Chapter Five: "Clandestine Meeting"

Another hour. One hour remains for the alarm clock to ring, indicating the beginning of the supposed awakening.

I turn around, looking away from the happy clock. I've been watching him since five in the morning which makes my blood boil. To be honest, I haven't slept shit all night. If yesterday I had a hard time holding Diana's hair while she vomited everything that could be thrown up, tonight she was supposed to be able to sleep from exhaustion itself. How can I not be angry when that has not been the case and arguably I slept worse tonight? And worst of all is that Alex, Adam, my father's face invades me. This does not make sense, neither of them I like, they are not even related.

They are. Can you please stop lying to yourself? You're getting on my nerves ...

I turn around again. This is frustrating. Since when have I had insomnia? I want, no, I need to sleep.

"But why don't you sleep!?" I yell, burying my face into the pillow.

Despondent, I get out of bed and take off my makeshift pajamas. I look at the contents of my closet and take the first thing I see, as always. I head to the kitchen, and as I pass through the dining room, I frown slightly at the sight of my friends sitting on the couch. I raise an eyebrow at that vision. Could it be that at this time they do this? We will never know because I only get up early out of obligation.

When they notice my presence, they all try to appear normal but they can't. It is not very normal that we say that at six in the morning they are meeting in my living room.

"Wow! I think I can die in peace now. Karla getting up early! "In a very childish act, I stick my tongue out at her and Diana winks at me.

"Ha ha. Very funny, ”I say, letting go, for the moment, the image of all of them whispering.

I'm curious. What will be so important that they can't wait until more normal hours?

To be honest, I would have one too as it was an intense start to the school year. Yesterday I hardly slept, I saw a guy change the color of his eyes, I made a dent in a car and thanks to that, I met two brothers, each one crazier than the last. Then in the afternoon I got home, cleaned, studied (or so I want to think I was doing), and spent the rest of the afternoon watching my favorite series.

I can't get Alex out of my mind. It's like it's a tick, a leech that has latched onto my brain and I can't get it out of my head.

What a romantic comparison.

"Karla?" I hear Alice's voice and, when I look at her, she smiles at me from ear to ear.

I hear her laugh as I walk into the kitchen and roll my eyes. Even being our age, we look like fifteen-year-old teenagers. I go to the, now clean, cook and prepare some toast. I scoop out the butter on the table and start the espresso machine.

"Do you want something?" I just ask when I notice that her gaze follows me in my every move.

They all shake their heads nervously and try to focus on something else.

"Guys, I know something is happening" Their eyes widen in surprise and I notice how their bodies tense, "but I also know that you don't want to tell me. So I would appreciate it if you had a more normal attitude, not one that piques my curiosity."

"You'll find out soon enough. Why don't we tell him now? "Alice does everything possible so that she does not hear what she just said, but I manage to do it.

"Because I told you so."

"What will I know shortly?" I ask my sister.

Alice looks at Sara and Diana waiting for her approval but they shake their heads causing anger to invade Alice's small body and she slammed the door. I stay for a few moments trying to make eye contact with them, but none of them give me a chance. You don't have to look them in the eye to notice everything they are trying to hide and that makes my blood boil for some unknown reason.

"Are you sure everything is okay?" They nod their heads, not looking at me yet. "It's six in the morning, I have time for you to explain it to me." They both shake their heads at the same time.

I sigh heavily and wearily. Whatever they are hiding, they know I will eventually find out, but they still don't tell me. I roll my eyes at such stupidity. They shrug apologetically, but it's no use. I need you to tell me what is happening.

And I don't know why it bothers me so much, I frown at that thought.

I would hit you if it weren't for the fact that we share a body. How many times do you want me to tell you? YOU WANTED LIKE THAT!

"You are very bad friends."

"How was with Adam?" Diana's question unsettles me and the mere mention of him makes a wave of anger that I little understand fill my body.

"Adam?" What does that now have to do with it? "The anger keeps growing inside me. "I want to know what the hell is going on in this house! Are you going to tell me or will I have to find out myself?

"Good luck with that." Alice returns and heads for the kitchen.

"I'm able to find out."

"And we don't doubt it," Sara begins. Her tone is too calm and she can already imagine what that does to me. "You can not wait?"

Who do you think you are talking to? She is a Smith, we have little patience in the family.

"No."

"Well, you'll have to," Alice says bluntly.

I take a deep breath and the smell of burning enters my nostrils, something that at this moment I do not care about. I stride to my room and grab everything I need, put on my coat and the first shoes I see. I put the backpack on my left shoulder, grabbed the house keys and Diana's wallet.

Some have to pay, right? Well, they pay me, for now, breakfast.

I got sick of so much secrecy. A desire to leave and not come back grows bigger and bigger inside me, and with that thought, I get into the car.

I open the car door and the cold autumn air drifts against my cheeks. I look at my watch. It's only a quarter to seven. From nine it seems that winter has advanced with gray clouds hovering over the city making the streets seem more hostile and more depressing. This time is similar to what I feel; a gray, sad, angry day.

I walk into a little joint called Coffee Time and I see that at least I'm not the only one in a coffee shop at this time of the morning. I walk shuffling and observe the people around me. Everyone is deep in thought; A man in his forties with the typical beer belly, baseball cap, and the most worn and ripped shoes I have ever seen, he is eating, rather, gobbling down an indecent amount of pancakes. There is also a lady, with too much makeup on her face, drinking a coffee with her eyes chasing the handsome bartender, who frenziedly cleans the bar until her eyes make contact with mine. He signals to me that he will come in a few moments, to which I nod. While I wait, I sit at the farthest table I can see and next to the large window that overlooks the street.

The cafeteria has had better years. It is dark and smells like rotten wood although it is camouflaged with the good smell of fresh coffee. This is the cafeteria I know that is the farthest from my home but not far enough from the institute. I never believed that in my own home I would feel like an intruder.

My gaze returns to the street and I am surprised to see the first drops of rainfall. I look up at the sky and one of many drops catches my attention and I follow with my eyes the path it has taken when it collides with the glass.

"Hi." The waiter's deep voice wakes me up. "What would you like to drink?"

Slowly I turn my face towards him and the first thing that catches my attention is his pink lips framing a beautiful smile.

How can he be in such a good mood at this time of the morning? I can't get it in the restaurant and I don't need to get up early.

"A black coffee, please," I finish and smile back out of courtesy.

"On my way."

The boy walks away and a sigh leaves my lips, my eyes returning to continue dripping on the window. Minutes pass and the enthusiastic waiter brings my coffee with the same smile as before. I pick up the mug and make a superhuman effort not to curse out loud at the searing heat on my lips. When my lips return to normal, without pain, I pick up the phone and plug in the headphones. And as if it were a ritual, I immerse myself in my thoughts, losing myself in them.

What is their secret?

You know what it is, don't play stupid. Just open your eyes for God's sake.

As the song comes to an end, my finger traces the rim of the mug, absorbed in reality. A figure enters my field of vision but I decide to ignore it.

"Good morning, Karla."

I don't bother to look into those lunatic eyes, I go about my business, playing with the rim of the cup and imagining that the person in front of me is an illusion and not real.

"I'm glad to see you here," he says, ignoring my complete silence.

With annoyance, I look up and look at him tiredly. I haven't known him long, but he's already done with my patience.

"You need something? "I just said when I see him just looking at me without saying a word.

"What are you doing at this hour in a cafeteria?" He says and his brow furrows.

"I asked first." I break eye contact with him and return with the droplets from the window that are becoming more abundant.

A small smile is drawn on his face and deep inside me, an uncontrollable desire to punch him in his model face leaves me confused for an instant.

Do you feel me already? * smiles for the first time in a long time *. I've been waiting a long time, Karla. Don't make me wait too long...

My eyes meet his again trying to figure out the damn interest this character has in me all of a sudden. Again the rage that I had buried inside me comes to the fore.

"Sara called me." I roll my eyes. "She was quite worried about you."

I shrugged my shoulders.

They only worry that I will come back to life and leave you in the background.

Be quiet. In an instant, an awkward silence hangs over us.

"Are you okay?"

I roll my eyes again. I ignore him again. And I focus again on the rain that now falls through the large window.

"You should care."

Who do you think you are? Her legal guardian? Go and find omeone who cares about your damn opinion.

I finish my coffee in one gulp and signal the waiter to prepare the bill. His usual smile greets me in response and I get up from the table feeling Alex's presence behind me. I pay and head towards the exit with a tick attached to my back. I walk away from the cafeteria and search my backpack for my packet of cigarettes.

Motherfucker!

He dropped his arms to my sides defeated when I realized what he had done. My gaze goes to the sky and I close my eyes, feeling the small drops of water settling on my skin.

"I'll ask you again, do you need anything, Alex?" I turn my gaze to him when I finish speaking.

"Chat."

An incredulous smile forms on my face.

"I'm sorry to tell you that the feeling is not mutual."

When I am ready to move away from him, his voice resounds in my ears.

"I think you were looking for this." I look closely at what he's holding between his fingers, I feel my cigarette packet.

And again I roll my eyes. Never before have I rolled my eyes as often as in the last 48 hours.

"You shouldn't touch things that aren't yours." He shrugs which makes my anger grow. "Be a good boy and return it to its original owner."

"And who is that?" I tilt my head to the side, incredulous at what this man is putting me through. Can't he let me breathe? "You?" I nod wearily. He clicks his tongue and shakes his head. "This is very bad for your health, Karla."

"What difference does it make to you what I do?" I raise my hand and leave it suspended in the air with the hope that it will leave it there "Stop playing the child and give me what is mine."

He denies with the head.

"I don't care, Alex." Give it to me.

At this moment pride speaks. It's been a while since I've gotten myself to the idea that he's not going to give it back to me, but is he so childish to do this kind of stupid thing?

You'd be surprised how many stupid things this guy does a day. I'll give you a clue; more than you can imagine, each one more stupid than the other.

"Good." He takes a step closer to my position. "We will make a deal."

My frustration can be felt in the air. I even forget for a moment that it is raining and that we are getting soaked.

"Which one." My tone of voice is cold and cutting like the weather right now.

"If we talk and you tell me what I want to hear, I'll give it back to you, otherwise it will be mine and I'll do whatever I want with it, okay?"

I frown. Where does he want to go with this game? They are not hours to be playing.

"Alex, I don't feel like playing this stupid game with you," I say in a tired voice.

I extend my hand again and again it remains suspended in the air, only the drops of water making contact with the palm of my hand.

"Then I'll keep it until further notice." He walks past me and puts it in his jacket pocket.

I stand there for a moment, paralyzed, replaying everything in my head, looking for the meaning of this nonsense. Thousands of questions bombard my still sleepy brain.

But what the hell happens to young people today? Can't they just be normal people for a day? I have concluded that I will still be the only normal in this shitty city.

Uhhh. Your true character is beginning to emerge. I like it.

"Okay. Good. "The words leave my mouth before my brain processes them and her walk stops in her tracks." What do you want?"

He turns around letting me see his huge smile of triumph that has formed on his face.

"Oh no, Karla. I ask the questions.

I roll my eyes and instantly think that this must be a hidden camera because this specimen cannot be real. I had never encountered a person like him.

"You are very infuriating, did you know that?"

He shrugs, his smile never leaving his face.

"They called me worse things." I shake my head. Indeed, he is the first person I know with that personality of hers. "Let's go."

His long legs kick in again forcing me to trot after him.

"Where?"

"To class," he says as if it's obvious. You don't want to be late, right?

"I came by car, Alex."

"I know," he shrugs.

I frown and in a second my gait collapses.

Don't trust him, Karla. Anyone with the Mendoza surname is dangerous.

At the third step of her, Alex realizes that I am not keeping up with him and he stops too. He looks at me over his shoulder and a huge rage grows again when he sees that pose.

Why is he looking at me over his shoulder?

Because he thinks he is better than you. Because you have given him to understand that he is better than you.

"Not coming?"

Again the words come out of my mouth automatically without having analyzed them.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I declare.

Alex tries to hide a surprising grimace with one of indifference, but I'm faster than him and I see it before he hides it.

"Good," he shrugs. "So this is officially mine, ”he says as he starts walking again, showing me the packet of cigarettes between his fingers.

In the end, it was no longer the issue of tobacco, it was pride. And that would be what would define part of our history.