Something to Be (Dusty)

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It wasn’t that there hadn’t been any parks in Paris, far from it there had been many, most of them a simple walk away. However there had been a number of factors that meant he was unable to partake in their splendour. Firstly, most of them were closed off to the upper crust of society, heaven forbid that some of the scum enter their beautifully kept park. The other was that he just didn’t have the time, between working and taking care of Natayla, and looking out for Arkady…when did he have time to stroll in the park.

Well now he did.

Arkady had slunk off somewhere and he couldn’t discern where so he had decided instead of staying in the dorm room, worrying about it, he would go out and find a park.

It was beautiful and he found that even after an hour, happily walking around the place he was not yet bored. He had even brought a book with him, just in case and had yet to open it. He decided to lie on the ground for a time and just enjoy the sun, slowly falling asleep.

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty loved spendin’ time outside. Back home she spent practically every day out in the sunshine and the heat. She liked ta sit in the sun, though Momma always made ‘er wear her sunbonnet. That were annoyin’ but otherwise she’d be bright red from the hot sun. It weren’t quite so hot here, so Dusty still tried ta spend as much time outside as she could. She hated bein’ cooped up indoors all day. And that’s why she’d decided ta walk through the park. That and she were avoidin’ ‘er Spanish homework again. Really, she just didn’t see the point in tryin’ ta learn a few words here an’ there, instead o’ learnin’ whole phrases. And phrases she’s actually use. The cowboys back home wouldn’t be impressed if’n she talked to ‘em ‘bout elephants that lived in ‘er house. They’d think she were crazy.

So walkin’ in the park were much better. There weren’t homework in the part and it weren’t too cold. It weren’t that warm in comparison to Los Avalos, but it weren’t as cold as it had been this winter, so Dusty were content. She couldn’t change the weather anyhow, so it were no use cryin’ ‘bout it. She might as well just enjoy it, ‘cause who knew? This might be as warm as it ever got here.

So Dusty were meanderin’ through the park, playin’ ‘er harmonica when she saw the boy lyin’ on the ground. And that stopped ‘er dead in ‘er tracks, ‘cause back home when people were lyin’ on the ground in the middle o’ the day that were usually a good sign. She hurried over, but not too close, ‘cause she needed ta assess the situation. There weren’t any blood or nothin’, which were a good sign, but it still didn’t rule out a snake bite. And if’n that were the case, Dusty might be too late. She knelt down next to the boy, after carefully lookin’ fer a snake (which there were any), and shook the boy’s shoulder. If’n he’d passed out from the pain or somethin’ it might rouse ‘im. Well, if ‘e were still alive anyhow. And ‘e looked alive. So Dusty were hopin’ he were alright.

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Nikolay woke with a start as someone shook his shoulder, flailing his arms and legs a bit at the surprise of the contact. It was a policeman, it had to be a policeman, wondering why the likes of him was laying about in such a respectable park as this. He was going to get booked, fined even and then he was going to prison. And then who would watch Arkady, make sure he didn’t get in to trouble? Which would probably mean that in no time at all his dear brother would be in there with him. And they would be trapped, together, for all eternity…now that was frightening.

However once he finally brought himself to opening his eyes what he saw was much more comforting than the hard face of a cop. What he saw, actually made him just that little bit more confused, but definitely a little happier. It was a girl, quite a pretty girl as well and the look of concern that was there was…well…sweet? There were a lot of pretty girls that came in to the café back in Paris, he never really had the time to talk to them, but he had always admired from afar, a couple of words there, a touch of the hand maybe as he passed the coffees on to them…but never anything else.

Smiling at her he said, “Sorry…I uh…is this…your part of the park?”

Sitting up and attempting to get to his feet he said, “I’m sorry mademoiselle, I’ll be away as quickly as I can.”

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty were more’n a little surprised at the boy’s reaction. But she was awful glad ‘e weren’t dead. That woulda been terrible. She probably woulda cried. But ‘e weren’t dead, so ever’thin’ were just fine. And from the looks o’ things he’d just been sleepin’. Dusty thought that were an awful strange thing ta do. Then again, there weren’t any grass in Los Avalos and sleepin’ on grass sounded nice. It were probably soft and warm in the sun. Maybe she should try it some time.

She smiled at the boy. “This ain’t my part o’ the park.” She leaned back on ‘er heels. “Yah ain’t gotta leave. You can stay. I was just worried. I thought a snake bit yah or somethin’. Are you alright?” She wanted ta make certain he were just fine afore she left. If’n ‘e needed assistance she could help. Well, she could probably help anyway.

She looked the boy over. There were somethin’ ‘bout ‘im that seemed familiar, though she were quite sure she’d never met ‘im. Well, that were awful strange now weren’t it? Huh. She couldn’t put ‘er finger on what seemed familiar ‘bout ‘im. Well, she might as well introduce ‘erself. “I’m Dusty,” she said, holdin’ out ‘er hand. “Are you new here?”

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Snakes?!

She thought a snake had bitten him?! Where there snakes here? Had he unknowingly laid down in a grassy area that was commonly known to have snakes slithering about it. He looked around him and thought that it didn’t look like the kind of place where snakes would be but then you never could tell he supposed. Its not like he had much experience with the countryside growing up in the heart of a city, it was possible. He decided to get up on to his feet just in case those snakes came back.

“I’m fine, uh thank you…Madamoiselle Dusty,” he said taking her hand and in turn helping her to her feet, “And yes, I’m Nikolay here, no sorry, I uh, I’m new here, my name is Nikolay. Nikolay Pavlovich.”

He smiled politely at her and stopped just as quickly because he really hadn’t got the hang of it yet. He had little cause too so when he did he often thought it was too cheesy, so obviously not real that it came off looking more sinister that warm, even if to others it did not. “My brother attends the school, our parents sent me too…follow in his footsteps,” which meant follow him around…literally, “and you? You’re accent…I cannot place it…”

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty were willin’ to admit that there probably weren’t any snakes ‘round here, but it were the first thing that’d popped into ‘er head when she’d seen ‘im lyin’ there. Snakes were realy common back home, though probably less common here. She hadn’t seen hide or tail of any kinda snake in all ‘er time bein’ here.

On ‘er feet she brushed ‘erself off, hidin’ the smile that were on ‘er lips. She’d gone and made poor Nikolay all flustered. She hadn’t meant ta do that and she did feel a little bad about it. “It’s real nice ta meet yah,” she told ‘im, havin’ gotten the smile under control. She didn’t want ‘im ta think she were makin’ fun.

So he’d followed ‘is brother. Well that were interestin’. He must be one a the many students here whose parents had gone her afore them. Dusty’s momma had never been here, but she probably woulda liked it, if’n she had. “Oh, well that’s nice. I always wished I had siblings.”

But then ‘e asked ‘bout ‘er accent. “Oh, I’m from out West. A little place called Los Avalos. It’s real small. We ain’t even part of a state yet, but we’re tryin’ awful hard. Though it’s tough ta get people ta wanna settle in a desert.” Dusty couldn’t image why people didn’t like it. She loved it. But she’d been there her whole life.

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“I wish I didn’t,” he grumbled under his breath as she mentioned wanting siblings.

It wasn’t completely true, he loved his sister completely and wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to her. And he supposed in a way, he wouldn’t want to live without Arkady either, because some where, really, really deep down, he also loved him. But really, really deep down under layers of annoyance, jealousy and regret.

Turning back to the girl in fornt of him, giving her his full attention she listened as she explained about her hometown. The wheels in his head started turning as certain things she said started triggering memories. What was it his brother had said about the girl he was going to meet? A cowgirl. Cowgirls were from the wild west, from America, like in the movies and…well…they did sort of speak like…

His eyes widened in shock. This was the girl? This was the girl that Akrady was dating?!…But she seemed so…nice. Maybe he was wrong, he had to be sure…attempting a smile again, not quite pulling it off he said, “That sounds…amazing. Tell me, my brother knows someone from…out west…a cowgirl…he’s called Arkady, you wouldn’t know him…would you?”

Please say no, please say no, please say no…..

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty weren’t sure what ta make o’ Nikolay grumblin’ like that. He didn’t seem pleased ‘bout ‘is siblings. From what Dusty’d seen o’ brothers ‘n’ sisters, they always tended ta argue and stuff, so maybe that’s why he were grumblin’ to ‘imself. Either way it wouldn’t be polite ta mention it, so she let it go. ‘Sides, she didn’t wanna be nosy.

And then ‘e looked a little shocked, which were awful strange. Dusty’d been talkin’ ‘bout home. Was it really all that shockin’ that people didn’t wanna live in a desert? She’d never thought that it were all that bad, honest.

His smile was a little strange too, but Dusty just sort of went with it. And then the puzzle pieces all sorta fell together. Though she wouldn’t call ‘erself a cowgirl. She grinned at ‘im. “Sure I know Arkady,” she told ‘im happily. “He’s my beau. I mean boyfriend,” she corrected ‘erself. Arkady woulda ‘er beau back home, but they weren’t back home and Dusty were tryin’ ta get used to the way things were here. And nobody went ‘round talkin’ ‘bout their beaus.

“I thought there were somethin’ sorta familiar ‘bout yah,” she told Nikolay with a smile. “Arkady didn’t tell me had a brother, but it’s awful nice to meet yah.”

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Oh no. No, no, no, no, no, no.

This couldn’t be the one, it just couldn’t be, a girl so apparently sweet and…well…just completely opposite to the kind of girl that Akrady usually mucked around with. He didn’t want to say some of the girls back home had it coming but…at least back there they were aware of his brothers reputation as resident bad boy. Here…well…clearly no one had been alerted to this fact and now here was this young girl, about to be used and abused and-…

…she said boyfriend…

Maybe…

Maybe this was different. He never normally stayed with them long enough to be called ‘boyfriend’ although some of them might dream about it and…huh. Maybe back in the dorm room he was just acting up or playing it down so that Nikolay didn’t notice, didn’t see that it was something more, that it was something…serious. Maybe his brother had finally done it, found a girl to care about to maybe…love. Never mind a girl, a person, an actual live human being that wasn’t himself to have any kind of feeling towards that wasn’t hate or resentment. That would be good for him. For all of them.

He was still a little sceptical but he could help but hope…

Nodding at the other girl he said, “Pleased to meet you too mademoiselle Dusty. How long have you and my brother been…dating?”

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty thought that it were a little strange that Arkady hadn’t told ‘is own brother about ‘er. Well he kinda had, but then again he hadn’t told ‘er ‘bout Nikolay. Maybe Arkady’d just wanted ta keep their relationship private, which would make sense. On the other hand, Dusty woulda liked ta know that Arkady had a brother. She were probably just lucky that their first encounter hadn’t been horrible or anythin’ like that.

It was kinda odd that Nikolay were so in’erested in her and Arkady, though he did have some right she supposed. They were brothers after all. “Well we ain’t been datin’ long.” She shrugged, really thinkin’ ‘bout it fer the first time. It really hadn’t been all that long, honest, but ‘er feelins were what they were and Dusty knew that she cared ‘bout Arkady. So maybe that part didn’t matter.

“There somethin’ wrong?” Dusty asked, though she weren’t sure what made ‘er ask that. Maybe she were just feelin’ a little apprehensive or somethin’. Or maybe she were just feelin’ a little insecure. Either way, she weren’t sure.

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They had only been dating for a while. The scepticism grew a little more, curses, he really thought his brother was changing, just for a second there. Although… not a long time to this girl could be a long time for Arkady so there was definitely still a little bit of hope there, just a little bit. The trouble would be discerning just how long and if he had been treating her right, if they were still amicable…without appearing to be too intrusive. Whilst her opinion of him didn’t particularly matter, he would hate for anyone to think badly of him, and if Arkady found out that he had been prying…well then he really was in trouble.
 
Trying the smile/grimace again he said, “No, no of course not, nothing is wrong. I am just surprised.”
 
Oh because that sounded a lot better than admitting the truth. Floundering a little he tried to cover his tracks, he managed to drudge up in a grimacing somewhat awkwardly charming way, “Just surprised, that my brother managed to get himself such a beautiful and lovely young girl. He’s a lucky guy. How did, how did you meet?”

[Dusty Fae]

It were certainly reassurin’ that nothin’ were wrong. That were good. If’n there’d been somethin’ wrong she woulda been worried. But nothin’ were wrong so there were nothin’ fer her ta worry ‘bout. It did seem a little strange that Nikolay was surprised. And that made Dusty wonder.

What was so surprisin’? Dusty didn’t really understand was so suprisin’ ‘bout the whole thing. But then ‘e explain and well, Dusty were still right back where she’d been. Was it really so much of a surprise that Arkady dated nice girls? Well, maybe Nikolay just meant that nice girls were hard to come by where they were from…or somethin’.

But Nikolay sure asked a lotta questions. Dusty didn’t really mind, but it kinda seemed like one after the other. “Well one day in class he happened ta sit in front o’ me and then we started passin’ notes,” she told ‘im with a smile. That’d been a nice day. She didn’t really wanna get into the whole part about detention though. She could leave that out fer now.

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Passing notes in class, well that was exactly something Arkady would do right? Probably started by asking for the answer for a question before continuing the flirtation, that’s how he usually would have operated…if Nikolay had ever actually seen him attend school. He had to go at some point because he was almost certain he had seen him in the cafeteria…but never in class. Yet here he was, apparently in class and passing notes. It was enough that he believed her but enough to shock him at the same time. His parents did say this kind of place could change a person…
 
“Passing notes?” he said and raised an eyebrow, “I’m sure the teacher wasn’t too pleased about that.”
 
Oh great, way to not sound like a complete stick in the mud; Nikolay the good two shoes never passes notes in class and always turns up on time. But that’s how he had to be, he couldn’t be any other way because of his brother. He had to be the good one, the one burdened with responsibility…because his parents asked him…parents, “You know…it’s a good thing I bumped in to you mademoiselle Dusty. You see our mama and papa were thinking about visiting, and I’m sure they would just love to have dinner with all of us. Arkady gets a bit weird about it though, and if I suggest it he’ll flat out refuse…but maybe if you asked him…? He might do it…”

[Dusty Fae]

Dusty weren’t usually one ta pass notes. Then again, school seemed ta be taken much more seriously back in Los Avalos compared ta here. She could understand Nikolay bein’ disapprovin’ ‘bout passin’ notes. She’d never really been one fer breakin’ the rules.

She chuckled a little. “Well, he did almost catch us a couple o’ times. He thought we were causin’ a ruckus.” They hadn’t quite been causin’ a ruckus, but they were kinda distractin’ the rest o’ the class anyhow. Especially the girl that Dusty’d been sittin’ next to. She’d been watchin’ ‘em real close after all. Oh well, that were in the past now.

In the present Nikolay were talkin’ ‘bout dinner with ‘is parents. All of ‘em eatin’ together. Did that include her too? Was that was Nikolay was sayin’? Or were she just supposed ta ask on Nikolay’s behalf? But that wouldn’t make much sense, would it. And what did ‘e mean ‘bout Arkady bein’ weird ‘bout the whole thing? Dusty were certainly in a strange place here. She wouldn’t wanna in’erfere in family business. Arkady hadn’t even told ‘er ‘bout ‘is brother, so was it alright ta bring up ‘is parents? How would she even go ‘bout askin’ ‘im? At the same time Dusty didn’t want Nikolay ta go to Arkady and tell ‘im bad things ‘bout ‘er.

Dusty nodded slowly, still a little uncomfortable. “Well alright,” she agreed. “I s’pose I could talk to ‘im. Try ta convince ‘im.”

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He regretted it the minute he saw the expression on the girls face, and his own expression changing to one of concern he said, “No, no it’s fine mademoiselle, I shouldn’t be asking you, I’ll…I’ll ask him. He’s my brother and I…I know how to handle him, I’m sorry.”
 
He shouldn’t have dragged her into this, it wasn’t her problem and he shouldn’t be using her as some kind of pawn or spy to keep an eye on his brother. That was something he would do, and he could not, would not stoop to that level. He was better than that…which was when it occurred to him…maybe…maybe that was what this was all about, why his brother was dating this girl, but for what? She was so nice and whilst a little pretty was nothing completely exceptional, so what was her worth to Arkady?
 
And how would he find this out without letting her know? Because what if he was wrong? What if this was love?...
 
“My parents, they like to make sure we’re both ok,” he said smiling, “What about yours?”