PSPA

3

Certain affinities lead to hell, but the journey is heavenly.

"What do you say babydoll?" echoes in my mind like a broken record.

I blink several times and look at him in disbelief, hoping with all my being that I have misunderstood.

It's a joke, right? It can't be possibile, please no.

I keep looking at him paralyzed, but it all seems real, instead he raises the corner of his mouth mischievous and licks his lips already cheering his victory.

Then it's not a figment of my imagination, this asshole really proposed a quickie at the corner of the bar. I hold back a gasp.

I bet he knows he has a pretty face and can get what he wants, when he wants. Too bad it didn't work out for him today

"What do I say... "I mutter, almost to myself, giving him a tugged smile.

He has no idea what awaits him.

"Over here in the corner so... "I walk over to him and stare at him.

You should see the shitty grin on his face, asshole...I'll take it off soon enough.

"A quick thing, I'm late" says mr. quickie interpreting my approach positively.

"Sure, I'll be super quick," I say putting a hand on his shoulder, then raising my knee and kicking between his legs. With all the strength I have.

"Asshole" I hiss and put my backpack back on my shoulders while he groans in pain doubled over.

I approach his head and growl again "I'm not taking you to the principal just because I'm late, you deserve to croak behind bars."

He doesn't even have the strength to retort and leaning against the machine, he continues to suffer in silence. I shake my head contrite and look around making sure I have no spectators.

I could get in trouble for this asshole

For my bad luck, I catch the eye of the janitor De Robertis from above, who does not notice the bent asshole behind me, but yells at me to get to class as soon as possible or he will take me to the vice principal's office.

"I'm going!" I exclaim, taking one last look at the maniac who gives me a look full of hate and threats. I can also detect a hint of surprise; he didn't expect such a gesture from me, let alone...I didn't expect it either.

I go straight to area C and run down the stairs, arriving at the third floor breathlessly...damn elevator that can only be used by professors.

I turn left to greet the third-floor janitor, Cavi, my great support during these hellish years, who is sitting in his impeccable blue tie, round brown glasses, and mustache covering his upper lip.

I inhale the familiar smell of coffee and cigarettes and reach behind him to give a big hug.

"Oh Benì!" he exclaims, giggling.

I've never seen my grandfather...I haven't had the opportunity and my grandmothers are in Sri Lanka, I rarely hear from them and in Cavi I find that relationship of complicity and esteem that my friends say they have with their grandparents.

"I've missed you!" I murmur, hugging him tightly still out of breath.

"Look what I brought you," he reaches into the top desk drawer and pulls out a box full of chocolates. "Happy return," he smiles, handing me one.

"You are my knight" I print a kiss on his cheek and unwrap the chocolate wrapper, like an impatient child.

"In name and in fact," he replies and closes the drawer.

I look up at an award plaque resting on the desk "Roberto Cavaliere" and smile and nod.

"I'm super late, see you later?" I walk around the desk to leave the room as he nods and returns his focus to his paper.

Cavi is retiring this year, and we are all a little wistful. I had hoped to visit him at the school after graduation, but that won't be possible. The thought of only being able to see him for a few months makes me so sad.

This school will not know the legend that was there, the great Roberto Cavaliere, who would tease you about your mistakes and always support you to do better, bring you chocolates on Valentine's Day and offer you coffee when you were down. No one could ever take his place in the tower.

I ruffle my hair as I leave the small room and look around for the classroom.

The nice thing about being on the third floor is the fact that there are few classrooms and you don't have to go up and down to reach a classroom. It is called the "tower" precisely because we are the same, and after a while there is a relationship of complicity, by dint of complaining to Cavi about homework gone wrong and rejoicing in good grades.

I find the classroom easily, and when I enter, already prepared with my excuse for being late, I unexpectedly see no one at the desk.

I immediately breathe a sigh of relief. At least one good thing has happened.

I dont't even have time to realize the good thing before, I find myself hugged and turning around to see my two amazing friends from school Angelica and Matilde.

"Late even on the first day of school!" Matilde jokes.

I smile guiltily and still out of breath from climbing all those stairs I say, "I have so much to tell you."

"Gossip, I like that," says Angi leaning against the wall.

"Yes, but first let me sit down I've run so far" I walk into the classroom and greet the other classmates with a tight smile.

I'm not particularly close with them, we spend our time more fighting than supporting each other, but we are polite to each other...we say hello, at most we ask how we are and amen.

I have a peaceful relationship with everyone except one person, Giorgia.

I hopefully try to move away, but to zero effect, because there's the wall behind me, so all I'm left with is being pinned to the desk with the math an inch away from my face.

The usual unlucky one.

"Have you seen the teacher downstairs? It's 8:20," Angi asks as she sits down next to me.

It is really strange... Later than 8:15 she is never late, let alone absent.

The presence of the math one in class is one of the few certainties I have in life.

Let the sky fall, she will always be there.

I lower myself to put the phone in the pocket of my backpack, while suddenly I feel a pungent scent of familiar male cologne and the silence of the classroom, but I struggle to close the zipper of the bottom pocket of the backpack and I say to Angi, "No, I didn't see her downstairs. Who knows, maybe he wanted to surprise us at the beginning of the year and...".

I notice Angi's pale face looking at me in surprise and I wrinkle my forehead, decide to forget the zipper of my bag and see what's going on, but .... Holy shit.