the girl in red

xxv. cigarette daydreams

Saturday, March 1st, 1976

Lafayette, Indiana

Jeff

Jeff shifted on his bed, his eyes trained on the ceiling. He turned his head and looked at the phone on his nightstand, the piece of paper under it with numbers on it taunting him. A sigh left his lips and he finally sat up and reached for the phone. At the dial tone, he spun the dial until it began to ring. He sat back against the wall and ran a hand through his hair as he waited for a voice.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Maxim."

"Oh! Hey, Jeff! I'm assuming you're calling for Dimitra...?" Maxim asked, his voice crackling as he audibly walked farther from the phone.

"Yup."

"Let me get her on the line. Give me one second," he said before his voice became dull. Jeff couldn't understand a word that came out of his mouth after that except for his own name. He'd often forgotten that Dimitra and Maxim weren't American, and English wasn't their first language. Dimitra didn't speak Russian around them, often, even when talking to Dima or Maxim.

There was the sound of the phone being passed before a more feminine voice crackled through, "Hey, Jeff. What are ya' callin' for?"

"Would you be up to going shopping with me? I'm bored outta my mind and I need to get some new clothes."

"Sure! I have nothing to do, either. I'll be over in a few!"

"Ight, sounds good. See you soon."

The line crackled before it fell silent, and he placed the phone back onto the receiver. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and he was silently grateful that he'd already changed into clothes this morning. He grabbed a pair of shoes from his closet before opening his bedroom door and walking downstairs.

"Hey, mom, I'm gonna go shopping with Dimitra soon."

Sonja looked up from the table, newspaper in hand, and raised her eyebrows. "Why?"

"I need some new clothes..."

She tilted her head and casted him a knowing look. "And...?"

"I gotta find a gift for Ecelynn."

"There it is. You gonna take the bikes or is Dima driving y'all?"

"Bikes. We're not going far."

Sonja flipped her paper back up and nodded. "Alright. Be safe!"

Jeff gave her a thumbs-up before walking to the door and pulling open the door. It was getting warmer outside quickly, and spring was well on its way. The snow had melted completely, and the forecast was surprisingly right when it said that Valentine's day would be the last day of snow. It had yet to snow - or rain - and the wind had died down somewhat, too. It would kick back into gear when spring arrived fully, and soon the fields would become lakes. He sat on the first step of the walkway and let the door fall shut behind him as he slipped on his shoes and tied them.

Only seconds later, Dimitra was at the bottom of the walkway. She waved at him, her smile blistering, and she jogged up to him. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, though it was still impossibly long. He stood and accepted her hug with a soft grin before he stepped back.

She stuck her hands into the pockets of her jeans and looked at the door behind him. "Is your mom home?"

"Mhm. Why?"