ÉLITE – HISTOIRES COURTES / SHORT STORY : NADIA & LÙ (PART I)

Nadia and Lucrecia have been in New York for a month now and everything is going well for them. At least, partially. Mr. Jenson, their history teacher, doesn’t seem to like Nadia very much and this has the annoying knack of disturbing the young girl. As for Lù, she has to face one of the most popular girl’s digs.

• Take a look Nadia !

Exclaims Lù while going towards her with her computer.

• When I tell you that this cow of Yasmina is provoking me, here is the proof that I’m not lying at all. Look at what she just posted on her Instagram account. Doesn’t this house looks familiar ?

Nadia looks at the picture that Lù shows her with with a doubtful look and some interest.

• It looks like the house you showed me last week. The one you wanted to rent to party and introduce yourself to the students of the class, she says while putting a layer of transparent varnish on her toes.

• I haven’t been here for a month and I’m already struggling with a old-hat to be the queen of this school. I thought I would have had at least a year’s break. She’s fiercely ridiculous. Her caption says : « My rental for the next 2 weeks #CoolGirl #IGOTIT ». I swear she’s provoking me. I can’t believe she was able to get this place before me. The Bitch !
• It’s pretty normal, since your dad cut you off, it’s hard for you to put on a show and live the lifestyle you used to. She may have slipped a bigger bill, that’s all.
• You know, you didn’t have to rub it in like this ? Well, I’m going to play her at her own game, that’s all!
• Oh yeah, and what is your plan ?
  I’m going to rent a room in a four-star hotel and invite a celebrity. This way, she will feel very useless and she’ll knows that she cannot encroaching on my turf, retorted Lù as if it was a rallying cry.
• You shouldn’t be so involved in this story. You should focus on your homework instead of wasting your time with these trivialities, advised her Nadia while sitting down on her bed.
• Weren’t you the one who was ready to knock on the door of every single one tailor in New York City just because Mr. Jenson complained during a class that his current tailor is incompetent ?
• That’s definitely not the same thing. Mr. Jenson is a teacher and a teacher gives grades. Those grades count toward the overall average – the overall average that will get me to the next grade. You got it ?

Since they are in NYC, Lù and Nadia, who used to be the first two of their classes, are today, respectively the 9th and 11th best students of a class of seventy-seven students and this situation bothers Nadia a lot. Lucrecia, knew that due to all the recent upheavals in her life and also due to the fact that the school level in New York is different from the one in Madrid, that it would take her some time to adjust to her new life. She gave herself three months to get a better grade in class and at least make it to the top five.
But that’s not the case for Nadia, who feels a different kind of pressure. In addition to being milles and milles away from Guzman and her family, she knows that even though Lù doesn’t live the same lifestyle as before, she still has a rich father and many contacts.

• Nadia, you should stop caring so much about what people think of you.
• Says the one who is trying to carry out a vendetta against a classmate she barely knows.
• No, no my darling, I’ll stop you right there. I, for one, am just trying to build my new empire and recreate a new status. But you are ready to be a teacher’s assistant just because he didn’t like your remark during the course of the history of Kings of France, you got two B-‘s and a grade of 74/100. But newsflash Nadia, the teachers here are not like in Las Encinas, they are used to ass-kissers.
• I hate that expression. It so trashy.
• Never mind. I’m going right back to my room.
• Please wait, Lù, Nadia calls her. What about we going out just twenty minutes for a walk ? It’s been three days since I didn’t put a single toe outside and I feel like my head will to explode any time soon if I ever stay in here just one more hour.

• And those pigeons, she said massaging her temples insistently, I can’t stand those pigeons.
• Okay! I’ll get dressed and we’ll go out.

On the way they decide to take, Nadia decides to open up to Lù. She tells her how anxious she is to go back to Spain for her older sister’s wedding and to see Guzman. How much her loneliness weighs on her since she is in this university, but also how much she loves to be here, because she feels that her destiny is about to change. On her side, Lucrecia also decides to confide a little, in her own way, and explains how being single and financially (almost) independent makes her see life differently.

• You know Nadia, since I’ve been in New York, I’ve cried twice. Once because of stress and the second time because I broke my red high heels that I love. The manholes here are really the worst ! Whatever. All that to say, we’re in the same boat. And really, I couldn’t imagine living this adventure with anyone else. You are like my sister. I know you can do it and don’t worry about Guzman. When he is in love, he can be the best boyfriend in the world.
• Thank you Lú. Coming from you, it means a lot to me.
• Oh ! I know ! I’ve got it !

Suddenly shouts Lucrecia.

• What? What do you know, asks Nadia surprised.
• I’m going to rent a boat. That ! It will be spectacular !
• Wait, you’re still thinking about impressing that girl?
• I can’t help it. She’s my only distraction that isn’t too related to school. Even though I go out at least three times a week, I can barely make any contacts outside the school. There’s just this one woman named Samantha who has a store, a coffee shop kind of thing, a couple of blocks away that I’ve been able to kind of connect with. She’s like 22 years older than me, but she’s cool. Since what happened with Valerio and my dad, I have to admit that I’m not sure where I stand. It’s the first time I’ve faced this kind of situation since I came into this world. It feels very strange.

A few seconds passed, leaving time for the wind to carry away their words. Then suddenly, as if it blew a breeze of hope to them, the faces of Lù and Nadia, lit up with a similar brightness.

• Damn, we are in New York, exclaimed Lucrecia.
• Yes, it’s true! And that’s exactly the thing that puts more pressure on me, laments Nadia.
• It’s not about landing in the Big Apple, it’s about staying there.
• Exactly !
• You know what ? I am a cool girl. And I’m not going to let this Yasmina ruins my school year. I’ll make the friends I need to make and ¡Ciao!
• That’s the spirit. So, you’re not going to rent a boat, right ?
• No… Just the hotel.
• Here!
• Okay, fine. Maybe not, I’ll think about it. But you have to go to Guzman!
• I still hesitate.
• This decision to say goodbye to him, you already made it once. So you can made it twice.
• We’ll talk about it another time if that’s okay with you ?
• As you wish. Come on, let’s get an ice cream..

TO BE CONTINUED…