Page 63 of You + Me – Against the World

“Awful, terrible, horrible.”

“Well, you clearly had time to study your synonyms at least,” she jokes weakly. “Why didn’t you want to go out with me? It would have been a good distraction.”

“I didn’t feel like it. What did you do?”

“I went to Hannah Goldberg’s place to work on our short film.”

“Yeah, right. You went to see Aaron!”

“Pfff. I put on my killer jeans, you know, THE jeans. I could barely breathe, but I looked amazing.”

“And? Was he impressed?”

“That dumbass wasn’t even there!”

I burst out laughing. Clémentine tells stories better than anyone, and she’s the only one who can boost my mood with a single, well-timed sentence.

“Were you at least able to unbutton your jeans when you were sitting down?”

“I told Hannah I was bloated and unzipped them all the way down, then flopped onto her bed! Now she thinks we’re BFFs… But whatever, I think I’m done with guys.”

“We could start a club,” I say, my misery catching up with me again. “What if we got a cat and shared custody?”

“Still no news from Vadim, huh?”

“No, and it’s been exactly a week. He got arrested last Monday.”

“Why won’t they release him? Did he kill an old lady or something?”

“I don’t know. I ran into his friend Felix on Friday, and he wouldn’t tell me anything. Except that it was my fault and I should stay away from him.”

“You know… I mean, you do you, but… maybe that’s not such a bad idea.”

“Oh, come on! Not you too, Clem. Don’t start. I take back what I said about getting a cat together!”

“No, I know, Alonso is talking crap. You have nothing to feel guilty about, Alma. But if what Vadim did is serious, do you really want to get dragged into it? I mean, his rebellious side was fun and sexy and all, but dating a criminal?”

“A what?!”

“The cops came to arrest him, and he’s still in custody. There has to be a reason for that!” she says.

“I’m sure he’s innocent. Or that there’s a good explanation…”

“I’m just saying, why are you so hung up on Arcadi when there are tons of other guys at college?”

“None like him,” I murmur, more to myself than to Clem.

I always defend Vadim, but my best friend’s words affect me more than I’d like to admit. What if she’s right? What if my parents, my brother, and even Timothy were right all along? Doubt creeps in, and I think back to a few months ago. Back when I didn’t know Vadim, when my life was simple and predictable—boring, maybe, but not frightening like it is today. When my boyfriend was the most sensible, reassuring person I knew.

How did I end up here? Falling in love with an uncontrollable, irresistible guy who is impossible to figure out. A guy for whom I’ve lied, stayed out all night, and even vandalized a gymnasium. Am I becoming a delinquent like him? Is doing other people’s homework in exchange for money enough to get you sent to jail? Has he done things that are even more serious? Should I run before it’s too late?

Clémentine drags me to the first class of the day, making peace in her own unique way: “Well, I still love you even if we don’t always see eye to eye. I’ve got your back until the day I die. Hey, look at that, it rhymes! I’m a poet and I didn’t even know it! Okay, I’m quitting film and switching to poetry!”

“You can’t major in that.”

“Okay, I’m gonna drop out and start a college which only offers fun subjects. Poetry, jump rope, napping, making animal noises.”

“That’s called kindergarten!”