The Wheel

5. Sam

When I walked into the living-room, I saw Kate and my girlfriend Veronica, resting after energetic dancing with their phones in hands. Chris' phone rang, so he went to another room, closing the door behind him. Mike was sitting on the white leather armchair and was scrolling through some web page with the news about new technologies. Miguel was recording the food and drinks that Mike had brought.

"Are you stuck in social networking again?" I asked the girls. "Maybe you're texting each other right now?"

"Yeap," said Kate, "sharing our female secrets."

I sat between them on the cough and kissed Veronica.

"Is Emma texting you, too?"

"That nun?" Kate laughed. She was an overconfident brunette with long hair, wearing a beige dress. "Phh--I don't talk to her, only if I need help with studying or...with studying."

"Stop humiliating her," Veronica said discontentedly. "She was born in a priest's family, she's always kept from doing what she wants. Her parents didn't even let her live in a dorm: they are too afraid she might start smoking pot! To be honest, I'm happy Emma could spend some time without total control over her."

"No, I'm just saying what it is," Kate insisted. "I have nothing to talk to her about, besides studying, because she only thinks about religious stuff. I bet she believes in fairies and magical flying elephants. Just like Miguel."

"Can you repeat that?" all of a sudden I heard an amused voice from behind.

The three of us turned around and saw cheery Miguel, who sneaked up on us and was recording us on camera.

"Miguel?" Kate yelled, shocked. "You went nuts with your camera!"

"Try and catch me and if you can, I will delete the video," the cameraman said playfully. Kate got up and ran after him. Veronica laughed and took her phone.

"Wanna take a photo, honey?" she asked, combing her long black hair.

Oh, I don't like all these selfies, social networks and so on. My girlfriend noticed my reluctance to do, as it seemed to her, quite a usual thing.

"Please," she looked at me pleadingly with her kind blue eyes. "Only one photo, honey. I understand you!"

"Okay, one photo," I laughed and kissed her.

Veronica fixed my short dark-brown hair and made one selfie with her iPhone and then posted it on Instagram, preliminarily adding a filter.

My eyes caught displeased and even a little sad Mike.

"Was it Chris' idea to invite this angry, grumpy boxer?" I whispered to Veronica. "Don't they hate each other?"

"Turns out not so much, if Chris invited him and he actually came," she replied. "Maybe Chris asking him to come was a common courtesy? I don't think our heavyweight would be happy seeing us smiling from the photos on Instagram without him in them. But who knows? Kate dropped me a hint that it was important for Chris to show off in front of us. Anyway, I'm grateful to Mike for bringing us beer and snacks."

"One of my friends said that boasting leads to mental decay," I said quietly. "But, anyway, it's more important that we are happy together."