The Tale of Ser Retsarsky, a romance by Ian Wisekal

The Tale of Ser Retsarsky

Sergei Retsarsky trudged through the chill morning air. The wind was unceasing, biting at his ears and nose long after they had become numb, frosting the dewy grass and icing over puddles like an arctic harbinger of the bittersweet. His chestnut eyes surveyed the landscape, taking in the visibly frigid air and everything it touched. Though he knew the route to school well, Sergei found the cold chasing away the mundane thoughts of the journey, leading his mind astray. When he reached the school building and entered the foyer, a warm gust of air enveloped his shivering body, and he began to defrost. Then, a sight warmed him more than he could have hoped from the school's climate alone; Nell Afflizione, a girl who had just ended several years of homeschooling, looked at Sergei and smiled. He mustered a half-smile and then silently grinned to himself as he walked to his locker. He took off the gloves from his frozen hands and the hat from his most, dark hair, putting them perfunctorily on the top shelf of his locker.

Suddenly, Sergei decided that he had a great void in his life. Not knowing where this feeling would come from, he thought about it, and realized it was seeing Nell that had created this emptiness. Would she be the one to fill it? He mentally chastised himself, reflecting on his own moderate social standing, thinking of Nell's beauty and "new" status, both of which propelled her to the higher ranks of popularity. It was common knowledge that Bud Lancaster was already after her. Because Bud, the all-American football star whose loyal group prided themselves on their ability to have as many girls and drink as much beer as possible, had his sights set on Nell, there was no way that Sergei would have a chance. He looked dejectedly at his feet, and then at his watch, being hit with the sudden rush of adrenaline that comes with near-tardiness.

After his first class, Sergei caught up with Rick Presse, one of his good friends. Rick was a rather unassuming character, short of stature and having rounded features of both body and face, but there was a sparkling in his eyes that suggested both intelligence and cunning. "Hey, Rick," Sergei said unenthusiastically.

"Hey, Ser," Rick answered, a smile on his face. He had just figured out the previous day that saying "Ser" was much easier than calling him by his full name, and he found it devilishly clever. "Are you feeling okay? You sound tired or something."

"Yeah, well… I got things on my mind, that's all," Sergei dismissed.

"O.K. Hey, do you mind when I call you 'Ser?'"

"Not any less than I did yesterday, Rick." Sergei was getting a little annoyed with the trend of conversation. "Look, you want to know what's bothering me?"

"Sure," Rick said eagerly.

"Well… ugh, this sounds so weird, but I think - I think I have a crush on Nell."

"Nell Afflizione?! No way! Dude, Bud Lancaster is-"

"I know, I know," interrupted Sergei. "But, I don't know, it's not really a crush… it seems almost like something more."

"Something more?" questioned Rick. "How? You don't know her. You've never even spoken to her, for God's sake!"

"Shut up, I know. I told you it would sound weird. It's like… like I have to have her, you know? Not like some superficial crush that any fourth grader has." Sergei silently applauded himself for using a vocabulary word.

"Dude, it's just a crush - get over it. Listen, if you want to get to know her or like go out with her or something, (and let me just say there's slim chances of that), then why don't you talk to her? Isn't she in your science class?"

"Yeah, she is. I guess you're right. I'd just get nervous."

"Hell, I would if I was going to talk to her, especially if Bud was around."

"But he won't be."

"Yeah, but I'm just saying." Rick scratched his head and looked around, searching for something else to say, hoping it would be written on one of the various posters taped to the walls of the corridor. "Look, I'll talk to you later. I gotta get to class."

"Later," Sergei called after him. He wandered in to his own classroom, not caring that he was a few minutes late. His mind was adrift through the lecture on the effects of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the words occasionally penetrating his conscious. The next period was science, and he had to think of something to say to Nell. He couldn't just say, "Nell, hi. I need you," but he couldn't think of anything else.

Science started, and the teacher divided the students into lab groups. "Scarlet, you're with Sergei, David, and Nell." The group walked to their assigned lab station, papers and calculators in hand. Sergei quickly walked back to his desk for a pen when he saw Bud. He walked as quickly as possible without looking conspicuous back to his station.

"What's Bud doing here?" he whispered to Scarlet.

"He transferred in from 4th period," she said impassively.

They started the lab, heating a water bath and adding compound until the solution was saturated. "So, uh, how do you like this school?" Sergei asked Nell. Scarlet rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I'm liking it, thanks. The people are pretty nice. It's different from homeschooling, though."

"Which one do you like better?" asked Sergei, trying to keep their idle conversation from prematurely suffocating.

"Haha… everybody's asking me that! I don't know, I like them both," she said with a smile. "It's better here in some ways because you make friends more quickly. Like you." She said it normally, but the "you" pierced through him like a dagger through armor. "I might need help doing the lab write-up later. Can I call you for help?"

"Sure!" exclaimed Sergei. "I mean, sure. Sure you can."

"Can I have your number?"

"Oh yeah, sorry." He searched his pockets for the pen he had earlier.

"Your pen's on the table," Nell said, sensing his disorder.

"Oh, thanks," he laughed bashfully. He started to write his number on her lab paper when Bud walked by.

"Hey, Nell. Hey buddy, whaddaya think you're doing to her paper?" Bud asked Sergei accusingly.

"Calm down, Bud. He's just giving her his phone number," David interjected. David had long been pushed around by Bud, but felt safe in a classroom surrounded by people.

"I didn't ask you," Bud said scornfully. "Hey Russian. I said, 'what are you doing?'"

"Just writing down my number, like David said. Nell said she might need help with the lab write-up, and I-"

"I don't want to hear that. Why didn't you ask me, Nell?" Nell seemed to have left the situation altogether.

"What?" she asked coyly.

"Never mind. Just… just don't… talk to me later, O.K.?" he asked brusquely.

"O.K.," she said, looking down at Sergei's number, but looking past it, to the floor, away from Bud's stinging glance. "I'm sorry about that. He's kind of weird, don't you think? Anyway, what's your name?"

"Oh, it's Sergei. Sorry."

"That's okay; don't worry about it," Nell said with a prize-winning smile. She caught Bud's casual glance and winked at him, but in the same moment put her hand on Sergei's. Sergei became very confused. "I'll call you tonight, then." She walked back to her desk. Sergei just stared at her until he realized that the period was almost over.

The rest of the day was spent in a dream, Sergei thinking only of Nell and the phone call he was to receive. His thoughts turned to humbling himself in her image, thinking of how nice or good-looking she was in comparison with his deceitful or sloppy habits. He left the school in a hurry, hoping to get home before she called him. On his way out, he passed Bud on his left. He couldn't tell what expression he had on his face, but he could see some of his group with him. "Losers," thought Sergei. Or did he say it? He didn't remember, because the next thing he knew, he was on the floor with a bloody nose and pain-stricken elbows and knees. No one was around; he must have been knocked unconscious. He walked home as quickly as he could with his stinging joints. His parents weren't home yet, and he collapsed on the couch, throwing his backpack on the floor.

The next day he walked into school, not remembering much of the previous day. Science came, and Nell approached him.

"Where were you last night?" asked Nell.

"What do you mean?" questioned Sergei.

"I called you, and you weren't home."

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I was… well, I think your Bud punched me, and I was knocked out. I… I didn't get up for a while." He rubbed his face where he might have been hit.

"You think he punched you? I'll say he did. He told me that you called him a stupid jock and got right up in his face about it, and he had to put you in your place." Did he call him that? Did he really get in his face? He couldn't remember.

"I didn't do that, did I?" Sergei asked incredulously.

"Bud says you did. I don't know if I should believe him, though," said Nell. "But if you want to teach him a lesson, then you have to fight back."

"What?" yelled Sergei. The thought hadn't even entered his mind.

"Well you know how I'm going to the winter formal with Bud. Well, if you fight him and show him what you've got, I might change my mind." She shot him her big, blue eyes and a face that said careless trouble as she absent-mindedly twirled her hair.

"Whatever," said Sergei loudly. "I'm not getting in a fight with Bud."

"O.K. It's up to you." Nell walked away, being sure to move her hips more than necessary.

That day after school Sergei was scared. He used a different exit, taking all precautions to avoid seeing Bud. Unfortunately, it was all for naught.

"Hey Russian! What the hell are you doing over here?"

"Nothing," Sergei said quietly. He started to walk the other way, but Bud caught up to him.

"What do you want with my girl?" Bud demanded. Something inside Sergei spoke for him.

"She's not yours. She thinks you're weird, Bud, and you shouldn't keep going after her. She's not like all your other girls." He immediately regretted what he said with a morbid intensity.

"What did you say?" Bud asked quietly, but his face was turning red, his hands clamping tightly. Sergei got the impression that even the air was being crushed by the force of his closing fists. Again the voice spoke in his absence.

"You heard me." Sergei's mind wanted to rush away as quickly as possible; to leave the vicinity and never see Bud Lancaster or Nell Afflizione again. But, something made him stay there; made him hold his ground. Maybe it was that Bud was by himself, and seemed weaker without his cronies. Maybe it was that Sergei found strength in his desire for Nell. Whatever it was, he suddenly felt certain that the only way to get to Nell would be to go through Bud. Bud walked up to him and swung his right fist. Sergei ducked and the arm made a "whoosh" sound as it went over his head. He threw a punch at Bud's stomach, but it had no effect. Bud laughed and approached Sergei again. He swung with his left fist, and this time it clipped Sergei's ear; it hurt with unconceivable pain, but he regained his balance, faked a left hook and then smacked Bud's cheek with his right fist. He heard his knuckles pop and the bones in Bud's face become loose. Bud staggered and fell backwards on the concrete. His backpack cushioned the fall, but he was unconscious. Sergei didn't know what to do. He looked around fearfully, and was about to leave the scene when Nell appeared from seemingly nowhere.

"You didn't have to do that," she said.

"What do you mean? I had to defend myself!" Sergei was already practicing his defense story for the Dean.

"No, not that. I heard what you said before, and I appreciate you trying to get Bud to quit. I never had the heart to tell him I didn't like him."

"Then you're a better person than I," Sergei said sincerely.

"Perhaps," she mused. "I just wanted to let you know; my parents are moving me to Virginia for boarding school, and I… well, I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Boarding school? But you just started here!" Sergei's heart began to race. He had done the most dangerous thing of his life to win a prize that could not be won.

"Yeah, but their term starts in a month, and my parents want me to be settled in before I start school. You understand with parents; they're crazy."

"I guess so," Sergei agreed with defeat.

"Don't get like that! Here, I've got a going away gift for you."

"Really?" Sergei was surprised.

"Yes, really. Come here." Sergei walked over to her, and she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "I'd better be going. Nice knowing you!" She waved and then trotted away into the building. Sergei held his hand up to his cheek and half-smiled, a solitary tear slowly rolling down his face, leaving a salty trail of unrequited passion. He waved at where she had been, leaned down to get his backpack, and walked slowly home, the wind at his back.

"Freshness dated" for your viewing pleasure: 27-May-2002
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