***
He was drawing lines in the sand with his heel. His forehead revealed worry. The cheerful Hey! made him look up. Maya’s smile made him smile.
"Hi!" he replied, but there was no joy in his eyes. Their lips met softly.
"Are you okay?" she asked him right away.
"Yea," he smiled a bigger smile to confirm that he was in a good mood. "Why?"
"You look a bit strange. You were staring at the ground…"
"No, no!" he interrupted her. "Everything’s good! What’s up with you?"
"Ugh! I almost went nuts in class today. I wanted to tell that cow in pantology to go to hell!"
"Why? What happened?"
"She was bullshitting too much! She explained to us that we have to attend classes and that we have no right to complain about the fact that they take attendance like they used to in primary school because the government finances our university education and that it’s our responsibility to attend lectures. And that when we pay for our education ourselves, then we’ll be allowed to come and go as we please, but for the time being, while the government is paying for our education, we have to attend lectures! And I thought, "Who finances this goddamn government and country? Who, Miss Know-it-all? Who? My mom and my dad who pay taxes, goddammit! That’s who! My parents work their asses off so that you can do your so-called scientific work and get paid! So don’t give me shit about the government paying for my education and having to attend classes!" I know what she’s afraid of. She’s shitting her pants because her course and her classes suck! That’s what she’s worried about! If she didn’t take attendance, no one would come to her lectures and then people would wonder what the point of her course even was. That’s what she’s worried about! Not about the government, the state, moral responsibility, paying for one’s education and shit like that. It’s her scientific ass that’s on the line! That’s what it is! Get it? I hate shit like that!"
"And? Did you tell her that?"
"No," she put her hair behind her ear. "I thought about it, but didn’t…I kept my mouth shut like the rest of them." The tone of her voice resembled a white flag.
"Probably better that you didn’t annoy her. You’d only have issues with her later."
She dug out her cigarettes and lighter from her knitted backpack.
"Give me one, too."
Yellow plastic. A flame. Smoke. He tapped his thumb on the filter and ashed his cigarette although there was nothing to ash.
"You know, I’ve been thinking…"
She raised her eyebrow. "What have you been thinking?"
"How long have we been together now?" he blurted out. "Two years?"
She looked at him. "And two months almost. Why do you ask?"
"Just because…"
"Is something wrong?" Her body quivered.
"No, no…"
"What’s the problem?"
"There’s no problem…" He took a drag of his smoke.
"Victor! What is it?"
He scratched his head.
"Are you happy with our sex life?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Don’t you find it kind of boring?"
"Boring?"
"Wouldn’t you like to change something about it, maybe…"
"No. Would you?" She started shaking her leg.
"I don’t know…"
"Listen to me carefully!" She blew out the smoke and tossed her cigarette. "If you’re going to suggest something lame like group sex, I’m going to kick your ass1"
"That’s not what I meant!"
"Well, what did you mean?"
"I just thought that you could maybe, here and there, put on some sexier clothes, you know?"
"Like what?"
"I don’t know… Well…" he pressed his lips together.
"Spit it out, Victor!"
"Stockings and a garter belt, you know?" He took a drag of his cigarette and waited for the verdict.
"You’re a total moron, you know that? I thought ‘who knows what he’s going to say now,’ but all you want is for me to wear some stockings and a garter belt. I can’t believe it!" She started laughing.
He felt like someone had poured pickle juice all over him.
"I’m such an idiot! That’s what I get for listening to Rogi!" he thought. "I should’ve kept my mouth shut and continued watching porn at home…"
"Do you know how much that stuff costs?"
"How much?"
"Too much for my student income. But…" she was having fun, "if you want me to wear them, then buy them for me."
"You’d wear them if I bought them?" he said happily.
"Yes."
Victor’s happiness was at an all-time high. It was the best day of his life.