the lights go off
an excerpt

Lenka pulled her hair up and sighed onto the mirror, immediately steaming it over so that she could no longer see what she looked like. Frustrated, she checked the time. Five to eight. Lenka had been to a few parties before (well, more than a few), and knew that it didn’t actually matter what time you got there, generally. But Damir had said that this wasn’t a party, and she wasn’t going to know anyone and she didn’t want to be conspicuous.

She wiped the mirror with the palm of her hand and scowled as her blurry reflection, then undid her hair, pulled it up again and put it into a lose knot. It was the best she could manage for the minute, and at least she’d washed it earlier that day so she didn’t look like a complete wreck / mess / head case.

She hadn’t really changed her outfit that much – she was wearing a clean pair of jeans and a different black top, but the desired effect wasn’t any different, and she’d definitely treated the mentioned beret as an optional extra that she was opting out of. She had her bag, though, with the party essentials – condoms, gum, passport, sweets, address book, lip-gloss and small bottle of vodka inside an inconspicuous makeup bag. Lenka didn’t do makeup (other than, well, lip-gloss) and it seemed much more handy to keep something in there that she might get a kick out of than foundation.

He lived just on the outskirts of campus, in this converted cabin that he presumably shared with a few other people. Lenka got there a few minutes later, her hair already falling out (it was far too heavy and long, she often complained) and she felt far too cold, but she had a scarf and a coat and a bag so that was something at least. She knocked on the door and stood there huddled for a minute before she heard scraping on the other side and it creaked open, revealing a slightly more dishevelled-looking Damir (well, his dark brown hair was a bit messier than it had been earlier in the day, his face more relaxed) who smiled when he saw her.

“Yes, yes,” he said, “Lenka, hello.”

“Hi,” Lenka said, tugging on her scarf. They stood there for a second before Damir started and moved back, letting her enter.