Meeting

Once they got back Carla let herself fall down on the carpet of the living room while Natasha headed straight to the kitchen. When she joined Carla in the living room, a short while later, she had two bottles of fresh water in one hand and a small plate filled with slices of mango on the other. She put the plate and one bottle of water on the coffee table and kept the other one for her.

Though she could still feel the pain of her exhausted muscles, Carla, anyway, struggled to sit up and to have some of the refreshments Natasha kindly brought.

" Well... " Natasha released a sigh of satisfaction after she put the empty bottle on the table. She stood up and stretched a little before she announced, " I will go first take a shower ".

" How can you still have the energy to move around like that? " Carla was staring up at her as if she was a kind of puzzle she wanted to complete before she lazily swallowed the last slice of mango, " did we really go through the same hell of training? " The tone weakened of her voice was enough to express how confused and impressed she was.

" We did but the difference is that I'm used to it " Natasha chuckled, " but I'm a little impressed though, back in days when I started training with him I recall that after our session I would be so exhausted that he would have to carry me all the way to my room ".

The corner of Carla's lips extended to reveal a weak smile, " so you're saying that I should be proud to still stand on my feet after such a session? You sure you just don't want to make me feel less pathetic? "

Natasha laughed while picking the dishes to bring them back to the kitchen before she headed upstairs leaving Carla to rest in the living room.

She, later, found the energy to move and so she went upstairs toward the room she was sharing with Natasha. There she found her dressed with a backpack hanging on her shoulder and she seemed ready to go out.

" Where are you going? " Carla asked her, more curious than surprised.

" I have class now... " Natasha responded without looking at her as she was focused on her image in the mirror while she was fixing her hair before checking how she looked like one last time.

" You're still going to school? " Carla approached her in sort to let her feature be caught by the mirror so that Natasha could see her through it.

Looking at her surprised face Natasha figured out that it was not the answer she was expecting.

" Mm-Hmm " the young woman nodded before she started to put herself in her friend's shoes, knowing that she went through a different kind of circumstances during those past few years back in her hometown, Mountclay, Natasha could understand her reaction and so she took the time to explain to her.

" After we, somehow, overcame the crisis, Lina insisted that the citizens should continue living their lives as usual so that we could maintain a civilized lifestyle, so we all worked together to revive the city the better we could, some of the businesses reopened, some of the people returned to their usual jobs while others like me, with no competences which could contribute in the reconstruction of the city, had to return to school ".

Natasha raised her sight a little before she began to repeat a comment she once heard and which she had just remembered, " 'In fact, though we are lucky enough to live in an era where most of the cities are self-sufficient we still need skilled people to make them run like their usual' Lina once said to all the youngsters you have seen in the dojo lately. At that time many of us were thinking that it was pointless to continue to go to school, including me, " she confessed a little embarrassed, " all I wanted to do was to accompany Jamal to fight along with him and defend the city that was she scolded me saying that I was very dumb ".

Natasha raised her forefinger before she started repeating Lina's words, " 'what is the point of defending a dead city?' She told us that we have greenhouses where we can cultivate whatever fruits and vegetables but they are useless if it was not for the skills of the people who work there, allowing us to have something to eat. And that goes the same for the water and electricity we have now, that's because skilled people are working hard to provide those resources to us but-"

" But those people working are not immortals, " Carla completed after she guessed the end of her statement, from there she could suppose what happened next but she still let Natasha finish.

" That's right, they would eventually get too old to continue working, she convinced us to continue studying so that one day we can replace them and carry out those essential jobs ". A smile appeared on Natasha's face after she thought about something, " but the way we're studying is not what you could think ".

As Carla was looking at her with her curious eyes, she continued, " the truth is that we just say school because it's the best way we can say to refer to it, though it's not exactly it. After a series of discussions and detailed analysis from Lina, the students could choose directly in which field they wanted to work after graduation so that they can already receive their formation on those different domains ".

" I see... " Carla nodded, " that is quite smart because like that you can learn faster and more effectively as you can already practice what you could learn in theory ".

" Exactly, we are saving time " Natasha confirmed. " So in first, we go to the library to do some self-study while we will be coordinated and watched by some few teachers, since they are not enough to organize real classes it's the best way we can find to learn, and after an hour every one of us shall go join their mentors in the fields we have chosen to work in to learn directly how to do the job ".

" Which domain did you choose? " Carla's curiosity grew bigger the more she is interested.

" Agriculture and medicine " the latter responded straightforwardly, as she expected Carla seemed a bit surprised, she grinned as she said " if you want to ask why that's because though they are the most important domains for our survival, in the list where the students were choosing their future works, they were the least popular, so I chose them. I didn't mind doing any jobs anyway, as long as I could help. Since I'm stronger and tougher than normal people I thought that they were somehow suited for me, I can do a lot of things better and quicker than anyone else, not forgetting that I learn very fast, which explains why I have usually more free time than the other students ".

After that, Carla stayed quiet while fixing the ground, as if she was wondering about something, and after she had made up her mind she suddenly raised her head while looking confident and resolved, " it's decided, I will enroll in your school, " she paused, " I haven't figured out yet which field should I join but I think about somewhere in mechanical engineering field whether it is for maintenance or manufacturing or even both. I'm am used to work hard and since I'm stronger than normal people it's suited for me, I can do a lot of work better and quicker than the others, not forgetting that I learn very fast, " she joked while repeating the exact same words Natasha had just said before she finished by adding, " and I'm pretty sure those domains cruelly need some more manpower ".

Natasha laughed, " say the truth, you just want to compete with me to see who is better at her work, don't you? "

" I won't deny that I also thought about it ", Carla put her fists on her hips and sighed " well, what should I do to join the team? "

" First, you have to take a shower, then you will have to go to the city hall to tell Lina or Matteo that you have already chosen your domain of study, they will take care of rest and tomorrow we will go to school together " Natasha responded, pleased by her decision.

" Not today? " Carla looked a bit disappointed.

Natasha shrugged, " you're not the only one looking for a job or a formation, I'm sure right now the city hall is filled with people it will take time to get what you want ".

" But you're the best friend of the mayor, you can pull some strings for me and make it faster, can't you? " Carla suggested with an imploring face.

Natasha laughed and shook her head before she started walking out of the room, " we don't do that here, you have to follow the rules and get in the line like everyone else. Don't worry, Lina is very quick in her job, too, you won't have to wait for too long, and by the way, please bring Dana with you, she also said that she wanted to go choose her domain of study. See you later ". She then waved her hand and left.

•••

Just like Natasha had said earlier, when she arrived, Carla found a big crowd was there, in the city hall, waiting to be received.

" We should better go and come back tomorrow, this won't get done by today, " Dana snarled while glaring at the crowd.

" No. We have to be done with this today, " Carla refused categorically, she gazed around her while feeling quite relieved to see that people had only filled the inside of the city hall, after all, she had been expecting the office to be so full that they would have had to wait outside.

She didn't take time to notice that ahead of the line, people would leave and enter, what seemed to be Lina's personal office, quite quicker than it should normally be.

[ It seems that Natasha didn't exaggerate when she said that Lina was fast ] Carla thought a bit impressed.

" Hey, Brad! " Dana shouted while waving her hand at the man after she saw him passing by, unintentionally interrupting the run of Carla's thoughts.

He seemed to be quite in a hurry but he yet didn't seem bothered to deviate from his way to come say hello to the girls.

" Hey, little kitty what are you doing here? " Brad said with a smile, he gazed around, turned his head right and left as is if he was looking for someone, " you are not with Natasha? "

" Hum... I-I came to register for school and also to choose a formation ". Though she was the one who caught his attention and called him, Dana seemed to be quite shy and uncomfortable. Observing her, Carla firstly thought that she was acting timidly maybe because she had a crush on him and that was making her feel nervous but then she remembered that she would sometimes act that way before Natasha and her when they would be at home.

" Here is Carla who is accompanying me " Dana introduced her shyly, while barely raising her head to look at them.

Brad narrowed his eyes and looked at Carla's face with attention while trying to remember her, " I think I have met before ".

" Maybe yesterday during the carnival. I was there accompanying Natasha, Jamal, and Lina, " Carla replied hastily. In fact, she did remember having seen him after the battle against the undead but she didn't want to take the risk to mention that subject as there were too many people around who may hear the conversation.

[ Lina said we should keep that confidential ] she remembered herself.

" Yes, that's right," Brad finally exclaimed. He looked at the waiting line from the head to the tail, before he leaned towards them and whispered, " Lina sent me to go by some drinks for her and Matteo, but I can maybe make you meet them faster before I go if you want, what do you think? "

Dana turned her head to look at Carla Carla waiting for her answer, the latter frowned and thought with an indecisive expression on her face before she finally shook her head. " I think it's okay if we wait, it would be unjust for the others who have been here since longer than us to skip and go directly just because we know the people working there ".

" You are right, " Brad chuckled, quite impressed by the honesty of the young woman. " Anyway, I better go before those two start fighting. See you later, " and then he went off.

Carla turned her head and saw Dana glaring at her seeming upset. " For really? We could have saved a lot of our time, " she tilted her head while blaming Carla.

" Hey, don't make that face we have to follow the rules," the latter replied with a smile as she remembered Natasha's words.

•••

" Next! " Matteo shouted and immediately the door opened letting Carla and Dana enter in the office.

" Oh well, what surprised " Lina exclaimed joyfully, even though they could notice a sense of tiredness in her voice, " how are you doing my cute baby girls? "

" We're definitely in a better shape than you, " Dana sneered while analyzing her face.

" Hmmm, seems like you learned how to use your tongue you little- "

Matteo quickly interrupted her trying to not even imagine what she was to say as he was fully confident that it would have definitely made Dana very angry.

" Well, for what reason are you both here? " the boy looked at Carla who seemed easier to talk with.

" We came to register for school and also apply for the work formation, " the latter responded.

" It seems like Natasha has already explained to you how things work here, that's good, it will make things quicker and simpler," Lina declared, she waved her hand to call the young woman while pointing to Matteo, " Carla come here and Dana, try your best to explain to Matteo what you want to do ".

In less than five minutes they were already done and both girls left the office.

" This was the last one for today " Brad came to announce to them with a proud smile.

" Finally! " Lina shouted her two fists in the air before resting her head on her desk.

" I almost thought it would never end, " Matteo sighed while leaning his upper body on the backrest of the sofa.

" Good work everyone! " the boss declared before she suddenly pointed to the door, " now hurry up and get out of here, we have to close the store, I can't wait anymore to see my man so you better not waste my time," she had taken a menacing tone which looked to have a good effect since none of the two guys tried to reply or argue.

They hurryingly took their stuff and went off.

•••

Arrived in his apartment Matteo was so tired that he automatically walked into his bedroom and threw himself in his bed and he quickly fell into a deep sleep

In his dream, he found himself standing somewhere in the middle of the dark where the light was so weak that he couldn't even identify whether he was out or inside an establishment, in a big or a small room.

Just when he started to think that he was alone there, a mysterious person suddenly appeared in front of him what scared him so much that he could feel his heart beating hard in his chest.

In that darkness, Matteo could barely conceive the shape of that person though they were so close that it seemed like only two steps were separating them from each other. He, however, managed to distinguish the feature of that person enough to conclude that it was a girl.

She had covered her head under a black hood which was hiding her eyes and what made Matteo unable to completely conceive that girl's face.

At a moment, the corners of her lips extended to reveal a malicious smile when she said, " here he is, the annoying and bothersome boy ".