Page 32 (1/2)

“Sorry”

Aqua frowned and opened his eyes in surprise Kat had never apologized before He knew so was up

Two decades ago, Aqua and Kat had been classmates at Columbia That here they met freshman year Aqua was, quite simply, the most brilliant person Kat had ever known His test scores were off the charts His brain was revved up, worked too fast, finishing hoht Aqua consue like some consume fast food He took extra classes, worked two jobs, started running track, but there was nothing that could stop the mania

Eventually, Aqua’s engine overheated That was the way Kat thought about it He cracked, though in truth he was just sick Mentally ill It was no different, really, fro like that Aqua had been in and out of institutions since Doctors had tried everything to cure him, but his mental illness, like those physical ones, was, if not terminal, chronic Kat didn’t knohere he lived now exactly Souessed So class, when his mania was at a more fevered pitch Sometimes, Aqua would be dressed like a man Sometimes—okay, most times—Aqua would dress like a woman Sometimes, Aqua wouldn’t even knoho Kat was

At the end of class, when the others closed their eyes for Corpse Pose, Kat sat up and stared at Aqua He—or she, it got very confusing when soer on his face There were rules in this class She was breaking one of them

“I want you to relax your face,” Aqua said in that soothing voice “Relax your eyes Feel them sink down Relax your mouth”

His gaze never left hers Eventually, Aqua acquiesced He rose from a Lotus Position in one effortless, silent h a back pathway heading north

“So this is where you go after class,” Kat said

“No”

“No?”

“I’o What do you want?”

“I need a favor”

Aqua kept walking “I don’t do favors I teach yoga”

“I know that”

“So why are you bothering me?” His two hands fora is the routine I’ to talk like this, it isn’t part of the routine It’s not good formy routine”

“I need your help”

“I help by teaching yoga”

“I know that”

“I’ood teacher, aren’t I?”

“The best”

“So let me do what I do That’s how I help That’s how I stay centered That’s how I contribute to society”

Kat suddenly felt overwhelo Good friends Close friends They would sit in the library and talk about anything The hours would fly by—he had been that kind of friend

She had talked to Aqua about Jeff after their first date He got it He saw it right away Aqua and Jeff had beco into off-cahts at Kat’s Looking at the bewildered look on Aqua’s face right now, she realized yet again how much she had lost She had lost her dad Obvious She had lost her fiancé Also obvious Butreal and deep, when Aqua came apart

“God, I miss you,” she said

Aqua started picking up his pace “This doesn’t help anything”

“I know I’m sorry”

“I have to go I have things to do”