12. Confrontations
February 1894, Zagreb
One year ago
Zagreb was, for all intents and purposes, a capital that could hold its own compared to any other European city - or so the citizens told themselves, at least. In reality, the city was not so big, but it was currently going through something of a golden age; and like a young man that just reached the brink of adulthood, it was eager to prove itself. The city had running water, a tramway, a cathedral (one half forever under construction, but that was not relevant), a university and many other things; it would soon get a brand new National Theatre. The fact that the outskirts were still very much rural and that taking a wrong turn at any given point meant one could get hopelessly stuck in a cornfield was also not that relevant.
The city itself was and had always been a very strange mixture of various influences; unlike some of its neighbors, it didn't have a clear architectural style – and as it grew bigger and bigger it only became more indecisive as to what it wanted to become. The turbulent history colored the city with Hungarian, Austrian, French and even Ottoman details. It was enough to say that the more wealthy residents spoke several languages they were being taught from birth; just in case the government changes. The less wealthy spoke one language – Croatian – and over the past few decades even the nobles started realizing it was a language one didn't actually need to be ashamed of.
It was a strange country to be born into, and both Alina and Amelija were very much aware of that even before they first started traveling across Europe as children. Alina's more lonely nights in London were spent craving traditional toys and sweets sold on the main market of her hometown, the sound of traditional string instruments being played by villagers that came to the market to sell their wares; missing the view of the crowd and the city from their pretty residential house in the upper town.
Currently in the aforementioned pretty residential house in the upper town, Amelija had to do her very best to stifle her laughter as she read her sister's letter.
Her parents stood next to her, arguing and panicking in lack of better things to do. This was either a very strange prank, or Alina had really jumped on a ship and fled to New York.
„Did you know about this, Amelija?" Her mother demanded, turning to her.
„I didn't", she replied truthfully. She was thankful to her stupid, annoying sister for at least not putting her in the position where she would have to either snitch or lie to their parents. It was clear which she would have done, and she really didn't want to get kicked out of her house.
„Listen, Amelija, this is serious", her father pointed a strict finger at her. Unlike her sister, Amelija hasn't been afraid of her father since she was ten years old, but she put on a serious face and played along obediently.
„She's alone on the sea, with some... strange man, and God knows what might happen to her! I won't have my daughter live in those conditions! You have no idea what's out there!"
„You're right, tata", Amelija said. „It was stupid and reckless of her." And hilarious.
„We're getting her back", Mr. Boričević asserted. His wife nodded, equally furious.
„How will you do it, tata? The letter was clear. She's gone already." Amelija cast a glance at the letter sitting on her father's impressively old oak desk. „The date was in January, she's halfway across by now."
Her parents looked at her in silent fury for a moment.
„What is Antoinette Giry thinking, for God's sake", her mother continued, obviously worried out of her mind beneath all the anger. „Enabling Alina's fantasies is one thing, but she's put her in obvious danger this time! It's time I had a talk with her!"
Amelija shrugged again. „Perhaps. But lady Giry did send you the letter, didn't she?"
„So?"
„So it seems that Alina confides in her, and she'll know more about why she's decided to do this. And might even tell you, if you ask her nicely."
Another long silence spread across the room.
„I don't know what's out there, tata, you're right. But Alina knows, she's spent the last seven years living alone and working with the lowest of the low", Amelija took a deep breath, „I think she was aware of what she was getting into."
„So you're defending her, now?"
„What? No, absolutely not, I think she's stupid." Liar. „But she's gone already. Do you intend to personally go to America, get her back by force and then keep her here until the end of her life?"
„If I have to!" her father hissed, pointing his finger at her.
Amelija looked at him, sincerely hoping her annoyance wasn't showing.
Mr. Boričević sighed deeply, dragging his hand across his face.
„Ivan", her mother started. „If we do that, we might as well send her to the asylum for the rest of her life, because that's the only way we'll keep her here. If she doesn't drive us all insane together with her, judging by how it was before she left."
That was a fair point, and Amelija had to congratulate her mother for how reasonable that sounded.
„We can't just leave her there, Jelena", her father said, having calmed down a little. He rubbed his eyes, and Amelija noticed how old he seemed to look lately. „God knows what might happen to her."
„I think we should talk to lady Giry", Amelija said slowly. „She always seemed reasonable to me, and I happen to know she would actually tone down Alina's... impulses, most of the time. This is not typical for her, for all I know." Her parents listened to her closely. Amelija knew almost everything about Alina, which she rarely showed; it would come in handy right now.
Her mother looked at her, deep in thought. Amelija was cool-headed and lacked the temper their older daughter often displayed to their dismay; she was a clever and discreet young lady, and even if she rarely showed any initiative outright, things went her way suspiciously often.
„You should go talk to her", her mother said.
„I should?" Amelija was surprised. She was going to suggest the same thing, but after a lot of discussing and subtle hinting; it wasn't supposed to be this easy.
„Yes. Talk to Antoinette and find out what happened. Find out as much as you can about this trusted friend of hers, and about the ship, and where they are going", Jelena said. „If we have to, we'll go to New York after her. But I'd rather not, or she might go to India next, and then we'll really never find her."
„As you say, mama", Amelija nodded.
She excused herself and went back to her room, weighing her options. It would be more polite to write to Madame Giry first, but it might be more effective to simply show up at her doorstep before she might get the chance to think of a convincing story, if that was her intention. It would be inconvenient for Amelija, however, to simply drop everything, pack up and travel across Europe in the middle of winter. Aside from the obvious dangers of train travel and Croatian railroads not being extremely resistant to snow, Amelija had her studies and duties that she, as the only remaining daughter on this continent would have to take care of. Besides, it was unlikely that - whatever madame Giry told her - they could actually take any action necessary before Alina writes from America. It would be best to write to Giry and ask to speak with her, and then trust in her own judgement when it came to people's honesty and character. She pulled out a piece of paper and sat down by her desk to write a letter – formal, but friendly; written with politeness and respect in fluent French. Amelija knew French very well; it was the language of romance and diplomacy and both were things she was very fond of.
She would need some of that diplomacy in the following months, she knew that.
Amelija stared at her wall, deeply in thought, thinking of the best way to phrase everything she wished to convey in the letter. Of course, she could just send a very honest telegraph saying I am worried out of my mind STOP where is my sister please talk to me STOP but the blunt force with which Alina normally smashed through life didn't suit Amelija very well. She could see from where she was sitting an obscene graffiti Alina wrote on her beautifully elaborate wallpaper several years ago when she came home for Christmas. Amelija retaliated by sending her a present for her birthday – a palm-sized box that looked like a jeweller's box, except filled to the brim with raisins. She wondered what was left of them by the time they reached London. Hopefully, they were impressively moldy.
She wondered if madame would even recognize her if she showed up at her doorstep. Her likeness to Alina was obvious – most notably in their straight nose, curved lips and brown hair they inherited from their father; but Amelija had a drop of her mother in her – hazel-green eyes, small and curvy frame as opposed to Alina's tall lankyness, fuller cheeks compared to Alina's narrow, bony jaw. Not to mention I'm also prettier and better dressed, she smirked to herself. Amelija herself had a fantastic memory when it came to people, so she remembered Giry very well – at least the strict-looking, thin lady she was back then, with pale skin and blonde hair pulled into an impressively tight bun. But Giry hadn't seen Amelija since she was fourteen years old, when Alina moved to London and the whole family went to help her settle in. They stopped in Paris to appease Alina's incessant begging to see „teta Giry" again, and Amelija saw her only for one day – most of which Madame spent with Alina anyway.
In the end, if Madame gets along with Alina so well, it might be a good idea to talk to her openly. She seemed like the type of person who would appreciate it. Amelija could sweet-talk her later on, when she saw her face-to-face. She opened her ink and started writing.
Dear Madame,
I am writing to you because I trust your judgement and your intentions. My dear parents are desperate to know where my sister is and what made her do something so rash and extreme. I would like to speak with you when possible – for example, I could come visit once Spring comes – and ease my mind. My parents are beside themselves with worry, but you need not worry about them after I've spoken to them and reassured them – they won't do anything rash. I would like to understand what happened and how I can help Alina in this situation. Whatever she finds important enough to do this for, I will find important as well.
With respect,
Amelija pl. Boricevic.
That would do. Amelija folded the letter neatly and put it in an envelope before realizing she didn't know madame's address. Surely, Alina would have some letters in her room? She could look for them; they'd have the information she needed – Amelija doubted the lady would have moved in the past few years. Alina would get mad at her for digging through her old things, but if she was so bothered by it, she was welcome to sail back and tell her that.
ooo
February 1895, Coney Island
„Erik! Are you on the roof?" Alina called, leaning out of the kitchen window.
„No", a faint voice sounded from above. He knew it wouldn't stop her either way; and sure enough, a few moments later she appeared in front of the house, looking up at him with her hands on her hips.
„What?" he asked.
Instead of responding, Alina went around the house, looking for the ladder. It was very subtly placed at the back – just a few wooden planks sticking out at strategic heights, enough to climb up if one was very careful.
„Please don't do that. I'll come down." Erik's eyes followed her nervously as she placed her foot on the lowest step.
„Too late", she grinned, grabbing at the roof to steady herself while she climbed. „I'll have you know I've climbed a lot of places people told me not to climb in my childhood, and I'm still alive. I've actually sort of missed it." She reached the roof, then carefully walked over to the top and sat next to him, smoothing her skirt. „This is easier than I remember it being."
„You're more sober than you were the last time you tried", he smiled.
„Sadly, I am. In any case, Jack is down there, he's looking for you", she turned to look ahead of her. „Oh, I can see the construction site from here!"
„Yes, those two are connected, actually." He pointed his finger. „Do you see that? They've messed up the distance between these two buildings, and now it's going to be a problem. The Ferris wheel needs a lot of space not to be a hazard if there's a big crowd, and they didn't account for that. It was easier to dig at this spot because the ground is better", he pointed slightly to the left, „than at this one I specified in my blueprints. They wanted to save on foundations, and now they're having more expenses because they have to start this one all over."
„Ah. Jack did mention something like that. Is there no other way?"
„That's exactly what he's going to ask me when I come down, and no, there isn't. If there was, I would have put it there, but for some reason all these people think they know better than me and now I don't want to be the one to tell him."
„Tell him what?"
„That they should have listened to me. I don't think he'll be very happy about it."
„Why didn't you explain it before? In the blueprints?" Alina asked.
Erik's tone was becoming slightly offended. „Should I have explained the whyof every little thing I put there? How hard is it to simply follow my instructions as I wrote them?"
"Well, if they don't know the why, they don't know what's important and what's not."
"Everything is important." He turned to her, taken aback.
"Ah, so every single thing you wrote there is so self-evident that a worker who works there and knows the ground, the materials and the men, could not possibly miss your arguments for putting something there that might inconvenience him for seemingly no reason?"
Erik stared at her in a way that for some reason reminded her of Walt. It's the disdain, I think.
"Have they not made some changes that turned out well?" she offered peacefully.
"They have", he admitted. "There were some things I could not have foreseen. Underground waters and such."
"I'd say this is just a problem of miscommunication", she shrugged. "You're not there, because you wish to be anonymous – don't look at me like that, I think that's a valid reason, if you want it that way. But the price of that is that they don't know you and have no reason to trust your judgment more than their own unless you explicitly state your arguments. What you want is authority, and you can't get that unless you deserve it, or force it in some way. And I do recommend deserving it; force is generally hard to sustain – "
"I'm not going to force anything on anyone", he interrupted. "Are you done?"
"I am, actually."
"Did Jack tell you to say this?"
"No, this is my own advice." She smiled sharply. "Jack actually told me to tell you to stop hiding and face him like a man, but I find that chauvinistic and unconstructive -"
"Oh, I'll face him alright", he stood up. "Bold of him to act as if this is not his fault at least as much as mine", he walked quickly down the side of the roof and practically slid down the ladder.
Alina shook her head as he went around the house to enter through the front door. "I can't believe that part worked", she grumbled to herself.
"I have very good hearing", she heard from below. "And yours was good advice as well."
Erik entered the house to see Jack sitting in their kitchen, sipping a cup of coffee.
"Erik!" he smiled pleasantly. "I'm so pleased you decided to join me."
"The only thing you can do is to start digging the foundations again at the place I specified", Erik rambled quickly, pacing around the room, "but if I can, I'll think of some way to utilize this spot so it's not a complete waste. I won't come to your construction site and I won't bother arguing with people, but I'll write you more detailed notes for important things in the blueprints from now on, so you can argue in my place if they want to change something that shouldn't be changed. Walter can't be there every day, the school year is passing quickly and he needs to focus on his homework, so you'll have to meet me here", he finished in a single breath and stopped in his tracks.
Jack looked at him, taking another sip of his coffee.
"And this is your fault as well as mine, so I don't appreciate the way you're talking to me right now", Erik added, crossing his arms.
"I have not said a single word, let alone blamed you for anything", Jack cocked his head to the side. "I just wanted you to stop avoiding me, because it was driving me insane."
"And now I'm here. Is there anything else, or is this problem solved now?"
"Solved, for all I'm concerned", Jack shrugged. "What did you think would happen? That I would scold you like – "
Erik knew he would not like where that question was going, and had no intention of letting Jack poke around his head for explanations of his behavior, so he was thankful when the door opened again and Alina entered the room. Otherwise, he would have had to get really creative to get out of that conversation again.
"Hello, men", she grinned. "I'm afraid I'll have to leave you soon, I'm in a hurry. Erik, I will be late today. I have a parent meeting after classes."
"Oh", he turned to her. He noticed she was wearing her most stiff, conservative, authoritative dress; it was imposing, but would have maybe worked better if strands of her hair weren't constantly escaping her bun to dance around her face.
"Wish me luck", she poured herself another cup of coffee and turned to them, leaning on the counter. "Walter's parents are coming today."
"Are they really?" Jack asked. "How on earth did you accomplish that?"
"I suppose I just told them to stop hiding and face me, but in slightly better wording", she smiled into her coffee cup. "I actually have good news for them – Walter is progressing quickly, and as you discovered yourselves, has quite a talent for mathematics and physics. I'm afraid I'll soon be in over my head; he needs someone better to teach him those subjects."
"How will you do that?" Erik asked. "Do you have anyone at your school?"
"For now, yes. I'll transfer him to more advanced classes when it's time, and I'll explain to his tutors what he needs. He still gets defensive when he's asked to read and write too much", she shrugged. "But it's all good. What I want to see is how open his parents would be to let him continue his schooling after he's fourteen."
Erik and Jack shared an awkward look, before deciding simultaneously they'd prefer to look into their respective coffee cups.
"You don't know what will happen", Alina narrowed her eyes. "They might be reasonable."
"They might or might not", Jack broke the silence. "But even so, their idea of reasonable might not be the same as yours. I'm glad you're putting in so much effort, but – in the end, there is a possibility you might get disappointed, and it's not your fault, but keep it in mind."
Alina swirled the coffee grounds in her cup in an impressively dramatic, defeated silence.
"But", Erik added, casting a quick glance at Jack before turning to her, "there is a chance that you might not get disappointed, and even so, Walter will definitely remember what you did for him. Even if you can't influence his parents, it's clear you're making a drastic change with him."
Alina nodded. "I'll keep it in mind. Their word is last, after all."
"Theoretically, that is very true", Jack winked, finishing his cup. "Practically, as long as you have their approval, you can keep making a decent man out of Walt, in or out of school. So just make sure you have their approval, either way."
Alina nodded once again, putting away her cup and putting on her coat. "I have to go now. You two, have a nice day. I'll see you in the evening", she smiled at Erik. He smiled back, almost reaching to kiss her when he remembered Jack was in the room as well. Something prevented him from acting like himself around that man; he had a gnawing, irrational thought at the back of his head if Jack saw it, he would laugh at him later. It was stupid, but he couldn't shake it off.
As Alina went through the door, Erik shot another quick glance at Jack, who was studying his fingers carefully. "You should go after her, she forgot some of her papers", Jack added politely.
"Alina!" she turned around in confusion, barely a few steps from the house. "You forgot something!" Erik walked quickly after her, papers in hand, and offered them to her.
"Huh? These? I don't need them today", Alina said as she sifted through them. They were her notes for yesterday's lessons; she thought Erik would know that, as they weren't with the rest of her current ones. Meanwhile Erik looked around the street; it was early enough that he could see nobody around them.
"No, not these", he smiled as he pulled down her scarf with his finger and kissed her, holding her cheek with his other hand. "But take them anyway. Don't ask."
"Hah!" she laughed. "Alright. I almost left the house without the most important thing."
"Good luck with the Prestons", he said before running back inside.
"Thank you", Alina called back, feeling some of the stiffness in her shoulders loosen as she hurried to the school.
ooo
"Good afternoon", said the small, timid woman in front of Alina's office when she opened the door. She looked much older than Alina, but it seemed to her like she might cry if Alina raised her voice at her.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Preston. Please come in", she gestured politely. The woman obediently came in, shifting uncomfortably and looking around the room. Alina closed the door with more gentleness than it was usual for her.
"My husband can't come", Mrs. Preston hurried as Alina looked at her. "He's at work, but I'll tell him everything you said."
Alina nodded. "Please, sit down", she said, lowering herself in her own chair. This was inconvenient, not to mention probably a lie. Alina was not such a rookie to schedule a parent-teacher meeting before asking Walt when his parents worked; but confronting his mother about it would have meant giving away her source of information, so she was going to play along for now.
The problem was that this tiny lady was much less likely to persuade her husband in anything than Alina would be if he came himself; she didn't look particularly assertive, and from what Alina knew about old Preston he was probably very domineering and manipulative. Alina would have to coerce him somehow into visiting her personally. Should I lay out a red carpet for you to take interest in your son, sir? God, I hate these games.
"Would you like some cookies, Mrs. Preston? It's an old Russian recipe. Very sweet", she slid the small bowl across the desk and smiled at Mrs. Preston sweetly, hoping she would stop looking like she was expecting to be shouted at any second now.
"No, thank you", mrs. Preston shook her head.
"Alright, I'll just leave them here if you change your mind. So, you're here about Walter", she leaned forward in her chair, crossing her fingers and remembering the speech she had prepared.
"I hope you can understand", the woman began, "he's a lively boy. He means well, really, he just-"
Alina blinked in confusion. "What?" She didn't even realize until later that she interrupted the woman mid-sentence. Respect. Remember respect. You can be rude to her husband if he pisses you off, but this lady desperately needs some respect in her life.
"I haven't had any problem with Walter", Alina continued. "That is not why I called you."
"Oh." Mrs. Preston relaxed slightly. "Good."
"I called you here about his grades", Alina opened a drawer in her desk and took out Walter's tests and assignments. "They are improving. Walter had... vision problems, so to speak, that made it very hard to read and write. But he has been practicing, and it's improving slowly", she passed her the papers. She made a note not to include Walter's little poem from December. The woman took them and looked them over, holding them close to her face. Oh. Walt mentioned her being nearsighted. Probably doesn't help her confidence, but it seems that she can read at least. "See? Even his handwriting is becoming slightly easier to read. He'll always struggle with it to some degree, but if you ask him to explain his lessons, it's very clear he knows them very well", she added.
"I noticed he's getting better", the woman said, focusing on the papers. Alina noticed the fearful tone in her voice getting less prominent. "He's always been the smartest among his siblings. I never understood why he couldn't read, I tried to teach them all when they were little and he was the only one who hated it." She looked up at Alina, her insecurity seeping back into her eyes.
"You taught your children to read?" Alina asked gently. "That's admirable. You're a wonderful role model." Well, not entirely, but who cares. Don't quote me to your daughters, lady, please.
"We can't afford to send them all to school", the lady said, straightening up slightly. "Our two oldest sons are working, but Walt is still young, and he's smart, so it made sense to keep him in school longer", she finished, before remembering herself and adding, "my husband thought it was a good idea. At least it occupied him, and you never know when you might need someone schooled in the family, he said."
Alina was absolutely sure it wasn't her husband's idea but her own, carefully suggested and hinted until he came to that conclusion himself. She wasn't going to let it show, but she was starting to think this woman might be of some help after all.
"That is exactly what I wanted to talk about", Alina smiled. "Walter is clever and promising. I would like him to continue his education, after he's finished with this school, that is."
Mrs. Preston's eyes widened, but not with the good kind of surprise. "I – I don't – "
"He's progressing rapidly, and if my impression is correct, he'll be quite advanced in mathematics and physics. He could be an engineer one day", she smiled again.
"I don't know if that would be possible."
"Why not?" Alina relaxed in her chair. "This school is part of a larger community project, funded by several benefactors. It's not hard for me to arrange a scholarship for Walt if he proves himself to my superiors. He would be completely provided for."
"Would he still be with us?" the woman looked at her sharply.
"Living with you? I haven't thought of it yet", Alina admitted. "I can't see why not?"
"I'm afraid I can't make that decision on my own", Mrs. Preston cast her eyes down, looking at the table. You mean you're not allowed to, Alina thought to herself.
"My husband will have to decide."
"Understandable", Alina nodded. "There is plenty of time to decide in any case, and I would very much like to talk to your husband. I have already written several reports about Walter to the principal and several competent teachers I know. For however long he's here, I'll make sure he gets the best possible education."
"What do you mean?"
"He'll get some special advanced lessons in mathematics and physics, as he seems to enjoy them very much", Alina said. "I'm not equipped to teach him that. It's free of charge, part of our program – my program – for gifted children. I've put in a good word for him. When he leaves this school, if you decide to educate him further, he'll be as prepared as any other child from any good school", she finished proudly.
"Oh", Mrs. Preston whispered fearfully. "I… thank you, but that might not be necessary."
"This is simply a program that exists in this school, by no means an obligation for you. Either way, I'm not eager to have him in classes that bore him, since as you said, he's a lively boy." Alina smiled. Lively was a generous description. Walter, for all his progress and apparent friendship he felt for Alina, was an absolute nuisance when he was left to sit still and listen to something he knew already.
"I'll talk to my husband", Mrs. Preston said, not looking assured at all. "He's the head of the house, and it's his decision. Walter will probably work at the factory with him once he's fourteen. It was the plan all along."
"Understood", Alina nodded again. "Still, I'd like to meet Mr. Preston. Perhaps he would be proud to hear how well his son is doing in school."
The small lady nodded, awkward silence falling around them.
"That was all I wanted to say", Alina concluded. "Do you have any questions for me, Mrs. Preston? Anything you'd like to discuss?"
"No." she looked eager to get out of there.
"Then that's it", she offered her hand to Mrs. Preston, who shook it feebly. "It was lovely meeting you, madam. You have a very clever and interesting son."
"Thank you", Mrs. Preston said standing up. Alina led her out of the room, opened the door politely and let her out.
That wasn't so bad.
Poor woman.
Well, I hope I get to talk to that man sometime soon. Meanwhile, I should stay here a while longer in case she comes back. I have some letters to write.
ooo
About half an hour after Alina had scheduled her parent meeting, Erik decided he might drop by the school and walk home with her. He had been somewhat busy lately and Alina didn't really have a clear schedule anyway – but he had a feeling she might appreciate it after what would probably be a stressful talk. Not to mention he didn't really want to count on the good behavior of the man who was probably the reason behind the bruises on Walter he would occasionally get a glance of.
Standing in the shadow near the school, Erik noticed that everyone was slowly leaving again; he even saw Dowling walk out slowly and solemnly. Alina was still inside, apparently riddled with work. She must have been very burdened with all that was going on; he noticed she found it hard to leave work lately, and often talked about it when she was home, or stared at some distant point in the wall with a worried look on her face.
Maybe she simply hates coming home, because you're there.
Ah, that's a wonderful thought indeed, thank you. Erik shook his head slightly. How lovely it is to have a mind that hates itself.
Some man, annoyed-looking with eyes suspiciously similar to Walter's, walked up to the school and waited. The little woman he was waiting for came out barely ten minutes after he arrived, but he still managed to look as if he was already losing his patience. The woman walked up to him, apologized after his snarky comments, and quietly explained something to him.
"Hah! She can sell that shit to somebody else. It's not happening", he snorted.
The woman kept talking more quickly, growing more upset.
"She did what now?" he raised his voice. The woman tried to calm him down, raising her hands, and explained some more.
"Don't you tell me to calm down! That's some nerve you women got, doing it behind my back!"
She quietly remarked on something, looking annoyed, but it only poured more oil on the fire.
"Well, I couldn't come! You could have gone another time! Or told that idiot to mind her own business!"
The woman seemingly begged him to be reasonable.
"I don't care! This is all a bunch of nonsense from some snot-nosed little teacher, and if you're going to stand by and watch them dictate what happens to my son, I won't! I'll tell her myself!"
Erik saw the man stomping into the school and immediately knew what he had to do. He went behind and around the building, keeping to the shadows, until he found a particular window on the ground floor with a familiar figure inside.
Alina jumped slightly when she heard a soft tapping on the window glass and turned to see him waving at her. She hurried to the window, opening it quickly.
"Erik!" she hissed. "What are you doing? I'm not done wo-"
"Yes, I'm aware. I need you to trust me for exactly one minute, and you'll see. Can I come in?"
She stepped to the side, confused. Erik stepped on the window and jumped over, quickly and soundlessly, before pacing across the room. Alina closed the window and looked after him, completely confused. He could hear a faint sound of approaching footsteps and someone talking and arguing as he leaned on the door, resting his hand on the knob. To be fair, the man wasn't shouting – he wasn't that bold yet in his anger to cause a scene in the school, but Erik had sharp hearing and could make out a fair deal of what was being said. He waited for one, two, three, four seconds before swinging the door open directly in front of Mr. Preston's face –
"I want to talk to that bitch! Some nerve she's got, minding our busine-" he stopped dead in his tracks as the door swung loudly about a finger's length from his nose, stopping just before it slammed into the wall.
Erik stood with one hand on the doorknob and the other on the frame, looking at him silently for a second as his last words echoed around them. His wife, as well as some miserable-looking woman – probably Walter's former teacher, stood next to him helplessly looking like they were on the verge of tears.
"Pardon me, sir", he said quietly, standing a little too close to Preston with the politest smile he could manage, "are you asking for me, or my business partner?" he gestured chivalrously at Alina, who watched the scene in shock.
Preston was a good twenty centimeters shorter than him, and he seemed very aware of it as he stared at him. Erik waited, still smiling sweetly.
"I want to talk to my son's teacher, about a justified complaint", Preston straightened up.
"That would be my business partner, then. Though these days she is more often called 'Miss Boričević', and less often 'that bitch'", he bowed his head slightly, still not letting go of the doorknob. He looked the man directly in the eye the whole time.
Preston's face drained of color, but he kept stubbornly silent. Ah. That kind of man. Well. It seems I will be staying here for a little longer, Erik turned to Alina. "Miss Boričević. Do you have a meeting with this man today?"
She gathered herself immediately and nodded. "Yes. Would you kindly let him in?"
"As you wish, miss", he flashed one quick, wide grin her way - Alina did her best to keep a straight, strict face, but one corner of her mouth twitched slightly upwards - before he turned to Preston again. "It seems you're at the right place, despite having gotten the wrong name. Please, come in", he moved to the side for Preston and his wife to pass next to him. They both looked like they would rather disappear, as they slid as far away from him as possible. Alina shook her head reassuringly at the teacher, and she left without a word, looking positively relieved.
"We'll continue the meeting later, miss. I'll wait outside until you're finished", Erik smiled at Alina, not looking at Preston – he could see him sweating in his peripheral vision – and closed the door behind him in one swift motion. Alina looked after him as if she wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to kiss him or kill him.
"Wonderful to have you here, sir", Alina smiled, turning to Preston after Erik left. "I was hoping to meet Walt's father! Please, sit down." She gestured politely and walked over to her own chair to sit.
"No need", Preston crossed his arms. "I'll be quick."
"Very well, I agree", Alina took over before he could take another breath, "I had simply called you here to show you your son's progress. He's a talented young man, and he's doing remarkably well, especially in some classes."
"Yeah right", Preston scoffed. "You have some imagination, miss. Walt is a dumbass; he's always been a dumbass like his father before him and I'm fine with it. Don't sell me these flowery fairytales. He can't even read."
Ah. A lot of things are clearer now. Alina kept smiling but her eyes lost the friendly spark, leaving two dark stone cliffs. "I have never let anyone in this school call Walter a dumbass, and I don't intend to start now. In fact, he's been transferred to some advanced classes recently, and I doubt he'll have any problems with them, judging by the speed of his progress."
"What's all this about different classes? Where are you sending him?" Preston demanded. "I didn't agree with anything."
"Not exactly sending, sir", Alina replied politely. "He's still here. Our school is still fairly new, so this is an experimental program, but children after the age of ten can attend a combination of classes that suits their capacities and interests. I have merely written a recommendation for Walter's program; I assure you it was approved by higher instances." Technically, Preston could demand to have him sent back to easier levels, but she wasn't going to tell him that unless he specifically asked her. "Including Mr. Dowling, the principal", she nodded politely. Dowling, to be fair, would have signed anything she sent him in the past month. He was so relieved by having Walter occupied for a change that he even stopped breathing at her neck and frowning at her in the hallways.
"Yeah, yeah, Anna told me", Preston waved his hand dismissively. Luckily, Alina had guessed correctly that he wouldn't be so brave to keep arguing once the principal was mentioned. Alina noticed that Anna - Mrs. Preston - had not attempted to say a single word since he entered. "And she told me you want to send him to another school when he's fourteen."
"That is entirely up to you, sir", she smiled innocently. "I am simply ensuring that he has the best possible education he could have. Your wife has told me you were the one who decided to keep Walter in school longer; I am respecting your opinion that it is useful to have him educated well now that he's here."
"Not gonna happen", Preston snapped. "He's not going anywhere. We can't afford to feed a useless family member while he's off messing around in some college. I'll allow this for now, but he'll find honest work after he's done with this school, as I did and as his brothers did. And that's final."
"Very well, sir", she nodded. "Should you change your mind, there is still two years left until that decision. Until then, Walter will be well cared for while he's with us."
"I ain't changing my mind, and I can take care of him myself", Preston raised his voice. "I don't need your -"
Alina heard a loud thump at the window as a snowball flew over seemingly out of nowhere and hit it hard, but without causing any damage. Preston shook and turned to look at the window, forgetting what he was about to say. Alina had to try really, really hard not to snicker as the snowball slid very slowly and dramatically down the glass.
"Pardon me, sir, the younger kids get carried away sometimes", she said cheerfully. "One second, I'll warn them."
She walked up to the window - she could see nobody out there, of course, but she still opened it and leaned out, looking down.
"You should be more careful, darling", she said sternly. "Please come see me after I'm finished with this meeting."
Erik grinned at her, huddled beneath the window, and saluted.
"That should be taken care of", she closed the window decisively and turned back to the Prestons.
"Sir, I am very pleased to have met you. You have a very clever and promising son, and I trust that you will do what is best for him", she said. I'm getting better at lying. Is it Jack's influence? "Do you have any more questions for me?"
"No. I'm done", Preston turned abruptly, his wife following immediately behind him. "Stick to your own duties from now on, Miss Borovich", he emphasized with obvious disdain.
"It's Boreechevich, sir", she smiled. "And I will, thank you." And if my duties should include putting you in jail once I have proof Walt's being abused, well, so be it. She stood up, but before she could open the door for them, Preston had already opened it himself and promptly left, his wife following behind him. Mrs. Preston had not looked Alina in the eyes through the whole ordeal, and as Preston left through the door she only cast one quick apologetic glance her way.
Alina opened the door for the Prestons to leave and peeked outside her office window after their footsteps grew fainter. "I will be right out, business partner", she said. "We can go then." Erik silently waited for her to get ready and lock her office, slightly surprised when she hopped out through her window, letting it slam behind her. He caught her awkwardly by her waist and quickly put her down.
"What did the Prestons say?"
"Nothing good, but I actually anticipated this", Alina said, pushing the stray strands of hair back under her hat. "It's an offer too unimaginable for them to react well to it. I wanted to plant a seed of thought in them for now, and that's what I did. Hank Preston is loud and annoying and tiresome, but I feel like he hasn't got all the strings in his hands as he likes to think, so I've still got hope. In any case, they'll keep Walt here until he's fourteen, so I've got plenty of time to work on it."
"I'm glad it went well."
"This is the most fun I've ever had at a parent-teacher meeting", she admitted.
Erik smiled. "You're not worried I'll undermine your authority?"
"I am, actually. Singling me out among other teachers may make them resent me, and then I'm in trouble", she shrugged. "I have dealt with more than one screaming fool in my life so far. I can handle it. He's not going to attack a teacher in her workplace; he's not that stupid. It would have ended him."
"Sorry", he mumbled into his collar.
"Don't apologize", she waved her hands. "You calmed down a crisis today, and I'm thankful for it. But I think it's better for my reputation if you don't give me any kind of special treatment for being your business partner."
"I wasn't going to let him talk to you like that", he snapped in annoyance. "Special treatment would have been if you accepted a higher position than just a teacher or if you let me get you better classes -" she shot him a quick glance that cut him off immediately. Alina had not been very happy upon finding out he had pressured the higher-ups to give her the more obedient children; it caused an entire argument among them last month that resulted in them not speaking with each other for three days - well, it was Erik who didn't speak to her, to be honest. Alina simply stated her disappointment in an icy, terrifying voice and refused to back down until he promised he would never try to push her career behind her back again. It was for nothing, on top of it all, because she seemed to be naturally drawn to the naughty children and simply collected them spontaneously as the school year progressed. He had realized then he had never seen her so angry with him before that fight.
"I'm not trying to further your career", he hurried. "I'm trying to protect you, and that's something else entirely. I respect your choices, I do. But I heard Preston outside yelling at his wife, and I saw the way she winces and cowers around him, and there is nothing I can do about her. But if he so much lays a finger on you, I will find the highest tree on this island, tie him to it, and then chop them both until I get pieces small enough to make toothpicks. You can be mad at me after that, but I'm not letting him harm you."
"Why the tallest tree?" Alina asked with amusement.
"To make him wait", Erik said in a carefree voice as he scratched one of his wrists absentmindedly. "Anticipation of pain is half the torment."
Alina was smart enough not to ask him where that came from. "Ah. Clever", she shook her head, getting serious again. "Do you really think he would have assaulted me?"
"A school teacher on school grounds? No, you said it yourself, he's not that stupid", Erik waved his hand, "but men like him sometimes get funny ideas, and I wanted to prevent them before they had a chance to develop."
"I have to admit, it was highly effective", she turned to him. He saw the corner of her moth twitching again. "You calmed him right down. I didn't know you could be so terrifying."
"I have never tried to scare you on purpose. I don't want you to fear me at all", he said, biting his tongue not to add I would like you to love me, in fact. Maybe. If it's not too much trouble.
"No, I'm not scared of you. It was highly amusing. Charming, even. ", she said, looking dreamily into the sky. "Lord, I'm tired."
"I have noticed you find it hard to leave work lately", he said casually.
"Ah... Yes. I do overexert myself when I have some pressing issue going on." She paused. "Do you mind?"
He ignored the question for now. "Have you always been like this?"
Alina thought about it for a second. "From what I can recall, yes."
"Didn't take you for much of a perfectionist", he shrugged. It takes one to know one.
"It's not really perfectionism", Alina admitted. "It's a very basic feeling of worry. I find it hard to leave a place where something goes on that worries me, because I'm afraid everything will crash and burn while I'm gone. I work too much in general, yes, but when I'm worried I'll put in extra effort to check everything."
"Hm."
"It's probably not a very healthy habit, is it?"
"I'm not an expert." Actually, my motivation for coming here was the same, which would confirm that it's not very healthy.
"Do you mind?" she repeated.
"It's your job, it means everything to you. I wouldn't ever take that away from you. I'd hate it if somebody tried to limit what I do with my time and interests –"
"So you do mind", she raised her eyebrow, smiling slightly.
"Maybe the littlest bit."
"Why not just say it?"
"I don't know." He stared at the road ahead, seething silently. Because I just saw a great example of what I don't want to become. I'd rather suffer in silence than become Hank goddamn Preston.
"You can tell me if something bothers you."
"I don't know how", he admitted. That's not surprising, Alina thought. People who have been controlled and abused, in my experience, rarely know the difference between standing up for yourself and being needlessly aggressive.
"Hmm. Can we reach a compromise, maybe? What would be a good solution to this?" she thought out loud, looking at the road. "It's past six already, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"I could have been home before six", she shook her head. "I'll try to make a plan every morning for when I should be able to come home. I won't let myself go over that time unless it's an absolute emergency."
"Oh", he blinked in surprise. "That's not such a bad idea."
"If I break my word, you have the right to be mad at me, and I'll think of something to make it up to you", she offered.
Erik turned to her in amusement. "No, I'll think of something for you to make it up to me. And I'll be very petty, just so you know."
"Honestly, I'll be very disappointed if you don't do your absolute pettiest worst", she grinned.