A Common Language

Chapter two

  Prelude

  Marshall Airport, Cambridge:

  Kalli scrambled to catch the bus that was scheduled to leave for the campus in a few moments. It would be four hours before the next bus came, so she didn’t want to miss this one. She was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. She just had a very long flight resulting from an intense fear of flying combined with a screaming kid behind her. She was a complete wreck. The last strands of her ponytail barely caught in the band and her eyes wired from the plane’s coffee. Her luggage was heavy and slipping from her sweaty, stressed hands. She ran anyway.

  There were people all around her. Everyone seemed to be in a rush to get somewhere. She kept her eyes open for collisions; she got out of the crowd and relaxed a little. She was going to make it. The door to parking lot D was about 20 yards in front of her and the bus was waiting in a close parking spot. She quickened her pace. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a pale head covered in midnight black hair rushing in the same direction. She didn’t care until he ran into her right in front of the door, causing her to drop all her things.

  “I am so sorry, Mademoiselle!” he said in a thick French accent. He knelt to the floor and handed her bags to her. Despite the collision, he was poised and graceful. Kalli felt a twang of jealousy which she attributed to her lack of poise on a good day. “I am terribly sorry.” He paused, taking a moment to look at her, “Well hello. My name is Percy.” He extended his free right hand politely.

  He’s weird. I wonder if that’s how all French guys are? Well, I’m not gonna stay around to find out. “I’m in a hurry.” Kalli brushed past him and readjusted her bags as she walked towards the already nearly full bus.

  “In-A-Hurry, That is an interesting name. I like it.” Percy easily caught up to her using the long legs of his 6-foot frame. “What’s the rush?”

  “I have a bus to catch.” Part of her felt bad for being so short with him.

  “Mind if I escort you? I’m headed to parking lot D.”

  “Do I have a choice?” Kalli asked, frustrated. She really didn’t have the time, or the patience, for this clown. Who the heck is this guy? Why won’t he leave me alone?

  “Of course, miss. If you wish for me not to, I will not.” His eyes were honest and wide.

  “I prefer to escort myself.” She kept the words short and hard, making it obvious she did not want him around.

  “As you wish.” He dropped behind her so she couldn’t see where he was headed, but she was not going to turn around to check. The last thing she wanted to do was encourage him.

  Kalli barely made the 3 o’ clock bus. All the seats in the front were taken, so she walked to the back and sat next to the window. She closed her eyes for the first time in--what felt like--days. Maybe she could sleep on the way there. Exhaustion started to rush over her, inescapable like a storm.

  Percy ran onto his bus just as it pulled out. “That was close,” he muttered to himself as he walked through the crowded aisle to the back of the bus. He rounded the corner to the main isle to see ‘in a hurry’ lying against the window. “Well, hello again.” Her eyes fluttered open and her smooth jaw opened as she stared at him. “In a hurry? Was it not? By the way it is generally not nice to stare, but I really don’t care if you do. Are you are going to UA as well?”

  “Yes, obviously.” She faced the window again.

  “That gives us something in common. Fate I believe they call that.”

  Kalli threw her head back in frustration. She regained her composure quickly. Was this guy following her? If so, how could she lose him? The last thing she needed was a stalker. “Let’s try something, shall we?” She smiled as nicely as she could muster. It was time for those years in theater to pay off.

  “Of course!” His bright blue eyes lit up. He was happy to finally get some headway with her. He was poised on the edge of his seat. He couldn’t explain it, but he wanted to be her friend. He felt that he would need her at some point. And she would need him. Maybe it was just a feeling, but he was in the habit of trusting his instincts.

  “Have you heard of a cannon or round? Like row-row-row your boat?” She asked earnestly.

  “Gently down the stream?” He smiled his most charming smile.

  “That’s the one.” She smiled back, convincingly.

  “Yes, I have heard of it.” She noticed how startling his eyes were. The blue popped out against his pitch black hair and pale skin. He was young and trusting but old and wise at the same time.

  “Well, I wrote one on the plane. Will you sing it with me?”

  “Yes, but I must warn you I am not much of a singer.” Kalli wondered what his musical talent was. He struck her as a singer: relatively outgoing with good stage presence, something she recognized easily.

  “That’s okay. I’m not great either. I’ll start. Here we go.” She sat for several minutes in silence before he began to wonder when he would hear her sing. He was terribly excited to see how talented she was.

  “Uh… should we start?” he asked her softly and kindly, not wanting to offend her. He didn’t want to push her obviously thin patience.

  “What are you talking about? We started a while back. You were doing so well at following along. But then you spoke and ruined the music.”

  “Ha-ha,” he said with rich sarcasm. “You are rather humorous, miss.”

  “And you are rather persistent, sir,” she said, imitating his accent poorly and smiling tightly before returning her concentration to the trees flying past the window.

  “Are you making fun of my nationality? A lesser man would be offended.”

  Kalli was silent, so he leaned towards the window to see what captivated her. She felt him shift, and his soft breath on her neck sent uncomfortable shivers down her spine. “Do you mind!? Goodness!” she pushed him hard in the chest to make him sit back. She was thankful that he stayed where he landed. She wasn’t sure what kept him there: fear, shock, or just obedience. Honestly, she didn’t really care as long as he didn’t try to talk to her again. At least he could understand such an obvious rejection.

  Percy liked this one. She was a challenge. There was certainly something very special about this ‘In-A-Hurry’ girl.

  “Maasaaaaaashiiii!!!” she cried, running eagerly to meet him and cherishing the warm hug his waiting arms gave her.

  “Lupe.” He greeted her calmly and pulled her into a tight hug; she was so small in his arms but not in a breakable way. She was too independent and strong minded to be breakable. Anyone who claimed otherwise didn’t have very long to live in this world.

  “Are you still just as logical and calm, ‘Sushi?”

  “As often as I can. How many times must I ask you to not call me Sushi? It’s Masashi.” He looked down into her gray eyes. They had a hint of lavender in them that fascinated him. His wrists rested comfortably on her waist as they always had.

  “Sorry, slip of the tongue.” She smiled up at him, just happy to see him again. “How are Miki and Kaname?”

  “Annoying as always,” he winked. She knew full well how important family was to him. They were the only people who truly got under his skin. Well…they and Lupe of course, because she refused to be left out of that club. “How was your summer?”

  “Dull without you. Dad was gone most of the time and Mom tended to just look at me disapprovingly without much effort on my part. It’s sad when they stop trying to cover up that they’re disappointed,” She laughed. “Maybe I can move in with your family. They sound like a lot more fun.”

  “You would be welcome.”

  “Oi! You two! Am I going to have to hound you about public displays of affection again this year?” the head administrator of the dance college, Luke Stanley, said sternly.

  “I was hoping they would fire that guy,” Masashi sighed as he dropped his hands.

  “Heard that!” Mr. Stanley said as a warning. It was his personal mission to keep the students of the Music College in check. No one knew why, but he seemed t
oo invested in the Music College student’s behavior, maybe because the music program outshone his dance program every year.

  Lupe quickly changed the subject because she could see the danger in Masashi’s eyes. “Did you see who your roommate is for this year? Is he here yet?”

  “Yeah, I looked into it; his name is Percival Delano. He is French--a first-year. Not great, but at least he’s not a smug fifth year like I had last year, and who knows,” he shrugged. “Maybe he’ll be interesting to mess with. Preferably quiet too.”

  “You’re mean.” Lupe accused, but she was smiling so she knew he wasn’t completely serious. “I got a first year too. An American. Fresh blood,” She smiled almost demonically. “But, remember that Thomas wants us to try more to reach out to the younger grades, some kind of do-good kick he’s on. Oh! The twins called. They said they would be here by tomorrow.”

  “Oh, good. More trouble,” Masashi muttered sarcastically. He wasn’t as fond of the twins as Lupe was. “At least Dragen will get here soon so there will be someone else with a logical bone in his body.”

  “You could just say that you need someone to scare the living bejesus out of the twins for you so they’ll leave you alone. If you’re going to be mean you should just get to it, and don’t beat around the bush. If people annoy you so much, why don’t you just room with Dragen when he gets here?”

  “Lovely as always,” He laughed lightly. “Dragen doesn’t want to. I brought it up last year, but if he can manage a room by himself he will do that every time. Nothing personal. He said he would be here the day after tomorrow. He called me yesterday to let me know,” Masashi flipped his new cell phone around his agile hand.

  “Nice phone. How does that work, the calling thing? I have always wondered. I mean, he doesn’t really talk, so how do you know what he means over the phone?” Dragen was Masashi’s best friend. They fit together perfectly because neither of them liked to talk.

  “Lupe, he is not a mute. He just prefers not to speak. He just told me like you would without all the excess babble,” He elbowed her. He had to bend over a little to hit her arm instead of her neck. What could he say? Lupe was short.

  “Are you saying that I babble?” Lupe mocked hurt feelings and elbowed him hard in the stomach, but he barely felt it. After all year of her playful abuse, he had become immune to most pain.

  “That is precisely what I am saying,” he grinned

  “Some people never change,” She sighed. “Well, from what I can tell, this is going to be a very fun semester. I’m excited,” She did her little excited dance just to see his eyes roll.

  “I know. I know, Lupe. I am too.”

  ***