After dinner, Vince and I drove to Vicki's apartment complex where he just sat in the driver's seat. I thought he would at least lead me up to her door as the sky turned lavender but no he just looked up at the multiple lit-up windows above us. I had never been to Vicki's apartment with the exception of the early days of Vince and Vicki's friendship in 9th grade when Vince would have Dad drive over to Vicki's to drop her off chocolates or cookies. Again even then I only saw the outside of her complex, which wasn't really hers as it belonged to 100 other people. I got out of Dad's Bronco and looked at Vince's sad expression. He might've been somber, but I was excited to see Vicki's inner space. I skipped up the steps with the information Vince gave me hoping Vicki would maybe ask if I wanted a drink or a snack. Maybe she would have a cookie jar. Vicki seemed the type of woman to have an organized cookie jar.
I took the elevator and reached her floor thinking about what I was going to say. I had become so preoccupied with seeing Vicki I forgot I wasn't really seeing her and I was just the messenger for my idiot brother who never told me the full story about what he was doing with his ex anyway.
After knocking on Vicki's door I felt bad that I had come empty-handed. I should've got flowers or something. I dug in my pockets for something to give her, the only thing I had was a penny and a crumbled dandelion stem.
"Who is it?" Vicki yelled. Even her yelling her voice sounded pretty.
"Daya," I said worrying If I should have given her my full name. Daya True Price. Daya Price. But how many Daya's could she possibly know?
I heard shuffling then Vicki's voice seemed to be closer, the only thing separating me from it was the door. "No," she said firmly.
"No?" I asked.
"Tell Vince to go fuck himself, no."
So this was of course going to be harder than I thought. I guess I had to go with Plan B.
I waited about ten minutes not sure if Vicki was still close to the door or in a whole other room. I knocked again. To my surprise, she didn't just say no she asked who is it again. " I'm just a girl scout trying to sell cookies to go on my camping trip." I devised this plan thinking of all the money Vince spent on Girl Scout cookies just for Vicki who used to be a Girl Scout herself before she went to middle school.
Her voice wasn't firm anymore and it was back to her usual sweet tone. I could also hear the sound of her wrestling with the lock. "Give me a second let me get my-" she stopped and the lock wasn't turning anymore. She was back to scolding me. "Daya are you fucking kidding me, I know Girl Scout cookies don't sell until February." It didn't seem like that three minutes ago when you were about to get your purse.
I couldn't just break the bit right away. "I'm an early seller because during February I'm in the hospital for my deadly illness."
"So how are you going to go on the camping trip if you have a deadly illness?"
I shrugged and made my posture bad as if she could see the little sick girl I was impersonating. "They bring the camping trip to me in the hospital, it's why I just want to sell as much-
The lock turned and Vicki opened the door by an inch. I could only see a sliver of her face and her curls that looked to be in a braid out. I could also see an inch of her annoyed expression. "How the fuck would this hypothetical sick girl get a camping trip brought to her hospital room." Once she said this my first thought was "Ahh she's intrigued by the sick little girl's backstory."
"They would bring their sleeping bags and make smores in the room, it's actually quite a sweet experience."
Vicki was about to close the door but I let out a loud, "Wait."
"I'm not here for Vince I'm for me, I just wanted to see how you were doing, how's life after high school, have you got all your dorm supplies ready for move-in? How is life in general?" When I said the words dorm supplies a light bulb went off in my brain and I remembered I did come with a gift for Vicki. I pulled out my phone and went to my camera roll where a picture of Vince my mom's headscarf and one of his old t shirts sat. Vicki squinted her eyes but I could tell she couldn't see the picture clearly. Finally, she opened the door some more, and looked at the photo. She didn't completely smile but there seemed to be some lightness in her voice when she asked, "Your brother knows the baby tee trend is for girls right?"
"That's not too progressive of you Vicki." She just stared at me. "He packed up most of his clothes for when he moves in next week so he only has so many options left."
I expected at least a half smile or a giggle but she just looked even more annoyed. "I told him not to do that but he never listens does he?"
I had nothing to say besides a compliment about her pink bunny slippers. I also wondered why it was so easy for me to "fight," with Sarai when she said something about my brother but when Vicki said something there was no anger rising in my body. I didn't want to defend Vince or avenge him, I just wanted to agree with Vicki, because deep down I knew she knew Vince in a completely different way than I did. If she called him a dumbass, he was probably a dumbass.
Vicki began to close the door again and I debated putting my foot in it like one of those toxic Wattpad boyfriends. But I didn't want to annoy Vicki anymore or remind her of what Vince did or didn't do. I wished I could've just washed my connection with Vince off right at Vicki's door and just come to her as a friend but I was forever Vince's little sister. It was in our similair eye shape, laugh, and big ass forehead. At Vicki's apartment, I realized she was never my true friend even if I told myself I knew that before. I never thought of us as besties, but I always thought Vicki and I had formed a bond that could've remained strong throughout her relationship rollercoaster with Vince. But no if Vince was out of her heart and mind, so was I.
I gave her a pathetic wave goodbye that she didn't return. But when I turned around I could hear the door opening a little more combined with Vicki's voice.
"Daya," she said, saying my name so clearly.
I turned around. She was now standing in front of her door revealing her cute pink two-piece. "Your brother is an idiot, you're not."
Again I was at a loss for words. I wanted to say I knew but Vicki continued.
"He needs to stop treating you like you are his little assistant, he fucked up, he should be here, groveling with flowers or something. I think it's cute he sent you because I would rather talk to you than him, but this just confirmed for me about what I'm going to do regarding my relationship. I'm going to college, he's going to college, our times up."
"O-kay," I said unsure and hoping that was the right answer.
Finally, she let out a little giggle. "I always wanted something like what you guys had, Actually I still do. I want a sibling to stand by me even when I'm dead wrong, or to be here right now when my mom is on her night shift. What you guys have is cool, um," she looked down at her bunny slippers and I wondered if this was her attempt to stop any waves of sadness that were to come. "You're brother's an idiot, you're not."
I nodded and she slowly closed the door. It was the weirdest but most final goodbye I ever experienced. I took my time walking down the halls, staying in the elevator, and just doing anything to not go back to Vince in Dad's car. He had texted me a few times while I was upstairs but I didn't feel like communicating with him in any way. I always wanted an older sister, and I thought I had an honorary one, but now she was gone. I felt sad for Vince, but I felt more of uneasiness for Vicki who was in that apartment alone. Sure she had friends she could call but her apartment was quiet, not booming with voices like our place was. Vince would have dad, me, Sawyer, Tara, and on the weekends our mom. Vicki would have her mom but she would have to cry alone until her mother got off her 12-hour shift and opened the door to her daughter running to her arms. As the elevator got closer and closer to the bottom floor I also began to see last year in a completely different light. I saw all the tears Vicki shed while her friends were having fun as she stuck beside Vince in a hospital. I saw her mood depend on whether Vince had taken his meds. I saw her lose her smile I loved so much caring for Vince, caring for my brother when all of his teammates couldn't understand his struggles.
I walked back to the car. And I could barely look at Vince who actually had a hopeful expression on. "Try texting her tomorrow I guess," I said and Vince nodded before driving back home.
