The Wheel

7. Veronica

Kate quickly turned around and almost hit me with her elbow! I managed to dodge in the last moment. I shouldn't have sneaked up on her!

"Hey, hey, it's me!" I burst out.

My friend opened her mouth in surprise.

"I'm so sorry Veronica," she apologized, shaking her head, "I thought that asshole Miguel was filming me again."

At that moment I heard a sound in the bushes and turned around: Miguel was gloating over Kate's awkward move.

"I'm filming you!" he shouted contentedly.

My friend started running her fingers through her wavy fair hair defiantly and looked at our infantile group mate. Her gaze was saying 'You're dead'.

"Listen to me, Miguel," Kate said angrily, going quickly to the bushes, "delete everything you've recorded. Now!"

"Why?" he pretended he had no idea what she was talking about.

"I'm going to kick your ass!" she declared.

"Is everything okay?" Emma asked suddenly, with David by her side.

I hope Miguel is not that stupid to show the tape. I saw it on my friend's face that she was ready to shatter his camera to pieces any second.

"Everything's great," said the cameraman contentedly, "I recorded something very cool that we are going to watch ten years from now: we are going to have so much fun."

All of us silently looked at the annoying jollier, letting him know that his filming irritates us.

"Come on, guys," he kept laughing, "you'll never forget this day. You'll be reminiscing about it with a smile on your face."

The silence, that became quite awkward, still wasn't interrupted.

"Maybe we should go inside?" Emma asked. "I think it's Chris who's is waving at us, asking us to come in."

"Good idea," David said.

When we were almost on the porch I suddenly remembered that Kate wanted to ask me something.

"What's going on with you and Chris? You two look so distant."

"You just noticed that?" she was surprised. "We're kind of dating and not dating. Did you see him kiss me today even once? Or hug me? It's been going on for a while, Veronica. We have a weird relationship, but I'm okay with that: at least we're still going to restaurants and boutiques."

"Same old bitchy, cunning, mercantile Kate," I smiled.

My friend's smile was even wider: she loves when someone calls her that.