Across The Hall (7 page)

So, in keeping with the low profile, I was walking into my parents’ house the day after I moved out. “Mom,” I cal ed out. Her car was in the open

garage, so I knew she was home.

“Quinn, dear.” She was surprised as I popped my head into the kitchen. “What are you doing home so soon? I was under the impression from our

conversation last night that you were going to be busy today. Are you done unpacking so soon?”

I leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “What, I can’t come home because I miss you?”

She arched her eyebrow up at me. “It’s barely been 24 hours. What is the real reason?”

“Real y Mom, can’t I just come home for supper? You know I can’t cook for myself.” She looked like she didn’t believe me but let it drop anyway.

I stood over the garbage can and started helping mom husk corn on the cob for supper. She told me about Grandma and Grandpa Lobato cal ing

last night. She fil ed me in on al the family news. My cousin was engaged, Grandma wanted to come visit soon, and I heard how Grandpa’s golf

game was going. I listened half-heartedly while I wondered about Sylvia and what would have happened if I had known how sad she was. Mom

cleared her throat and I came back, stil holding a partial y cleaned corn cob.

“So you just missed my cooking, huh?” She smirked at me but didn’t push.

“Have you met anymore neighbors yet?” She asked in almost a giddy voice.

“Wel I met Kai-ying, Sloane’s girlfriend, after I played basketbal with him and Reed this morning.”

“You played basketbal ?” my dad questioned as he came into the room. “I didn’t think you knew what one was.”

“Ha ha. Just because I’m not a jock doesn’t mean that I don’t know how to play. I just don’t know how to play wel .” I grinned back at him and gave

him a hug. “I learned to do a lot of new things while I was away. Sometimes I played with some guys from my floor at Princeton.” I shrugged. “After

Michael got me interested in Tae Kwon Do, I started trying other normal guy activities.” My roommate at Princeton had been a third degree black

belt, and helped out as an instructor at a local place. He got me interested with the promise that it would be a good place to relieve my displaced

anger, which had started to flare up frequently within the first few months of moving into the dorms.

Mom broke in. “Wel it’s great that you are making friends already. So, anyone else interesting?” And right there it hit me. Mom knew. My eyes

were wide with disbelief when I turned to confront her.

“You knew?”

She blushed and at least looked a little guilty.

“Why? Why would you do that?”

Dad looked between the two of us not sure what was going on. “Marie, what did you or did you not know?” His voice revealing his confusion. At

least he hadn’t known too and kept it from me.

“She knew that Sylvia was there.” My eyes were stil locked on Mom’s. She fidgeted uncomfortably from my gaze.

“Sylvia? As in Sylvia O’Mara? Wow! I didn’t even know she was stil there.” Dad sounded surprised.

“Yes, wel , she is. And apparently she lives across the hal from me. Tel me, Mom: is it a coincidence or did you know?” I could only think of a few

times in my past that I was ever upset with my mom. This surpassed them al .

“Quinn, I think we need to talk.” Mom led me to the table to sit down and dad excused himself, with the lame excuse of wanting to change out of

his work clothes.

I sat, but I just watched her, waiting for her to begin. Even with her creased brow and frown mom stil looked much younger than most women her

age. Looking at her so closely now I began to see the signs of age. There were more creases around her eyes and her dark hair had a few gray

hairs. Her pale blue eyes were sad as she looked at me.

“I am sorry you are so upset by al this. Yes, I did know. When I went to tour the apartment building yours was stil unavailable and the landlord

knew that he was likely to have some available. So he showed me Sylvia’s place. She wasn’t home, but there was a letter addressed to her on a

table by the door and pictures of her with others around the apartment. I asked the landlord about the girl who lived there. He told me about Sylvia. It

wasn’t until later that he cal ed to tel me that the apartment across the hal from the one he had shown me was open. By that time I’d decided I didn’t

care what one it was as long as you would be in the same building.”

I caught myself pul ing my fingers through my hair again as I debated on leaving now instead of hearing her out.

“Look Quinn, you have not been the same since high school. I know you said it was better that you broke it off when you left, but it changed you.

You became so distant and so focused on school. You didn’t want to come home anymore, and even your phone cal s were few and far between.

After you talked about taking summer courses, I urged your father to take the job here in Minneapolis. I thought that if we left Quarry Springs you

would come back again. I had hoped that you would even bring a girl home with you eventual y. It didn’t work. You were stil just as distant as ever. I

knew that it had to be because of her. When the two of you were together you were so happy. Oh, you were stil focused on your goals, but you had

fun, you even laughed. That’s something you rarely do anymore.”

I knew what she was talking about. I had been a real shit to everyone since then. Every cal I wanted to ask how she was or if they had heard

anything about her. I always stopped myself, but eventual y I had stopped cal ing. I just didn’t want the temptation. I didn’t want to come home that

summer because I knew I would go see her and I didn’t want to see her with another guy. “But mom, did you think about what it would do to her?” I

knew from the look that passed through her eyes that she did indeed think about that.

“Quinn, I know your leaving was very hard on her. I told you before about al the cal s and the visits to the house while you were at your

grandparents. I never approved of you running and hiding from her. You know that. And yes, I heard gossip about how depressed she was. Kel y

was beside himself with worry over her. He even cal ed us a few times. At first I thought it would be best if you did just stay away, that with time you

both would move on. Most high school romances don’t last anyway. But over time I heard more stories about Sylvia, and you were so unhappy, too.”

Mom reached out to rub my hand. I was stil upset with her but I didn’t pul away from her. “I started to hope that one day you two would meet up

again. Then there she was, right where you were going to be. It was perfect. I was afraid that it was going to be her apartment but the landlord said

that she signed a lease for another year when I asked if you would be getting that apartment. Now we just wait and see what fate has in store.” She

shrugged. Her eyes were hopeful, though.

I shook my head. Even my mom was plotting against us. “She has a boyfriend. I saw him.”

Mom got up to check on supper. She smiled and added cryptical y, “Not everything is what it seems. Now go tel your father to come down here

and get the gril started.”

The rest of the evening was spent amicably. I told them about Reed and Sloane and they laughed at the description of Kai-ying. We talked about

my schedule and other random things. By the time I texted Sloane to see if I could safely come back, my anger at mom was mostly gone. When her

plan didn’t work out it would be just one more blame to lay on me. I would just accept that.

Sloane texted back that the girls were al at Kerrington and Reed’s having a girls’ night while he and Reed were at their place playing the

Playstation. He didn’t offer for me to come over and I wouldn’t have if he did. I just needed to be home and think over the day and al its revelations,

theirs and mine.

One more hectic shift over with. Only four more days until classes actual y started. That meant a couple more weeks of insane shifts at work until

next semester. Not being the lowest on the totem pole anymore, I thankful y got the weekend off. Friday was move in day for al returning students. I

lucked out on the morning shift Friday so I would be off by the time most actual y arrived. Then it was Kai’s annual pre-year picnic on Saturday,

which for the first time I was excited about. This year for the very first time I was going to take a date.

Of course I hadn’t asked him yet, but I would when he cal ed back. At least I hoped he was going to cal . I real y did have a good time with Beau. It

certainly was the most unique first date I had been on. Not the activities, necessarily. I’d been on dates where we’d gone out for dinner and then to a

bar. My experience of first dates was that they were more about impressing me with what the guy could do or what he had rather than who he was. I

guess that right there was a clue to who they were, if they thought I would be impressed with outward appearances. Beau, on the other hand, had

taken me to a place that couldn’t possibly have been to impress. In fact, it seemed that he was doing the exact opposite. He took me so completely

out of my own element that I’d had no choice but to trust him. We were in an area of the city that I was unfamiliar with and, as much as I hate to admit

it, I was uncomfortable with. It made me focus that much more attention on him as I tried to not think about where we were.

Everything about the night with him was a contradiction. At times it seemed as if he didn’t care whether I was there with him or not. That this was

just his normal Tuesday night and I just happened to be a part of it. Then he would look at me like I was the only person in the room. I liked that look.

The way his eyes would take me al in -- like they were seeing right into me -- was absolutely hypnotic. It was intoxicating. And then there was the

chal enge. Not the pool game, the one al uded to al evening. Could I handle it? Or, more to the point, could I handle him? By the end of the night I

was damn sure going to try.

And I would have, too, if we hadn’t been interrupted. I was stil kicking myself for that reaction. After a night to sleep on it, I had come to the

realization that it was not Quinn. I was being ridiculous to even entertain the idea that it was him. What was between us was over and I was going to

accept that. I resolved right then that if thoughts of Quinn Lobato should come creeping into my mind I would just push them right back out. This was

another new school year. It wasn’t exactly a new start. I was stil a student, living basical y the same life I’d lived last year. But I was stil going to treat

it like one. Kai predicted that I was going to find my guy soon. That certainly would be a new beginning.

Once my little pep talk was over I was ready to deal with Kai. I’d texted her this morning before going in to work. I’d apologized for not cal ing last

night, stating that it ended up being a late night. I’d said I would see her after I got off work at two. I’d had several texts from her over the course of

the morning. Every thought she had that was relevant to me she messaged, as wel as a few that weren’t. I should have gone to see her, but I real y

wanted a quick nap. I figured if I cal ed her she would just talk me into coming, so I opted to text her instead.

Need a nap. Will call after & we can talk, bring Kerri. - S

She immediately replied.

New plans. Pizza @ 5 @ Kerri’s & girl talk after. - K

I tried to nap. I felt tired enough that I should have been able to, but I just couldn’t. Frustrated, I poured myself a glass of sun-tea. I took it out on my

balcony and lost myself in a book. Reading can be as relaxing and re-energizing as a nap for me and this time was no different. Honestly, I wished I

could have read al night. It was much better than whatever girl’s night activities Kai had planned.

At five-thirty, I realized how lost in my book I had become, threw my book down and raced down the steps in my sweats. If I had to spend the night

girl-talking, I was at least going to be comfortable while I did it. Reed cal ed out to me to just come in when I knocked. I entered to find them eating

already. From the looks of it, they were al about done.

“About time you got here. The boys were just about to leave. We saved you some but you better hurry up. Reed wants to take the rest of it with

them,” Kai said, in way of greeting from Sloane’s lap. Kai had changed the formerly pink stripe in her hair to a bright green and had it in smal

pigtails jutting up from the top of her head. She wore a short lime green dress with rainbow striped socks and basical y looked like a four year old

who dressed herself. At least she didn’t have any colored contacts in. I’d known her going on five years but her love for bright colored eyes stil

weirded me out.

“Hi to you too.” I grabbed a piece and headed to the kitchen to grab a pop.

Kerri stopped me when I passed her on the couch and held out a glass with a slight pink tint to it. “Here, we made berry mojitos tonight.”

I took it from her and went to go sit on the last available chair. Before I sat down I caught Reed staring at me. “Can I help you?” I asked him

sarcastical y.

“No. I just realized I can now picture you naked.”

“Excuse me?” I wasn’t al that shocked that he said something like that. I just couldn’t figure out what would trigger him saying that. I looked around

the room. Both Kai and Kerri looked clueless and Sloane was scowling at him.

“Reed, I think it’s time to go get your ass handed to you in MGS4.” Sloane leaned down and kissed Kai on the top of head as he stood. Kai

slipped into his chair and gave him her usual y overly sappy goodbye cal ing him
lianren
- sweetheart. Even though Kai never learned to speak