Angels (Pavel Chekov)

6 - Pavel Andreievich Chekov

The weekend comes around again and Vienna spends most of it studying. All the work they're given is far more time consuming than she anticipated and it takes her a few hours to get it all done. She starts drawing a little in the afternoon, trying to take her mind off the homework she still has left to do. For a while she gets lost in her work and jolts back into reality, realising she's been drawing the boy from her dreams. He balances along the wall of a building the stars in view and his arms outstretched to keep him steady. She puts her pen down and runs a hand through her hair.

There's a knock at the door and Vienna's roommate answers it, calling out to Vienna as soon as the door is open.

"Chekov?" Vienna asks, smiling and pulling up a chair for him.

"Hey," he greets, "sorry for just showing up."

"Don't be," she laughs, "What brought you here?"

"I came to see if you were busy."

"And assuming I'm not busy?"

"I was going to ask if you wanted to come see a space exhibition with me. It's at this small museum a few blocks walk from the city. If it doesn't really interest you, that's fine but I thought I'd ask..."

Vienna has to stop herself from pointing out how polite he is but agrees, liking the idea of spending the afternoon with him instead of staying in her room trying to study. She asks if he's happy to wait a few minutes while she gets herself sorted, which he is. He scribbles in the back of his journal as he waits, daydreaming a little.

Vienna and Chekov only make it a little past the dorms before running into unwanted company. Vienna hasn't talked to Damien since he pushed Chekov in the cafeteria but he notices them walking together and he makes the point of calling out to them.

"Vienna! You know, I didn't pick you as the type to be into boys like him. You know, it's not too late to change your mind. I think you'll find that there's certain qualities that make for a good partner. Being pathetic isn't one of them."

Vienna's eyes narrow in on him, Chekov wants to keep walking, not continue this conversation. "You have an awfully weird way of trying to show interest in someone. Bringing other people down and being an ass-hole isn't an attractive quality either. You don't know him. Leave him alone."

"Oh, but that's the thing," Damien says, his voice dropping. "I do, I know him more than you think and a lot more than what he thinks. Don't think that you're getting the full picture Vienna. The Chekov family aren't known for how they treat their girlfriends."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Vienna bites, clenching her fists tightly.

"Ask him," Damien says flatly, gesturing to Chekov. "I'm sure he'll find a way to explain." He looks to the rest of his group and they walk away. Vienna and Chekov stand there, watching and unsure what to say to each other.

"I've no idea what he means," Chekov says quietly, looking over to Vienna.

"Let's just go sit somewhere," she suggests, her mind racing more than she cares to admit.

They find a space that's reasonably empty. Vienna sits down and looks up at Chekov, who's still standing.

"Can we start with the fact that Chekov is your last name?"

"Chekov is my last name, yes," he confirms. "My name is Pavel Andreievich Chekov."

"Pavel?" She asks. "I like that name. Can I call you that instead?"

"Of course."

Chekov sits down then, a little worried about the rest of the questions that are coming. He doesn't know how he's supposed to answer some of them when he doesn't even know the answers himself. He has a hunch but Vienna doesn't start asking questions.

"I think Damien's just trying to cause trouble. I think he wants to make me paranoid or something. Does anything he said make sense to you?"

"I have a hunch he might be talking about my brother if he means the Chekov name but I don't know how he'd even know my brother..."

Vienna nods, deciding to leave the conversation there. They make a mutual decision to leave the museum for another day, heading back to their dorms. She wonders why Damien's trying to get involved with her friendship with Chekov. She wonders if he's jealous or something. It doesn't seem plausible. They haven't even talked all that much. They've talked briefly once or twice, she didn't think it would mean that much.

Class is quiet again. Chekov writes, Vienna pays half attention in ethics. She's been having dreams again, the same boy on the precipice of a building. Each time she pulls more details from it. This time she remembers their face being concealed by a hoodie. That's about all she can remember. She twirls her pen in her hands and stares blankly to the front of the classroom.

Chekov is yet to say much. He's bouncing his leg again and Vienna wonders if he's quiet from what Damien was saying yesterday. Damien called him pathetic, Vienna almost forgot that.

"Hey," she says softly. He looks up. "Are you alright? What Damien called you yesterday was really mean."

"It's just a name," he says quietly, almost to himself.

"That didn't answer my question," she notes, he looks at her curiously, surprised she picked up on that.

"I'm alright," he mutters, his eyes cast downwards at his book. She feels an underlying insincerity in his response that she doesn't point out. They go back to the lesson, Vienna wondering if she should start asking more questions.