Page 22 of Ink & Ambition

“Hey, Ard,” I say, answering with a smile on the first ring.

“Hey, Mars. How are things up north?” I notice for a second that Arden’s accent is thicker than I thought, I never really thought about it before Alex brought my own to my attention during public speaking class.

“Oh, you know. All work and no play…” I sigh, closing the book in front of me and settling a little deeper in my bedroom desk chair to chat with him.

Arden laughs and it’s like a melody I haven’t heard in a long time. “You never play, Mars,” he says. “But I hear you.” I know I’m not imagining the sadness in his voice.

“How are things back home? Everyone the same as I left them?” I ask, trying to bring some light-heartedness to the call, but Arden only sighs.

“Yeah, everyone’s the same. That’s the problem, isn’t it.” It’s times like these when I wish I could’ve stayed home and helped out more, but TU has one of the best journalism programs in the country and if I didn’t earn all the scholarships I had, I wouldn’t have been able to come here in the first place. I owe it to myself to do my best here and come out with all the skills I need to succeed in my field.

“Anyway, I didn’t call to vent to you, Mars, you know that. I’m just calling to say a quick hi and let you know that we’re all thinking about you and hoping you’re doin’ good.”

The tiniest hint of a smile raises on my cheeks at the thought of theNew York Timescontest I’m entering. I want to tell him about it but not until I know for sure that I have a chance of winning. There’s no use getting anyone’s hopes up for nothing. “Yeah, I’m doin’ good, Arden.”

“Danika gettin’ you in trouble?” Arden asks with a breathy laugh. My older brother and my best friend have always butt heads but they never fail to come together when it comes to things about me.

I laugh out a reply, “She’s good, too.” and then sigh. “I’m missing you guys though.”

“Yeah, we miss you too. Anyway, I’ll call again soon, alright?”

“Alright, love you,” I reply. Arden repeats my words back to me and as quick as it started, the call ends. My older brother is many things but a wordsmith is not one of them. Still, it was nice to hear his voice. Sometimes that little reminder of home is all I need to keep me pushing forward.

By the time three rolls around, I’ve already staked my claim in Study Room G6. At the very least, if Alex doesn’t show up, I’ll still get some of my other work done. Just as I’m pushing aside my podcast notes and opening my psychology textbook, I hear a sharp rap on the wooden door.

“It’s open,” I call as the knob turns and suddenly the doorway is completely filled. I know Alex is tall, but when faced with a doorway, he overwhelms it. His deep brown hair is disheveled like ran his hands through it multiple times and he looks…tired.

Alex steps into the room, letting the door close behind him and then we are well and truly alone. There’s a window that faces out toward the north side of the building but other than that, it’s justus in this room. The minute he drops his bag and takes the seat across from me, I am painfully aware of that fact.

“Hello, sunshine,” he says with that cheeky smile, and a hint of something else hiding behind it.

“Alex,” I say with a curt nod, getting right to business by pulling out my podcast notes and placing them in front of me. My posture is straight, controlled and I think he can tell I’m trying to be professional because he straightens his own spine ever so slightly.

I clap the various papers into submission on top of the table. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

“We shall,” Alex says, with a hint of amusement in his voice. He folds his hands in front of him on top of the table.

Placing an identical stack of papers in front of myself and him, I hold his gaze for just a moment longer, showing him—hopefully—that I mean business and I am not to be messed with today. Alex meets my eyes and for a moment I actually think he’s going to be good, but then his eyebrows jolt up in that infuriatingly challenge-like way and I roll my eyes before I jump into my spiel.

“So, it’ll be an advice video podcast. Basically, we’ll take listeners’ comments and questions beforehand, and we’ll craft a show around your responses to them.”

“My responses?” Alex asks, his eyes scanning the paper in front of him.

“Yes,” I say, matter-of-factly. “And the podcast will be called ‘Ask Alex’.”

“Why?” I feel his eyes shoot to mine but I don’t meet his gaze.

“Because you’re the focus, not me,” I pause for a beat before continuing. “So–”

“Wait, no. This is a partnership. This isn’t all about me,” Alex pushes the papers in my hand down so that I’m forced to meethis eyes. The sincerity in his gaze gives me a momentary shock but I shake myself loose.

“I’m not asking you to do most of the work, if that’s what you’re thinking, it’s just–”

Alex cuts me off again. “No, sunshine. It’s not about the work. I’m happy to do whatever you need me too, it’s just…this isyourproject. I want you to be featured in it just as much as I am.”

I let out a dark laugh. “Please, no one on this campus gives a shit about me,” I keep laughing, picking up my papers and continuing my speech. Alex is looking at me with trepidation but doesn’t interrupt me again. Together we come up with a schedule that will work for both of us. We decide to meet for planning sessions on Monday’s after public speaking class and then film the episodes on Saturday afternoons. I told him we wouldn’t have to do the weekends if he’d rather have time to himself but he insisted Saturdays would be fine and I didn’t push, my weekdays are full enough as it is.

“Any questions?”

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