Unlike her older brother, Josefina was so nervous, she was about to jump out of her skin.
Soon, after all this time, she and her beloved Jose were going to be together once again – hand to hand, cheek to cheek, lips to warm luscious lips. And while it was true that Jose and she had regularly communicated at least once a week over the past few years, and thanks to modern technology, they knew what each other looked like. Meeting once again, live, in person – well, it was sort of like a new beginning.
“Josefina,” a voice yelled while simultaneously knocking on her door. “Are you in there and are you ready?”
Josefina grasped its silver-colored handle. “Yes, Alexander. I'm here.”
Even though they both resided in what was technically one of the campus' dorms, this particular one was not one of the regular ones. Not only was it located at one of the best locations on the International University campus, it was far more expensive due to being furnished with a number of items most students would consider a luxury, such as wall-to-wall carpeting, large flat screen TV's, mini-stoves and fridges, etc. Not to mention, each residence within the dorm was designed as a small apartment.
Alexander and Josefina's father, a Senior Diplomatic in Denmark, would not have considered letting his prize possessions reside in anything less.
Josefina gave her doorknob a twist so it'd open. “If you don't mind, Alex, I'm going to need a few more minutes. You know how long it has been since Jose and I last saw each other.”
Alexander released a slight chuckle. “I know. But what's the big deal, Sis? Why go through all the trouble?” he asked, now facing the short, gray, wall to wall carpeting which marked the entrance to her bedroom. It's not like Jose's the president of this country. He's just another kid like you and me.”
Josefina smiled in the mirror. “Yes. But he's special to me. You know that. Unlike you and Chad, our relationship isn't like these walls.”
While really not bad in overall appearance, the one thing Alexander didn't like about the building was its off-white colored walls. They were supposed to make each room look light and airy. However, instead of creating the desired effect, it made the place look rather drab. Thus, sometime in the future whenever each of them was able to find a spare moment, the two of them would need to go somewhere on what would probably be an all-day outing in hopes of finding something to liven up their places. Even a bright colored poster of a rainbow would help.
“I agree,” Alexander replied, knowing there was no way he could deny it. “But that is way things happened. The two of us were separated through no fault of our own, so I moved on to others who lived near us in Denmark, and Chad developed a relationship with someone he liked in Chile. That's life.”
“Oh? How do you really know he's actually serious with someone? He may not be,” Josefina retorted. “You need to keep in mind, brother, that even though you haven't talked or even seen each other all these years, he still may be available. And would getting back together with him be so bad? I mean, let’s not forget that years ago he was your lover. And, you never know, since like us, he and Jose are starting college here in the U.S., I would think it's highly likely he might be looking for someone local. Otherwise, he would have stayed in Chile and gone to school in Santiago like Jose said Chad and Felipe had first planned to do.”
“You might be right,” Alexander said. “But, then again, you could be way off base. We won't know our status and what our futures may hold until we see each other. Should we both be interested, we might hook up again.”
Josefina smiled, but then suddenly looked upward at the ceiling as if there was something she just remembered.
“There is one factor I forgot, Alex. And it could be a major problem in regards to the two of you. It's about ...”
“Felipe?” Alexander said while deciding to slide back toward the door of his sister's mini-apartment so he could shut it.
“Yeah. Him.”
Alexander grabbed his chin and paused. “You know. I've been wondering about what actually happened between those two and can't help but wonder if a valid relationship still exists or not, despite the fact Chad decided to go to school here. I would tend to doubt it. But I really need to ask Chad about it. Didn't you tell me just the other day how everything that used to be between those two is confirmed dead and buried?”
“Yeah,” Josefina answered. “That's what Jose implied. Yet, while any love between the two of them may be long gone, the overall picture regarding what's going on with this so-called Felipe is vague. With the way Jose spoke and his careful choice of words, he left me with the strong impression there is no love between the two, anymore. But, there is something between them he wouldn't explain in great detail that's happening and it supposedly involves someone being in deep trouble. Not to mention, to make things not only worse, but even more mysterious – it sounds like that package him and his brother were planning on bringing, which may cause them to have trouble with U.S. Customs, could have something to do with Felipe.”
“Really?” Alexander replied. “That's weird. I wonder how could that be? What's in the package? Drugs? Mar-ji-wanna? Why would Chad and Jose risk their Student Visas and possibly even their chance of getting at least a B.S. degree in the U.S. unless it's really important?”
Josefina raised both hands and shook her head in reply. “I don't know. Got any ideas?”