When I wake up, the first thing I see are the legs of the living room sofa, and I smell the dust on the rug. I'm lying face down on the floor. My head aches, and my chest is bare. "What am I doing here?" I ask myself, trying to sit up.
I hear a door open and a voice say — Are you awake? — It's Adrián approaching. He helps me up. — Looks like you smoked a joint of mushrooms yesterday and went crazy — he says — You almost jumped out of the car window yesterday.
— Ugh... how awful, how embarrassing — I sigh, remembering what happened.
I go into my room and head straight to the shower. When I get out, I see Adrián standing in the doorway. — I put your clothes away last night after you left with that girl — he says with a smile — How did it go with her?
— I don't remember much — I say, even though I have clear images of the failure in my memory.
— Well, I'll order something to eat — he says and leaves before I can refuse.
We sit on the living room floor eating spicy wings with rice. My headache starts to subside after eating, and I already feel much better. — Thank you so much for inviting me to the party and for the food — I comment — Despite the unexpected ending, I had a great time.
— I never thought you'd get carried away — Adrián says.
— I became more studious in my last years of high school so I could earn the scholarship — I say — After my dad died, I avoided getting into trouble so I wouldn't worry my mom. That doesn't mean I don't like fun.
— I didn't skip classes or make a mockery of parks — Adrián says, referring to one of the pranks I pulled in high school when I was trying to get noticed by a group of insufferable kids. I laugh at his statement, and he continues, — I always tried to make my dad proud, but nothing seemed to matter to him.
— It does matter to me that you put in the effort — I say — especially since we're going to do a project together.
— Do you want to go buy the materials to get started? — he asks.
— I can't, I have to go to work — I say, looking at my watch — We can work on the plans in more detail when I get back.
— I thought you worked during the week — Adrián says — I've seen you arrive in uniform a couple of times.
— I work part-time at an ice cream shop on weekends — I respond.
I get up from the floor and grab my phone and wallet from my room. My mom insisted she'd help me cover my expenses in London, but she's already gone into too much debt paying for the plane tickets, the deposit, and the first three months' rent on the apartment I share with Adrián.
So every summer I try hard to save money to visit her in Japan. She insists on keeping me connected to my dad's family, so she moved near my grandmother's even though she married my stepfather. I have to spend a lot of time with the rest of the family, but my main goal is to spend time with her again, cooking or gardening in our house. I feel like I owe it to her for not being a good kid before Dad died.
I managed to get to the ice cream shop on time. I work from 2:00 to 10:00 PM. I'm paid hourly, so I avoid taking breaks to make sure I get paid in full at the end of my shift. When I get home, I take off my shoes and collapse onto my bed as soon as I get to my room.
— Wanna go out for a bit? — a voice asks from behind me.
— No, not this time — I say.
— Tell me, what happened to the girl? — Adrián asks — Did something happen between you two? You disappeared for a long time.
— I didn't think you were so nosy — I say, burying my face in the bed.
— What? — he asks. After a moment of silence, he says, — If you want to see her again, you could get her number. She's Camile's friend and she's coming to eat with us at a bar restaurant.
— It didn't go very well — I say — I don't think I lasted even five minutes. It was pretty awful.
— Really? — he asks, and I feel his presence beside me as the mattress dips slightly.
— I was really nervous — I say and lift my face. I see Adrián sitting next to me and sit up. — It felt so good, I think I got a little too excited.
— Was it really your first time with a woman? — Adrián asks. I nod and lie back on the bed staring up. I run my hands over my face. I hadn't thought that girl was connected to Adrián in any way — There's nothing you can't fix. You just have to tell her that it was your first time. You'll have a valid excuse and you'll feel less embarrassed in front of her.
— I'd rather never see her again — I sigh.
— It's not the end of the world — he remarks.
— She said it was a waste of time — I reply.
— Girls are more understanding than you think — he says, placing his hand on my shoulder to reassure me — I promise you, she'll understand. Besides, it probably wasn't as bad as you think.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to gather my courage. Adrián pats me on the back and leaves the room.
When we got to the bar, I saw Camile, the girl from that night, and the one in the blue dress. After ordering drinks and food and chatting for a while, I realized that the girl in the blue dress was named Amelia, and the girl I slept with was named Luisa.
Luisa is Camile's cousin and is on exchange from Italy for this semester only. After that, Adrián started making jokes about how high I was the night before and about the crazy things I did or said.
— Can we talk for a moment? — I asked Luisa. She stood up almost immediately, and we both went outside the restaurant — I'd like to apologize for last night, I...
— No, it's okay — she interrupted — I had drunk a lot, and you were really high. It was a one-night stand — she said, smiling slightly — Let's try not to make it awkward.
— Okay — I said, and without another word, we went back to the table with the others.
After drinking, chatting, and dancing a bit more, the night didn't feel so awkward anymore, and Luisa and I even danced a few songs. Around four in the morning, I was the only one who seemed more sober than the others, so I called a taxi for the girls and drove Adrián's car back home.
— I can't sleep, my head is spinning! — he says when I help him down onto his bed. The he starts shouting out of the blue.
— Sh... be quiet! — I whisper and cover his mouth. I go to my room to wash my face and drink some water. When I come back to Adrián, he's fallen asleep, so I go back to my room.
When I wake up, it's already midday. I make some instant noodles and eat them with the rice I have in the fridge. I take a shower and head to my job at the ice cream shop after brushing my teeth at least three times to get rid of my bad breath. When I get home, Adrián isn't there, so I dedicate some time to researching the project. It's around one in the morning on Monday, and I have to be at my full-time job by six, so I decide to go to sleep. I hear several footsteps, and when I peek out, I see Adrián go into his room with another girl who isn't Camile. Did he just meet her? Dating multiple girls at once is an experience only someone like him can have.
I leave work at 2:00 pm and take the subway to get to my class on time. I run into Adrián on campus on my way home and see him talking to another girl who isn't Camile, nor is she the girl from the night before. They seem to be having a pleasant conversation because she's smiling and playing with her hair as if she's flirting. — Farley, hi! — she says when she sees me. He looks back at the girl, they exchange a few words, and then he comes over to me. — Thanks for giving me a ride home on Saturday! — he says, giving me a quick hug.
— Nothing you haven't already done for me — I say — How do you manage to date so many women?
— What? — he asks, confused.
— I thought you were seeing Camile, but yesterday you came home with another girl, and now you were talking to that one… — I stop when I notice him looking at me strangely — How do you manage to go out with someone? I mean, you're very sociable; I wish I were a little more like that.
— Well, the girl I was talking to a little while ago is just a friend — he says — You just have to be more confident and take the initiative to start conversations if you want to make more friends — He says and starts walking, so I follow him. He continues, — And if you want to go out with a woman, you have to show interest in her.
— Would you help me? — I ask.
— I'm sure you can be more confident if you put your mind to it — he says — But improving your physique could also help if you're afraid of making the first move. Some women like to take the initiative, but they'll only do it if they find you attractive.
Perhaps that's my best option; that way I can be completely sure there's a physical attraction on both sides. The rest will be a piece of cake if the conversation flows and there's good chemistry after the first impression.
— What are you thinking about so much? — Adrián asks as we walk home.
— I won't have time to go to the gym — I say — I can barely keep up with my grades between my 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM job at the store and my weekend shifts.
— Why do you work so hard? — he remarks — Just ask your parents for more money.
— Not everyone can rely on their parents' money — I say — I'm lucky enough to only have to pay for my stay in London. But why would you even think about that? Rich kids like you never think about others.
— Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so insensitive — he says.
— It's not your fault your parents have money — I say — But you can't be so out of touch with the reality of the people around you.
At that moment, we arrive at the patio of the house. Then Adrián says — What do you think about me taking care of the apartment expenses? That way you can quit your job and we can go to the gym together. What do you think?
— I'm not interested in taking advantage of you and accepting your handout — I say, getting out of the car and going inside.
— Farley, you wouldn't be taking advantage of me, I just want to help a friend — he says walking behind me.
— Aren't you just trying to rub your money in my face? — I say, taking off my shoes.
— It's not charity — he says, grabbing my arm to stop me and stepping closer — You'll have more time to finish the project. What do you think?
— So you do want something in return — I say — Is that why you have a reputation for being lazy, because you pay others to do your work?
— We both win — he says — You get a girlfriend and I pass the course.
— You're such an idiot — I say, and I swing my arm to go down to my room.
The next month was a complete nightmare, eating shit as the main course. Between the gym, university, work, and homework, I was on the verge of a breakdown. All so I wouldn't prove Adrián right.
We made good progress on the first phase of the model and are starting to run tests to make sure the water pump works to generate energy. Adrián pours water into the miniature dam we built. The water flows through a pipe that carries it to a small chamber where the watermill is located. As it turns with the water pressure, it generates energy that powers the lights in one of the test buildings we built — It works, it works! — Adrián exclaims.
— Yes, of course it works — I sigh with relief. I feel like I've been released from much of the tension I've been carrying.
— How about we have a party to celebrate? — Adrián suggests.
— I don't think so — I say — Not this time.