When We Were Young

Ninety-two: One Year Later, Past

Ninety-two:

One Year Later, Past

Aleksander had imagined the reunion between them a million, different ways. She would recover enough to come see him. They would meet at The Crow Club, and have dinner, and he would spend all night kissing her and whispering dirty things into her ear. Then, they would go back to his apartment and fuck each other until dawn and spend a week locked away in there caught up in each other. He thought things would get back on track. He would graduate and play football, and Alina would finish up her last year of school.

Mal had told him that she had lost the baby, but they could work through that. They could have another one, if she wanted. As many of them as possible. He liked the idea of having a house full of kids, and seeing Alina, pregnant and round with his child. But that wasn't what their reunion was like. In fact, it had been nearly a year, and she still hadn't come to him.

He focused on football. He played, despite the pain in his shoulder that never seemed to go away. And when he wasn't playing, he was out every night like he used to, getting lost in girls. Luda was one of the Os Alta cheerleaders, and she became a warm body that he could forget about everything in. And then----then there was the tackle. The tackle that fucked up his shoulder that he'd been shot at twice, and he was told that he wouldn't play again.

He went out and got drunk, and he found himself at his cousins' apartment. He had known where she was this whole time but Mal was protective and kept on saying that she wasn't ready. His cousin, had in fact, threatened to shoot him if he came by before Alina gave the okay. So, he stayed away.

Except, now it was getting close to the Ravka University graduation. Alina would be graduating, and so would Mal, and he'd begged his cousin to let him come. And then, unexpectedly, Mal had told him that the two of them were together and he didn't think it would be a good idea for him to come. Now, he was drunk outside their apartment, sitting on the stoop waiting for her to come home.

He was surprised, however, when he saw Mal coming up the street, kissing a pretty black girl wearing a blue ribbon in her hair. The two of them were laughing as Mal was telling some stupid joke. "What the fuck is this, Mal?"

Mal winced and pulled away from the girl that he had just kissed. The girl smiled awkwardly at him. "You must be Aleksander," said the girl, "I'm Nadia, Mal's girlfriend."

Mal glanced at Aleksander. "Look, Aleks, before you get angry let me explain----"

Aleksander shook his head. "You are a fucking dick, Mal. I always knew you didn't deserve her, but this...this really takes the cake."

Nadia raised an eyebrow. "What is he talking about, Malyen?"

Mal sighed. "Aleksander has his story wrong."

Aleksander glared. "No, I think I've got my story alright. Alina doesn't want me in her life, that's fine. But she sure as fuck doesn't need you. Go to fucking hell." Then, he stormed off, stumbling drunk.

He walked away and ended up wandering around in the cold. It had been hours that he was walking around by himself. He took out his cell phone and thought about calling Alina, but he didn't think she would even answer or that she had the same number anymore. Instead, he called the last person that he should have.

The phone rang, and then he heard Baghra's voice. "Aleksander?" Baghra said, slightly alarmed. "What's going on? Is everything okay? I heard about them firing you from the team because of your injury. I went by your apartment, but you weren't there."

"I'll do it," he said.

There was a pause. "Do what?" Baghra said.

"I'll play your game, mother. I'll be a fucking lawyer." Then he ended the call.