What If Just...

4 Vivian

"Good morning!" Meg meets me with a wide smile. She looks happy, happier than ever.

"Good morning, Meggie! You're glowing today! It's rare to see such vivid emotions on faces in our world," I can't help but comment.

"I show these emotions only to you. As soon as we enter the museum building, I will immediately put on a mask of indifference and seriousness," she replies, winking.

"Will you stop by the library during lunch break? I really need to tell you something."

"Well, of course. We'll go to the cafe for lunch. See you!"

"See you."

My redhead friend disappears through the door on the left, and I climb the stairs to the next floor.

How beautiful and majestic our museum is!
Huge columns, moldings, wrought iron stairs.

Beige also prevails here, but there are exceptional halls and offices in which the walls are painted in other colors – noble blue, green, burgundy.

I really love museum library for the combination of wooden shelves with books and emerald-colored walls.
I feel at home here.
By saying this, I mean the house I dream of. Unfortunately, I won't ever have one. Not in this world.

At work, time runs extremely fast.
I only get distracted when someone says my name.
This is Mrs. Adler, my director.

"Vivian, please come to my office after lunch break," she says when I look away from the pages of the book.

"Yes, Mrs. Adler, of course," I answer, while anxiety begins to get inflamed.

I can't concentrate on work anymore and decide to go pick up Meg for lunch.
By a lucky chance, she's approaching the library.

"I expected I would have to kick you out again, and here you are voluntarily broke  away from work on time," she says with a grin.

"I was unable to continue working after Mrs. Adler asked me to come to her office after lunch."

"What does she want from you?"

"I don't know, to be honest..."

"You need to take your mind off it, otherwise you won't be able to eat anything."

Meg opens the door of the museum cafe in front of me and I go to the farthest table by the window and leave my bag on the chair.

"You wanted to tell me something this morning ..." says my friend, while we are standing in line to pay for the food.

"Yes, I still do, I'm just waiting for us to sit down."

I can tell she is intrigued by my secrecy.
Meg looks at me with slightly narrowed eyes for a couple of seconds, then looks away to check if anyone has sat down at the tables next to ours.

After paying and returning to our seats, we silently begin to eat.
I see it's me who has to start.

"Meggie, were you at the Club yesterday?"

My friend is a year older than me and she also has to go to meetings.

"Yes, you?"

"Of course, there is no other way."

There is an other way, but not without consequences.

"Is something wrong?" Meg asks with genuine concern.

I hesitate to answer because I don't know how to explain what happened.

"Um, yesterday the guy I was paired with was rude to me."

"Rude? What did he do?"

"We had just started the conversation when he interrupted me, said that he did not like the color of my hair, got up and left."

I say this, and a whirlwind of indignation and misunderstanding rises inside again.

"What a jerk!"

"Shh, Meggie, please..." I whisper, looking around like a thief.

Meg has always been freer in her expressions than I am. Deep studying of linguistics left a mark.

"Do you remember his name?" my friend continues.

"Yes, his name was Christian Wood."

"I thought so! Don't worry, Viv, it's not about you, he always behaves like this."

"Do you know him?"

"I've heard about him from other girls. They say he's from the Shadows. He moved not so long ago, promised to adapt, but, apparently, he is not trying hard."

How did it not immediately occur to me that he might be a foreigner?
We call people from the old world the Shadows, meaning that they refused to be enlightened and remained in the dark, in the shadow of their beliefs.

"Is it that easy?" I'm wondering, "Is it that easy to cross the border?"

"I don't know," is my friend's response. "Seems to me it's not easy, but, as life shows, possible. Probably, they have to somehow prove their ability to adjust to the new world."

"Yes, probably...I wonder if they're all as savage as him. He didn't have a single reason to talk to me like that."

"I know exactly as much as you do, Vivi. Try to forget about it, he's just a drop in the ocean."

Meg winks at me playfully and continues eating her salmon sandwich.

Then I suddenly remember.

"Will you tell me what made you so happy today?"

"Yes, just let me finish chewing," she gives a barely audible answer with her mouth full.

I'm trying to eat my tuna sandwich, but can't because I'm overcome with emotion.

"That's it, I'm ready to talk," Meg resolutely declares, "This is quite unexpected news, and I hope you will understand."