The Album of Perfect Moments

Let the game begin

The next day, I passed in front of Elena and Alieth. I had no choice; it was the only way to my locker. An unpleasant scene, of course. No one wanted to see their tongues go down their throats. Not me, especially. They had been in an open relationship for at least one year, and I would not complain. They were meant for each other: insufferable, horrible people go better together than not. But I still didn't want to see them kissing their souls out. I shook my head repeatedly and stopped thinking about them once I had everything I needed from my locker.

Elena and I were never very close. We were too different to be friends. She was docile, and I was too stubborn. She was perfect at convincing others she was the best person ever. And I didn't worry about what others thought of me. She was the perfect, outgoing girl for small talk, and I couldn't stand hypocrites with sweetened caramel smiles. And yet, despite all our differences, I believed that the friendship that united us would remain, but I was wrong. She lied with her respectable performance skills, and I was the object of her act.

The first subject on my schedule turned out to be gymnastics. I didn't care. I wasn't the best at sports, but I managed to keep getting straight A's. We were warming up and the team coach made us do five walking laps, ten jogging laps, and one at maximum speed. It was normal to us. Elena would compete with me in the sprint race, and I was aware of her speed. Still, the memories she had awakened that morning would be enough fuel to beat her. Sometimes, I could ignore what she did to me. Not now, though. Not when Alieth insisted so much on bothering me, and all the Insufferables seemed to be everywhere near me. Suffocating me.

"On your marks, set... Out."

I tried to maintain enough strength to give my maximum in the last section. She imitated me. We were even. Neither wanted to risk increasing speed more than necessary in a clear declaration of war.

"Nice book, honey," she gasped, but I ignored her. She was just trying to distract me, and I had to win the race, or I would have a lower score. I crossed the finish line just three-quarters of a second before her. "You know, we made a bet to see if you would give him a book or not before the game of tomorrow. I lost. It seems I don't know you that well anymore."

"We stopped talking years ago. It's normal." I stretched out my limbs without looking at her or showing the anger that bubbled up inside me. She kept daring to tell me things with the only purpose of making me angry. And I wanted to say that it didn't affect me anymore, but I wouldn't have been honest for 2%.

And that's why he was desperate to get one of my books. A stupid bet. The worst part is that he kept surprising me after what had happened. It didn't matter how many times he made something I knew was wrong... In the end, each of those times, I would end with a slight feeling of disappointment in the center of my being.

"You stopped talking to me," she complained mockingly.

"Because you lied to me." I finished my stretching and left. "I think we're even."

After checking that the coach had marked the grade correctly, I went to the girls' dressing room to change. And, for heaven's sake, of course, I had to run into the person I could have strangled just because disappointment is almost always easier to control with anger.

"Lend me a book."

I kept going, and he imitated me when I didn't answer anything. He had already gotten what he wanted. I was not going to lend myself to another ridiculous bet. I had enough with him in five of my classes and detention. He couldn't show up everywhere like we were the best friends in the world when we couldn't stand each other.

He grabbed my hand just before I could enter the dressing room.

"Don't touch me, " I said, using a fairly normal tone of voice and trying to wriggle out of his grip. As long as things were done calmly, nothing would happen.