Trevon Carter

"How's Arthur doing?" Ryan asked. We found an empty table and sat with sandwiches in hand.

"Much better," I said. "He's even going to perform in a few weeks for the spring recital. It's not as rigorous of a routine as he would usually do, but he's happy he's able to do anything."

Ryan glanced at me and then away. He set his sandwich down and took his laptop out. He placed it on the table in front of us. He opened an internet browser and opened the NASA open job positions. It was a common thing we did, look at job/career openings while we ate lunch and imagined ourselves there.

"Was there something you wanted to ask me?" I asked because that glance meant something. He hesitated. "You can ask," I said.

"I'm not sure I should," he said.

"Is it about Alice?" I asked. He had been hesitant to ask about anything involving her.

"Not exactly," he said. "I was just worried it would make you think of her."

"She's currently in jail awaiting a hearing. I'm ok talking about her."

"I was just wondering if Arthur had a dance partner," he said, "but I was afraid if I brought that up you'd be reminded that Alice used to be his dance partner."

I tried to relax my fists when I realized they were clenched. I told him it was okay to talk about Alice because I didn't want him or anyone else to hesitate to talk to me or ask me questions, but the reality was, I still had a lot of issues where Alice was concerned. I still had nightmares about Arthur convulsing in my arms with blood on his face. I woke up in the middle of the night most nights to make sure Arthur was safe next to me.

"He's doing a solo piece this time," I said. He wouldn't even be in the group dance with everyone else. They had been practicing it without him. They didn't really have a choice. They couldn't stop their lives and classes for those few weeks while Arthur recovered.

"And your sisters aren't spying on you anymore?"

"I don't think so," I said. "They seem to be giving me the space I asked for. I still can't believe they put that app on Arthur's phone." My fists were clenched again. I consciously unclenched them and concentrated on eating the sandwich. Students walked by us in the cafeteria, got their own food, chatted at tables.

"I'm glad they're not my sisters," he said. "No offense or anything."

"None taken," I said. "They try. They just don't know how to relinquish control. I'm not even sure why they have that compulsion. We have good parents and our grandpa is awesome." My grandpa had called more and more just to chat with Arthur. It was sweet. Arthur basked in the attention my grandpa gave him.

"Did something happen to you when you were little? Almost drown or something that makes them be over protective of you?"

"Not that I know of," I said. "And they've caused me more harm than almost anyone else." It would have been more than anyone, except Alice had done more harm than my sisters ever could when she poisoned Arthur.

"But they won't stand for others hurting you either," Ryan said.

"They're a conundrum I gave up trying to figure out a long time ago. Let's look at the job openings," I said. I just wanted to stop talking about people and things that were going to upset me.

For the rest of the lunch break, we fantasized about getting our dream jobs at NASA, even going up for the same position, but miraculously we would both get in. Unlike what Arthur believed, I could daydream. I wasn't set in reality all the time.

When classes were over, I went home, showered and did my homework. Then I went to Arthur's apartment. He wasn't home yet so I let myself in. I made him chicken and vegetables. The first time I tried to make chicken, I burnt it. I was getting better at it. Last time Arthur had said I finally got it so it wasn't dry.

"That smells delicious," Arthur said as he came into the kitchen. I had been so focused I hadn't heard him come in.

"Are you ready to eat?" I asked.

"I need to take a shower first. I'll be back," he called out as he rushed out of the kitchen.

When he came back, I had the table set and the food all ready.

'I'm starving," he said and sat in his seat. He immediately took a bite of chicken. "You're getting better and better at this," he said.

That made me smile. I took a bite of the chicken. It was better. It still wasn't as good as when Arthur made it though.

"How was dance?" I asked him.

He smiled - a smile of peace and contentment. "I missed it," he said. "I'm so glad I can dance again. I still get tired after though. Not as much as I did in the beginning so progress. I just want to be the same fit and healthy I was before all of this."

I reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "I can't wait to see you on the stage again," I said. His smile broadened at my words.

"Mrs. Madsen is trying to convince Danny and Sam to kiss at the end of their dance. It's a choreography the two of them came up with themselves, but they are hesitant to kiss. It's funny though, because I think if they weren't dating they wouldn't hesitate to do the kiss. They would have just done it. I guess it means more to them now. Danny has never dated someone as long as he has Sam as far as I know and they haven't even dated long. He is still enamored with her. It's cute."

"I hope they last," I said.

"Me too."

When we were finished we went into the living room to sit on the couch. He immediately brought out his homework and began to work on it. He had been more diligent about it since he went back to school. He didn't complain about it anymore either. Being forced away from it while he was in the hospital had made him miss doing it. He appreciated it now. I picked up the book I had brought - a science fiction one - and began to read.

Arthur's phone rang. He picked it up, but hesitated when he saw who was calling.

"Who is it?" I asked.

He turned the phone so I could see the unknown number that occasionally texted him.

"Should I answer it?" he asked.

I shrugged.

He answered, but put it on speaker so I could hear too. "Hello," he said.

There were several long moments of silence. Arthur went to hang up, but before his finger hit the phone a woman's voice said, "Who is this?"

"You've been texting me saying you want to see me dance and now you ask who I am?" Arthur asked.

More silence and then a click as she hung up. Arthur and I stared at each other not sure what to make of that. Finally I said, "You keep getting texts from her?"

"I didn't get a lot at first," Arthur said. "I've been getting more and more since I was in the hospital. I only replied back because I thought they might be worried about how I was doing and I just wanted them to know that I was okay. Then they asked about dance and I missed dancing so much that it was nice to have someone to talk to about it. I didn't send long messages and I always kept it professional." He said it as if I thought he was cheating on me. I didn't. I knew he wouldn't.

"Art," I said, "I don't mind you talking to her if she were your friend, but you don't know anything about her. You don't know who she is or how she got your number or anything."

"You're right," he said. "And this call was really strange. She's never called before, it's always been texts and then she didn't know who I was and then just hangs up."

"It doesn't feel right," I said.

"No," he said, "it doesn't." He navigated through the phone and blocked her number. He smiled when it was done. "Now I don't have to worry about that anymore."

I smiled and wrapped my arm around his shoulder. I kissed his cheek as he went back to his homework.