Tricky Heart (Wattys 2024)(English)

Chapter 3 - Today, I felt alive than ever before

The lights of the street lamps illuminate the school wall. We just have to climb over it and we are inside. I look at Paul, silently.

He whispers. "If you don't want to do it anymore, I understand. No one is forcing you."

The sweat on my hands speaks volumes: I'm stressed and, right now, I want to run away. Why are they shaking? I clench my fists to stop them.

I take a long breath. "No! I'm with you. Let's do it." I wipe the sweat on my pants.

Paul looks calm, clutches his backpack, which he has on his shoulders, and nods at me. "Then let's go." He looks at the wall. "I'll help you climb over. Step on my hands with your foot." He crosses his fingers and creates a step with his palms.
I can do it.

I have more strength with my right leg: I use that. I put the sole of my shoe on Paul's hands: the step seems strong. I lean on his shoulders.

He smiles. "Are you ready?" No, but I nod anyway. "On the count of three, I give you the momentum and you push with your foot on my hands."

"Okay."

"One." He springs on his legs. "Two." I don't know if I can. "Three!" Now I fall.

He pushes me upward with all his strength, and I, with intense effort, manage to extend my leg. I rest my hands and knee on the wall: I can see the school.

"Are you there?" Paul still holds me and pushes with his arms.

I did it. I did it. "Yes, I'm on top." I straddle the wall.
Wow, what a feeling.

"Okay, now I'm going up too."

Paul finds cracks in the wall and manages to pull himself up through them. What athleticism! He's straddling it too: we're very close and the shoes are touching. "It's nice school at night, isn't it?"

I turn around. It is deserted, but the streetlights are lit anyway. The foliage of the oak tree sways in the silence. "Yes, it is beautiful." I am one step away from something I never thought I would do. A chill runs down my spine. Wait a minute: it's high up here. "Now, how do we get down?"

Paul brings both legs over the wall and lowers himself with the strength of his arms. His feet scrape the wall, some bits fall to the ground. He lets go and cushions the jump by crouching on his knees.
What a perfect jump. If I do it, I'll break my legs.

"Now, I've got you."

"Should I jump?"

"No, no. Put both legs over the wall and let yourself fall down by holding on with your hands. Then I'll hold your legs and bring you down."

Okay, this is the hardest part, if I don't break my face now, I can say the mission is 50% complete.

This is where I get knocked out. I carry my legs over the wall and most of my weight is on my arms. Oh, shit.

"Now, lower yourself down."

Easy for him to talk. The shoes on the wall have no real foothold. Paul grabs my heel and makes me feel that there is a hole to put the shoe in. In fact, I have more stability this way.

"Try to get down. I'm down there."

Okay, I try to get down. One. Two. Three.

"Can you catch me?"

"Yes, that's why I'm here!"

I go. I drop down, my foot slips out of the hole and I lose stability. The feeling of emptiness punches me in the stomach. My body slams against the wall, but my arms are still clinging to support my weight. I almost scrape my face!