Tatiana laughed. “Not at my church,” she said simply. “There’s no difference to us.”
“So if I went to church with you on Sunday like your mom has been hounding me about for the past four years and they found out I had a family curse, would they try to pray it away?”
“What?!”
College Boy growled.
“How have you never mentioned a family curse to me?” Tatiana hissed.
“There’s not much to mention. Whenever anything bad happens, my aunt says our family’s cursed and my mom tells me to ignore her.” I chuckled.
“Wow. Cursed how? I’m surprised you believe in all that.”
“I never said I did. And my mom doesn’t let my aunt get into the details. Mom always brushes it off as silly Haitian superstitions, but my aunt seems pretty adamant that it exists.”
“You’re always chatting with your aunt though,” Tatiana said. She tried to lower her voice when College Boy gave an exaggerated sigh. “She’s never explained what it is?”
“Whenever I bring it up and try to get her to tell me more, she says she can’t out of respect for my mom. Personally, I feel like it’s something my aunt made up to scare me into behaving as a child, and it just stuck around.”
“Hmm. That’s nothing to joke about,” Tatiana said. “Either way, don’t ever mention this to my parents, because they’d have me stop hanging out with you in a heartbeat.”
I nodded. “I promise I won’t.”
College Boy sighed heavily and started throwing his books into his bag to leave.
“You can find the quiet zone upstairs,” I said in a sticky-sweet voice when he was close enough to our table. I pointed to the Study Rooms Level 3 sign by the elevators right across from where we sat and watched as he looked between me and the sign and grumbled thanks as he walked away. He stepped into the elevator and I waved at him until the doors closed.
“You’re so annoying,” Tatiana giggled. “You’ve got to learn to let stuff go.”
“Or people can learn to use their words in a productive way instead of huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf.”
“Your curse has to be being a smart-ass,” Tatiana smirked. “In all seriousness, do you think maybe that’s what’s behind what happened with your mom on air?”
“What?” I asked.
“Your family curse. Maybe that’s what caused your mom to flip out on that senator.”
“Ha!” I fake laughed. “She flipped out because he put his hand on her when he had no business doing so.”
“You’re right,” she said. “It was just a thought.”
Tatiana turned to the computer in front of her so that she could put the finishing touches on her applications. I stared at my laptop screen but couldn’t get to work. I’d never seriously considered our family curse as anything more than a tall tale. Yet for some reason, I couldn’t totally shake the feeling that Tatiana might be onto something.
Friday, December 25
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
I’m trying to be mature, but I just want to scream.
Your mom’s in Haiti, Alaine, which means she can’t be in Miami.
She’s trying to feel better, Alaine.
So what if it’s been, like, a month? It’ll take the time it’ll take.
Playing “Jingle Bells” on repeat is supremely annoying but one of your dad’s Christmas traditions, Alaine. No need to rock the boat there and bum him out.
Those stupid kids in class don’t know anything, Alaine. Even if your mom basically instructed them to tune in and watch her professional demise. Don’t sink to their level.
Even though it’s very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very hard not to.
Just smile and be thankful for your new DSLR camera and bookstore gift cards. Yippee.
Merry Christmas. Bah humbug.
Friday, January 1
From: Alaine Beauparlant
To: Estelle Dubois
Subject: Oh, look, it’s me, checking in
Dear Tati,
Greetings from sunny South Florida! How are you doing on this glorious morning? Let me give you an update on my life, it won’t take long: Like my good friend Harry Potter, I've been in my room, making no noise, and pretending that I don't exist. You break curfew one time... (And the worst part is, I was late coming home from a party I didn’t even want to go to in the first, second, or thirty-third place. My friend Tatiana recently graduated to the level of mutually indifferent nodding between her and this meathead she has a crush on. She was ready to up the stakes by having one of those conversations that can only happen in a corner of someone’s damp basement over loud music and grinding. I was stuck snapping at and ignoring comments about Mom’s...situation...by the food table. Tatiana’s little tryst took longer than she thought it would, and since her older brother was our ride, I couldn’t just leave without her. Dad was not impressed with my explanation. These are the best years of my life, right here.)
I can hear you telling me to “quit being so dramatic” so I’ll stop.
What’s going on in your neck of the woods? By woods, I mean the ruggedly deforested and mountainous lands of my ancestors. And at the risk of burying the lead, how’s my mom? What’s she doing all day? Is she going up the wall without any sketchy politicians to interrogate? Oh wait...
Sincerely yours truly forever and ever Amen,
Alaine
P.S. Don’t think I forgot that it’s a special day for my people. Independence Day. Boy, would I kill for some (pun intended). I’ll send over my paper on the very subject as soon as I’m done with it. It’ll blow your socks off.
Monday, January 4
From: Estelle Dubois
To: Alaine Beauparlant
Subject: Re: Oh, look, it’s me, checking in
Chérie,
It’s been ages. I hope you weren’t referring to me as one of those sketchy politicians! To answer your questions in order—
I’m doing very well. Another round of funding for PATRON PAL was successful and I couldn’t be happier. Our new intern Jason is already putting out fires. The app was accidentally double charging some PATRONS and he fixed it in record time! We sent out a statement and most of the feedback from our users was they hadn’t even noticed. We’re helping so many underserved kids.