I'll See You When I Fall Asleep

Chapter 29

Cammie now found herself in the exact position that Virgo had been the night before. The girls stood outside of Virgo's apartment, Cammie filled with apprehension and wonder. What would the inside contain? What would Virgo's room look like? What would it reveal that wasn't already known?

"Bienvenue chez moi," Virgo said, stepping through the threshold. Cammie followed close behind, craning her neck in all different directions, absorbing the tastefully decorated apartment. Virgo had suggested they stop by her house to shower and change clothes, to which Cammie eagerly agreed, curious about Virgo's living space.

It was a modern apartment, with squared and colorless furniture, positioned in an exact, careful fashion. Simple, abstract art painted with soft blues and yellows decorated the walls. Light blue curtains were hung from the windows. Four chairs were huddled around a black table. The kitchen was spotless. Somehow, this didn't seem like a place that Virgo would live.

"My room is this way."

Cammie followed close behind Virgo, gazing at the closed door they walked past.

"You live with Shea and Levi, right?"

"Yes. They decorated the apartment."

"I can tell."

With her back turned Virgo smiled to herself. She pushed open the door to her room and invited Cammie in to glimpse another facet of herself.

Compared to her own room, Cammie noted that Virgo's room was sparsely decorated, the only major furniture being a bed without a frame, a heavily used dresser, and small desk, cluttered with sheets of music and tattered notebooks, pens and pencils sprawled across the surface. The sleek acoustic guitar that Cammie had become familiar with at Virgo's open mic nights rested on a stand against the wall next to a Casio electric piano. Virgo had books piled high next to her bed, the covers worn down and spines bent from the countless reads. On one small pile, even with the height of her be, she a lamp.

In the way of decorations, there were few. Virgo had pinned photographs to the wall above her bed and desk with thumbtacks. Upon closer inspection, Cammie recognized Virgo's family: she looked so much like her mother and all three of the Payet siblings had the same smile and smattering of freckles across their noses. A sudden desire to meet Virgo's family overcame Cammie. She imagined what they were all like. Would her brothers like Cammie? Would her mother? Would Virgo even want to introduce Cammie to them? Did they speak English?

"Voilà," Virgo said, spinning around to face Cammie, who was still devouring the photographs.

Cammie glanced up and noted the expectant look on Virgo's face. "This is what I expected your room to look like," Cammie said. "This is very 'you'. I love it, it's so cozy." Virgo offered her lopsided smile. The pictures, however, were still beckoning her and so she turned back, inspecting them closer. "These are your brothers, right?"

Virgo came closer, peeking over Cammie's shoulder and admiring the photos. Her heart was filled with longing and homesickness. "Yes." She pointed to the taller of the two. "That is Benoit." Then she pointed to the shorter of the two. "And that is Mathieu."

"You all look so much alike. And you look like your mom so much."

Virgo smiled, though she was faraway. Cammie studied the unfocused look in her eye and wondered what memory was replaying behind her eyes, jealous that she would never experience the memory of Virgo's past life, the life before her. Cammie wished she could climb into Virgo's head and watch the entirety of Virgo's life play out before her eyes. The urge to reach out and squeeze Virgo's hand encouragingly overcame Cammie, yet she fought the feeling, instead choosing to keep the space between them.