We are the sun and the moon

13

I woke up the next morning and got ready for class. Arche had shown up at my dorm to walk me to the studio. Today, we would be learning the rest of our dance, and practicing some of the lifts we had to do. He was to lift me three times total in our dance. Our instructor could sense that I was nervous and I would hesitate before jumping at him. She dismissed us early. We were sent out to lunch and told to enjoy our date.
¨To trust him.¨ She had told me.

I apologized on our walk out and ducked my head a bit. I was a bit embarrassed. I had never meant to make it public that I was scared. Even after seeing him dance, I wasn't sure how he was with a partner. He had never done a duet from what I saw. I was a bit worried about being dropped from the look of him. Which is why we were told to go out. I had to get to know him and learn to trust him.

I think most of me was just confused. I had trusted Ivy with everything just a day after meeting her. I had shared so much with her after a few months. I figured we were just good friends. Arche had been interested in the same things as Ivy and I. Why couldnt I get along with him all the same? Why wasn't he as good a friend as Ivy by now?

We ordered our food, and we sat and talked. I thought maybe if I trusted him with Ivy, it would help our dancing. My trust. I told him everything about her that I didn't feel was too personal. I knew some things were just meant for me. They would seem less valuable if I shared them. He listened the whole way through my story and started to respond, but stopped as if he needed to rethink his answer.
¨You are sad. I could tell when I saw you. I could tell you were heartbroken, I just wasn't sure why. Did she break up with you? Or did you feel the need to leave to protect yourself?¨

I told him he had it all wrong. I apologized for making it seem that way, and he just blinked at me. He had the same look Mary had when I was telling her about Ivy, but he had a hint of sympathy underneath. I moved on with the conversation. We talked for a while longer, before deciding to head back to the campus. Each dorm is suited for one person to live in, because they each come with a little studio room. I invited him over to try and practice our lifts some more after our talk. I was still hesitant, but there was a noticeable difference. I knew with time it would be better. We practiced for a few more hours, when I got a call from Ivy. I answered and we went through the details of our day and what we did. We went through the I miss yous and it would be better with you here. The whole time Arche staring at me with the same sympathetic face from earlier. I brushed it off.

Ivy asked if I was busy and I just told her we were practicing and she was confused on why I would answer in a session, but I told her it was a private practice in my dorm. She had to go. She hung up a little faster today after saying goodnight. Promised she was still coming to see me.
¨Ivy?¨
¨Yeah, how could you tell?¨
¨You had a face. A face I have only seen twice. A face reserved for Ivy. Fonding, almost. You also look sad, like you are longing, reaching, but she was just slipping away further every minute.¨
He said his goodbyes and said he would walk me to class tomorrow. I was alone. I thought of Arche. I noticed he had eyes like Ivy. Her eyes were green, inviting, they had such a home feeling to them. Just looking at her could make me feel better after a troubling day. Arche did too. His eyes were blue, and had a deeper look to them. A story just in his eyes. They were not comforting, more complex. They were missing something, but I could never find it. I hope he does. I hope he does soon. I would like to see the brightness in his eyes.

We met every day outside one of our dorms, and we walked to class together. He asked me if I would like to go visit this museum with him on Saturday. I told him I would love to go, but Ivy would be with me all weekend. He invited her along, and when she came over after her lectures, I would tell her as much.

After my practice, I was too excited to go sit in my empty dorm and wait, so I decided to hang out with Arche for a while. He was going to his dorm, and his friend was going to head over. I figured hanging out with them while waiting for Ivy would be better than waiting alone. When his friend got there we all jumped into conversation like I hadn't been the new one there. Like we had all known each other for a while. It reminded me of Ivy, although that felt a bit different than this. I knew I had a few hours before she got here, but I was thinking about it the whole time I was with the guys. Arche had noticed. I heard his friend calling my name, and by the sound of it, he had been doing it for a while. I apologized and told them I was just thinking of my plans for later. I ducked my head, a little embarrassed. Arche explained I had a friend coming to visit.
¨My best friend.¨ I felt the need to correct Arche on this. He has no right to introduce her as anything less. Although I realized I seemed a bit ridiculous.
¨Of course.¨ He gave me that smile again.
His friend asking more and more questions about Ivy. Leading up to asking what she looked like. Arche had the picture I sent to him of Ivy and I at my first dance competition when he had asked about her as well. He showed his friend and the next thing he said was the last thing I heard before I left.
¨Is she single?¨

Ivy was a respectable woman. That question was degrading. That is why I left. Arche gave me a knowing pout when he saw me leaving. I hated when he would look at me like that. Like he felt sorry for me. Just because I have a friend I seem to like more than others. That is no reason to look at me sympathetically.  I smiled, told him I would text him about Sunday, and left without a single word to his friend. What a waste of a possible friendship.