Days 14 - 30

The next three weeks were both the happiest and most anxious Klára had experienced since she had been given the news that her family would be moving to America. She and Henry were practically inseparable, but he was busy filling out all sorts of complicated forms and papers for going to college. He went to the library a lot too, to use the computers for more college research. He took her for a few dates, or what felt like dates but no one actually defined what it was they were doing, when he got too stressed out. They went to see a movie about some girl and her dog named after a convenience store (Klára missed a few things in translation and didn’t understand the ending, but it seemed nice enough).

 

One night, Henry brought up that insane, childish dream of checking into a hotel and ordering room service and all the fancy things with it. There was much more meaning in it than Klára picked up at first, and he didn’t talk for quite a while after she asked why he didn’t just go and do it. She asked Anne why he acted in such a way, but the older woman couldn’t answer for laughing so hard.

 

As the days until Henry’s departure to college (which was in Seattle; he had given up on Julliard to go to Cornish) dwindled, Klára felt something in her shift. She started getting headaches frequently in the spot where she had hit the wall That Night, which she attributed to her dread to see him go. She found herself smiling and talking less every day, even to Henry. Things even tasted different. She wasn’t staying with Anne and Charlie anymore, going back to the shelter with the kids now that most everyone was coughing a bit and Jopie wouldn’t be noticed, but they ate a lot better now. Markus even took on some weight with that unstoppable metabolism of his. But Klára was getting thinner somehow, to the point where she started wearing extra layers if she went to visit Anne and Charlie so they wouldn’t notice. She developed small tremors in her hands and an extremely short temper that caused her to pick fights with everyone around.

 

Markus wouldn’t talk to her without first asking “are you mad?” She made Jopie cry more than once, and therefore Nik wanted nothing to do with her. She spent most of her time sleeping when she wasn’t out busking with Henry, and he was so busy that they rarely even did that anymore. It was even worse when he was actually accepted to Cornish, and then started panicking about financial aid and housing and meal plans and all that. They didn’t speak for days at one point. Klára started accustoming herself to being alone, so it wouldn’t hurt so badly when she was alone again.

 

***

 

Henry’s last day in Minnesota came all too quickly for him to bear. It was sunny and too bright, his mom couldn’t stop crying, and he couldn’t find Klára anywhere. She knew when he was leaving, and she knew what part of the bus station he’d be in. Didn’t she want to say goodbye to him? She’d really been acting weird lately, and he was worried that she was angry with him for leaving. He’d asked her about a million times to go with him to Seattle, but every time she changed the subject with a dark look in her eyes. It didn’t occur to him that he might be hurting her every time he asked.

 

“Oh, Henry!” his mom cried into his chest, still hugging him tightly around the middle. He looked imploringly at his dad, who then gently pried the hysterical woman off of him. She wiped her eyes very primly and then gave a watery grin at someone over Henry’s shoulder. He spun, hoping to see Klára among all the other people waiting for the bus, but it was Nikolas, walking with Jopie. She grinned and waved.

 

Henry tried his best to smile before hugging the girl. “Music Boy go away?” she asked sadly.

 

“Yeah, I’m leaving Jopie,” he said with a sad little nod. “Where’s Klára?”

 

“Klára crying,” Nik muttered, kicking at a loose pebble. Henry’s throat closed up; he didn’t know if he could do this anymore. How could he leave knowing that Klára would be stuck here? He was getting out, he was escaping, and she was lying stagnant.

 

His mom grabbed his shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll show up; your bus doesn’t leave for another half an hour.”

 

Nodding silently, Henry’s dark eyes scanned the station over and over again.

 

***

 

Klára was running. There wasn’t much time left. Her breath was coming in short gasps. Her head felt like it was about to split in two. There were black spots in her eyes. She couldn’t run in a straight line. She only had a few minutes. Five, tops.

 

There it was! She heard the sounds of the building far ahead of being able to see it. She shoved people out of her way, breath leaving her in tiny mewling whimpers. She wasn’t going to make it. She was too late. It was time.

 

She staggered and fell in the door. Someone was shouting above her head. It all faded to black.

 

***

 

Dalton looked down from his place on top of one of the trucks, when the sound of a body hitting the floor met his ears. There was a girl lying on the concrete floor, face down. He climbed down and knelt beside her, rolled her over. “Miss? Miss, are you okay?” he asked.

 

The girl stopped breathing in his arms.

 

***

 

The final bell sounded for Henry to get on his bus. He gave his parents one last hug, shook Nik’s hand, and ruffled Jopie’s hair before getting onboard and leaning heavily against the window. He tried to tell himself that this was for the best, that he was getting a fresh start this way. He was going to college and he was going to be happy and successful, and he would come back here someday and tell Klára all about it and they could start over.

 

He still couldn’t believe Klára didn’t come. He sent one last tearful wave to his parents and their new friends just as Markus ran to them and started talking animatedly. He smiled, knowing deep down that they would be alright.

 

The bus rolled away.