Breathing In

13

The car rumbles to a stop next to the dorm rooms. From the frozen street, I can see the light others cast from their windows. I am jealous of the fun they are having. What did I do over Christmas? Oh, I just went to a funeral. I grab my bags from the trunk, pulling out some of Char's as well.

"I can handle it." She says, and yanks them out of my hand. I try to grab more for her, but she just grabs them without looking me in the eyes.

"Fine." I say. I turn to face the stairs that lead up to the building that we call our home. Its red bricks are covered in snow, and the many balconies are no different. It stands huge against the stark white winter background of Christmas, and a few windows even have colorful lights surrounding them.

I head up the slippery stairs, and pull open the big wooden doors. I can't help but notice the resemblance the dorm doors have to the doors of the church the funeral was in. I almost start crying again, but then I remember what Char said. I have to think of others. I think to myself.

Inside, a few decoration turn the once bleak and boring hallways into a fun place for the holidays. Lights, and even a small Christmas tree even remove the need for lights.

Our dorm room is just how we left it. I smile as I see the clothes strewn across the bed, and reach to clean up a little. Suddenly, the door bursts open behind me, and I hear Char's chattering voice as she walks in. I am careful not to catch her eye, and she doesn't make any effort to do so herself.

The room is silent and all I can hear is the shuffling of clothes into the drawers. Finally, I can't stand the silence.

"Char, I'm sorry." I say.

"Oh, and you couldn't say that in the long car ride?" Char says, bitterly. That shocks me into silence as I realize that she is right. I turn my head. I can't stand how apart we feel anymore.

"I'm going outside." I say. I grab my worn winter jacket and blue stocking cap and head out in the cold air.

The snow is falling when I step outside. I can see my breath make clouds in the air. I am playing around with a snowball, when I hear a voice.

"Rebecca." It says, and I recognize it as my father's familiar growl. He grabs my shoulder. "Becca, Ecco. There are some things..."

"Right. And like I told you, I already know." I say, annoyed that he would come all the way back to my school to tell me again. I don't feel like talking to anyone now, I just want to be alone. "Go away. I don't hate you anymore."

"Becca. What you heard, well, it was a lie." My dad says, and I stop. I look at him, try to read his expression and I see nothing but truth.

"Why would you tell me that? Why would Curt tell me a lie? Were you not happy that I didn't hate you?" I ask. I am so confused, I just can't grasp what he could possibly mean.

"First of all, that man is not Curt Astroe. Curt Astroe is short with blond hair, like I told you before, Becca." My dad says. He looks at me expectantly.

"You must have him confused with someone else." I say, but even as the words escape my mouth, I realize the absurdity of the notion. It makes sense that Curt Astroe is not Curt Astroe. "What is his name, then?"

"Lewis Badmann. I know it seems weird, his name, but I'm not lying. You should know him by Dr. Badmann, the man in charge of the Gordo project." My father says. I am shocked. Lewis Badmann is known for getting whatever he wants in the science world.

"What could he want with me?" I ask.

"Well, he wants the cure, Ecco." My dad says.