5. He's eleven when he has his first kiss with Aleksander, his sister Louise's soon-to-be ex-boyfriend.
"Look at her, Adele," Elisabeth laughs. "She's positively smitten."
"I am not!" Louise protests, her fair skin flushes a brilliant pink though. Odd rolls his eyes and continues his digging through the cupboard for the tin of cookies. He knows he saw his mother hide them. "Stop lying."
"Has he kissed you yet?" Marie asks. She tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear and stares at Louise with wide blue eyes.
"No," Louise says. She ducks her head. "He's a gentleman."
"A gentleman?" Adele snorts. "At twelve?"
"Almost thirteen!"
"He's not old enough to be a gentleman," Adele replies. She looks up from where she's stirring the soup on the stove. "Odd, stay out of the cupboards, Mamma said no sweets before supper."
"But I'm hungry!" He grumbles as Elisabeth grabs his arm, pulls him away from the cupboard. "I need some kind of sustenance if I have to sit here and listen to Lou word-vomit all over her new boyfriend."
Louise's flush darkens from pink to splotchy red and Odd ducks the tangerine she hurls at him. "Don't be immature," she scolds.
"Both of you, out of my kitchen. Go study," Adele orders.
"Come on," Elisabeth says. She links arms with Louise, guiding her away. "Let's hear more about this Aleksander, hm?"
/
Aleksander Nilsen grew up two streets away. Odd's always been aware of him, in a peripheral sort of way. He's the youngest of four boys, all with dark blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a love of sports that teeters the edge of dedication and obsession. He's not really sure how Louise knows him, apart from being in the same year at school. Louise would not be caught dead within fifty yards of any sporting venue and he doubts Aleksander has found his way into an auditorium that wasn't being used for an assembly.
So, naturally, he does what any caring and supportive younger brother would do in this case. He begins to show up at his football practices. Aleksander is athletic, a good forward with nimble feet. He smiles a lot, Odd notes, rests his hand on teammates' shoulders, slings an arm around a friend. Louise doesn't come to his practices, Aleksander doesn't wrap an arm around her shoulders at school.
Odd watches and wonders.
/
"Reason you're following me around?"
Odd looks up at the older boy standing at the base of the bleachers. Aleksander has his arms looped lightly over the guard rail, his hazel eyes are bright and calculating. Odd tilts his head, raises an eyebrow. "What makes you think I was following you?"
Aleksander laughs. It's easy and open and for some reason Odd doesn't quite trust it. It sets his teeth on edge, like when Marie laughs at one of his ideas and ruffles his hair. Far too condescending. He crosses his arms, raises his eyebrow higher.
"You're Louise's little brother, right?"
"Her only brother," he replies. He tilts his head. "What's it to you?"
Aleksander laughs again. "Come on, I'll walk you home."
Odd studies the boy carefully. He carries himself easily, confidently, he can see why Louise is drawn to him. There's something magnetic about him, even if Odd doesn't completely trust him. He shrugs, gets to his feet and picks up his school bag.
"Sure, why not?"
Aleksander waves to a few straggling teammates and then they leave the field. His steps are long and ambling, lazy like he has nowhere else to be and plenty of time to get there. Odd mirrors his gait, hitches his school bag over his shoulder and shoves his hands into his pockets.
"So, if you aren't following me around, why's it that every time I look up I seem to see you?" Aleksander asks.
Odd shrugs. "Guess we run in similar circles, now that you're dating my sister."
Aleksander's mouth quirks. There's a stray freckle in the left corner and Odd's eyes are drawn to it. He wants to draw it. He looks away, back at the sidewalk and his shoes. An elbow nudges his arm and he looks up to find Aleksander watching him. "Maybe we do," he states. He laughs again, ruffles Odd's hair before he ducks aside. "Your sister home?"
"Which one?" Odd questions.
"The one that matters of course."
/
"What?"
"I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to."
Odd looks up as Pauline sits on the low retaining wall next to him. She extends her legs and stares out across the back garden. He can hear Louise practicing her cello through the open windows. It takes a few bars, but eventually their father joins in, his deep voice smooth and resonant with Louise's playing. Pauline turns finally, eyes lingering on the half-formed sketch in his lap. It's more a thought than anything solid, a highlighted cheek, a flutter of eyelashes, a stray freckle near a smirking mouth.
Odd closes the sketchbook.
"You and Louise have always been too similar."
"Similar?" Odd demands, wide-eyed. "You must be confusing me with Marie."
"Well, that's possible, you're both tiny," Pauline concedes. He glowers at her and she merely smiles in return. She reaches over, tugs at the hair flopping into his eyes. "But I know my brother pretty well."
"C'mon, Polly," he laughs. "Lou and I fight all the time."
"Yes," she agrees. She reaches over, pries the sketchbook from his grasp and flips it open to his current work-in-progress. Odd clasps his fingers to keep from snatching it back. Pauline would just think she'd won if he did that.
"Pol."
"You'll hurt yourselves just to spite the other."
"What are you talking about? Stop trying to act wise and mature."
Pauline sets the book aside, stares out across the garden once more. Odd doesn't like when she gets quiet like this. Introspective. He doesn't like when she does so because of him. "Be careful, Odd. Don't do something stupid and careless just because you can."
He snorts and gathers up his sketchbook and pencils. "You'll do great in uni, y'know?" he asks. "You've already got the cryptic answers and world-weary outlook."
"Odd." She grabs his arm and frowns at him. "I won't always be here to clean up your messes."
"Then it's a good thing I'm big enough to take care of myself. Let go, Pauline."
/
Louise and Aleksander have been going out for three months now, since December. Their father frowns whenever the topic comes up while they're mother just smiles indulgently and his sisters chitter like spring birds. They give Odd a headache and the early nightfall and dropping temperatures make it nearly impossible to escape from them for long. Even when they're out skiing the girls find ways of teasing Louise about her boyfriend.
"This seems right up your alley," Adele states. "Why aren't you leading the others on against Louise?"
Odd adjusts his goggles and picks up his ski poles. "I think they're doing an awesome job on their own, don't you?"
"Jealous, little brother?"
"Thrilled," he counters. "Means they'll leave me alone now!"
He takes off before Adele can offer a counterargument, escaping the hive of chatter and teasing. He doesn't like that she's right, that he should be there teasing Louise about the whole boyfriend ordeal. He'd been the ringleader with his other sisters and each potential interest they'd had the misfortune of introducing him to. He isn't sure why Louise is different and it makes him uneasy.
/
"Do you like my sister?" Odd asks.
"Which one?"
"The one you're hanging out with," Odd retorts. He elbows Aleksander in the ribs and rolls his eyes. "Louise."
Aleksander laughs, cheeks flushing as his voice cracks in the middle of it. "Yeah," he says. He scuffs a toe in the snow as they wait for the bus into the city center. "She's alright."
"You sure you didn't hit your head on the walk over," Odd muses.
"She's not that bad," Aleksander protests. "She's got your sense of humor."
"My sense of humor? Louise?" Odd laughs so hard that he's bent double by the time the bus pulls up, gasping icy air into his lungs. "Louise wouldn't know a joke if it bit her in the funny bone."
Aleksander's mouth quirks into a half smile. He slings an arm around Odd's shoulders, guiding him toward the waiting bus. "Okay, maybe not your sense of humor. But she's a good laugh and her eyes are pretty."
Odd collapses into the seat, laughing once more. "Alright, maybe I'll give you the eye thing."
"How generous of you."
/
"It's kind of sweet, the way Odd follows him around," Elisabeth states. "Like hero-worship."
"Or puppy love," Marie snickers. She yelps and Odd imagines their older sister has just hit her. He feels fleetingly grateful to Elisabeth, even if she did just call him sweet. "What, you see the way he stares at Aleksander!"
"I do," Elisabeth agrees.
"Same moon-eyes that Adele made over what's-his-name? The boy she liked in school."
"Kristian."
"Yes, right. The same exact expression."
"Odd's eleven," Elisabeth protests. "He makes moon-eyes over kjøttkaker and vafler."
Marie cackles and Odd rolls his eyes, pushing his way into the kitchen to disrupt his sisters' talk. "You sound like a goat," he tells Marie.
"At least I don't look like one."
He sticks his tongue out and then glances at the pot on the stove, sniffs deeply. His mouth waters at the smell of the simmering stew. "Is the lapskaus done yet?"
Elisabeth tosses her head back, laughing loudly. "I told you," she says. She reaches over, ruffles Odd's hair so that he has to duck out of the way. Her ponytail bounces with her laughter. "Don't ever change."
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing," Marie replies innocently. She turns her attention to the dough she's kneading. "What do you think of Louise's new friend?" she asks.
Odd shrugs, crouches down to pet Kiwi when the dog ambles over hoping for a bit of stew or attention. "Seems alright. Must have something wrong in the head though, wanting to spend time with Lou."
"Olga says you've been spending time at the football pitch. You two walk home together?"
Odd keeps his head down, scratches Kiwi behind the ears. "Like I said, he seems alright."
/
"Have you kissed her yet?"
Aleksander looks up from where they're playing videogames in his bedroom. It's a nice bedroom, Odd thinks. A bit too sporty for his taste, with football and hockey posters lining his walls, but nice overall. Cream walls and navy bedding, small window overlooking the side yard.
"Louise?"
"Who else?" Odd questions.
Aleksander catches his eye, holds it. The television beeps, the game announces the end of the boxing round. Odd tilts his head, ignores the hair that falls into his eyes, and waits him out. Aleksander's mouth quirks into a bemused smile and Odd's eyes catch on the stray freckle at the corner of his mouth.
"You really asking me if I've kissed your sister?" he asks. He stretches, thermal shirt riding up to expose a strip of skin, a glimpse of hip bones. Odd just raises his eyebrows. "Why? If I say yes are you going to punch me?"
Odd's lips twitch into an involuntary smile. "And ruin that pretty face? Lou'd have my head." He laughs and settles back against the bed. "Nah, just curious."
Aleksander is watching him still. Odd wonders if he should point out that the game is waiting for him to choose the next match. He feels like he wants to slide away, out of direct sight. He feels like he wants to do his own stretch, keep Aleksander's attention on him.
"Sometimes I don't know what to do with you," Aleksander says finally. He turns back to the screen and Odd feels ridiculous for missing his stare. He presses continue and the next round starts up. "I like your sister," he says, fingers mashing buttons as his avatar fights Odd's. "But no, not yet."
/
Louise's screeches can be heard from the front garden. It's impressive since Odd imagines she's yelling from the bathroom in the back of the first floor. He's not sure why Louise gave up playing the flute, the girl's got impressive lungs.
"What did you do?" Marie questions.
"Nothing," Odd protests. He can't hide the grin though and Marie reaches over to thump him on the shoulder. "Ow, what?"
"Why can't you just behave?"
Louise is storming down the stairs when they enter the house. Her hair is tied up in a messy bun and her mouth is an alarming shade of frothy, vibrant green. Bits of it have stained her lips, the corners of her mouth, her chin where she drooled…Odd ducks his head to hide a smile.
"Louise, what is it?" their mother demands. "I could hear you from the studio…Odd!"
"What?" he asks. He widens his eyes, tries to look like one of those innocent cherub paintings the Renaissance painters were so fond of depicting. "Why are you blaming me?" He eyes his sister. "Nice look."
"I am going to kill you!" she shrieks.
"You are toast," Marie murmurs. She slips away to the kitchen but not before Odd notices her smile.
Their mother catches Louise as she lunges, spinning her around until she's facing the stairs once more. "Go, we'll see if we can't get it…lighter. Odd, room, now."
"Mamma," Louise whines, "I'm supposed to be going to play board games with Olga and Aleksander! He did this on purpose!"
"Hush, Louise. Odd, we'll discuss this once I've seen to your sister. Go."
Odd pouts as he shuffles past his mother and sister on the stairs. Louise lunges for him again, but their mother has a firm grip on her arm. Instead, she glowers at him as he marches down the hall and takes the flight of stairs at the end leading up to his attic bedroom.
/
He isn't sure what possesses him to do it. Sure, he likes Aleksander Nilsen. Like he'd told his sisters, the guy isn't bad, but there has to be something wrong with him to willingly want to spend time with Louise of all people. But he's watched him for a while now. Six whole months. Louise doesn't shut up about him, but she doesn't go to his practices. Aleksander kisses her temple but doesn't hold her hand. Louise drags him to music festivals and concerts. Aleksander joins her for card games but invites Odd to go skiing.
So, Odd acts. Granted, it's without thinking or planning or anything else Pauline warns him to do first. But, the whole not-thinking-thing has never really backfired on him yet. And, anyway, Pauline thinks herself too grown up. It'll be good to remind her that she doesn't know everything.
Odd pulls Aleksander in close. He hates that he has to stand on his tiptoes, likes the feeling of Alekander's fine hair sliding through his fingers from where his hand clutches the back of the boy's head. He presses his mouth to Aleksander's, insistent, hard. There's a moment, a fleeting, terrifying, endless moment where the other boy is still and Odd thinks dritt, shit, faen, cazzo, merde-
And then Aleksander's hands are on him and his mouth is pressing back and Odd forgets about his doubts. Aleksander kisses like he knows how to, like he's done it before. And that makes sense. Odd knows that he's kissed others before, imagines he's kissed Louise. He doesn't want to think of that though. Aleksander presses Odd back against the tree, sucks at his bottom lip and slides his tongue along the seam. Odd pulls him closer, opens his mouth, and enjoys the novelty of someone else's tongue in his mouth.
There's the sound of a truck passing on the street and Aleksander steps back, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "Well, you're a better kisser than your sister." Aleksander catches his eye, offers him a smile and Odd has to resist from leaning in, kissing that freckle. "You alright, Della Robbia?"
Odd can't help the smirk, lets his eyes take in Aleksander's heaving chest, the flush along his cheekbones, the way his hair sticks up a bit from where Odd's mussed it up. "Sure, Nilsen, never better."
Aleksander nods, adjusts his jacket. "Louise wants to go to some film tonight. I told her we'd go." His eyes flick over Odd again. "Maybe you can come too?"
Odd tilts his head, considers. He pushes off the tree. "Maybe," he agrees.
/
Louise is stretched out in bed, reading, when Odd gets home. Her hair is wrapped up in a towel and she's got her ridiculous fluffy socks on. The blue bunny ones that Odd maybe wants to steal. He ambles in, perching at the foot of her bed.
"What do you want?" Louise questions. She turns a page without looking up and Odd rolls his eyes.
"You should break-up with Aleksander."
Louise does lower the book slightly, staring at him from over the dog-eared pages of Pride and Prejudice. "And why is that? What did you do?"
He shrugs, leans back against the footboard and wonders if she'll kick him or throw the book at him. "Kissed him."
Louise's mouth falls open, he wasn't expecting that reaction.
"He kissed back. Invited me to the film tonight with you too."
"Odd, I know you've always been a bit unhinged, but this isn't funny."
Odd glances at her, shrugs again. "You can believe me or not, up to you. But I thought you should know." He pushes up onto his feet, crosses his arms over his chest. "He said I'm a better kisser than you."
That does earn the book being thrown at his head. He dodges it and it thwacks against the dresser by the door. "Get. Out."
"Lou…"
"GET OUT!" She hurls another novel at him and he ducks through the door hurriedly. He pulls the door closed as Louise's screeching continues, more things thumping as she throws a tantrum on the other side of the door.
"What did you do?" Marie questions, head poking out of the bathroom.
"All I did was tell her I'd kissed Aleksander," he says.
Marie's mouth falls open as well, eerily reminiscent of Louise's earlier expression. "Faen, Odd, really?"
Odd shrugs. "I told her to break up with him."
"Faen," Marie repeats. She pushes Odd aside. "Go away, I need to talk to Louise and she'll probably kill you."
Odd retreats to his room, sits on the window ledge and stares down at the light coming from his mother's studio. He wonders if he should've kept quiet after all, if he shouldn't have told Louise. He can hear the others approaching Louise's room now, the whole gaggle of them. He leans his head back against the window casing and, not for the first time, wonders if it would've been easier if he'd had brothers instead.
Next time, he thinks, I just won't tell anyone. It'll be easier.