It's So Easy | Buddy Holly

Adalyn

"I bet he would. What's not to like about you? You're pretty. You're funny. You're kind. You're artistic. You're entertaining..."

She cuts me off. "Can you just see?"

"Yeah, I guess. I'll talk to Buddy into seeing what Bob's looking for."

"I don't know what I would do without you, Vi."

"Don't mention it."

"Wait actually speaking of people I like, can you help me with my French homework? I'm supposed to write an essay in past tense and future tense."

"Yeah, of course. You know the être verbs?"

"Yes, the Dr and Mrs Vandertrampp +2?"

"In France we learned "the house of être". Easier than Dr and Mrs whatever. Well, do you know the irregular ones? Like dire, boire, lire, whatever?"

Adalyn nods.

"Okay so you start with the stem..."

Later

"That was rough." Adalyn tosses her pencil into her backpack.

"It's hard to learn another language." I sit back down on her bed. After a while of trying to help, I couldn't sit still anymore and I started pacing.

"I wish I was just born knowing French. Like you."

"But keep in mind I had to learn English. English is one of the hardest languages to learn. It's almost tonal, like Mandarin."

"Tonal?"

"Permit and permit are completely separate things. It all depends on which syllable you stress. Same with bass and bass. Object and object. Project or project..."

"Damn, you're right. Maybe having English as a first language is better than French."

"You're telling me."

"Hey Vi?" Adalyn looks at me from her desk.

"Hmm?" I look back at her.

"Can we call Buddy and see if he can come over so we can talk about the plan of action?"

I nod. "Yeah, of course."

We both stand up and head down to the phone in the kitchen.

"Hey Violet." Adalyn's little brother, Alan, says from the couch. He's watching Leave It To Beaver.

"Hey, how are you?" I ask.

"Great. What're y'all doing?" He stands up and switches off the TV.

"None of your business, twerp." Adalyn sneers.

"Ada, you say twerp like I'm so much younger than you!"

"Excuse me, you're basically still in the womb."

"I'm a freshman!" He crosses his arms.

"And that makes us Juniors. Get outta here." Adalyn crosses her arms back. They look like they could be twins. They share the same light brown hair and hazel eyes. The same tall posture and skeptical eyebrows. The same skinny frames and thin faces.The same fading Texan accents. They look so similar. Far more similar than Vincent and I.

"Vi, what are you doin'?" Alan turns to me.

I raise my eyebrows. "Making a call."