A Common Language

Chapter twelve

  Reprise

  During the second week of school Data Venia started zero hour. Courtesy of Lupe’s amazing ability to pull stings; it was the only class the entire group had together. Athletics.

  “Dang!” Demitri ran ahead of Sasha and into the stadium.

  “Ah…Mr. Popov,” the young teacher sighed acknowledging his lateness. Sasha ran in. “And Mr. Popov. Nice of you both to join us on the first day of class,” Kalli turned to see them. They looked terribly out of place as they shuffled to stand next to she and Percy. She stifled a giggle as they stumbled through the crowd. She thought they learned their lesson with Mr. Kelley last week. “Boys, must we go through this every year? Anyway, what’s done is done, let’s get down to business,” the teacher was a pure bred American; he had been teaching off season sports for three years, since he was 22. He had finished school early so they asked him to teach. “My name is Jake, yes Jake is my first name. I am 25 years old. I am too young to have a Mr. in front of my name. You will have to take this class for a semester every year so you will be seeing me a lot. While I am a pretty easy going guy, if you choose not to do a sport, this is not a blow off class; this is not the easy way out. I am going to work you harder than you ever thought you could be worked. So with that in mind, all first years, please come with me.”

  Kalli tried out for tennis and made the freshman honors team along with 21 others. Tennis was something her mother kept her involved in since 6th grade. She had always dreaded it but now it gave her something that reminded her of home. Something that made her feel like her entire world wasn’t falling apart around her.

  Percy loved having a chance to run again, like he did in high school. It cleared his head of all the fog that had descended on his life, all the new complexities that he had never had to contend with before disappeared as the air rushed by his ears. This was right.

  “Okay, upperclassmen! Your coaches await. However, if you would like to make the choice to stay in this class come make an orderly line, shake my hand and tell me your name so I can check you off the list. Every morning you will check in with me to see what the work out of the day is and believe me, it won’t be easy. Alright, fly away little birds!”

  Masashi went to the basketball coach, the twins to rowing, Dragen to track, and Lupe to Jake.

  “Lupe Gonzales,” she watched him put a check next to her name then stepped out of line.

  “Miss Gonzales?” She looked back. “Would you please meet me after class? I have something I wish to discuss with you.”

  She nodded, about time.

  The last students took forever to trickle off the field. Lupe tapped her feet impatiently; she had never been very good at sitting still for any length of time. She thought that was one of the many reasons she was a disappointment to her parents.

  “Finally. I thought that line would never end,” She heard Jake sigh. “Lupe,” his voice full of knowledge, as it always was.

  “Jake,” her voice was guarded, cold. She stood slowly. It had been a while since they were alone last. “I must admit I was surprised to hear you were teaching this class again.”

  “Yes, well, it surprised me too,” He walked over to where she was standing. “But there were no violin position, so I took this. Maybe the old coot can retire sometime soon,” He gave her a sideways smile. The one he used to wear most of the time and against her will she giggled and smiled back. He was too familiar, too safe.

  “I missed you, Jake.”

  “I missed you too, Lupe. It seems like years ago that I graduated,” He sat about five feet down from her on the bleachers.

  “It has been years. I was a first year then, remember? I’m a fourth year now,” she was sad to say it. He had been gone for so long. She had seen him around but she had never been in his class for more than a day before. She always went for swimming or rowing.

  “That’s right. Oh and that means I missed your twenty-first birthday too, gosh, some friend I am.”

  “You were a great friend. It’s because of you I am the person and musician I am today. You were the first person to encourage me to chase my dreams. I thank you for that,” she had to give credit where credit was due.

  He smiled. “Thank you. You saying that means a lot to me,” He slid towards her slightly but she slid away the same amount. He noticed and frowned slightly to himself. “Sorry, too little too late right?” He pushed his sandy hair off his forehead awkwardly.

  “Yeah. I’m sorry, but I’m a girl you only get a chance with once. You had me at your graduation and I never heard from you again. You told me then that you wanted to marry me and you never contacted me,” He tried to speak but she interrupted him. “Then, much to my surprise, I see you a summer later--an awful summer just so you know--teaching my class. Why did you choose to try to talk to me now? You've been teaching here for three years now; did you finally decide to open old wounds? You never did tell me what prevented you from calling me that summer. I finally called you, and surprise, surprise, there was no answer. So guess what, Jake? I got over you, I moved on. You are my professor and an old mentor, nothing more.”

  “So this has to do with Masashi? I noticed how close you two were this year,” He crossed his fingers to demonstrate how close they looked and gave her a questioning look, then crossed his arms the way he did when he was perplexed. Trying to see what she saw in him. Lupe was miffed he would even consider bringing Masashi into this; he used to have more class. Though, she used to see a lot more in him.

  “No, Jake, this has to do with me. See you tomorrow, Coach,” She half ran out of the stadium, hot tears swelling in her eyes. He wouldn’t see. He would never see her cry again.

  “Kalli! Over here!” Lupe called her over. She quickened her pace through the crowds. Seeing the twins, Lupe, Dragen, and Masashi waiting for her made her heart fly. The twins had saved a spot for her between them. She slid her tray in then hopped over the bench herself.

  “Hey, guys,” she said in an attempt to seem normal. She put on her best show smile.

  Lupe shook her head. “Now that’s just sad,” Masashi patted her on the back.

  “Enough room for one more?” Everyone looked to see Percy.

  “Absolutely,” Masashi said. “Right here,” Masashi squeezed into Lupe allowing Percy to slide in on the end. No one spoke a word.

  No one spoke for the rest of lunch.

  Kalli was trying to ignore the pile of notes that sat at the corner of her desk. They had been delivered to her in a number of ways. Thrown, flown, rubber band shot, flicked, rolled, slid, walked, hid in her hair, and other childish ways of delivering a piece of paper. She just collected them and put them in the right hand corner of her desk. But they were wearing down her patience. It was hard to focus on theory with them looking at her. “Stop it,” she hissed through closed teeth.

  “What’s wrong?” Sasha asked, true concern floating above the teasing voice.

  “Nothing.”

  “You’re a bad liar,” Demitri accused.

  “You’re annoying.”

  “Ouch. Just because you’re having a rough time doesn’t mean you can be cruel. We are obnoxious; don’t insult us by cutting us short.”

  Kalli let out a short laugh but the rest caught in her throat because she knew she really shouldn’t be laughing. She had convinced herself that by being miserable she could somehow win him back. Somehow he would come back to her to make everything okay again. “You know, Kalls, you don’t have to be upset forever,” Sasha whispered in her ear.

  “I’ll talk to you after class.”

  “I wish I could just lock him in a closet! Maybe then at least he would yell at me! It would be better than this utter silence! Anything would be better than the silence,” Kalli vented to the twins who had made it a habit to walk her to class. It had been four days and the silence from Percy was killing Kalli. Whenever she tried to talk to him he ran out of the room. “I just need to hear his voice,” Kalli shook her head at he
r own obsessive silliness. She missed him terribly; his hugs, his smile, even his smell. Why?

  “Well a closet can always be arranged,” Sasha said, smiling down on her.

  “No,” She sighed half-heartedly. “I’ll figure out some way to live without I guess. Thanks guys,” She gave both of them a hug and turned into the piano classroom to face yet another session of a silent best friend.

  “Where are you headed, Miss Hardford?”

  “Mr. Allen,” Kalli said with some mix of surprise and suspicion. “Guitar basics. How can I help you, sir?”

  “Please, the sir is not necessary. How are your first few weeks of school going?”

  “Fine. I’m still getting my bearings but I’m adjusting.”

  “Good, good, good. Very proud of you. I do hope that you continue to excel the way you have. Your teachers tell me that you are struggling to focus in class, is this true?” Concern was a strange look for the red-faced man to have.

  “Yes, sir. I have been distracted, I have a lot in my mind.”

  “Have you tried yoga?”

  “Sorry?”

  “To clear your mind,” He said. “I find it helps me find a Zen.”

  “I might give that a try.”

  “I should hope so. You need to be focusing on your end of year project.”

  “End of year project?” She stopped walking.

  “The end of year recital? Surely you are practicing for it. And I expect a duet from you and that Percival fellow.”

  “Oh, well…”

  “Well, I best not keep you. Good luck in your classes! Cheerio!”

  Kalli sighed, that old man was exhausting.

  ***