Chapter 14
[8:37pm]
The two girls, Marya and Helene, sat on the sofa in Marya’s living room. Their homework sheets laid side by side, with Helene’s graphing calculator placed haphazardly across the paper. The two were doing homework, that is until Marya broke down in sobs. She recounted the conversation she and her mother just had on the phone an hour ago.
“So your mom is coming home?”
With a concerned look in her eyes, Helene set a half eaten tortilla chip on her salsa stained napkin.
“On Wednesday… It's just… She’s so….”
Marya struggled to come up with the words. Even from a young age, Marya could remember the times when her mother failed to be there for her. It was always work this, and business meeting that. And as Marya got older, and her mother climbed the ranks in the world marketing business, the meetings became trips, which meant days, weeks, months away from home. Marya hated the way her mother put work before her own child. And if Marya was ever so lucky to have one of her own, she vowed she would never treat them like this.
“I understand… I know it's not the same but, as mom's diagnosis got worse and worse, she spent less and less time hanging out with us - Me and Anatole. She was always so weak and frail. There were times when I just needed a mom y’know. Someone who could wrap me up in a hug and tell me everything was gonna be alright. But she was always at the hospital, back and forth. Masha, I may not know how it feels to have an absent mother come back, but I know how it feels to be without one. It hurts. But I’m here.”
Helene rested her hand on Marya’s.
She gazed into Helene’s eyes, and a small smile arose on her face.
“You’re too kind for this world Helene.”
A single tear rolled down Marya’s cheek.
Helene gently wiped it away, and returned the smile.
“For you, ma chere.”
“Earlier today, I really enjoyed spending my detention with you.”
Marya began to blush just remembering the kiss she shared with Helene. It all felt so magical - so movie-like.
“I did too. I liked the part when that crazy teacher, Bal…-”
Helene had some trouble remembering the name of the eccentric drama teacher.
“Balaga.”
Marya finished for her.
“Balaga. Yeah, I liked when he came into the classroom looking like he’d just crawled out of a swamp. Are you sure he isn't some human reincarnation of Shrek?”
Helene popped a tortilla in her mouth.
“Actually no, I’m not sure about that.” Marya chuckled.
“I also liked the part when a pretty redhead kissed me in the hallway.”
Helene leaned into Marya.
“Oh?”
If Marya was blushing before, her face just became ten times a deeper shade of red.
“Yeah, I think that part was my favorite. And I think I'd very much like to be her girlfriend… What do you think?”
Helene turned her head, looking up into Marya’s eyes.
“I - I…. She would like that a lot.”
Her heart was racing, and she was pretty sure Helene could feel it.
“Nice…”
And now it was Helene who was blushing a shade of red.
“I honestly don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t met you Marya. It’s like, since day one of me living here you’ve done nothing but help me. I’m a better person now that I’ve met you, and I thank God every day for bringing me to you. You’re so smart and hardworking, not to mention beautiful…”
She nuzzled into the crook of Marya’s neck.
“You’re perfect.”
“No one’s ever called me perfect before…”
Marya tilted her head down to see Helene’s messy curls sprawled over her chest.
“I’m glad I’m the first.”
They stayed like this for the next thirty minutes. Helene leaning against Marya, and Marya loving every second of it. She still couldn’t quite believe it honestly. How she ended up being so lucky to know Helene, be friends with Helene, be more than friends with Helene.
Is it too early to say “I love you?”
Just then, Helene turned her body to look up at Marya.
“We should finish our homework now.”
“Five more minutes?”
“Okay.”
===
Pierre walked into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. Since he went to Helene’s house earlier, he hadn’t had any time to catch up on his astrology homework. He slumped down in his desk chair and began ruffling around in his bookbag for the homework. Once he finally found it, he pulled it out and smoothed it out on the desk. It was crumpled by all the other papers, folders, and books.
He hoped that his teacher would still accept it.
Picking up a pencil, he began to complete the homework assignment. Around question five, he felt a buzz in his pocket.
He slid his phone out of his pocket to see a notification from Natasha (He needs to change her contact name to Natalie.)
Natasha: Just making sure u got home safely?
He began to type back.
Pierre: Yes, I just got home about 25 minutes ago. You?
Natalie: I’m still in the car. We had to drop off Mary at her house.
Natalie: Sonya says hi
Pierre: Hi Sonya. Is it a long way home?
Natalie: Another ten minutes or so, but Sonya’s driving is about the speed of a turtle so maybe 15
Pierre chuckled at Natalie’s joke.
Pierre: I’m going to tell Sonya you said that.
Natalie: She knows! She says she's being cautious, but the only reason she says that is because she knows I drive fast. She just wants to give me a lesson on how to drive ‘properly’
Pierre: Ha, at least you still can drive. Helene failed her driving test twice.
Natalie: Twice? God, what did she do wrong?
Pierre: Ran a few lights, almost crashed.
Natalie: Yikesss. I guess I should be grateful for Sonya’s slow driving.
Natalie: Hey speaking of Helene. She told me you two used to be friends?
Pierre: Yeah, we kinda drifted apart a few years ago. With her moving around so much it was hard to stay in touch.
Natalie: You two never dated though. Or have you?
Pierre was kind of taken aback by this question. Why would Natasha ask if he and Helene ever dated? Sure, the thought has crossed Pierre’s mind before but Helene would never go for a guy like Pierre. And by the same logic, Natalie would never either. He’s just too awkward, too unsure of everything, too Pierre.
Pierre: No, we never dated. I don’t have a shot with her at all. Besides, I think she and Marya have a thing for each other.
Natalie: Oh they definitely do. Do you see the way Marya looks at her? She's lovestruck.
Pierre: Yeah, its the same way Sonya looks at Mary. And the way Fedya looks at Anatole.
Natalie: Are all of our friends dating?
Pierre: I don’t know if Marya and Helene are official yet, but they're certainly headed that way.
Natasha: Wouldn’t it be kinda funny if we dated? The last two lone friends.
Pierre: Yeah, it would be.
Now it was clear to Pierre that Natalie did not want to be in a relationship with him. If that wasn’t already evident with the playful flirting, and friendly banter. Natasha just thinks that Pierre’s a joke. Is that how he comes across? A joke?
Natalie: I’m home now
Pierre: Oh nice.
Natalie: If you’re not doing anything right now, maybe we could facetime and watch a movie together? Now that I’m home.
Pierre: I actually have to finish up some astrology homework, butthank you for the offer.
Natalie: Oh… okay. Well, I’ll see if Sonya might want to watch a movie then.
Pierre: Alright
Natalie: Yeah.
Natalie: Goodnight Pierre.
Pierre: Night.
Pierre set down his phone on his desk and returned to the homework assignment staring back at him.
Natasha walked out of her room, and entered the hallway. She knocked on Sonya’s door, before slowly opening it and entering.
“Sonya, can I talk to you?”
Sonya, who was listening to a podcast through her earbuds, promptly took them out once she saw Natasha standing in her doorway.
“Sorry Nat, I didn’t hear you. What’dcha say?”
She paused her podcast.
“You were right… I like Pierre.”
She flopped down on Sonya’s bed.
A big smile spread across Sonya’s face.
“Y’know, I don’t want to say I told you so but I definitely told you so.”
“That’s not all. I think he doesn’t like me back.”
“Why do you think that?”
“He didn’t want to watch a movie with me. He said he had homework to do. Sonya, if he’d rather do homework than watch a movie with me then I don’t think he likes me at all.”
Natasha sighed a heavy sigh and sunk further and further into the mattress.
“Maybe he just really had a lot of homework to do and didn’t have time for a movie. Did you think of that?”
The girl tried to console her cousin.
“No. But still, what if he doesn’t like me back? He’s the only guy i've ever liked that’s actually considerate of how I feel, doesn’t take advantage of me. I know he’s good Sonya… what if this is my chance and I just didn't make the cut for Pierre Bezukhov? He probably likes girls like Helene. Wild, smart, pretty. Not dumb girls like me.”
“Hey now…”
Sonya leaned next to Natasha.
“You’re not dumb. You can be impulsive sometimes but you are nowhere near dumb. Remember that day last summer, the one where I came home crying because I thought Mary’s family didn't like me?”
“They still don’t like you.”
“That's besides the point. Anyway, I came home crying after meeting her family for the first time. Aunt Olga tried to help me feel better by making cookies, but that didn’t work. Mary tried to help me by reading to me on facetime, but that didn't help either. It was only until you came into my room, forced me to get into the car and drove me to that hiking trail that I felt better.”
“I still don’t understand how hiking made you feel better but okay.”
“Oh no the hike hurt like hell. My legs still hurt to this day.”
Sonya and Natasha laughed to each other, reminiscing about that day on the hiking trail.
“It was after the hike. When we were standing on the cliffs edge, looking down on the entire city. All the glow of the tiny home’s and street lights illuminating the night sky… It was beautiful.”
“We weren’t even supposed to be there. I had to pay the security guard extra to get in.”
Natasha sat upright, and smiled at her cousin.
“You’re the only one who would’ve thought about that. You are smart Nat.”
“I was just being a good cousin.”
“Say what you will, but you are one of the smartest people I know. You just have to open your eyes and see it.”
Sonya smiled back at her cousin, and the two shared a hug.
“And what about Pierre? Do you think he sees that in me?”
“I think he does.”
“Thanks Sonya.”
Natasha smiled at her cousin.
“You’re welcome Natasha.”
“Would you like to watch a movie with me?”
Natasha grabbed the remote and flicked on the tv.
“I swear if we’re watching Hamilton again, I will cancel the Disney+ subscription.”
===
Vassily sat on the sofa in the living room. The faint tick of the clock rang in his ears. It only reminded him of the dwindling time he had to deliver the money to Andrey Bolkonsky. Who does that boy think he is? Manipulating an older, and wiser man like him. Then again, Nikolai Bolkonsky did the same to Thalia when she was in college, so he supposed the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
How was he going to get $5,000 dollars?
Despite living in a miniature mansion, the Kuragina’s weren’t as well off as Vassily led on to the outside world. Other wealthy families in the Kuragina circle marveled at the poise and grace the Kuagina’s displayed, and now that they all feel pity for him on the passing of Thalia, he couldn’t let that image fade. Keeping the facade, and delivering the money were his main priorities at the moment. He prayed his children, Helene and Anatole, didn’t notice the financial instability.
The power that the Bolkonsky’s hold is a power that was dared to be reckoned with. If Vassily did not return the money, he knew his consequences. He would be sent back to Russia and sent to jail under fraud. The danger that would put Helene and Anatole in…
The inquisitions they have towards their mother’s past was already weighing down on Vassily. Too many things are weighing down on him. Part of him wanted to tell them everything. The cub, the affair, the payments - but at what expense? Losing the trust of the only people in this world who seem to care about him. Then again, maybe he’d already lost that.
Helene said it herself - they deserve to know.
The least he could do now was tell them the truth.
Vassily sat up from his seat and walked to the stairs. He breathed a heavy sigh before taking a step. Not long after, Anatole heard a knock at his bedroom door. He sprang up to open it.
“Yeah dad?”
Anatole stared at his father. The dark circles under his eyes he hadn’t noticed before. And the graying scraggly beard that consumed his face.
“Tell Fedya it is time to go home. And call your sister. Tell her she needs to come home. We need to have a talk as a family.”
Vassily turned to go back down the stairs. His steps were slow.
“Call me if you need to talk after, okay Anatole?”
Fedya slipped behind the boy and made his way down the stairs.
“Thanks Fedya.”
Anatole smiled, and closed the door.
Grabbing his phone off the bed, he pulled up Helene’s contact and pressed the phone to his ear.
After a few moments, the line picked up.
“Helene? You have to come home. I know you said this whole secret’s stuff is too overwhelming for you, but dad just announced a family meeting… I think we’re going to get our answers tonight.”
Helene responded back,
“I’m on my way.”