Page 105 of Sol
Trent -- Amor
Aweek later,I met Didi and Gustavo at the bar for breakfast. I still wasn’t used to the concept of a bar for breakfast, but when inSpain…
We’d exchanged phone numbers to study and had been constantly texting after the explosion to make sure everyone was okay. This morning, we’d agreed to meet up to check on eachother.
Over the past few weeks, Didi had become a friend. I found out he was a Miley fan, too. We made up plans for me to go visit him in Germany. And Tavo was so cool. After I texted him to see if he was okay, I got nonstop texts back. Fascinated by vintage American culture and movies, he peppered me with messages, sending me link after link of YouTube videos, links to Wikipedia articles, and IMDB cites for old actors and actresses, wanting to know if I knew more than the internet.Uh, no. But Spanish to the core, he also invited me over to his family’s house for dinner for an upcomingfestival.
For the past week, the central city had been cordoned off to repair the damage from the explosion. While our apartments and the historic monuments hadn’t suffered, a nightclub had been bombed. Luckily it was at a time when no one was there—no one went to nightclubs in Spain until really late. The mood of the city was still one of shock and fear, especially with no one claiming responsibility for the attack. But little by little, people started emerging, going about their business in a tentativeway.
School closed for a week. Dani’s meeting was pushed off. Everything wasdelayed.
I’d spent the entire time in herarms.
Now, not only did I have nightmares, but she did, too. With awareness, though, and several calls to Marie Thrash, we both felt like we could goforward.
Dani had caught me arranging my cards on the table—my dailyinventory.
“Why do you always take out your things and put themback?”
Letting out a breath, I said, “I don’t know. I think it helps keep my brain organized. Like if I have everything here, then I’m allhere.”
“Have you told Marie aboutit?”
“No. But I will.” I told her about how I showered, and she insisted on ademonstration.
That ended up with me insideher.
I also emailed the VA, telling my counselor that I’d startedtherapy.
But now, with things starting to reopen, I needed to act on that note from the university. As I drank my coffee and talked with Tavo and Didi, I felt proud that between school, living in Spain, and catching words on television or wherever, I’d learned some Spanish. Instead of the language being an undifferentiated mass of syllables, I was starting to understand words within a sentence, often knowing three or more at atime.
Progress.
“I knew you liked the teacher, amigo,” Gustavo said inEnglish.
“Yeah. She’s in trouble for it. I never meant that to happen. I didn’t even think about it. I’ve known her my wholelife.”
“Are you still going to be in theclass?”
“I don’t think so,” I said. “I need to talk to the registrar. Maybe I can switch to another class. Do you know how the school foundout?”
They shook their heads. “We’d never tell,” saidDidi.
“Right.” Tavo took a sip of his coffee. “We’d never get in the way ofamor, JamesDean.”
I smiled. “Thanks,amigo.”
When we finished, I headed to school early and went directly to theregistrar.
“Can I help you?” she asked inSpanish.
“I’d like to change classes,” I answered, grateful that I knew how to saythat.
She switched to English. “Is this because of ProfesoraAnderson?”
“Yes. I’m in love withher.”
The registrar eyed me. “I saw you two leaving the cathedral, holding hands. A teacher is not supposed to be involved with astudent.”
