RAVI (formerly Indie-America)

31

(((Edited•)))

I rush out of AP chemistry the minute the bell is rung so I get to the car park before Luca and Julie. I'm so busy struggling to get my books securely inside my bag that I don't see the person in front of me. It was a close one, I would've hit him but that didn't happen because I tripped on my self before I could.

"Hey RV be careful." He uses his hands to secure me and helps me straighten up.

I've met him before, he's in my History class but I don't remember his name. Which makes me feel like a conceited snub because he clearly remembers mine.

I tuck a couple strands of my hair behind my earlobe. "Um..thanks for that. Sorry." I say sheepishly and for the first time appreciate how tall this guy is.

I feel like an ant beside him. His hair is black and really curly but it stops exactly before his ear. I can't really see the color of his eyes because of the big glasses he's wearing but I'm betting their black.

"It's ok. You were preoccupied." He waves me off and I smile. I don't know what else to say and I'm looking for a quick way to end this conversation so I ask for his name like any normal person would.

"Oliver." He says simply, not visibly affected by my not knowing his name. I mentally slap myself, Oliver. How could I have forgotten? I practically spend every day rolling his nickname through my tongue.

Ollie. Ollie. Ollie.

It's nice.

"Oh! Sorry about that Ollie. So I'll see you around, I've got to get going." I wave at him and walk-run out of the building.

Luca and Julie are waiting for me when I get to his car. Luca doesn't appear to e affected by my punctuality issues; he's scrolling through his phone and doesn't even notice my presence until Julie heaves a sigh. Unlike Luca, she's obviously irritated but I'm guessing that has to more with the fact that I'm tagging along than the fact that I'm late.

"Finally. We've been waiting for almost an hour." She rolls her egg shaped eye at me and I hide my own roll.

Luca stands straight and checks his wrist watch. "It hasn't been that long Julie. I'm sure she was busy." He makes an elongated eye contact with me that I translate to our greeting.

"Whatever. Let's get going now before it's too late." She opens his car without any hesitation and I actually feel like slapping the back of her head. The least she could do was wait for the owner to get in first. But Luca doesn't complain, he's obviously oblivious to these kind of things.

I get in the front seat and spend the rest of the drive wondering about how the hell I was going to get through this interview.

*****

Julie's house is beautiful but not what I expected. It's not big, and sorry if it sounds wrong but Julie carried herself like the kind of person who lives in a palace.

It's painted white and I'm pretty sure they repaint it regularly because it's still very pristine. They have a beautiful garden by the left side of their lawn where I spot lilies, sunflowers and some other plant I can't recognize.

Julie leads us into her house and I suddenly feel very happy I'm doing this. Her house is not just small, it's cozy. I would trade my over sized temple for this any day.

The living room has only 4 sofas which are arranged pretty close to one another. The longest one, colored gray, is facing the TV, the smallest one is right beside it but turning so it's like a hedge. The other two mirror this arrangement so it's the shape of an incomplete square.