Groom Wars

35. The Calm Before the Challenge

I jogged around the house; my shirt's hood tapped my back at an even rhythm. Perspiration slid down my skin. Trees flashed by. Overhead, clouds roamed the bright blue sky. I descried the house's exterior; it was composed of black stucco, bricks, and many glass walls. Every now and again, through the glass, you would see a room or a hallway. Beyond the glass, there was often a collection of shadowy bodies clumped together and chatting.

A bush called to me as I ran. 'Psst.'

I halted at the sound, chest heaving as my heart pounded from vigorous exercise.

Bushes shouldn't talk.

Moisture collected on the waistband of my shorts as I paused and looked around. I checked left and right, then noticed a figure hiding behind a laurel bush. A boy with tan skin. Blue shirt. Khakis. A flash of blonde hair. I stepped towards the bush tentatively.

"Diego?"

Diego raised his head, smiled, and posed with his hand holding his chin as if taking a picture. He had stolen the paint I had gotten from the staff and sported two diagonal red stripes on both cheeks. After surveying his environs and seeing no one but a collection of people in the trees, many metres away, their conversation, inaudible, he beckoned me over with a wave. He mimed talking into a walkie-talkie, "This is Diego; it's safe to come closer, Honey."

"Why am I 'Honey', again?"

"It matches your skin tone."

I sighed.

"Do the thing," he muttered.

Aside from cameras attached to the house and grass, there were no cameramen there to see me embarrass myself. A gentle breeze cooled my body as sweat began to dry on my skin. I raised my imaginary walkie-talkie, sighed, and said, "This is Honey, over."

"Honey, you've got trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"I don't remember your partner's name because I keep mixing up with a chocolate bar I like. Do you know a brand called 'Cadbury'? They make great chocolate. I can't help thinking that is his name for some reason. I know it's not, but they sound similar, don't they?"

"Diego, can we get to the point, please? Over."

He said, "Okay, okay, amigo, Diego will now fast forward. I wanted to let you know that the Les Braves Hommes alliance has decided to throw you in tomorrow. Apparently, your partner dissed the marquesses."

"He said they had a poor vocabulary. It's not really a diss if you think about it. It's more constructive criticism."

"He said other things too."

"Fine. Cadmus probably did say other things, and they have a right to be angry," I admitted. "Thanks for the report, over."

"Roger that, Honey, can you move to the right?"

I slid to the right. "Is this alright?"

"That is perfect." Diego had tied tree branches filled with leaves to his head with a black ribbon. A pair of binoculars hung around his neck. He rose it to his eyes. "She's so beautiful, isn't she?"

He was studying the gathering in the distance. "Who is beautiful?"

"Cara," he said with a lovestruck smile.

"You freaking idiot. Are you stalking her?"

"No, I'm watching her from behind the scenes to protect her from danger."

"Isn't that what the security guards are for?"

"If something happens and they fail, she can always count on," he paused and added in a deep voice, "Diego Hernandez."

"You bloody fool." I wiped my face with my hand, muttering, "Ay...." The more I hung out with this guy, the more I realized he was a complete idiot. I liked him. But he was an idiot.

"Can I see those binoculars for a sec?"

"Sure." Diego removed the pair of binoculars from around his neck and placed them on my palm with a trusting smile. I wound my arm like a pitcher, then tossed them as far as possible.

Diego screamed and shrieked, "What have you done?"

We stared at each other, his pupils shifted, and he glanced at where the binoculars had fallen some feet away. Without a word, we raced towards them, feet pounding the grass. I dove, grabbed them, rolled into a summersault then sprung to my feet. I had gotten to them a split-second before he did. Diego lay on the ground, chin planted in the soil. He watched me for a moment, trying to predict my next move. So, I turned and ran around the house towards the pool.

"Adriel, don't you dare!" Diego took chase. The grass turned to cement tiles as we neared the pool. He slowly closed the distance between us. I increased my speed and tossed the binoculars into the water. Without pausing, Diego ran, jumped, and dove for them, slicing through the liquid without removing his clothes.

"Idiot," I muttered as Diego cleaved his way through the water and grabbed the binoculars' strap. He swam towards the surface and broke free of the tense upper layer of water. Hair draped his face like a mop. He raised the strap triumphantly with a syllabic laugh, "Ha. Ha!"

Shaking my head, I turned and walked away. We can't save those that didn't want to be saved, so I let Diego dig his own grave.

I thought of the kiss with Leandro. The truth was I wasn't better off; all I had wanted was for Leandro to sit back and let me forget about him, but could he do that? No. And now, my head and heart were a complete mess. Everything was Leandro's fault.

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