Page 6 of Lilies from Hell

“Mr. Novikov, you should know that this kind of violent behavior is not welcome in this institution. Therefore, the institution suspends you for one week. I will inform your father.”

“I can do that myself,” I said rudely before walking to the door, leaving him hanging.

I knew what was coming when I told my father about what had happened today, but it had been worth it.

I didn’t feel like going back to class, so I wandered around the hallways, thinking about her and the strange feelings I had when I saw her so vulnerable. At first, I thought about going to the nurse’s office to see if she was there, but instead of finding her, I found the boy from the bathroom staring at me with doe eyes full of terror. He had bruises all over his face and bandages covering other wounds.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, I started rummaging through the drawers with the idea of helping the red-haired girl. I did not know how bad her ankle was, so I took several bandages and something to wrap it with, cut a piece with scissors, and put it in my jeans pocket. Then my eyes fell on a glass jar full of candies, and I took a couple of red ones.

“If you say anything about this, I’ll come back and kill you. Do you hear me?” The boy tried to nod, and I offered a slight smile before leaving to find the red-haired girl.

I went to the classroom, but it was empty. There weren’t even any backpacks or jackets hanging on the coat racks. I cursed under my breath before heading to the sports grounds on the other side of the school. There were twenty minutes left before classes ended, so time was against me. I could already hear the voices of some children as I approached them. When I got closer, I saw some of her classmates, so I assumed she would be there too.

I walked, almost jogging, to the girls’ locker room and hid where I could, waiting for her to show up. Soon after, the room filled with girls that were too noisy for my liking. I glanced outside, looking for her, but she didn’t appear. Where is she now? Is she hiding from me? I thought, gritting my teeth. Just as I was about to give up and leave, I found her changing her shoes, sitting on the bench in the middle with her back to me.

With somewhat clumsy steps, I came out of my hiding place. I was unsure how to approach her or what words to use. I just thought about how I communicated with my brother whenever I wanted something from him and acted the same way, thinking that if it worked with him, it would work with her.

“Hi,” I said, forcing my lips into a smile. When she saw me, the girl turned pale and quickly gathered her things to leave. “No, wait!” She ignored me, didn’t even look at me.

My fingers took on a life of their own and grabbed her arm, stopping her. That was the first time I had touched someone since my mother left, and as much as I disliked the idea, I liked that for once my touch was not rejected by the other person. It made me feel something much more intense than the nausea and cramps I knew so well. It was uncomfortable and strange. For a moment, all I did was stare at the skin on her arm, and I thought that maybe, just maybe, mermaids existed.

Seeing the confused look on the girl’s face as she stared at my hand, I pulled it away, feeling even more embarrassed by the blush on my cheeks.

“I brought you something for your foot,” I said, walking over to the bench. She sat down on the bench, staring at me. When her eyes fell on the Mickey Mouse band-aid, she frowned.

Before she could speak, I was already pulling down her sock and placing a couple of bandages over the band-aid I had put around her ankle before. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t taken advantage of that opportunity to touch her soft skin again. Touching her skin had become a kind of necessity for me. I didn’t know why or how. Everything about her attracted me in a strange way and also scared me away.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes. But I prefer Minnie.” I did not know what she was talking about.

“I also brought you this,” I said, taking the candy out of my pocket.

“My mom says it’s bad to eat candy because it makes your teeth fall out.”

“That’s not true.”

“Yes, it is. My brother lost a tooth because of it last week. My mom told me so.”

“If you eat one, nothing will happen to you,” I assured her, holding out the candy to her with a smile. I bit the tip of my tongue when her fingers brushed my palm.

“Thanks,” she mumbled with the candy still in her mouth and a smile that almost made me pale, accelerating my heartbeat until it was in my ears. “Bye.”

I could not speak. I was frightened, but I wouldn’t let her get away. Never.

¹Babush: grandma.

03

Present Day

Los Angeles.

“I do not want to see that vase there. And I’ve told you a thousand times this table goes on the other side,” my mother demands, pacing around the hall. She’s not big, but with that voice and that frown, she intimidates anyone.

I snort, then walk toward the bathroom to verify my makeup remains perfect. I hate coming to these things, but I have no choice. Well, yes, I do. I could put up with my parent’s long face and lose my weekly allowance, but I have a collection of bags to finish.

When I return, I sit down on the sofa next to Jason and take out the cell phone I carry in my tiny purse. There are thirty minutes to go before the opening of one of my mother’s hotels. Some important people will be here, and a part of me hopes he’ll come too. I know he’s real and doesn’t just exist in the photos on my phone because I still have some vague memories of him. I even remember some silly details, like the few tattoos on his arms and the blurred features of his face. I would give anything to make them clearer in my mind.