Gone in a Cloud of Smoke

Chapter 2

I stopped at one of the large maps that stood in the middle of the sidewalk for the fastest way home. I halted behind a teenage girl at least half of a foot shorter than myself.

“I’m sorry, I’m in your way,” she apologized, spinning around to meet my gaze. She gave me a smile that was soft, teeth glowing in the night sky. I bit my lip as I took in the appearance of her fair skin that looked flawless, her long, brown hair that had slight volume at the top and was straight all the way down to her breasts. Her eyes seemed to be a shade of dark brown, gleaming in a sociable manner.

“N-no,” I began to stammer. “You are fine, believe me.”

She smiled again and fixed the bottom of her cream-colored, flowing shirt with short sleeves. “Do you know where you’re going? You don’t sound like you’re from here.”

I felt myself grin. “I have lived here for five years, I know where I am going. I’m just trying to get home in the fastest manner.”

The unknown girl ran fingernails painted black through her hair. “Where are you from?”

“Russia.”

Her eyebrows raised. “Wow, that’s so cool!” she exclaimed. “I love your accent.”

I chuckled at the thought. How a person could love an accent such as mine was beyond me since it was so thick and raspy, and it sounded almost menacing when I spoke in my native tongue. “Thank you.”

“I’ve always wanted to go to places like Russia. Is it nice?”

I shrugged. “I think so. I am from Engels, which is a port city near the river Volga. Not too big or too small. Moscow is nice, kind of like here.”

“Do you like Manhattan better?”

My head shook. “We cannot drink here. There’s no drinking age in Russia.”

The girl’s big, beautiful eyes lit up. “Wow, that’s crazy.”

We did not say anything for some seconds before she spoke up again.

“I’m so sorry, I’m keeping you!” she said, eyes worried.

I chuckled and held my hand up. “No, no, you are fine.”

She showed her glowing teeth again. “I’m Nae, by the way.”

I held my hand out. “My name is Andrei. Andrei Novikov, I should say.”

Nae placed her delicate hand in mine and allowed me to shake it, my hand gripping hers much too hard. I pulled back and felt my cheeks begin to turn red from embarrassment.

“Sorry,” I said. “I have my father’s handshake.”

Nae giggled, crossing her feet that wore black sandals with a slight heel.

“It’s okay, Andrei. That’s an interesting name, by the way.”

“More interesting than Nae?” I teased her. “Is that Celtic?”

“Yeah, how did you know? Don’t tell me you speak Russian, English and Ancient Celtic.”

I laughed and shook my head, running a hand through my shagged, blonde hair. “No, no, I have just heard the word before. It means no, correct?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I don’t know what my parents were thinking. Maybe it means I’m stubborn.”

“Are you?”

“Oh, very,” She laughed. “So I guess they were right to name me that.”

“It’s pretty though. Very pretty.”

“You flatter me, thank you.”

“You are welcome.”

My heart was about to stop when Nae giggled again, her laugh soft and lively. Her fingers played around in the pockets of her black, skin-tight jeans. “It was nice to meet you, Andrei, but I should get home. My dad is probably wondering where I am on a school night.”

“Same,” I turned to leave and Nae spun around in the other direction. “Goodnight, Nae.”

“Goodnight, Andrei.”

~~~

I slowly opened the door to the apartment just after eleven thirty, entering on my toes and biting my lip. I was not past curfew or anything, but my father would have had my head if I woke him up.

“Vat are you doing?”

I nearly tripped over my own feet on the wooden floors, spinning around to find Ilia standing in the hallway to the left of the entrance. She stood wearing a white nightgown with short sleeves, light blonde hair sitting atop her shoulders. It was messy from sleep, and her eyes were glassy. The eleven-year-old rubbed one of her blue eyes.

“Vat are you doing awake?” I asked softly, tossing my shoes by the door and approaching her.

“I heard you come in.” Her accent was soft and gentle, high-pitched in her young age.

I sighed and went up to her, bending down to kiss her cheek. My younger sister hopped into my arms and I carried her like I would a toddler.

“You are getting too big for this, Ilia,” I laughed, taking her to her bedroom.

“I am not!”

“Shh, let’s not wake mother.”

“Okay.”

I switched on the light to show her lilac walls, my feet cold against the dark wooden floors. Flipping her upside down over my head as I did most night, I plopped her onto the bed. She giggled when I tickled her stomach and reached for the light.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Andrei!” she chirped as I shut the door.

~~~