Page 126 of You + Me – Against the World

“Me?! I didn’t say anything at all! Did any of you hear anything?”

Half the students remain impassive. The other half shake their heads or mutter something in agreement with Vadim.

“Arcadi, I congratulate you on your eternal courage,” the professor deadpans. “Lancaster, I thank you for your commitment and loyalty during the months you spent working as my assistant. Now that the Oscar speeches are over, back to work!”

I don’t really care that I lost my job. It means I’ll have more free time, and I won’t have to put up with Mr. Abrams’s mood swings anymore. But I am having a hard time dealing with the public humiliation and the barely disguised accusation.

A few crumpled wads of paper find their way to my desk: from Vadim, Clem, Andy, and a few others. Words expressing love, jokes, messages of support—just what I need, basically.

At least he only took away my position as his assistant, not my place in his class. My year is saved.

When class is finished, I rush out the door, just in case the professor decides to make me stay behind. But he doesn’t. The bond is broken for good.

My boyfriend and my best friend team up and drag me to the Sunset Café to take my mind off things.

“What did you do to piss off Abrams this time? Tell Auntie Clem everything!”

“He deserved it,” Vadim grumbles immediately.

“Okay, you’d better tell me right now!”

“You only want to hang out with me when things get juicy…”

“True. But that class was so depressing that I give you permission to spill a drink on me, just to liven things up a little,” Clem says, slipping her arm through mine.

Once the three of us are seated at a table, I kick things off so I don’t have to get into the subject of Caleb and his father all over again. “You know what, Clem… I’m convinced that Andrew Clark is your mystery guy! One: he’s being unusually nice to me. Two: you give him all your chocolate. And three: he looks at you with puppy dog eyes. I bet it’s him!”

“Ooh… that makes sense,” Vadim nods, bursting into laughter.

“Definitely not,” she says, her nose in her milkshake.

“Prove it.” I grab her glass and threaten to throw it right in her face. “I’ve done this before, you know.”

“I can confirm that!” Vadim laughs.

“Okay. My guy isn’t a fan of candy bars at all. He’s more into protein shakes. And he’s not a college kid. Oh, whatever… It’s Keith. So, now you know.”

“Keith…?” I repeat, dazed.

“Keith Johnson? My Keith?!” breathes Vadim, who is no longer laughing.

“Oh, come on Arcadi, he doesn’t belong to you! And he has the right to have a life outside of his job!”

“Clem, you’re joking, right? I’m sure she’s joking,” I babble, trying to convince myself.

“Nope, I couldn’t be more serious! He isn’t as stern as he looks, you know. Actually, he’s pretty fun, very sweet, and incredibly skilled at—”

“Aaaah, too much information,” Vadim groans, plugging his ears with his fingers.

“He’s a social worker, not a priest. No need to look so grossed out!”

“No, wait,” I say, regaining my composure. “Are you two really together, or are you just… having a good time?”

“Well, we do have a lot of good times,” she laughs, “but I think it could become serious.”

My best friend’s eyes are sparkling, and that’s what worries me more than anything else. But I’m in no position to object to her relationship, so there’s nothing I can say.

“Alright, I’m gonna stop you right there, D’Aragon. This can’t—it must not—become serious,” Vadim says. “Keith isn’t the guy for you.”