Fixing What Broke

The Other One

"Alek! Aleksey!" Marina called from the other end of the corridor. She turned around and started walking in the other direction. "I picked up while Rosie was talking to you," the other girl said by way of greeting, leading her outside to the college green. Marina passed her one perfectly wrapped joint, and she lit up. They sat at a cool spot underneath a tree.

Marina, sometimes called Mina, always had her bobbed platinum blond hair clipped with that same tortoiseshell barrett, her bright green eyes devoid of any makeup (unlike Aleksey herself), and never stopped talking. It was her thing--if there was an awkward silence, count on her to destroy it with words that came out faster than rounds from a fully automatic machine gun.

"So the other day I was just here, smoking my last spliff, when Mick, that guy in your brother's year, comes up to me and asks if I'd like a fuck for free. So naturally, I say, 'Why would I pay for one in the first place?' then the twat goes, 'Well you seem like the type that no one would do,' and then I gave him a kick in the shin," Marina sucked hard on the joint and let out a thin stream of smoke.

"Peter thinks he's an arse," Aleksey rejoined, exhaling, "And that's Peter we're talking about." Marina chuckled, "He isn't exactly the gold standard, is he?" she shook her head, "No, he isn't." A new girl in their year went up to them and said in a low voice, "They said I could get weed from you. Do you have any on you right now?" Aleksey looked her over: auburn hair, brown eyes, pale skin, bordering on boyish, though still making a pretty girl. 

"Didn't really take you for a junkie," Marina smirked, passing the other girl one. "I don't like that term," the girl held the joint between her middle and forefinger like an expert, struck a match, and took a long drag. "What's your name?" asked Aleksey. "Lenny. Lenny Keys," she replied. "Well, Lenny Keys, don't just stand there and smoke, sit with us," Marina moved a foot.  

Lenny awkwardly sat down on Aleksey's right, which was the nearest to her. "Where'd you move here from?" Aleksey queried. "Nottingham," responded the new girl quietly. "Rather far off, huh?" Marina interjected. "I guess," she shrugged. Feeling as if she'd said all she needed to say, Aleksey stopped talking and let Lenny and Marina interact.

"What's Lenny short for?" Mina terminated the current joint as she spoke. "Eleanor," Lenny responded flatly. "Why not Elly?" Aleksey leaned on Mina's shoulder, bored. "My parents liked that American singer, Lenny Kravitz, so they called me that instead of Elly."

"Funny," Mina noted drily. "What're your names?" Lenny asked suddenly. "Marina. Mina if you want," she shook the new girl's hand, "And the girl beside you is Aleksey." Lenny shot Aleksey a questioning look. "Aleksey? Are you foreign?" she looked at the androgynous novice plainly. "Half-Russian."

"How fascinating."