Page 23 of You + Me – Against the World

I don’t know where to start. I can still feel the heat of his mouth on mine.

“Vadim, we’re going to have to find a way to work together.”

Silence.

“In any case, we have to find a subject.”

“Have to? I don’t owe Abrams anything, and I certainly won’t give him that pleasure.”

“So, we’re going to prove him right? You’ll remain the tortured artist who has nothing to say, and I’ll be the teacher’s pet he flatters all year?”

“Ah, so you admit it!”

“Sure, if you say so. But are we really going to prove him right and let him humiliate us?”

“I’m never setting foot in that class again.”

“So, you run away at the first sign of difficulty? Isn’t that kind of cowardly? Like when you ignored me this morning?”

He lets out a long sigh, idly tracing the rug with the tip of his foot.

“Why are you doing this, Vadim? Doesn’t this matter? Does anything matter to you?” I demand, in a voice I’d hoped wouldn’t sound so desperate.

“You’ve got a boyfriend, Alma. I’m only second best, remember? And even if I wanted to be your number one choice, I couldn’t be. We’re nothing alike. We’ve got nothing in common. Nothing to offer each other. It wouldn’t work.”

“That didn’t seem to be a problem for you when you were kissing me last night…”

“And the way you snuck out this morning, it was as though you were ashamed.”

His eyes meet mine, then dart away. He’s right there, in front of me, so close, and yet he may as well be miles away.

“I just went to Clémentine’s to get changed before class! And then, once we were there, you acted like I didn’t exist!”

“You were avoiding me, hiding behind your friend!”

“I was waiting for you to stop pretending not to know me.”

“You realize normal people just come over and say hello?”

“You should have just come over, then!”

“Oh, so you snap your fingers and I come running, is that it? You’re so used to everyone bowing down to you, Lancaster.”

“I was the one who kissed you first yesterday!”

I watch his tall frame freeze, then turn toward me.

“No one forced you to do it.”

“I wanted to! Why are we still keeping score?”

“Because it’s a losing battle with you,” he sighs.

“But there’s no reason for it to be a fight!”

“Maybe not for you. But my whole life, all I’ve done is fight.”

“Well then stop,” I whisper, reaching my hand toward his hair.