Breakfast with the Blacks was a quiet affair. Robert left the house early. When I asked about the bus system in the neighborhood, Aunt Vikki told me I could go with Piper. Jay acted like a brat this morning. He kept complaining about his burned bacon and answering his mom with one-syllable words before sulking out of the house and was gone.
Aunt Vikki wondered what was wrong with her son today.
When I stepped out of the house, Piper was waiting for me inside her silver Porsche. I walked towards her shiny sport car that gleamed under the Californian sun. But Piper was quieter than usual when I got inside.
"How far is the school?" I asked to break the silence. She fumbled around in her Prada and fished out the car key.
"Not very far," she said flatly, but I could detect a hint of discomfort in her voice. This was more than enough for a 'vivid' person like me to understand.
"Then maybe I should walk," I said and was ready to open the door when Piper gripped my elbow.
"Wait, are you crazy?" she said. "You can't walk there by yourself. You don't even know the area."
"That's what Google Maps is for, isn't it?" I said. She didn't know what to say. "Look, cousin, you don't have to put on a smiley face if you don't feel comfortable being around me. I'm not asking you to step on egg shells when it comes to anything concerning my situation or even my sexuality. So if you don't like it, you don't have to give me a cold shoulder like that. I'm not here to make things difficult for you."
Piper's blue eyes widened at me. I made an attempt to move again, but she stopped me one more time.
"Nina, wait!"
"What is your problem, Piper?" I snapped. I wasn't in the best of mood the entire time I was here, and this was starting to get under my skin.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "It's just—this is so new to me and I don't know how to react to something like this. I mean, your being—gay. Our family is pretty normal as you can see. This is kind of..."
"Unusual to have me?" I said. "I understand that. That's why I don't want to burden you with me around."
"But we're cousins," she said again. "I just need time to adjust to it. I'm sorry, Nina, please don't be mad."
I heaved out a sigh.
"That's alright," I said.
"And please, don't tell my mom I said this to you," Piper said and she put another hand on my arm pleadingly. "But is it okay if we just pretend we don't know each other in school?"
I thought I had enough experiences with discrimination, but nothing is ever okay when people say hurtful things to you, no matter how many times you have heard it. I was prepared to face such treatment ever since I came out, but it still kind of hurt.
Is it ever okay to be treated like that?
Nien, ora, non, nyet.
Anyway, it wasn't her fault that Piper was born straight just as I was born gay. She wouldn't understand it.
"Fine," I said quietly at last. "If that's what you want."
Piper let out a sigh of relief. She patted my hand with a grateful smile and then started the car. The engine purred to life. Piper seemed to relax a little. I sat back and closed my eyes, trying to drown out every thought that tried to ignite my brain with self-pity.
After about ten minutes of our silent ride, Piper spoke up again.
"By the way, I love your clothes. Never seen this fashion here. It makes you look different," Piper said.
Maybe she just said that to cheer me up.
"Thanks," I said.
"Well," she breathed and gave a nervous laugh. "I'm surprised you don't wear that lesbian lingerie."
"What is lesbian lingerie?"
"Oh! Well, welcome to America," Piper said and grinned sideways at me. "I was referring to flannels. I've heard lesbians love flannels and beanies and sandals to death. It's like lingerie to them, isn't it, Nina?"
I looked at Piper in disbelief and for a moment, I was trying so hard not to strangle her with the seat-belt.
At last, we reached our school none too soon.
The campus was bigger than I expected. New shiny Jeeps, and Porsches were common in the student lot—obviously a school for rich kids. Piper cut the engine as soon as she found a space.
Piper had given me a map of the buildings and told me everything that I needed to know. It would have been nice of her if I hadn't figured out that just so I wouldn't have to bother her again.
"See you after school," she said and walked away quickly.
I saw a group of girls standing by the entrance's staircase. They waved at her to join them.
I sighed and stuffed everything in my bag then slung the leather strap over my shoulder. Inhaling the fresh morning air, I convinced myself that no one was going to accuse me of being a Russian spy or worse bully me for being gay.
Skirting around the main building, I found another double glass doors and slipped inside. When the bell rang with a nasal buzzing noise, I walked to the registrar office. There was a tall boy with clear skin and oil slick black hair in front of me at the counter. I walked up and talked to a young woman behind the computer screen. The woman told me to wait and left the desk for a moment, and while I waited for my papers to be signed, the guy turned to me.
"Hey, I haven't seen you around here before?" he said overly friendly. The guy towered over me with his tall muscular body. I wore a low cut t-shirt and had to hold my document papers over my chest. With a dry smile, I shook my head back.
The woman gave me the slips.
"Oh, you're new, I see," the guy said. "Well, I can show you to your class if you'd like. What's your first period?"
Because I was new and hated being late, I had to agree.
"Mmm, Advanced Language Arts, Room 102, Building C," I said as I read through my schedule.
"Cool, I'm going to the same building," he said. "I could show you the way."
"Thank you." I smiled and we began to walk.
"I'm Jack Connor by the way," he said and when I didn't say anything back, he added, "And you are—?"
"Oh," I breathed. "I'm Nina Volk—er—Nina Black."
It felt sort of weird saying my new name out loud for the first time, but I figured my former name would sound even weirder. I guess I wanted to be a new person now, and Pytor's name just didn't feel like mine anymore.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Jack nodded at a group of guys hovering around on the other side of the hall. They chuckled and hooted among their peers.
Everything looked like it was coming straight out of a typical American movie—a typical American high school with janitors and students roaming the halls, talking through the corridors by their glossy red lockers. It was different from my old school back in Russia. Students wore whatever they wanted here whereas I had to wear my uniform. The energy was also different. I couldn't tell whether the place was depressing or exciting.
I hoped I wasn't feeling too overwhelmed by all that.
"So where are you from?" Jack asked a while later.
"I've just moved here from Moscow," I replied. Jack's eyes widened in utter surprise.
"No kidding? That explained the accent!" he said and I smiled back, but half of me wanted to roll my eyes at him.
"You came here with your family then?"
"No, it's just me," I said.
"So you live with any relatives?"
"Yes, my aunt."
"Oh, I see. Well, I know lots of places to hang out in town. If you don't mind, we can—" he started to offer but I cut him off by pointing to a classroom door.
"Hey, that's my class!" I said and started to run off towards it. "Thank you, Joe!"
He looked confused.
"It's Jack—but okay—see you around!" he called after me.
My morning class passed by in the same vague fashion. Mrs. Smith introduced me to my classmates, and I blushed like crazy when everyone gasped after they found out where I came from. Pytor said I would love the school here. 'You're so smart,' he said. 'It would all come easily to you over there. It's going to be the best year of your life.' I hated it when he said that.
After the first period, I got to know a few people who took the same ALA class with me. They helped me find my way around the campus. Although they were welcoming and helpful, I tried to keep the conversation short without being rude.
I used to care about making friends. But now looking back, I realized that being popular in high school was like sitting at a cool table inside an asylum. I wanted to finish it as soon as possible and move out of Robert's house then go to college and get a life elsewhere. I had learned quite recently that no matter how much people love you, they aren't going to be there for you forever.
I had to depend on myself.
I sat alone near the window in science class when some students cried out as they gathered at the windows. I turned to see what the fuss it was about.
That was when I saw a very unusual sport car pulling up into the parking lot across from the building. It looked like it belonged to Batman or some sci-fi action movies. With all the sleek black tinted windows and black metal designs, I would be disappointed if the driver wasn't as impressive.
We could hear the growling engine before it was cut off. Then the car doors were lifted open. A tall silver hair dude stepped out. The bulky guy wore a black sleeveless shirt, showing his weird tattoos, which spiraled over both of his arms like little snakes. A moment later, we saw a long slim leg popped out from the other side. The trees and grassy hill almost hid the person away from my view.
More people came over to the window, all gawking at the spectacle.
At last, I saw a tall blonde girl appeared.
I had never seen anyone, who caught and held my attention like this in my entire life. It is the first moment you realize you have formed an unhealthy obsession towards a stranger—or as my best friend Klara had put it— your ultimate crush.
The girl wore all black —black leather jacket, black t-shirt, black skinny jeans with a pair of heavy combat boots. And when she walked, it reminded me of a black panther. Her long messy blonde hair gently swayed to the wind. At the same moment, the sunlight broke through the clouds and bathed the blonde angel like a halo.
Several gasps issued from the people around me. I, myself, was bewitched, intrigued, and above all confused. Something about her was impossible to describe.
But then we saw another girl wearing a fitted jacket and zipper leggings walking up to them. She was about the same size as me with short jet-black hair. As she joined the duo, they exchanged a few words and then walked together towards the building. It was like watching some supermodels on a catwalk.
I was still mesmerized by their unusual beauties. Their facial features were so different — so strangely proportional and singular that I now understood why it caused such an unduly reaction, especially with the blonde one. She seemed more inhumanly perfect and even intimidating.
"I bet they must be some ancient gods coming down to Earth," a girl sighed dreamily beside me.
"Who are those kids?" I asked. I didn't realize I was actually dying of curiosity until then. The girl looked at me for a moment before she remembered I was new.
"That's Triton and Xenon Knight," she told me, pointing to the short-haired girl and the big guy.
"And the blonde one?"
The girl leaned in and said in a theatrical voice as if she'd been waiting for that question.
"Her name is Allecra Knight."