Puzzle

S1E02 | PETROMANIA

| OCTOBER 12, 2021 – 9:45 AM |
| PARIS – GARI'S ROOM. |

Every human being has character traits that perfectly define them.
Some individuals are great friends, while others are known for deep-seated selfishness.

Élise Petronova is defined by her organizational skills and incredible efficiency.
Today is a big day for the lawyer, as she helps her new roommate, Gari Vincelse, moving in.

Élise and Gari have known each other for a few months now. The young woman met him one winter evening in a crowded bar. They quickly discovered shared passions for pop culture and various TV series.

So quickly, in fact, that Élise offered him a place to stay as soon as the opportunity arose.
Gari, a web developer for a startup, had just landed a permanent position in the capital.
He was thrilled to have someone to rely on, and even more, not to have to look for an apartment.

They are in his new room, while Élise notices she has already unpacked half of his things.
Her gaze lingers on a metal box, which she gently places on her roommate's bed.
The young woman tilts her head, curious, as she notices the box has a lock.

ÉLISE:
(Pointing at the object.)
"What's in this box?"

GARI:
(Realizing what Élise is referring to, he quickly puts the box under his bed.)
"Did you take it out?"

ÉLISE:
(Frowning, she indicates.)
"It was in one of your boxes."

GARI:
(Turning his back to her and continuing to unpack his things.)
"Oh... okay."

ÉLISE:
(Not understanding his reaction.)
"Was I not supposed to take it out?"

GARI:
(Turning back to his friend and quickly responding.)
"No, no... You did the right thing!"

ÉLISE:
(Smiling slightly.)
"Does it contain a terrible secret?"

GARI:
(With a childish demeanor, he locks his brown eyes with Élise's and declares.)
"If by terrible secret, you mean my writing... then probably! I write about my life, my emotions. Let's just say it's a way to externalize what happens daily."

ÉLISE:
(Still smiling, she teases him.)
"Diaries about your crushes and secrets. Sounds like a teenager experiencing love for the first time."

GARI:
(Grabbing a pillow from his bed and gently throwing it at her face.)
"Are you going to be sarcastic about everything I own?"

ÉLISE:
(Throwing the pillow back at him.)
"What better way to celebrate my birthday than welcoming you and mocking your habits!"

GARI:
(Bouncing off her words.)
"By the way, I wanted to thank you for taking the day off to help me. Especially on this day..."

ÉLISE:
(Grabbing a stack of video games and starting to arrange them on the wall shelf.)
"As long as we don't spend the whole day at it and tonight's events revolve around me, I'll be the happiest person in the world!"

GARI:
(Nodding and exclaiming, excited.)
"Speaking of which, don't worry, I've taken care of everything for your party. Consider it my first gift."

ÉLISE:
(Suddenly confused, she freezes.)
"What do you mean?"

GARI:
(Seeing Élise's concern, he approaches and helps her fill the shelf.)
"I've taken care of inviting the people who matter most to you. Alcohol and food will be delivered this afternoon. I've also booked you appointments with a hairdresser and a makeup artist, all right here. You just have to get ready and enjoy the rest of your day."

ÉLISE:
(Surprised, she gets slightly agitated.)
"Who exactly did you invite? And now that I think about it... when and how did you organize all this?"

GARI:
(Giving her a guilty smile.)
"The official version or the unofficial one?"

ÉLISE:
(In a tiny voice.)
"The unofficial one. At least... I think?"

GARI:
(Nonchalantly summarizing.)
"Last week, I created a database to cross-reference your friends on all your social networks. I then created a script to send an automation chain inviting them to a collaborative platform. I integrated a gift list related to your Pinterest and Amazon Wishlist. Finally, I inputed reviews from 2500 establishments and 12000 comments into an algorithm to get you the most objectively rated hairdresser and makeup artist."

ÉLISE:
(Not hiding her astonishment.)
"And... how do you know who's coming?"

GARI:
(Pulling a phone from his pocket and showing her an interface.)
"Guests respond on a platform updated in real-time. It shows who's bringing what, curates music playlists managed and fed by your Spotify history, and includes votes from the party members. Everything is set up so you don't have to worry. Even tonight's menu is selected and approved by your guests. Almost forgot, the theme of the evening is simple: Petromania!"

ÉLISE:
(Snatching the device from his hands and examining it.)
"We're going to be about thirty! I thought I'd celebrate with Samir and Antoine."

GARI:
(Suddenly perplexed, he asks her.)
"Did I go too far?"

Élise hands him back his phone and pauses briefly.
Gari gives her an inquisitive look as she approaches and hugs him.
The young man, caught off guard, takes a moment to return the gesture.

ÉLISE:
(Slowly pulling away.)
"You're seriously disturbed, though."

GARI:
(Lowering his head, he avoids her gaze.)
"Sometimes, I get carried away..."

ÉLISE:
(Lifting his head, forcing him to look at her.)
"Don't be. You did nothing wrong. I wanted to be the center of attention tonight... and here I am!"

Gari looks relieved, his face lighting up. Élise, realizing they're just talking, shakes her head, trying to bring herself back to the present moment. She starts to smile, as Gari is already absorbed by a new find at the bottom of a box.

As an adult, Élise Pétronova has always defined herself as an independent person with undeniable organizational skills and efficiency. Yet, she had no trouble compromising her independence to let Gari Vincelse into her personal space.

Without knowing why, something deep inside her made her think she was destined to meet this individual. That she was meant to share a part of her journey with him.

But was she right to nurture this feeling?
If only she had known what her affection for Gari would cost her, maybe she would have thought twice before compromising her daily life, her customs, but above all, the fragments of her humanity.