Chapter 1
“Okay Marya, you got this. Just one more chapter and then you'll finally be able to get some sleep.”
Normally, Marya didn't have to work up the courage to finish her studying, it's just this damned calculus work that's got her thrown into a loop. Every time she thinks she understands a topic or a lesson, more and more letters just get added into the equation. Why does it all have to be so complicated and confusing? This is why history is her favorite subject. Everything is already there; nothing to figure out.
Sitting at her old wood carven desk, she wrote out the equation in her notebook, checking precisely she'd written it down correctly. It takes her a longer amount of time to actually solve the problem, as it was one of the more difficult ones.
“Yess, finally finished!” she sighed, sliding her pencil back into its holder. Confident that she had the correct answer, she looked back at her textbook for the real answer.
“Whaat?? How?! I did everything correct!”
Matching up her steps with the steps of the textbook she realized her mistake.
“Are you fucking kidding me?! I forgot to distribute.”
Dumbfounded by her stupid mistake, she erased the work she spent the last 20 minutes on.
In every other subject, Marya excels. In English 101 she currently has a 96%. In History - 104% (she never misses an extra credit opportunity). Chem she holds a 94%. Even in her elective class, debate - she has 89%. A B+, not the best but still not that bad.
She's about to tackle the problem again when her phone ‘pings’. She merely glances over at the phone on her bed, and then puts her attention back to her work.
‘Ping!’
Again
‘Ping!’
Again Again.
Her attempts at ignoring the phone are getting harder and harder. And this math work is probably the main contributor.
‘Ping!’
She slams the textbook shut, and wheels her wheely chair over to the end of her bed, grabbing her phone. She isn't that surprised to see text messages from her two best friends, Natasha Rostova and Sonya Rostova.
Natasha: Maryaaaa!
Sonya: Marya, did u hear the news?
Natasha: New student at school! Cute boy
Sonya: Actually, two new students. Siblings most likely.
Sonya: Nat, how do you even know he's a cute boy?
Marya shakes her head at the pair of cousins, chuckling to herself. Natasha, Sonya and Marya have all known each other since they were small. She remembers how they would all play after Sunday service. Natasha would always manage to get herself in trouble. Sonya would advise Natasha not to let her curiosity get the best of her. As for Marya, she did not want any part of it. Instead, she chose to read silently to herself as it was best to stay out of trouble than to be in the midst of it.
And even after all these years, Natasha is still finding trouble (or rather trouble finds her); Sonya is still helping Natasha out of it, and Marya is just keeping to herself.
Marya responds to the group message.
Marya: oh really? How did you two find out about this?
Natasha: Fedya told me about it. Apparently he’s friends with the boy. He also said he is very cute.
Sonya: Dolokhov told Nat about the boy. I found out about the other new student when Mr. Balaga announced that we’d be having a new addition to our drama class. Thought we oughta pass on the news.
Sonya: Nat, you and Dolokhov might be in a battle for this boy. If he isn't already dating Dolokhov that is.
Marya: What's his name?
Natasha: Fedya isn't into guysSonya. And his name is Anatole.
Sonya: … u sure abt that?...
Fedya Dolokhov. One of the male friends of the girls. He met Natasha during freshman year chorus class. Natasha then introduced him to Sonya and Marya. They all immediately clicked. Sometimes they even stay up late and paint their nails while being on facetime with each other. Sonya and Natasha paint each others, while Dolokhov paints his own. Marya doesn't paint her nails, but she does listen to the wacky conversations. Her friends are really something else.
Marya: I think Fedya has made it very clear he's attracted to men, Natalie
Sonya: his wallpaper on his phone is a picture of hugh jackman with tiny little rainbow hearts.
Marya: doesn't he also own a tee shirt that says something like “homo is where the heart is”???
Natasha: I just texted Fedya “are u gay?”. Let's wait for his response
Straying away from the current topic at hand, Marya remembered that Sonya had said “two new students”. Scrolling back up, she rereads the text message.
She's just about to type when a screenshot of another conversation pops up onto her screen.
Natasha:
Are u gay?
Fed-ya-daddy:
Yuh
Natasha: Hes gay. It's been confirmed
“Fed-ya-daddy?! What. the. hell Dolokhov?!?” Marya exclaims, chuckling a bit.
She's about to comment on the username, but Sonya beats her to the punch.
Sonya: And you thought this man was straight?! Fed-ya-daddy???
Natasha: I don't know why I believed myself either…
Marya: lol
Marya: So who's the other new student? His brother? Sister?
Just at that moment, Marya heard a loud noise coming from a very large vehicle. She glanced outside her window to see a U-Haul truck pulling into the vacant driveway of the uninhabited home next to her own. The “For Sale” sign in the grass swung in the cool wind of the evening. Suddenly, three figures stepped out of the front portion of the truck.
‘Ping!’
Marya diverted her attention from the bedroom window to the phone in her hand.
Sonya: Sister. Mr. Balaga said her name’s ‘Helene’
Natasha: Anatole and Helene. Do you know if they're juniors too or underclassmen?
Sonya: Don't know
Marya glanced back over to look outside the window. Two teenagers, and presumably their father stood on the driveway, watching the movers carry a large black couch out of the back of the truck. Marya watched as the new family admired their new house.
“No...it can't be.” Marya thought to herself.
She studied the two teenagers outside her window.
The taller, more muscular of the two had blonde colored hair which neatly swooped upwards, forming a point at the apex. His choice of fashion: Suave. Black leather jacket with golden buttons and a golden zipper. Underneath the jacket, he donned a plain white tee shirt. He wore black jeans, ripped at the knees. To match the rest of the ensemble, the chain in the belt loop of his jeans was golden as well. On his feet - black and white high top vans.
Just by looking at the boy, Marya could tell he was confident in the way he dressed. A good trait to have, but confidence can easily be mistaken for arrogance.
‘Ping!’
The girl on the other hand; she had darker hair than of her brothers. Brown, cascading curls draped over her shoulders. Her fashion sense: Regal. She wore a black, strapless romper patterned with thin white diagonal stripes, which showed her curves beautifully. The cream colored flats complimented her light skin tone. Around her right arm was a sterling silver bracelet with a feather embossed onto it. On her neck she had a thin black choker, with one pearl in the middle. It falled neatly on her freckled chest. A rhombus shaped diamond studded in her ear carried a silver chain which attached to a silver ear cuff that wrapped around the cartilage of her ear.
Marya tried hard not to stare, thinking that would be a rude first impression, but she couldn't help it. Everything about this family looked so wow. The fashion, the hair, the bodies. If looks could kill, Marya’d be long dead by now.
As the rest of the movers carried in the last of their boxes and other belongings, the smaller girl went to follow behind them. Marya’s gaze however did not go unnoticed. With a quick shift of her eyes, the girl caught sight of Marya through the glass panel that overlooked the watchers bedroom.
“Shit shit shit!” She pretended to distract herself on her phone, but when picking up the device, it may have slipped out of her hands and fallen to the floor with a soft “thud”. She hoped that the new girl did not see that part.
After collecting herself (and her phone), she looked back out the window. The girl was no longer there and Marya breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
Looking back at her phone, a notification that was delivered 4 minutes ago was displayed on the screen.
One unread message!
Fedya: Marya! Has anyone new been in your neighborhood recently? Like in the last 10 minutes kind of recently? Cause my friend Anatole just moved into town, and apparently his new house is in your neighborhood.
She texts back:
Marya: He may or may not be my new next door neighbor....
Fedya: He's your neighbor?!?! Marya, expect me to make a lottttt more surprise visits to your house from now on.
Marya: You and Natasha both
Marya: Also…’fed-ya-daddy’??
Fedya: do you get it?? It's a play on words!
Fedya: Cause I'm Fedya….but i also “Fed Ya Daddy” if yk what i meaannn
Marya: I know what you mean. You're disgusting.
Fedya: wait hold up. back up. reverse uno draw four…. “You and Natasha both”?? What does that mean?
Marya: Take it up with Natasha
Fedya: Does this have something to do with her asking me if i was a homosexual?
Marya: Can you believe she never knew? She was completely unaware that you were gay. She thought you were straight!
Fedya: I have a shirt that says “Homo is where the heart is”.... Why would she - ???????/sczhcskkjvxck
Marya: I have no idea…
Marya glanced at the clock sitting on her bedside table.
10:32pm
Deeming that it was now time for her to finally get some long awaited sleep, Marya pulled back her bedsheets and climbed in. She practically melted into the soft sea of warmth. A yawn escaped her mouth.
Fedya: I'm gonna have to have a little chat with Natalie I see, soo goodnight Marya the Starya.
Marya: Goodnight Fed Ya Daddy
Marya was just about to set her phone down on the bedside table when an alert popped up on her phone.
Fedya: Oh almost forgot!! Can you slide me the answers for the test tomorrow?
Marya rubbed her eyes, making sure she read that correctly. Yup, that says ‘test’ and ‘tomorrow’ in the same sentence.
Marya: WE HAVE A CALCULUS TEST TOMORROW?!?!
Fedya: Yes, weren't you paying attention? You're Marya, you always pay attention… unless you're not Marya………
It was indeed Marya, and she was indeed not paying attention in class today. Turns out, calculus and Marya are in fact mutually exclusive. When one is happening, the other is not. Today in class, Marya competed in a staring contest with the whiteboard.
The whiteboard won.
Marya: I'm afraid I cannot give you the answers. I have as great a chance at an A on the test than you do
The tired girl set down her phone and accepted her fate. She could practically hear the calculus textbook on her desk laughing at her, mocking her.
DISTRIBUTE THEN DIVIDE? OR DIVIDE THEN DISTRIBUTE??
GRAPH THIS TRINOMIAL OR DIE - YOU CHOOSE
YOU GOT CAUGHT STARING AT A PRETTY GIRL HAHAHA STUPID FUCK
Wait how did her calculus textbook even know that???
She wasn't staring….
Okay maybe she was staring but what's important is that ‘Helene’, didn't see Marya make a complete fool of herself.
…...Maybe she did?...
Fuck.
One unread message!
Fedya: You didn't deny it