No parties, they said. No bets, they said. No walking a lot, they said.
Screw you, I'm doing it my way, my karma said. And it always has the last word.
Flori and I walk only a few blocks from the studio, and (of course) we happen to stumble upon the person who I expect to meet the least - my father.
I mean, I heard that he lives in Paris with his new wife and a stepdaughter, but come on, there's 2 million people in this city, and I happen to cross paths with the only one I don't want to see now?
My first instinct is to hide my face, turn away, find shelter in a random shop or cross the road. However, he recognizes me and calls my name before I manage to escape. In addition to that, Flori drags on my sleeve and asks out loud why am I trying to run away.
So I have nothing else to greet the parent I never asked for.
- Hello, - I reply as my father offers me a hug, a bit awkward because I don't react quick enough to hug him back and he pulls away too soon. We gaze at each other in obvious discomfort.
- So, uh... - he mumbles, as always, - How's your life? Living in a TV box, huh?
- Yeah, - I struggle to find words too, - Interviews, shows, all that stuff.
- Good. That's what you dreamed about when you were kid, huh. Oh, and I vote for you every Saturday! - he says, then remembers his usual question, - Going to college next year?
- I don't know. We'll see.
- Good, good. Oh, how's Nina? - he finally asks the right question.
- Mom's fine. She's out in Moscow, visiting her sister for a few months.
He nods approvingly. Then, after a second of silence, sticks his thumb back, assuming we've already had a polite amount of lines exchanged, - You're probably going somewhere with...
He trails off for a second, finally having noticed Flori next to me.
- Is it your girlfriend? - he asks then, throwing me into deep blush. Why does he care, really!
- Nice seeing you, we gotta go, - I grab Flo's shoulder and go past him.
- I mean, that's fine, but... Oh, well, bye, then, good to meet... - his words trail away as we increase our pace.
We walk a minute or two in silence.
- I mean... He's not that bad, right, - Flori mumbles finally.
- Well yeah, not anymore. I just can't help feeling extremely awkward around him. Like I'm 15 again.
I sigh. The happy spirit is gone like it didn't exist.
- I need a drink, - I declare.
- And a bigger company, probably? - my friend suggests.
- Hell yeah. Let's summon Wizard and Snow Queen.
Flo pulls out her phone and quickly types a message. Then she freezes.
- What if we take all the talents for a party? I mean, we're halfway through the show, it needs celebrating, all that stuff.
Lucas, Karen, Max and Gaspard show up, so here we are, our little company together again. Just like three weeks ago, only without Emily.
***
The second rule of parties with me, which my karma obeys with its usual enthusiasm, is following: when I'm at the event involving alcohol, some weird and silly gambling always takes place.
- What is that, are you still on your first glass? - Karen exclaims, even though she knows it's not true, - You're gonna miss all the fun!
- Emily once promised that you're a typical resident of your Motherland, who drinks vodka like water, - Flori supports her, shaking head.
- We didn't talk about Emily since she left, - Lucas remarks, - I wonder where is she now.
- Probably on her way to another reality show, - Karen shrugs, - It's the only thing she knows, really.
- Nah. I think she's finally given up. She was kinda disappointed this time.
- She was sure we'll see her again, - I have to add my two cents.
Flo is pondering something, a bottle in her hand.
- Let's make a bet, - she says finally, - We'll call her and see what's up with her. Who guessed wrong will lose and do something embarrassing.
So original.
- You stole this idea from me, - I mumble.
- Your friends gladly laid it out for all of us. They clearly want you embarrassed.
- Even if they're not here to witness it. True friends, - I sigh, - When did they have time to tell you this?
- The video shooting. They told Mika, Mika told Gaspard, and he told me!
- Who cares? - Lucas is already dialing our ex colleague, - Let's just hope she will pick up.
- So what's your predictions? - Flo raises her glass, - I'm going for 'another talent show'.
- Me too, - Karen responds, - There's still La Voix Belgique left for her.
- I think she's done, - Lucas shrugs.
- I pass, - Gaspard mumbles, hiding behind me.
My turn.
- Could it be that she got picked up by some indie label? - I suggest then.
- Too little time for that, - Flo shrugs.
- Three weeks is too little, really? - I'm about to object, but that same moment Emily finally picks up. Her loud and musical voice fills the room, and it feels like we're three weeks back in the past:
- Well look who that is! - she exclaims cheerfully, - Is that Gringoire himself! Hi Lucas.
She sounds very content and confident. I think she's gotten over the Voice and is on to other things. Of course, she tells us everything we wanted to know without us even asking her.
And the thing that she's working on is far from anything we've expected.
- You won't believe what happened, - she says, - Right the next day after the show, I got a phone call. Guess what that was?
- A talent show?
- Nah, think bigger! A freakin role in a new Jean-Jacques Goldman musical! They're still trying to come up with a title, something like "When the Music is Good" or "Little Hats", don't know yet. It's far from being done, but holy cow, it's epic!
- You've got a main role? - I can't resist asking, and Emily reacts to my voice immediately:
- Oh hey Alice! Well yeah, one of the three, but mine is still a main character. Who would have thought!
She talks more about the details, like the songs she's assigned to perform, and when the musical is to premiere, but then, remembering that it's all a secret and she shouldn't talk about it, she quickly says goodbye and hangs up.
So, yeah, like Mika once said, "don't have to win"... She's lost, and she's the winner. Can't tell if I'm more jealous or happy for her.
At least there's nothing to blame myself for anymore.
- Guys! - I cry, standing up on my chair in a sudden wave of emotions, - I think... We all have lost the bet!
Our little group agrees discordantly with glasses up.
- What should we do with us, losers, - I continue, - In honor of the avenging Emily?
- Probably redo the thing we did with her last time, - suggests Lucas, - That thing with numbers.
- Call Mika, you mean?
- No, call someone random and confess in love.
- That doesn't make any sense, - Max grumbles.
- Yes, - Karen agrees, - What's gonna be better is to call someone you really like and say something.
- That's stupid, - Gaspard says.
- Yeah, what if someone we like is among us too?
- Text message, then, - Flori shrugs.
- Then what's the point, we all have our numbers!
- Then put them down on paper and delete!
- That doesn't make any sense, - Lucas repeats.
We pass a few seconds in our silent thinking. Then Max speaks up:
- Fuck it. I'm not gonna talk to my crush ever again if I don't do this right now.
And it pushes us to action. We write our numbers on a piece of paper, throw our phones in a pile and pull out a random one. The room falls in silence again. I hear only buttons clicking, and sigh.
Mister Brown's number I know by heart. So I write a message:
Hi. It's Alice. Just wanted to say how glad I am to have you in my life. >
I think it sounds kinda strange, so I add:
Don't weird out, I'm just in a mood, ok :D >
The reply is rather quick for a busy guy like Mika:
< And I'm glad to hear that! I'm happy to have such a good friend too :)
Then:
< And totally not weird! Just gives me a chance to write you some cute silly things too
A wide smile creeps onto my face. How does he always manage to rise this sweet little tingling in my chest?
And, looking up at others and having found at least two of them with the same wide grin as mine, I can't help giggling. Well, Flori - it's understandable, although I don't really know what secret crushes she left home, but Karen? I've never seen her smile like that before, she looks so happy!
Flori catches my gaze and points in my direction, cunningly squinting:
- I see someone's got texted back, right?
I just let my hair cover my burning cheeks and quickly hide the phone. She laughs at my embarrassment.
- Ok, the pointless stupid thing that makes no sense is done! - Karen says, as if nothing happened, - Now let's do something more interesting.
- Something else we will regret tomorrow, you mean? Oh hell no, I had enough today, - I decide to back out before they come up with something worse. Surprisingly, they all agree.
So I join sleepy Gaspard on the couch and already start dozing off, when Flori sits up next to me and inches me in the shoulder.
- Sorry to interrupt your rest, - she says, - But I need to ask someone. Have I ever told you why I came here, all the way from Canada?
- No. I always wondered, though.
- So, it's really stupid. There's one person next door who I have a massive crush on. I see her every day, and I just can't bring myself to go and talk to her. I mean, what if she doesn't even like girls? And if I tell her, she's just gonna be forever creeped out by me, right?
- Well it depends. In most cases, she would probably be fine with it, if you weren't being creepy yourself... Why are you telling me this?
- The thing is... - she shows me her phone, - Apparently, one of my friends back there knows her number. So I'm drunk as hell, I'm fearless as hell, and all I need is a yes. Yes from you. You say "do it", and I text her right now. It's now or never.
- Why me?
Flori looks around.
- Gaspard is out. These guys, - she points back, to our group... what are they doing there, really? - Are a bit busy. Besides, I trust you, Alice. You won't say things you don't mean, right.
- I'd say, if you know what you're going to tell her, then give it a try, yeah, - I agree, and then, after a second of thinking, repeat, - Yeah, go for it!
All good things that happened to me took place because of one reckless decision like this. Maybe it will work for her too.
- Yeah? Wish me luck, then, - Flori echoes, grinning, as she stands up and leaves.
***
It was a bad idea to go back to the dorm on our feet! Whose idea was that, I wonder? Probably someone suggested I need some exercise and we decided not to call taxi...
Silently cursing the author of such a great thought, I come into my room and plop down on the bed, suddenly feeling tired like I've walked across the whole Paris. Healing still takes more energy than I realize.
I can just hug the pillow and fall right asleep. But I somehow find the courage to roll down and crawl my way to the bathroom.
- Nighty! - I wish to Gaspard across the corridor, through the open door.
- Yeah, you too. And hey, charge your phone, - he says for some reason, but then I remember myself complaining about it being half-dead the whole way to the dorm. Right.
Having found the charger, I'm back in the bed, and wrap myself in the sheets like a baby. Now I'm ready to sleep.
Only one thing left, - I remind myself, and spend my last drops of energy to grab the phone from the bedside table to turn it off.
That's when I see the unread message.
Received somewhere at 9, when we were writing our strange confessions.
Oh. That's interesting.
I open it.
The message reads this:
You don't know me at all. But I see you.>
<You don't know me at all. But I see you.
Weird.
I frown, and scroll to the next message, following the previous one, a few seconds later:
Oops, it sounded too creepy :P Didn't mean to>
< Oops, it sounded too creepy :P Didn't mean to
It kinda sounds like something Mika would type. But the way the message doubles itself...
I check the sender, and make sure it's not a mistake.
I got the message from myself.