BIG GAME
The big final game is here. The audience seats are filled with a fancy crowd in fancy dresses, fancy hats, and fancy drinks. I'm wearing a baby-blue mini dress with thin, long white gloves, and I have put my hair in a braided crown, showing the pearl earrings that my father bought for me last year.
Mrs. Oskar takes me to her area to watch the match more clearly, or maybe she wants me to admire her son with her. The seat next to hers belongs to Mr. Oskar. I can say that he is tall—taller than Tytas. It is hard to meet him and be in the same place as him for longer than thirty minutes. He's wearing a classic brown suit; his brown hair and light-brown eyes match everything very well, and he's enjoying his tobacco cigar and the whisky in his hand. He looks calmer and more sensible than the other million-dollar old men in this particular town.
I glance at him, admire his aura, and think about my father. He's not like Mr. Oskar at all, and he wouldn't enjoy this sort of event. Then I notice that Mr. Oskar realizes I am watching him, and I flinch. I quickly give him a tiny smile and look ahead at the field full of horses.
"You're not feeling very comfortable, are you?" Mrs. Oskar asks me as she leans closer. She's wearing a beautiful green dress that complements her stunning orange hair. "This view is the best for seeing Tytas. I think he wants to see you more clearly."
"Tytas asked you to, Mrs. Oskar?" I ask.
She chuckles. "Yes, but I was the one who offered." I smile mildly, and she looks at me as if she knows what I am thinking. "I know you don't like crowds and loud noise that much—this zone is lovely, don't you think? Away from the loud background." She smiles.
"Yes, thank you so much," I say.
"I haven't seen you as much—" Mr. Oskar says, holding his cigar, "as I did before, when you were a kid—Letizia." He gives me a tiny smile. "You're not fond of our house anymore?" He asks with a teasing smile.
Since I've been living alone, I've never stepped foot in the Oskars' house, and the party was the first time in two years.
"You guys were so close back then," he says.
Close? I can't say that Tytas and I were that close, but he was the third person, after Irin and Ivan, whom I interacted with the most.
"Well, she's not a kid anymore—" Mrs. Oskar joins.
He drinks his liquor. "Heh, yes—I can't believe my son still hasn't stopped chasing after you," he says and giggles. "He couldn't stop asking about you when you guys were kids," he adds, and Mrs. Oskar laughs. "'When is she coming back? I want to take her to the playhouse. Dad, can you build the dollhouse for Letizia?'" He tries to change his voice and imitate a child's voice, but his grown, raspy voice doesn't help him much. "That kid was so into you," he adds and puts the cigar between his lips.
I chuckle at everything he says.
"I have heard that you're interested in Harvard," he says.
"Yes, Mr. Oskar," I say. The town talks. I shouldn't be surprised.
"And what are you aiming for?" He asks.
"Pre-med," I say.
He smiles and glances at his wife. "You will do amazingly. I believe it," he says.
"Letizia's grades are unbelievable, darling. It was just—how? How can someone do that? Full scores, all A's in a row," Mrs. Oskar says.
Wait, how does she know?
"Really?" He asks.
"But the grades aren't special enough to catch the eye," I say humbly.
He nods and leans forward. "But they take you to the position you want, right?" he says. "I admire you—Letizia, sweet girl. You have been quite an interesting young girl since you were a child. You're not just smart, but wise. You know how to get things done, how to get what you want, how to analyze things to achieve your goals—and how to ignore things that don't align with you," he says and gives his empty glass to a staff member to refill it. "But the little things also make you see a different perspective," he says, drinking from his glass.
I look at him and listen carefully as he praises me and preaches to me at the same time.
"But my son—he's all over the place. He's good at everything, but not—great. He pursues what he does best, so he tries everything, even the little things." He pauses. "Do you see what I'm trying to say? If my son could add that strong suit of yours, he would be on fire—no one could follow in his footsteps, I can bet. On the other hand, if you had another aspect that my son has, no one would catch or reach you. You would be at the top of the pedestal." He chuckles. "I know I'm exaggerating, hehe, but you guys can help each other, so I think you'll do great," he says with a smile.
"Wow—what a long lecture, darling, but I agree," Mrs. Oskar says and turns to me with a smile.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Oskar. I'll keep that in mind," I say and smile genuinely at him. "I have to disagree about one thing—" Mrs. and Mr. Oskar look at me curiously. "Tytas probably has his own goal—his reason for being or doing all that. I don't think he would just be all over the place. He's actually great—people admire him a lot," I say.
He looks surprised and drinks his whisky with a smirk on his face.
Suddenly, Tytas comes in wearing his uniform and walks straight toward me, lifting me up. "I'm glad you're here," he says. I'm a bit stunned because he ignores his parents' existence.
"Tytas," I say lightly.
"We're here too." Mrs. Oskar waves at her son.
"Yes, Mum—Dad," he greets his mother and turns to his father.
"And he's still into you even now," Mr. Oskar says. Tytas glares at his father in confusion. I hide my eyes from him.
It is not only Tytas who enters the Oskars' area, but another grown man decides to join us—the one with golden-ashy hair, wearing a black suit with a cream-yellowish handkerchief in the blazer pocket over the left side of his chest. And there is his son—Vik. He's wearing black pants with a beige shirt, and his hair is golden, matching the sun above the sky. They have a conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Oskar while Tytas and I have our own.
"You look gorgeous today," Tytas says. I tilt my head and smile at him. "Really—" He holds my face and rubs my cheek gently. "I hope my parents don't bother you too much."
"Heh, why would you say that?" I chuckle. "Shouldn't I be honored that Tytas's parents are talking to me?" I tease as I lower my voice. He chuckles, and as he is about to lean his face closer, I stop him. "Your parents," I say.
"They don't mind," he says, and I glare at him. Then he licks his lower lip. "And how can I get a good-luck kiss?" He asks.
"These two lovebirds," Vik's father says. Tytas and I turn toward him. "You must be Serafinne—" he says.
"Letizia, sir," Tytas corrects him boldly.
"Her name is Letizia Graziella Serafinne, Paul." Mr. Oskar also corrects him with a smile, making them both stunned that he defends me and also knows my full name.
Vik's father smirks slightly. "I see—you're all grown up now. You look more like your mother every day," he says with a smile—whether positively or negatively, I barely want to know.
"Thank you, Mr. Vanderbilt," I say and glance at Vik, who looks at Tytas and me with a steady face. His right hand is still wrapped in a splint.
"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready on the field, buddy?" Vik's father asks Tytas. "You looked good at practice, though—the same as my son, but he decided to break his hand before the game. How awesome," he adds and glances at Vik.
I glance at Vik as he already has eyes on me.
He didn't tell his father about that night. Of course, he didn't, because it was a fucked-up thing to do.
"So, how did you mess up your hand, Viktor?" Mrs. Oskar asks.
I hold Tytas's hand as I listen to Vik answer. Tytas holds my hand properly, brings it up, moves his body to block the view, and kisses the back of my hand. I look at him curiously.
"You can go. It's okay," I whisper.
"I got into an accident—during practice," Vik says. I glance at him, and he is still gazing at me.
"What a shame. The scout is coming today as well," Mr. Oskar says, looking at us and then back at Vik's father.
"Hmph—yeah," Vik's father makes a soft, upset sound as he turns to look at Vik. "You should get ready, Tytas—you're the star today." He turns toward us, and Tytas slowly turns his face toward him. "Love can wait, but the future can't, right? Hehe." His joke makes me realize why Vik is the way he is.
"Not for me, sir. Love motivates me—now and in the future," Tytas replies as he looks at me. I'm stunned by what he says. I can't even look him in the eyes.
Love? Did he say the word love?
"I'll get going," he says.
"Yes, honey—go have fun and rock it out there," Mrs. Oskar says.
Tytas shakes his head. "'Rock it out there'—" Tytas looks at me one more time.
"Why don't you send him off, Letizia?" Mrs. Oskar suggests.
I look at his parents. "Yes," I say, but my face and body feel a bit awkward. Tytas holds my hand and takes me away from the seating area.
To be honest, I feel like there is so little space around them.
Mrs. Oskar gets up. "Hype him up for me, Letizia." She raises her voice a little, and I quickly turn toward Tytas. He covers his face and shakes his head. I giggle beside him. "This young lady is very reliable—you have no idea," Mrs. Oskar says to the others.
"Hahaha," Mr. Oskar laughs.
Tytas stops at the entrance to the field. He holds both of my hands, pulls me in with his little smirk, and rubs my hands through the thin gloves.
"Can I have a good-luck kiss now?" He asks.
"Say please," I tease.
He chuckles, leans his face closer, and lightly rests his forehead against mine. "Please," he says softly.
I tilt my face, stand on my tiptoes, and give him a good kiss on the cheek. He smiles as he looks at me. "Good luck," I say, and then I bite my lip. "You'd better win," I add.
His smile grows wider and wider. "I will," he says.