The next three days seemed to slip by at a record-breaking pace for Ororo, filled with classwork, and worry over whether or not Remy LeBeau could be trusted. When it was finally time to meet him for her afternoon session, she was mentally and emotionally drained, and almost wanted to feign sickness, stay home and fall asleep.
What made her eventually leave the room and keep her appointment was actually the beautiful weather outside...Ororo had always been a sucker for lovely autumn days. It was a perfect sixty degrees out, and the trees were turning more colors than ever. She got lost in the reds, oranges, and yellows of the surrounding foliage as she walked to the meeting place her and Remy had decided on, the tiny copse of trees right outside the building that housed the Academic Watch facility. She was still unsure of where they'd be going or what they'd be doing, however, and she began to feel familiar pangs of nervousness as she edged closer to her final destination.
"Hey chere." She found that his companionable southern drawl still made her lower stomach move pleasurably, despite any misgivings she was currently having about their relationship.
"Hey yourself." She tried to smile to cover up her nerves, but he guessed what she was thinking anyway.
"Don't worry about t'day...I'm just easin' you in t' new experiences 'round here at first." He chuckled as she gave a perceptible sigh of relief. "How was class today?"
"Oh you know, interesting enough. The one I had right before this was developmental psychology, and the professor was talking about how younger children can't tell if two things are equal sizes if one is in a larger-appearing container." Remy looked puzzled, so she attempted to explain it a little more clearly. "Alright, so let's say you have two identical cans of Play-Doh, never opened. You show them to a little kid, opening them in front of him, and ask him which one has more in it. He says that they're the same amount. Next, you pull the two identical pieces out and make one pile into a ball and squish one flat. Then if you ask the same kid which shape has more Play-Doh in it, he'll choose the one that's the ball, even though he just watched you simply change the equal ones into different shapes."
"Dat's crazy," Remy blinked. "You think it's really true?"
"I guess I'd never really considered that idea before, but after the teacher talked about the theory, he brought his four-year-old twin girls in, and did a little experiment with them in front of the class. He had two bottles of water, unopened, exactly the same size. He asked them which one had more water in it, and they said they were equal. Then he poured one into a wide, see-through glass, maybe three inches across. He poured the second one into a thin see-through glass, maybe an inch across. Then he put them next to each other. In the thin glass, the water obviously appeared taller, so the girls picked that one as having more water in it, despite the fact that they had just watched their father pour equal amounts of water in each glass. The empty bottles were even still standing next to each other, right on the table." Ororo shook her head. "It was hard to believe!"
Remy whistled. "I almost wish my kids at de Boys' an' Girls' Club were young enough t' do dat experiment. I assume there's an age limit on dat kind of understanding, right?"
"Oh yes, of course. Apparently this mostly applies to pre-kindergarten aged children." Ororo began to rifle through her bag, looking for her homework plan for the week that she'd made to show Remy she was on track with her studies.
"So you interested in kids?" Remy asked her. "You didn' really say dat one way or de other before."
"Oh, yes. I've always liked them. Never had much of an opportunity to work with them previously, but child psychology is the major I chose. I just think it's intriguing to discover how formative experiences in childhood can help make us who we are as adults."
"Man, I hope dat's only true to a certain extent. Otherwise, I'm fixin' t' have some trouble in de future," he chuckled.
You and me both, buddy. "Well, whatever. If you're aware of your shortcomings, you can always fix them," she shrugged. "Nothing is set in stone." She found the paper she was looking for and handed it to him, waiting for his approval.
"Hey, dis looks real good. Now you jus' gotta stick to it, even when you get invited t' parties and on dates!" His smile was quite disarming, and Ororo was somewhat flustered by it. She assumed he was teasing her, and found herself blushing at his remarks.
If only you knew that I've never been on a date in my life, she thought.
Remy, for his part, pretended not to notice; her shyness around him was endearing in a way, and he didn't want to comment too much on it, for fear of making her feel like she had to change. "So, you ready t' get started for t'day?"
Ororo nodded quietly, zipping up her bag after putting her paper away again.
"Wanna know where we goin'?" Remy asked, holding out his hand to help her up from her seated position. He took her smile as a yes, and told her about a favorite record store nearby that he often frequented. "It's jus' a short walk from here, padnat. Ready to go?" She nodded, and they began making their way up to the main road, the one that led to the nearest square where the biggest cluster of shops was. "You're gonna love dis place...dey got every CD an' record imaginable."
"Do you have a record player?" Ororo asked incredulously.
"Yeah, it's de coolest thing ever. My pops saved it from de seventies...music sounds so much better on one o' those than on a CD player. You ever listened to a real record befo'?" He wasn't too surprised when his companion shook her head no. "Well den, Miss Ororo, maybe you should come visit my house some weekend t' hear one."
The smile he gave her was so radiant that at first, Ororo agreed quite willingly. When he turned back away from her though, the idea flitted through her mind that maybe this was just another one of his moves to get women alone with him. Her heart sank, and she realized anyway that it would be impossible for her to leave the school without lying to her father, which was very dangerous indeed. She resolved that she would not travel to Remy's home under any circumstances; it just wasn't worth the risk.
As they went farther down the main road, they began to pass people sleeping or panhandling in the streets. Openings for the train were on either side of the large, main artery, and the homeless lingered in these spots, hoping that people would notice and acknowledge them. Remy stopped to talk to a few of the people he knew; evidently he had learned some of the homeless people's names and stories. "Where's yo' dog today, Ramón?" He asked one middle-aged man.
"I left him with my son," the man replied gruffly. "He's getting money in another part of the city, and it's rougher there. He needs the dog for protection." Ororo was silent as Remy gave him a couple bucks from his pocket, and told him he'd probably see him later.
As they walked away, Remy noticed Ororo looking at him. "You probably wonderin' why I gave him some money. People always be askin' me dat when I talk to de homeless."
"No, no. I wasn't thinking that at all, I swear," she promised him.
Remy shrugged. "I usually bring food in wit' me, but I forgot today. All I got in my pockets is some jacked up mints, and dose ain't keepin' anyone in high spirits." He looked back over his shoulder at the area the locals called "The Pit," the place where some of the homeless gathered, and other people tried to sell their artwork or music to the subway-goers. "I jus' hate how people go by dese folks every single day, never knowin' their names or who they are. Ramón, he came here from Mexico wit' his kids to escape de drug wars in his part of de country. One of his sons died tryin' to cross th' border; de other's here starvin' wit' him until he gets a job, an' it's been over a year since dey arrived in dis area alone." He shook his head. "I know some homeless people would buy alcohol wit' dat money to forget they pain, but Ramón takes care of his kid, an' his dog fo' dat matter, so it's worth it t' me t' give up a coupla bucks to him."
Ororo was silent for a minute as they kept walking, but decided to speak up when they took a shortcut through a small park. "I wasn't looking at you because I was judging you for giving money to him. I was just remembering being homeless as a child myself."
Remy stopped and turned to her. "I remember now, chere. You said dat yo' father found you on de streets. I'd forgotten...I'm so sorry."
"No need to apologize. It's just, I was thinking about how it used to make my day when someone smiled at me on the street in Cairo. I was all dirty, of course, and most people's eyes intentionally passed over me, like I was nothing, not even there. Every once in awhile someone would give me money, and it just felt so good not to be ignored. I guess that's why I jumped at the chance to leave with the first person who said he'd adopt me, my father. I mean, who knows if anyone else would have even offered?"
All reassurances seemed to die on his lips as Remy felt his stomach clench in empathy for his friend. He had been hungry and alone as a child, but never quite homeless. Unwanted, yes, but there had always at least been people around for him to make use of, in one way or another. And after all, his father had eventually found him and saved him, just like Ororo's father had, right? That had to count for something, he thought, except that he couldn't quite shake the nagging feeling that her experience with being adopted hadn't been exactly the same as his.
They kept walking and eventually ended up in front of the record store, and Ororo was the first to break the silence between them. "Wow, this is quite the hole-in-the-wall, isn't it?"
Remy felt himself laughing, despite the seriousness of their last bit of conversation beforehand. "Yeah, I come here when I want t' get away from everyt'in' on campus. Only a few people know about dis place. Come on, let's go inside."
When they got in, Ororo saw a small basement room stacked with rows and rows of CDs of every genre imaginable. Underneath the CDs were boxes of old records, and along the walls were columns of VHS tapes for several dollars apiece. The register area was covered with vintage band stickers, and behind it hung classic movie posters from all eras; Ororo saw everything from "Casablanca" to "The Breakfast Club" represented on the wall back there. "This place is awesome," she breathed.
Remy chuckled and greeted the woman behind the counter named Betsy. "You'll like her, too," he said to his companion quietly as they began to paw through the CDs. "She was born in England but raised in Japan, an' I swear, she always knows exactly what kinda music to recommend to people, wit'out even knowin' anyt'in' about 'em first. Must jus' be some kinda worldly awareness," he said wonderingly.
Ororo watched the woman called Betsy and marveled at her beauty and comfortable banter with the customers. She wished it were as easy for her to talk to others as that, but she got another opportunity to practice when Remy asked her a question.
"So what kind of music you like?"
Ororo found that hard to answer at first, since she had never been allowed to listen to much music at home. The first time she had heard the radio of her own accord (i. e. not in a store) was when she was eleven years old at Alison's house! Of course, since then, she had easily become addicted to all the various kinds of music that Ali had introduced her to; songs and artists in wildly eclectic genres. Unfortunately though, her new-found interest still had to be kept under wraps in her own home, due to her father's watchful and judgmental eye. "I guess I'd have to say that I like all the types of music that I've heard so far, but there are, of course, certain artists that I do not enjoy."
Remy snorted and asked to hear the dislikes first then, since he was always skeptical of people who said they loved all music. So far, he had met very few people like himself in the world, who truly enjoyed a myriad of musical genres.
"Okay, who do I not like...Taylor Swift. The Dresden Dolls. Lil Wayne." Ororo paused. "I'm having trouble thinking of another one."
Her companion let out an incredulous whistle. "You weren't kidding, dose are some pretty varied tastes. Okay, tell me why you hate T-Swift. Mos' girls I know be lovin' her hard!"
Ororo scoffed. "She utterly annoys me. I heard her say once that she writes most of her songs from a place of pain, or some crap like that. A place of pain? Yeah, right. All that's ever happened to her is that a boyfriend or two broke up with her. She's never experienced real life; she went right from being a pretty content teenager to being a superstar. She can get back to me when she does some volunteer work with people who have real problems."
Remy laughed hard and Ororo wondered if she'd said too much before he came out with, "Well tell us how you really feel, fille! I guess it's safe t' say you won' be dressin' up as her fo' Halloween."
Ororo chuckled lightly and replied, "Definitely not."
"Okay den, now tell me a few of yo' favorite songs, and we'll get to know each other like dat, too." His coaxing was accompanied by him moving closer, leafing through some CDs directly next to her. Ororo began to feel her heart beat a little faster.
"Alright. 'Wish You Were Here' by Pink Floyd." Remy nodded his approval and she continued. "'Stellar' by Incubus. 'U.N.I.T.Y.' by Queen Latifah. 'Keep Ya Head Up' by Tupac. And of course, 'All Along The Watchtower.'"
"By Hendrix or Dylan?"
"Jimi Hendrix, of course. I like Bob Dylan's version, and I know he wrote the song and everything, but even he said in an interview once that it was like Jimi was meant to play that song."
"I know. He makes it perfect beyond belief. I could listen to dat song over an' over fo' hours."
"Yes, so could I. I have many other favorites besides those too...I love that one by Joni Mitchell, 'A Case Of You.' It's just haunting. I enjoy 'You Can Close Your Eyes' by James Taylor as well, and of course, 'Landslide' by Fleetwood Mac."
"You got good taste, girl. Dis gon' be your kind o' record store, I'm tellin' you. All kinds of people like us here, instead of dose all caught up in what's new and meaningless." He squeezed her hand without thinking about it too much, and recommenced rifling through his section of music.
Ororo went to war with herself after that, trying desperately not to infuse meaning into his nonchalant touch, but it was difficult to erase the flesh memory of his fingers on her skin...they seemed to linger there throughout the rest of the time they spent in the store. Eventually, her and Remy made a few small purchases between the two of them before leaving, with Ororo using a little of the money Ali's mother had been kind enough to give her before she'd left for college.
When the pair traversed back into the warm daylight, it was like coming out of a dream back into reality. Ororo was aware that the Thursday afternoon she had looked forward to for so long was nearly over, and she was sorry to have to return to her regular life. Therefore, when Remy suggested they go and get a bubble tea before heading back, something she had never even heard of before, Ororo jumped at the chance to spend more time with him, even though it meant spending a few more dollars of the precious stash Mrs. Blaire had gifted her with. She hoped that whatever bubble tea was, it wasn't expensive.
To her surprise, Remy turned immediately around in front of the record store, and went up a short flight of four or five stairs, to another hole-in-the-wall place that boasted hours of 10 A.M. to 2 A.M. on the door. "So what else do they sell here besides bubble tea?" She questioned as they walked in to find a line of people.
"Dat's it...jus' bubble tea."
"Then why are they open until 2 A.M.? How many people drink this stuff?"
Remy laughed, not unkindly. "You can always tell when someone hasn't tasted 'dis stuff' yet...just wait. I predict sometime in de near future, you'll be back here in th' wee hours of th' morn for a bubble tea." Hopefully with me, he thought privately. For now, he pointed out the menu to her and helped her to choose a cold taro milk tea with boba in it, the tapioca 'bubbles' that were denoted in the business's main product. It was clear that Remy came in often enough to be recognized by the workers, and when he asked them if they would play the CD that he'd picked up downstairs, they acquiesced accordingly. While the "Slippery When Wet" album by Bon Jovi began playing over the speakers, Remy found them a table near the window. "So, you like dis music too?"
Ororo's ears tinged a little red. "Bon Jovi is still a god now...of course I like this album."
"Oh, you got de hots for Bon Jovi, huh? You an' every other femme on de planet. Ain't nothin' wrong wit' dat...he's a good lookin' guy. Not as good as me, o' course!" Remy flexed his arm playfully and Ororo laughed, but she also couldn't help noticing his muscle bulge handsomely beneath his t-shirt sleeve. She reminded herself a little bitterly that this act could very well just be a part of his game, and if I'm really being honest here, the reason I'm so annoyed by it is because it's pretty charming. She noted that Remy was quick to apologize after his antics, but she would never know that he did so because he could almost swear he'd caught a glint of something hard in his companion's eyes.
Unsure of whether or not he'd imagined what he'd just seen, Remy covered up his uncertainty by casually grabbing a game for them to play from a bin by the door. The box held supplies for Uno, checkers, chess, Hungry Hungry Hippos, and Connect 4, among other things, but Remy simply chose a regular pack of cards, since there were so many different games they could play with the single deck.
"I don't really know any card games, I'm afraid," Ororo announced to him, when he began to shuffle.
"Don't worry, I'll show you how t' play." They sat there sipping bubble tea, having War between them, Slapping Jacks, and Going Fishing. Ororo found herself laughing unexpectedly...she had not grown up playing many games. When he asked her if she'd like to see a trick, she replied yes, and was shocked when he found her card on the first try. Even though she knew it was a trick, she still had no idea how he'd done it...it seemed impossible!
"Do you know how t' shuffle?" He asked next. He could tell she would answer no; he'd noticed the uncoordinated way she'd held her cards. He pulled his chair over next to hers, all too aware that the Bon Jovi CD was coming to a close, along with their allotted time together. But he was not yet ready to leave the perfection of her company; if he could have chosen, he would have made the final song go on for eternity, just so he could spend more time with her. Placing the cards in her hands, he showed her how to manipulate them easily, folding them into each other over and over again until they were well-mixed. He cherished the moments when their fingers touched the most, and imagined that he felt an electric spark, a lightning strike, between them each time it happened. Eventually the CD was long over, and his friend at the register motioned for him to come and get it. The spell was broken and Remy replaced the cards in the bin, picked up his CD, and left with Ororo, their near-empty drinks still in their hands.
As they made their way back through the park, Remy sat down for a second on a bench and gently nudged Ororo into the space next to him. He took one long, last pull on his jasmine milk tea with boba, finishing it. "So, what do you t'ink of bubble tea?"
Ororo had finished hers in the same space of time that he had, and leaned forward, gazing into her empty cup. "I'm thinking of going back in right now and trying one of the slushies."
Remy smirked until she looked up at him, wondering why he was silent. "'How many people drink dis stuff?!'" He mocked her in a singsong voice. She laughed and pushed him away from her as he leaned in and kept going. "'Who comes here at 2 A.M.? I mean, all dey sell is bubble tea, after all!'"
Ororo put a playful finger in his face. "Alright, you've made your point. Bubble tea is amazing. Why can't they have this on campus, easily accessible in the dining hall?!"
"Because dey want you to blow all yo' money here instead...maybe dey in cahoots wit' de bubble tea owner," Remy smiled.
"I'm enjoying your use of the word 'cahoots.'"
"Yes, t'ank you. I didn' get into college on looks alone, you know. Dere's a lot goin' on up here, mon chere," he tapped his forehead and crinkled his eyes at his friend. Ororo leaned back smiling, just enjoying their easy companionship. "So, you gon' go home an' listen to dat CD you got?" Remy ended up asking a few minutes later. She let him pull it out of her bag to look at it. The cover read "Pat Benatar – Greatest Hits."
"Yeah, I think I just might. Maybe get a little dinner and then bring it back to my place, and just relax and listen to it."
Remy leaned back against the bench with her. "Eatin' alone is kinda, well...lonely. Don't you t'ink? Maybe you'd like it if I came back an' ate dinner wit' you?" He looked at her searchingly and Ororo didn't know what to think.
Is he asking to have dinner with me at the Dining Hall, or in my room? If he means in my room, is that some kind of code for something else? Her lack of expertise in this area made her somewhat suspicious, especially after what she'd heard from the girl across the hall in her dorm. A little too quickly, she replied, "No, uh, I think I'm all set for tonight. In fact, we probably should be heading back. I have a lot of homework to do." She stood up and failed to register a look of defeat in her companion's eyes. No matter how many rejections he experienced, and no matter how all right he pretended to be after each one, they still hit him hard; a nice little souvenir from his past as an unwanted child.
Remy stood with her and began to follow her back to their dorms, the sun setting all around them and leaving everything looking burnt around the edges. He turned the conversation back to school and their collective upcoming projects, the things he knew he should be talking about with her as her tutor for Academic Watch, rather than discussing the smoldering in his bones, the deep desire he had that spurred him to get to know her better. She was the first kindred soul he'd met in such a long time; with everyone else, sometimes he felt like he was just pretending to be alive.
As they approached the college, he let the conversation die down and said goodbye to Ororo, and watched as she walked away and the sun swallowed up her silhouette. He made his way back to the path of trees that he had shown her upon their first meeting, and walked there until the sun's rays faded into nothing, burning away the day that had ended with him being rejected by someone he'd hoped would trust him as implicitly as he trusted her.