When We Were Young

Thirty-four:

Thirty-four:

It was late when Aleksander snuck her out of the frat house to his car. They held hands, as they walked up to her dorm. The dorm room door swung open, revealing Genya with an accusatory look on her face. "You are home late Alina Starkov. And you smell of sex, and you smell of sin. What have you been up to?" she demanded.

"Having orgasms," Alina said as Aleksander nuzzled her neck, making her blush and laugh as he played with her hair. Genya let out a squeal and she pulled Alina away from Aleksander. She looked directly at him.

"You have to go now," Genya said, "and I have to talk to my friend about the orgasms and dirty things that you had her do."

"Maybe I don't want to go. Maybe I am not finished with her." Aleksander waggled his eyebrows and Alina laughed, then shoved him off.

"Go back to your frat," she told him, "You're going to call me about that hang out thing, yeah?"

"Yeah!" Aleksander said. "I've got a whole thing. Keep your plans free for me sweetheart, okay?"

Alina smiled, then she stood on her tip toes, and she kissed him on the cheek. He traced the top of her hand and she smiled at him. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, and then he backed out of the dorm, staring at her the whole time even as he exited out of the door.

When he was gone, Genya grabbed her by the hand and pulled her inside her dorm, slamming the door shut behind her. "Oh, my Saints!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe that something actually happened between the two of you. Do you know how long I've been waiting for something like this to happen?"

Alina smiled. "Look it wasn't like what you are thinking. There was a thing with Mal, he was there for me...and he told me about my family."

Genya's eyes widened. "Like, everything about your family?"

"I know Nikolai and Vasily are my cousins, apparently. He explained everything with Baghra and I know he's complicated but...he wants me for me and that's all that I can think about, okay?"

"He told you about it all?"

"What he could," Alina said, "he said there was some stuff he wasn't able to."

"Oh my god!" Genya exclaimed. "I can't believe that. Alina, you know how long it took for him to tell me everything? I can't believe he was completely and totally honest with you. Do you know how rare that is for him? Aleksander's not someone that completely and totally tells the truth with anyone. He must be in love with you."

Alina blushed. "You know we're not a couple, right?"

"Yeah, but only because you two are idiots. I know the away game didn't happen, but you still have to come to Harvest Weekend with me. David and me need all of the support we can get, and maybe seeing another young couple there will help my parents freak out less."

Alina laughed. "We're not a couple, Genya. We're...well, Aleks calls us Besties."

"Besties?" Genya frowned. "Alina, besties don't fuck. At least if they do, it never ends well. You can't keep things like this casual."

"Aleksander only does casual," Alina reminded her, "it will be fine."

Genya crossed her arms over her chest. "Can I ask you a serious question?"

"Sure."

"What do you want out of this?" Genya asked. "I never took you for a casual relationship kind of girl, and Aleksander seems serious about you..."

She shrugged. "Someone wants me for a change. It's nice to be wanted, Genya. That's all I want right now. I'm not worried about the rest, okay?"

"Okay." Genya furrowed her brows together. "But you're going to still come with him to Harvest Weekend, right?"

"Right," said Alina, "what is Harvest Weekend anyway?"

Genya grinned. "You've never been to a Harvest Weekend?"

"I mean, I'm from the city, and I'm an orphan. It wasn't exactly something that we did."

"Harvest Weekend is to celebrate fall ending and winter beginning. Everyone gathers all of their food they're stock piling for the winter, and they have a big party with some of the spoils. Oh, and then there is the bundling."

"Bundling?" Alina asked. "The thing where you are bound together in blankets? I thought that was something only done by Fjerda and country families for arranged marriage."

Genya shook her head. "Nope. Everyone is assigned a key to a room, and the person their bundled with is supposed to keep them warm for the rest of the winter. It's how engaged or courting couples are supposed to get to know each other. It's all very warm and sweet and its my favorite part of the season. That, and the apple cider making."

"Do they have hard apple cider?" Alina asked. "Because I might need it, if I'm going to survive this."

Genya smiled. "We do, and it sparkles and is bubbly. And I've been put in charge of the bundling partners this year."

Alina smirked. "Have you, now?"

Genya nodded.

"Is that why you're so eager to have Aleksander and me there?" Alina said. "Because you're plotting on forcing us into a bed together?"

Genya grinned. "It's tradition."

"For you."

"For Ravka," said Genya with a smile.

"Hey Genya," Alina said, "do you think..." She paused, and she shook her head.

"Think what?"

Alina hesitated. "Aleks met Mal when he was in high school, right?"

Genya nodded. "Yeah. That whole year was a complete mess. Aleksander found out about him by accident. He tried connecting with him, and I guess he---"

Alina's cell phone rang just then. Mal's name flashed across the screen. "Hello?"

"Lina," Mal said, and he sounded tired, "hey. I'm sorry about earlier I...my parents are pissed, and they're taking me home. They're um, putting me in rehab. I'm not going to be finishing this year."

Alina hesitated. "You're not coming back to school this year?"

"No," he said, "they won't let me, they found out about some things that I was doing and um...they're not happy about it. But I...I'm sorry, Lina. I'm sorry for trying to keep you from dating, and I should have realized that you were the one who was always going to be with me all of this time..."

Alina shook her head. "Mal, what are you talking about?"

There was a long moment of silence. "I'm not going to get out of this without you, Lina. Tell me you'll be there waiting for me. Tell me that you won't let Aleksander con you into being with him. You and me, we're gonna have our moment, and I'm gonna get better for you. Okay. I'm gonna get better for you."

There were so many things she wanted to say. She wanted to talk to him about Baghra, about the fight club, about Zoya. A million questions raced through her mind but when he spoke, all she saw was little Mal, who she'd grown up in the orphanage with, and she was little Alina with only one friend in the world that looked for her again.

"Yeah Mal," she said, "I'll wait for you. Of course, I'll wait for you. Always."

Another pause. "Okay, okay. Because I'm gonna get out, and it's going to be okay. We'll get our moment. I promise you. Don't give up on me, Lina. Okay? Please."

Alina swallowed. "Yeah. I won't give up on you, Mal. Never."

"You're my Lina?"

"I'm always your Lina, Mal."

The call ended, and Genya locked eyes with her. "Alina...what was..."

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter, alright?"

"But you and Aleks..."

"We're not dating," she said, "it's fine. Everything is going to be fine. You'll see, Genya."