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Also, I had a bit of a revelation about Cal. I think she was coming across as rather too mean, just for the sake of it, and that isn’t really in character for her. So I think I’ll be doing something of an adjustment, so it might seem a little out of character.

Calliope

“I–‘ve never heard of those before. I wasn’t taught much, though.” Her gaze drifted away. “Never got the chance you–you understand”

“That’s alright, don’t worry about it,” I said. I hadn’t meant to make her uncomfortable, even if I didn’t understand in the least.

“I’m from Rolivak Bay, just up the road. Here in Colondai, anyway.”

I laughed, trying to stifle the sound.

“If not knowing about a single university makes you uneducated, then how much worse is it for me who has never heard of that entire country–city– whatever you just mentioned?”

I intended it to reassure her, but I wasn’t sure it was coming across that way.

Natalya urged Anika forward, and she almost tripped in the process.

She smiled back at me, though it was brief and as apologetic as everything else about her.

“It’s been so long, you know,” she murmured.

I nodded, as though I did know exactly what she was talking about. In reality, I had no idea. She seemed to think I knew something, but I didn’t, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to ask.

I had gotten good at faking confidence. I shook the thought out of my head as soon as it appeared. I wasn’t faking it. I was confident. Wasn’t I?

Anika was staring at my socks, then blurted out,

“What do they say? Won’t your feet be cold?”

I almost smiled.

“I’ll be fine,” I said. “They’re the most common irregular Latin verbs, they’re a present from my sister,” I said, unable to keep the wistfulness out of my voice.

Socks seemed an odd birthday present, but it was something of an inside joke. One year she’d found socks with kanji on them that spelled out utter nonsense, some of them completely nonexistent. We’d laughed over it so much that she’d secretly gotten them for me as a gift. It was a joke that was carried on each year by her trying to find the most bizarre socks. They were my favorite present every time.

This had been the first year she was gone. I had thought she wouldn’t get them, but she hadn’t forgotten. They seemed to have sprung from my long complaints via text about how illogical the irregular verbs were.

I shook my head, trying to forget and ignore the lump in my throat. I wouldn’t see her again anytime soon. I might as well get used to the thought.

“Do you have siblings?” I asked Natalya and Anika, trying to get my mind off it.

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@emily-waldorf