Page 26 of Distortion
He doesn’t move as I skirt past him, so I pretend to ignore him as I grab my map off the counter and make sure I have my thirty dollars tucked in my bra.
I know that I’m meant to wait for Mav,The Commodore,to take me to class, but since I’m meeting Lu before, I decide that he isn’t necessary. No doubt he’ll be happy he’s off the hook.
Leaving the house, I find that the weather is sunny once more and wonder if I should go back in for my sunglasses. But the door clicks closed behind me, and I know the guy in the kitchen won’t let me back inside. I wonder how I’ll have to break in later, but that’s a future me problem, and I have a bunch of others to deal with before then, so I try not to think about it right now.
I make my way to the Quad and see that I’m five minutes early. There are plenty of students milling around, but, thankfully, not in the numbers there were at the event yesterday. Grinder is open, or at least the hatch is, and there’s a short line of both faculty and students waiting to get their morning fix.
I scowl as I remember what I will now call the ‘Tea Tragedy of Day Two’. It doesn’t seem right to start a daywithout my morning cup and I’m annoyed about the whole thing.
Lu’s head pokes out of the hatch a second later. ‘Hey, sweetie! Come in for a sec. Want a coffee?’
I open my mouth, but her head has already disappeared back inside.
I go in and find the room mostly dark.
‘We don’t open properly until nine,’ Lu says from behind the counter as she makes a drink I can’t see. ‘But here.’ She thrusts a white cardboard cup at me. ‘Have this. You clearly need it. You look like you got like no sleep last night at all.’ She puts her hand on her hips. ‘Was it the frat guys? They too loud?’
I give her a small smile as I shake my head. ‘Actually I was in bed by eight. I didn’t hear anything in the night, either. Guess everyone wanted an early one before classes started today.’
‘You went to bed at eight?’
I nod. ‘Jetlag. Still on UK time so it was past one am for me, and then I was up around four. Doesn’t matter. I don’t usually sleep well anyway.’
‘Insomniac, huh?’
My head begins to supply all of the details I should give her so that she understands what I mean completely, but I know better than to say any of it. ‘Something like that.’
‘Sugar?’
She points at a station nearby with little sachets and stirrers, and whatnot. I grab a lid.
‘So why did you want me here so early?’
‘I’m taking you somewhere to get some work pants.’ She shrugs. ‘I looked through Lost and Found, but there was nothing that would fit you.’
‘Oh,’ I say. ‘But I don’t really have...’
But she’s already leaving and it’s all I can do to follow her and try to keep up.
I bite my lip, a little worried that she might think I have Novelle money. I make an effort to catch up and walk next to her.
‘Lu?’ I mutter.
‘What’s up? Do you like your latte?’
I’d forgotten about it, so I take a sip. It’s not the same, but it’s actually better than I thought it would be, and much nicer than the swill the blanks used to drink in their break room.
‘Yes, it’s very nice, thanks. But, Lu, wherever we’re going to get clothes, you should know that ...’
She slows and looks at me.
‘Well, you should probably know that ...’
For some reason I’m embarrassed and I’m not sure why.
‘I don’t have any money,’ I blurt. ‘No, that’s not true. I have thirty bucks from a decade ago, but that’s it. Thank you for giving me the job yesterday. I really need it.’
I’m not sure how I thought Lu would react, but she just gives me a thumbs up. ‘It’s cool. I mean, the money thing sucks, babe, but we’ll get it figured out.’
