Deep is the Heart

by A. V. Zeppa

  CHAPTER 13

  Marco

  DECEMBER

  Marco, Zander, and Claire decided to cut their afternoon classes and do some shopping. Claire had received a call during lunch from Prada saying something interesting had come into the boutique that she might like. Shopping was a way of life for the three of them. It was as important as oxygen. And having a limitless supply of funds made it that much more enjoyable. It was close to Christmas break and things were beginning to wind down at school, so taking the afternoon off was no big deal.

  “I want to stop at Gucci and Armani to see if anything new has come in. I crave new high tops, skinny’s, and t-shirts,” Marco said, while cabbing down Park Avenue.

  “You look hot in faded tees,” Zander said.

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “That ego of yours is making it crowded in here,” Claire said, with a mischievous smirk.

  “Hey, I’m just being honest.”

  “I hate to admit it, but it’s true. All I know is that we’re going to Prada first,” Claire insisted.

  “I wonder what I should buy today. I’ve been looking like a raggedy Upper West Sider lately.” Zander made that comment while watching a homeless guy rummage through a garbage can.

  “Are you making fun of the other side of the tracks?” Marco asked, already knowing the answer. “Of course. I hate looking typical.”

  “Arrogance suits you well.”

  “Why thank you.”

  Claire decided to change the subject. “Marco, are you still skyping with that guy you met? What’s his name?”

  “David. Yeah. We’ve been having a great time chatting and getting to know each other,” he told her, trying to sound nonchalant.

  “I can’t figure out why you’re waisting so much time on this guy. Shit. He lives like thousands of miles away in Montana or Siberia or some fucking place. Nothing is ever going to come of it, you know that. I don’t get it.” Zander was totally exasperated. “I mean, it’s gotten to the point where we hardly hang out anymore.”

  “Look, who I talk to shouldn’t concern either one of you. David is a great guy. I like him a lot. And it doesn’t concern me at all that he lives far away. There is just something about him. You guys would never understand. Let’s just drop it and have some fun.” A minute later they got out of the cab at 58th and 5th Avenue and hit the stores with a frenzy.

  It was around 4:30 when Marco finally got home. He had spent a perfect afternoon hanging out and shopping. He put his bags off to the side in the entrance hall and hung his leather jacket in the closet. Rosa came from the kitchen and greeted him. “Well, it looks like you did a little shopping today,” she said, shaking her head and smiling.

  “You know it is my one weakness,” he said, trying not to look guilty.

  Rosa couldn’t hold back any longer. “Something came for you about an hour ago,” she said, pointing towards the living room. Marco turned and saw a big overstuffed packet lying on the coffee table. He gave her a serious smile and then walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. He looked at it with wonder, like it was some sort of alien being. He touched the Columbia insignia with his fingers knowing it had happened. He carefully open the packet up and read the congratulatory letter. “I got in. I actually got in.” He tried his hardest not to cry.

  “I’m so proud of you papi. I know your mother and father will be too.” Rosa gave him a kiss on the forehead. Marco wiped his eyes. “Thank you for everything. You’ve always supported me.” He stood up and gave her a heartfelt hug.

  Then his thoughts went to David. His hands were shaking in his excitement as he texted, “I can’t believe it, I got in. Did you find out yet?” He started going through the packet while he waited for David to text back. He didn’t have long to wait. He crossed his fingers when his phone buzzed. “Congratulations!! I got in too :)” Marco jumped off the sofa and yelled, Yes! Yes! David got in. Another text came a few seconds later. “I can’t believe we both got in :) I’m celebrating with my family and Tyler and Melissa right now. I’ll text you when things calm down. Let’s skype tonight :)” Marco responded, “This is the best day of my life. Just think, we get to go to college together. I’ll show you all around the city. Can’t wait to talk.”

  Marco sat by himself going through the rest of his packet while David celebrated with his family and friends.

  He waited patiently for his parents to get home so he could tell them the good news. They were supposed to be home by six, and it was after six-thirty. He sent his father a text to see where they were. Ten minutes went by before his father replied. “We’re running a little late. Your mother bought a new piece of art and wants me to meet her at the gallery. See you soon.” That scenario was the typical shit he had to deal with. He went to his bedroom, cranked the music up and started writing.

  It was almost eight o’clock when his parents finally made it home. Rosa knocked on Marco’s door and told him dinner would be ready in five minutes. He was sitting on his bed with the Columbia packet all spread out while he talked to Zander. “I wish I were going there too. It would have been perfect rooming together,” Zander told him. “Yeah, we could have really made our mark on the place.” Marco said, and then got an idea. “Why don’t you apply? There’s still time you know.”

  “I’d love to, but my parents won’t let me. They want me to go to Brown. I’m a legacy, so it’s all about fucking family tradition. It sucks because I have no say in where I want to go.”

  “I completely understand. My parents tried to get me to attend Princeton on the same premise.”

  “Life sucks.”

  “Hey, I gotta go. My parents are home and I need to let them know the good news. Later.”

  Marco’s parents were in the middle of a heated discussion when he walked into the dining room. They stopped arguing and both put on plastic smiles. “How was school today?” His father asked.

  “Good. I got an A+ on one of my short stories. My English teacher told me that she submitted it to the Scholastic Art & Writing Competition.”

  “How nice dear,” his mother said.

  His father looked very pleased. “If I’m not mistaken, that competition is very prestigious. I know that some of the winners have gone on to remarkable careers in the arts.”

  “You’re right. Ms. Birchmier said that past winners include Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, and Robert Redford,” Marco said, trying to stay calm.

  “Well, I’m sure you will win. You always do. I would love to read the story,” his mother said.

  He was happy that they were in better moods. “I have something else to tell you. My acceptance letter came today from Columbia.”

  His father smiled, got out of his chair, shook Marco’s hand, and then gave him a hug.

  “I’m proud of you son. This is great news.”

  His mother, on the other hand, gave him a forced smile. “That is so nice dear. Congratulations.” She put her fork down and took sip of wine. He could tell by her body language that she was angry. “Mother, why can’t you be happy for me just once? I worked my ass off to get into my dream school.” He looked at his father like, what the fuck.

  “Of course she is happy for you,” his father said. She tried to fix the situation, but only made it worse. “Marco, I am happy for you, but…well…, it’s just that I had already called my friend Harold at Princeton. He said that you would easily matriculate once your application was received. We…I mean, I was hoping that you would want to go to Princeton to keep the family tradition alive.”

  “I told you that I didn’t want you calling your friend. You promised you wouldn’t.”

  His father knew nothing about it, and gave her a look that could kill. “Don’t worry about Princeton, son. Your mother was just trying to help. Both of us are very proud of you. I’m proud that you did it on your own.”

  “Thanks. It means a lot coming from you.” Then his father got down to business. “Have you thought about accommodations yet? Are you going to co
mmute or get an apartment?”

  “Actually I’ve decided to stay in a residence hall for the first year,” Marco told him.

  His mother gave him an exasperated look. “Dear, why would you want to do that? Let us buy you a nice apartment close to campus. You have no idea what it is like living with people from god knows where.”

  “Mother, I want to live in a residence hall to have a different experience. That’s what going away to college is all about.”

  “Well, I hardly think that you have thought this through in a logical manner.”

  “Son, I think it is a splendid idea to experience dorm life. Your mother and I did, and we enjoyed it. We’ll put off buying an apartment until your sophomore year, unless the perfect apartment becomes available. We can buy it as an investment, or as a gift to you. Who knows, you may end up liking dorm life and live there for your entire undergraduate years.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

  After Marco finished dinner, he excused himself and went to the kitchen. Rosa was cleaning up. She was concerned. “Are you ok papi?”

  “Yeah, it’s no big deal.”

  “Your mother is proud of you whether you know it or not. Just give her some time.”

  “I can’t ever please her no matter how hard I try.” Rosa gave him a hug. “She will come around. You’ll see.” He thanked her and grabbed a vitamin water out of the frig and then headed to his bedroom. He took the back hall to the stairway so he wouldn’t have to see his mother’s scowling face again. He plopped down on his leather chair and gave Claire a quick call to let her know he got into Columbia. She was happy for him, but also a little put off because he had kept it a secret. They talked for twenty minutes or so as he explained why he didn’t want to say anything about it. She forgave him, but dragged her displeasure out for effect. Marco hated to do it, but he cut their conversation short so he could skype with David.

  CHAPTER 14

  Skyping

  “Hey, how are you holding up?” Marco asked, as he admired David’s handsome face. He wanted to pull him through the computer screen and fuck him all night long. Even though he was falling in love with David, the idea of using him as a sexual object sent him over the edge. Marco had been fantasizing about it for weeks.

  “I’m doing great.” David couldn’t stop smiling. “What a day this has turned out to be. It feels like I’ve been floating in the sky since I found out.”

  “Yeah, me too. I can’t believe we both got our letters on the same day. I just wish we could have shared this big moment together.”

  “Me too.” David brushed his bangs out of his eyes with his fingers, but they fell right back. Marco thought it was adorable. “I really like the emo look you have going.”

  “Thanks. I’ve never had my hair this long before, but I kind of like it this way.”

  “It suits you perfectly. You can start a new trend by becoming the first emo physicist.”

  David Laughed. “I never thought of that.” He shook his head so his bangs completely covered his eyes. “Do you think anyone will take me seriously looking like this?”

  “Of course they will. They’ll just think you’re a modern day Einstein with emo hair. That guy’s hair was outrageous.”

  “Yeah, it was.”

  Marco realized his flirting was becoming a little too obvious, so he decided to tone it down. The last thing he wanted to do was scare David off. “Do you know which residence hall you’ll be living in?”

  “Yeah, it’s called Hartley. It’s right across from Butler Library.”

  “Cool. They put me in John Jay, so we’re practically next door neighbors. Wouldn’t it have been cool if they had put us in the same residence hall?”

  “Definitely. They put me in Hartley with the other scholarship students. But we’re close enough anyway.”

  “You received a scholarship? That is so cool.”

  “Yeah, without it there is no way my parents could ever afford to send me to Columbia, even though they would have tried to make it happen. I was lucky enough to get the Gates Millennium Scholarship. It pays for everything, even my books and food, right through graduate School. I never thought in a million years that I would actually get it. I guess I was just lucky.”

  “They saw what a genius you are.”

  “Thanks for saying that, but that’s so far from the truth.”

  “Don’t be modest now, you know it’s true.” Then Marco decided to take it a step further. “Plus they probably thought you were really cute too. Only cute geniuses get that scholarship.” He crossed his fingers as he waited for a response.

  “Y-you too,” David said, tongue tied.

  “You too what?” Marco asked, putting him on the spot.

  David’s face turned bright red with embarrassment. “I-I mean, you’re cute too.”

  “Why thank you for the compliment.”

  “I’ve wanted to tell you that for a while.”

  “Same here. I’m glad we finally got that out in the open.”

  “Yeah.” David’s hands were shaking slightly as he tried to process what was happening.

  Marco knew exactly what he was doing, but David’s heart was pounding wildly knowing he had just entered uncharted territory. He needed to calm down, so he changed the subject.

  “So, your parents must be happy about the good news.”

  “My father is very happy for me, but my mother is another story. I thought she was going to choke on her dinner when I told them. She didn’t waste any time before telling me that Princeton was the better choice.” He looked away embarrassed.

  “Give her some time,” David said, realizing he had put his foot in his mouth by asking.

  “She makes me so angry sometimes. It’s all about the legacy bullshit for her, and wanting to impress her friends. She thinks Princeton is superior to Columbia, which is totally not true.” “You’re right,” David said. “They’re both Ivy League and constantly battling it out with Harvard, Yale, and MIT as the top university in the nation.”

  “She knows that, believe me. The thing she can’t stand the most is that I did it without her help. I know I sound vindictive and spoiled, but you have to know my mother to fully understand her devious nature. She has a motive for everything.” David could see the hurt in his eyes and wanted to give him a hug to make him feel better.

  They sat there in silence for a minute or. Marco cooled down and apologized for his outburst. “I’m sorry I went off. You didn’t need to hear all that.”

  “It’s ok. I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to share your feelings. That means a lot to me.” David hoped that Marco could see how much he liked him.

  “I feel like I can tell you anything, and you understand. Thanks.”

  “Anytime.”

  It was Marco’s turn to change the subject. “So, does it snow a lot where you live?”

  “Yeah, it snows tons around here. Right now we have over four feet on the ground.”

  “That is a lot of snow. We get some snow in New York, but it turns brown and ugly and then disappears. I love watching it from my windows whenever it does snow. I always get a warm feeling for some reason.”

  “Me too. I love a good snowstorm. It makes the world quiet and reflective.”

  All of a sudden a brilliant idea popped into David’s head. “Let me show you what it looks like outside right now, ok?”

  “Sure.”

  David put his coat and boots on and took his iPad with him. He turned the lights on outside so Marco could see the huge snow drifts.

  “That is unbelievable. I can’t believe how much snow there is. I love it. And just think, it’s only December,” Marco said.

  “It can get pretty overwhelming at times, but you get used to it.”

  “What do you do for fun with so much snow?”

  “There is lots to do here in the winter. I have a pretty nice telescope, so I stargaze every chance I get. I love to cross country ski and walk through the woods with my snowshoes. I als
o have a snow machine and hit the trails with my friends on the weekends. There’s never a dull moment.”

  “All of that sounds incredible. I’ve been skiing a few times, but that’s about it,” Marco said, leaving it at that. He decided not to say anything about his ski trips to Colorado, Utah, and Switzerland for obvious reasons. “What’s a snow machine?”

  “We call snowmobiles snow machines in Michigan.” David pointed his iPad at four of them parked side by side in the driveway.

  “Wow, they look awesome. Are they fun to drive?”

  David had another brilliant idea. “Marco, would you like to come for a visit over the Christmas break?”

  “Yeah, I’d love to. Will you take me riding on your snow machine?”

  “Of course. Actually, I’m sure my dad will let you drive his after I show you how to drive mine,” David was excited about the possibility of seeing Marco again. “Come with me.” He walked back inside so he could ask his parents. “Mom, dad, where are you?” he called, while taking his boots off.

  “We’re in the kitchen.” David walked in and propped up his iPad on the island so everyone could see each other. He felt a little awkward skyping with his parents, but this was really important.

  “Dad, you remember Marco, right?”

  “Of course I do. Hi. It’s good to see you again.”

  “It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Emerson.”

  “Mom, this is Marco Valerio.”

  “Hi Marco. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “It is very nice to meet you, Mrs. Emerson.”

  “Marco was also accepted at Columbia today.” David’s mother and father congratulated him.

  “Thank you. I’m sure it has been an exciting day for everyone. Both of you must be very proud of David.”

  “Yes, we are.”

  “The reason why I got all of us together is to ask if Marco could come for a visit during Christmas break.” His parents looked at each other for a second, then his mom said, “It’s ok with us. Marco, will it be ok with your parents?”