Chapter 3
Maya
Coffee. Cup. Sugar.
As if controlled by a remote, I move around in the kitchen of our shared apartment. I can barely keep my eyes open, only perceiving the outlines of the minimalist kitchenette with its pale green plastic fronts and the wobbly flea market table in the dim morning light.
Bowl. Cereal. Milk. Spoon.
Hardly have I returned the milk carton to the fridge when someone embraces me from behind. A questionable blend of smoke and alcohol wafts into my nose. A head leans heavily against my back, accompanied by a contented sigh in my ear.
Elina.
"Hey, Pippi Langstrumpf," she murmurs, even though today I'm dressed very subtly. Not even hairpins adorn my black hair. Just the colorful nails, the scarf around my hips, and the vibrant plastic jewelry bring some color to my outfit. That much should be allowed.
The fact that Elina is awake at this hour, despite not having a shift, can only mean one thing. "Looks like someone was out partying." I force the corners of my mouth up.
She releases me and leans against the sink. "It wasamazing." She looks a bit like a surfer girl who has just won a tough competition. There's a strange glow on her cheeks, her ocean-blue eyes shine, and her blond mane is tousled.
I inspect her smile suspiciously. "Did you meet someone?"
Her vigorous nod makes her whole body tremble. "His name is Flo. And he's... oh."
"Did you spend the night with him?" My eyebrows inevitably rise.
The sheepishly blissful expression on her face and how she now places her hands on her glowing cheeks make any answer unnecessary.
Although I've witnessed it countless times before, I still can hardly believe it. How can she become so involved with a complete stranger so quickly?
Quickly, I grab my bowl and steer Elina toward the kitchen table. While I spoon my cereal, she tells me how she met Flo and what they did together last night. When she mentions that they plan to meet again this afternoon, I feel nauseous.
"Going for ice cream in the park. Isn't that romantic?" I can see that she's already mentally standing in front of her wardrobe, pulling out one top after another.
I just grunt and take the last spoonful of my cereal into my mouth.
Love at first sight doesn't exist.
Elina is too smart to believe in such nonsense. Why does she always throw herself headlong into relationships that never last long anyway?
"This time it's different," she says, as if she knows exactly what I'm thinking. "He's the one."
"If that's the case, then I'm happy for you." For her sake, I force a smile and reach for my empty cereal bowl.
"Flo has a really cute friend who's single. He would be perfect for you," I hear Elina say in a conspiratorial tone.
Definitely not.
I generally stay away from men. Even if they smile at me so blissfully like the one with the baseball cap in the toy store yesterday, I want nothing to do with them.
It's better this way.
My gaze shifts to the clock on the microwave. Half past eight. I still have more than enough time before my appointment, but I would rather cut out my own tongue than continue this conversation. "As much as I'd love to chat with you, I have a job interview."
"Fine, I'll be quiet." She throws her arms up in feigned theatricality. Then she tilts her head. "Wait a minute. Why an interview? Today is the biology exam you need for admission to university."
Theoretically, that's correct. But in practice, it's not. "I'm not going to take it." Because it doesn't make any sense anyway.
I know Elina's sympathetic expression all too well. "Cold feet?"
