The Distance from A to Z

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Authors: Natalie Blitt
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an entire alphabet. We’re two people in love with a language that almost everyone we know doesn’t care about. In French I pretend he doesn’t look like a guy who’s into sports, that he doesn’t remind me of every guy who was once on Si’s or Jed’s baseball team, like Eddie and Ryan and every guy I used to go for.
    Guys like them aren’t trustworthy; they have legions of girls following them around. But Zeke is hurt. . . .
    â€œSeriously,” I continue, my hands coming up toward his shoulder, “have you had someone look at it—”
    â€œDrop it.” Zeke is using English and he’s not looking at me. His knuckles are white around the strap of his bag, his back tense.
    â€œYou aren’t limping as much anymore.”
    â€œIt’s none of your business. Just like who I date or whose perfume I smell like. Not your business.” He stands up abruptly, swinging his bag onto his back, the movementcausing him to wince. “I’m not around this afternoon or tomorrow. So let’s see if we can whip out our assignment on Sunday. I’m sure you’ll welcome the time away from me.”
    And then he takes off, and it’s only in staring at his retreating figure that I still see traces of his limp.
    I spend Friday night watching French movies in my room. Amélie . Intouchables . Paris, Je T’aime .
    For dinner, I pour a box of water crackers on a plate and toss in three discs of Babybel cheese and a handful of grapes, clearly hitting all the major food groups. Alice decides to go to her poetry reading with a friend from class, and I almost tag along just to make sure she’ll be okay. But instead I make her promise she’ll call if she can’t make herself go in, even if she just wants me to sit beside her.
    By eleven o’clock, I want to call her and tell her to come back to our room because I’m lonely. But instead I pop in another movie, La Vie d’Adele , the very racy Blue Is the Warmest Color . It’s the first time I can really watch the movie about two high school girls falling in love without somehow worrying that my brothers will walk in.
    Except halfway through the movie Alice walks in.
    â€œWhatcha watching?” she asks, plopping on the bed beside me.
    Merde .
    â€œHow was the poetry reading?” I ask, shutting my computer.
    â€œIncredible,” Alice says, dropping backward onto the mattress. “The people reading were amazing and there was a good vibe. I thought the whole thing would be terrifying but everyone there was so supportive.”
    I flick on my desk lamp and notice that Alice has that dreamy look on her face, her eyes closed behind her thick black glasses.
    Black glasses that are a lot like Zeke’s.
    Zeke who isn’t here.
    â€œDo you think you’ll read?”
    â€œEventually. We start by doing it in a small group but toward the end of the course, we’ll have to do it at an open mic night.”
    She’s chewing her bottom lip. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to get up there in front of a crowd—”
    â€œI’ll definitely come if you do,” I promise. “And I’ll sit in the front row, and you’ll just stare at me and it’ll be like nobody else is even there.”
    Alice smiles sadly, her gaze on my comforter and not me.
    â€œI’m excited to hear you read your poetry.”
    She glances over at me and I’m relieved to see her bottom lip has escaped her teeth with minimal damage. “So how was your study session with Zeke?”
    I’d tried to downplay all things Zeke but apparently Alice isn’t oblivious. Because she’s scanning the room as though she is expecting to find traces of boy. Except there’s nothing boy here because as far as I know, there hasn’t been a boy in this room since Si and Jed left me here on the first day of school.
    Certainly no Zeke.
    â€œHe had other things to

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