The Stain

Monday had come and gone. Without Robert. Kim had spent lunch alone. He hadn’t called. But how could he, he didn't have her number. But he could have come by. He could have asked a girl at the door if she would get Kim. But she hadn't been in her room the whole time. But the girl in question could have left a note for her on Robert's behalf. But…

Her thoughts were racing. Spiraling out of control. Where had he been? They had arranged to meet tomorrow. He would show her his pictures. His home. Would he?

Kim couldn't bring herself to move on mentally. At least not until lunch the next day.

There he sat on their bench. Like nothing had happened. She approached him. Didn’t sit down. Just looked at him. He faced her.

“Hey, sorry about yesterday. Hope you didn't go hungry.”

“Did something happen?”

“Got into a fight with another student and a teacher intervened. Nothing serious.”

“Are you injured?”

“No, don’t worry about it. As I said, nothing serious.”

“Serious enough to be absent for a day… Sorry, I don't want to be a nuisance, but what was the fight about?”

“He insulted me.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all.”

“You seem to have a shorter fuse than I thought. Will the school take any further action?”

“I don’t think so. The other guy didn't seem to be out for revenge either afterwards.”

Robert held out a plastic bowl covered with aluminum foil. Chicken salad hid under the thin metal sheet. Finely chopped red onions and celery, some grapes, herbs. It looked delicious.

“No sandwich? An offering to calm my quick temper?”

“Partly.” He said with a smile, as if nothing had happened.

She could only smile back. He had had a reason. A good reason? What was a good reason? They were still high school students.

Robert also freed his bowl from the cover and they tucked in.

“I have to get changed after school. You’ll wait for me, right?”

“Sure, the date is fixed.”

With renewed courage, the last hour was quickly overcome and after her brief detour to the dormitory, Kim stepped into the parking lot feeling refreshed. He leaned against his Caprice and gazed absently toward the west, away from the city.

“Ground control to Robert.”

“Oh, hey. Ready to go?”

“Do I not look the part?”

“Of course, you do.”

They got in the car. The journey that would herald their third date lay ahead.

“What do you actually want to do after you graduate? Are you going to study at some fancy art college?”

“Yeah, Saint Martinsea School of Design in Bayview.”

“So you're going to stay in the city?”

Kim was surprised that they turned west, away from the city.

“That’s the plan. But plans can change.”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you want?”

“After graduation?”

“Yeah.”

“I want to get better at what I love to do. Fame is nice, and the money allows me to try whatever I want, but music is what's important to me. Concerts, albums, studios—as arrogant as it sounds, those are just accessories.”

“That doesn't sound arrogant, but rather determined.”

“And how does that relate to my question?”

“What do you think?”

“That you want to follow my lead?”

“No, that I want to have it all. There are other good art colleges out there. The exact college is secondary, like the studios and albums for you. What's important to me is my art. And you.”

Kim was happy, but these weren’t the words she was missing. The words she couldn't bring herself to spell out loud either.

“Don't you want to go to university or college at all?”

“In the past I thought about joining a university music program to pick up more theory. But that's unlikely to work out time-wise now.”

“Well, you can always take a break once you've established yourself more as a music artist.”

“At some point, probably.”

“Is your apartment outside the city?”

“Yeah, Nassavia, smaller and cheaper. My parents are frugal in their donations to my cause.”

“Would you rather live in the city?”

“You've already experienced a fraction of what the city has to offer. You won't find that in the suburbs or towns like Nassavia.”

“Hmph, you do remember where I come from, right?”

Robert laughed.

“Come on. You know exactly what I mean.”

Kim smiled to herself. It was the same as always. Was it enough? For now, yes.

“When you go on tour, are you actually allowed to take someone with you?”

“Do you…”

“I would love to.” Robert interrupted her.

“I'll ask Franca. If not, I'll kick up a fuss. She quickly gives in to my demands when it's really important to me.”

“That happens often?”

“Hardly ever.”

“I should feel honored, right?”

“You should.” Kim said with a smirk.

The outskirts of West Green had given way to more dense forests. In between, farms and their fields broke through the deep green. Small lakes passed by.

“Have you learned where your concert will take place?”

“Oh, haven't seen Franca since Saturday and then forgot to call her. But I can call her from your place. She has a cell phone.”

“Gail struts around with one of those. Annoying little things.”

“But practical. Franca also said that everyone in the industry now has one.”

“Have you thought about getting one?”

“Don't know. I've never been in a situation where I really needed a phone and couldn’t find one. I make music, not contracts.”

“Very avant-garde.”

“Well, I have to live up to my most refined musical masterpieces.” Kim said in a poor posh accent.

“Your Queen's English could use a bit more refinement.”

Kim rested her head on his shoulder.

“This is a major distraction, that impedes my movement and focus.”

“Your flirting could use some refinement.”

“Isn’t due care on the road attractive to you?”

“Should I keep my distance?” Kim said with a deliberately exaggerated sigh.

“Nothing would sadden me more.”

Robert kissed her on the forehead. A soft moan escaped her throat. A moment of carelessness that made her blush.

“We'll be there soon.”

The familiar sound of the engine was the only noise on the state highway. For the rest of the journey, the two enjoyed the silence and their closeness to each other.

Finally, they turned left off the highway and Kimberly took her head off Robert's shoulder.

Nassavia was indeed a rather small town. The only large buildings were a supermarket and a church, neither of them eye-catchers. After about half a mile Robert turned right into a parking lot belonging to a well-maintained apartment complex.

The structure stood like a series of stacked boxes against the light blue spring sky. Three stories clad in siding alternating between countrylane red and greige.

Still shrouded in silence, they got out, entered the building, and climbed the stairs to the first floor. The hallways were framed by white walls and ceilings. Doors fit into frames, both as white as everything else, except for the floor, that was covered with mocha cord carpet.

“Here we are.” said Robert, unlocking the second door on the right.

Kim was full of anticipation to discover another side to the object of her affection. She wanted to know him from every angle and to get closer to the words he had not spoken yet. The ones the lingering void in her chest craved.