The Hall Speaks #fallsemester

A Cardinal Sin

#Landon #Alana

Dripping wet, Alana sat down in the car. Pieces of her now mahogany hair stuck to her slick olive skin like it had been glued in place. Using her index finger she pressed down on the automated lock seven times. Then she peeked at Landon, curious as to what he must be thinking.

"I'm so sorry; I'm completely ruining your seat," Alana admitted as the water from her body soaked into the leather.

Landon, however, couldn't have cared less. Nervous and excited, he was relieved to be spending time with Alana alone. He was nervous about the way she made him feel—he wanted to touch her, to feel her skin underneath his fingertips.

Catching the shadows on Alana's oval-shaped face, Landon followed them down her neck to her collarbone. "Don't even worry about that." He wiped the rain from his eyes with his shirt. "You know, you played a really good game out there. Did you play volleyball in high school?" he asked, cranking the engine and pulling out of the parking lot.

Alana's stomach flipped like crazy just looking at him. Headlights flashed in his face, brightening the clear blue color of his eyes. She studied his profile, her eyes stopping at his mouth. She felt the heat increasing in her cheeks, thinking his lips looked as pink as candy. When he turned to face her, she looked away, unable to hide her smile.

"Not exactly... I love sports. Growing up with someone like my dad made it a requirement," explained Alana, and her accent seemed stronger as she talked about her father.

"Hum, what do you mean?"

"I think my dad always wanted a boy, but he'd never admit that. Instead he got me and my younger sisters. Growing up, I became very familiar with anything having to do with balls." There was a moment's pause as she realized how that sounded, and her face reddened as she wished she could take it back.

A low chuckle erupted from Landon's throat; he could tell Alana was rethinking her choice of words. Not wanting to make her feel even more uncomfortable, he changed the subject. "You moved to the States... a few years ago, right?" he encouraged.

"Yes."

"I'm curious... what made your family want to move?"

Alana paused, wondering if she should get into the lengthy details of what led her family to move to America. She figured she might as well tell Landon. Her family situation would eventually affect her RA position.

They reached a stop light. Peeking at Landon reluctantly, Alana mumbled, "It's kind of a long story—"

Their eyes met.

Landon's face grew soft. "You don't have to tell me. I just thought I'd ask," Landon assured, shifting the speed on the windshield wipers as the thunder rumbled around them.

Alana looked at her bare, wet knees and inhaled, slowly letting her breath out. "No it's okay... I don't mind. My mother was diagnosed with a rare form of systemic lupus erythematosus years ago. She was really sick and needed a kidney transplant. She was on the list to receive a donor's kidney, but it would have taken too long. And she didn't have that much time." Alana's breath became uneasy. She reached for the door lock and pressed again. She kept her finger there this time. "My dad started looking for other alternatives and decided to apply for jobs near Charlottesville because the UVA hospital has the best treatment plan for people with my mom's condition. He got a job and a work visa, and my mom got a donor. I'm so grateful—she's my best friend."

"I had no idea," Landon confessed in a low voice as the light turned green. "I'm glad you're here, but I'm sorry about the circumstances that led you here. How is your mother doing?" he continued, examining Alana carefully.