came directly here?” I asked. I could only imagine her walking down the street to the apartment dressed that way.
“Yes,” she answered.
“How’d you get here without your keys?” I wondered.
“I had my car keys with me,” she responded. She sighed again and dropped do
wn on the couch. “I have two sets of keys. My car keys and my house keys. I generally lock them together into one but today I didn’t feel like carrying around a lot of keys so I separated them. I wasn’t expecting Nicole to lock me out of the room.”
I grinned, walked over to her, and leaned down to kiss her nose. “Happy Birthday.”
This at least brought a smile to her face. “Thank you. Now will you help me out of this thing?”
“Sure,” I responded, offering her my hand. “I think I have a pair of pliers in my room.” I took her fuzzy paw in my hand and led her to the room. “I kind of like the costume, Alix. It’s very becoming.”
“Shut up.”
I grinned. “Okay, turn around,” I instructed once we were inside the room. I reached up to grab the zipper. It reminded me of the first time we’d gone out and my grin turned into a smile. “I don’t think you have much luck with zippers.”
“I find myself in this position a lot with you, it seems,” she agreed.
I laughed. “Maybe it’s a sign.” I tried the zipper but it wouldn’t budge. “It’s stuck.”
“No, duh. Did you think I made that whole story up?”
“Hey, you never know.”
She turned to face me, looking defeated. “So what do we do?”
“I think you should keep it on.”
“Valerie,” she whined. “I really have to pee. Come on.”
I laughed, looking her up and down. “We can cut it.”
“Yes! Get the scissors and rip the sucker!”
“Are you sure?” I asked, wondering if there was another way. Maybe if I pushed down really hard . . . But one look at her face let me know that if I didn’t get her out of the costume and soon, there was going to be massive bloodshed. “I’ll get the scissors.”
Ò
Valerie finally got me out of the dreaded costume from Hell. Its evil grasp had sucked me in. It was a satanic being, capable of destruction. It had to be stopped.
“Um, Alix,” Valerie said carefully. “I’m pretty sure it’s dead.”
I kept on cutting through the pink material like there was no tomorrow. “Yeah, but this is fun.” I held up a strip to her. “Try it.”
