Lockdown Summer

VI. Pain in the B

Lockdown Day 10

She knocked and let herself in before I could even move or say something.

"Can I stay here for a while?"

She sounded vulnerable. She also didn't wait for my answer and sat on the bottom bunk. That bed was a mess of Dennis' stuff.

I checked the time on my laptop. It's almost midnight. I just finished a call with my boss, and it went smoothly, so I was more relaxed with work.

"I watched a horror movie, and it scared the f out of me," Rica said.

I could smell her from where I sat. She smelled of bath soap and baby powder.

I didn't say anything and stared at what I'm doing.

"Marco...what is it that you do for work?"

"I'm a data analyst."

"Sounds nerdy and boring."

"Because it is nerdy and boring."

"He flew back home instead."

"Who? What?"

"Dennis. He texted me earlier. He's back home now."

I looked at her for a second. She's lying on the bed and staring at nothing. She'd rather be there than here, I could tell.

And who can blame her? I'd rather be in our hometown as well. But here we are, and we can't do anything about any of it.

"How come I never knew you as a friend of my cousin?" she asked.

"Dennis and I weren't friends yet back then. He was in a snobby crowd in high school. We're the only ones we knew on the campus when we started college, so that's it."

"Oh."

Fine, I was only deceiving myself. Everything about Rica didn't annoy me. I was just grumpy and moody for the most part of the week.

We had a video chat with Andrei last weekend. And I couldn't help but feel envious that he's with his family, enjoying the fresh air from their stupid balcony. Then I called my mom to check if she got the money I transferred online. I heard my brother in the background, and it nearly broke me.

"Listen," I said to Rica, but with my face on the screen. "I'm sorry if I wasn't so nice to you these last few days."

"It's okay. I was a pain in the b anyway."

When I looked back at her, she's on her side, facing the wall.

I continued with my work and checked on her from time to time until I was sure she's asleep.

I planned to go downstairs and leave her there, but I stayed in the room instead.