

LOST ONES

Rute Canhoto

http://rutecanhoto.blogspot.com

Published by Rute Canhoto at Smashwords

ISBN 978-989-98352-0-7

Copyright 2013 Rute Canhoto

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or

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Acknowledgement

Who to thank? In first place, my recognition goes to the writer Becca Fitzpatrick, because it was the reading of her series that gave me the final 'push' to start writing in the literary genre that attracts me the most. That's how it goes - sometimes we only need a small incentive to embrace something that we like.

Secondly, my gratitude goes to my childhood friend, Vera Letras, for her enlightenments in medical procedures that are mentioned along the story.

A special thanks also to Carla Soares, for her support and for always being available. I learned a lot from her and I hope to still learn a lot more.

Daniela Nunes, Diana Lourenço, my Twitter pal, Nikki and Jackie Williams – they all helped me, in a way or another, to translate this text to English, so I can't forget them.

At last, but not the least, I want to thank to Patrícia Gatinho for the motivation. Every week she kept asking me how the book was going, and she was the first person to read the first draft and to give me her opinion.

Anyway... without the influence and contributions of everyone, this book would not have seen the day light. I hope you like it!

PROLOGUE

His touch was extremely hot; so hot, that her skin burned and opened as his finger glided. she felt as if she was being flashed by a branding iron. The scorching heat conflicted with the cold wet night, agitated by a symphony of terror: crashing thunders harmonized with invader lightnings that kept streaking the sky. The cutting rain slashed her. She tried to be strong and not to cry, but the pain was so strong that, eventually, a mortifying scream escaped her, ceasing only when her attacker stopped. She could have sworn that her cry echoed through the whole city, yet no light turned on in any house, no one came to the door to sneak a peek at what was happening, no one came to save her. She couldn't help but to feel like a fly caught in a spider web, waiting for the inevitable.

"Ask me to stop" ordered her the enemy.

Trying to look more fearless than she was, she replied, "No! I'm not giving you that pleasure!"

Her response only infuriated her opponent even more, who roared in unison with the storm, "Then you'll suffer more until you change your mind."

A brutal cut opened a tear below her right breast almost to her left hip. The pain was excruciating, however the scream died on her throat; she had no more energy to voice her suffering. She dropped her head forward and watched the water drops falling from her hair. She avoided examining her stomach. She was fully aware that, if she looked down and saw the blood, she would lose the last ounce of strength she had left... and she feared that there was still much to come until the coup de grace finally arrived.

In a rare moment of lucidity, she mentally begged for the other person there to help her. She hoped he would hear and attend to her prayers, but he merely swung on the same site, pleased and satisfied with the punishment applied to her. She tried to blame him for not rescuing her, but she couldn't. She had put him in that situation, so it was only fair that he equated the scale: 'yin' and 'yang' were trying to restore the balance.

The girl dared to stare at the puddle of shades of crimson that was forming at her feet, which were bound to the pole she had been tied to. Red, she thought, the color of love... but also of death. And how one was synonymous with the other at that time... Did she regret what she had done and that had led her there? Maybe she would change one thing or another, but never too much, since she treasured all the good times they had had.

A growl of hate made her return to the atrocious present, too painful to bear. Her greatest comfort was that soon everything would end. She couldn't figure how she could save herself; she could only resign to her fate. Despite the agonizing pain that almost made her beg for the Reaper to be swift, she tried to straighten up, to await the final blow with the dignity she had left. However, her courage fled near the final hour and she shut her eyes. She felt the pole vibrating and her body trembled with the reverberation.

CHAPTER ONE

The summer had been great. Marina had worked part of her holidays, but she enjoyed every single moment of freedom to go to the swimming-pool or to the beach. She hadn't read any book nor studied a single word, which contradicted her status of an applied student or, as they said in school-slang, a geek. 'Geek'... That was a word with which she didn't like to be associated, although the alternative didn't attract her either. It was true that she liked to study and have good grades, so why not do it? To be the best she could be was her goal.

As someone devoted to studies, her group of friends was very small, consisting only of Ana. Putting the two of them side by side, there weren't many resemblances. Marina was tall, had brown hair with a few blond highlights, and wore it straight, a little below her shoulders. Her almond-colored eyes revealed how introverted she was. She wasn't fat or thin, but medium, although she didn't worry much about that. As for Ana, she was smaller than Marina, with rich blond hair and large golden curls that tumbled onto her shoulders. Her eyes were green and she had the physique of a top-model. Perhaps that's why guys would do anything for her but not for Marina. Ana also had a personality that matched her physical beauty: if someone thought that she belonged to the stereotype of 'dumb blonde', they would be mistaken. Her weakness was in thinking with her heart before her head. In turn, Marina wasn't impulsive at all and always thought about the consequences before doing something. Though they were antagonists, the laws of Physics dictated that 'opposites attracted' and their solid friendship showed just that.

Ana had spent her summer vacations with her parents in the Algarve, located in the south of their country, Portugal. Her father worked as a tourist operator and group animator, which in summer was an asset, because he'd go where the agency sent him and he could take his family with him. Of course Ana's vacations were always eventful, so when Marina saw her crossing the school gate, she knew the news ahead would be filled with romance and drama, and she would have to listen to her for the next few days. Yes, days! When Ana started to talk nothing would stop her, unlike Marina, who was a lot more reserved and preferred to keep most things to herself.

Ana was wearing a green mini-skirt and a cream top with brown and green accessories. Her sandals and coat were brown. Her hair was loose and tamed, which was almost a miracle since during summer it stubbornly resembled steel wool. Marina contrasted with her pal: she wore blue jeans, a half sleeve blouse in red tones, cream All-Star sneakers, and her hair was caught in a pony-tail held at the top of her head.

When they saw each other, they ran to hug. The time they were away from each other seemed like an eternity. Mobile phones were part of a teenager's life, but Marina didn't have one. Without this useful device, during the vacations they could only speak on the land phone, but it was complicated.

After an emotional hug, Ana exclaimed, "How long, babe! You can't imagine the news I have to tell to you."

"Oh, Ana, I already expected that! You, returning from vacation without news? Impossible!" joked Marina.

"Hey, you make me sound predictable! And your holidays, how were they?"

"The usual. Say, have you eaten? I wasn't hungry at home, but now I'm starving! Do you want to go with me to the bar to buy something to eat?" proposed Marina.

"I had a glass of milk, but I sure fancy one of those warm croissants with ham. I haven't eaten one of those in ages! Mmm...!"

"Yeah! Let's go then and then you can tell me everything. We have a lot to catch up."

While heading to the bar, they viewed the school. It had been almost three months since the holidays had started and everything looked the same, as if they had left the previous day to return the next one. The seats and tables were students 'killed' time during breaks were in the same places, the lockers were in the exact same corridor that led to the bar, and the sign announcing the location of the Head Master's office continued to hang over the door. They could have changed a few things during that period of time. For example, they could have taken care of the Headmaster's sign or have painted the school entry. Still, it felt comforting knowing that, in a changing world with so much uncertainty, the school remained unaffected.

Once at the bar, Ana chose a croissant with ham, while Marina chose the one with cheese and a mango juice. Marina hadn't even taken a bite of the croissant when Ana started to chatter about her adventures during the holidays. As she knew, Ana had gone to the Algarve; since her mother wasn't able to join them right away, Ana had to babysit her younger brother for a few days, which had been a major bummer.

"You can't imagine! That little bugger is a lot of work. I couldn't even have a good swim at the beach, because I had to keep an eye on him. And you'll never guess what he did to me. I was hit by a wave, lost the top of my bikini and he didn't return it to me," complained Ana, her face a mask of frustration.

"Geez! I can only imagine..." answered Marina trying to look serious and not to laugh.

"I was so embarrassed! There was I, with water up to my neck so that no one realized that my top was missing, and he was in the sand waving it for everyone to see. And he kept yelling 'Is this what you're looking for?' I just wanted to strangle him."

Carlinhos, Ana's little brother, was eight years old and was considered a genius. However, that led other kids of his age to leave him out of their games and even make fun of him. Angry about that, he subjected childish pranks on others; his favorite target was his big sister. He did everything to her: he took her diary and left it on the couch for her mother to read; he hid her favorite clothes; he gave her favorite shoes to their dog to chew them... Bearing in mind his behavior, Marina believed that Ana had suffered some difficult days taking care of her brother.

"What about you Marina, did you meet your younger sister?" questioned Ana before taking another bite in her croissant.

"No. She spent the summer with my grandmother in a village in the North. I don't know what she sees in that village, but if she likes it, let her enjoy it."

In a lower voice, Ana asked, "Does she still live with your father?"

Marina's parents were divorced. 'Irreconcilable differences' was the reason they presented when they told her that they had decided to take a break. The days and the months turned into something more definitive, and the divorce seemed the natural course to follow. Sofia, Marina's sister, was very attached to her father, so they decided that she would stay with him during school calendar and would spend her vacations with her mother, while the contrary process would apply to Marina. However, things seldom worked that way and the visits were also getting rarer.

After sighing, Marina commented, "I'm already used to it, but this is very hard on my mom. She can't visit her often and Sofia doesn't want to come here."

"That's a bad situation," noted Ana.

"Indeed. But much can't be done to change things if there's no willingness on both sides."

An awkward silence installed. That was a delicate matter and Marina didn't like to talk about it. Luckily, the bell sounded. Only then they realized that they hadn't checked their schedule yet. They knew their first lesson was at 9.30, yet they still hadn't gone to the board to verify what subject they would have and in what room. Marina thought she was really rusty. Usually, by this time, she already had the timetable at home and knew it almost by heart. It was better to get into the normal rhythm of school work as soon as possible, after all she wanted to keep her grades up to get into college with no trouble.

They walked back to the lobby in a haste to consult the boards and found that they would have Philosophy in room number two. "Yay! Divagations right at the beginning. What a good way of starting the year," commented Ana with sarcasm while sighing. Philosophy was a subject that Marina enjoyed, but for Ana it was a major torment. Stoics, existentialists, gestalt's... what the hell was that and what did it mean anyway? It all mingled in her head and was worse than a tangled string ball with the end hidden.

As they were preparing to head to the room, a boy passed them at full speed and crashed into Ana, making her jump in the direction of a wooden bench by the wall. Without apologizing or even turning to them, he kept running like a speeding bullet towards the classrooms.

"Damn, that one is really in a hurry to hit the classes! He has enough enthusiasm for himself and for me. I have no desire to take Philosophy," commented Ana.

"What a rude guy! He didn't even apologize for pushing you," criticized Marina.

"At least he seemed cute."

"And I suppose it fixes everything else, like his bad manners," said Marina with a sardonic voice.

"No, but it's half way there," answered Ana, winking her eye.

They marched into the classroom. When they got there, they found the room's door open and the students sitting down. Nice. The teacher was Manelito, the philosophical terror of the school. Great news for the masochistic.

Seeing them, the pedagogue looked over his glasses, coughed slightly to clear his throat and began his moralist speech, "Punctuality, kids, is something that I value very much. Arriving on time can make the difference between a positive and a negative grade."

Ana and Marina looked at each other in a silent dialogue, and prepared to sit together at a table in the back row. "And enjoy today's opportunity to take a seat randomly, because next class you'll sit in numerical order. That way, when I call your names according to the list, it's easier to figure out who's missing," announced the teacher.

Yep, the year was starting well...

As the professor was speaking, a student snorted ironically. Nobody had noticed that he was there, and he would have gone unnoticed the entire lesson if he hadn't decided to be a smart-ass by challenging the teacher.

"Do you have something to say, boy in the back?" asked the teacher abruptly.

Only then the friends noticed him: it was the guy that had pushed Ana in the hall earlier without apologizing. Marina thought that Ana was right; he was kind of cute if she looked at him closely, though he might go unnoticed at first glance. His face was long and sharp, he had deep dark eyes that seemed to hide a sea full of secrets, and both his ears were pierced with small ethnic round earrings. He wore his dark hair short and spiky with a smidgen of gel, and his lips outlined a devilish smile, full of indecent promises. He wore dark jeans and a light-blue t-shirt that allowed one to guess that he worked his muscles. Hey, what description was that? Focus on class, Marina ordered herself while shaking her head. Her mind, nonetheless, kept wandering around the topic.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't even realize that the boy was staring at her, fully aware what he was the center of her attention. Oops! Her face blushed without delay. It couldn't have been more obvious – how embarrassing. The boy smirked, satisfied. He flicked the pen between his fingers and turned his gaze forward, focusing on the teacher, who was continuing the conversation he had started.

"Let me guess, you're the transferred student. And you don't have the best of references. This is your third time in the 11th grade. You should be in college by now. Do you like the 11th grade that much or are you reconsidering your life choices?"

The boy continued to draw a derisive grin and just shrugged his shoulders against the assertions of the teacher.

"Will you answer me, boy? Tell me your name!" demanded the professor, getting irritated.

He ran his tongue over his lips and presented them with his voice for the first time. It was a deep sound, slightly cavernous and cold, but at the same time crisp and appealing. And his pronunciation? Awesome.

"Lucas, sir. My name is Lucas. And I take the second choice - I'm rethinking my options in order to choose the best future for me."

"Let's hope you think fast so that you move on, because you've been in the 11th grade for far too long."

The teacher then turned his eyes to the class book and announced that he would make the call to check who was missing. As that was a presentation lesson, the name he called should confirm the presence and also do a short presentation.

Since her name started with the first letter of the alphabet, Ana was the first one to talk. She stood out instantly with her liveliness. "Hello! For those who don't know me, I'm Ana. I live here, in Alcácer do Sal, and I'm 16. I like to listen to music, hanging out with my friends and shopping. I don't dismiss a night out and I like to meet nice people. Future ambitions? Predictions only made after the game." The class erupted with laughter. The teacher stared at her sternly, showing her that there was no room for jokes unless he authorized it. Though this presentation had lightened the heavy air that prevailed, the pedagogue's reaction meant that the next ones would be more contained.

When it was number fifteen's turn, Lucas was dismissed, because Manelito thought that he already knew enough about him. Moving on, the teacher called, "Marina!" As if it wasn't enough to have the entire classroom looking at her, Lucas turned in his seat towards her. Why was he staring at her? He didn't pay attention to what the other students had said, so why would he listen to her? He could just continue with his attitude of one who didn't care about what was happening. Embarrassed, her cheeks turned pink.

With no will to face the crowd of the twenty-two people in the room, Marina chose an empty spot on the concrete wall ahead and began her short speech. "Hi. I'm Marina, I'm 17, and I live here too. I like to read and go to the cinema. As for ambitions, I want to be the best that I can be, and to get as far as I can."

For the first time, the teacher intervened after a presentation. "Wow! Someone with ambitions, although you didn't present any stone goals. Do you mind explaining yourself better?"

Now she glowed as red as a tomato. Silly professor! Wasn't enough what she'd said? Why did she have to add something more? Stammering, the girl carried on, "Err... what I mean is that I believe that work pays off, so I want to be good at something and achieve the desired reward. For example, if I have good grades, I'll get into university right away."

"Yes, I'm following your reasoning. Please, continue," asked the teacher while nodding his head.

"In college, if I have good grades, I might have the door half opened for a great job. In my point of view, if I'm good at what I do, I can achieve many positive things."

The whole class was examining Marina with question marks mirrored on their faces, as if to say 'what the hell is she talking about?' Her eyes automatically scanned her colleagues' visages and their expressions made her want to disappear.

Everyone's attention turned away from her when Manelito continued with the presentation of the rest of the students.

"I hope the rest of the day is not equal to this, otherwise, when the last bell rings, I won't even know who I am," commented Ana on the sly to Marina.

The time went by and soon the professor announced that it may be the first lesson, but there would still be homework.

"Your task comes in the sequence of what we did: today we presented ourselves, we said who we are and what we want for our future. But where do we come from, and how does that influence who we are now? Research kids, and write at least a page about the subject. And with beautiful handwriting, because it's to be given to me," said the teacher.

"Great, we start right away with homework!" grizzled Ana.

At long last the bell rang, giving everyone permission to get up from their seats and hurry into the hall, to enjoy a deserved break. With a sigh of relief, Ana and Marina grabbed their handbags.  
The first one to go out of the door was Lucas, which earned him a comment from Ana that sounded like "The first one to get in must be the first one to get out." Marina didn't pay attention to it.

The breaks used to end very fast in a typical day of school, as students spent their time running around. However, in that first day of classes the short breaks seemed to last long enough to update the talk about the holidays, and between classes that was what the two friends did. When the bell rang at 5.10p.m marking the end of the day, it was with satisfaction they headed to the school gate. They hadn't done more than presenting themselves, writing summaries or making notes on what were the goals of the teachers for the first period. The talk about the vacations wasn't over yet, but they would leave the rest for the next day, because Ana saw her mother's Jeep as soon as they crossed the gate. "Well, my love, it's time to meet mom, to go and get the little devil from school and go home," announced Ana.

"That's fine. Oh, and don't overbook your agenda, because tomorrow we're going to the mobile phone store to choose my super machine" warned Marina.

"Okay. See you tomorrow, babe." Ana got into the Jeep and waved goodbye to Marina.

The autumn was nearing very fast. The days were getting shorter and it cooled faster than before. With an icy chill down her spine, Marina crossed her arms in front of her and rubbed them with her hands to warm up. After breathing a lungful of fresh cold air, she went home. Marina and her mother lived in an old small building, marked by time with austerity, located down-town of Alcácer do Sal, not very far from school. Despite the temperature dropping as the time went by, Marina decided to walk along the wall near the river. The wind there was less serene, but the view made up for that. She crossed the road to the bulwark and walked at a snail's pace, watching the river and admiring the view.

Soon the sun would begin to go down, slowly dipping until it disappeared on the horizon. Marina loved watching this show from the pedestrian bridge or sat on the benches across the south shore. Anticipating the sunset, she decided to turn back and cross the bridge. Right at the top, she could sit down and enjoy the orange becoming pink, then purple, until finally darkness arrived.

With small steps, she climbed the wooden platform of the pedestrian bridge and touched the green protection grid lightly with her fingers. Skirting the bars with her hands, she moved towards the center of the bridge. When she arrived there, she supported her elbows on the railing and looked at the horizon. She observed the brown and gold snaking contours of river Sado, the once high and green paddy fields now being harvested, the old railway bridge, and the highway where cars went at full speed. Delighted with the tones that the landscape took on, Marina didn't notice the voices that rose, nor realized what was going on.

Two men had meanwhile begun a discussion in a nearby café. One of them was clearly drunk, confirmed by the way he was walking and speaking. The mood grew to rage and, from the café, they moved over to the street. Wanting to get his way, the drunk man grabbed a stone, threw it with full force against his opponent and hit him right in the head. Being sober, the wounded guy might have had the sanity not to mess with the one who was tipsy, but his insight was clouded by anger and justice had to be served. Noticing that the fight would not end yet, the inebriated man wobbled up to the pedestrian bridge, to the concern of all who were watching. Stumbling, he quickly reached the center of the walkway, where Marina was, but his opponent was right behind him, stretching out his arm in a punch to get him. The drunk guy lost his balance and landed right on top of the girl. Caught by surprise, she tried to hold on. A second thump, given by the man wounded in his head, forced Marina to climb the railing. A new attack projected her outward and she became suspended in the air, holding on only with one hand to the side bars. Distressed, Marina screamed as loud as she could, as she tried to reach the grid with her free hand; however, her body swung and it was very difficult to reach.

Incredulous at the scene happening, people began to approach. A woman then ran towards the café where it all started and called up two men to go break up the fight, so that they could help the girl, who had finally managed to grasp with both hands. Still, she wasn't save. The men ran to the bridge, but the fight was still ravaging and it was pretty heated.

The drunk man decided to try to kick the other guy, but instead he stepped on one of the girl's hands. Faced with excruciating pain, Marina screamed and felt her strength ebbing away. So that was it, that was how she was going to die: young, without having known the true flavor of life, and without having achieved the bright future that so many people had said that she would have. Where was the justice in that? Why did she have to be sacrificed in the middle of a stupid scuffle that had nothing to do with her? There was still so much to do... Sometimes, she thought of doing something and ended up leaving it for another day, because there would be another day. At that second, nothing was certain beyond the fact that nothing was certain. Tomorrow might never come to her and why? Why did she have to pay that high price?

She never had much strength in her arms and, to make matters worse, her hands often perspired. Although she tried not to think about it, her palms became more humid and the hand that was still clinging to the railing began to slip away. It was common to hear that life passed in front of one's eyes when someone was about to die, so Marina thought soon she would see all the important moments of her short life passing through her mind in a photographic record. She tried to calm her spirit, preparing for the terrible tragedy. Contrary to what she intended, tears began to stream along her face. In a last effort, she gave a boost up and launched herself toward the fence to grab it. However, it wasn't enough: her right hand didn't reach the handrail and the left slipped off.

In those milliseconds she seemed suspended in the air, she looked at the sky and saw him. Was she dreaming? Was he the last vision in her life? Why him and not someone important, like her mother? Lucas extended his body out along the railing, but didn't arrive in time and his hands just grazed Marina's fingers. The floating sensation was rather ephemeral, and soon gave way to shortness of breath combined with the dreadful dive into the icy water. As her body obstinately dropped to the river bottom, not responding to any orders, Marina closed her eyes and decided to let go. That was how she was going to die. That was it.

All of a sudden, the water stirred around and she came face to face with him. Him again... Maybe he was a death angel and was there to take her with him. She remembered the concept 'to cross over' and never thought it could be so ironic; the death angel was about to help her to make the crossing to the opposite side of life - death. Suddenly, she expected to wake in a barge with a helmsman, who would tell her if she was going to paradise or purgatory, just like in the dramatic play 'Auto da Barca do Inferno', of the writer Gil Vicente. However, and to her surprise, the air returned to invade her nostrils. She received it with an urgent gush that made her choke. Her arms waved frantically in the water, in a botched attempt to swim or, at least, to claw at the surface. Soon she found herself surrounded by something stronger that hugged and pushed her towards one of the pillars of the bridge.

"Come on, swim now. Kick your feet with strength! We have to reach the pillar," she heard. Stunned by what was said, she took a few clumsy kicks in the water, trying with despair to get to her destination.

"Put your arms and legs around the pillar. Hold on to it, as monkeys do to the back of their mothers."

That sounded like a good joke, except nobody was there to laugh and she felt her lips paralyzed by cold, which kept her from smiling. Although her hands felt numb and trembled, she managed to cling to the column of cement. Then she felt a body behind her, also trying to hold on to the pillar and pushing against her, so that she didn't slip and remained safe and sound there until help arrived.

"Are you okay? Hang on. The fire fighters are already on their way."

That voice... Trying slowly to gain her reasoning ability, Marina realized at last that the one who saved her life was Lucas. It was he who was there with her; he had come to her rescue.

Her arms began to lose strength little by little, and her legs insisted on not holding on to the pillar. She began to lose consciousness; she was in shock and into hypothermia. How long had she been in the water? Was the water so cold to the point of dropping her body temperature that much? Marina let herself go with the numbness and felt her body floating in the water. She wasn't afraid; she knew he was there to save her and wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.

Without prior notice, the force that kept her at the surface disappeared. Her body began to sink, but was soon pulled up - the firemen had arrived on a boat. A fireman held on to her jersey to keep her from sinking; another came up, each grabbed her under her arms and hoisted her into the boat.

The emergency sirens of an ambulance sounded by the avenue, attracting the girl's weak attention. Boat and ambulance arrived almost at the same time at the dockside, and a semi-conscious Marina was moved from one to the other. As they lay her on the stretcher, she looked at the waters of Sado seeking the face of the one she knew that had in fact saved her; however, her eyes met only darkness and emptiness. She lost consciousness.

During the time she was transferred to the ambulance and driven to the hospital, Marina dreamed, but it wasn't a clear dream nor did it make sense - it was all weird and confusing. She felt she had died in fact and made the cross over with the death angel, except he wasn't really an angel. In her fantasy, she turned around and saw Lucas, moving through barren red land with no hurry, and wearing only a pair of jeans held up with a belt. His naked and muscled chest was breathed upon by a scorching wind that burned his skin. Looking tired, he sat on some dark rocks and stared out at the emptiness. Since she couldn't quite see Lucas' face, Marina - that in the dream was wearing a white tunic made of a fabric that danced at the taste of the hot wind - approached him. As soon as the boy looked up from the floor and his gaze met hers, Marina felt a sudden lack of breath and grasped her neck begging for oxygen again. With a growing eagerness, she fell on her knees in the barren land and extended her arm in the direction of Lucas, so that he would help her. With calmness, he lowered his body towards her and whispered to her ear "You have no idea of what they do to you in here!" The red began to gleam in Marina's eyes and she awoke at the hospital, gasping for breath.

"Easy! Calm down, Marina. Everything's okay," the doctor tried to assure her.

"What's happening?" she demanded to know, feeling disorientated.

"Your mother is on her way here. When she arrives, we'll take you to Setúbal's hospital to do some routine tests, just to make sure that everything is fine with you. Relax now."

Marina nodded. She had known the doctor for many years and trusted her. She knew she was safe.

In response to a slight tingling, Marina looked at her arm and noticed that she was on intravenous fluids. But this wasn't the only oddity. The mask itched her face, so it wasn't hard to realize that she was also receiving oxygen. She tried to clear her mind and remember all that had happened; however, she was too tired. Summarizing everything to the fact that she was safe in hospital, she allowed herself to abandon her body and fell into a deep sleep. This time, she didn't dream and everything was closed in deep darkness.

CHAPTER TWO

When Marina regained consciousness, she found that she was still lying on a stretcher, but in a different hospital. After a mental effort, she recalled that the doctor in Alcácer had told her that she would go to Setúbal for some routine tests, just to make sure that everything was okay with her. A little confused, Marina looked around and realized that she was in a hallway that marked the transition between the waiting room and some doctor's offices. Only then she noticed that the oxygen mask and serum had disappeared, which would mean that she had already had had the tests and soon would be discharged to return home. She hadn't noticed a thing; she must have been in a really deep sleep.

With some difficulty, she sat on the stretcher and leaned her head against the wall, since she was feeling a little dizzy. Sliding her eyes to the right, she saw her mother moving towards her along with the doctor. Her mom's face showed major concern, typical of all mothers, in contrast with the doctor, who had a look that it had nothing to do with him and that it wasn't his worry; he had a long night of work ahead and there would be a lot of patients and problems to try to fix - that was just one more.

Noticing that Marina was awake, her mother walked faster towards her, forcing the doctor to rush his pace too. When she came near the girl, her eyes were bursting with tears, but she tried to disguise them to prevent Marina from worrying or thinking that something was wrong. The doctor stopped near Marina, coughed a little and said, "Ah, I see you're already awake. That was some sleep! You didn't even realize we did an X-ray on your head, isn't it right?"

Marina tried to speak for the first time since she woke up and noticed that her throat ached, perhaps because she swallowed some water from the river when she almost drowned. "No, I didn't realize that, or when you took the serum and the oxygen," she replied.

"The oxygen percentage was good and your body temperature had also normalized, so we took it away as you didn't need it," the clinic explained. "That was some fright you gave to your mother, huh?"

She had given her mother a fright? She didn't ask to be thrown from a bridge! She felt that the doctor was claiming that it was her fault. Would he think that she was a suicidal teenager who jumped on purpose? Now, the firemen surely presented him a report outlining the situation, right? He could think whatever he wanted. She knew the truth and no, she didn't jump into the river on purpose, period.

The doctor opened the brown envelope that he was holding, as if checking the documents inside. Then he closed it and handed it to her mother. He addressed Marina next, saying "Okay then. According to the examinations you had, everything's fine, so you can go home and have some rest. If by chance you have shortness of breath or persistent pain in the neck or back, tell your mom to visit your family doctor. I don't think any of this will be necessary. It was just a fright."

"And what a fright!" said Marina's mother in the end. Despite having pronounced only a few words, mom's voice trembled a bit and soon she regretted having spoken. She wanted to be the safe place a mother was to a daughter, nonetheless she felt unstable at the moment; her body shivered involuntarily and the calm she needed was elusive to her. The doctor gave a friendly pat on mom's shoulder, looked at Marina and smiled, wishing the girl to get better soon. Next he retreated into an office.

Mom made a gesture to Marina, for het to get up and go. The girl was about to put her feet on the ground when she noticed that she was barefoot. And what about her clothes? She was wearing pajamas, but didn't remember having put them on. Perhaps the nurses had changed her. Her mother grabbed the plastic bag next to the stretcher and handed her a pair of slippers. Marina's body felt really sore, so she took some time putting on them on. With her feet protected, the girl got up and asked how they would get home, to what her mother replied that they would use her car.

"Didn't you come with me in the ambulance?" inquired Marina, considering it odd.

"No, the fire fighters left two minutes before I arrived. My phone was dead and because I was delivering meals to homes, they couldn't reach me in time," explained mom.

Luísa, Marina's mother, worked at a particular institution of social solidarity; to her, it was just a fancy name for a nursing home. The institution was divided into three groups: the day center, the nursing home, and there were also several vans that gave home support. As someone who provided home care, Luísa spent the day driving a van around the county. It was a job the woman considered rewarding, but tiring, so when she would go home, she was too tired to do whatever needed to be done and just throw herself onto the bed and sleep. Of course, with a tired mom, Marina spoke little to her. However, she had promised to her daughter that things would change next week, because she would have a different work schedule.

Marina's mother helped into the car and then walked to the driver's side. The vehicle shook when mom sat down, complaining about carrying another occupier. Moments later the engine growled and the driving back home started.

Marina was tired and had no desire to talk about what happened, so she lay back on the car seat, straightened the blanket that her mother had brought, and fell asleep. Was there a best way to avoid a conversation other than sleeping? They would probably talk about what had happened the next morning and only then she would think of what to say. The truth was she wanted to have some time for herself, so she could analyze what had happened. She was in the right, correct?

The car slowed down until it stopped. Marina opened her eyes and realized that they were in front of her house. As she walked out of the vehicle, her mother ran to the old entry door to open it.

"Get in. I'm just going to park", she said.

As the lived in a very old building with no garage, the car had to stay on the street at the mercy of available places.

Half asleep, Marina went straight to her bedroom. She felt a little hungry, but her sore and numb body told her to go to bed at once; the next day, she would settle the account with her stomach. She dragged herself to the room, turned on the light on the bedside table and pulled back the quilt. She lay down, covering herself up. How good it felt to be back to her beloved bed! Her favorite clothes were pajamas and the best place in the entire world was her bed; so she said.

She yawned and her eyes closed with an urgent fury, leaving her mother unanswered when she entered the room to ask her if she wanted a cup of tea. Resigned, her mom straightened the bed clothes and retired to her own room, after all she had had an eventful day too, and the next morning she would have to wake up at 7a.m to go to work.

If Marina expected to have a quiet night, she couldn't be more wrong. She spent the whole time having nightmares about the men on the bridge pushing her, no one saved her and she drowned. As she struggled to keep on the surface, she saw Lucas' face and he laughed like crazy, as if happy with her suffering. A black dangerous aura surrounded him, letting her know that he was pure evil and should be avoided at all cost.

Her mother's voice woke her up from one of the nightmares in the morning. "Marina. Wake up, Marina!"

The girl yawned, stretched herself on the bed and felt a pain that seemed to envelope her entire body.

"So, how are you feeling today? Do you have any pain?" questioned mom.

She blinked a little and replied in a confused voice, "I only moved a little and my body hurts all over. It must be due to hitting the water so hard."

"I have to go to work, but if you're not feeling well, I can stay."

"No. There's no need for that, I'll be fine," assured Marina. The pain would go away at some time and she only felt sore. She wasn't incapable of moving and doing what she had to do.

"Okay. I already recharged my cell phone's battery, so if you need anything, just call me. What about school? Are you going in today or are you staying at home?" queried mom.

Going to school or staying at home? Marina still hadn't thought about that. In fact, she didn't do anything besides sleeping. For many, staying home would be a tempting proposition, nevertheless she didn't like to miss lessons. She tried to sit, but all the bones and muscle protested and made her rethink the suggestion of her mother. Finally, she made up her mind. "I think I'll stay home today. My body is killing me! I'll go back to school tomorrow. As we're still in the first week, I don't think I'll miss much. Besides, I'll catch up easily."

"It's your choice. Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?" insisted mom, with doubt weighing on her mind.

"No, I'm fine. I can take care of myself," reassured the girl between a yawn.

"Okay then. There are some Tupperware boxes in the fridge filled with food that you can have for lunch. If you prefer to eat a toast instead, there's bread in the bag that's on the table. I'll come back early, today I get out at 4p.m."

"Perfect." While answering, Marina was already turning back on the bed, preparing for another two or three hours of sleep, after all it was only 7.30; if she wasn't going to school, she hadn't to get up right away. She could enjoy a few moments more in the comfort of her bed.

It was 10.30 when Marina woke up at last. She had an inside bedroom, typical of a first floor old building, with no windows, thus the sunlight never awoke her. On the other hand, not seeing the sunlight during the day could be somewhat depressing if she stayed in there for too long. Considering that, she decided then that she'd stay warm in bed watching TV until lunch time, but after that she was going to the living room with the laptop to do some research on the Internet. If her mother was getting out at 4 o'clock, half an hour later she would be home and would keep her company. It seemed a good plan.

Marina turned the light on, grabbed the remote control and prepared to begin her day's program. She zapped the TV and found out that was on one of the last episodes of the second season of 'Fringe'. She had already watched it a few months ago, but took the chance to recall the latest events before the beginning of the new season.

Her perception then began to ramble on the 'fringe event' she had experienced herself the previous evening. She began by recalling that it was very cold and she was walking along the river's wall, when she decided to turn back and to enjoy the sunset on top of the pedestrian bridge. She remembered getting there, but the part between that moment and when she fell into the water was a tremendous mess. One second she was looking at the horizon, and the next she was being pushed out of the protection railing. Then she climbed the railing, trying to escape. How stupid! Who, in their right mind, would climb the railing of a bridge to get away from a fight? That's right... she now remembered that the man who pushed her was fighting another. Where did those two morons came from? Neither realized they had approached her. Summing up: she was looking at the horizon, was pushed, climbed the railing and, of course, after a punch she lost her balance and fell overboard. However, she knew she hadn't fallen into the water right away, as proven by the ache in the joints of her fingers and wrists, as a result of the effort to hold on. Then she fell and the firemen came? No.

She shut her eyelids fiercely to focus and the fragments in her mind began to link, until they showed a clear image. Lucas - that was it! How could she had forgotten about him? She thought that it was a dream, that she had imagined his face, but things weren't like that. He had tried to grab her when she fell off the bridge and then threw himself into the water to save her. It had been him who had kept her afloat and clinging to the bridge's pillar and to her own life. If she was alive, it was because of him. Marina made an extra mental effort, nevertheless she didn't remember him leaving the water. She also didn't recall having seen him at the hospital. Would he have left the water on his own feet and didn't go to the doctor because he was alright? Or worse, what if, in trying to save her, he drowned and no one noticed? A feeling of guilt began to take shape in her heart. She needed to make sure he was all right, but how? Damn cell phone! If she had already bought one, she could send a message to Ana and she would answer if he was in class, and then she could rest.

Disturbed, Marina stirred in bed. The smell hit her like an unexpected punch. "That stinks," she thought. And, to make matters worse, the smell came from her! Really, she didn't smell good after swimming in a dirty and muddy river, whose water was brown. Most likely the nurses had stripped her wet clothes to dry her body and put on her pajamas, but they hadn't passed a sponge over her or anything alike. She couldn't speak with Ana, but the next step was determined: having a long bath.

She got up, went to the bathroom, turned on the hot water and covered the bathtub. When it was half full, she closed the tap, grabbed a bottle of bath salts and poured a large portion into the water. She would get out of there glowing and smelling like a spring day, even if they were going into autumn.

A sensation of dizziness invaded her as soon as she put a foot in the water, forcing her to cling to the edge of the tub. Still, she didn't give up. She forced the other leg to join the first one and sat down. The hot liquid covered her lower extremities and reached into her bellybutton. There wasn't much water in the bathtub, but the sense of unease was constant. She tried to rationalize the situation: it was probable that she was a bit traumatized by what had happened the previous day, and getting into the bath made the scar of the recent trauma burn. She took a couple of deep breaths to calm down and the nervousness disappeared bit by bit. When she could loosen up, she leaned back in the tub and relaxed, enjoying a moment of peace.

The process of scrubbing her body took a while, since the smell of the muddy water was too strong and would not come out. Her hair had to be shampooed three times and two more doses of conditioner were needed. The shower gel bottle was full when she began and half was gone. It seemed almost impossible that she had missed the stench. Her nostrils probably became accustomed to it, so she didn't notice anything. For an hour and ten minutes she was locked in the bathroom till reaching the desired outcome: she had cleaned herself so well, that there was no trace of the rotten smell.

Marina returned to the bedroom and put on some gym pants and a t-shirt. This was followed by another time-consuming task – brushing. Her hair was very tangled from the night before and entering with it like that in the bath was a mistake; now, it was full of knots. She had to give it a few tugs to get through it. She sighed, sat down in front of the mirror of the dressing table and spent the next fifteen minutes struggling through the task.

When she was finished, she heard the doorbell. Marina opened the door and found a neighbor, a lady in her 60's, her long white hair tied in a bun. She always wore black, still mourning her husband's death (which happened so many years ago she had lost count), and she walked with the help of a walking stick.

"Hello, Marina. Your mother asked me to check how you're doing and if you needed anything," informed the old lady.

"Ah, good-morning. I'm fine. I just had a bath to get rid of the stinky smell of the river's water."

"Oh, that water hasn't been blue for a long time... The sewers flush directly into there and I can only imagine what else it hides. Have you seen what's on the mud when the tide goes low? There are chairs, umbrellas, and who knows what else! The river needs a good cleaning. I'm glad they are building those things... stations or whatever they are called", said the neighbor while moving her hand from side to side, showing her lack of knowledge about what was being built to stop the river from being polluted.

"It's treatment stations of residual waters," corrected the girl. "As for me, you need not worry, I'm fine. I'm going to have lunch next."

"All right. That was some fright, huh? Those bastards pushed you right into the water!"

That was her cue. Her time in the bath had led her to put aside the subject of 'Lucas', but now that the neighbor was changing the conversation, she could dare to ask her if she was alone in the river. She had to know if Lucas' appearance was real or if it was only a dream. However, she had to be careful in how she broached the issue or she could be accused of having gone loony.

Marina coughed a bit and shrugged as she said, "On one hand, luckily I was the only one to fall into the water, don't you think so?"

"Yes," agreed the old lady, nodding her head. "Can you imagine if they have fallen too? They could have clung to you and not let you come to the surface. Fortunately, you managed to grab the bridge pillar. I think that, if I fell into the water, I wouldn't know what to do. Who can think in a situation like that? Glad you did, it was what saved you," the woman completed as she blessed herself, thanking God for Marina's ability to reason in such distressing situation.

The old lady's answer left no room for doubt \- she had fallen into the water alone. Could it be that she had dreamed about Lucas? It was an image so vivid, so real that it seemed impossible that it had just been her imagination.

She needed to be absolutely sure, so she decided to insist. "I don't remember much of what happened. The men fell too, did they?"

"No, dear. But they were the ones who should have gone into water," the woman almost yelled.

"Did you see anything?" inquired Marina.

"No, I was at home. I just heard people talking, but you know how rumors go: who tells the tale, adds something new. I was told that two men were arguing and one made you fall to the river."

The dialogue was interrupted by the home phone, which forced the girl to say goodbye to the neighbor with a hurried "thank you" for her concern. Marina closed the door and ran into the living room to answer the call. This time, it was her aunt asking her how she was feeling.

The conversation with her aunt went on for a good while and she only hang up after lunch time. Her stomach growled, reminding her she had an account to settle with her belly. She took a dish out of the cabinet, filled it with a good amount of food, heated it in the microwave and ate everything in a blink.

After lunch, she sat on the sofa with her personal computer on her lap. She had six emails asking how she was doing and thirty two posts on her Facebook wall. It seemed that her episode had given people much to talk about. If it had gotten that much response, maybe there was a reference to Lucas. Marina read the mails and examined the comments with attention, nevertheless his name wasn't mentioned anywhere. In a bolder attempt, she joined the Google area dedicated to news. In the research field, she wrote 'Alcácer do Sal'. Less than a second later, several results emerged, four of which referring to the event of the previous day. She opened the news, but the text was always the same, maybe a copy from some news agency. It said she was on the bridge, had been pushed by a man, fell into the river, held on to the bridge's pillar and was rescued by fire fighters. Not a single mention of Lucas. The article in the newspaper Correio da Manhã was a little more complete and included a testimony from a woman who was there and it corroborated the theory that the only person in the river had been her.

With so many testimonies and news, Marina could only believe that she had dreamed of Lucas. Her heart told her no, he had really been there with her; still, logic required her to remember all the reports, showing that it was impossible. How could he have been there, if no one had seen him? A trick of her mind, that's what it was. Instinct told her she should come to the same conclusion as other people, but she could make one last attempt. When she returned to school, she could confront Lucas; then she would have the ultimate confirmation.

Browsing the Internet, time flew by. Marina only realized she was online for a few hours when she heard the key turning in the door lock and her mother entered. Moments later, her head appeared at the door. "So, how are you feeling?" asked mom nicely.

"I'm feeling better, my body doesn't hurt that much. I can go back to school tomorrow."

"Great, that's a good sign. I'm just taking my work uniform off, then I have to go out again for a while," notified mom.

"Why?"

"I need to go shopping. I was supposed to go yesterday, but after what happened, I had to leave it for today. What shall we have? How about some home-made lasagna for dinner?"

"Sounds fine to me," Marina replied with a smile.

"Okay, it's a deal," mom said, winking an eye at her. Luísa went to the bedroom, laid the uniform on bed, then left to do the shopping.

Not a minute had passed when someone knocked at the door. Could it be her mother, who had forgotten the keys? Perhaps, she was in a hurry. Marina got up from the couch and went to the door. Instead of her mother, she found Ana.

"Ana! Why aren't you in class?" inquired Marina, surprised by her friend's presence at her doorway.

"Duh! Did you hit your head that hard on the river bottom or what? We get out at 4 o'clock today, right?" recalled Ana while rolling her eyes.

"I haven't memorized the schedule yet. Besides, I still have to ask my mother where she put my handbag. I have the timetable in there, therefore I have no idea what time we start school tomorrow and what subjects we'll have."

"Well, I'm not missing classes, babe. I called my mother, asking her to pass by in fifteen minutes, and then we're going to the supermarket. I just came to see how you are. Yesterday was a real shock," exclaimed Ana, putting on a stunned face.

"Tell me about it. It was surreal! When I noticed, I was already looking for little fish in the muddy water," said Marina while pretending to swim.

"I think you would find shrimp much faster than fish. That's what the ladies here sell, near your home, remember?" elucidated Ana. The river shrimp was a typical treat that tourists who came to town couldn't miss.

"Yeah, but instead I found a merman," Marina whispered in a kidding tone, while recalling that she had found a merman called Lucas in mid-Sado, although it was better not to spread it around.

"What?" asked Ana, a little bit confused.

"Nothing, pay no mind to me. Crazy stuff from drinking a lot of water," apologized Marina.

Another attempt to establish the facts? Should she ask Ana if she had seen Lucas and if everything was okay with him? If she asked, it would look a bit suspicious and, after all's said and done, she would risk sounding foolish. But it was Ana, her best friend, she wouldn't misunderstand her... or so she thought.

Covertly, Marina questioned how were classes that day, to which her friend replied that it had been the same boring old thing. "Many of the classes were still presentation, so they were full of more dull things such as 'Hello, my name is Ana'. As if we didn't know each other by now. We only studied for real at History, English and Portuguese, but it was nothing special. As for the schedule, if you don't find it, just call me."

Knowing how Marina was about school, Ana took a small, half bent notebook out of her bag and handed it to her while she was speaking. She asked Marina to return it to her the following day and not to pay attention to the calligraphy, because everything was written in a hurry. On second thought, she hadn't written much, since she was distracted. In all classes, what had happened to Marina was the topic of many conversations and, as they were best friends, people kept on asking her questions about her friend, as if she knew better than anyone what had happened. They forgot that they were not Siamese twins.

Ana snorted and complained, "You really need to get a phone. I was worried and wanted to call you, but I hadn't enough credit to ring your home telephone."

"If I hadn't nearly drowned, I could have one by now. We'll take care of that tomorrow and then you can call me every ten minutes, if you want."

"Deal! But if you had your phone, today you would have been flooded with texts as I was assaulted by questions. Yet, it was also the only news of the day... Boring! Nothing new happened and, moreover, the boys are the same from the previous years. It would be good if there was some 'fresh and interesting meat'. It would spice things up," exclaimed Ana, pouting at the same time.

Marina protested over the amount of texts that she would have received if she had a mobile, claiming that she didn't have as many friends as that. Ana then recalled that often, in these situations, people might want to approach her, just because they believed that others would find it very cool. Marina wasn't concerned about that.

"What if we had gone to buy your phone yesterday? Brand new and soon ruined by water," Ana thought out loud. "Hey, that was a blessing in disguise. Don't forget: tell your mother that tomorrow we're going to do some shopping after classes, and I'll tell my mom too. Shopping day, baby!" she rejoiced.

And voilà, their plans that day had moved to the next. Marina had no choice anyway. She would go and buy the device that same day, but she wasn't feeling well. And if she had to be absent from school (which was a big deal to her), she would not go to the store.

A car horn was heard and Ana recognized it: it was her mother who came to pick her up. Ana said goodbye and Marina was alone again. Frustrated, she sighed. Not a single mention of the name 'Lucas'. She had to resign to the fact that, most likely, she was mistaken. Even though it was just the result of her incredible imagination, the question kept haunting her mind: why him? They had only met that day and neither had spoken to each other, just shared an embarrassing moment when he caught her looking at him. Thence to choose him for the colorful figure of her imagination was a huge step, and she couldn't understand why or when she had given it.

Back in the living room, she turned off the TV and the laptop. Then she went to the bedroom to initiate the transcription of her friend's notes to her new diaries. To her, there was nothing like opening a brand new notebook and finding the immaculate pages, with lines asking to be written on. There, she admitted it: she was a school manic, crazy about studying.

Her colleague's notebook was old and scrawled on several sheets, so she had to pass several pages ahead to find the notes of the day. Ana hadn't written much indeed, but there were a bunch of scribbles of stars and hearts and something that seemed to resemble a wave, probably an influence of the day's theme – Marina's 'near drowning'. History was the first subject of the day and the notations were essentially the tests' dates. In Portuguese things were different: they had studied syntactic and morphological analysis, adjective degrees and verbal modes. She had three pages to transcribe, so she engaged in this task.

Despite having plenty to copy, she didn't take long to finish. Although the transcriptions were made, the pen had gained its own life - it travelled now along the last page of her brand new notebook, drawing the unmistakable letters of the name that danced in her spirit: Lucas. While designing the letters, she clearly saw his face in front of her and could swear she almost felt his arms around her again. Marina winced, getting back to reality. After a glance at the notebook, she got alarmed by what she had written: the letters assumed a rounded shape, as if she was a loved up girl who wrote the name of her beloved, making her feel like a fool. She grabbed the sheet with the intention of tearing it, but went back on her decision and let it stay there. In her opinion, he had tried to save her; that could be her secret tribute to her hero.

"Marina, can you help me to carry the groceries, please?" her mother shouted out of the blue.

Distracted, she didn't realize that mom had arrived home. She had to be more attentive to what was going on around her. The lack of attention had had a high price to pay the day before and things could have ended much worst. She took a mental note: 'pay more attention to what surrounds me'. Not that it would help much.

"I'm coming". She stared again at the diary page, closed it right away, and ran to help her mother.

Shopping? That was the entire grocery shop and nothing seemed to be missing, from meat and fish to juices and bottled water. Was it that long since the last time they had shopped? It didn't seem like it to her.

It took almost half an hour to put everything in place and the clock showed 6.45p.m when they finished the job. "Will you help me to make the lasagna?" asked her mom then.

"Yes. I have nothing else to do."

Marina enjoyed cooking, so she was willing to help with the pots and pans. Lasagna was her favorite food and mom had a secret ingredient that gave it a unique flavor. One day, she would reveal it to her to continue the family secret. It was like a tradition passed from generation to generation.

Two hours later, the dinner took place in peace and they only spoke about the notes that Ana had brought to her and the shopping afternoon they would have the next day.

"Be careful, do you hear me? Do not go near the river's wall," warned mom.

"Mommy, it's not walking along the wall that caused my accident. Moreover, I could walk on the street and be hit by a car. You never know what fate has saved for you. And the phone shop isn't near the river at all," reminded Marina.

That was the only reservation that her mother mentioned in regard to the subject of the 'river' and it seemed fair.

After dinner, and before going to her chambers, Marina asked her mother, "Where did you put my handbag? I have my wallet in it and my school schedule. I need those things for tomorrow."

"I think I left it on top of my dresser. Go and check," answered Luísa.

Marina went to her mother's bedroom and searched for the handbag on the dresser. There it was, waiting for her. Marina picked it up, while thinking that it had been a miracle it hadn't fallen into the water with her. She didn't even remember taking it off, but it didn't matter.

As she walked into the living room, she opened the handbag, took the timetable out and looked at it. She pulled a long face at discovering what time she would sign in and the amount of classes she would have the following day. She would have preferred to fall from the bridge that day to avoid those classes. She felt lazy thinking that and pinched herself as punishment.

Upon seeing her displeased air, her mother asked, "Bad news?"

"Kind of. Tomorrow, I get in at 8.30 and I have lots of classes. Wednesday is quite supercharged..." complained Marina.

"I suppose you're thinking that tomorrow would be a good day to miss classes instead of today," guessed mom.

Marina blushed. Perhaps she thought that because she wasn't up to school work pace yet.

"Do you want me to wake you up tomorrow? I leave at 7.30," suggested mom.

Marina thought for a moment and nodded her head in agreement. That way, she didn't have to worry about setting the alarm clock and would even get a personal wake up call. After wishing "good-night" to her mother, Marina went to her room. Hours later, she fell asleep.

CHAPTER THREE

Before leaving for work, her mom woke her so that she would get ready to go to school. Marina hated to start school at 8.30a.m - it was too early to get the neurons to function properly. She stretched and sat up in bed. Fiddlesticks! She had fallen asleep without choosing the clothes she would wear, and also without getting her backpack ready. She used to have everything prepared from one day to another to avoid wasting time, but had forgotten about these details. In a hurry, she opened the wardrobe and chose some light blue jeans and a black cardigan. From the drawer chest, she pulled out a green blouse, tight to the body.

Dressed and combed, she caught the backpack and threw inside it the manuals and notebooks of the subjects she would study that day. The rucksack was pretty heavy, but it would return lighter in the evening, since she would leave half of the stuff in the locker. Having a locker was great: she could leave there the things of the subjects she had no homework on and she didn't have to carry them around. The word startled her - 'homework'! It was Philosophy day and she hadn't done the assignment; she had totally forgotten about it. No doubt, she would have a bad mark on her evaluation file because of that; Manelito didn't forgive anything. The only solution would be talking to him at the beginning of class, in hope that he would give her one more day to do it. He couldn't be that insensible, could he?

The journey to school took only fifteen minutes and there were no incidents. However, the same didn't apply to her arrival at the campus. A few seconds after she crossed the gate, the colleagues recognized her, surrounded her and kept on asking her how she was feeling. It was obvious she was fine, otherwise she wouldn't be there, but that didn't stop them: they wanted to approach her, to see the girl who had been pushed into the river by accident. Retreating in slow motion, Marina succeeded in entering the school lobby and running to the bathroom. It was no great hideout, nevertheless she could stay there until class started and then rush into the room. Why wouldn't those people leave her alone? She didn't know most of them, not even by sight. It was ridiculous.

After ten minutes, the bell announced the beginning of the first class. When Marina left the cubicle of her hideout, she found four girls talking next to the sinks. Upon seeing her, they looked at her, feeling suspicious. However, they didn't have time to realize who she was, because Marina burst into a run up to the classroom.

The Informatics room was near the WC, which prevented her from sprinting; nonetheless, it put her in the main hallway, exposing her to more publicity. Soon a small group of classmates formed around her, wanting to know how she was doing. In fact, she was feeling like a lab rat that just wanted to rest in a quiet place, but couldn't find such tranquility. She had never been popular, which made this situation even more peculiar and difficult to bare. To make things worse, Ana wasn't there with her. As the class was too big for the available resources, they were divided in half so that everyone could have a computer. This meant that, while Marina was having Informatics, Ana had French Translation. This happened again in the afternoon: while Marina had English Translation, Ana had Informatics. How she wished her friend was there with her... Moreover, the French Translation lesson took place in the ancient school pavilions they called 'Bosnia', due to its degradation state, which reminded them of some kind of war scenario. Without the usual friendly shoulder around, she took a deep breath and replied as kind as possible to all questions.

At long last, the teacher arrived and they entered the room. Marina sat in front of a computer at the bottom of the class and waited for her colleagues to begin to ignore her. Of course she liked a little attention, but that was ridiculous, like some sort of fanaticism - exaggerations were elevated.

The call to confirm attendance began then. Before the teacher could finish, a disheveled head appeared at the door and asked permission to come in, just above the tolerance ring. Under the warning that he should worry more about punctuality, the professor authorized his entry. Looking around, the boy saw that there were no more computers available for him, which didn't go unnoticed by the teacher, who decided he could choose someone to sit with. Marina was totally unaware of what was happening around her, until she saw the chair next to her sliding back for Lucas to sit down. The computer tables were placed in a row and leaning against each other; each one had two chairs for the purpose of someone needing to share a computer. Lucas wouldn't be her partner, but the colleague's installed at the previous work station, therefore he sat right beside her. Marina felt an impulse to jump to the very next chair, nevertheless she thought that it wouldn't go unnoticed by the colleagues who were staring at her, so she stayed in the same place. She moved discreetly on the seat and focused her eyes on the computer screen.

During class, Marina sometimes turned to the board to see what the teacher was writing and to listen to what she was explaining, then turned to the computer to do what had been said. Once in a while, she took note of some of the explanations, so it would be easier to repeat the taught processes. Although she avoided at all costs looking at the boy, her heart was beating so fast that it seemed like it could shoot out from her chest at any moment. Lucas seemed to be able to hear her fast heart beating somehow, and she could almost swear she saw him smile with a nagging irony over the effect he had one her. It couldn't be, she should be imagining everything. How could he know how he made her feel and still laugh about it? It was her imagination; that was the only explanation.

When the bell rang, the girl felt a huge relief. Lucas picked up his notebook and ran to the door, allowing her to take a deep breath and to calm the anxiety that had invaded her. While packing her stuff into the backpack, Marina thought to herself that she had just checked that Lucas was fine, therefore he couldn't have been with her in the river: her mind had made it all up. On a second though, he could have left the water alone, without any problems, and so there he was, safe and sound. What a mess! Part of her tried to make her act on impulse and to ask him, directly but in a disguised way, what he did that afternoon. Would she have the guts to do this?

Marina took a while to leave the Informatics' room, as she feared the crowd would be focused on her again. Before leaving, she sneaked a peek through the door. Verifying that almost nobody was in the hallway, she left the room and walked to the school lobby; however, it was overcrowded by people, who didn't approach her this time, but watched her with intensity, making her feel like digging a hole in the ground where she could hide. With small steps, she began to go back into the corridor and then went through the doors that gave access to the school 'pseudo-garden'. It was known that way, because of its lack of treatment that made it distant from the ideal concept of a garden. That turned it into a place only visited by students who wanted to smoke without hearing any lectures, and by couples who didn't want to hear sermons about the proper places for demonstrations of affection. However, that day it seemed that everyone had a sudden and inexplicable desire to smoke or date.

Determined not to talk to anyone until next lesson, Marina crossed the garden at great speed, passed by the drawing rooms and climbed the ancient stairs that separated the new high school part from the old 'Bosnia'. Next, she headed to the area behind the canteen. She would be safe there, with no one in sight; unless someone wished to do something in secret because it was unlawful or malevolent, nobody went there.

Marina sat down, enjoying the warm sun shining in the sky, and listening to the birds' song. Autumn was near, which meant that the birds' singing would be less frequent soon, so she decided to enjoy those last melodies. She closed her eyes, leaned her head against the wall and let herself be embraced by good vibrations. Suddenly, the air got heavy and the birds fled from the trees. Intrigued, Marina straightened her head and lifted her eyelids. She looked around and became aware that, at the very bottom of that place, Lucas was sat on the floor too. His arms hugged his knees, and he rested his head on them. When she saw him, her body jumped with shock, as if she had been hit by a bolt of lightning, and a light lit up in her head indicating 'that's him'. That was a great opportunity to go and ask what he had done the other afternoon. However, it was as if she was stuck and couldn't move. What if he thought she was crazy? What a good impression that would make.

Leaving her fears aside, she got up very slowly and prepared to meet Lucas. Her plans were soon delayed, since, as she took the first step, a strange man showed up next to Lucas, appearing from nowhere. He had long black hair tied in a pony-tail, and wore a dark t-shirt and pants. Yikes! He could be Gothic. Unable to see the stranger's face, Marina kept walking towards them. Perhaps the visitor would disappear when she was closer to Lucas. Maybe the guy would think she was Lucas' girlfriend and would decide to leave them alone. 'Lucas' girlfriend'... The words made her blush to the hair roots just by thinking them, so she shook her head to move them away from her mind. Marina gave up on approaching them when she was startled by the strange man yelling at Lucas, in an unknown language. With the fright, she released an unexpected little squeak, catching the attention of the mysterious man. His relentless gaze was so sharp that it seemed that he had shot her straight in the heart. The girl pressed her chest in result of the pain she felt, and sank against the wall to hold steady, since her legs were weakening. What's happening? Marina asked herself.

To her relief, as fast as it started, the pain dispersed. The girl then looked at the bottom of the area, and found out that both Lucas and the man had vanished. It was as if they were never there. However, she knew what she had seen, heard and felt. If his presence in the river was a trick of her mind's eye, that wasn't a figment of her imagination for sure.

Sounding quit distant, the bell rang: it was it time for the second class of the day. Marina composed herself, returned to the garden and headed to room number six. Seeing Ana at the room's door gave her a great need to hug her and cry. There were so many strange things happening! She had to talk to her, still the fear of being judged as mad seemed to hold her tight by invisible strings.

"There you are! I looked for you everywhere," grouched Ana.

"Huh, I was hiding," apologized Marina.

"What? Hiding from whom?" asked Ana, not quite understanding what she meant by that.

Whispering, Marina tried to justify herself, recalling what Ana had told her the day before. "You were right. As soon as these people saw me entering the school, they wouldn't leave me alone. I had to hide."

"That was what I expected. Don't worry; within two breaks, they'll forget about you. This is happening now, because you're a novelty. By the afternoon, things will calm down for sure," said Ana, reassuring her friend.

"You're the genius in this matter," replied Marina as she forged a smile.

"You bet, and you'll see I'm right. Are we sticking to the plans for after school?"

"Yes. I spoke with my mom and it's alright, as long as I don't go near the river's wall. You know... moms..." commented Marina, releasing a sigh.

"Your mother has her reasons, given what happened."

Marina snapped, "Hey! As if it was my fault!"

"I didn't say that. I just think she has a point, given the recent events. Try to put yourself in her shoes," suggested Ana. "I'm sure you'd say the same thing to your own daughter."

Marina laughed a bit and retorted, "Maybe. But look at you, trying to put yourself in a mom's role."

Ana blushed. If her mother knew she had said something like that, she would be proud. To tell the truth, she had felt like an 'old lady' verbalizing that. The role of responsible one was Marina's, not hers.

Before Ana started to criticize her previous comment, Marina looked at her with an awkward and worried look and confessed, "By the way, I must talk to you. I think I'm seeing things. Maybe I'm going nuts or something."

"Okay, but you'll have to wait for the next break, because the French teacher is already here. Did you bring my notebook?"

Marina nodded. As soon as she sat in place, she pulled out the diary and handed it to her friend.

The teacher presented herself to class, saying her name was Josefina, and she explained that she would take the first lesson to do a diagnostic test, in order to determine the student's knowledge point. As if they were twins, Marina and Ana reacted to this news by ogling. If the professor wanted to know how they were in French, she just had to check their last year's evaluation and would get an idea of how bad they were.

Before the test, Josefina called the students' names and the fact that Lucas was absent didn't pass unnoticed to Marina. "Lucas is not here," she said to Ana.

"Who? Ah, the new guy. He'll probably miss a lot of lessons, as he's a tri-repeat student. He must be tired of learning the same stuff."

Ana was right. It was the third time Lucas was in the 11th grade, so he should know the data by heart, which would lead him to skip classes many times.

Doing a diagnostic test was annoying. Since didn't matter for an evaluation score, Marina answered the questions without paying proper attention to them. She just wanted to go outside to tell Ana about the strange things she had seen. The clock seemed to hear her plea and made the bell ring at the right time.

As soon as they returned the tests and packed, Marina dragged her friend out of the room. When they reached the corridor, she found out that people continued to look at her, nonetheless Ana seemed to be right and, little by little, they ceased to be so interested in her. With a bit of luck, by the end of the day they wouldn't stare at her any more, nor whisper about her. Still, the best place to talk to her friend in peace was behind the canteen, where she had been before. Ana protested when she found herself being dragged, since she wanted to go to the bar to eat something before next class. Marina didn't flinch and Ana thought she would have to starve until lunchtime. They marched at a fast pace to the back of the canteen and found the place deserted, as usual.

"It was there! Right there at the bottom," started Marina as she pointed away.

Ana looked at her with a bewildered expression, showing she had no idea what she was talking about, and raised her shoulders in a question mark. She felt like telling her friend she was making no sense, but it wasn't necessary as Marina hurried to complete her reasoning, "There, at the bottom! Do you remember saying you sought me around the whole school in the previous break?"

"Yes, I looked for you and couldn't find you anywhere," answered Ana.

"You didn't find me, because I came here."

"To Bosnia?" Ana enquired, somehow incredulous.

"People kept looking at me and asking me questions, so I decided to escape for a while. The important thing is that when I got here, I sat down and thought I was alone, but then something weird happened."

Ana shook a little, feeling that there would be fresh explosive news, and encouraged her friend to continue her narrative. "What? Tell me," she demanded.

"Do you hear the birds singing like crazy?"

Ana fell silent to listen better and agreed. Yes, she heard the birds singing as if there was no tomorrow.

Noticing her nod, Marina went on. "So, here I was listening to it, when suddenly the birds became silent and fled away, as if they were afraid of something. When I opened my eyes, I saw Lucas sitting right there, at the bottom."

"Uh, sinister figure," exclaimed Ana, who felt a shiver dancing on her back. Although Lucas was a funny guy in his own way, there was something about him that made her stand aloof around him and to fear him. To summarize: he was an attractive, though dangerous figure.

Marina shook her head and hastened to say, "The sinister figure came later! Out of the blue, a man came from nowhere. He was a little older than Lucas, dressed like a Goth, and started yelling at Lucas in a strange language that sounded like gibberish."

Ana put on a poker face, as she reflected on what her friend had said. Where was the explosive news? Marina had seen Lucas with a guy dressed as a Goth. So what? After sighing, she said, "I see nothing abnormal about it. So he hangs out with scum. Big deal. After all..."

Marina interrupted then, "You're not understanding. The Gothic guy realized that I was here, and when he looked at me, he did it with an expression so intense that it caused me an excruciating pain in my heart. Then, when I looked back, there was nobody there, and the pain disappeared as if by magic."

"Wow," Ana managed said in the end, half stunned. That last part sounded both quite strange and interesting. The fact that Lucas got along with whom he shouldn't was something to be expected; bad companions were a plausible answer to why he was repeating the same grade for so long. However, someone able to cause pain to another just by looking at them was awesome, at least. Ana moved from one side to another, while thinking, and frowned as a result of the internal reflection she carried out. Moments later, she turned to Marina and said, "OK, let's be rational. Whatever you think you've seen, you might not have actually seen it. I mean, just two days ago you suffered a major trauma and you might be presenting late symptoms or something like that."

"Symptoms such as hallucinations?" Marina doubted.

"Maybe. As you yourself said, you felt a sharp pain in your heart, and when it passed, you noticed that there wasn't anyone there. It may have been so strong that it caused you hallucinations."

"So why did I have the hallucinations before the pain?" insisted Marina.

"It was a warning, who knows? I'm just trying to find a logical explanation," replied Ana, somewhat nervous.

Ana's theory made sense at some level, but Marina knew what she had seen and felt. It was impossible that her spirit kept playing pranks of such bad taste like that. Not even in dreams was her imagination that fertile. Shaking her head, Marina reiterated, "No. I affirm, reaffirm and confirm what I saw. They were there, I'm sure. And it was after the weird man looked at me I felt sick."

"Fine, you don't have to shout. I don't know! Lucas may hang out with bad people and when they saw you, they ran away. The pain may have been just something resulting from the river's episode and not even be related to them," retorted Ana.

New plausible theory: the chest pain had nothing to do with them and they ran away when they saw her, because they were having a private heated conversation and didn't want to be interrupted or that she realized what they were talking about. As if she had any idea of what the strange guy had said. Marina thought better about this possibility and recalled that she had released a little squeak when the Goth began to shout at Lucas, so it was possible that she had scared them away. Still, this scene joined something far more bizarre and that had led her to question herself before. "Do you know what really bothers me?"

"What?" said Ana, not knowing what to expect from her friend at that point.

"Although everyone contradicts me, I could swear on my soul that Lucas tried to help me when I fell into the river."

Ana opened her mouth in amazement and disbelief. Leaving no detail out, Marina told her all she remembered of that authentic Mexican soap opera that she lived two days ago. When she finished, Ana was sitting on the floor with a straight face. Seeing her so transfixed, Marina crouched beside her and said, "You know, I don't read minds. Do you think I'm crazy?"

Ana shrugged and replied, "The episode you went through was traumatic, nonetheless I didn't think... I don't know. You don't seem insane, just confused. I mean, for example, you may have felt impressed by Lucas that day, therefore you remembered him. There are several explanations and nobody else saw him at the river, just you."

"I know. And don't you think it makes me even dizzier?" said Marina with a tone of desperation shaking in her voice.

"I believe so. If it was me, I'd also think I was nuts. You know that supernatural things are not my thing, but combining the two scenes involving Lucas, everything gains quite abnormal contours that deserve to be investigated."

The intriguing tone of her friend's voice led Marina to ask, "How come?"

"I'm not sure, I have to think about it. Honestly, the best thing to do is what you thought - talk to him. If it doesn't work and you still have visions about him, we can go to the school counselor or... look, we can do a hypnosis session to get to the bottom of this mystery," suggested Ana.

Despite the fact that they were talking about weird stuff, the suggestion of a hypnosis session made them laugh. They were acting like silly Ghost-busters. It was better to stop. Marina would talk to Lucas and, for the rest, she would decide later.

Still hoping to get to the bar before the bell rang, Ana dragged her friend in a mad rush, which proved fruitful: she still managed to eat a ham sandwich and to drink a carton of chocolate milk. Marina decided to go with it and ate the sandwich she had brought from home.

"Gosh, we're having Philosophy next and I haven't done my homework. Do you believe that I didn't remember such a thing?" complained Marina when she heard the bell ringing for the following class.

"Sure! If I was in your situation, I would have forgotten too. It's normal," devalued Ana.

"Let's go then. I have to talk to Manelito to see if he'll let me do the assignment and deliver it later."

"Knowing him as we do, I don't know... He's such a strict one, who only looks at things his way. Anyway, he may be in a good mood and give you that opportunity," answered Ana with some disbelief.

"I hope so."

They rose from the bar table and headed for the classroom. Again, they found half the class already seated, while the teacher whined that they had to be more punctual. "You must be at the door as soon as the bell rings," he shouted while waving his arms in the air, as if showing something that was quite obvious to him, but not for students. Marina protested inside. The ring of the bell indicated it was time to go to class and they didn't have to be at the room's door before that, or they wouldn't even have time to go to the bathroom or to the bar.

The friends prepared to sit at a desk side by side, but the professor waved them, reminding that Ana had to sit at the front for being number two, and Marina would be sitting in the back rows for being number sixteen in the class list. Marina counted the places to see where she would sit, although she didn't even have to: Lucas was number fifteen and he was sat in the corresponding place; she just had to take the seat beside him. A tingling of nerves gnawed all of her being for having to sit right next to him. Marina swallowed hard and walked to her place with faltered steps. She tried to ignore him as she sat down and took her things out of the backpack. Then she turned to the front, as if paying a lot of attention to the lesson.

"According to the room's layout, numbers seven, thirteen, nineteen and twenty-two are missing, correct? Let's start the lesson with homework. Who didn't do the assignment? Put your hands up, please," demanded the teacher.

Embarrassed, Marina raised her arm with shyness, along with Lucas and two other colleagues. The professor raised his eyebrows in a criticizing way, especially to the repeater boy, who should show more willingness to step to the 12th grade at last.

Walking from one side to another, the teacher asked those who didn't do the work to explain why they hadn't done it. Two of them said they couldn't find anything about their origins. When her turn came, Marina tried to explain what had happened. "I'm really sorry, sir, but I didn't do the task, because... I forgot," she admitted.

"You forgot? Wasn't the assignment minimally important or interesting, hmm? Maybe not, since you forgot to do it..." replied the professor with sarcasm.

"It's not like that, sir. It's just that I had an accident and after that I didn't remember we had homework."

"An accident? And it would have given you amnesia, no?"

Could he be the only person in school who didn't know she had fallen into the river? It seemed incredible. Of two sentences, only one was correct: he really didn't know what had happened to her or he thought that, regardless what had occurred, she had to fulfill the designated task, period.

"It's true, she fell into the river", a colleague defended.

"She even went to the hospital and missed school yesterday," another one added.

After thinking for two seconds, the teacher believed in her story. Still, he grouched, "It doesn't sound like an accident serious enough to make you forget your duties. And if you missed school yesterday, you had plenty of time to do it."

"Yeah, but the problem is that I forgot about it. If you allow me to, I can do it today and deliver it tomorrow," proposed Marina in a shy tone.

After rubbing his forehead for a while, the professor directed his attentions to her desk classmate, "And you, repeater boy, why didn't you do your homework?"

Lucas didn't answer. At the insistence of the teacher, who still fenced a 'Are you deaf?' the boy replied with an air of loathing, "I didn't do it, because who I am, only concerns me. To you, the grades I get in tests are all you should be interested in."

Colleagues turned in desks in disbelief to his response. It was incredible that he spoke that way to a teacher, moreover that teacher being Manelito, the student's terror. However, if he angered the professor and he discounted his anger on them, he would be everyone's problem.

The teacher pointed his finger at Lucas, while a mocking smile stretched across his face. "You are dodgy, aren't you? If you want to fail this year, I can grant your wish easily, but that's what you wanted, to do nothing. Since Marina also didn't do the homework, you'll both go to the library to do it and I want it delivered to me by the end of this hour. Pay attention, Miss Marina: if your classmate doesn't have any work done by the end of the stipulated period, his grade will be yours."

The girl opened her mouth in amazement. Sure she appreciated the opportunity to do the project, nonetheless his condition was ridiculous, so she protested, "That's not fair, sir. He may not want to do anything, but I want to have a good grade."

"So make him work – it's your duty," the teacher claimed, ending the conversation

Marina snorted. As if it wasn't enough having to do the assignment in haste, she also had to force a troublemaker to do his and her grade depended on it. It would have been better to have stayed in a coma or something like that. Stony head! She took a deep breath and tried to see the bright side: at least, she was being given the opportunity to do homework, and if he didn't do his, maybe she could write something and hand it over as being his work. She would not fail. Lucas retreated to the library right away, but Marina took a while to gather her material.

Upon entering the library, the girl found Lucas sitting at a computer and decided to occupy the working station behind him. To write a text about her origins was easy: she had grown up hearing stories of her being a descendant of the former slave colony of São Romão do Sado. Her hair, that she uncurled every six months proved it very well. Since she was at the computer, she decided to make a brief survey to find more data on the subject. After a brief consultation of several pages, she managed to write the following text:

"My name is Marina and I'm from Alcácer do Sal, as well as my parents. My maternal grandfather was from the northern area of Portugal, but the greatest cultural and genetic heritage comes from my paternal grandfather, who came from the former slave colony of São Romão do Sado.

Little is known about the establishment of this colony, but most authors relate it with the need for manpower in agriculture and demographic issues. It was said that the valley of Sado was a rice-growing area, where several outbreaks of malaria caused a high mortality rate, so people avoided living there. In the fifteenth century many men had to embark in ships to embrace the Discovery Era, which further reduced the existing manpower. To solve this question, the owners of these lands have chosen to buy black slaves on the markets to populate and work the land.

Over the years, with the disappearance of slavery, miscegenation has intensified. Nowadays, the 'heirs' of the colony still have features that bind them to their past, from curly hair to the broad nose and a skin color sometimes darker.

I have a skin tone slightly darker than my colleagues and my hair is curly. Although people may tell that to uncurl my hair is to deny my genetic inheritance, it is merely an aesthetic issue that has nothing to do with my origins. I'm very proud to descend from working people, who brought new life to this land."

For the time she had, that was the text that was possible to write. It didn't sound that bad – Marina was happy about the result. She printed the work and went to collect the sheet at the machine. After paying for the print-out to the library employee, she returned to her seat, ready to gather her belongings and return to the classroom. She was then haunted by the dilemma: Lucas also had to deliver something or she would be penalized the same way.

After packing her things, Marina looked at the front computer to check if Lucas had his job almost done. What she saw made her angry: he was playing a computer cards game. How stupid! Irritated, she got up from her seat with fury, went close to his chair and crossed her arms in a defensive posture. Without quite knowing how to start the conversation, she began by saying, "You missed French class."

What? You missed French class? As if she had anything to do with it. He did what he wanted without justifying it to anyone, much less to her. If he asked her the same question, she wouldn't bother to answer him either. Lucas didn't look away from the screen, completely ignoring her. Her comment had been as important as the buzz of a mosquito in the middle of the rainforest.

Marina insisted again, "You should have studied the matter several times already and it must become annoying to always hear the same thing, right?"

He continued not to pay her any attention. It was as if she wasn't there and that made her even more frustrated. Almost bursting, the girl interrupted one more time, "Besides, you should have more interesting things to do with that Goth friend of yours who screams in Chinese, right?"

This time she got a reaction. Lucas turned his head sharply toward her, gnashing his teeth. His eyes darted over her, making her feel petrified. With a cavernous voice, he asked, "And what do you know about that?" He threw back his chair and hurried from the library.

Damn it! That way, she would have a bad grade because of him. No way, she thought. Things couldn't stay like that.

She ran after him and caught him near the school lobby. She placed herself in his way and wouldn't let him go. "Not so fast," she said.

"What? What do you want with me?" he questioned.

"I want you to work with me."

The boy laughed at her words, which he interpreted in a quite different way from what Marina meant. He approached her unhurriedly, in a super provocative and seductive way that caused her dizziness. Marina stumbled back, hitting the wall with no possible escape. To ensure she didn't get away, Lucas stuck his palms on the wall to the height of her shoulders, holding her there. Their bodies were dangerously close. Gosh! He would grasp her gasp for sure... Why did she feel like that just by having him around? He didn't seem to be a good guy and she was sure he was trouble; still, the danger drew her with an irresistible power.

"What kind of work do you want exactly?" Lucas sensually whispered in her ear.

Marina trembled with that unchaste insinuation. Would he be suggesting by chance that they...? Part of her shouted 'yes' and asked her to play along with his game. But she wasn't like that, neither could he get away from his responsibilities by using his incredible charm.

Appealing to all her energies to compose herself, Marina slipped beneath his arm and walked away a few steps, to stop his magnetism from affecting her. In response, Lucas put his hands in his pockets, exhibited a spicy smile that made her think he was mocking her, and prepared to turn his back on her. A spark of anger ran through Marina. Who did he think he was? He didn't do his assignment, put her grade at risk, threw his charm at her and then walk away? No. Fuming, she put her hand on the boy's shoulder, forcing him to face her, and yelled, "Excuse me?! You may not care about school, but I won't let you ruin my grade. At least tell me where you come from, so that I can write a few lines that will take me from the gallows."

When he realized that she wouldn't let him go, Lucas told her a single word, "Purepecha." Stunned, Marina let him pass. She remained in the same place for a while, mulling over the word and questioning herself about its meaning. At long last, her feet responded to her request and took her back to the library. She sat in the same place where she had been before, went back into the search engine and wrote the word. Only a few results came up, but she had no time for further searches: she had three minutes before the bell to deliver both assignments.

Marina wasn't going to write a text as elaborate as her own; after all, it was Lucas' assignment, not hers. To hell with him. She'd go for the so-called 'copy and paste'. Selecting a text, she copied and pasted it into a new page in Word. Then she corrected it, so that the Portuguese didn't sound so much like Brazilian, and adapted it to Lucas' case. It came out something like this:

"My name is Lucas and my family descends from the Purepecha, an indigenous people of Michoacán, Mexico, that speaks only the Purepecha language. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the Purepecha Empire prospered a lot, given that they were good copper workers.

They were among the few people who weren't mastered by the Aztec's. However, the 'cazonci' Tangaxoán II showed no resistance to the Spanish conquistador, Cristobal de Olid. In 1530, Governor Nuno de Guzman plundered the region and destroyed temples in search of precious metals, ordering Tangaxoán II's death, after accusing him of killing Spaniards. Faced with chaos, many Indians fled to the mountains. There were several episodes of violence, which led the Spanish Crown to send as ombudsman Don Vasco de Quiroga, who later became a bishop. He managed to restore order, which favored the continuation of this culture. It is also attributed to him the teaching of various trades, hand crafted specialization and other traditions that remain until today."

It wasn't a great text, but at least it was done and she wouldn't fail because of Lucas.

When she was printing the assignment, the bell rang, forcing her to grab her things in a hurry and run to the classroom. She waited till all her colleagues came out before she entered to deliver the two sheets to the teacher. The professor looked at her sternly and inquired, "Where's your colleague?"

"Huh, he asked me to deliver his assignment, because he wanted to get to the print shop to get some photocopies before it closed."

Suspecting that this was a lie, the teacher raised his eyebrows, yet he took the sheets, put them in his bag and left the room. Phew! When Marina met Lucas again, she would tell him good. Who did he think he was, to leave her in the lurch and face Manelito? Someone had to call him to reason, although no one seemed interested in playing such role. She would have to step up and do it, although she doubted he'd listen to a single word of what she had to tell him. With all that mess, she hadn't tried to ascertain what he had done the previous day. It would have to wait for another opportunity. Resigned, Marina grabbed her backpack and left the room to join Ana for lunch in the canteen.

CHAPTER FOUR

Wednesday's classes were over and there was no sign of Lucas. The boy had missed school for the rest of the day, so Marina had to leave the rebukes and questions for later. Anyway, classes were over and the two friends could do what they had agreed the day before - buy a phone. They left school and began the journey to the shop. As they walked, they talked about Lucas' behavior at the Philosophy class. Ana twisted her nose as she spoke, "By the way he back-answered Manelito, he must be completely whacko. Stay away from him Marina. He's no good."

"That's true," agreed Marina. "And what about what he did to me? He slinked away and I'd have had a zero because of him. There'd be no way I'd put up with that."

"It's just homework. I don't think the teacher will evaluate it," said Ana.

"The 12th grade students said that he evaluates everything. You see, the tests count as 60% and the rest 40%. It's better to play safe."

"From that perspective..." answered Ana, putting on a thoughtful expression and scratching her forehead. "Still, I'm not sure I would do Lucas' assignment for him. He should have done it himself."

"I thought about it, but I preferred not to risk it, because you never know what to expect from Manelito."

"Yeah. Well, that kid has a lot of nerve," retorted Ana while kicking a stone.

When they arrived at the shop, they went in and started the quest for the ideal mobile phone. Marina was looking for a simple device; if it made calls and sent text messages, she was happy with it. However, Ana was hooked on cell phones and had already lost count of those she had had. Enforcing Marina's simplicity would be difficult with Ana around.

They started by a row that had the latest models, but Marina soon grimaced when she looked at the price tags. She wasn't interested in giving so much money for a simple device. They wandered to the other side of the shop, where they found phones more affordable and that resonated with what she wanted to buy. At last, Marina found one that pleased her. She pointed it out to her friend, who began complaining about the color - turquoise. However, after reading its features, Ana was satisfied: it wasn't as good as hers, but it was a phone and they could communicate at any time. They called the store employee and Marina told her which one she wanted.

"Good choice. It's a good phone. Plus, the battery doesn't run out so quickly and it's quite affordable," the woman said in a happy commercial tone, as if she was still selling the product. Marina, nonetheless, agreed with her. She had thought of something even simpler, but it didn't matter. That one had what she wanted and some more stuff, and was well recommended; it seemed to be a good acquisition.

The clerk picked up the device, took it to the counter and placed it inside a bag, every move reflected by the mirrored surface on the wall behind. Marina looked into the mirror to fix her hair. While placing a hank behind her ear, she noticed the reflection of someone on the street. She turned toward the door, but saw no one. Perhaps it was just a person passing by on the street. The employee claimed her attention then by clearing her throat. Next she handed her the bag with the phone, while saying, "Here you are. Are you familiar with the complaints system in case the device malfunctions?"

"More or less," confessed Marina.

"Then allow me to explain."

During the next five minutes, the clerk explained what to do if the phone got broken or if it came damaged right from the factory. She also gave her some insights into what tariffs she could choose. When the employee finished, the girls thanked her for the information and left the store.

"I agree with the clerk, it's not a bad buy at all. And you managed to spend as little money as you wanted," commented Ana.

"It's not that I'm greedy, I just don't want to spend it all at once. I worked very hard for that money. Plus, mobile phones have a very limited lifespan. It's not worth giving a lot of money for one of them, if it has to be replaced soon," clarified Marina, trying to make Ana understand her point of view.

The conversation was interrupted by Ana's phone ringing: her mother, who worked in the nearby, was asking her to meet her at the accounting office.

While Ana was talking with her mother, Marina shuddered. Again she was experiencing the sensation of someone looking at her from across the street. Whoever he was, he was too far away for her to recognize his facial features. Her attention turned to her friend when, after killing the call, Ana sighed. "Sorry, I can't walk you home. You know how mothers are," she apologized. "She's asking me to go get my brother from school with her, and after that we have to go to the supermarket to get something for dinner."

"No problem. My house isn't too far, I'll get there in a matter of seconds," Marina reassured her.

"But if you have more weird dreams, like the one we talked about, text me, after all now we can send messages," said Ana, as she winked her eye.

"I will," replied Marina.

They walked together to the office of Ana's mother, and then Marina continued home alone. As her mom had forbidden her to walk along the river's wall, she chose to trek through the back street that led directly to her house.

Marina walked at a snail's pace, although she felt that something was wrong. She had a bad feeling within herself that she couldn't shake off. She tilted her head back a bit and noticed a shadow, which indicated that someone was walking a few feet behind her. Would he be following her? It seemed a ridiculous possibility, still she decided to consider it, since when she was at the store and later when she had left it, she felt like she was being observed. What if, from observation, he had moved to stocking? She was being paranoid...

Anxious, she hurried on. As soon as she reached the cement arcade before her house, she abruptly sat on the stairs. She remained still and held her breath. A shadow hesitated behind her, but only for a few seconds. Marina didn't look back right away so as not to disclose that she knew she was being followed. Waiting a little longer, she got up. Leaning against the wall, she peered out and found that who pursued her, had continued to walk down the road. By the silhouette, it could be a man or a tall boy. If he had really followed her... it could be risky, still she wanted to know the identity of the person who seemed to be tracking her. In a curious role inversion, she decided to go after him.

With a considerable distance separating them, Marina pursued him down to the main street. However, after a child's clothes store, she lost sight of him. Where the heck is he? she asked herself. Had he entered a shop, went into a house? Or could he have turned into a different street without her noticing it? He couldn't have just evaporated. She delayed her march and slowly walked past shop windows, peeking through the glass in the hope she would see him there. Eventually, she stopped. She put her hands on her hips, in a gesture of frustration, and looked around, trying to guess where she could find the mystery man. The answer came to her in the sound of a thud, followed by a moan. Marina lowered her arms and tried to tune her hearing into what she heard and where it came from. She heard another thump. Only then she noticed that there was a staircase next to the children's clothing store.

The sun was beginning to go down and the street lights weren't lit yet; the twilight made her reconsider approaching the stairs. Still, the need to know what was going on screamed so loud inside her that she decided to go on. The scenario she encountered was nothing like the one her imagination could picture, not even if it worked really hard: the man dressed in black had returned and was kicking Lucas, who was lying on the floor, with one hand covering his stomach and the other trying to protect his head. What was he doing to Lucas? Marina was horrified, mostly because if she didn't stop it, the aggressor could leave Lucas very injured, or even kill him. But how could she help him? Shouting for help was an option, nonetheless it didn't seem the wisest thing to do. Reacting on instinct, she bent down to pick up a large loose stone from the pavement, near the wall of the store building. She went up a few steps of the staircase and threw it with all her strength, hitting the Goth right in his head. The man howled in pain and red liquid began to drip down his forehead. Furious, he turned toward her with the intention to make her taste her own medicine.

Sensing that his abuser had stopped, Lucas took his hand off his head. He glanced up and noticed that his attacker injured, which was weird. He looked down the stairs and then, upon seeing Marina, understood that she was the one responsible for that.

Enraged, the Goth stepped in her direction with clear evil intentions. Learning that, Lucas decided to act: he yanked the guy's leg hard, making him crash down the stairs, just a few steps away from the girl. Feeling scared, Marina trembled. She feared that if he could stand, he would run up to hurt her. Before the man could rise, she ran into the street. Two people were passing by at that moment, talking and admiring the shop windows. They greeted her and continued their walk. Luckily, their presence was enough to discourage the Goth from doing whatever he wanted to do to her. Visibly angry, the man stood up and shook the cloak he wore over black pants and blazer. He makes me think of Dracula, she though. The man climbed the stairs with a limp, applied a final blow to Lucas and disappeared down the alley.

Marina wasn't sure of what to do. She wanted to go to Lucas and to help him to compose himself. She knew, nonetheless, how fickle he was and she feared his reaction. Still, and as he had helped her in the river, she would help him too, even if he didn't want it. She filled with courage and prepared herself to handle the comments and derogatory insults he might make about her.

With her legs trembling, she went up step by step to meet Lucas, who, in the meanwhile, had begun to move. When she reached him, he was sitting with one knee semi-raised and his head bowed. When he lifted his face, Marina noticed that he had a busted lip and a large hematoma was forming near his right eye. She crouched beside him, put down her backpack, unzipped it and took out a small pack of tissues. In the morning, she had bought a small bottle of water at school; she took it out of the bag too, opened it, and splashed a little onto the Kleenex. Lucas looked at her askance, but said nothing. Although she dreaded his reaction, Marina dabbed the wet Kleenex on his lip and tried to clean it carefully. Next, she repeated the process and placed another soaked Kleenex on the hematoma near his eye. During these procedures, none of them spoke, although their eyes almost never lost contact, creating an invisible, but almost palpable, tension between them. There was nothing to say: he had taken a beating, needed care and she was there to provide it.

After making his face more presentable, Marina put her stuff back into her rucksack. Lucas stirred and began to try to get up. She stood up promptly to help him stand, but he was faster and was soon upright as if he had no pain. Marina thought it was strange that he could pull himself together so fast, but chose to say nothing and accept it as a gift. Lucas shook his clothes to loosen the grains of sand and dust, and hinted that he would leave in the same lane that the Goth had used. Marina was stunned. She hoped that he would say something, his mouth, yet, seemed to be sealed.

Guessing that she wouldn't get anything from him, Marina took the initiative and started to walk down the stairs, although she kept looking at him. He took a step toward the alley, but, suddenly, he turned and shouted at her with rage, "You have no idea what you have done. Stay away from me!"

It was as if she'd just taken a slap in the face. She had fought with the Gothic guy to help him and, in return, got whipped like an unwanted mutt. While the shocked girl tried to digest what he had said, Lucas disappeared down the alley. She was still internalizing what Lucas had said, when left down the alley. Bewildered, Marina staggered down the stairs and into the main street. As she was a positive girl, she tried to see things from another perspective: maybe Lucas had told her to get away from him to protect her, because he hung out with bad guys, as she had found. Or maybe he was just embarrassed or resented having been seen by her in that situation. Perhaps he feared that she would think that he was weak, or that she would tell everyone what she had seen and they would make fun of him. She would never do that, but he didn't know her. She herself didn't know Lucas, and all she had discovered about him so far, didn't show in his favor.

The sun had almost completely gone down on the horizon; it was time for Marina to go home. Her mother knew she was going to buy a phone with Ana, but she was taking too long. Still, she preferred to walk back home at a slow pace, since she needed to regroup her thoughts. Her heart was still pounding as if it had taken an injection of adrenaline. By the time she reached the old building's door, she was calmer.

Her mother received her while wiping her hands on a cloth; she had probably been doing the dishes. "Hello, darling. How are you today?" greeted mom.

Although Marina was still a little shaken, she tried to control her voice when she replied, "Better. I'm not in much pain, although I have a slight headache."

"Do you think it has something to do with what happened?" asked her mother concerned, while remembering what the doctor had said about late symptoms.

Marina hastened to calm her before she could make a drama. "It has nothing to do with the bridge incident. It began early this morning, because I had some hassles with my Philosophy teacher."

"Really? You, having problems with teachers? I could never imagine that."

"I just hadn't been taught by «Manelito, the Terror» till now," justified Marina, opening both hands in front of her. "I'm going to my room and do homework."

Once in her chambers, she sat at the desk, pulled the French notebook from her bag and did homework. She soon finished it, since translating a few words with the help of the dictionary was quite easy. As she still had some free time, and to avoid committing the same mistakes as last night, Marina decided to choose the clothes for the next day and to get her backpack ready. When she was putting the Portuguese diary into the backpack, she dropped it and it opened up at the last page, where Lucas' name was written. Marina picked it up from the ground and stared for a moment at the letters that she had drawn. I really should get rid of this sheet, she thought to herself. Shaking her head, she closed the notebook and stuffed it into her bag.
CHAPTER FIVE

The night went well and, this time, Marina had no nightmares. In fact, she had slept like a rock and hadn't dreamed at all. Her mother woke her up in the morning and bade her farewell before leaving for work. Feeling lethargic, Marina got up, got dressed and brushed her hair, deciding to wear it loose so that combined better with her skirt. After having breakfast, she went on her way to school.

Walking in high heels wasn't as easy as Marina hoped, so she chose to take smaller steps. She arrived in school just before the bell and hastened to go to the classroom. Arriving close to it, she saw Ana, who frantically waved at her. "Hello, Ana," said Marina as she neared her friend.

"Geez, babe! You're so not used to having a phone. In case you haven't noticed it, I sent you two texts last night and another one this morning," complained Ana almost screaming at her.

Surprised, Marina took the phone from her backpack, turned it on and soon after heard three beeps, indicating that it had received messages.

"Oops... Sorry about that, but yesterday I turned it off to charge the battery, and today I hadn't turned it on yet," replied Marina, trying excuse herself.

"Fine. Just put it in silent mode or it will ring in the middle of classes and you know that teachers will keep it," warned Ana.

"Yes, you're right. I'll do it right away."

The Portuguese professor arrived, giving Marina just enough time to put the cell phone back in the bag and to tell Ana that they would talk about the texts on the next break.

The students entered the room, but as they sat down, one remained standing next to the teacher. Before someone asked who he was, the teacher informed, "Class, this is Joshua. He's 17 and has been transferred from the United States of America. Let me tell you in advance that his parents are Portuguese, so it isn't necessary for any girls to volunteer as translators, if you know what I mean. You may sit down wherever you want, Joshua."

"Wow, what a pie! He's fit!" muttered Ana to her friend.

Marina looked at the boy from head to toe and nodded in silence. In fact, there were no doubts about him being gorgeous; she just had to look around and see the gaping mouths of the girls in class. The new student was tall, wore his light brown, golden highlighted hair short and spiky. His eye color ranged from very light green to blue, his teeth were super white, and when he smiled, he had some adorable dimples at the corners of the mouth. In short, a sexy hot guy.

Joshua searched for an empty chair to sit down and found several available, some deliberately emptied by girls who didn't mind having that piece of heaven sitting beside them. After considering his options, he decided to sit on the empty desk at the bottom of the room, right behind Ana and Marina's.

Noticing that he had picked the place just behind them, Ana simulated that she was feeling hot, as if the temperature had fired up. Marina rolled her eyes, showing that she was exaggerating, and busied herself by taking a notebook from her backpack. A glimpse of the notebook's cover on the table made Marina remember that this was THE diary that contained THE sheet that should be torn out. She opened the page she had scratched and gazed at the name that the letters formed. Noticing her friend so transfixed, Ana decided to peek at what she was looking at. When she read Lucas' name, she couldn't help sounding a little screech, that made the teacher give her a stern look and ask her if she had anything to say, to which she replied, "No, sorry." Marina rushed to turn the notebook at the right page to write the summary, but it was too late: Ana had already read everything. Intrigued by the news, her friend smiled at her and winked her eye, indicating that they would talk at recess.

Ana's euphoric state increased even further when she heard the sweet voice of the latest addition to the class saying, "Ladies, can you lend me a pen, please? I forgot to bring my pencil case."

Ana only had a blue pen, but she didn't mind lending it to him, because he was soooo good-looking. Marina always had three in her case, so she grabbed one and turned around to give it to Joshua. Before being able to do it, Marina was surprised by Ana, who snatched it from her hand to pass it to the boy. That irritated Marina: if she wanted to give it to him, she just had to ask her. She decided to ignore what her friend had just done and observed her with a censorial expression, as she almost melted into the chair when she heard Joshua thanking her.

After a mighty dose of Portuguese language evolution throughout History, the bell announced that the class had just finished, which was a great relief. Their next lesson would be in the same room, so they left their things on the tables and left. In the corridor, a crowd surrounded Joshua, who could hardly breathe. Poor fellow. The girls gave him no rest and asked him all sorts of questions: 'What's your name again?'; 'From which place in particular in the States do you come from?'; 'What do you like to do?'; 'Where are you living?'; 'What kind of music do you like?'; 'What's your favorite movie?' The questions followed one after another, but he could answer none, because when he opened his mouth to try to talk, they were already asking him something else. Ana wanted to join this group, nevertheless Marina pulled her by the arm, stopping her. Ana snorted and protested, but not for long, because she remembered that they still had a pending conversation that interested her.

Noticing that the two friends were moving away, Joshua apologized to the girls that surrounded him and said that he had something urgent to do. Deviating from one and another, he managed to run towards them. Marina was surprised to see him, unlike Ana, who seemed to be dancing around in the clouds. The 'amazing' Joshua took a pen from his pocket and handed it over to Marina. "Here's your pen. I don't know if you need it..."

Despite Ana being the one who gave it to him, he knew pretty well who the true owner of the pen was. What Ana had done didn't go unnoticed by him, but he decided to ignore the gesture too.

Marina shook her head and rejected the object. "Keep it. You'll need it for the rest of the day. When classes end, then you can return it to me."

"Okay. Thanks then."

As they had nothing else to say, an embarrassing silence took place. Ana was giggling and she was also quite flushed, which annoyed Marina a bit. Why did Ana respond like that when she was close to a cute guy? Couldn't she control herself? Putting an end to that situation, Marina turned to Joshua and said, "So, we'll meet you in class, right? See you soon."

Joshua was somewhat flabbergasted with that reaction, so he just replied with a simple smile as the girls walked away.

"W-we have to go?" stuttered Ana without the slightest desire to go anywhere.

Marina almost burned her with a flash of her eyes. With contained fury in her voice, she muttered, "Ana, two words for you: lunch-ticket."

"Fine, spoilsport. Let's go buy the lunch ticket then,'" mumbled Ana, thwarted.

They marched to the bottom of the bar, joined the line and waited. After almost ten minutes, their turn came when the bell was ringing for next class. No way! The Geography teacher would have to wait, because now they were buying their tickets and they wouldn't go anywhere without them.

"And, just to be in line for the lunch coupon, we left the utterly epic American and you haven't told me the story of Lucas," complained Ana as she pouted.

"Don't worry, we'll talk later. You know that the following recess is the longer one," Marina said.

The friends put their tickets in their wallets and returned to the room for the next lesson. The pandemonium they found was the same as when they had left: Joshua was looking desperate, surrounded by uncontrollable women, and he had the most bored expression. They were like a pack of hyenas. It seemed like they had never seen a carcass before... although Marina had to admit it was a great one.

This time, the boy was saved by the Geography teacher, who came to him allegedly to explain the modus operandi of his lessons, pushing him into the room. The friends laughed at the ridiculous situation and also entered the room.

The last Geography class was the day Marina missed school, so she decided to focus harder. However, a twinge of concern in her soul distracted her from time to time: Lucas didn't attend the Portuguese lesson and continued to be absent. Would he be too hurt from the fight with the Goth? He didn't seem to be in such bad shape when he got up and walked away. Maybe his body was so sore that he had decided to miss school; she herself had skipped lessons for one day due to pain. On the other hand, he might not want to be seen in that state, and had therefore decided to stay home. Besides, he was a tri-repeat student, so he wouldn't miss much.

After the Geography class, Ana was thrilled just to think about the topic of conversation they would have. However, the episode of the previous lesson repeated itself, albeit with some slight changes: this time, Joshua decided to remain in his place until everyone had left the room, but he had no such luck. His 'crazy fans' surrounded his desk and neither Marina, nor Ana could get out from the table with so many people around them. Annoyed, Marina yelled, "Get out! We need to go to the bar and you're not letting us. Step out of the way!"

Nobody took much notice, after all her moment of being the center of attention was over and done. Right... just the day before, she had been the target of all stares and comments from everyone: as she knew what Joshua was going through, she felt sorry for him. How about some theatre to save him? Marina rolled up her coat sleeves, put on a 'bad-ass face' and started to push the girls around. Once she was able to get up from her chair, she turned back to the boy's desk and began to argue with him out loud, "How's it gonna be? A while ago you pissed me off, saying that you wanted me to show you where that place is, so that you could go there to get that thing, but now you're only wasting my time. I know you think that you're the heartthrob of a daytime soap opera, but you better start moving, because I don't have much time, and I still want to go to the bar to get something to eat!"

Some girls stared at Marina with suspicion, others with jealousy. They barely got him to utter a single word, and she was already his buddy and they had things planned? They weren't happy about that.

Noticing that the girls weren't moving away, Marina grabbed Joshua's arm without any gentleness and dragged him out of there, leaving behind a bunch of girls, green with envy and red with fury. Who was she, to take away their new Ken edition? They almost ran down the corridor, with Marina pulling Joshua. She only let him go after crossing the garden and reaching the back of the drawing rooms.

"What vultures. Woo!" Marina growled. "You're safe here. I'll go in that direction, because I'm going to the bar. And you... you do what you want, ok? You're on your own."

Joshua smiled, irradiating light from every pore. It was easy to understand why all the girls would surrender to his charms, but she wasn't like them. She wasn't looking for a boyfriend, she just wanted to have good grades. Besides, one guy crept into her life just a few days ago and he had already given her too many headaches. And they weren't even friends, as he often pointed out.

Seeing her preparing to go away, Joshua rushed to say, "Thanks. I must confess I wasn't expecting you to get me out of there. Despite all the attention I'm getting, you're the only one who seems not to care a dime about what I do."

Marina frowned. Was he complaining about not having her attention? Why should he have it, when he received a lot from the other girls? Could he be that egocentric? Without much thought, she replied, "Different priorities, but let's not go there. I helped you only because I know what it's like, wanting to breathe and not being left alone, in peace, to do it. A few days ago I was in your place."

"Yeah?" he questioned, encouraging her to go on.

It demanded an explanation that Marina didn't want to give. Although it was easy to talk to him, she had her friend waiting, therefore she went for a short reply, "Yes, I was in a similar position. Anyway, you're safe here and you can go anywhere you want, Joshua."

"Josh" the boy corrected.

"What?" she asked, a little bit confused.

"You can call me Josh. That's what my friends call me."

"Okay... Josh. See you next class," replied Marina with some reluctance. That said, she girl her back and headed to the bar.

While watching her moving away, Joshua couldn't help laughing at the memory of a so far-fetched bailout.

Upon finding Ana at the bar, Marina signaled her to go to the stone benches outside to eat, as they did in the days when the sun showed up: it was a way to recharge batteries, as if they operated on solar energy.

Before sitting down on the bench of whitewashed cement, Ana rushed to ask her friend, "So, what did you do with Joshua?"

"Nothing. I left him whole, safe and sound, nearby in the drawing rooms. If you want, you can go check it out."

"I believe you. Whoa, you walked away in a gale! But hey, I never thought you'd do that for him," confessed Ana before taking a bite of her croissant.

Marina sat down and replied, "It was driving me nuts to see so many girls around him as if they wanted to break him into pieces and to eat him."

"I would totally have a piece of him. Yum-Yum!" said Ana, rubbing her hands and licking her lips as if she was very hungry.

Marina felt the need to explain herself better. She turned to her friend and remarked, "What I mean is I know what he was going through. Do you remember that just yesterday I had to get away, because people wouldn't leave me alone? It's very annoying to have so many people around you."

Explanation given, Marina took a big bite of her croissant and let Ana know she wasn't talking again before having eaten it all. Ana imitated Marina, but since she finished eating first, she had to wait for her classmate patiently; they still had a pending conversation about some intriguing figure.

After Marina finished eating, Ana made her a frantic gesture with her hands to speak once and for all. Yet, Marina didn't utter a single word. Ana stepped ahead, saying with urgency, "Just tell me! What happened between you and Lucas? Is it just fantasy or has he really caught your eye? Are you friends? Did you talk to him? Come on!"

When it came to boys, Ana couldn't shut up: it was her favorite topic, so there was no way to avoid that conversation. And why would she dodge it? If Marina didn't want her to know certain details, she just had to leave them out.

Marina put her hands in front of her in a defensive position and told her friend, "Easy, slow down. I wrote that the day after the river incident. Do you remember me telling you that I thought he had saved me? I did that as a way of releasing the confusion in my mind before I went crazy. There's nothing special about it."

Ana was a bit disappointed. All of that work, with beautiful cursive letters, and it was nothing special. Great... Her friend really needed some excitement in her love life.

Before Ana asked anything else, Marina interrupted, "No, I'm not friends with him, nor have we talked. Besides, yesterday he made it quite clear that he didn't want to see me."

Like a dog raising its ears over the owner's calling, Ana became more alert and got hungry for details. After all, they had spoken. Why did she say the opposite? Baffled, Ana intervened, "Hey, you did talk to him. Otherwise, how would you know that he wants you away from him? Spill it out at once."

Indeed, Marina was contradicting herself, but the fact was that she couldn't classify as a 'conversation' what happened between them: only Lucas had spoken, and, frankly, it would have been better if he hadn't opened his mouth. Marina decided to tell her only part of it. "Yesterday, after going to the phone shop, I saw him being beaten by that guy dressed in black that I saw here, at school, in the morning."

"That's a wicked scene. What then?" quizzed Ana, wanting to know some more.

"Then... look, I was a fool. I threw a stone at the Goth's head and he fled away. Shortly after, Lucas got up and told me to stay away from him. And he left, just like that."

Ana opened her mouth in shock. She was astonished that her friend had sided with Lucas, but she was even more surprised by his negative attitude in the end. With an expression of anger, she let out, "What a dork! I mean, you helped him and he was so ungrateful that he sent you away. A true gentleman... Forget about him, he's not worthy of your concern."

"I know, but I noticed that today he didn't come to school and I was worried. Was the beating so brutal that it left him in bad shape? I didn't get that idea," explained Marina wondering about the last words inside herself.

"I didn't notice that he was absent. Forget him and move on. Now we have another more interesting subject to talk about and that has beautiful eyes that resemble the sea." Ana pretended to faint down on the bench. Speaking of that guy in particular seemed to give her a rush. Maybe she was starting to fall for him. It was a possibility, however, knowing Ana as Marina did, most likely she was reacting like that because he was news; later it would pass.

The rest of the day went by enveloped in serenity and there were no hiccups in the classroom. Some teachers offered Marina help if she had difficulties understanding things. The same was offered to Joshua as he had missed even more classes than her. As for the breaks, Marina's crazy intervention that morning made Joshua less harassed, which allowed him to catch up with the boys and start making friends with whom he could play PlayStation or a soccer match. She didn't know a thing about his hobbies, but, as he was a boy, she supposed they would be video games and sports.

As Ana's mother couldn't pick her up at school, she would meet her at the accounting office. As a result, Ana would go down town with her friend, making Marina happy. Marina didn't mind walking the way alone, but having company made the journey more enjoyable and even easier. A minute after leaving school, they heard a voice calling for Marina. They turned back and saw Joshua running toward them. When he arrived near them, his face was rosy and he was panting a little. Ana's internal alarm fired up right away, stating 'really hot guy nearby'. Marina gave her a little nudge to make her pull herself together.

"Phew, I haven't had a sprint like that for some time," he admitted.

"Really? Nobody would say that, you look so athletic," stammered Ana, half embarrassed.

Smiling at her, Joshua replied, "Thanks for the compliment." Then he turned to Marina and handed her the pen she had lent him, while saying, "You left in such a hurry that I didn't have time to return it to you."

Without facing him, Marina grabbed the pen, ran the bag zip a little and threw it inside. At home she would find it and put it back in the pencil case. In a dry intonation, she stated, "You didn't have to run just to give me the pen. You could have returned it tomorrow." Joshua's smile faded a bit. He stopped following them when Marina said, "Anyway, thanks. See you tomorrow."

"Bye. See you tomorrow," he responded without much conviction. He remained still, in the same spot as the girls headed home.

Ana soon showed her discontent to Marina, "Are you dumb or what? Did he do something wrong to be so mistreated by you? I mean, he's super nice and you only gave him snide answers. You need to get back on track, you silly girl."

Marina had no idea that she was mistreating Joshua. She just didn't intended to follow him around as a love sick puppy. Not in a thousand years.

Bored, Ana turned back and called, "Hey, Joshua! Where is your home?"

He turned toward her and, for an instant, was undecided about what to answer. Finally, he said, "I live in the old printing buildings near the City Hall."

"Nice. And are you waiting for someone?"

The question seemed to have some promise. At that moment, Marina's indifference was already annoying him, so it was his turn to reciprocate. Exhibiting his best smile, he replied, "No, I'm expecting no one. I'm leaving right now."

"So are we. If you want, we can take the road below the castle and then go down the stairs next to the electricity control post. After that you go home, and we turn left to follow to our route," proposed Ana with a triumphant grin dancing on her red lips.

That was just what he wanted to hear: it was the perfect opportunity to spite Marina. If she didn't want him around, she wouldn't get away with it. He put on a thoughtful expression, as if reluctant to accept the offer and whispered to Ana, "I don't know... your friend doesn't seem to appreciate my company."

Marina snorted, such was his impudence to say that. Hello! She was right there and could hear him loud and clear. Moreover, he was showing off. Peacock, brash and cocky.

Ana soon interrupted, "Don't worry about that. She's just going through a bad phase with an anti-social attitude added to the mix. Besides, I already gave her an earful and she promised to compensate you next weekend."

Marina gasped and her jaw dropped to the ground. What? They hadn't talked about anything. However, before she had the chance to protest, Joshua intervened and she felt that there was no turning back.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. She promised that tomorrow you decide what you're going to do. You'll see. You'll have a lot of fun," assured Ana.

Marina smiled faintly. Ana was so toasted! What right did she have to interfere in her life like that? She would go out with who she wanted and not with whom her friend chose for her. On the other hand, and recognizing that she was too 'bitter', Marina was forced to admit that maybe she was having an unpleasant attitude towards the boy. And what reasons had she to do this? In the first place, she had fallen into the river, so she wasn't in a very good-mood. Second, she was concerned with the ungrateful Lucas, to whom she had reciprocated the favor of being helped, just to be chased away. Third, Joshua was hot, but he was too cocky for her taste. However, she didn't really know him. He could be acting like that just to tease her, although that didn't say nice things about his character. Marina tried to calm down and put all those justifications in the fictional closet of 'things-to-reflect-on-later'. She thought it was best not to prejudge Joshua: he could do the same about her and, in the end, they could discover that they were both wrong.

CHAPTER SIX

During the journey, Ana and Joshua talked enthusiastically. Marina, however, preferred to remain apart from them. Moments later, the three said goodbye. Sulking, Marina didn't utter a word throughout the rest of the way. Ana was her best friend, but she shouldn't set her dates \- that was an exclusive concern of herself. Despite Joshua being a hunk, Marina wasn't interested in exploring the loving aspect of her life. Guys were a conundrum of problems, even if they were nice and good looking. Besides, the one who seemed to be interested in Joshua was Ana, so she should just invite him to go out.

When they arrived at the doorstep of Marina's house, Ana asked, "So, you stubborn chick, are you still like a bear with a sore head?"

"If you don't want to hear a wicked answer, it's better for you not to push me," replied Marina as she kicked a little stone that rolled away.

Ana put her hands on her hips and sighed. It was her turn to show a little anger, so she stated, "I did it for your own good."

"I don't know what good you're talking about. It's better to leave this conversation for tomorrow before it goes bad," Marina grumbled.

"Fine, have it your way. See you tomorrow."

Marina turned around and entered home, while Ana followed to her mother's office.

That day, the backpack was heavier: the volume of homework had increased a lot, forcing her to bring several books and diaries with her. Aware of that, Marina headed to her room and sat at the desk to do her duties. She started with Geography, but she couldn't concentrate. She was still concerned about Lucas, had an unwanted encounter to plan for next weekend, and was upset with her best friend. Men ruin our lives, she thought.

"Concentrate and work!" Marina ordered herself out loud. She then closed her eyes tightly and next opened them, as if the gesture would ensure that, from that moment on and almost by miracle, she would be focused.

Her mother arrived meanwhile and went to the bedroom to greet her. However, upon seeing her so transfixed on what she was doing, she decided not to prolong the conversation and went to the kitchen to prepare supper. When Marina finished her homework, it was supper time. She stretched in her chair, stood up and went to join mom in the kitchen.

That night, her mother was very chatty and talked a lot about the new nursing home that would open in the suburbs and that belonged to the institution she worked for. Marina tried to listen and made an effort not to look distant. After supper, she helped to wash the dishes and went to her room. The day hadn't much more to offer her, so Marina just put on her pajamas, prepared the rucksack and the clothes for the next day, and settled into bed to watch some TV. Soon, she fell asleep.

Friday arrived with rain, though it wasn't cold. It was a boring: it was hot and she wanted to wear her sandals before the autumn moved in, nonetheless she couldn't, otherwise she'd have wet feet all day. With no choice, Marina swapped the sandals for her comfortable All-Star sneakers and finished getting ready.

Since she wasn't wearing heels, the way to school was done quickly and she even arrived several minutes before the bell. She settled at a table in the lobby and waited for Ana's arrival. They hadn't exchanged texts last night, which meant that she was still upset. Marina had to fix the situation; she didn't like being angry at her best friend.

As usual, Ana arrived just five minutes before the lessons began. Upon seeing Marina, she let out a mute moan. Uncomfortable, she walked in her direction, pulled a chair and sat down. She was the first to speak, "Are you still upset?"

"Kind of. I think I'm more annoyed than upset. I really don't wanna go out with him," Marina tried to explain.

"Like I said yesterday, and I repeat it, I did it for your own good, even if you don't believe so."

"But what makes you say that?" asked Marina, shrugging at the same time.

"For someone so smart, it's strange that you don't get the gray matter working properly. Just the other day you almost died. By any chance did you think about your life? You could have died without enjoying anything of what the world has to offer. You just study and live closed up in that little world of yours. What for? One day, without expecting it, it's all over and you realize that you haven't truly lived. Yes, I set you a date against your will: suck it up. If you don't like it, you don't have to repeat it. It's not something that lasts forever."

Marina thought about that. It was true that, when she was about to sink in the immense waters of the river, she had thought of the injustice of dying without having lived, leaving so many experiences she was yet to enjoy. She wanted to live, but she also believed that everything had its right time and she wanted to do things at the right moment, not rush anything, and to enjoy them in due course.

Giving up a little, she said, "I get what you mean, but the choice is mine. If I want to die a dumb killjoy, let me die as I wish. I understand your position, but you must see mine too."

Ana put out her tongue and gave up. "Ok, I promise not to repeat this again. But you're not obliged to go out with him. You can tell him you don't want to or that you're busy. I'd go out with you, guys, but my parents want to go visit my grandparents in Portalegre."

"Whatever... I'll decide about that later. It's not like he's going to bite me, right? Despite vampires being in fashion these days."

They both laughed and the strings of tension evaporated as if by magic.

In a way, Ana was right: she could afford living a little more once in a while. Plus, Joshua didn't seem like a bad guy; a bit cocky, maybe, but perhaps it was just her imagination. It'd be best to refrain herself from judging him the next times. And if she went out with him, what harm could it do? Well, there could be some problems if one fell in love with the other and was not matched. But she was putting the cart before the horse! Who said that people fell in love just because they had one date? And they could always become great friends. Who knew?

As if guessing that he was the topic of the conversation, Joshua arrived at school. He intended to approach the two friends, nevertheless he swiftly changed his mind when saw a group of girls, at the next table, beginning to rise up to meet him. Before they could get up, he turned around and walked to the classroom. Two minutes later, the bell rang and the two friends followed the same direction. The three of them met at the classroom door, and only exchanged a "good-morning"; nobody said anything else.

When they were all inside the room, Marina looked around and found out that Lucas was absent again. She tried not to give importance to that detail and focus in class. He was grown up enough to know what to do with his life and she also knew why she was there – to learn. And that was what she was going to do.

That was the subject in which Joshua had top marks - English. The teacher spent the entire lesson dazzled by his amazing mastery of the language, leaving many student sick of his reported skills. It wasn't fair that she gave him that much attention. He came from America, spoke English fluently, while the rest of the students were Portuguese - they needed support, in order to learn. For that reason, when the bell rang to exit, almost nobody followed Joshua.

The two friends decided to go get the meal ticket for Monday. At this time there was no line, so they bought it more quickly than usual and also had the chance to sit for a while on the atrium benches.

Joshua approached them and occupied the place next to Ana. He touched her lightly on the arm, forcing her to turn to him. "Hello. How are you?" he greeted.

"Hi! We're fine and you?" asked Ana back.

Joshua seemed to blush a little when he said, "I'm good too. Huh, this is embarrassing but... can I ask if you were kidding me yesterday or telling the truth about Marina's proposal to go out with me this weekend?"

"That, my fellow, you'll have to ask her directly."

That said, Ana got up and sat on the left side of Joshua, leaving him between the two girls. Marina observed Ana's movements and sighed inside, trying to sort out what would come of this.

After sitting down, Ana turned to Marina and asked her aloud, "Did you hear that, baby? Joshua is asking if the two of you are going out this weekend. Have you thought about it?"

The boy got even more embarrassed. He blushed like a lobster, and rushed to try and fix the situation by stating his intentions. However, before he could even open his mouth, Marina responded, "I have no idea. I don't know my mother's plans for the weekend, so I'm not sure if I'll be available. What about you, Ana? Can't you go out with him?" Marina was trying to buy some time. For the moment, that was the only answer she would give to Joshua.

In reply to Marina's question, Ana sighed and said, regretfully, "I can't. I'll be visiting my grandparents. But you can talk to your mom, and then you can reply to Joshua."

Marina clenched her fists hidden behind her back, annoyed by her friend's insistence. Reluctant, she ended up saying, "Yeah, I suppose I can ask her."

Joshua felt a bit ignored by the conversation the two girls had in front of him. He was right in the middle of them. Couldn't they have spoken directly with him? Girls... Anyway, from what he could infer, he would have to wait till the end of the day to get an answer.

Hearing the bell ringing, Ana and Marina rose and prepared for the next lesson they would have straight from hell - Philosophy. As students of the Humanities area, they had to have three hours a week of this subject. The Executive Board decided that they would have one hour on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, which meant that they were massacred every other day. Based on the experience of the previous lessons, Marina and Ana ran to the room and managed to arrive before the teacher. When he opened the door, they rushed to their chairs, sat and pulled out the necessary stuff from the rucksacks.

The fatigue inherent to the approaching end of the week would be weighing on the teacher, who wasn't in the mood to be sarcastic and cruel that day. Still, he couldn't help leaving a comment about Lucas' absence, like 'We're still starting and he's already finishing.'

At the end of the lesson, the professor called Marina to deliver the work about her origins. "Here's your assignment," he said. "It deserved a more serious investigation, but it's not the worst I've read. At least, it has something interesting. I gave you a 12 in a scale from zero to 20, but I expect much more from you. I hope a bigger effort in the future. What about your colleague, Lucas? Where he is?"

Marina shrugged her shoulders. She wished she knew where she could find Lucas; that would get her rid of the concern about his welfare once for all. She just needed to see with her own eyes that he was fine and then she'd leave him alone, as he had requested. Answering the teacher's question, she said, "I don't know where he is, sir. I think he missed school yesterday, too."

"Fine. Just keep his work and hand it to him when you see him." He handed her the sheet of paper allegedly written by Lucas and she noticed that it had a ten circled in red in the upper right corner. Ignoring that, she kept both papers in her backpack.

Before leaving the room, the teacher added, "His ten is just for having delivered something. I have two caveats to point out: first of all, I'm also familiar with the technique of 'copy and paste'; secondly, I know it wasn't him who wrote that, I have good information sources. I hope he values your gesture and that this won't happen again, otherwise you'll only be harming him by promoting his detachment." With this, he left the room, leaving her alone.

What a nerve, Marina thought. Manelito had put her between the sword and the wall, leaving her no choice, and now he was protesting because she had done what she needed to save herself. Some things are too incredible to be real, she said to herself. Trying not to dwell on the teacher's comment, she joined Ana in the hallway and they walked to the canteen to have lunch.

Recalling that she had seen Lucas behind the canteen before, Marina decided to take a peek. When Ana was getting ready to enter the place, Marina turned to her and asked, "Do you mind going ahead alone? I'll be right there with you."

"Why? Where you going?"

"I'm just going to check something, I won't be long. Really, go in and I'll be right back. It will only take a minute."

Ana found that very strange, but eventually gave her friend some credit. She didn't know what she had to do, although she suspected what that was all that about.

Marina skirted the canteen with a vague expectation to find Lucas at the same site as the other day. Her hope soon faded away: there wasn't a soul there. Where could he be hiding? It was as if he had vanished. Sadder, she decided to join her friend for lunch.

From her seat, Ana saw Marina entering the cafeteria with her head down. She grabbed a board, filled it with food and sat beside her with a frown, ignoring her completely. This was followed what suggested a battle between the fork and the knife. Bothered by her friend's attitude, Ana inquired, "Did you really need to go back there to check? Even I knew there would be nobody there. Only a fool would be in that place in this rain."

Marina was torn from her inner world. What was Ana talking about? She turned her head toward the window and looked outside. It had begun to rain cats and dogs and she hadn't even realized that. Slowly becoming aware of what Ana had told her, she replied at last, "It was a possibility. I figured that, since he's been in the 11th grade for so long, he could say to his parents he came to class, but instead he hid back there and missed lessons."

Ana reflected for a while and nodded. It was a possibility, but given that he had missed school the previous day too, he shouldn't be there. If he lied to his parents and went to another place, his hideout certainly wouldn't be in some corner of the campus. Still, there was a question hammering inside her head, "Why did you go looking for him?"

"No special reason," said Marina casually, trying to escape from Ana's interrogation. In a rush, she completed, "Manelito gave me his assignment on his roots to give it back to him. I suppose I'll have to keep it till his majesty decides to show up. If I knew where he lived, I'd go there and hand it to him."

She had no idea where he lived, but neither did anyone else. Lucas was an enigmatic character about whom very little was known. Still, Marina could say she was the person who knew more information about him. And what did she know? His name was Lucas, he descended from the Purepecha, he was tri-repeating the 11th grade, he liked to annoy teachers, had a rebel attitude and got into trouble. He didn't relate to anyone at school and, outside the campus, he associated with people of dubious character. Ah! And he haunted people's dreams, meaning hers.

Ana knew even less than Marina. For her, Lucas was just stupid and ill-mannered, although he was cute with that exotic look. Considerations aside, she reflected a bit about on how she could help her friend in her quest for data. In the end, she just said, "I would help you, but this sort of information is only available in the Executive Board. Forget it! By the way, be careful. Don't let this become an obsession."

"You think so? I know he's a moron, but since he's missing classes for the second day in the row and I know he took a violent beating, I'm a bit concerned. My life doesn't revolve around him. Besides, I was curious to know where he lives, just to go there and rub the Philosophy assignment in his face."

Ana smiled mischievously as her friend spoke. When she shut up, Ana insisted on sharing her thoughts, "Your world doesn't revolve around Lucas, but it could go around a delicious American who wants to go out with you this weekend. Did you phone your mom to ask if she has plans?"

"No. What for? Saturday plans are always cleaning the house and doing homework. On Sundays I just stay in front of the TV all day, resting."

"What a bummer! I'd rather go out with him. Just give it a thought, he's waiting for an answer till the end of the day," recalled Ana.

"Don't worry. I already have one for him," assured Marina.

Ana wrinkled her nose, since she was sure that Marina would blow him out. Poor boy. God gives nuts to those who have no teeth, she thought. In a final attempt to make her change her mind, Ana threw at her, "Just knock it off. One day you'll open your eyes and see that what was good for you has escaped, despite having had it right in your hands. Men quickly get bored chasing after us. To give some fight is good, but when it's too much, they step away in a heartbeat."

Putting an end to the conversation, Ana took the tray and handed it to the employee. Next, she grabbed her bag and made her friend a sign that she was leaving the canteen, forcing her to hurry up. Marina rushed, as she still wanted to enjoy her friend's company for the next hour. Since that day they had a different schedule, they wouldn't meet up again that afternoon.

They both ran into the school lobby to avoid being soaked by the rain, and remained there the rest of lunch time, entertained gossiping and commenting on what couples had broken up in the holidays and who was dating who now. When lunch time was over, they said goodbye and each went to their classes.

Afternoon classes went well for Marina, although she had again felt that twinge of irritation against Joshua's brilliance in English. It was obvious that he was going to have a good grade in translation too: he really knew English. Another teacher in love with him... There was always room for healthy competition, but this was unfair rivalry. Outside, the weather matched perfectly with her stormy state of mind: it was pouring like hell. When the precipitation ceased, it was the wind's turn, and it blew with great intensity. It seemed like a typical Winter day.

"Do not forget to translate the text on page 12," recalled the professor after the bell rang for exit.

Marina was so focused on her anger that didn't pay much attention to the teacher's request. She just wanted to get out of there, to go home and turn off from everything. This grueling week had to end soon; she couldn't stand anymore. With an ever-present sense of urgency, she walked in a hurry towards the school gate, but was surprised by the weather's ferocity.

"Lightning and thunderbolt," she grated through her teeth.

Despite having an umbrella, she was sure she'd get wet anyway, such was the force of the rain falling. She couldn't call her mother and ask to come get her, since she had warned her that she would work extra hours and would get home late. There was no choice but to run home, praying to get there as dry as possible. She opened her umbrella and crossed the gateway. The wind was so strong that she had to hold the umbrella with both hands so it wouldn't fly away.

Marina was moving hastily down the first flight of stairs on the route back home when, out of the blue, she was pushed. She fell lengthwise flat on the floor and heard a laugh that sounded familiar. It was Joana, her pet-enemy since the day they met each other. Smart and pretty, she ruined everything with her arrogance and haughtiness. Marina and Ana described her as a 'vulgar cruel shrew' and there she was asserting that title.

"Oops! I didn't see you. It's just, you know... you're invisible," she provoked.

The two girls and the three boys with her burst out laughing like crazy. The laugh lasted even after they disappeared from Marina's sight. When they were gone, Marina stood up and stared at her sad figure: her pants were brown because she fell right in a pool of filthy water, her sneakers were wet, her coat was starting to drip from the downpour she was caught in, and her hair was luckily tied in a pony-tail, otherwise it would be all bristly. After swallowing a little scream of frustration and restraining the will to strangle Joana, she prepared to get back on her way.

"Are you okay?" she heard then.

She looked at the stairway and saw Joshua. There was the reason for just having been humiliated. Joana should be furious about the labored rescue of the previous day, and could also have heard them talking about the date on the weekend. Her stupid action hadn't been more than her marking territory. As if Marina wanted to have anything to do with that guy.

About to pop, Marina rolled her eyes and snorted, "I'm great! I have a very retro look, compliments of the vixen Joana, and in your honor. Yes, in your honor, after all she's your number one fan. Curiously, she feels so threatened by me, that she decided re-baptize me."

Irritated, she adjusted her bag and put the umbrella over her in a decided gesture. The drizzle continued to fall, though it wasn't as rigorous as before, which she was thankful for or otherwise she would be soaked to the bones.

However, Joshua didn't quit. He downed the last few steps and whispered, "I don't think you look that bad, but this is just my simple opinion. And who am I, but a humble servant of yours, my lady?" And he made a bow.

Marina was stunned. Was he making fun of her or what? Frowning in a critical way, she questioned, "Are you mocking me?"

"Not at all and I can prove it!" Having said that, he closed his umbrella and handed it to Marina along with his backpack, making her a sign to move away next. Not knowing what to expect from him, she took four steps back. What followed would never have crossed her mind: Joshua approached the pool where she had fallen and began to jump in the water, making it splash in all directions.

With brown pants like hers and his t-shirt getting glued to his body due to the copious rain, Joshua paraded in front of her as a professional model, displaying his artwork. Next he asked her to return his rucksack. Incredulous, Marina could only mutter a very shy You're nuts. She gave him back the bag and the umbrella, but he didn't open it and walked on his way unhurried. Marina blinked hard twice to make sure she wasn't imagining things, and it proved to be true: Joshua was going down the street with a wet look, very similar to hers, and didn't even use his umbrella.

With the stark recognition that he was really crazy, she ran over to him and put her blue umbrella with marine motifs above them, in order to shelter them both. He smiled, happy that his strategy was working. Marina wanted to repay the smile, but the irritation she felt hadn't passed, so she just gazed at the stones of the side-walk and told him, "At least, use your umbrella. There's no need for you to get any wetter. You don't have to get a cold."

"I didn't know you cared about that," he broke in with a sly expression.

Marina opened her mouth a little surprised. She wanted to protest and tell him he was mistaken, but only managed to stammer, "I-I just think that there's no need for you to get sick. And what was that bath in the puddle for? Is the jet-lag affecting your head or what?"

"You can bet it is!"

With no prior notice, he threw his bag to the side-walk and began to run in the rain, jumping in every muddy puddle he met. One of them spat all the water onto Marina's legs, freezing her in place. Joshua spun around with his eyes closed and opened arms, receiving the drops straight on his face. The storm decided to give him a little hand in his attempt to get soaked like a drowned rat and raised the level of the rainfall. It looked like a movie scene: Joshua's clothes were glued to his body and he was all wet, but it didn't seem to worry him a single bit. He looked happy and lost in another dimension.

Marina reacted at last. She picked up his backpack and walked toward him with hasty steps, while ordering, "Get back under the umbrella now!"

Joshua opened his eyes, lowered his arms and turned to her. He was breathless from running between pools and his face was pink. He inclined his head slightly and asked her, "Have you ever danced in the rain?"

Before Marina could react, Joshua ripped the rucksack out of her hands and threw it back to the pavement. Next, he grabbed Marina's umbrella and made it fly down the hill, leaving her speechless. With the backpack on the floor and without any protection from the endless water cascading from the sky, Joshua held Marina's hands, placed one on his back and took the other into his. He moved his body close to hers and they started to dance a waltz, to the sound of an inaudible song that only was heard by them. They were two foolish teenagers dancing in the rain, but Marina didn't mind. Despite the fact that she was getting drenched, it was as if the rainwater was cleaning all the hassle she had had that week. Soon she was smiling and her bad-mood was gone. That boy had a knack of making her forget everything around them.

The dance was interrupted by a car that honked at them to get off the road. However, they didn't stop there. After picking up their backpacks, they ran down the road and jumped two by two the steps of the staircase that followed. Occasionally, Joshua held her hand to make her spin as if still dancing. Although they both laughed, both of them knew that the fun would end soon.

After descending the stairs, it was time to follow different paths. Marina dropped his hand and prepared to turn left, heading for home, however he pulled her back. "Don't go," he begged.

"I have to. I need a hot bath urgently or tomorrow or I won't get up, because I'll have the flu. And you should do the same. Look at us!"

They looked at each other from top to bottom and the result was a major laugh. Joshua knew she was right. Although he wanted to spend more time with her, it was better to let her go and run home to change his clothes. Before releasing her arm, and with their faces very close, he asked, "Come out with me tomorrow."

The word 'date' sounded an alarm in Marina's head that led her to pull back her arm abruptly and step back. Realizing that he could be frightening her, Joshua tried to lighten the mood by explaining, "It's not a date. You know that I just moved here this week, so I still haven't had time to see anything, and I'd love to visit Alcácer. Would you give me the honor and be my guide?"

Joshua was no terrible bogeyman; indeed, he seemed to be a straight guy. Even so, the word 'date' was ringing in her brain like an annoying bell that wouldn't shut up, trying to dissuade her by force. It was not a date - they were only going for a walk, something very simple and innocent, therefore there was no reason to refuse.

"Fine, you convinced me. But it's not a date. I'm only going to show you your new city. Can it be on Sunday? Tomorrow isn't good for me."

"Done! And where do we meet?"

"As you don't know Alcácer, it's best I come to you. How about at 4p.m at your building's gate? Is that okay?"

"Yes, but for everything to be perfect, you could give me your phone number to confirm things tomorrow. You never know what contingencies may arise, right?" said Joshua with an innocent expression imprinted on his face.

What? I already accepted being your guide; now I have to give you my phone number, too? You're pushing you luck, dude, grumbled Marina to herself. To convince her, Joshua gave her some very sad eyes in the style of 'Puss in Boots', which led her to sigh, defeated. His face lighting, Joshua pulled out his phone for her to key in the number. With the nine digits inserted, she returned the device. After recording the info in the phone's memory, he put it back in his pocket.

Then the moment came – it was time to say goodbye. Determined, Marina told him simply "See you later," turned around and started walking at a marching pace before another downpour could start. Joshua observed her walking away for a minute until he too decided to go home as well.

Marina was getting tired of walking so fast, yet she felt that she couldn't stop: she wasn't just fleeing from the storm, she was inconspicuously dancing with the rhythm of her bewildered heart. She was moving in such a hurry that she didn't even realize that, while passing along the stairs where she helped Lucas, her heart took an even faster pace. Sensing a shock running through her body, she stopped two shops ahead. On an illogical impulse, she retreated to face the ill-fated flight of steps. She looked up and, like what had happened at the rear of the school canteen, found no one. Marina tried to shake out of her spirit the ideas related to Lucas, and waved her head in disapproval of herself. Lucas didn't care about her, so why should she worry about him, a perfect stranger? She should better concentrate on Joshua, who seemed to be interested in being her friend.

The sound of thunder made her become aware that she should leave, leading her to opt for a jog since she wasn't too far from home. Her legs ached a little, but they responded with readiness to her call. Within two minutes, she was at the door of the old building.

She entered home slowly, trying not to make a sound, so that her mother didn't realize that she had arrived. Noting that there was nobody else home except her, she threw the backpack on the bedroom floor and ran to the bathroom: a hot water soak was imperative. While the tub was filling, she turned on the stereo and tuned in her favorite radio station. Music had always had a calming effect on her. Music and a nice bath would do wonders for her.

Undressed, Marina got into the bath. Nice! It felt really good. Thoughts such as 'this was just what I needed' and 'right on time' crossed her mind, emphasizing the theory that what made her happy were life's simple things. The week had started with trouble, but she couldn't complain about the way it was ending. Right on Monday she had met the dark Lucas, had fallen into the river, and then got involved in a fight with a sinister guy because of him. The black tide appeared to shift, however, in the last two days: she had met Joshua, who had diverted her attentions to him, and thank God he did, because she couldn't stand people looking at her anymore. After they had danced in the rain, she had felt good and alive. And now? Now she had music and a fragrant hot bath. What more could she ask for?

Although she wasn't aware of it, Marina spent 45 minutes in the tub. Only the fact that the water was getting cold alerted her that it was better to get out. Wrapped in a towel, she tidied the bathroom and returned to her chambers. It was too early to go to bed, yet she didn't intend to go anywhere else, so she put on some thin pajamas. Undoing the knots of the hair was a hard task. She kept pulling them, though they seemed to be so tight and didn't break up in any way. With great effort, she managed to keep her hair neatly combed and aligned.

Suddenly, the girl was surprised by the house telephone ringing. She ran to the phone, picked it up and, from the other end, heard a male voice: it was her father who had finally decided to ask her how she was doing.

"I'm fine, thank you," replied Marina in the most polite tone she could imitate.

Of course she was upset with him. She had suffered the incident earlier that week and only now dad was calling. He was her father, had father's duties and to worry a bit was one of them.

The conversation didn't go much beyond that. Dad commented that it had been a huge fright and soon after passed the phone to Marina's sister. That conversation was even shorter, not only because they fought like dog and cat, but also because, to Sofia, phone conversations were so yesterday: for her, people spoke by texts or on social networks. Knowing how her sister thought, Marina hastened to give her, her phone number. She hoped that she had written it down.

That brief exchange of statements left Marina with one foot behind. She should try to get along more with Sofia and her dad, but distance didn't make it easy and none of them seemed interested in any closer contact. Marina pondered about it and made a decision: now that she had a mobile phone, the language of Sofia's world, she'd try to text her every now and then to get closer to her. When their parents wouldn't be around anymore, they would only have each other. They couldn't let their parent's divorce separate them.

There was a depressing topic... Just now she was feeling much better. It was always like that: when some rays of sun began to appear in her life, soon a dark cloud covered them before she could enjoy a little bit of them. Annoyed, she shook her head, refusing to ruin the moment of peace she was living. She wouldn't allow it, not when so many things had gone wrong in the week and, finally, an end had been put to them. Marina closed her eyes, recalled her dance in the rain with Joshua, and a smile splashed to her lips automatically, restoring the balance that she had found.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Saturday greeted Marina with bright sunshine, so she smiled while she entered the kitchen for breakfast. Her mother welcomed her with a "Good-morning." Toast and orange juice awaited her.

The plans for the first day of weekend were drawn long ago and they seldom changed: cleaning the house. Luckily, their place wasn't very big: it had three bedrooms, one bathroom, the entry hall, a small stocking-room, the hallway and the kitchen, which was right next to the living room. It seemed bigger than it was in reality; though it had several areas, these were quite small. Also it was sparsely furnished, because both of them preferred a clean, minimalist home environment, with only what was essential and without clutter.

After breakfast, Marina took a dusting cloth and several products with her and dedicated to cleaning. This activity turned out to take a little longer than usual and extended into the early afternoon.

With all the cleaning done, her mom invited her to go and eat a crepe at a nearby bakery. The journey to their destination was made in less than ten minutes. Mother and daughter chose a table near the window, sat down and started to read the menu. Marina, in general, ate a crepe with banana and chocolate, but she felt like trying something new, so she ordered instead a crepe with a fruit skewer (with strawberry, kiwi, banana, peach and pineapple) and hot chocolate. As for her mother, she chose a simple crepe with hot chocolate.

Her mom snatched her from her thoughts when she asked, "So, how's your crepe?"

"It's good. Seriously, you should try it," suggested Marina.

"Huh, it seems to me an odd mishmash," said mom, wrinkling her nose.

"Do you remember when we ate fruit skewers drizzled with chocolate at the Chocolate Fair in Grândola last year? It's almost the same thing. It's very tasty. Do you want to try it?"

"Jesus, God forbid! You keep yours and I'll stick to mine," rushed mom to answer. Even a single bite was even out of question.

Marina shrugged, not understanding her mother's reluctance. Since they were not sharing, each one continued to eat the crepe they had chosen.

As she was eating, Marina felt beset by a familiar sensation. She ignored it at first, nonetheless it became stronger and so persistent that it couldn't be shaken. Uncomfortable, she fidgeted in the chair and looked through the window, trying to ascertain what was happening and why she was feeling that way. Her eyes searched the area outside and focused on the side-walk next to the avenue garden. A figure dressed in black was leaning against the wall of the old movie theatre. He seemed to be turned in her direction. Marina semi shut her eyes, trying to center the image, but she couldn't visualize any better; the shrubs and trees of the garden, combined with the distance between them, didn't facilitate the task.

She tried to remember from where she recognized this sense of affliction, as if being observed, and finally it hit her: she had felt the same thing on the day she had bought the phone and had been followed while returning home. Although the shadow across the street didn't look the same, it seemed familiar to her. Probably it was nothing, just her imagination working overtime, so it was better to relax and finish eating her yummy crepe. Besides, she was safe inside the bakery and she was also accompanied by her mother. Why should she fear something she wasn't even sure of? Deciding to censor the dark shape across the road, she turned her back to the window and enjoyed what was left of the snack.

The visit to the bakery didn't take long; half an hour later they were ready to go back home. Marina's program for the rest of the day summed up to doing homework, next she would watch the film that was on at that moment, before watching the newscast. As for the night, she could go for a walk, but didn't feel much like doing it since she had no company. Ana was in Portalegre and she didn't relate much with other classmates. In a way, she was antisocial. Her mother repeatedly told her that she had to increase her circle of friends, otherwise she took the risk of ending up alone. It seemed an overly dramatic perspective, yet Marina promised she would try. However, such promise was difficult to fulfill, especially when her class went around the vixen Joana: all the girls followed her and wanted to get along with her. Marina hated her and her imitations, which made the process of making friends more delicate. Complicated or not, she had promised, so she would try. Joshua could be an example of this attempt. Oops! She hadn't told Ana that she would be his tour guide the next day. She had to phone her; a text wasn't enough to say everything she wanted.

"Shall we go?" her mother asked at last.

Marina agreed. They got up, paid the bill at the counter and left the bakery.

The bright sun shine from the morning was now obscured by some stubborn clouds that recalled how rainy it had been the day before. Thunderstorms... grumbled Marina in her mind. She and her mother decided then to hurry, to avoid being caught by a sudden rainstorm, since none of the two had taken an umbrella along with them. This was an issue Marina preferred not to talk about, given that hers had been thrown into a ravine by Joshua. She couldn't tell her mom what he had done. And what she had done too. If she knew that she had walked in the rain, she would give her a huge lecture. Anticipating the situation, Marina already had a plan: if her mom asked her about the umbrella, she would say that she had lost it; most likely, she had forgotten it somewhere. On Monday afternoon she would go to a store and buy a new one.

Arriving at the cross walk, they noted it was red for pedestrians. Marina pressed the button for the sign to change and to oblige cars to stop and let them cross. A well-known chill on her back made her shudder from head to toes. The wind blew stronger from the right, making her turn her head in the opposite direction by instinct, to protect her eyes from dust. Doing so, her gaze met him: there he was, across the road, next to the roundabout - the mysterious dark figure that she had seen just a few moments ago.

"Stupid imagination! Just stop with these crazy things," she criticized in a low voice.

Hearing the beep that warned blind people that they could pass through, Marina looked prepared to do so. She tried to move her right leg, nevertheless her feet were stuck to the spot without explanation. She felt a strong hand behind her, rubbing her back, as if supporting her. Next, a familiar voice whispered in her ear, "Be careful."

Her mother had already crossed the walkway to the middle, when they began to hear the sound of tires screaming in a rising fury. They looked to the right side and saw a black auto-mobile coming down the roadway at high speed. The driver seemed unable to control the car - a tragedy appeared to be imminent. Luísa rushed to the side-walk in the opposite direction to her, as she cried in distress, "Stay away from the road, Marina!"

The girl barely heard her. Her almond colored irises were fixed on the car and followed its route with attention. To avoid hitting the last car at the queue at the traffic lights, the driver spun the wheel madly, making the vehicle climb the stone separator that divided the two tracks. Marina widened her eyes, freezing completely, when she realized that the car was heading towards her. She tried to move again, but her legs would not obey her: it was as if someone was holding them, to prevent her from running out of there.

When the car was less than four eight away from her, Marina begged her lower limbs to obey her. Tears started to stream down her face with the realization that she could do nothing. She was going to be projected into the air from the blow she would receive from the car. In a defensive gesture, she put her hands in front of her to protect herself. She squeezed her eyelids shut, took a deep breath and prepared herself for the clash.

At the last second, everything changed. After someone whispering in her ear the word "Move!", the hand that had brushed her back before pushed her forward with a superhuman strength that madeher roll on the floor almost to the other side of the road. There was no need to repeat the command: her body instantly jumped away, managing to avoid the car. It ended up hitting the traffic light pole and spun until it hit a small stone pillar ahead, where it was immobilized at last.

Marina's mother was hysterical when she approached her. She waved her arms frantically and kept saying a lot of nonsense that Marina didn't even try to understand - it was not worth trying. Shell-shocked, she didn't even realize that her mother was inspecting her in detail, to check for any injury. Rolling on the tarmac wasn't pleasant, especially if wearing a t-shirt that left too much skin exposed. Marina had skinned both elbows and had some scratches on her right arm, since she had used it to arrest the fall.

"My darling! Are you ok? Let me see. Are you hurt? Did the car hit you? Oh, good Lord!" All moms' questions were too fast for Marina to understand a thing.

A couple, who had crossed with Luísa, went over to her to help her to get up. Already standing, she blinked hard and evaluated her body quickly. A brief examination confirmed that she was fine, despite a few scratches. Only after, she looked at the car that was blowing a lot of smoke from its front.

Marina was a little curious. She wanted to get closer to the car, but she knew that first she would have to calm her mother, so she assured, "I'm all right, Mom. I got out of there in time. It didn't even graze me. I just hurt myself on the tar."

Mom scowled; she was smart enough to know what Marina's intentions were. Determined not to lose sight of her, she took her daughter's hand and pulled her up to the crashed motor. Although the number of people around the car kept growing, Marina was able to get a glimpse of the driver: he had his head against the seat, his eyes were closed and from his head ran a thin trickle of blood, perhaps from hitting the steering wheel. If the car had an air-bag, it didn't seem to have worked.

The fire station was 20 seconds away, so the fire-fighters were fast to reach the driver. They got to him quickly, but their conclusion left everyone uncomfortable: the man was dead. Although the car had its front fully smashed in, removing the body was very easy and there was no need to call the vehicle for extrication.

As the process unfolded, a fire-woman approached Marina with a small first aid kit and said, "Sorry to bother you, lady. Those gentlemen over there told me that you got hurt when you tried to run from the car. Are you injured anywhere?"

Marina looked at both arms and replied "I only have a few scratches. I'm fine."

"May I see your arms then?" insisted the fire-woman.

Marina nodded and showed them to her. In a few minutes, the wounds on her elbows had been disinfected and protected with two towels that seemed huge.

Seeing her daughter with bandages, mom hugged her tightly until Marina complained, "Ouch! Mom, I just rolled on the tar. I'm not badly injured, but I'm sore and you're not helping."

Luísa wiped her eyes brimming with tears and tried to compose herself. If her daughter was strong, she would have to be too. She put an arm around Marinas' shoulders and invited her to go home, a wish the girl shared too. The policeman that was controlling the traffic made them a sign that they could cross the walkway. Still afraid, they obeyed the order. While crossing, Marina couldn't help looking away to the roundabout \- the creepy dark figure had disappeared.

They ran to the house, the only place they felt safe again. Her mother still had wobbly legs, so she suggested that both of them should have a chamomile tea to calm themselves down. Marina nodded and her mother walked to the kitchen to make the tea. Marina decided to change her clothes meantime. After that accident, she wasn't leaving home that night at all. She snagged her pajamas and went to the bathroom to wash herself and change clothes.

Later, Marina kept her mother company in the kitchen and sipped half of cup of tea. Though it was liquid, the drink had some trouble passing down her throat. Tired of it, she tipped out the rest, washed the cup and tried to calm her mother for the umpteenth time, telling her she was okay.

However, her mother kept going, claiming, "You have no idea the fright I got when I saw the car swerving in your direction. It even seemed that my heart fell at my feet."

"I believe you. I felt the very same way when I saw it, but I couldn't move from that spot. It seemed as if I was glued there. If someone hadn't pushed me... I don't want to think about what could have happened."

Her mother frowned. With some tact, she asked her "What are you talking about, Marina?"

"What do you mean, what am I talking about?" A little mixed up, she repeated, "I told you. I couldn't move, but someone pushed me and I swerved away before the car run over me."

The mother's face was tense; she felt disoriented. Her countenance became pale as if she had seen a ghost. She ran her tongue over her lips and gently explained, "Marina, my dear, there was no one near you. You were alone on the side-walk; we all had already crossed over. It's impossible that you had been pushed by anybody".

What? She was alone? Could it be another trick of her mind, like the one related to the river? No. She was sure she hadn't been alone. Gosh, there were too many weird things happening.

Although she didn't understand what had happened, Marina tried to fix things up as best as possible, so that her mother wouldn't think she was crazy or something. Stumbling a little, she explained, "Yes, I know that there was nobody there for real. What I meant was that it seemed that fear had paralyzed me, but then it was as if I felt a great urge to jump forward, to get away from the car. It was as if my guardian angel had helped me, you know?"

Her mother's face assumed an expression less bleak, closer to peace. After a deep breath, her mother commented, "It seems that your guardian angel did well. And already twice this week. If you see him, tell him to behave better and to prevent the scares from coming to us, otherwise we may die of a heart attack, ok?"

Marina smiled and made her a sign that she would retreat to her room. What had happened was... indescribable. She just wanted things to go back to normal. With that in mind, she recalled that she had a program to meet and still would; that way she wouldn't think of crazy things, like the mysterious dark figure, the voice she heard, or the hand on her back that had pushed and saved her. Marina shook her head, because part of her cried at the same thought that her mother had had: she was accusing some madness and, for an instant, she feared for her mental health. Her grandmother had Alzheimer; she knew she could have it one day, but she had never heard that it manifested so early and hallucinations were a symptom. She didn't think so.

She remembered that her grandmother had begun by forgetting about little things, which got worse as the time went by. Later she started becoming a little violent when contradicted and, thereafter, she entered a state of progressive degradation, losing more memory, the capacity to speak and, at last, the ability to walk. She was now bedridden in a nursing home, a situation that caused Marina great concern: her grandmother spent all day lying in bed in a room shared with another woman, who also couldn't speak or move, and the only sound she heard was a damn air mattress filling and dumping. If they couldn't take her to the living room, because she wasn't in a good physical state, why didn't the management at least allow her to have a TV in the bedroom? How was it possible for them to leave a person with Alzheimer in that situation, without any stimulation? It was as if they were waiting for her pass away, making room for another elderly person to take her place. Anger rose inside Marina when thinking of these things, and she ended up throwing the notebooks and manuals onto the desk; the pencil case had less luck and flew towards the wall with violence. Bunch of clowns, she snarled inside.

"Is everything okay, Marina?" shouted mom from the kitchen when she heard strange noises coming from her daughter's room.

The girl took a deep breath to calm down and tried to make her response sound as normal as possible, "Yes, Mom, everything's fine. I just dropped some books. You know that books make a lot of noise when they hit the ground."

Her mother didn't quite believe that, so she just said, "Huh, all right."

Marina exhaled once again and the anger receded a little. When she thought that she was calm enough, she grabbed a notebook and began doing homework. She started with English: she had to read a text and answer some questions. It wasn't difficult, but her lack of concentration made the case more intricate. Why was everything so complicated? Gee! In only a week, she was involved in two major scares and she had escaped only by a miracle. Could someone have put a curse on her?

Still feeling too anxious to do what she wanted, Marina rose from the chair and walked across the room. She sighed and sank against the wall. In doing so, felt a slight impression on her back; she stepped away from the wall immediately. Slowly, she bent forward and then to the side, to check if everything was normal. Nevertheless, whenever she moved, the discomfort was still there. It was strange that she hadn't noticed it before. Could she have a rib out of place or something like that? A hunch led her to go to the closet and open its doors, so that she could check in the mirror what was going on. She lifted the shirt of her pajamas and turned her back to the mirror. She could not believe it! She was right and there was her proof. Along her ribs, on the right side, was a hand mark as if she had been pushed very hard. More - the contour almost resembled a burn. It was undeniable. She wasn't imagining things. It was something that denied logic, yet it was real. In disbelief, she touched the red spot lightly and moaned due to the discomfort the gesture caused. Although she was somewhat amazed with such a discovery, she decided to hurry to pull the shirt down to avoid being caught by mom. How would she explain to her something she couldn't decipher herself?

She snuggled up on the chair and tried to scrutinize what had happened. She tried remember the details and focused on two in particular: the hand on her back and the voice warning her. About the hand issue, she didn't see who it belonged to, since she didn't turn back to check if someone was behind her. All that was left was a red outline. There was also the voice that had whispered "Be careful" and "Move". She tried to focus on it. She was sure that she had heard it somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where. Also, there were people whose voices could resemble others. Absorbed in her thoughts, Marina picked up the pencil that was on top of her notebook and began to draw small circles.

If she had been able to find the evidence printed on her back, she could solve the enigma of the voice as well if she analyzed what she knew. First point: it was a male voice. Second: it seemed to be young. Third point: she recognized it from somewhere, so she had already heard it, but not with great frequency, otherwise she would have identified it right away.

Marina was already getting a headache of so much thinking. Regardless of the forces at work there, she felt it was something that far exceeded her and that she was just a pawn, without power or possible defense. After a sigh, she looked at the notebook. Without having sensed it, she stopped making circles and started drawing the letter 'L' on a large scale. Why would she have drawn that letter? Indeed, the sheet was all scrawled and would have to be ripped off. Luckily, she hadn't written a lot yet, so she would copy everything in a blink. With a quick and dry gesture, Marina tore off the sheet and began to transcribe to another page the few notes.

Suddenly, there was a short circuit within her – Lucas. The voice that had whispered in her ear reminded her of Lucas. She had heard him only a few times, and never with broad phrases, which facilitated her forgetfulness. But she hadn't forgotten it at all. Lucas was the owner of the voice memo that had warned her, she was sure of it.

However, there was another possibility that she had to admit: the supposed voice could only sound like Lucas' and, as she thought he was somehow related to her rescue in the river, she could be forcing the connections, wanting him to be her savior in both cases. In her perspective, if he had helped her once, he could have done it once more. Again, she had to remind herself of the statements from witnesses in both cases: there was no one next to her. Why would nobody else see him? Could he be invisible? Whoa! That was too inconceivable, even for her. Still, she had to recognize that it was an abnormal situation, perhaps even supernatural. Brrr. A cold chill ran down her spine as she contemplated that hypothesis. Although she didn't believe much in those things, she thought it was better to believe and not see, than seeing to believe. Seeing was scary - to spot this type of thing would shock her to death.

Another thought loomed to her mind. Lucas had revealed that he was a descendant of some Mexican tribe. The Indian tribes always had myths related to souls, spiritual journeys and stuff like that. Would he follow some of these practices and knew some 'tricks'? This possibility pleased her most. Despite still having something to do with the supernatural, it turned Lucas as human as her, though endowed with some extra capabilities.

Two things, she knew: first, she wasn't loony; second, she had to talk to Lucas, because only he could clarify what had happened. More likely he would deny his involvement and would call her 'freak' or worse. Maybe he would even humble her, yet she had to try. She needed to know the truth. New problem: Lucas had only appeared in school in the early days and then he was gone. Would he ever come back? If he didn't, she couldn't talk to him, since she didn't know where he lived. She could try to look in the phone list or the Internet, but how could she look for someone who she only knew as Lucas?

She gave in, defeated: there was nothing she could do at that time, but to wait until Monday and hope he would be back in school.

Superstitions and crazy things aside, Marina had reality to face and it told her she had duties. She got back to her English homework, which she concluded very fast. She wanted to disconnect herself from what had happened, nevertheless some pieces of the episode kept on invading her mind from time to time, like thieves who break in a door that is meant to be closed. This made her unfocused more often than desired.

Her divagations were interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. She looked at the display and saw Ana's name written. She picked up the phone and responded, "Hello, Ana. How are you?"

"Hi!" said Ana in a good mood. "Look, I'm sorry to bug you with this, but have you done English homework? My parents forced me to bring the school stuff along with me and I'm now trying to answer the questions, but I can't find the answer to question 1.3. Did you find it?"

After hesitating a while, Marina answered, "I think so, but I'll have to check my notebook. Just wait two seconds."

Marina recovered the English diary and sought the answer. What she found was an incoherent sentence, that she had no idea where she got it from. Angry at herself, she began to erase it. She would have to look up the answer in the text again and only then could she relay it to her friend.

Still scolding herself, Marina apologized to Ana, "Sorry, baby, but today everything has been a tremendous mess and I answered poorly. After correcting this, I'll send you the answer in a text, ok?"

"Huh, ok. But why is everything a big mess today? What's happening?" asked Ana, both curious and concerned.

Marina launched herself into a narrative of what had happened that afternoon. She wanted to tell Ana about the mark on her back as well, and to expose her theory that she had been pushed away by Lucas, or by his spirit astral projected as a miracle of an Indian ritual; however, good sense ordered her to shut up and to save that last part for later. Ana didn't believe in the paranormal and she had already told her too many strange things. It was best to spare her from another oddity.

When Marina finished, Ana just exclaimed "Holly Golly! That was something."

"Tell me about it! I'm getting so sick and tired of this horror movie that never seems to end."

"Yeah, it really looks like one. It reminds me of the 'Final Destination' series, in which people are always persecuted until they end up... well, you know." Ana shushed. She didn't want her friend to think she would die as the people in those films. Moreover, those stories were just that: stories for a cinema film, pure fiction. She remained silent for a few moments, thinking of something very deep. Finally, she said "Look, I know you don't believe in these things - and neither do I \- but I think you're going through a huge wave of bad luck."

"Ouch! Don't even tell me about waves, that reminds me of the river incident," grumbled Marina.

"Have you considered... going to a witch?" inquired Ana, a little embarrassed.

Marina couldn't help screaming, "What?"

Although reluctant, Ana repeated, "A witch. You must be bewitched, cursed or something alike. Have you noticed that, just this week, you could have died twice? It's very strange."

Accepting what she thought about Lucas was one thing, because it dealt with Indian rituals and things like that, but going to a witch? It was going too far. Moreover, where would they find a real one, not a charlatan? She didn't want to go to a witch; she wanted to talk to Lucas.

She sighed and told her friend, "I know you're worried and I appreciate your concern, but I don't believe in witches."

"That makes two of us," assured Ana. "However, and bearing in mind what's happening to you, I think you should reconsider it. I can go with you."

After passing a hand through her hair, Marina retorted, "Look at us: two skeptical girls talking about consulting a witch. Furthermore, we know that more than half of these people just want to fool us. We can't take that risk."

"You're right in that. Then I have another suggestion: we can go instead to one of those stores of Wiccans or whatever, and we can buy stones, some amulets or wind chimes to protect you." Marina was going to insist that it wasn't worth it, but Ana anticipated and wrapped up, "Just buy a protection amulet anyway. It won't harm you. If you don't believe it, fine, but at least you'll have it with you. 'Better safe than sorry', remember?"

Ana had underlined a good point; it wouldn't hurt her to have some protective stuff with her. She didn't think that an amulet would work; still, she could use it, just in case. "Fine, you win. Monday afternoon we'll sort it."

"Deal," said Ana before Marina could go back on her word. "I'd pass by your house tomorrow if I could, to talk some more, but I'll be returning late at night."

"Never mind. Besides, I don't know what time I'll get home after the walk with Joshua."

Joshua? An imaginary buzz sounded in Ana's brain. There was her favorite topic – boys. Hmm, and what a boy. If she remembered, Marina had blown out Joshua the previous morning. What could have changed? That silly girl really had to learn to send texts, otherwise she would miss all the news and be outdated.

"Joshua? Tell me everything at once!" she ordered.

Marina was undecided about what to tell her. Feeling that she had nothing to hide, she summarized the adventures of the previous evening (except the dance part), between Ana's gasps and giggles.

When she finished, she heard Ana saying, "How romantic! How kind! How... scrummy!"

Marina could almost picture her blushing like a tomato. Yes, Joshua was very thoughtful. He had taken a bad situation and had turned it into a new and enjoyable experience. She had to acknowledge that he had made an effort to get close to her and it pleased her. Nobody had ever done anything like that for her, except the 'imaginary, but real' rescues from Lucas. Still, those didn't count, since there was nothing romantic about them in the true sense of the word. Being rescued by a charmed prince could be romantic, but Lucas, with his unstable behavior and arrogant attitudes, was far from being the perfect prince. Joshua seemed to be the exact opposite, although he was a little too swaggering sometimes. Perhaps this was because, as he was good-looking, he was used to getting what he wanted from girls. To his misfortune, she wasn't ordinary. If he wanted her attention, he would have to work hard to get it.

Ana said goodbye to her at last, letting her know that her mother was complaining that she was on the phone for too long. "But later I want to know everything that happened on the date! I demand you to tell me."

Marina smirked and recalled, "It's not a date. I'll be his tour guide, that's it."

"Yeah, right. And I'm going to be an international renown astronaut one day," affirmed Ana in disbelief. After a laugh, she hung up the phone.

Marina was a little bit irritated. It was not hard to understand: showing someone around the city was not the equivalent of a date. Talking about Joshua made her remember that she and Joshua had agreed to exchange a text confirming the Sunday walk. How could she do it, if he had saved her phone number and she didn't even ask for his? It was simple - she would wait for his message and then confirm their plans.

Marina turned her attention back to the English notebook. She opened the manual and sought the correct reply to question 1.3. Made the correction and texted it to Ana. Stretching, she got up and put the chair back in place. It was just a few minutes past six, which meant that the movie that she wanted to watch had already started. Although she had missed the beginning, she wanted to see the rest, so she spread out along the bed and turned the TV on. Now, there was a good remedy to shake off reality.

Despite her expectations, the film proved to be a fiasco. The trailer made it look pretty good, but in the end, it sucked. Damn misleading publicity. She turned off the TV and went to the kitchen, where mom was waiting with two steaming plates of rice and steaks with mushrooms and cream. The two sat at the table and ate. When they finished the meal, mom told her she had brought a DVD from the multimedia area of the Library, but she wasn't in the mood to watch it, given that she still had nerves prickling her skin.

Tired, she asked her daughter, "Do you mind if I go to bed? I'll take some sleeping pills for this nervousness to pass once and for all. I'll leave you the DVD in case of you want to watch it."

"That's ok, Mom."

Marina helped her to clean the kitchen and, moments later, the matriarch retreated to her chambers and shut the door behind her. Watching a DVD was a good bet, nonetheless Marina was reading a very interesting book and was very close to the end it. After reflecting for a moment, she decided to stay in the living room, listening to the news and reading the final pages of the book. After that, she would watch the DVD.

The news didn't take more than ten minutes to finish, even though Marina didn't realize, as she was too absorbed in reading. It was the second book in a series that had come out a few months ago and it was about fallen angels. For a moment, Marina pictured Lucas as the fallen angel of the story who became her guardian angel, but quickly ruled it out. Of angel, Lucas had nothing.

The clock didn't stop and moved forward without asking permission. When she noticed the time, it was rather late, but she was satisfied since she had finished the book. She put it on the coffee table and took a mental note that she would take it to school on Monday, to lend it to Ana, who had requested it several times. Next, she got up and inserted the DVD into the reader. She sat down, holding the remote, and prepared to watch the movie. The story began with a murder of two adults and a child swearing that one day he would get revenge on who had killed his parents. The plot seemed familiar and promising, so she nestled up on the couch to watch the rest. Eventually, tiredness won.

When Marina opened her eyes, she found the TV screen painted blue, with the brand logo of the DVD player jumping around from one side to another. She had fallen asleep. Another interesting movie, she criticized mentally. It was best to go to bed at once. She got up, unplugged the TV and picked up the book to go to her bedroom.

The moonlight that crossed the living room window was almost as bright as day. Feeling compelled to enjoy the spectacle that nature provided, Marina approached the glass and looked abroad. Outside, the night looked agitated and restless. The needles of the garden's pine trees swayed from side to side, and the birds abandoned the branches in grievance. There wasn't a soul in the street and the cars gave rest to the road. The lights of the old bridge seemed to flounder, in contrast to the calm waters of the river Sado. It looked like a typical night of season change.

Unexpectedly, the street lights flickered and threatened to go off. It was then that she saw him, right before the lights go down in front of her house. It was only a few seconds, but she was sure it was him. Across the road, sitting on the river's wall, was Lucas. Marina glued her hands stupidly to the window's casement as if wanting to reach him. She slammed a fist on the glass to draw his attention, but the area was now dark and she couldn't see him anymore. She had to talk to him. Who knew when she would see him again? He couldn't hear her from there... She had to act rapidly.

Anxious, Marina ran to the bedroom. She threw the book onto the bed, opened the closet and pulled out a robe, putting it on without closing it. She walked in a hurry to the entrance, went out, passed the archway and went down the stairs two by two. Although it was dark and she couldn't see a thing, she knew the place like the back of her hand, so she crossed it without major problems, soon reaching the river's rail. She tried to adapt her eyes to the darkness and searched for Lucas, but she couldn't find him. Where did he go? It was probable that he was already gone. Who, in their right mind, would stay there in the dark?

Without explanation, the lights of the lamps blinked and returned. Marina blinked her eyes to get used to the brightness. Driven by instinct, as something in her souls told where she could find him, she turned her face to the right. She still managed to discern Lucas moving away. She thought for two seconds about running up to him, but soon became aware that it would be hard to reach him. Dumb boy! Why hadn't he waited? She had so many things to ask him. Didn't he know how important it was for her to talk to him?

Irritated, and without caring about the advanced hour, she screamed, "So this is it? Coward! At least I had the guts to confront you and to not run away."

Lucas didn't react in any way. It was as if she hadn't spoken to him. Marina stamped her foot on the ground with force, such was her exasperation, but not even that was successful. He had escaped once again.

Two boys showed up meanwhile down the street, coming from a crazy night of fun. Upon seeing her in that outfit, they exclaimed a "Hello, baby", accompanied by whistles.

The girl replied rudely, "What? Never seen nightclothes before?" She grabbed the points of her robe in a rush to close it and returned home at a quickened pace.

She was frustrated. That guy was worse than a ghost. She entered home in an angry silence, went to her room, took off the robe and put it back in its place. Her irritation was so great that it seemed she would blow up. She decided it was better to do the same as her mother and take some pills to sleep, otherwise she wouldn't be able to.

She returned to the living room and looked out the window. This time, she found the night wrapped in a perfect blanket of calm. Of Lucas, there was no sign. Next she went to the bathroom and took two pills. Once tucked into bed, she got ready to surrender to oblivion and to erase that day from her memory.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The pills Marina took were very efficient: she slumbered as if she hadn't slept for ages. There had been no room for dreams or thoughts, only total and absolute repose.

Her sleep was interrupted by a persistent buzz that she couldn't identify. She remained quiet in bed, hoping that the buzzing would disappear, but it came back. She half opened one eye and saw that her phone was glowing. Still half asleep, she stretched out her arm to reach for the device, stared at the screen and found that she had received a text: 'Hello, Ms. Guide! Do you confirm the program for this afternoon? It would be an honor to have your company in the discovery of the enchanted city of Alcácer. I have heard that it has wonderful treasures hidden. Let's find them together?' she read. It was Joshua. Although Marina was still too sleepy to be able to assimilate the text content, she found it amusing and drafted a grimace. She thought for a while, since she wanted to be up to the challenge he proposed, but in the end she wrote something simple, 'I confirm the program for this afternoon. I hope you're ready to enjoy the richness of this dreamy city and the charm of its people.' It was a pittance compared to the text he had sent her, but her neurons insisted in not waking. He would have to give her a rain check. After sending the response to Joshua, she recorded his number in the contact list for future use.

Returning to the main screen on the phone, she noticed the time: 1.40p.m? She couldn't help but feeling surprised by the number of hours she had spent sleeping. She rubbed her eyes and jumped out of bed with spunk to try to recover some energy. She had to recharge batteries, so decided to go have lunch. After a clumsy entrance into the kitchen, she found her mother, also in pajamas, setting the table.

"Good-morning! Or should I say good-afternoon instead?" quipped her mother.

Marina smiled and shook her head as if to say that she could choose the option that most pleased her.

Mom continued, "That was some sleep! Although I can't complain, since I got up at noon."

Between a yawn, Marina explained, "I took two sleeping pills and got nailed to my pillow till a while ago. If my phone hadn't vibrated, I'd still be in bed."

"You needed a little help sleeping after all? But hey, you cannot do that often, it was an exception," warned her mother.

"It was only yesterday. I'm no fan of taking pills and you know it."

The truth was that she had already slept a bit on the couch, which, in itself, had withdrawn her will to sleep. Adding to that the frustration over mismatching with Lucas, she had become even more awake. The reasons that kept her awake were different from her mother's, still she considered them valid.

"And how are you feeling today?" asked her mother.

"Drowsy," a new yawn followed. Marina went to the fridge and picked up a Coke can. "I'll drink a Coke for lunch. I need caffeine to wake up or I'll fall asleep when I meet Joshua."

Mom lifted her eyes up from the pot, and looked at her suspicious. From what she remembered, her daughter had never spoken of any boy, nor had shown interest in none. Intrigued, and kind of kidding, she asked, "Who's this boy and what are you going to do?"

Knowing her mother the way Marina did, she estimated that mom would already be making a bunch of films in her head. It was better to put a brake on it, because she was only going to show Joshua the city. It was no big deal. "It's not what you're thinking. Let me explain. Joshua was transferred this week to my class."

Mom cut Marina's explanation, "Transferred, huh?"

Marina put on a grumpy expression and repeated, "Yes, transferred. He came from America with his parents and now they are living in the buildings of the former graphics, next to the city hall."

"And...?" queried mom, making her a sign to go on.

That reaction was beginning to get on Marina's nerves, but she tried to control herself and proceeded, "And, as he knows I live near him, he asked me to show him around Alcácer, because he doesn't know anything yet."

"And you accepted right away, of course," added mom in an annoyed intonation.

How was that possible? Was her mother kidding with her? So she better prepare herself, because she would get a response at the same level. Placing hands on her hips, as if marking a position, Marina said with triumph, "No, I did not accept."

"What? Now I don't understand anything. Aren't you going out with him later?"

"Yes, we'll go for a walk this afternoon. At first, when he asked me to be his guide, I told him no. However, I remembered that I had promised you that I would expand my circle of friends, so I went back and accepted his invitation."

Her mother frowned in doubt. That was a clever reply, though it might not correspond to the truth. However, if her daughter was taking the trouble to persuade her to let her take a walk with a boy, it could be something important to her, hence she just commented, "I'm glad you're making an effort to fulfill your promise. But be careful when walking on the street."

"Mom, he won't bite me," retorted Marina with sarcasm.

"I'm not talking about him, but the bad luck that has dogged you. Try not to get into more trouble."

Marina shook her body, sending the bad vibes away. God forbid her from finding more hazards. "Mom, I never got into trouble," she alleged. "Misfortune just seems to be attracted to me recently. I must be a magnet or something."

Since it was late, mom thought it was better to stop talking and start eating. They ate quickly and half hour later had the kitchen cleaned and everything stowed away.

Before her daughter returned to her room, mom asked, "Do you want to go see grandma with me today?"

Marina agreed. The visit was at 3p.m, which gave her enough time to go to the retirement home and return. After that, she would go to Joshua's place.

She headed to her chambers. After making her bed and packing up some things she had left out of place, she moved to the wardrobe. Since she didn't know where she would go with Joshua, she chose a good pair of comfortable jeans. Next, she took the quest for the perfect jersey. She opened and closed two dresser drawers till she got to the third and found a pale blue top, with a 'V' neckline covered with rhinestones, and tight to the body. To complete the set, she picked up her sneakers and a thin coat.

Ready, she looked in the mirror. Not bad, but she still had to comb her hair and take care of the accessories issue. She bet on a pony-tail and put on her favorite earrings – she'd stay true to her style. The same concept of loyalty was applied to her make-up, which consisted of some black pencil on the bottom of the eye to accentuate its contour.

"Are you ready?" shouted mom from the kitchen.

Marina glanced at the clock and didn't believe how long she had taken. Never in her life had she devoted so much time to such a task. Astonished, she responded, "Uh... Yes, I'm ready."

The nursing home wasn't far away, so mom decided it was better to walk there. Winter was closing in and it seemed to be a good idea to enjoy the last days of reasonable weather, before having to be closed in at home due to rain. When they arrived at the nursing home it was 3p.m sharp. They got in, crossed the lobby and took the elevator to the first floor. After entering the room of Marina's grandmother, Luísa seated herself at the head of the bed and fed lunch to the old woman. The grandmother hadn't pick up silverware for a long time. Not that she hadn't the strength to do it, but her mind seemed unable to establish the link between holding a fork in a hand and what to do with it. After that, they talked with grandma for a while, although sometimes Marina's eyes filled with water when realizing the effort her grandmother made, as if she wanted to tell them something and couldn't do it.

Forty minutes later they said goodbye and returned home the same way.

When they reached home, Luísa prepared to enter, but Marina didn't follow her. Instead, she inquired, "Mom, it's almost time to go for a walk with Joshua. Do you mind if I go now?"

"OK. Will you be long?"

Marina had no idea how long she would be out, so she replied, "I don't know, but I don't want to come home very late. I mean, tomorrow we have classes."

"Fine. Have fun and be careful. And no flirting," jested mom, winking an eye.

"Entertaining and flirtatious, mommy? Please," Marina retorted, rolling her eyes as if she was about to make a huge sacrifice.

As soon as her mother shut the door, Marina retraced her way to Joshua's home. An unusual thought crossed her mind: she didn't even look in the mirror to see if she was okay. But why all that concern? It wasn't a date, it wasn't a date and, for the millionth time, there was no date, so it didn't matter how she looked. Comforted by the last statement, she continued to march to her destination.

When she reached the door of the building where Joshua lived, she felt uncertain about what to do. She could ring the bell so that he would know she had arrived, or maybe she could text him. She gave up both ideas when she checked the phone and noticed that it had passed one minute from four o'clock. He would come out soon. She just had to wait, so she sank against the wall. As soon as Marina leaned against the wall, a radiant Joshua - so handsome that he seemed from another world - appeared outside. He wasn't dressed in a suit and a tie, but he had a look so clean and without exaggeration that made him just perfect. She had to fess up and declare that that guy was more than attractive.

Joshua closed the gate behind him and Marina pulled up from the wall, giving him a warm smile. Upon reaching her, he continued playing the role that he had assumed that morning, by giving her a very well-staged bow that reminded her of an actor in a Shakespeare play. "Lady Guide," he said while bowing.

The girl laughed at hearing those words that sounded so strange. It was a funny situation, yet she preferred that he'd go back to act like a normal guy. The recent events had exhausted her at a mental and emotional level, so she didn't feel up to the challenge. However, he was being sweet, so she promised herself that she would try to be patient.

In response to her laughter, Joshua made a theatrical air from a burning question and inquired, "Isn't this the right compliment, my lady guide?"

Marina still had a smile dancing on her lips when she responded, "No, you silly. Drop it. The dance in the rain was fun, but today you have to promise you won't do anything to try to impress me, ok?"

Joshua raised an eyebrow and questioned in a not so modest way, "Impress you? Me, miss?"

Marina blushed the very next second. She didn't mean that she had been impressed with what he had done for her the other day. If he thought so, he could become cocky and would think that he had some kind of power over her. Feeling that she had to recover control of the situation, she hastened to say, "You know what I mean, Joshua. So tell me, what do you want to do this afternoon?"

"To visit the city, as we agreed. Show me the way and I'll follow wherever you go."

The truth was that Marina hadn't thought about what to show him. She had thought about outlining a plan on Saturday afternoon; nevertheless, after what had happened, she had totally forgotten. It almost resembled the case of the forgotten Philosophy homework. She sighed, while telling herself that she couldn't forget things due to stressful situations. The best she could do was to improvise. Therefore, she asked, "Where have you gone so far?"

"I only know the way from here to school. You know, between unpacking things and homework, there wasn't much time for leisure during the week."

"So you still haven't visited the main street?" asked Marina, more affirming than inquiring.

"Don't think so," the boy answered, assuming again a theatrical pose.

Marina looked at him with a frown, by way of criticism and replied, "Fine, but do not forget what we agreed: no games. Okay, so today I'll introduce you to the wonders of the main street of Alcácer."

Wonders that become too commonplace after you see them once; anyway... Marina thought. When people lived in the same place for too long, they tended to fail to appreciate it as deserved, and things become too ordinary. Marina, however, preferred to follow a life philosophy similar to one of heteronyms of the Portuguese writer and poet Fernando Pessoa, and to 'discover the eternal newness of things'. Maybe that was why she often passed by the main street when she returned from school.

Joshua stood beside her with all the seriousness he managed to forge, which left Marina a little embarrassed. Walking with a hot guy in a small town where everyone knew each other could start certain gossip. Now, that was one more thing she didn't need: to deal with rumors.

They had walked only for a few seconds, when Marina stopped and indicated to him an old building nearby. Like a professional tour guide, she explained, "Let's start with this old house in shades of red. According to what I've been told, it once housed one of the first - if not the first \- movie theatres of Alcácer."

Joshua listened with attention to her explanation, nodding his head. Until then, he fulfilled in perfection his tourist role. Marina expected him to continue like that.

After the crimson house, they moved to the street behind it and followed the path straight ahead, without making any detours, which reminded Marina that "Straight Street" (the name given to the main street) was a concept that could be interpreted at a literal level. While they walked, Marina made a small exposition about what they saw. She showed him, for example, the town hall edifice and explained that, the statue at the center of the City Hal Square, was the mathematician and astronomer, Pedro Nunes. Facing the lake, in opposite directions, were the museum and the pedestrian bridge; the museum received the boy's attention first.

"Can we go to the museum just to take a brief look?" asked Joshua, exhilarated.

Marina was a bit surprised, since guys didn't like those things, as they considered them too 'cultural' and boring. Maybe he was trying to impress her again. A spark of irritation crossed her when she considered this option. After staring at him for a split second, she recognized in him a genuine desire to visit the place, which gave her a twinge of guilt. She had to stop making hasty judgments about him. Joshua deserved the benefit of the doubt.

Joining the boy in front of the building, Marina explained that the museum was closed for renovations, so he would have to wait for the reopening to visit it. "I've been told that, before the works started, the autarchy decided to conduct some excavations to see if they could find some interesting artifacts, given the archaeological wealth of the region. I think this is one reason that has delayed the work."

"Really? They're digging in there?" Joshua queried, seeming interested in that fact.

Marina nodded. Both leaned their faces at the museum window and pressed their noses against the tinted glass, trying to glimpse something. They were able to see that almost the entire floor had been removed; beneath it, small compartments were discovered and brought to daylight by the excavations.

Joshua heaved a sigh of frustration. "It's a shame for it to be closed," he commented and let out a breath of frustration.

Without the possibility of visiting the museum, it was time to proceed. Marina was about to tell him to move forward when Joshua decided to take the initiative. He crossed the city square and then the road. After, he climbed the steps of the pedestrian bridge. He looked up and admired the castle. "Wow! It's beautiful, Come see," Joshua called.

Marina crossed her arms in front of her in a defensive gesture, and bit the inside of her cheek to control the edginess that invaded her. Since the incident, she hadn't gone close to the bridge or the river's wall. As she had no intention of crossing the bridge, she decided to stay where she was and wait for her friend. When he got tired of contemplating the castle, he would come to her.

Joshua looked at Marina from the dais and studied her face: it presented an expression that was a mixture of exasperation, impatience and nervousness. Apprehensive, he returned to her side.

Without wishing to give any justification and prolong that moment, Marina asked, "Shall we continue walking down the main street?"

"To me, we're good to go," replied Joshua a little hesitant.

The girl was already preparing to turn away when the inevitable question came up. "Marina, I don't want to intrude in your life, but why didn't you cross the road and join me? Are you afraid of bridges?" Joshua questioned.

Marina turned around suddenly with a furious expression. She was afraid of bridges? Nonsense. That even used to be one of her favorite spots in town. The circumstances just had changed, and not through her fault. She didn't cross by being fearful, but cautious instead.

Joshua rushed to shrink his arms in front of him by way of apology, trying to soothe Marina. "Hey, don't get angry. Don't get me wrong. For example, my mother is very afraid to go near bridges, and I assure you that she'll never cross this one."

The boy spoke with a weighted and innocent tone, which made Marina's fury dissipate little by little. He had no fault in what had happened and it was normal he asked why she avoided the bridge. If she was in his place, she would put the same question.

Marina swallowed hard and told him a short version of events, trying to sound as detached as possible. "I'm not afraid of bridges. I know I owe you an explanation, but the truth is that I don't want to talk about this. I'll just tell you that a week ago I was pushed over that bridge and I was saved by a miracle. I'm not going into details. Maybe one day in the future we'll talk about this, when everything is distant, so that it seems like a movie scene instead of reality. For now, I just can't do it."

Joshua's face paled, as if all his blood had drained from him with the news when he heard that justification.

"And when we reach the end of the main street, better not invite me to go through the cross walk. Yesterday, when I did, a car almost hit me. Result: the driver died and I escaped. New miracle. Here's the evidence, my new war wounds," shot the girl as she lifted her coat sleeves a little above the elbows, so that he could see the bandages covering the mentioned injuries.

Joshua was astounded, after all he had heard everything at once and Marina didn't use 'soft soap' or pretty words to ease the situation. He understood now why she was grouchy, without the slightest patience and unwilling to participate in games. He tried to assimilate what she had just told him; suddenly, the words she told him before in school made perfect sense. He remembered that, after saving him from the clutches of a bunch of girls in a far-fetched rescue, Marina had told him that she had done it, because a few days before she had gone through something similar. Certainly she would have been in the spotlight, albeit for less positive reasons. Thinking about it, made him feel very protective of her - he wished he had been there to comfort her. The last line of reasoning left him more amazed. What if she had died? He would not have gotten to know her. He shook his head immediately, rejecting the idea. She had been rescued, he had got to know her and he was very grateful for that.

During Joshua's long inner reflection, Marina tried to analyze him, but couldn't figure out what he was thinking. He was like a book that had been closed in her face. Afraid about his line of thought, she muttered, "Maybe it's better to cancel this."

Pulled with abruptness from his thoughts, Joshua rushed to respond, "No. I mean, I'd like to continue. We'll postpone only, and only, if you feel that you're not able to carry on and you'd prefer to go home."

Marina shrugged. Honestly, since he had climbed the bridge, she felt tempted to take refuge at home. However, something told her that she had no right to do so when she had made a commitment to Joshua. Tired, she sat on a bench, moistened her lips with her tongue and said to Joshua, "I don't feel bad, but I don't feel good either. Can I tell you a secret? I never admitted this to anyone, but having to go through two things like these in the same week is... frightening and scary."

Joshua sat down beside her, careful not to touch her in fear that she would step away. She was telling him a secret - to him, who was almost a stranger to her – however, it didn't give him freedom to take advantage of that and to approach her. In a gentle voice, he questioned, "You wanna go home?"

Marina crossed her arms and avoided facing him. In a low voice, she admitted, "To be honest, at first I thought about it, but now I don't feel much like going home. I've nothing better to do than sit in front of the television watching cheesy movie repeats."

Joshua delighted himself imagining her grimacing when looking at the TV. He was obliged to suppress the laughter that was trying to emerge. Satisfied with her answer, he asserted, "I don't wanna go home either. I spent the whole day looking forward to this dat... um, walk," he hurried to correct, to avoid frightening her. "Can we continue? I think it might be good to you. You'd distract yourself, not think about sad things. And we must not forget that I'm an excellent bodyguard, so you have nothing to fear."

Marina laughed. Although he had an athletic body, it was hard to picture someone that sweet in the role of a tough bodyguard. Parody aside, Marina knew it was better to be entertained. She rose from the bench and Joshua followed her example. They resumed their march, but not before Joshua saying, "You have indeed had some terrible misfortunes."

The rest of the main street was mainly commercial, therefore Marina spent the next few minutes explaining to Joshua who the owners of each store were and what he could buy there. She had lived here since she was born; outside of the area, she knew little - her world was that artery of the city. The passion with which she spoke captivated Joshua and made him want to share that same feeling too. But more than delighted with the street, he was bewitched by the girl. He didn't know everything about her, yet something told him he'd never meet anyone else like her - she was unique.

When they reached her house, Marina told him where she lived. Joshua studied the building: it was one of those edifices that at the bottom had shops, with an apartment above, and further up there was a new apartment. It must be quite old, as showed by the aged walls that hadn't been painted for a while.

They descended the staircase of the arcade and reached the old garden in front of her home. They stopped there for a few minutes. The south shore landscape that could be seen from there was breathtaking. Joshua was sensitive enough to see it, so he looked to the other side, amazed, while the girl gazed at him on the sly. Marina felt much better. There was no doubt that his company worked miracles. It was as if he attracted positive energy and good vibes which, in her case, was what she most needed. Satisfied, she leaned against the kiosk and smiled.

Joshua turned to her. When he realized that she seemed to be remembering something joyful, he asked, "Is everything okay?"

Marina kept smiling and answered, "Everything's great. You know, this kiosk wasn't here when I was younger. A little further off the center of this square was a huge chandelier. It was here I spent most of the summer nights with my friends. We played hundreds of games. I just loved the one that consisted of holding the lamp with one hand and walking around it until we were dizzy. It was nice."

"By the look on your face, I dare say that it was really fun," Joshua guessed.

Marina allowed herself to be nostalgic for a short time, until the coldness of reality showed up and took over her. Despite enjoying Joshua's company, she hadn't much more to show him that day and decided to communicate it to him, "Basically, our tour ends here. Now I can only escort you to where the walk began."

Joshua saddened at hearing those words. The walk hadn't been the dream he expected due to all the drama involved; yet, he was near her and he was making her smile, which made him happy. She had even told him a secret unshared with anyone else, and had let him know a happy memory of her childhood. They were closer than before and this made it all worthwhile.

Not wanting the moment to end so soon, he challenged, "Do you know a place nearby where we can eat something? I had lunch pretty early and my stomach is letting me know that it's time to eat again."

Marina stroked her chin, focused. Then she raised her forefinger, like an inventor who had just had a brilliant idea, and announced, "I know just the place. There's an ice cream shop a few feet away from here. It sells some amazing croissants to die for. Do you like croissants?"

Joshua's smile grew wider as he replied, "I love croissants, especially if they're chocolate. What can I say? I've got a bit of a sweet tooth."

"Great! And don't worry about being a gourmand; that makes two of us." Marina winked at him.

They returned to the main street and went to the ice cream shop, while Marina indicated him the specialties she recommended. After many explanations, both knew exactly what they wanted to eat.

Marina beckoned Joshua to sit down at one of tables in the covered terrace, while she went to the counter to make their order. Joshua didn't think about protesting; he had realized by now how stubborn she was, so he decided to obey. Marina disappeared into the shop and soon returned with two croissants and two glasses of orange juice. Upon seeing her carrying everything, Joshua leaped from his chair and rushed to take a croissant and a glass off her hands, over her protests claiming that she needed no help.

They sat at the table, facing one another, and a heavy silence fell upon them. Marina was embarrassed, since she hated to eat accompanied, because she felt observed. What's the joke in having someone watching her take big bites of food and chewing it? It was awkward. As if sensing her reluctance, and to make her more comfortable, Joshua was the first to try the croissant. He chewed a bit to enjoy its taste and made a small noise of approval, while shaking his head. She laughed at his exaggerated reaction and thanked him in silence for the effort. Then she tasted hers and uttered the same sound of approval, agreeing with him.

While Marina nodded her head to Joshua, her favorite enemy walked out of the ice cream shop and came to greet her. "Marina? Is that you? Gosh, I thought you were a ghost. So, you still ain't gone?" she said while making dramatic gestures as if she were frightened and believed that Marina was indeed an apparition. Before Marina could respond to her, Joana was already outlining a naughty smile at Joshua. "I hadn't realized you were there, Joshua. Don't you want to sit down with us inside? It's better there. You know, the company has much higher quality. You won't be disappointed," Joana proposed.

Marina gasped. What audacity! She came up to their table to mess things up for her? Marina felt like giving her a mighty hair tug, but she didn't want to make a scene, so she just commented, "There's a stench here, huh, Joshua? Looks like SOMEONE forgot to spray some deodorant this morning. It smells like a sweating pig."

Joana stiffened and they noticed that she was trying to sniff as if she smelled bad for real or if Marina was messing around with her. Before they had the chance to say anything more, Joana turned around, making her long blonde hair swing behind her like a yellow fan, and returned to her place in a bad mood.

Joshua laughed. Those two were like oil and water - they did not mix. It wouldn't be surprising if, one day, they ended up involved in a nasty fight like wild cats. The image made him laugh even more, but he soon fell silent before being reprimanded by Marina, who looked at him visibly angry.

Would Joshua think that she had reacted like that just to defend territory as Joana had done before? It was not that; simply she and that witch couldn't stand each other. Marina thought of scolding him, but his laugh was so nice that she decided to pretend to sulk while enjoying that note from heaven.

When Joshua regained composure, he said to Marina, "Well done. That's what she gets for messing with you. You gave her an answer that beat the challenge."

Marina gasped and tried to calm herself. She didn't want Joshua to have seen one more depressing scene between them, nonetheless she hadn't managed to avoid it, though she thought that she had given an answer quite restrained.

When she felt more serene, she apologized, "I'm sorry, Joshua. I didn't want you to see that, but that girl drives me mad. And the most annoying thing is that it looks like she derives special pleasure in bugging me. You know, I swear that if you hadn't appeared on Friday afternoon, I would have chased her and given her a mighty hair pull."

"Ouch! Remind me not to mess with you," Joshua said as he laughed.

Marina turned red. She didn't want him to have the wrong idea about her. She wasn't vindictive; just felt that Joana had been pushing her luck for too long. This, combined with the things that had happened lately, made her feel more explosive, yet she was trying to control herself.

"What's her problem anyway?" asked Joshua.

"Low self-esteem, constant need to be the center of attention, and an ego the size of the world to fill at any cost," replied the girl without much thought. They could spend the entire afternoon pointing out Joana's issues, but that would be letting her ruin their walk, so she tried to change the subject by asking, "So, Joshua, how's moving going?"

He shrugged. "It's going well. I must confess that I still have some boxes in my room to unpack, filled with books, CD's and DVD's. As for the rest, my parents have almost everything set up, as they hired a local cleaning company to help them."

The conversation became commonplace, and Joshua told her every detail of the trip from America to Portugal and the adventures of 'dismantling' a house to 're-mantle' it elsewhere.

Although both had finished their meal, they decided to stay there for a while. The rays of sun peeped every now and then and crossed the glass wall, warming them up and flooding them with a sense of comfort that bound them there.

They were having a pleasant chat when an unsatisfied Joana decided to return to battle. Strutting, she came to their table and again tried to provoke her target. She leaned over the table in the direction of Joshua, so that he could admire her deep neckline, and said to Marina, "Hey, annoying thing, I dropped a glass of juice on the table and it needs to be cleaned. I don't want to ruin my new clothes and you look like a ragamuffin, so it should be ok for you to have more stains. Soon preferably. Don't worry; I'm staying here to keep our classmate company."

What? She wasn't her maid. I And 'ragamuffin'? Who did she think she was, some fashion genius? Then she'd better think again. She wanted to look so sophisticated that, most times, she dressed in a ridiculous way. She should consider buying more mirrors. And even if she was shabby, it was none of her business. Irritated, Marina jumped up, forgetting where they were. The people there had started to look at them, still she intended to make her swallow all those words until she choked.

This time, it was Joshua who intervened. He got up, took Marina's hand in his and pulled her close. He pretended to sniff the air and said, "You're right, dear. That stench just wafted to my nose. We'd better go before the croissant makes a return trip."

Joana got pretty upset with the response from her heartthrob, why him! If perchance they started dating, she was sure that they would be the most famous couple in the school. She intended to climb one more rung in the social hierarchy and Joshua was the leverage she needed, so she wasn't giving up on him. The two classmates ran for the exit door, with Marina sticking her tongue out. Though upset, Joana was left alone, whistling inside like a pressure cooker.

As they left the ice cream store, Marina soon forgot the encounter with the hag, even because she was invaded by the notion that the walk wouldn't last for much longer. It was time to take Joshua to the starting point. She prepared to return to her friend's house by the same course. However, she was surprised by him, who grabbed her arm. She looked at him, puzzled, trying to understand why he was holding her there. Joshua made a sign with his chin that indicated that he wanted to cross the road in front of the shop and make the return journey along the river's wall. Intimidated, Marina resisted the idea. She retreated two steps back and shook an adamant 'no' with her head. Nevertheless, this didn't dissuade Joshua. He wanted to help her to confront her fears so that she could recover soon. To achieve that, he made a grimace of irony and inquired, "Are you scared?"

"No. I mean, I just don't feel comfortable. And I'm also concerned that, if I do it, people will tell my mother. She made me promise I wouldn't approach the river."

Seeing her frightened, Joshua assumed a more sympathetic posture. He held out his hand with palm facing up, approached her, stared into her eyes and asked gently, "Do you trust me?"

If she were another girl, she would have found that so romantic that she would have grasped his neck right away, jumping and screaming 'yes'; she restrained herself, nonetheless. 'Trust' was a word too strong when they had only known one another for a few days. Despite that, her soul told her that she could trust him and time would confirm that.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Marina took the plunge. In fear, she put her hand on the one he was offering her. Joshua took it with gentleness and closed it in his. Then he pulled her close, till she was by his side. Both approached the cross walk and waited until no cars were sighted on both sides. Only then they crossed the road, and went up the walk along the river's wall. Oh, brother. Now people would talk. There she was, next to the rail and holding hands with a boy. The sharp tongues had more than enough material to make up rumors. Ignoring that, Marina shrugged at the thought that, at least, the guy with whom she was with was good in every sense of the word, so the perfidious minds could go to hell gnawing with envy.

"Are you okay?" wondered Joshua finding her so transfixed.

Marina consented without saying a word. Hand in hand, they began the walk back to Joshua's home.

As they took small steps, Marina began to unwind. It seemed that she wasn't so scared of being there, although she still felt a bit tense. Alas, she didn't even know what made her more nervous: being near the river or holding hands with Joshua. The warmth of his hand on hers felt so good, that she decided to focus only on that and not think about anything else.

To help her relax even more, Joshua asked, "Tell me a bit about yourself. I told you about my adventure of moving home. Now it's your turn."

The girl felt shy. Since she had no idea what to say about herself, she thought for a bit before answering, "I don't what to say. I'm an open book. Everyone knows what's going on in my life, though I think it's quite uninteresting."

Joshua rebuked her with his eyes and retorted, "You may be an open book, but you gotta give me a break. I just arrived and I still haven't had many opportunities to 'read' you. And you're not uninteresting at all, I assure you."

Without expecting it, Marina reddened. She didn't usually feel affected by that type of phrase, which she considered a picking line of some kind; however, Joshua had the power to reach the depths of her being. Marina decided to go with it and put herself at his disposal, "So, what do you want to know about me?"

"Everything," answered Joshua the very same second.

Marina laughed, while she placed a hank of hair behind her ear that had escaped from the pony-tail. In a shy voice, she said, "Everything is a bit difficult. By way of a summary, I can tell you I like the color blue, I love Summer but hate the Winter, although the dance in the rain had opened my mind to new horizons. I've a sweet-tooth, I have clear goals and normally I tend to be a well-behaved girl, although the incidents of recent times make it seem otherwise. I like dogs, love listening to music, and I adore movies. That's it."

What more could she say? Perhaps she could add more stuff as the conversation winded down, but only in those circumstances. The revelation of a person occurred whenever someone talked to her, and that would eventually happen with them.

The boy toasted her with a warm smile as he said, "I'm glad that you liked to dance in the rain. I loved it! But, truth be told, I had a great partner, which in itself made the experience worthwhile."

As much as she liked to hear the boy's words, a wicked involuntary shudder skated down Marina's back. She turned her sight to the left and found the reason for that shiver: they were passing in front of the pedestrian bridge. She shook her head to distract from that and stared at the path that lay ahead.

Joshua became conscious that Marina was more troubled than before, so he squeezed her hand with more strength to give her a greater security. Then he continued the conversation in order to entertain her. "To be honest, it was also the first for me. Of course I had already jumped in puddles, but dancing in the rain was new and a heavenly experience. You're a great dancer, did you know?"

Marina was pulled back to reality, though painted in pink, and focused on what Joshua had said. It seemed like a coupling conversation, yet she knew that it wasn't. He was just trying to divert her with wisecracks and jokes similar to flirting, and she just had to thank him for his good intentions.

A few feet ahead, Joshua saw some benches spread in front of the river. The landscape they would have before them if they sat there would be beautiful. He knew that his friend would reject his proposal, but he had nothing to lose, so decided to risk it. "Do you want to sit there for a while?" he inquired while pointing to the benches in front of the water.

Marina replied with promptitude and without even dwelling on the subject more than two seconds, "No, thanks. It's best to leave it to the next time. With the luck I've been having, a shark might jump out of the water and eat me, or a tsunami might come and take me away."

Those two unreasonable hypotheses had them both burst out laughing while they completed the rest of the journey. Joshua's house wasn't far, so they arrived at their destination in no time.

Before any farewells, Marina felt compelled to retract some things that had gone less well. She approached Joshua and looked into his deep blue eyes to show him how much she was being sincere. "I'm sorry. I know this wasn't the perfect walk and I've failed in many ways as a guide. There are many things I wish I had done differently, but this was how things went and I can't go back."

Joshua allayed her, "I liked it. Don't worry. Believe me when I tell you that you made out very well."

Marina smiled. She knew it was a kind lie and that he was just being nice, still it was good that he made her feel like that - useful and good about herself. That guy should be the reincarnation of Cupid: beautiful, gentle and able to make anyone fall in love with him. Almost anyone, because she wasn't in love with him.

If she thought things couldn't get any more interesting, Marina changed her mind in a heartbeat upon hearing his unexpected invitation, "Do you want to come in and see my house? We talked about it so much today, that I think it's a good idea to finish the tour with a visit to the inside."

Marina had to confess it was a tempting request, nonetheless an internal alarm indicated her that she should decline the offer; walking along the river's wall holding hands was enough. Ah! She had forgotten that they were still holding hands. In a mechanical response, and as if she had caught a shock just for thinking of it, she rushed to drop his hand, surprising him in a less positive way.

He had been nice to her despite the mediocre visit, so Marina chose well the following words before speaking them. "Thanks for the invitation, but it's late and I told my mother that I'd come back early. It's best not to linger longer or she'll enter into paranoia. You know, things have been hard on her too and I don't want to worry her for nothing. Don't get me wrong, please."

Joshua saddened. The date was just about to end and he couldn't avoid it.

His eyes like that of an abandoned puppy led Marina to cut short in haste, "I'd love to visit your home some other day. I'm curious after all you told me about it."

Joshua's face lit up to that response that gave him the chance to be with her another day. "Sure! If you want, you can see it tomorrow."

"Sorry, no can do. I already arranged things with Ana after school," announced Marina.

Joshua felt the pressing need to sort everything all at once, or he took the risk of postponing that moment for an indefinite period. Therefore, he insisted, "What about Tuesday, are you free?"

Marina thought for a moment and responded, "Tuesday's perfect for me. We'll leave the English class and go down town together."

Joshua shone after that confirmation that left him very happy.

However, there was still an issue that they had to talk about and that couldn't be ignored by Marina, although Joshua would prefer a thousand times that she did, as he wanted to be alone with her. A little reluctant, Marina started, "I know the house is yours, but..."

Joshua encouraged her to go on, "Don't be shy. Say what you have to say."

That was a little embarrassing, but Marina felt that she had to ask it, so she murmured, "It's just that Ana is my best friend. We go down town together almost every day and I feel that, if I tell her that I'm going with you and she can't come, I'm going to upset her, big time."

Marina stared at the floor, mortified, but that was what she thought and didn't want to hide it. She couldn't just approach Ana and tell her that, that day, they couldn't hang out, because she had to go a guy's house. On a second thought, she could do that, they didn't have a contract of obligation toward one another. Yet, the problem was that it wasn't just any guy: it was the one that made Ana melt and purr. She would never forgive her for leaving her out of that visit.

For a moment, Marina wondered if Joshua would reject the idea or say some cruel joke about girls. Instead, he just smiled, giving her the opportunity to examine very closely the dimples that formed at the corner of his lips and that were adorable. "You care a lot about your friend, don't you?" he asked.

Marina agreed with a nod. "She's the only one I've got. I can't afford to lose her."

"Yeah, but now you have another friend too: me. Never forget that. Tell her that she can come too, there's no problem," confirmed Joshua, to the girl's relief.

"Thanks," she murmured, smiling.

Without realizing it, Marina was holding his hand again. Despite being an innocent gesture of thankfulness, she didn't take long to recover her hand, rushing to hide both in the pockets of her jeans. As for her rosy cheeks, there wasn't much to do but to ignore them. Trying to hide her shame, she queried, "See you tomorrow then?"

"Of course. Thanks for being available to be my guide."

"Sure. It was a time well spent." As she replied, she took a few steps back, waved briefly and said a shy goodbye. Then she turned around to leave.

She hadn't walked far when she heard Joshua calling her. "Wait! Do you want to go to school with me tomorrow?"

Marina hesitated. "Hmm, I usually take a different path from yours."

"What a pity. Are you sure?" Joshua persisted. "You better keep in mind that I'm a great charm. I attract good luck and I can protect you from the bad omen."

The offer left her amused. She tried to picture him once more in the role of a bodyguard, but she couldn't. It was hard to imagine such a sweetie with as a badass. For a split second, she reviewed his arguments. Taking into account her terrible tide of bad luck, it wasn't very convenient for her to walk around alone. But even though her mother had been with her the day before, the accident with the car had occurred anyway... At least, she wasn't alone and went through everything with support.

Marina acquiesced, "Fine. Can we meet at the city hall square?"

Joshua nodded his head in return and asked, "Sounds great. Let's meet at 9.10?"

"Yes. We'll still have enough time to get to school. Now I really must get going, okay?"

"No problem. See you tomorrow then. Ah, text me when you get home. After all you told me, I won't rest until you say you arrived safely," teased Joshua.

Marina laughed at his alleged concern and agreed to send the message. She turned around and started the walk back home, while Joshua stood a moment longer at the gate watching her walking away, making sure that everything was fine with her.

Marina decided to try to be strong and to walk alone along the river's rail. She lived on the waterfront; the wall and the river weren't going anywhere, hence she had to make peace and get to an understanding with them in some way. Joshua had helped her to take the first step; now it was up to her to go on. With an insecure pace, she headed to the bridge. Once there, she took a deep breath to fill with courage, went up the three steps in one jump and walked along the platform. First hurdle overcome. The nerviness hadn't abandoned her, but it wasn't as pressing as before. After the bridge, she marched for home by the rail, with her hand always touching its cool surface as if to confirm its presence there. When she arrived in front of her old building, she crossed the road, climbed the arcade staircase and entered home.

"Is that you, Marina?" asked an almost disappearing voice.

"Yes, Mom, it's me. I just got here."

Before heading to the kitchen, the girl picked up the phone and wrote: 'I'm home, everything is fine. See you tomorrow. Kisses!' She sent the text to Joshua. It seemed a simplistic message, but it contained the essential. They still weren't what she would consider friends, neither knew each other that long to treat themselves otherwise. It was better to take things slow.

Marina threw the phone onto the bed along with the coins that were rattling in her pocket, and ran to the kitchen. She found her mother lying on the couch watching TV and the table already set, ready to receive them for dinner.

"At last! It's already 7.20," mumbled her mother.

Marina rolled her eyes. It wasn't that late. She had taken a little longer than expected, but it didn't seem to her anything serious. Gladly she had declined the invitation to visit Joshua's home, otherwise, if she got in any later, her mother would skin her alive.

"What did you expect? We left his house after four, walked here, got some snacks at the ice cream shop and returned to his home. Then I had to walk all the way back home. It takes a while."

Despite this explanation, her mother didn't lose the grumpy attitude and muttered something Marina didn't understand. Seconds later, and looking more resigned, she asked, "So, did the walk go well? Were you a good guide?"

Not quite knowing what to answer, Marina replied, "It was nothing special. I showed him the main street and explained to him where things were. Nor was there much to show.

Mom didn't insist any further.

After supper, Luísa didn't take long to go to bed, since she would go to work quite early. Marina did the same and went to her chambers. She wasn't sleepy, so she decided to pick up her phone and text Ana to tell her how the walk went with Joshua. She knew that Ana would beg for details, yet she would only give her a brief summary; the next day, at school, she would tell her more. Fulfilling her promise, she wrote, 'The tour with Joshua was good and I had fun. Tomorrow I'll tell more details, ok? Good night.' Marina sent the text and, ten seconds later, she received a reply saying, 'Just good? Spit it out! What did you do? Was it romantic? Did he behave himself?' So many questions! Marina didn't feel like typing out more texts. By respect to her friend, she simply replied, 'I tell you only that he's a true gentleman. Tomorrow we'll talk. Kisses.' Even if Ana asked her anything else, she would not respond.

She put the phone in silent mode and dropped it on the bedside table. Next she turned on the TV and watched a reality show about snow crab fishing in the Bering Sea.

Shortly after the show finished, Marina fell asleep. She had a peaceful night in which she dreamed of Joshua, their walk and especially the part when they walked hand in hand. It was something she had never done before and enjoyed it a lot, so it rang nicely in her dream.

CHAPTER NINE

Marina's phone emitted a sound, waking her up. She grunted, turned on the light and waited for her eyes to become accustomed to sight. Picked up the phone and discovered a text from Ana. She noticed the date \- it was from the previous day. Probably she didn't have a signal when Ana sent it, that's why she had just received it. Marina read it, but she didn't bother to answer, since Ana was asking her about the tour with Joshua. As she said before, when she got to school she would tell her a little more.

School? That's right; she had agreed to go to school with Joshua! She looked at the time and thought that it was better to get up and begin to get ready. Plus, she still had to take care of the injuries on her elbows, so she started right there. She removed the old bandages carefully and examined the wounds; the ointment that her mother had bought at the pharmacy seemed to be quite effective. She had only used it for two days and the injuries were already looking much better. Soon they would be cured, which was great. With the wounds treated, Marina got dressed, had breakfast, grabbed her backpack and left the house. She was glad she had chosen a warmer jacket to wear over the t-shirt. Thought the sun peeked occasionally through the clouds, warming her, the wind seemed to want to push Summer away by force, so that fall could begin at once.

While walking to the meeting point, Marina felt her stomach twisting as if a knot was forming. She liked Joshua, but going to school with him didn't seem correct. It was as if she had to accept his company against her will and only because of her hazard. What if he misunderstood things and thought she was interested in him? Ana's voice sounded in her head, 'Don't be silly! Enjoy, and grab the friendship of that hunk with both hands. As for what comes in addition, you'll figure out what to do about it.' Like Pinocchio had Jiminy Cricket for his conscience, Ana's was hers and her voice often invaded her thoughts, giving her a new point of view. Anyway, Marina had made up her mind: they would go to school together that day, she would see how it went, and then would make a decision about the future.

She found Joshua sitting on a bench waiting for her. She thought about going to him, but instead decided to call him to join her. Upon hearing her voice, Joshua turned around and toasted her with a spark of happiness in the form of a radiant smile. He hastened to get up and walked toward her.

When he was nearing her, Marina greeted him, "Good-morning."

"A very good morning," he replied, a happy expression on his face.

Gee! But can't this guy stop smiling? That weakens me and makes me feel bad for wanting to deny him something, Marina thought to herself, pouting inside. Deviating from the subject that pounded her mind, she girl, "Are you ready?"

"Yes. But you have to show me the way, because I've never taken this way before."

"You'll see that it's pretty much the same way you were walking when you were going alone. It's not complicated," assured Marina.

Without delay, they went up the street of the city Archives and turned towards the Theatre of Pedro Nunes. Further ahead, Joshua could see that they ended up in the same place they passed when they returned home. Two tortuous climbs followed. When they reached the top, Marina was exhausted and had her tongue lolled out like in a cartoon. She sat on the wall that marked the end of the staircase for a while, trying to catch her breath. Joshua imitated her, laughing at the situation.

Teased, and taking large gulps of air, Marina criticized, "You're laughing? Woo, this is tiring! Physical Education is this afternoon, and I'm sure that by then my legs will be in so much pain that I won't even be able to run one lap of the field."

"Hey, it's not my fault! I've done this climb four or five times, and I agree when you say that it's demanding, but I'm getting used to it," replied Joshua, as he placed his hands before him in a defensive gesture.

The girl tried to justify herself. "Usually, the path I take, I just have to climb a small slope and a staircase. It's easier to do. Sorry, but I'm not coming with you tomorrow. I prefer my usual route or I'll get to school in a mess." Marina didn't worry too much about her appearance, yet she didn't want to get to campus all sweaty and stinky. Exercise was important, but so was her hygiene.

Not wanting to lose her company, Joshua cut in, "What about we take your usual route tomorrow?"

"That involves a long walk for you. In a way, you'll be turning back."

"No problem, even because the road to your home is always straight ahead. Besides, I'm always open to new experiences. And then, after evaluating the two paths, I can choose the one that pleases me the most."

So much for Marina's plan to go to school alone the next morning. Joshua was going to put up a fight and he wouldn't go down so easily. Maybe he would end up getting tired of walking so much and give up on this. Perhaps it was better that way, because he wouldn't get the feeling that she was pushing him away.

Breath recovered, they got back to the track. As the school facilities weren't far away, they took only five minutes to complete their journey. As soon as she entered through the gate, Marina apologized to the boy, but she had to go to the bathroom to freshen up after the unexpected exercise. Joshua made her a sign that he would sit on a bench in the lobby and would wait there for her. Marina took a good look at him. Indeed, he didn't need to go to the bathroom: he was fresh as a daisy, without any taint of sweat, not even on his forehead. It seemed that he had done that without any problem, while she was devastated. She had to do some more exercise or would seem like a dotard old lady that couldn't even walk with a cane.

When she left the WC, the bell was sounding. Damn! She still had to go to the locker and the first lesson was with Manelito, which meant that he would already be on his way. She ran to the locker and, passing the lobby, made a sign to Joshua - who Ana had joined meantime - to go ahead, because she still had things to do. Once at the locker, she opened it in a harsh way, threw the Physical Education stuff in without being careful, and pulled out the diary and the book of Philosophy. Closed the door in haste and run a new race to the room.

The door was being closed when she neared it. The teacher ended up opening it to let her in, muttering between teeth that she had been lucky, because he was in good spirits. Marina nodded, as if in agreement with what he had said, although she didn't agree at all. As she turned around to go sit in her place, her eyes fixed with his: Lucas was back. Distraught, Marina put a hand to her chest; her heart had just skipped a beat. The feeling of safety that Joshua had induced in her before disappeared and was replaced by the notion that forces beyond her understanding moved freely around the world, and she would meet them again.

"Go to your place. I have a lecture to give and I don't want you standing there," yelled the teacher at her, making her jump in astonishment. She was scared and the professor was not helping. Anyway, she couldn't just stand there. She had to take her place... next to Lucas. Taking advantage of the fact that Lucas was drawing in his diary, she pulled out the chair and sat down. Next, she put the notebook, the manual and the pencil case on the table. She opened the diary and began to copy the summary that the teacher was writing on the blackboard.

She really wanted to talk with Lucas. She felt that urgent need burning inside her, making it impossible to ignore. There were so many things she wanted to ask him, yet her throat was closed and words ran dry from her. Besides, they were in a classroom controlled by a tyrant teacher; it wasn't exactly the best place to talk. She had the break to have such a conversation, that if she could find him, of course. Who knew if he would decide to miss the rest of classes, just like that? With him, she never knew what to expect.

Seeing that the teacher was quite amused drawing conceptual schemes in the board, Marina decided to risk it. She lowered her head in Lucas' direction and prepared to ask the first thing that came to her mind. However, when confronted with his cold gaze, she gave up doing so. Holly Golly! Why did he make her feel that way? She thought about going back to the insignificance she represented for Lucas, but something within her cried out that she had to try again. Decided, she opened her notebook at the last page and tore a bit of the sheet. 'We need to talk,' she wrote on the small piece of paper that she folded into two parts and put slyly on the top of his diary, under his watchful eye. After that, she turned forward and rushed to write the notations before Manelito erased them.

Through the corner of her eye Marina realized that Lucas picked up the paper and read it. He sat turned in her direction with a mischievous grin and a defiant air. He made sure that she was watching what he was doing: slowly, he crumpled the paper and threw it over to her notebook. The first thought to cross her mind was to call him a beast. Still, she decided to show herself superior. They would talk, no matter what, and he would have no hole in which to hide. For now, she would concentrate in class and would settle accounts with him later.

When the bell rang for exit, Lucas picked up his diary and walked out like a hurricane. Marina packed her things and left the room too. When she got outside, she found that he didn't wait for her. He was so doomed!

While she was lost among her thoughts, Joshua and Ana came to her.

"Hi, babe! So, what about your weekend? I mean, how was Sunday, huh?" asked Ana as she winked an eye.

Marina was supposed to tell her all about the walk, she knew it pretty well; however, at that moment, she had something more urgent to do. In haste, she took some coins from her wallet and handed them to Ana, while saying, "Joshua can tell you all about yesterday. Look, can you do me a favor and buy my lunch ticket when you go get yours?"

"Sure. Why? Are you going somewhere?" asked Ana, finding her friend's request unusual.

"I'm going to deliver the Philosophy work to the idiot of Lucas, before he decides to sneak out, or the teacher will annoy me again because of him."

That seemed a plausible reason to justify the fact that she was going to look for him. And it wasn't a lie! She had to hand him the assignment, although the true reasons that impelled her to go to him were different and more important.

Ana understood that the motives for Marina to seek Lucas were far more extensive than a mere sheet of paper, but she said nothing. She just waved to Marina that everything was fine, and asked Joshua to go with her to the bar. Before accompanying Ana, Joshua looked at Marina displeased with the fact that she was going to meet another guy. Marina ignored his disgruntled expression. He was a good guy, but he wasn't her boyfriend, nor did he own her, therefore she could talk or go to whoever she wanted.

Marina hastened to cross the school garden to the back of the canteen. She didn't know what places Lucas frequented, but as she had seen him there before, it seemed like a good option. And she was right. Reaching the rear of the canteen, she saw Lucas at the bottom of that path, sat on the concrete floor covered with sand. She advanced silently to him, in order to avoid him taking the opportunity to slip away. In less than 20 seconds, she was standing in front of him.

Confronted with a body near him, Lucas raised his countenance to face her. He looked so angry when his gaze fell on her, that his eyes seemed to want to annihilate her. His expression was intimidating, but that didn't move her. Marina slid the bag from her shoulder, got down on her knees beside him and took out the Philosophy book. She opened it in front of Lucas, so that he could see what she was doing, and drew from among the pages a sheet folded in half. She extended it to him and held it for a few seconds until he resolved to take it.

Seeing that he had no intention of opening the paper any time soon, Marina closed the backpack, got up and prepared to leave. Though she wanted to ask him a million questions, his disappointing apathy tempted her to return to her friends. It was pathetic. She had gotten there very determined and, from one second to another, she had changed her mind. The problem was that the crucial question kept pounding in her head: would she really want to hear the explanations Lucas could give her?

She had already moved three steps away, when she heard, "Did you do this?" His voice revealed surprise.

Marina turned back and found that Lucas had at last opened the sheet she had given him. As she didn't want to shout because they were too far apart, she took a few timid paces towards him and nodded.

The fury in the boy's face blurred and he seemed to be just someone with a serious air. Yet, his expression didn't take long to change to mockery, as he commented, "You could have made a bigger effort. Just a ten is too poor."

Feeling outraged, Marina exploded, "What? The next time you do it, I'm not your servant. And you better remember that I did it only because the teacher gave me no choice, otherwise, instead of a ten, you would have a big fat zero."

That said, she had nothing else to do there and was ready to leave. Her body didn't obey, however, and it demanded her to remember the real reasons that had led her there. In a flashback, she recalled all the strange moments she thought associated to Lucas and felt the mark on her back on fire. Sheesh! Why did he wake such contrary feelings in her?

Against all expectations, she threw the backpack down and walked from one side to another to appease the anger. More relaxed, she sat in front of him with her legs crossed. She took the sheet from his hand gently, as she sighed, and looked at the text. Without lifting her eyes from the paper, she asked, "Is this true? Do you descend from this tribe for a fact?"

Lucas' face turned into something she couldn't decipher. It seemed that he was torn between responding or not to her question. He ended up saying, "Yes, my ancestors go back to this tribe."

"Sounds cool," replied Marina.

Lucas stood up quickly and snapped, "Cool? The hell is it cool! You know nothing about my life."

Marina was stunned by his reaction. Astonished, she got up too. There she was before him, ready to listen and to understand him, and what did he do? He played dumb and shooed her away as if she was a bothersome fly. Anger began to return to Marina. It was her turn not to mince words and to answer in the way he deserved.

Burning with ire, she burst, "Excuse me, mister 'I-Am-A-Badass', for not knowing anything about your life. Guess what? Your veneer of 'bad boy' is getting on my nerves! When you feel that you're capable of having a decent conversation that doesn't come down to insult me, come to me, because I really want to talk to you. Until then, I won't address another word to you, understand, you moron?"

Furious, Marina picked up her rucksack and sailed out of there. She wasn't even interested in turning around to see his reaction. She didn't have to step down before him. She wanted to know the truth about his involvement in the two incidents that she had suffered, but she had limits and she didn't have to put up with that. She was even willing to forget that he had helped her if he didn't change his attitude.

Marina was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't realize that she had already reached the bar and that Ana had her hand outstretched for some time, waiting for her to grab the lunch ticket she had asked her to buy.

"Hello! Earth to Ina," called Ana a little annoyed.

Marina seemed to wake up from her inner conversation and replied, "Huh? Don't call me that. You know I hate it."

"Yeah, but it works just fine when you're distracted. See how you woke up right away?"

Marina didn't bother to grumble. She took the ticket and the change and put them in her wallet while trying to send away the bad vibes from the encounter with Lucas.

Joshua was also in the bar, as he had kept company with Ana during the break, but his mood was not the best. Before he said something that he might regret later, he asked to be excused and disappeared between the students in the hallway. It was the first time Marina saw him cantankerous, and frankly, she'd rather see his sublime smile. She was already missing it.

Before Marina could think of what to do next, Ana rushed to pull her by the arm and dragged her toward a table for them to sit and talk. She didn't owe her one, but two conversations about guys. 'Trrriiimm' was the sound that made Marina sigh with relief - saved by the bell. She stood up from the chair in an automatic gesture to go to the locker to swap books, but Ana held her and cried, "You're not getting away with this. After French class comes lunch and then we'll have plenty of time to talk. I want all the details."

Books exchanged, they went to the classroom, got in and sat at the same table, as usual, while Joshua took the place behind them.

The tension between Marina's desk and the one in the back was almost palpable, so she decided to say something to Joshua to make things right between them. Before the bustle of the beginning of the class disappeared, she turned back and quizzed, "Are you coming to the canteen to have lunch with us?"

It was the only thing that occurred to her to ask to try to defuse the electrifying atmosphere between them. It was plausible that she asked that, after all he hung out with them and the lunch hour was approaching. She doubted that the answer would be positive, since he seemed truly mad.

In a low voice, and with a grin too ironic and provocative, Joshua replied, "No. We have three hours for lunch, so I'll eat at home. But you can always invite your other friend."

There was the reason for him to be that upset: jealousy. Their friendship had anything to do with the one that, after all, she didn't have with Lucas, since he kept pushing her away.

To contribute to that morbid humor of Joshua, Lucas knocked on the classroom door, asked permission of the teacher, and entered. He walked to his seat in at a slow pace, as he stared directly and defiantly at her, smiling with malice, as if they shared a secret. He sat two desks away from her, leaving Joshua purple with anger.

Aggravated with the reaction of those two, Marina replied to Joshua, "You're right. Maybe I'll invite Lucas for lunch. It would be a lot of fun! It's a shame, but I doubt that he would accept, since he's a staunch supporter of antisocial behavior. What a disappointment for me."

And she turned forward promptly. She was not willing to put up with a testosterone war. Definitely, she had to ban boys from her plane of existence. In just a week, two had entered her life and they had already bothered her too much. Lucas was a disruptive rude guy to, who was difficult to approach, while Joshua was the opposite, warm as a ray of sunshine. She admired his efforts to be her friend, but Gosh! They weren't dating, he couldn't behave like that.

Still before the beginning of class, Marina remembered that she had in her bag the book that Ana had asked her for., so she took it out and passed it to her. When Ana looked at the title, she put her thumbs up, showed her cinematographic smile and said, "Cool! At last."

The French teacher began to scribble the summary on the blackboard. When everyone finished copying things from the board, she explained that, before moving forward, she had an announcement to make. "The Executive Board met last week to make some important decisions. One of those has to do with the educational offer that school provides you. As it was the consensus of all teachers, we decided to implement the Tuesdays of Arts."

The result was a great buzz among the students, who wondered what the project was, forcing the teacher to tell them to shut up in order to continue. When she was given as much silence as possible, she explained, "The project consists of giving you the opportunity to experience something different in the Arts area. So, you have at your disposal several workshops which you can choose". Then, turning to a student on the front row, she asked, "Patricia, would you do me the favor of distributing one of these papers for each of your colleagues? Thanks."

The girl to whom the teacher talked got up from her seat and did what she was asked. Soon everyone had a sheet in front of them with multiple choices. The professor proceeded and added that, from all options, they could choose only one. After the end of classes, all teachers would gather to discuss the results, students would be distributed by the workshops according to their choices, and the official list would be affixed the following morning.

"The workshops are starting tomorrow and they are mandatory. Since they are after classes, here's a letter that you'll take home to deliver to your parents, to assure them that you aren't making this up. Besides, your names will be called to make sure you're attending, and by the end of each period an attendance report will be sent to your homes. Are there any questions?"

Some pupils decided to ask a few questions, forcing the professor to repeat certain data. When students were asked to choose the workshop they would like to attend, Marina looked at the sheet before her and read it to know what the proposals available were.

- Photography;

\- Painting/ Drawing;

- Radio;

- Sculpture;

- Design;

- Performing Arts;

- Dance;

- Singing.

Marina wrinkled her nose straight away to the last option. Her singing was more like the cawing of a crow than the melody of a nightingale, so that one was outside her range of choices. Also she couldn't dance, given that she was clumsy and had two left feet. To do anything related to painting was a nightmare; she still felt traumatized by the Visual Education classes and the teachers' screams claiming that she couldn't even draw a cross. That left her the Performing Arts, Photography and Radio. Hmm, it didn't seem to her that she was a great actress or photographer, and never had anything to do with Radio. It would be a tricky decision.

Marina's reasoning was interrupted by Ana, who asked her in low voice so that the teacher wouldn't hear them, "Do you know what you'll choose?"

"No, I'm still reading what's available," muttered Marina.

"Do we choose the same thing?"

Marina thought for a moment. She didn't want to decide on a workshop only because that was the one her friend had chosen, but because it mattered to her. Truth be told, their tastes were nothing alike. Not wanting to hurt Ana's feelings, she replied carefully, "I think it's better that we each choose what pleases us most. We have different tastes."

Ana nodded in agreement. "Yes, indeed. Don't tell me what you'll choose and I'll do the same. In the end, we'll see what happens."

"Okay" said Marina as she winked her eye.

She concentrated once more on the paper and in her reflection. If she couldn't sing, her voice would also suck for radio. As for theatre, she had to pretend about something every day, and she wasn't very good at it. By elimination, she would go for Photography. Maybe they would photograph cool stuff. Still in doubt, she marked a cross in the Photography square, folded the paper and waited for someone to pick it up. Moments later, the same girl who had distributed the sheets gathered the papers. Patricia also distributed the letters for students to deliver to their parents, which included contacts of the Class Director so that could be used clarify any qualms.

While Patricia finished her task, Ana turned to Marina and asked with enthusiasm, "So, what have you chosen?"

Marina hinted a grimace and answered, "I chose Photography. And you?"

"Performing Arts. So we're not in the same workshop," regretted Ana.

"Theatre? I'll pass. I have no knack for acting," said Marina, as she put her tongue out to illustrate how contemptuous her performance was as an actress.

Ana then turned back to ask Joshua what had been his choice, to which he replied that he had chosen Design, because he thought it was good to expand horizons and to try different things.

The teacher asked for silence to begin the class itself and the following minutes were spent conjugating verbs in the 'Passé Composé'.

When the bell released students for lunch, the conversation revolved around the workshops. The charming Joana bragged that she had chosen Performing Arts, as she was a great actress and she certainly would get all the main roles in the plays that would be staged. Ana pretended to throw up when she heard her, since the two of them were in the same workshop. What bad luck! As if classes weren't enough, she still had to deal with that girl full of one's self in the workshop.

They passed by the reprography so that Ana could take some copies and when they were ready, it was five minutes before noon. If they put themselves on their way, they would arrive at the canteen right when it was opening. They could always have lunch later, but taking into account that they would have two hours of Physical Education, they preferred to have the food digested well before starting to jump. Ana could vouch for that. She had ventured once to eat before that class because she was starving, and after five minutes of racing, she was already running to the bathroom to expel the stomach's content.

If they thought so, better they did. They got to the canteen right when the employee was opening the door, so they went in first. They had a calm lunch and their talk revolved around Ana's visit to her grandparents. According to her, it had gone well, but her grandfather suffered with severe flatulence problems, which wasn't very nice. Moreover, her brother had spent the whole time making jokes about it and she tried at all cost to conceal it. Of course her grandfather found out pretty soon that he was being teased and he gave Carlinhos a lecture.

When they left the canteen, the girls found a more pleasant weather, with no wind, which made the day more enjoyable since the temperatures weren't too low for the season. The shy rays of sunshine peeped from time to time, so they decided to wait for the next classes by sitting on the fence that separated the 'Bosnia' from the High School itself. From there, they had a privileged perspective of what was happening on the campus and in the outdoor area; plus, they could get a little warmth.

Now that they were alone, it was time for Ana to get the information she wanted, starting with the topic of 'Lucas'. Dragging her voice, she inquired, "So, how was the conversation with the bad boy?"

"With whom?" retorted Marina, pretending not to know what Ana was talking about.

"With Lucas, duh! Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."

Marina struggled for a moment. How could she describe her encounter with Lucas? It had been an emotional shamble, very confusing and contradictory. In short, it had been a mess. She stared at Ana, who was waiting for a response, and said, "It was no big deal. I went to him, handed him the Philosophy write-up and once more he played stupid. And get this: he told me that, since I had done the work for him, I could at least have tried harder to get a better score than a ten."

"That guy can't be for real. He has incredible effrontery. But did you get to talk to him about those theories of your accident in the river?"

Marina released a long sigh. She hadn't got to ask him anything about that. She wanted to, but she had felt invaded by feelings so antagonistic that she ruined everything. Truth be told, Lucas hadn't facilitated either. Maybe it was better not to query him in the near future - he would have to change his attitude first.

Reluctant, Marina confessed, "No, we didn't talk about anything. He began to act silly, I got impatient and took off. Look, let's just pretend that it was all an extreme crazy dream I had and we won't go through it anymore."

Ana opened her mouth in amazement. "Wow! He must really be out of your league."

"Why do you say that?" questioned Marina, caught by surprise by that observation.

"Because the Marina I know doesn't give up easily. When she falls from the horse, she gets back up quickly. Are you sure you don't want to try it again?" insisted Ana. "I wish you'd rather stay away from him, but maybe you won't get that out of your mind until you know if he really helped you."

Marina's answer didn't take long. "What I know is that, for now, I want to forget this. And he has to change a bit too, otherwise we can't exchange more than two words and none of them nice, I assure you."

"Well, if by chance you give up trying to talk to him, I know a certain someone who will be happy with that," said Ana amid suggestive grins.

Joshua - it was him Ana was talking about. His reaction upon knowing that Marina was just delivering a sheet to Lucas had been pretty exaggerated and he hadn't even taken the trouble to hide his opinion.

Annoyed to remember the scene, Marina tried to explain, "Joshua will have to get used to the fact that I can talk with anyone. He doesn't own me and we have nothing to do with each other. We're just friends."

Ana rejected the last part and underlined, "Are you sure of that? I don't think that if you saw him talking to another girl you'd be so indifferent. Not after yesterday."

"Of course I would," assured Marina. "It's his life. Besides, he's always talking to you and you don't hear me complaining about it, do you?"

Ana's eyes sliced into Marina and she snorted. It was normal that Marina said nothing when she saw Joshua talking to her; she was her best friend whom Marina trusted. She knew she wouldn't cross the invisible line that had been drawn, even against Marina's will and without even realizing it.

It was Marina who recovered the conversation, protesting, "His reaction was exaggerated. I just handed a paper to Lucas. What if, for example, I'm given a male partner chosen by the teacher in Physical Education? I'll have to say 'thanks, but I cannot accept because Joshua will get upset?' Things don't work like that."

Ana shook her head and contested, "You're right about that, but you didn't just hand an assignment to Lucas. Joshua is no fool and he noticed that there was something more between you two."

Marina wanted to contradict Ana's comment, but she was correct; she hadn't simply gone to Lucas to deliver him a paper. The more he pushed her back, the more his magnetism seemed to attract her and she couldn't resist him. Perhaps she felt connected to him due to her goofy fantasy that he had helped her and, in turn, she wanted to be his friend and be there for him when he needed. It was a crazy theory, nonetheless it was the one that seemed to make sense.

Ana crossed her hands in front of her and, with a lot of patience, explained, "While you were with Lucas this morning, Joshua told me what you did yesterday, only lightly, but I can tell it was very important to him."

"And it was important to me too," hurried Marina to remark. "Did you know that he helped me to walk along the river's rail again? We went from the ice cream shop to his house walking along the wall and he never let go of my hand. Of course I appreciate that. I'm not insensitive, nor do I have a stone heart! However, it doesn't give him the right to control me."

While listened to the part about walking hand in hand, Ana imitated small groans as if enjoying a beautiful scene of a romantic movie. What could she say to Marina so that she would understand Joshua's reaction? She was too stubborn to change her mind. She sighed and said, "Open your eyes at once, Marina. Even if you didn't want to, you ended up creating a bond. You have to give him a rain check, his point of view isn't totally wrong."

If Ana thought that they had created a connection just by walking hand in hand, what would she think if she knew that they had danced in the rain? Thinking of this episode made Marina flush, still she refused to share this with her friend – it was her private fantasy.

Noting that Ana was watching her, especially after her having blushed, Marina took a deep breath and admitted, "You're right. It's my fault. I should have set a limit. I gave him space to maneuver and he confused things. Moreover, I even allowed him to come to school with me this morning. Things went a little too far, so I'll talk to him."

"What? You came to school together?" shrieked Ana in amazement.

Right, she hadn't told her that yet. She was utterly failing in the part agreed that they wouldn't have secrets from one another. Before she could open her mouth, Ana counter-attacked, "He humbled himself for you by becoming dirty in a mud puddle, you went out yesterday and today you came to school together. And now you declined his company to go talk to another guy. He's a dude – of course he felt betrayed. Don't you know men?"

So what? Marina thought. Would it be illegal to talk to other boys just because she had been his tour guide and they had gone to school together? What bedlam! She really had a lack of experience in that field. She had no idea that one little thing could have so many different meanings. She had to do something to put things in their proper places and she would do it that same afternoon, beginning with Joshua. She would tell him not to wait for her next morning, since she would return to her solitary walk. That way there would be no room for misunderstandings. Despite her decision, Marina felt mad and sad at the same time. Why should she approach people as her mother had made her promise, if she only found nuisances? Even Ana was angry with her...

When it was about time for the bell to ring for Portuguese class, Marina could no longer stand the compliments that Ana kept weaving about Joshua. Honestly, she had 'disconnected' long ago and just nodded her head at what Ana said from time to time, or mumbled a 'hum-hum' as if she was right. Ana was pleased to think she was hearing her, but Marina was... miles away and bored.

When they arrived near the classroom, Joshua was already there, talking with a group of guys in a very animated way. Upon seeing her, he looked away, ignoring her on purpose. Marina devaluated his reaction and turned her face away. Doing so, she became conscious that Joshua wasn't the only one who was already there: for the first time Lucas appeared before the beginning of a lesson. Miracle, she felt like exclaiming, yet she merely staged a smile. Perhaps the reprimand she had given him that morning had had some effect. Lucas had headphones in his ears and was holding an MP3 player. Although she doubted he'd be able to listen to something besides music, he became aware of her presence in that same second. Furtively, he turned his face in her direction and his lips outlined one of those spicy smiles so characteristic of him. That guy couldn't smile without seeming to be insinuating something? It made her feel uncomfortable.

Marina sighed and turned to Ana to talk about the program they had after school. Curious, she questioned, "Do you know of any esoteric shop where we can buy that amulet? I've been thinking about it, but I can't figure out if there's anything like that in Alcácer."

"I do. I mean, it's not exactly an esoteric store, but I'm sure that they'll help us if we say we want an amulet to stop the bad luck."

Marina hoped so. The negative vibes around her insisted on returning, and they were so strong that she almost felt them burning her skin.

Their conversation was interrupted by the teacher, who arrived and invited pupils to join her inside the room. Marina took her usual place next to Ana, turned forward and watched the other classmates also sitting down. She noticed then that Joshua was staying behind, as if waiting for something, and soon discovered that he wouldn't sit at the table behind hers. Noticing that one of the boys with whom he was talking before had no desk partner, Joshua went to him and settled down beside him. The message was clear as water and Marina just thought that, if that's what he wanted, that's how things would be. As if the scene couldn't become any more bizarre, unexpectedly Lucas rose from the desk at which he was sat alone and moved to the table right behind Marina and Ana, where Joshua had been before - he had just taken his place.

If anyone looked at Marina, they would say that she made one think of a strawberry, for how red her face was. Irritation or shame? Maybe both. Joshua also didn't stay indifferent to Lucas' change of place and clenched his jaw so hard, that Marina could almost hear his teeth gnashing.

Overwhelmed, Marina slid down in her chair and muttered to Ana, "Please, dig me a deep hole where I can stick my head. A tunnel to get out of here will also do."

If she thought the Philosophy presentation lesson had been embarrassing, that beat it by far. Although she tried to concentrate on what the teacher said, she couldn't help feeling embarrassed by the heavy looks from the boys. Her head was overflowing, therefore she wasn't able to capture anything from the lesson; she would have to study at home later.

As soon as the bell rang, Marina grabbed her things and didn't even bother to put them in the backpack. She just wanted to get out of there. She ran to the locker and only there did she put both book and diary in the backpack. Then she grabbed the material for Physical Education and headed for the cloakroom. She found it empty, as she was first one to arrive, but soon Ana joined her.

Smirking, Ana relayed, "Whoa! You got out of there faster than Julia Roberts left the church in Runaway Bride."

"No kidding. I could even feel their looks darting over my head. I think that they cast me an evil eye. I'm getting a king size migraine," complained Marina at the same time as she rubbed her temples.

Ana laughed. In fact, it was an ironic and even comical situation: her friend, who had always tried to avoid the hassles inherent to relationships, now had two boys preparing for an authentic battle and the prize was her.

Very entertained, Ana noted, "I just didn't understand Lucas' attitude. Does the creepy guy also have a crush on you or what?"

Marina opened her eyes wide, startled by that comment. It couldn't be true, after all, if Lucas liked her a little bit, he wouldn't have been so inconvenient when she tried to talk to him. She put on a stiff expression and grumbled, "I know what he was doing. Lucas doesn't like anyone. He simply realized that Joshua is mad at me and, as he doesn't like him very much either, he decided to tease him. It seems like he's only okay when he's causing trouble."

Marina was so upset that she didn't notice that she had pulled her coat with such strength, that she had dragged half of the bandage off her left elbow. She just realized that when the wound started to bleed and, therefore, it felt on fire. Marina uttered a contained 'ouch!' which led Ana to look at her arm. Ana approached her, observed her lesion and placed the patch back in place. Then she asked, "Is it from the Saturday's accident?"

"Are," she corrected, showing her friend both elbows.

Ana sat beside her and whispered, "You still haven't said much about that."

"I know. The problem is that there are things so intimidating, that you lose the will to talk about them."

Marina recalled what she had told Ana by phone. She hadn't even told her about the suspicions regarding the weird elements. She thought of hiding those things, but reconsidered. She was storing too much inside and keeping her friend away from part of the whole that was her life. While she finished dressing, Marina poured out the facts of the car accident, since the appearance of the ominous black figure, right up until the moment the fire fighters left in the ambulance with the corpse of the car driver.

At the end of the story, Ana was stunned. When she was able to think clearly, she quizzed, "Do you really think that Lucas knows how to do the spiritual stuff that Indians do?"

"I have no idea. When I handed him the Philosophy write-up, I tried to talk about it, but I barely opened my mouth to broach the subject and I was kicked out of there. It seems that he's sensitive about this topic. Mysticism aside, it seems to me the most logical explanation."

Ana tied her sneakers' laces, got up from the bench and took a few steps to see if they were good. While doing so, she told her friend, "Okay, I can also conceive theories like that. Get this: you're soul mates who have some kind of connection and he senses when you're in danger. Once he realizes that something is wrong for you, he makes that ritual magic stuff and he tries to help you. What do you think?"

She didn't know what to think. All the theories she had formulated involved something supernatural, so Ana also had the right to her fictional speculation. And it could even be real as well. Accepting that, was way more complicated. Part of her told her that if she continued to speak of those things, soon Ana would think that she was going crazy for sure, so she decided to show her the hand mark on her back. She turned back to Ana, lifted her t-shirt and asked, "What do you see?"

"Huh... Your back?" replied Ana, hesitating.

"And the mark of a hand, can you see it? It's a little below the ribs on the right side," she pointed out.

"What mark? What are you talking about?"

Marina remembered that the mark was very distinctive, so she couldn't understand why her friend didn't get a glimpse of it. Confused, she ran to the mirror next to the sink, turned around and took a peek: there was the reflection of her lower back, but... spotless. Great, now I'm doomed and people will start calling me crazy. So much for my only proof, she thought. Intrigued and a bit discouraged, she returned next to Ana and finished equipping herself.

Feeling that she had to justify herself, she said, "I got the mark of his hand on my back, but it disappeared. But I'm not a silly girl who can't think. If I was pushed now, you would see red on that spot too, but it would disappear with time. I no longer have the mark, of course; it has been two days since then. Anyway, I should have taken a picture of it."

Ana agreed. She should have taken a photo, but she always took the risk of being considered a liar, and people could claim that she had done the mark, which wasn't very complicated to do.

In response Ana affirmed, "Don't torture yourself, let it go. It doesn't matter anyway, even because we're handling your protection next. Now we have to go to the gym; the teacher has been calling us for some time."

CHAPTER TEN

Confusion reigned in Marina's head when she entered the sports pavilion. Ana pulled her close to their classmates, to hear the teacher's instructions; she let herself be dragged as she tried to unravel the cacophony on her mind.

"Let's start by ten turns around the field and then we'll do the warm up," ordered the coach.

Everyone began to run and Ana rushed to push Marina for her to awake and jog. Marina did it mechanically. While she was running, she didn't stop wondering how she hadn't realized that the mark on her back was gone. It looked like a burn and it couldn't have vanished from one day to the next, just like that.

Immersed in her thoughts, she didn't notice the audible gasp of Ana when she saw Joshua passing by them, wearing a sleeveless shirt and long shorts that rested perfectly on his butt. Ana's excitement increased the very next second; this time, the gasp gave place to a little cry of amazement when she noticed Lucas also passing by them very fast, wearing pants-for-training and a tight shirt that allowed one to guess his well delineated abdominals. "Uh, scandalous! The bad boy isn't that bad at all, and in truth he has a nice body. I wasn't expecting that", she confessed.

Marina thought that she should really be on the moon, because she missed both Joshua and Lucas passing by her. On one hand, it was a good thing, as it meant that she was putting aside the problems with boys by censoring their presence in the space they shared. However, if she was ignoring them, it was just because she was busy weaving conspiracy theories and crazy assumptions alike.

After ten turns around the field, the teacher guided the warm-up and announced that, from then on, a different student in each class would be chosen to take his place. Next, he went to the gym's private room, came out with a bag full of basketballs and announced, "I've already decided what will be the first sport that we'll approach. Yes, you see basket balls, but they are only for this class, as the material for the other modality wasn't available."

"What modality is that?" one of the students asked.

"Canoeing. We're going to do some canoeing in the river Sado."

"No!" screamed Marina all of a sudden, stunning her colleagues.

Everyone turned to her and found her with a panic stricken face. Just the idea of wetting a single finger in the river made her sweat profusely. It was truth that she would be in a canoe, but it could turn around and she would fall to the water. She wouldn't do canoeing; no way. When she learnt that all eyes were on her, Marina grabbed Ana's arm and gestured the teacher to continue, something he did almost straight away.

"On Wednesday you must present properly equipped down town, on the pier along the river, near the Fisherman's Park. Since you still have classes after that and you have to walk back to school and take a shower, we'll meet on the pier half an hour before class and I'll let you out half an hour earlier. Okay?"

The students nodded in agreement. In the end, they didn't have much of a choice: if the lesson was in the river, they had to be there when the teacher ordered them to.

Marina said nothing, although she was extremely distressed and as pale as if she hadn't one drop of blood in her body. How could he ask her to enter the river? Maybe one day she would do it, but at the moment it was too early. She had to avoid it.

Before she could make up an excuse that would save her from the canoeing, the teacher added, "Let's divide into two teams. Joana, you choose a team and Patricia chooses another. The team of Joana wears the yellow jackets and the other remains as it is."

Both girls put themselves in front of the class and started calling the names of the colleagues alternately. After this selection, Ana and Joshua were in Joana's team and Marina and Lucas played in Patricia's. The teacher sent each team to their side of the field and threw the ball in the air, starting the game.

With her classmates entertained, Marina took a chance to slip away from the field to go to the coach, who was busy refereeing the game. When he noticed her close to him, he gave her a stern look and told her to return to the field.

"I'll be right back, sir, but I have something very important to talk to you about," said Marina in a low voice, too hard to hear with all the screams from the match.

The teacher responded in a harsh way, "And it couldn't wait until later? Must you talk to me now, during the game?"

"It's just that... I cannot do canoeing," muttered Marina with her hands behind her back and looking down.

"Why? Do you have a broken arm that makes it impossible for you to paddle?"

Marina stared at her elbows and showed him the bandages, in saying that she had no broken arms, but they weren't at one hundred percent. She sighed and tried to explain herself fast, to return to the game before the teacher would destroy her with just his will. "A week ago someone pushed me from the bridge and I nearly drowned. I can't go back to the river, I just can't do it."

Scowling, the professor responded back, "I heard about it, but I'm not going to treat you differently from the other students. What we're going to do is not dangerous; everyone will be using life vests."

Marina was becoming irritated. Would it be so hard for him to understand that the river scared her? Still, she decided to make one last attempt. "What if I bring a note from my mother saying that she doesn't want me to do that class? Or what if I get a certificate from a doctor or a psychologist?"

"Miss, if you fail the lesson, you'll get a negative grade in that sport. It's as simple as that. Notes from your mommy don't work nor psychologists notes. Now, go back to the game."

There was no way to argue against the stubbornness and intransigence. Marina thought that, who needed to be thrown off the bridge, was him. When she got home, she would talk to her mother to work out a solution. She couldn't go into the river, but it wasn't her fault, therefore she shouldn't have a zero just because of that. She had to think of a way out. Meantime, her team was losing, so she decided to concentrate on the match.

The ball was in possession of her team captain, Patricia. Marked by Ana, Patricia passed the ball to a team-mate, who was surprised by Joana, who took the ball. Joana came straight at Marina - it was her turn to intervene. The hag turned her back to her to defend the sphere, while Marina tried to take it from her. Without Marina predicting it, Joana backed her leg slightly further and threw herself back with strength, pushing her to the ground and slipping to run. There she was, butt on the floor, but it was fine; it was just a game and her opponent had been smarter.

Lucas was able to retrieve the ball for their team and passed it to someone, until it was sent to her. With room for progress almost at the basket, Marina took the opportunity and began to dribble. However, she didn't get far: Joana came out of nowhere, nailed a pothole and made her sprawl on the floor, as the ball ran away from her.

"Fault," shouted the professor.

Once was okay, but twice was provoking. Teased, Marina stood up and headed toward Joanna. Both leaned in shoulder to shoulder, stared at each other with fiery eyes and Marina stated, "If this is how you want to play, so it shall be."

The teams ran towards Joana's basket and Marina followed their example. Again a team-mate passed her the ball to shoot, and she decided not to miss the chance. At the moment she was throwing the sphere, Joana gave her a shove and she fell sideways to the ground, injuring her elbow, which made her cry out in pain. The ball went in anyway and the teams quickly left in the opposite direction, except Marina, who remained on the floor trying to glue back one of the bandages.

The game went on the same way, until the teacher thought it was time to end it. "Marina and Joana, I want you both on the bench immediately. On second thoughts, Marina, go to the changing room and treat your arm, that's in pretty bad shape."

Marina didn't understand what he meant, so she looked at her left arm: half of the bandage had come off and the blood ran down her arm. The adrenaline rush was such, that she thought only of defeating Joana's team and had no pain. She wrinkled her nose to what she saw and left the field.

As she headed to the locker room, she heard Joshua asking her softly, "Are you okay?" The boy was near the line marking the edge of the field and tried to watch the game, while talking with her.

After all that had happened that day, he had the nerve to ask her how she was doing? Marina snapped, "As if you cared!" She turned her back on Joshua and walked fast to the changing room, closing the door behind her. She went to her bag, took the phone and found that there were ten minutes to the end of class. She had to wait for Ana to go to the esoteric store, nonetheless it was good to have the place all to herself. She got undressed and headed for the shower.

The hot water falling upon her body provided a strange contrast: on one hand her muscles relaxed, but, on the other, it made the wounds on her elbows' burn, especially the one that she had hurt when she fell during the basketball challenge. After leaving the shower, she got dressed and put her laundry inside her backpack. She would take that shopping afternoon with Ana to buy a new sports bag to carry her Physical Education material. The one she had last year had lost its zip and, when she grabbed it a few days ago, she found an enormous hole that forced her to discard it.

The classmates begun to arrive in the room, stumbling into each other, until it was filled with an infernal cackle. When Ana went to get her things close to her, Marina took the chance to tell her that she would wait outside. She knew that once everyone got into the bath, the place would become a steaming sauna.

Marina left the locker-room and went to sit at the school's door. She was tired. There were too many dramas to deal with at the same time that day. Exhausted, she put her head between her knees, closed her eyes and pretended to be somewhere else, in a place more fun. Lost in her imagination, she would have missed Joshua passing by, if it wasn't for the group of five girls who followed after him, squealing. Joshua stopped ten feet away from her and put on his shirt that he had taken off with the heat. Marina studied him: he was in excellent shape, and looked like a Greek God with his ethereal beauty. Those girls were right to follow him. Hey! What the heck was she thinking? They were upset, she couldn't praise him not even in thoughts.

Surrounded by girls, Joshua didn't see that she was sitting there. He just picked up his things and walked away with the flock of turkeys behind him. He hadn't waited for her as he had said. That saddened her a bit, because it showed that he was mad at her for real. Marina thought that it might be for the best. If he hadn't waited for her that day, they wouldn't go to school together the next morning for sure.

"Ready to go, honey?" asked Ana, suddenly appearing at her side.

Marina was startled and almost climbed up the door with the shock, which made her friend laugh. There was no joke in scaring her like that! She admonished herself. In fact, she couldn't lose herself that much in her inner world or she would always be surprised. Recomposed from the fright, she took her bag and headed with Ana to the gate. After crossing it, she found Lucas sitting on the fence across the road. It was the first time she saw him over there after classes and that didn't go unnoticed. Marina avoided looking at him, and asked Ana, "Where's this store we're going?"

"Not far from here. We just have to keep walking along this street. It's a funny place and it has the name of the castle's Moorish."

"Oh, yeah? I'm not seeing where it is."

"You'll soon see," assured Ana.

They followed the indicated route, and in less than fifteen minutes, they were at the store's entrance.

The way the letters were painted on the sign suggested something mystical, as well as the articles in the showrooms. When crossing the doorway, Marina became aware that the interior of the store resembled... a bazaar? She didn't know what name to give it, but she could see that a lot of things were sold there, from clothes to accessories, such as necklaces, earrings and purses. And they all looked very exotic. Ana ran straight to a pole that had several pieces of clothing hanging on it. She passed them one by one, until she picked up a yellow Oriental-style blouse, with small bright circles decorations, like the clothes of the belly dancers. It was beautiful. Ana turned the price tag and, noting it wasn't expensive, became very happy – she would not leave the store without it.

A woman, who would be aged around her early fifties, came from behind a curtain. Her hair, dyed in 'cashew', fell onto her shoulders. Here and there, she had some gray locks, which gave her an unusual look. She wore her eyes painted with a black outline, very flashy, and wore a purple tunic and long skirt that reached her feet.

The woman went to the small balcony of the store and greeted them. "Good-afternoon, ladies. Can I help you?"

Ana was so amused choosing clothes that she didn't see anyone else there beyond them. Marina approached the counter. Honestly, she had no idea what she was looking for, so she thought it was best to tell the situation to the shopkeeper. "Hi. My name is Marina and I'm looking for... I don't even know what I'm searching for. I want an amulet or a stone, something that provides me with some kind of protection."

"I see... You came to the right place, miss. There are several types of protective stones, so you have to tell me a little more about your problem in order to determine the most appropriate ones."

Marina thought a little on how to explain the situation, since she didn't want to tell the woman her whole life story. After some thought, she just told the old woman that she had had two accidents in recent days, and that she felt that there was something evil associated to them. That summary had to be sufficient.

"Talking about bad luck," exclaimed the shopkeeper. "Looking at your problem, I suggest two stones that are my favorites. Don't forget that I propose them according to my interpretation of the case, and if you go to another place, it's possible that you'll be recommended other ones. Do you understand what I mean?"

Marina assented and waited for the employee to go ahead with the speech. Ana joined them at last, holding in her hand the yellow blouse that she had seen before.

The clerk took a tiny box from underneath the counter and opened it in front of them. The interior was coated in what seemed to be red velvet, and it contained several stones, each its own color and brightness. The woman took two and showed them one by one.

"This is a black and white agate and it is associated with the element earth. Since it guards against physical dangers, it seems quite appropriate, given the physical injuries that you have suffered." After putting the stone gently on the counter, the woman showed the following one that was purple and shiny, and said, "This is an amethyst. It's considered very spiritual and it brings peace and harmony. It clears the connections between the Earth plane and other worlds, and dissipates the negative energy. As you told me that you feel a large negative energy around you, I recommended it." And she placed it next to the other one, allowing the girls to contemplate them.

As much as she looked at them, Marina couldn't settle for any. She had a problem with bad energies, which translated into physical problems. Finally, she asked, "Can I take them both?"

"Sure! By the way, if you want, I can make you a nice bracelet with both stones. I know that girls prefer to use those instead of having two stones hanging around their necks. The bracelet is more discreet."

"Great! Better yet," answered Marina with a radiant smile.

Grabbing the box from the counter, the clerk asked, "Can you wait just five minutes?"

"Okay, we'll wait here. We'll take that time to see if there's anything else we want to buy."

The two friends walked through the store once more and they especially viewed the earrings and rings, which were accessories that they both appreciated.

As the woman had said, five minutes later she returned. She motioned for Marina to approach and stretched her arm so that she could put the bracelet on her right wrist. The girl watched her attentively while she moved. When the bracelet was put on, Marina felt lighter straight away. She hoped that the stones would work and protect her. With the object placed on her wrist, Marina asked the clerk how much it cost, to which she replied, "This is on the house. Something tells me that you're in serious trouble and that will help, you'll come back here often."

"Thanks, but I sincerely hope that I don't have to come back here to ask for more protection. That would be a bad sign," murmured Marina.

The woman smiled and nodded her head in understanding.

Marina studied the bracelet, while Ana paid for the yellow blouse. As they left the shop, the employee said "Fell free to come back."

Along the street, Ana asked to see Marina's bracelet. She said that it was cute, but she wouldn't trade it her beautiful shirt that was so her. She would show it to her mother as soon as she arrived at the accounting firm.

"You're going to the office? I still have two purchases to get," interrupted Marina.

"I told my mom that I would be late, but she already sent me a text not to linger. It seems that my brother's teacher wants to talk to her. I can only guess what Carlinhos has done this time."

So much for her company. But that was the way life was, so Marina made a sign with her hand for Ana to forget about that and replied, "No sweat. What I still have to buy is nothing special; I can do it alone."

The friends walked together to Marina's place, each one praising openly the objects they had just acquired. When they arrived in front of the old building, Ana said goodbye and went to her mother's office, while Marina entered home just to leave the backpack in the bedroom, before going to the store where she intended to make the last purchases.

Luckily, only two people were at store, which meant she wouldn't take long. She had no difficulty in finding a cute sports bag, suited to her needs. She searched some more and also found an umbrella that reminded her of the one she had before. It was so similar that her mother may not even notice that it wasn't the same. That would be great – it represented one less lecture.

With every purchase made, Marina returned home. Once again she was greeted by an empty space,. She went to her bedroom, threw the sports bag under the bed and put the umbrella in the rucksack. Next, she dressed in her pajamas and applied some healing ointment to the wounds on her elbows. As she had no homework, she grabbed the authorization to attend the Art Workshops and took it with her into the kitchen, where she dedicated herself to cooking dinner.

When her mother got home, she toasted Marina with an exclamation, "Yum! That smells good. Dinner must be delicious."

Marina smiled. She hoped that the dinner was good and that it had the right seasonings. It was a new recipe, therefore she wasn't used to do it. While mom went to her room to get rid of the working clothes, Marina took a spoon and served both plates.

Luísa returned and sat across the table, facing Marina. She looked at her plate and nodded her head in approval. Both got their forks and started to eat dinner. Yum-Yum! If Marina knew it was that good, she would have tried that recipe before. Her mother, who usually ate very little, even had seconds.

After supper, they cleaned the kitchen and sat on the couch for a while. Marina remembered then about the authorization that the teacher had given her, and went to get it. After taking a pen from the cabinet drawer, she sat on the couch and passed the sheet and pen to her mother.

"What's this?" asked Luísa.

"I think it's an authorization. The Class Director said that we'll have art workshops on Tuesday afternoons after school, and this paper tells parents about it. You have to sign it to prove that you have knowledge of where I am on Tuesdays after classes."

"Art workshops? That's interesting. And which one will you attend?"

"I chose Photography, but I'll know which one I'm placed in tomorrow. From what I understood, it depends on the number of vacancies," elucidated Marina.

Her mother began to read what the paper said without rushing. When she finished, she signed her name and returned the sheet to her so that she could deliver it back to the Class Director.

However, matters related to school weren't over yet and the next one was quite delicate. With care, she started, "Mom, do you think you can go to the school tomorrow to talk to someone of the Executive Board?"

"Why? Don't tell me you got into trouble."

Marina lifted an eyebrow and groaned, "Geez, such suspicion! As if I'm always getting into troubles in school... I did nothing wrong. It's the Gym teacher. He said that we're going to do canoeing on the river on Wednesday."

Mom jumped up from the couch when she heard that. She could not believe her daughter would have to enter the mean river that had almost stolen her, so she shouted, "No way! I don't want you in the river. Just a week ago you barely escaped alive from there, so they're not putting you in a canoe. Didn't you explain to your teacher what happened?"

"I did," confirmed Marina. "But he said he wouldn't treat me any different from my colleagues. He also claimed that I could paddle, since I have no broken arms, and that it was safe, because we'll use life jackets."

In a nervous tone, her mother inquired, "And do you want to go canoeing?"

"Hell, no! I don't even want to go to the beach in the near future."

Luísa walked briefly from one side to another to put her mind in order. When she stopped, she turned to Marina and affirmed, "In that case, tomorrow I'll pass by your school. I will try to sort things out."

It was a relief to hear that. Marina had to confess that she feared that her mother would tell her that she had to do what the teacher ordered, even to overcome the fear related to the river. Hearing her saying that she would help her was comforting. Marina got up from the couch, hugged her and went to her bedroom.

After choosing the clothing to the next and getting her rucksack ready, Marina lay down in bed and picked up her phone. She had agreed with Joshua that they would go to school together the next morning and, after school, they were supposed to visit his home. As they had got mad at each other, she had no idea if they were sticking to the plans, even because, despite their fight, there was now the workshops issue. As a word to the wise was enough, Marina figured out that no plans remained, yet it seemed polite to say something to the boy. She began writing a message. The words seemed tangled at her fingertips, until she wrote at last, 'Hi! Do you think that we can leave for another day our plans regarding the journey to school and also the visit to your house? Thanks.' Joshua's response arrived twenty minutes later and just said 'OK'. Marina threw the phone onto the bedside table, settled down between the sheets, and went on zapping until she found a series that pleased her. Sleep didn't take long coming.

The alarm went off before 9a.m, startling her awake. Sleepy, she muttered something unpleasant, rubbed her eyes and stretched, forcing herself to wake up. She jumped out of bed and turned on the radio. She needed to start the day well and nothing better to cheer her up than good music.

She got dressed and looked in the mirror. Not bad, but she wanted to look better, so she applied some make-up; next, she moved onto her hair, picking up two skeins on both sides of her head and holding them with a hook behind the nape. To finish, Marina chose a pair of large earrings in Indian style. She had breakfast and started on her way to school.

This time, she arrived at the campus fresh as a daisy, as opposed to the previous day when she had got there all drenched in sweat. The weather also helped: it was sunny, but the temperature was low. After passing the gate, Marina found Ana waiting for her. She was wearing the yellow blouse that she had bought at the same store as the bracelet, and it suited her really well. Seeing Marina dressed up, Ana gasped, put two fingers to her mouth and gave a sounding whistle that echoed across the campus. Before everyone could turn to them, Marina moved fast till near to her friend, while making her a sign to be quiet.

As soon as Marina approached her, Ana exclaimed, "Whoa, girlfriend! Look who's all hot today. Eh, eh! I haven't seen you this good-looking for a long time, baby."

"Hush, Ana!" begged Marina. "You're making everybody look at me and I don't like it. It embarrasses me."

"It's rare for you to dress up, so it's a happening when you do it. So tell me, what special occasion deserves an outfit that sexy?" questioned Ana, all insinuating smiles.

"The occasion is related to a certain bracelet, remember? I figured that, if I want it to change my bad luck, I should start by making a small symbolic change myself."

"Good point. But that means that tomorrow you're back to jeans, right?"

"You bet," certified Marina. And both burst out laughing. Marina would never give up on her comfy jeans. They were part of her and of her identity.

When there was five minutes before the bell, Ana remembered that the information related to the Workshops should be posted in the lobby. She invited Marina to go check which one they got into, so they got to the entrance. Five sheets A4 size were posted on the board with a highlighted title 'Artistic Workshops'. Ana consulted the list and gave a little cry of happiness when she noticed that she had managed to get in Performing Arts as she wanted.

"And you, what did you chose?"

"Photography" remembered Marina.

Ana launched in pursuit of the list on the Photography workshop, but she found nothing. She read then aloud the small letters at the bottom of the sheets: "Please, be aware that not all proposed workshops will be active for lack of students wanting to attend them or for lack of a lecturer to teach them. Students who have applied to those workshops were randomly distributed to others, and so they must search their names in all lists to know which one they will attend."

The two friends began searching for Marina's name in the other papers and they found it at last.

"Painting and Drawing?" screamed Marina. "How did I get in Painting if I don't even know how to draw?" As if it wasn't enough not to be able to attend the option she had chosen, she had been placed in a workshop that was equivalent to learning Chinese; in fact, learning Chinese would be a lot easier. What was she going to do now?

The surprises didn't stop there, however. Ana went again through the list and laughed in a disconcerted way, which made Marina uneasy. When she went quiet, she turned to Marina and gave her insinuating eyes while she said in a sing-song intonation, "Guess who's in the same workshop as you..."

Before Marina could answer, she was surprised with a resounding "wow" that led her to turn around. Joshua was two feet away and looked at her from top to bottom, with his mouth wide open, leading her to blush. When he realized that Marina was staring at him, Joshua hurried to turn to his friends and pointed at the lists on the board, giving the impression that he was suggesting them to check them. While he and his pals approached the board, Ana and Marina moved away to give them more space. Although he tried to find his name on the papers, Joshua's eyes peered at Marina occasionally. It was one of his friends who confirmed that he was indeed in Design. Unexpectedly, he turned to Ana and inquired, "Are you where you wanted?"

"Yes, thank goodness! Marina was the unlucky one. She chose Photography and was placed by force in Painting and Drawing, which she hates. Alas, I remember that her doodles in Visual Education classes were awful."

Joshua gazed at Marina, who was pouting facing the criticism of her friend. He didn't take long with Marina and turned to concentrate on the list. He travelled a finger by the names of those attending the same workshop as her and his phiz became more serious. He turned to Marina with a stern expression and retorted, "Well, at least you'll have the company of your protégé. Maybe he's good at drawing and he'll give you some tips." Next he turned his back in a sudden and abrupt gesture, and began to move towards the classroom.

Marina shrugged and motioned to Ana that she didn't understand a thing of what had just happened. Ana wondered how it was possible for her not to realize it, after all Joshua had been pretty clear. Thwarted, Ana let out a moan. She rolled her eyes and spoke to Marina slowly, as if she were a kid, "Lucas is in the same workshop as you."

"Oh," Marina let out on a low note. That explained everything. But she had not chosen Painting because she knew that was what Lucas wanted to attend; in fact, she didn't even know that that had been his choice. She had been placed in Painting against her will, it was not her fault. Annoyed, she snorted and complained on the sly.

The bell rang, a warning them that they should head to the classroom, which they did. They found half of the classmates at the door, including Joshua who, upon seeing Marina, turned his back and promptly retreated further away.

Outraged, she confided to her friend, "Did you see that, Ana? And then you say it's my fault. If it was up to me, I wouldn't be in Painting for sure."

Ana agreed. Joshua was making her look bad. She had defended him enough and now he was behaving like a spoiled child. In the end, Ana only commented "Boys..." as if there was no cure.

The History teacher arrived meantime, opened the room door and the pupils began to enter. Marina crawled her way through her colleagues and pasted up behind Joshua. When he prepared to move in, she muttered at him between clenched teeth, "I chose PHOTOGRAPHY."

Before he could reply, Marina went to her table and sat down in one movement filled with fury. Ana joined her shortly after, while Joshua sat once again near his new friend. Lucas was the last one to enter. Finding that the place behind the girls remained vacant, he began to move there. However, he stopped at the first step when his eyes met Marina and widened in amazement. He remained still for a moment, staring at her, enraptured. He soon hastened to cover it when she looked up and saw him. He retraced his steps to the desk behind hers and, passing by her, couldn't resist smiling with irony and winking at her. Determined to restore the peace she felt when she was at home that morning, the girl preferred to ignore the wink and to pay attention to class.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The classes in the morning had gone well within reason. Ana and Marina were sitting at the school's door enjoying their remaining free time, as there was half an hour of their lunch time left before the next lesson.

It was with some surprise that Marina saw her mother entering school. Not knowing why she was there, she promptly got up and walked to her. "Is there something wrong, mom?" she asked.

Her mother calmed her down and recalled, "I'm just here to deal with that issue you told me about yesterday. I have a meeting with the Executive Board at two o'clock. I'll tell you how it went, ok? Now I really must go, I don't want to be late."

Her mother was supposed to pass by the school to talk about the canoeing lessons. Marina had forgotten about it, perhaps because she was too distracted with boys' obstinacies and workshops she hated. She just hoped her mom would be successful in order for her to escape that torture. She sighed. As there was nothing else she could do, she sat again next to her friend.

The bell was about to ring for entrance when mom returned, looking downcast as if she had been slain by a mountain of arguments that she had failed to refute. Marina moaned fearing what she had to tell her. With a trembling voice, she girl, "I'm going to do the class, right?"

Her mother put her hands on her hips. She had struggled at maximum, but the obtuseness of the people she faced was too persistent. With sorrow, mom announced, "Yes, you'll have to take the class. I really tried, but he called the school psychologist and sang me a mantra that it was safe and that it was good for you to stand up against your fears. And they said that, if you didn't do it, you would have a negative."

"And you, what did you say?"

"I tried to explain to them that it was too hard for you to do this, but they wouldn't relent. Then I told them that if something happened to you, like a panic attack, I would sue the school. The Principal hesitated, but then he said that he believed in the assessment of the psychologist, as well as the competences of the Physical Education teacher. After much more discussion, the only agreement I could get was a conditioned lesson."

Marina didn't understand what that meant, so she asked, "Conditioned lesson? What's that?"

"It means that if your colleagues take three or more turns in a canoe, you'll take only one for the teacher to evaluate you. I'm sorry, dear, this was the best I could get you. If you want to, you can skip that class, that's fine by me, but I imagine that a negative grade is not a viable option for you."

Marina was quite dismayed, nonetheless she knew that her mother had given her best shot and she couldn't ask for more. Trying to resign to the final decision, Marina drew a grimace next of a smile, shrugged and said, "Forget it, mom. I'll try to figure out how I can handle this later. We'll talk about it at home, okay?"

Her mother gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder and rushed out of the campus, to return to her job.

Marina looked furiously at the bracelet and growled, "You're doing a fine job, Bracelet! When are you waking up and beginning to work efficiently?"

Upon hearing this comment, Ana answered back, "I don't think the bracelet is malfunctioning. Think about it: did you have an accident? Did you see sinister figures or feel that you are being followed?"

Marina shook her head, stating no. She was still meeting with setbacks, but she hadn't suffered any accidents, which in itself was a victory. Maybe the bracelet really worked, although it couldn't control everything, like the unwillingness of teachers and headmasters. And that jerk of a psychologist? He must have gotten his diploma in the Internet. Trying not to think more about the drama that was reserved for the following day, she got up from the step and invited Ana to go to the locker to get their things for the next class.

The concern and distancing of Marina were so persistent that, both in Geography and English class, the teachers asked her more than once if everything was okay. She just nodded and apologized. She was fine physically, nevertheless she couldn't help but feel terrified at the prospect of what would happen in the next lesson of Physical Education. The professors just had to have patience, because her behavior wasn't changing any time soon.

Marina was so distracted that the bell of the last class sounded too remote to assimilate it. Ana had to strive to bring her back to reality. Next, they would have the first class of the Workshops and she was in the same as Lucas, which didn't contribute to restore her recent and fragile friendship with Joshua. But why did she feel guilty about being in the same workshop as Lucas? He was present in all classes they attended, meaning that was just one more. Maybe Joshua was upset for not being there and thus he couldn't 'inspect' what would happen. Bad luck for him! She was tired of thinking of him. What about her?

Marina said farewell to Ana and headed to the room where the workshop would take place.

If she thought things couldn't become more vexed, she was wrong: the painting room was right next to the one of the Design workshop. Joshua and Lucas were leaning on each classroom door and they were exchanging flashing glances that seemed to make the air vibrate. Marina observed the scenario presented to her: there were two distinct paths that she could follow. However, by picking one, she knew that she would have to deny the other as they were irreconcilable. Why did she have to choose? She wanted to get closer to Lucas so that he would tell her what was happening, but she also wanted to be friends with Joshua. Was it so hard to get what she wanted? It was great that they could all be friends.

By luck, the Design teacher was the first to arrive and Joshua soon disappeared into the room. Great! She no longer had to deal with his painful looks of disapproval. Soon after came the teacher of Painting and Drawing, and invited students to enter the room they had been assigned. Conformed, Marina crossed the doorway and sat alone at a desk at the bottom of the class. She really didn't want to be there...

The teacher gave them a warm welcome and explained what the workshop consisted of in basic terms. For what Marina could understand, for over an hour they could draw or paint whatever they wanted, and after they would have to show their work to the teacher for her to assess and give some tips on how to improve. Before they began to draw, the professor asked them to tell their names, from which class they came from, and why they chose that workshop.

Marina's turn didn't take long and she tried not to dwell on her speech, "Hello. My name is Marina, I'm from 11thE and I'm here because I chose Photography. As the school decided to cancel that workshop, I was put in Painting and Drawing."

"And how do you feel about that?" quizzed the teacher as she arched her eyebrows, anticipating potential problems with Marina's commitment.

The girl thought about it for a while. She felt like saying that she was angry, and that she even preferred to join the vixen Joana at Performing Arts, but she didn't do it. Instead, she answered, "I was sad to know that they had chosen this option for me, mainly because I can't draw anything. I'm an absolute zero in this area."

"You may be as bad as you claim, but the aim of this workshop is precisely to give students the chance to improve and learn some more. See this hour as that, an opportunity to improve."

Marina blew a sigh. She couldn't help feeling that she was there against her will, like a prisoner.

After her, the professor jumped to Lucas. Fortuitously, he was so far from her that she could barely see him through the other colleagues. She thanked for the distance, because if she had realized that he was staring at her when she was talking earlier, she would have been too nervous.

His voice made her focus on his words. "Hi! My name is Lucas and I'm also from 11thE. I chose this workshop, because I love to draw and, above all, to paint. I love to pick up a paintbrush, pass it over the canvas and see the shapes come alive. It's something unique."

Lucas spoke in a manner so passionate that Marina was impressed. She had never heard him talking with so much love for something. Those words full of meaning confirmed her that he also had a sensitive side. This was the side that she wanted to know one day.

"Lucas, I think you'll enjoy this class. Okay, let's proceed then. Here's a ream of paper for those who want to draw. But if you prefer something more advanced, you can use the easels, the canvas and the color palettes. And you can move around the room freely to ask advice from your friends. Shall we start, now?" suggested the professor, as she finished her speech with two claps to incentive them to get up from their seats and to go get the material.

Only four of them chose to start right away with the canvas, Lucas being one of these. Like most of her classmates, Marina also grabbed a piece of paper, chose one of several charcoal pencils scattered on a table and picked up a white rubber. She returned to her place, threw herself in the seat and stared at the blank sheet in front of her. What would she try to draw? A house? A person? A cat? She had no idea. She didn't know what to draw, she couldn't draw and did not feel like drawing. Ah! What frustration, she shouted inside.

Seeing her lost expression, the teacher approached her to give her some support. She pulled out a chair beside her and sat down. "Hello! What did you say your name was?" she asked.

"Marina, madam."

"Alright, Marina. From what I understood, you're here because you were forced to. You don't like drawing and you think you're no good at it, right?"

"Touché. I even bent a square," complained Marina, letting her head rest into her hands in defeat.

The teacher laughed and inquired, "Do you know what you'll draw today?"

"I'm still thinking, but I can't decide."

"In that case, I have a suggestion for you. First, you'll start with the basic shapes, and then you'll pass to the mixture of colors through painting. You'll see that you'll particularly like the last one."

Marina questioned herself about what that would mean. Basic shapes and mixing colors? It was worse than Chinese or something old, like Aramaic... Anyway, she had no choice, so she would try to follow the teacher's plan.

"Let's start with the basics", the teacher went on. "Do you see the rubber on the table? Try to draw it. When you're ready, show me your picture and then we'll decide what to do from there on, okay?" Marina assented and began to wonder how the hell she would scribble that. The professor got up and walked towards another student who seemed as lost she.

Marina lifted the rubber to her eye level and studied it. It shouldn't be too hard to sketch; in the end, it was practically a parallelepiped. Maybe it would be more difficult to sketch its card, given its complex logo. She bit her tongue and prepared for the struggle. She began by scribbling a rectangle and continued from that point, trying to make it look three-dimensional.

It wasn't finished yet, nonetheless the draft didn't look good. It was better to erase what was wrong and redo it little by little. Irritated, she muttered something not nice. She took a moment and examined what was happening around. All her colleagues were engaged in their work. What envy! It seemed that she was the only one who wasn't able to sketch anything.

A little further along, installed on a small bench with an easel and a canvas in front of him, was Lucas. In one hand, he was holding the brush, and in the other he had a palette with paint in earth tones and black. He seemed quite focused. What was he painting? Curious, Marina got up and walked towards him. She looked at the canvas and saw something that looked like a crouching body; the painting, however, wasn't very advanced, so she couldn't tell for sure. What would it represent? Though incomplete, the image stood out and its magnetism drew her.

She observed at a glance the work of her other colleagues who had chosen the canvas and found that, unlike Lucas, they were doing pencil sketches first. Why would he be different? Would it be a matter of confidence in him or just a method that he liked to follow? Absorbed by the allure of the canvas, she took a bench and sat down near Lucas, watching him working. Every stroke was solid and deep, filled with meaning, and he left nothing to chance.

Without thinking if she should do so, Marina asked, "Why are you already painting? I ask only because I noticed that others who choose to work on the canvas are doing drafts, unlike you. You seem to be pretty advanced."

Lucas shuddered a little upon hearing her, nevertheless he ignored her. He continued to paint and remained silent for a while. Finally, he sighed and, without diverting his view from the white surface, explained, "I prefer free painting. I simply grab a brush, it comes to life and it draws whatever it wants. I never have a specific idea for a painting at the outset. It evolves and decides for itself."

It was a good justification, but risky, because if he made a bad choice, all would be lost. Even so, his answer supported his way of being – he was bold and that reflected in his work method. Marina fell silent and continued to watch him working. He was so calm and relaxed that he didn't resemble the intractable crabber he appeared to be.

Seeing him like that, Marina thought that she could try to start a conversation without insults. Without raising her voice to not intimidate him, she commented, "I think it look good. Although you let yourself go with the flow like you said, do you have more or less an idea of what you'll paint?"

Lucas shrugged, pursed his lips and replied, "A tribal scene representing a field of opportunities and potential."

Huh, what? Lucas was speaking in an unknown language to Marina. Artists talk, she thought. At fear that he would suddenly demand her to go away, she asked, "Something tribal? You mean, related to the Purepecha?"

"Probably."

"And where did you get that idea from?" continued Marina to quiz.

Unpredictably, he smiled. It was the first time she saw an innocent and sincere smile on those lips and it made him look pretty charming. Why would he rather prefer a mask of toughness when he seemed to be someone so promising?

To her amazement, the boy replied, "The one responsible for this idea was you. When I was trying to think of a painting theme, I remembered the assignment you did on the tribe. By the way, thanks for writing it."

Was that real? She should be dreaming, because only in dreams she could picture him being and thanking her for having done the Philosophy work. She blinked hard to make sure she was awaken, as she was astounded and stunned.

The more unexpected his good humor was, Marina didn't intend to waste it. Keeping the same note of calm, she returned, "You're welcome. But despite the research I did, I didn't find much information, therefore the text had no data on rituals, amulets and those spiritual things related to tribes."

Lucas made the brush slide over the canvas and assured, "It's okay, don't worry about that. You didn't even have to do what you did."

Marina felt that Lucas was running away. He was sticking to the essential and rejecting to give her the facts that she wanted to know. She had to squeeze him a little more, so she insisted, "And you, do you know anything about the rituals?"

Lucas formed a perfect "v" with his eyebrows and his face seemed to harden. He pinned his eyes to the canvas and tried to focus on the image he was painting. When he finished the line he was painting, he replied, "The only thing my parents taught me relating to that culture was how to make wind chimes and necklaces. Can I ask why you're so interested? I mean, it's the second time you mention it."

It did look suspicious; nevertheless, she had to get to the crux of the matter. With a wry smile, she disguised, "I'm just curious. And if I have to approach the subject in some work in the future, I'd like to be prepared, that's all."

"Okay. I'm sorry, but I have nothing else to tell you," said Lucas as he moved the brush through the palette.

If he knew nothing about Indian rituals, the theory that seemed to her the most reasonable was brought to the ground. How could he have been present, and at the same time absent, in her two accidents then? Was it all fruit of her imagination?

Defeated, Marina snorted and said in a lower voice, "Never mind. I'll just have to keep on seeking other explanations to the fact that you have been my guardian angel when I needed help."

"What?" shouted Lucas brusquely.

It seemed that she hadn't spoken as low as she thought. Or he had excellent hearing. Marina bit her lip and whispered, "I was just rambling. By the way, you healed very well from the fight the other day. I was worried when you didn't show up at school, but I see that there was no reason for it." And she passed her finger lightly at his lower lip, that she remembered seeing split.

Caught by surprise, Lucas winced and backed off, looking stunned at her. The girl also jumped and got up, startled - his skin was so cold! He was beyond frozen. How was this possible? Maybe it was because he was wearing a t-shirt; the room was icy.

"Is everything okay, kids?" questioned the teacher finding it strange to suddenly see both of them up.

It was Marina who responded, although in a fumbling way. "Yes, everything's fine. I was scared by a bug and Lucas took fright with my jump. But it's all good now."

The teacher narrowed her eyes, trying to uncover some truth in that explanation. Ignoring the lie, she didn't linger on them and focused again on the student she was helping.

Marina sat. Lucas followed her example with some reluctance, and insisted on seating a little further from her. Despite still holding the brush in hand, he seemed not to have a great desire to continue painting, making her feel guilty. He was so peaceful before she went to him, and now he was upset.

Her eyes swept the floor in search of courage, until she stared at him and said by way of encouragement, "Go on, you're doing very well. Seriously, I think it will look great when finished. I'm going back to my sketch of a rubber that looks like a rectangle with crooked lines."

With that, she got up and put the bench back where she had found it. Before heading to her seat, she crouched down next to Lucas and whispered to him, "You should consider bringing a jacket to school. Although outside the weather is nice, the rooms are cold. Trust me and you'll avoid a couple of sneezes."

Lucas opened his eyes wide upon hearing her. He knew that she had noticed how frozen his skin was, but he never expect her to say that. Still, he assumed the so familiar expression of scorn, and threw her in an ironic tone, "As if you cared..."

Marina blinked, perplexed. He was back to normal, so it was best to move away fast before he started to deride her. She answered only in a whisper, "I wish you no harm. You should already know that by now."

Lucas escorted her with his eyes till she sat down. Then he turned to the other side and began to clean the brushes. The teacher went to him and they started talking about what he had painted. Marina looked back to her sheet, feeling down. She would never be as talented as him.

At the bell, the teacher yelled for them to put the sheets and the canvas on her desk. Rucksack on her back, Marina did what the educator asked. Before going out the door, she peered discreetly over her shoulder and stared at Lucas, who was still talking to the teacher. She recalled the window he had opened to her for a moment. There was much more in him besides the outer shell of tough guy. Maybe one day he would show her a little more of who he really was.

She walked with heavy steps to the school gate and, from there on, walked automatically. It was with astonishment that she realized that she was already on the road under the castle. A familiar figure walked a few steps away from her. She focused and managed to identify him as being Joshua. She could walk a little faster to catch him, but she feared that, if she did so, he would ignore her or respond to her with unpleasant words. She already had plenty of concerns, like the canoeing issue. Remembering about that made her shiver from head to toe. She knew that she couldn't go in the river just like that. It was only a few days ago that she learned to walk along the river's wall again. Now she had to try something small, but at the same time it would be giant step: she had to try to cross the pedestrian bridge.

Meantime Joshua became aware that someone was walking behind him. He turned to see who it was. As he noted that it was Marina, he quickly turned to the front and hurried his pace.

Learning that Marina was walking behind him, Joshua turned around, looked at her and asked in a rude tone, "Are you following me?"

Marina barely noticed him, since she had more to worry about. She had to find the courage to do what she was about to do, but it was difficult. She tried to deviate from Joshua, nevertheless he gave her no space and put himself in front of her. Forced to awake, Marina fired away, "Stop playing the victim, Joshua. The world doesn't revolve around you and your bad mood. Get out of my way!"

It was as if someone had punched him in the stomach. What did he expect? That she would fall at his feet and beg him to forgive her for something that was beyond her control? He might forget it.

His hard face soon smoothed when he noticed Marina's expression. Although he was angry with her, he asked, "Are you alright?"

Marina sighed and focused her eyes on the stones of the side-walk. Who knew if she would find a shred of audacity hidden between the cracks? Small treasures could be discovered in the most unexpected places. Estranged, she replied, "Yes, I'm fine. Leave me alone. I have to try."

"Try what?"

Marina didn't even hear the question. She turned away from Joshua and walked to the city hall square.

When she got there, she sat on the railing that surrounded the lake where the statue of Pedro Nunes was, and observed the bridge. Everything was wrapped in stillness: there was no wind, the tide seemed to flow with ease, no one was crossing the bridge and the seats on the dais were empty as well. The panorama ahead reminded her of a scene from the Wild West movies, in which a cowboy comes to town and finds it empty, the only presences the wind and the rolls of dried grass. The comparison made her smile, which meant she had to seize the moment of relaxation and go to the bridge before she lost heart.

Marina got up, crossed the road and stopped one step before the stairs of the bridge. She lifted one foot and gave an insecure step. This one was followed by another two until she climbed the platform completely. She began to march hesitantly towards the top of the bridge. Anxious, she shut her eyes hard and tear slid down. It was better to open her eyes; it wasn't very clever to move with her eyes closed. She opened them then and exhaled deeply.

She was at the beginning of the bridge, so she could turn back if she wanted. And how much she wanted to! Yet she couldn't do it, she had to stand firm. Marina launched into a fast stroll, taking shallow breaths, and soon reached the middle of the bridge. There, she clung tight to the central pillar, shaking and eyes closed until they hurt. If she held on tightly, she wouldn't fall – the pillar was her lifeline. When she dared to look, she found in front of her the landscape that she used to love watching: the river, the rice fields, the bridges that seemed like two indistinct black blotches, and the sun kissing the horizon. That helped her to calm down and, bit by bit, she released the pillar.

Now that she was there, Marina had two alternatives: she could go back or she could finish crossing the bridge. If she continued to cross, however, she would have to go through it again to return to the northern bank. She didn't think she wasn't ready for that, as getting to that point had been complicated enough. She would go back. This time, she didn't linger to look for the boldness she needed: she just let go of the pillar and ran in a mad scramble for the platform.

At the end of the bridge, he was there waiting for her. Joshua had got worried about her gibberish and had followed her. Having him there with her, at that crucial moment, steeled her energies. She felt like jumping onto his lap with satisfaction, but the idea that they were upset 'clicked' within her and dissuaded her.

Hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath, Marina cried at the same time she laughed like a crazy. She cried, because she had just done something that terrified her, and laughed for having managed to do so. She overflowed with conflicting feelings. Sympathetic, Joshua pulled a tissue from his backpack and passed it to her. Marina accepted it, wiped her face and sat on the steps of the dais. She took lungful of air, exhaled slowly, and regained her composure. The boy sat beside her and stared at her. They stood in silence for several minutes, until he moved and hinted that he would go home. Seeing him about to leave, Marina murmured, "Thanks."

Upon hearing her voice, Joshua looked at her and asked, "Why did you do this?"

Contrary to what he might be thinking, she wasn't loony, nor had a special pleasure in torturing herself. She just did what had to be done, although she had serious doubts that she could repeat it any time soon. She stood up and straightened her rucksack. If he was walking away, then so would she, but not before answering in short, "I'm going to be forced to do canoeing."

Joshua was stupefied. It was obvious she had been traumatized by the river accident and, moreover, it was very recent. She had been able to do little, but relevant things, like approaching the river's wall and now to go halfway up the bridge. He believed that this was how things had to happen, bit by bit. They were pushing her emotional rope and he feared that, if they weren't careful, this would fray and snap. Everyone had a breaking point.

Feeling that there was nothing else to be said, Marina turned around and started heading home. Joshua followed her example a few seconds later.

When she arrived home, Marina threw the rucksack onto the bed and went to the kitchen to take care of dinner. After eating, she did her homework, prepared the backpack for the next day, went to bed and fell asleep shortly after. If she was asked what she had done after the bridge episode, she wouldn't know what to answer. It was as if she had turned on autopilot to complete the tasks from her mental list.

Her mom woke her up that morning. Upon hearing her voice, Marina jumped from the bed and ran to the living room window. Sadly, Saint Peter didn't hear her prayers and a bright sun was shining in the sky. She opened the window and, to her amazement, it was hot. It even seemed like a lie, taking into account how much the temperature had dropped in recent times. It was as if Summer had decided to provide a few last warm days before saying goodbye. She loved summer, but if it was raining, the Gym teacher would be forced to give up the idea of canoeing, which would be perfect. As it was a sunny day, the sport in vogue would be canoeing.

Back in the bedroom, she got dressed and looked in the mirror. Her face presented well demarcated dark circles, revealing just how bad her night had been. She tried to have happy thoughts and look on the bright side of things to cheer up, but only dark thoughts occurred to her. She tried to tell herself that things would go well if she believed in that, nevertheless her pale reflection made her doubt. Reluctant, she got the backpack and prepared to leave her room. She took a glimpse at the swimming-suit on the desk; what she would give not to wear it that day.

At school, she found the lobby almost deserted, as usual at that hour. Informatics was her first class, which meant that she would only see Ana in the next hour, as she was part of the other half of the class that had that lesson in a different period. Hesitant, she headed for the room and waited outside. She held the bracelet on her wrist tightly and asked for it to be a good day, since entering the river was the same as asking for trouble. She needed all the possible protection she could get.

Shortly after the bell, her colleagues began to move closer to the room. The teacher arrived and everyone got in. While Marina took the things out of the backpack, Lucas sat down beside her. Since he had missed the last class, she had forgotten he sat beside her, though he shared the computer with another girl.

With no shame, the boy approached her ear and whispered in a seductive and provocative tone, "So, today you're not dressed all hot? You looked real fit yesterday. You should dress up more often: you would rock."

Marina blinked her eyes to be sure she was awake. She concluded that she was pretty awake, and he was staring at her with a bold look and a libidinous smile.

She could reply to him in the same tone, nonetheless her concerns were greater than such frivolities, so she replied with a question, "And from insults you pass to compliments?"

"You know how it is. You have to evolve, darling" he replied, while winking his eye.

Things between them were, indeed, evolving. Lucas had begun by ignoring her, later he passed to drive her mad and the day before they had had the first decent conversation. Passing to compliments was one more step, and things would evolve again for sure, like everything in life. Of all the students in the class, she could afford to say that she was the only person who spoke with Lucas. In part, she was satisfied, though she wanted much more. A firm friendship seemed idyllic, yet this didn't mean that she wouldn't fight for it.

Forgetting all the troubles for a moment, she responded, "I'm glad that you evolved, little monkey. I'm really happy about that."

That wasn't the reaction he expected, so Lucas hurried to look away and open his notebook on the page of the usual doodles. Interested, Marina glanced at the sheet and recognized the crouched body that he had painted in the workshop. It seemed to be involved in water now, which meant that he would have been working on the painting. It was good to see him so interested in something; it showed he wasn't as slack as he wanted to show.

She watched him concentrating on the sketch for a few seconds. Only then she noticed that he was wearing a coat - he had followed her advice. Finding that, made her feel better about herself. It was nice to know that someone paid attention to her and appreciated her suggestions, even if he wouldn't admit it.

Taking advantage of the great buzz around the room, Marina approached him and whispered, "I'm glad you heard me. That jacket looks very good on you."

Lucas put on a scandalous smile and tried to demarcate himself, assuming a typical expression of a rebellious teenager. "I do not hear anyone and I only do what I want," he retorted.

Yeah, right, she laughed inside. He could argue as much as he wanted; she had won that battle. They were talking with each other sporadically, with no placement of barriers, and he had heard her advice. Things were going better. Happy that a positive point outstood in the midst of so much drama, Marina turned the computer on and focused on the teacher's instructions.

When the bell rang for exit, Lucas closed his notebook, put it in the back pocket of his pants and hurried away. Marina packed her things and headed to the lobby to look for Ana. She found her at the table they sat at whenever it was empty. Upon seeing her, Ana shook her head, chiding her. Marina pulled a chair to sit down and complained "Good-morning you too, huh? How nice of you to receive me right away with a scowl."

Ana groaned. "Yeah, yeah, you know what I mean. Yesterday you came to school all dressed-up, making the boys drool, and now you're back to normal."

"I think that Lucas agrees with you," Marina let out, blushing immediately. The phrase had escaped her and right in front of Ana, who certainly would want to know all the details. Before Marina said something to try to fix the situation, her friend fired up, "Who? Mister 'Don't-Look-At-Me-Because-I'm-Bad'? Tell me all about it."

"There's nothing to tell. He just came up to me in Informatics class and said that today I wasn't hot and that I should dress like that more often. He said that I would rock."

Ana laughed. The term 'hot' in itself made her laugh, and knowing that it had been told by the person who said it, was quite funny and interesting. Lucas, who barely opened his mouth, had just come out with that. Nicely played. Ana nodded, agreeing with his position, and replied, "I agree with him. There's only one thing I'd like you to explain me: now he speaks to you?"

Marina straightened in the seat and told her that they had talked a little in the Painting workshop. Well, they had exchanged a few sentences more polite than usual. It wasn't a serious talk, although it opened the possibility of the occurrence of one. They had been further off than that.

The bell surprised them. Annoyed, they got into the class room, sat down and pulled out from the bags the necessary material. They didn't have time to think about anything else, because they had to rush and copy what the French teacher was writing. The blackboard was filled with phrases with blank spaces to complete.

With so much to do, the time seemed to run and it didn't take long until they got back to the bar. Ana bought a cake, while Marina stuck to the sandwiches she had brought from home. They searched an empty table to sit and found one at the bottom bar.

Marina chewed slowly, while thinking of something about Lucas that puzzled her and that she hadn't told Ana. It could be a detail without the slightest importance, still it disturbed her. The best was to voice it to her friend, as she always had great theories. Perhaps she could help her with understanding it.

She sat up straight in her chair and confessed, "Ana, there's one thing I didn't tell you about Lucas."

"Um... What?" she questioned in a clumsy manner, as she was chewing a huge piece of cake.

Stirring a little in the chair, Marina continued, "It might be nothing, but you know me: when I notice something, it doesn't get out of my head easily."

"It must be nothing, but you know me... Well, yesterday, in the workshop, I was watching him painting and I accidentally touched..." she stopped herself and made up, "...his hand. And it was frozen. You know, colder than an ice-cream in winter."

Ana drew a question mark on her face. Marina thought that information was relevant? She didn't. There were people who were hot and others, cold, as if they had lizards or crocodiles' blood. There was nothing abnormal about that. From all that she had told her, the most interesting part was that she had touched him. And where? On the hand. Silly! She could have touched him on the face instead, which would be more intimate and exciting.

Ana devalued the remark and, after nibbling one more piece of cake, she uttered, "I hardly find that interesting. I know a lot of people who's always cold, Summer or Winter. So what? It's normal."

"Yeah, and the room was cold too and he was short-sleeved..." repeated Marina in a lower voice, more to herself than to Ana.

Ana was right. Even she had very cold hands, regardless whether the weather was hot or not. Lucas was cold, both the metaphorical and literal way. The insignificant finding could be sent to the pit of oblivion.

Before she shot that information to the 'never land', Ana jumped off the seat with excitement, turned to her with a mysterious air and suggested, "Or..." She didn't continue. Instead, she devoted herself to scratch her chin, engrossed in her thoughts, joining all points until they forcibly made sense.

Marina was curious. What hypothesis would her friend be cogitating? Imagination was abundant in her. Ana's silence left her in expectation, increasing her anxiety.

At long last, Ana took a predatory expression and hinted, "Or maybe he's... a VAMPIRE!" She announced her conjecture almost jumping over Marina. That made her throw herself back with a start, hitting her back in the chair with force. Ouch! That had hurt. Ana could be more restrained in announcing her theories. As Marina rubbed her hands on her back to soothe the sting of pain, she leaned on her friend's unique assumption. Lucas, a vampire? It was ridiculous, even though she herself had woven a hypothesis even more bizarre than that.

Before her rambling dragged on further more in time, Ana cut in, "That's it... fangs! You must check if he has fangs. When he talks to you, do you see any?"

Marina shut her eyes, trying to remember all the times she had talked to Lucas. In none of them she remembered having seen fangs. In fact, he had perfect and super white teeth - he could even make a commercial for toothpaste. But not having seen them didn't mean that he didn't have them. The vampires on the TV series she used to watch hid their fangs and only showed them when they were excited or in 'predator mode'. The same could happen to Lucas if he was this kind of being.

She thought aloud, "I never noticed, but I wasn't looking for them."

"Wow, how romantic! A Portuguese and real version of 'Twilight'. Tough I still prefer the original Cullen, the lovely Robert Pattinson." Ana sighed passionately, as if hit by an invisible arrow of worship.

Marina ignored her, even because she was 'team Jacob' – she preferred Taylor Lautner instead. Vampire... Could Lucas be one? Not likely. He could be as cold as a vampire (not that she had ever touched one), but there was one aspect that contradicted that possibility and that they had forgotten about. She would have to disappoint Ana.

Shrugging, Marina informed, "Sorry, but Lucas is not a vampire. I've seen him walking in the sunlight and he didn't burst into ashes or anything alike."

"The vampires of the Cullen clan also walked in the sun and there was no 'poof'. They simply shone when the rays of sun hit them, as if reflecting them. The girl even said that it seemed he had thousands of diamonds embedded in his skin," opposed Ana.

"Nope! I'm sorry, but I've seen him in the sun and he doesn't dissolve or shine."

Ana blew a huge sigh in defeat. "It was worth a try. But hey, I still say that, if I were you, I would try to confirm if he had fangs. Just to be sure, you know?"

Marina laughed. Despite the ridicule, she thought for a bit and concluded that, as nobody had actually ever seen a vampire, it was possible that people knew very little about them, and that little was just myth. It was better to follow the advice of her friend. Moreover, she even wished that Ana was right; that way, she would get over the riddle of Lucas and everything would make sense. It would be a relief to put an end to all ridiculous suspicious.

The bell rang. Marina took a last bite of sandwich and broke into a run along with Ana. They found the teacher inserting the key in the lock to open the door. Trying to regain their breath, they went in quiet and walked to their seats.

The teacher began to make the call, taking notes in the class book once in a while. Taking advantage of the fact that Manelito was distracted, Marina began to stare sneakily at Lucas' mouth. Would Ana be correct? She had no idea, even because he didn't separate his lips. She focused a little more and approached her face dangerously to his, nevertheless she still couldn't see a thing. That mouth was more closed than a tomb.

"What are you doing?" Lucas asked, intrigued.

"Um... do that again", asked Marina dragging her voice.

"What?" Lucas questioned, without a clue of what she wanted him to do.

Marina shook her head and censured, "Not that fast. You have to take longer or I can't tell for sure."

Lucas was confused, so he mirrored his misunderstanding in his face.

Marina rolled her eyes at his reaction and told him what she wanted him to do, as if talking to a child, "Open your mouth and clench your teeth, like this."

Lucas blinked hard as he saw her exemplifying what she had requested. Her figure was comic, giving him will to laugh, but he didn't, fearing that she would get him wrong. It was an unusual request, to say the least. Wanting to see how it was going to end, the boy showed his perfect and shiny teeth. Marina closely examined them. After a brief evaluation, she seemed to be disillusioned.

Sensing her frustration, Lucas quizzed, "Did you find what you were looking for? By the way, what were you trying to see? I didn't understand a thing. I have something in my teeth, is that it?"

Supporting her head with both hands and pouting, Marina replied, "No, you have nothing in your teeth, don't worry. I was just trying to see if you had fangs and if you were a vampire."

Oops! It had eluded her by accident. She didn't want him to know. If he really was a vampire, now he would know that he had been discovered, and if he wasn't, he would make fun of her for a lifetime. And she was right about the last one: Lucas burst into crystalline and audible laughter, that he tried unsuccessfully to silence, calling attention to himself, including the teacher's. The relentless Manelito turned back and gave him a piercing look, as he fired away, "Do you have a joke you want to share with the class, funny boy?"

"No, sir. I'm just anxious for the class to begin."

This time, the whole class laughed. Who would be eager for that? The giggles didn't last long, because the teacher rushed to order everyone to shut up, or they would be asked to leave.

CHAPTER TWELVE

During the rest of Philosophy class, Marina tried not to move to avoid attracting unwanted attention from the teacher. Luckily, he didn't address her one single time. When the bell rang, she hastened to leave the room and waited for Ana in the corridor. She had forgotten to invite her to lunch the day before, so she would ask her now.

When her friend joined her, Marina tried to apologize. "I'm so sorry. With yesterday's mess I ended up forgetting to invite you to have lunch at my house. Will you come with me?"

"I can't," replied Ana. "My mom set her lunch time on purpose for now, so that we can have lunch together at home. Besides, I left the swimming-suit and all of those things in my bedroom, so I have to go get them. We'll meet at the pier later, okay?"

"OK. And once again, I'm sorry I forgot about this."

Ana forged a smile and tried to calm her down, by noting "Relax, babe! No sweat. It's just..."

Marina cocked her eyebrows. 'Just' meant that something was bothering her friend. And it was her fault. She had been so focused on her personal drama that she remitted their friendship to a second plan. As much as Ana said that she was excused, Marina couldn't forgive herself.

Seeing the guilt mirrored in her eyes, Ana rushed to complete, "I'm not angry at you for not inviting me for lunch. Honestly, I'm concerned. After that joke about Lucas being a vampire, I felt that you had lightened up; still, I can't stop worrying about you as the Gym class approaches."

"I don't want to talk about it", interrupted Marina. "I feel good now. Let the nerves attack me as late as possible."

Understanding her position, Ana shut up. They walked then to the gate and found Ana's mom already waiting in the Jeep. Marina thought of asking for a ride home, but this included a shift in the opposite direction of their house, so she dropped the idea. She bade them farewell and went home.

She walked fast, since the class would begin half an hour earlier and she wanted to eat soon to have time for the food to digest. Suddenly, she heard a mischievous and uncovered giggles behind her. She turned to see who would be having that much fun and found Joana hanging on Joshua's arm, batting her eyelashes at him. Behind them were 'the two Stooges' - in another words, the two pets that were never unglued from the hag.

"How cute it would be! You have to fess up and admit that we are the ideal couple. Can you imagine? 'J&J'. Sounds good, right?" said Joana after a chuckle.

Joshua pretended to smile. However, when he learned that Marina was nearby, he played along. Within seconds, he was all smiles and secrets with the shrew.

The honeydew conversation was already starting to hurt her ears, so Marina stopped moving. She wasn't interested in hearing it for another single minute. Disconcerted, she went up the stairs back to the top, surprising both Joana and Joshua. When she passed by them, she drew an ironic smirk at Joshua and continued to move forward. She would return home through the path she took when she went to school in the morning, to avoid having to put up with them anymore. If they wanted to be together, fine, but she didn't have to listen to their sickening smoothness.

Once at home, she flew into the kitchen and heated up a pizza in the microwave. It was no lunch of champions, but it fed and wasn't very heavy. She wanted to speed the digestion at the most. Perhaps this was also a good way to keep her stomach calm, since she knew that nerves would attack it eventually, causing war casualties.

After eating, she went to her chambers, grabbed the swim-suit and put it on. Observed herself in the mirror and snorted; she didn't feel safe at all seeing herself in that outfit. Do not suffer in advance, she ordered herself and dressed in the training-suit and put on the sneakers.

The material for Translation class was in the locker, so there was no need to take the rucksack. However, she was undecided in whether to carry the sports bag with clothes. Wouldn't it be easier to come home to bathe and then go to class? The teacher only reduced their lesson half an hour, which was little time to get to school and bathe. She sighed. She wished she had a driving license and a car at that moment; she would get to school much sooner. Perhaps Ana's mother would drive them to school when they left the canoeing; that would solve the time issue. She texted Ana, asking if her mother was giving them a ride later, to which her friend responded in a positive way. Marina thanked in her mind. That way, it was decided: she would take the sports bag with her.

Turning on the television, she found the same news as always: Portugal sinking into crisis, the prices rising, wages decreasing, IMF intervention in the economy... the usual. To hear about things so depressing only made her want to slumber. She was just about to fall asleep when the phone vibrated in her hand, waking her up. It was Ana saying she was leaving home. Maybe they would arrive at the same time. She unplugged the TV, grabbed the sports bag and left home.

She made the journey to the pier at a brisk pace and along the river's wall, in some kind of spirit preparation for what was about to come. As she was holding up well until then, when she passed by the pedestrian bridge, she dared to climb two of the steps, and bounced between them until they finished.

All of a sudden, and without prior notice, when Marina reached the playground next to the pier, she had to seize with both hands the network that circumvented it. She was white as chalk and her stomach twisted more than a washing machine on full centrifugation. To see the water so close, without any barrier between them, was making her extremely nervous. She looked down to the ground and took a deep breath. Why, if everything was going so well until there, she asked herself. It was as if she was fine and, out of the blue, had had a devastating drop in blood pressure.

Again the irritant clatter of giggles reached her ears. Joshua, Joana and the two usual chaperones were arriving. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her in that state. She squatted down in a hurry and began to revolve the sports bag, as if looking for something. The four passed by her pretty fast and they didn't even look at her, which was a relief.

Ana arrived soon after. She jumped off the Jeep and ran to Marina. "Hello, girlfriend! I'm here. This class would not start without me." Seeing her friend rummaging in the bag, she questioned, "What are you looking for?"

Marina lost her strength and landed on the floor. Her face was covered in sweat, mirroring the terror that invaded her.

"Wow! Did you run here or what? You're drenched in sweat."

"You think so?" said Marina almost without a breath. "I'm just freaking out for having the river so close. I'm not feeling well at all."

Ana approached her and put an arm over her shoulders to comfort her. She also disagreed with what the teacher was doing. In a gentle tone, she consoled Marina with words of support. "Don't worry. You'll be okay, you'll see. Look, the teacher is already here. Take the bag and let's put you in a life jacket to see if you feel more secure."

Marina assented and made a tremendous effort to get up. She grabbed the sports bag with one hand and put an arm around Ana's waist, to be able to stand up. Walking toward the pier was difficult, mainly because her feet seemed to weigh a thousand times her body weight, forcing her to drag them in an awkward way. Ana suggested her to look in the opposite direction of the river; that seemed to work, as her feet began to move with no major effort.

Ana made Marina sit next to the playground's wall, next to the warehouse where the canoeing material was stored, and ran to look for the life jackets. She didn't take long to return with two in hand, one for herself and another for Marina. The teacher came out of the storehouse a little after, holding a pair of oars. Although she didn't look good at all, he had the audacity to comment, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger."

He could play the strong role, not her. She had nothing to prove to anyone. She hadn't died, but she wasn't any stronger and she was very afraid of the river. He could do the canoeing at will; she didn't care about any of that as long as she could stay there, quiet like a mouse.

The professor asked students to help remove the material they would need from the warehouse. Joana pouted; she was used to having someone to go get her things and not the other way around. After the teacher gave her a lecture, she ended up going into the warehouse, but not before saying how unfair it was to carry canoes and paddles while Marina was sitting on the floor, doing nothing. As if giving her reason, the pedagogue looked at Marina with a stern gaze of censure. Frankly, she didn't give a damn about what he might say. She didn't intend to move from there unless she was really forced to.

Soon the material was brought outside. The next step was to determine who was sharing a canoe with whom.

"Attention," yelled the teacher. "Before boys begin to group themselves with other boys, I want you to know that you must be with girls. Of course there aren't enough guys for all of you ladies, but those who can get a male partner, the better."

Joana gave a little scream of joy and clung right away to Joshua's arm, who jumped up in fright.

Pairs set, the teacher told them to carry the canoes into the water. With the first boat in the river, he explained what to do, who controlled the canoe's direction and who was the 'engine'. Ana didn't want to leave Marina, but people without a partner were few and it didn't seem that her friend would enter into a canoe. Maybe it was better that way.

"Go ahead," encouraged Marina, not wanting her colleague to be impaired because of her. "I'll wait for the end to see what happens. Maybe he'll forget about me."

Ana gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder, smiled at her and walked to the end of the pier. Almost right away she entered with another girl in a canoe and her paddle slid sharply, cutting the water. Confused for not being Marina entering the canoe with Ana, the professor searched for her with his sigh, until he found her still sitting by the warehouse. Enraged, he walked up with infuriated steps to her. When he got close to her, he shouted "Get up!"

Marina heard him, nonetheless she wasn't feeling strong enough to stand up to that demon in the shape of a person. It was as if she was watching a scene on television and wasn't part of it, not by not wanting to, but because she couldn't.

"Are you deaf? I told you get up," repeated the teacher, even more furious.

Yes, she had heard him. Irritated, she exploded, "I can't even look at the river, let alone put myself in a canoe in it. If you want me to do canoeing, you'll have to take me by force, because I don't have the strength to get up. Haven't you realized it yet?"

"That's not a problem. I'll help you to get down there."

Without delay, the teacher grabbed her arms and pulled with phenomenal strength, forcing her to get up. Marina's legs trembled. To prevent her from returning to the ground, the teacher surrounded her waist. Then he dragged her clumsily to the end of the pier. Seeing the water getting nearer, Marina's feet became lead; she was almost dragging them over the wooden floor. Although she tried to control herself with short fast breaths, the fear was stronger. Two heavy tears rolled from her eyes. She stopped and tried to meld her body into the wooden quay to not leave there.

"Move it, girl. Are you stupid? I gave you an order. Get into that canoe at once," the teacher commanded in a piercing voice.

Her tears made way for an uninterrupted mourning. Her entire body was trembling in an uncontrollable spasm. Marina fell on her knees, dominated by terror.

"Professor, I'll do whatever you want, but I beg you: do not to make me get into a canoe. I cannot do it, I'm really scared," begged Marina between a hiccup.

Joana and Joshua were still on the wharf, watching everything. For Joana, that scene was a great comedy and she laughed like crazy. What was better than seeing an enemy humiliated? For her, it was priceless. As for Joshua, he was crumbling within. He was upset with Marina, but he knew she had such a terrifying fear of the river and he had pity on her. The teacher wasn't being understanding at all; he felt like shooting him down from there as punishment for that, after all, who did that to a traumatized student? He had to do something to help her.

In a shy note, he said, "Um, sir, she doesn't seem to feel good. Wouldn't it be better to leave her out of the exercise?"

"No," shouted the man as he turned to Joshua. "And stay out of this. She must overcome her fears before they take over her life."

That conversation seemed like something that the professor had memorized from a cheap psychology book. To Marina, he could have had suffered some trauma before and that crap could have been the conversation that someone had had with him. Just because someone forced him to face things that he didn't want to, he had no right to do the same with her. She would enter the river sooner or later, but not that day - it was too early. The teacher pulled her again and she followed him. It was better not to move away from him, since her head was spinning around.

Upon seeing her effort, Joshua came to front and asked, "Who will be her partner?"

The teacher was about to respond, when a voice behind him outgrew his, "Her partner will be me." It was Lucas, who had just arrived.

If looks could kill, Lucas would have fallen on the floor completely flat. However, he didn't get intimidated, so he returned Joshua the look almost with the same intensity and completed "I'll stay with her, don't worry. This way, you don't have to leave your partner alone."

Joshua turned back and found Joana choleric, with arms folded and foot tapping. After snorting a bit like a mad dog, he passed a paddle to Joana and, annoyed, signaled for her to get inside the canoe.

While they journeyed towards the central area of the river, Lucas approached Marina and assured the teacher, "You don't have to worry about her any more, sir. I'll take care of my colleague. Can I have one of those vests from the warehouse? I went there to look for one, but I didn't find any. I don't know if they are all gone or if there's more stored in another box."

Lucas stretched out his arms to Marina and the teacher passed her to him in good will. He was sick of her weakness. Still grumbling, the coach went back to the storehouse to search a vest for the boy.

Feeling Lucas' close to her, Marina embraced him energetically. He was surprised by her strength, but didn't flinch. He took a hand into his pocket, pulled out a blue handkerchief and passed it to her. She received it as if it was welcome, wiped her face fast and turned to hide it in his chest. It didn't matter that his body was cold; indeed, it even felt good - it helped to control the fire that consumed her from within.

The teacher was approaching; she could hear his heavy footsteps. Soon they would get in the canoe. Tears wanted to escape her again, nevertheless she refused to allow it.

Before the panic took over her once more, Lucas approached his lips to her ear and whispered, "Don't be afraid. You know that I would never let you hit the bottom."

Marina shuddered and felt every word pulsing deep inside as she apprehended them. She hastened to turn her face away from his chest to be able to stare into his eyes. For a brief moment, it was as if they had been transported to a private universe, whose only life forms summarized to the two of them. Nothing else existed. Everything had been remitted to insignificance before the importance of those words that were worth more than gold.

Marina continued to contemplate the depths of Lucas through the windows of the soul. She knew then that he had just admitted it, although in a roundabout way: he had been there the day of the bridge accident, hadn't let her hit the bottom and never would. He would never let her drown! It was a certainty so ingrained within her that she would put her hands in fire for it!

"Do you trust me?" he asked with a soothing voice and without looking away for a single second.

Marina nodded her head, and in a mechanical gesture began to move away from him so that he could put on the life-jacket brought by the teacher. Strangely, she was feeling calmer after hearing those words that sounded like music.

Equipped, Lucas took her hand and slowly they approached the canoe. He got in and pulled her with gentleness. Although she offered some resistance for a moment and spiked her feet on the edge of the pier, Lucas gave her a small nod, giving her the confidence to join him. Once in the boat, her first instinct was to cling firmly to the sides, but the professor snarled that she had to row in fact, otherwise the negative grade maintained.

"No sweat, coach. Further ahead, she'll grab the oar. She just needs a few minutes to get used to this," tried Lucas to calm down, reinforcing his speech with a confident smile.

He put the oar in the water and started paddling. When she felt the canoe rocking, Marina closed her eyes tightly and dug her nails on the edge of the boat to hold on. There was an authentic revolution going on in her stomach and her head wanted to follow the same path. She was dizzy.

For about two minutes, Lucas said nothing to enable her to adapt to the situation. When they were approaching the pillar to which she had clung for her life, Lucas asked her to open her eyes. "It's okay. Check this: here's your life buoy. Don't you want to thank it?"

Marina opened her eyelids one by one and looked ahead. There it was: the pillar to which she had held. Of course she wanted to thank it, it had played an important role in her rescue. Just like him. As they passed beneath the bridge, she said aloud, "Thank you."

Lucas smiled without letting her notice.

Leaving the pedestrian bridge behind, they headed toward the other one to which the local people called 'Old Bridge' for being the first one ever built in Alcácer. Although she felt that her muscles didn't obey her properly, Marina took the oar in front of her. She was there because she had been obliged and she was very scared, but she wanted to have at least a ten on the final evaluation at that subject; for that, she had to paddle. Armed with the oar, Marina made it slide to her right side and found the water. The initial feeling she had was of dread; however, and feeling the breathing of Lucas behind her, she tried to unwind. She rowed slowly, switching sides as if it was something automatic.

When she felt more relaxed and was sure that her voice was steadier, she said to Lucas, "The appreciation was extended to both of you."

Lucas pretended not to understand what she meant by that and remained quiet.

Nonetheless, Marina insisted, "You know, one day we'll have to talk about what you do. The more curious I may feel, I know I have to respect your space and I'll do it. But don't forget that I'll wait and I won't lose sight of my goal."

Lucas targeted the water furtively and said nothing, as if she wasn't talking to him. It was obvious that he wasn't going to answer her; thus, and fulfilling what she had announced, the girl decided to respect his wishes and went silent also. She moved the paddle to the other side, while Lucas made the canoe turn back to the pier.

When they were about to pass under the bridge again, Marina ventured one last time, "Thanks for saving me when I fell off the bridge, and for pushing me out of the way of that car."

He might consider her foolish at will, she didn't care. She knew that he had been there, even if nobody else had seen him, and she wanted to show her appreciation. It was the least she could do. At peace with herself, she looked to the riverside and the firm land she was eager for. Inexplicably, her gaze was drawn to one of the benches where someone was sat. Marina shivered. The darkness that enveloped him marred her insight and hindered his identification. She tried to focus the image and gave a little jump in the canoe: she already knew who he was. He was the black figure she had seen at the car accident. That could only mean that something bad was going to occur. It couldn't be. She was wearing the bracelet with the protective stones, she should be safe; plus, her savior was there with her.

Lucas! Would he be seeing the same thing as her? Stuttering, Marina asked, "Lucas, are you really back there?"

"I am," he assured with a deep voice.

"Do you see what I see?"

He responded with a "hum-hum" of agreement, continuing to row at the same pace. In a safe tone, he told her, "He won't dare harm you, I'm here. Keep rowing. We're about to reach the pier and the teacher has to see that you're striving for that positive grade."

Knowing that Lucas was there for her was great, but she couldn't relax still. All the terror she had felt before returned and brought reinforcements with it. Although afraid, she continued to row, in a bewildered gesture.

As soon as she felt the canoe pulling alongside the berth, she jumped out of the boat and didn't even need help getting out. Marina fell on her knees on the wooden floor and didn't want to budge from there. She only raised her face when she heard the entire class applauding her, as if she had just won a race. She wasn't expecting that incredible reaction of support, but she couldn't afford to enjoy it. Her vision slid through the crowd, and behind her classmates, she found the dark figure now materialized into a man dressed in black. She stared at him, in an attempt to anticipate his movements. Under the despair and anguish, she clung to the bracelet that swayed on her right wrist and begged it in a low voice, "Work, bracelet. Please, bracelet work."

The professor helped Lucas to pull the canoe out of the water and asked two boys to stow it in the warehouse. He approached Marina and gave her a mighty slap on the back, saying, "See? Don't you feel better now?" He smiled, victoriously.

She, however, just felt more and more frightened, sensing that something bad would happen. She decided to ignore the pedagogue and everyone else. Was it possible that anyone else could see that guy beyond her and Lucas? He moved at great speed, as if he was made of air, and never was still in one place for too long, making it difficult to follow him. It was as if he was spying her, waiting for her to fall into the trap he had prepared for her, and no one even noticed because he was invisible to them.

Lucas turned away from her to take off his life-jacket, and made room for the colleagues to greet her. Nervous, Marina searched him out with her sight as she stood up. When she found him, she begged him inside to get her out of there or to send away the man, shadow or whatever he was, because they both knew what it meant.

Joana also approached her. Cynically, she put one arm around Marina's shoulders and voiced something that Marina didn't memorize, since she wasn't interested in that. Feeling the arm of that stupid girl on her was giving her nausea, so Marina tried to swerve. However, she wasn't able to get rid of that arm that resembled a heavy anchor holding her there. The beads of cold sweat danced on her forehead. From rosy, her skin became marble. What did destiny reserve her this time?

Although the shrill voice sounded miles away from her, Marina heard Joana's mocking speech, "I enjoyed your working method in this case, sir, but I think there was a quick and easy way to solve the problem of Marina."

The teacher crossed his arms and queried, "Yeah? And what was that, if I may know?"

"This!" Joana pulled her arm over Marina's shoulders, turned to her and pushed her with all her energy toward the river.

Feeling pushed, and guessing what would follow, Marina reviewed what had happened when she had fallen from the bridge, and revived all those awful feelings. Within her, reverberated the desperate plea, Not again, please! She released a last cry of genuine distress and it echoed through the air sharply.

Seeing her disappearing in the fluid liquid, Joana turned to the teacher with an expression of triumph and said, "See, sir? Problem solved. And you don't have to worry; she has a life-jacket, soon will come to the surface. Shock therapy always has been the best."

As Joana had announced, Marina didn't take long to come to the surface. However, something strange was happening. Her body was facing down and it seemed to be confined to float. Before everyone gained awareness of what was happening, Lucas ran up the dock and jumped into the water. He gave two strong strokes and got near her. He turned her around and, to his dismay, he found out that her eyes were shut; she had fainted with the overwhelming whirlwind of emotions. At some cost, he pulled her close to him, put his lips over hers and blew. In the first moment, he received no response, so repeated the gesture. Her body writhed in convulsions and she woke up, coughing. Lucas rushed to pull her back to the wharf, under the incredulous gazes of everyone. Joshua and the teacher ran to hoist her.

"Stay away, let her breathe. I'll call an ambulance", announced the teacher as he walked away with phone in hand.

If someone asked her what she was thinking, Marina would reply "nothing". It was as if everything had been erased. There was no past, present or future. She was a tabula rasa, a blank sheet waiting to be scratched. Falling gradually into herself, she processed what the teacher had said and something inside her shouted to react. She had to keep him from making that call, she didn't want to scare her mother. Bringing together all the energy she had left, she whispered that she was fine and there was no need for an ambulance.

"Are you sure? You were unconscious," insisted the professor.

"It was just due to the fright," assured Marina hoarsely.

In an involuntary act, her vision escaped in the water's direction and she tensed once again. The teacher continued to talk, but his voice sounded very distant. On one hand, she wanted to cling to that image that was part of the present; on the other, she had no desire to do so, because it implied the recognition of what had just happened.

Lucas touched her lightly on the hand and Marina felt enclosed by a feeling of tranquility that encouraged her to come back. She looked at him and noticed the doubt about her well-being mirrored in his eyes. She nodded slightly to rest him and lifted her chin in the direction where she had seen the weird guy for the last time. Understanding her request, Lucas assented, withdrew his hand from hers, and stepped away to do what she has asked him.

Also willing to do something to help her, Joshua caught her in his arms, causing envy to most girls who wished for a second to be in his arms. Turning to the teacher, he snapped, "You should be ashamed to have forced her to come, especially when she has done everything to warn you that it was too early. What about you, Joana? You're nothing but a spoiled inconsequential brat." He began to walk along the pier, while ordering to Ana, "Hurry, give me her bag."

Ana assented. She ran to the store to grab the bag and stuffed it in his arm. Under the gravity of the moment, she refrained from imagining what he intended to do with the clothes of her friend.

Before leaving, Joshua gave one last message to their colleagues, "Obviously, we're not attending Translation class. Explain to the teacher what has happened." With this, he began walking toward his house that was only a few feet away.

Marina didn't look at him during the journey, remaining inaccessible in her inner world where she felt protected. Still, she remembered thinking that he was much stronger than he seemed, after all he carried her in his arms and moved without much effort. He was athletic, but she never thought that he had so much strength. She had underestimated him.

Only when they reached the stairs that gave access to the first floor, Joshua showed some problems. He leaned against the wall and spoke to her gently, as if afraid that the vibration of his voice would tear her in two. "Marina, we have to climb the stairs to the first floor. Unfortunately, I'm not Superman; I don't have enough strength to take you up there in my arms. Do you think you can give me a hand over here?"

Marina reconsidered her position. Even though it was safer to stay in her fantasy bubble, she couldn't ignore the 'now and then' for an indefinite period, and Joshua was asking her kindly to come back. They were angry, but there he was, willing to forget everything and help her. He was a nice guy and that made him climb a lot in her consideration. Attending to his request, she put one foot at a time on the floor. Joshua supported her and they climbed the steps slowly. When they arrived at his apartment, Joshua opened the door and then they entered.

Joshua led her to the bathroom. Before she assimilated where she was, Joshua led her close to the tub and bent down to turn on the hot water. Then he turned to Marina and began to undress her. At first she moved robotically, responding to the restrained pokes he gave to her clothes. She only realizes what he was doing when she felt a draft skimming her skin. Marina blinked, looked down and saw that Joshua was taking off her training-suit pants. Was he going to advantage of her in that situation?

"No," shouted Marina, questioning his actions. She tried to move away, but her lack of energy helped him to control her easily, holding her by the arms.

With a peacemaker tone, Joshua asserted, "Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. I swear. We just have to get you out of these wet clothes and help you to warm up with a hot bath, okay?"

Marina took a while to process the information. She ended up nodding, showing that she had understood what he had said. She wanted to trust him, but she couldn't stop asking within: would he undress her all? She couldn't allow it. That was inappropriate, wrong and against her will.

Once she was only in the swim-suit, Joshua held her with one hand to prevent her from falling, while the other tore the clothes off his body in a hurry. Soon he was only in swimming-trunks. He stepped into the tub and asked her to get in too. Marina obeyed. Joshua sat down and signaled her to sit between his. The tub was huge and round, so the two fitted in there perfectly. Marina hesitated for a split second; although reluctant, she gave up in the end. That was too intimate and even had a certain erotic charge. No, she rejected. He was just helping her, nothing else. Erotic charge... I'm being too influenced by Ana's conversations, she grumbled inside.

When Marina felt the water on her belly, she got frightened, but Joshua soon hugged her from behind and murmured her to quiet down. His voice was so sweet and smoothing, that acted as a balm for the soul. Gradually the panic began to dissipate, and when she felt more relaxed, she admitted that that warm water felt good. They were too close, with her practically lying back on him, which made her a little flustered. Nonetheless, she let herself be rocked by his honeyed words and focused only on them.

"I know, sweetie. It was wickedness what they did to you today. Forget it. Everything's fine. I'm here with you and I won't let anything bad happen to you." As he spoke, he got the sprinkler, turned on the water so that it would run only a small string, and began to wash her head.

It felt good to be there. It was as if nothing had happened and the world had stopped just for her to enjoy that brief moment. However, what was good always came to an end. Shortly after, Joshua got up and asked her to stand up so that he could give her one last shower to remove the remains of foam.

The next instant was a little embarrassing. He helped her to leave the tub, grabbed a towel and stared at the ground. Abashed, he explained, "Do you think you can take off the bathing-suit and dry yourself alone? Here's your bag with your clothes. Um, yeah, lady's underwear... Of course it's ladies, you're not a man, right? But what am I talking about? What I mean is I can't do the rest for you."

Marina looked at Joshua and found him blushing. She crimsoned as well when she understood what he meant. In fact, she would have to gain the vigor to be able to carry out that specific task.

Joshua grabbed another towel and handed her, while saying, "I'm going to my room to get dressed and then I'll wait for you here, at the door. When you're ready, just let me know and I'll come in and help you."

When he was preparing to leave, Marina remembered that the sweater she had in the bag was long sleeved and the jeans glued to her body. She didn't want to wear those clothes; she needed a greater freedom of movement, for this she cut in, "Can I borrow a t-shirt and some shorts of yours?"

The boy stopped and looked at her with an expression of confusion. It was a strange request, but feasible. He agreed and withdrew, shutting the bathroom door behind him.

The bath had been invigorating and Marina felt much better. She was tranquil and didn't fear that anything else would happen. Already happened what had to happen, she thought. With her forces renewed and feeling prepared to return in full to the present, she took off her swim-suit, dried and dressed in the underwear.

Minutes later, Joshua knocked at the door with the clothes she had requested. Marina wrapped herself in a bath towel and asked him to come in. Embarrassed, Joshua didn't dare to look. He spoke very fast, tripping over a bit. "Unfortunately, I have no more shorts besides these I'm using, but my brother has a fetish with Ultra XL T-shirts, so I brought you one. Probably it will suit you as a dress."

Joshua handed her a gray t-shirt, with some letters in pink, and went out even before she had the chance to thank him. Marina got dressed and thought that Joshua was right as she stared up at the mirror: she looked like she had put on a largish dress that almost reached her knees. She shrugged. It was what she had and it would do very well. She picked up the brush from her bag and tried to undo the knots in her hair.

Next she tried to clean up the mess in the toilet. She refused be invited there and leave everything chaotic. When everything seemed to be neat and tidy, she opened the door. Joshua was just outside as he had said. He smiled to see her with a look closer to normal.

"You look like you're feeling better," he noted.

Marina agreed, "Yes, I'm feeling much better now."

"Then come with me."

Marina had no idea where he was taking her, but she didn't mind, for she felt that she was in a secure place and could rely on Joshua for real. However, seeing him opening the door of what she guessed to be his room, she stopped and took a step back. Remembering that she had already been mistaken about his intentions, she chose to give him the benefit of the doubt and dared to enter his chambers. It was a typical boy's room, where the blue tone prevailed. On the wall in front of the door was a window that allowed him to have good natural lighting. The bed occupied the central place in the room; next to it, was a small bedside table with a dark blue lamp with a picture of Goofy that made her laugh inside. On the opposite wall to the window was the wardrobe. On the other side was a dresser, a desk with a laptop, and then an empty bookcase. Marina went to the desk and stared at the little boxes that populated it – computer games. She grabbed one, that she found to be 'Tomb Rider', and showed it to Joshua, who rolled his eyes as if he had been caught with something embarrassing.

"What?" he asked. "I'm still waiting for my dad to help me to install the TV and the PlayStation. Since they don't let me play in the living room, I picked up my old PC games to entertain myself."

Marina nodded her head on hearing the explanation. She put down the game and ran her fingers along the empty shelves.

Joshua was quick to justify, "I told you that I still had boxes to unpack. They are full of books, DVD's and CD's to stow there. It's just that I've been... busy."

Typical boys' excuse, echoed Marina's mind. On what came to the stowage, they left much to desire, starting with the will to do so. What would those boxes have inside? Curious, she began to move towards them. Joshua grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "No, ma'am," he said. "No way you're going to arrange that. Now you're going to lie down in bed and have some rest. Don't you feel tired?"

Indeed, the shower felt good, but it was also true that it had left her a little sleepy. Lying down wasn't a bad idea, except she didn't feel comfortable to do it there, in Joshua's bed. She glanced at him through the corner of her eye, and for the first became aware that he was wearing only swimming-trunks and he was topless. She had seen him before without a shirt and she knew he was pretty hot, nevertheless having him there, so close to her like that, made her turn redder than a pepper and feeling a little choked. Trying to cover it up, she dropped her eyes to the tiles of the floor.

Joshua smiled inside when he became aware of her reaction. Trying to put her more at ease, he attested, "Don't worry, I won't stay here in the room. I'm going to the living room for you to be more at ease."

Marina blinked her eyes. It was as if he had read her mind. She used to boast that nobody could tell how she felt. Hum, she could be more transparent than before. She evaluated the proposal and ended up saying, "That doesn't make much sense. It's your room, you should want... I don't know, to do things here as usual. It's your space."

"Nah! I'll do homework and then I'm going to eat and watch TV. Speaking of which, are you hungry?"

Marina shook her head that she wasn't hungry. After the revolution wrought by her stomach that afternoon, she wasn't anxious for the next meal. She looked at the bed. It seemed quite inviting... And it would feel good to snooze. If he put things in that perspective, she was willing to accept the offer and to get some rest there.

"Fine, I'll lie down for a while," she said. "But don't let me sleep for a long time, I don't want to go home late. Ah! And you should know that it doesn't seem right e that you do this for me; you already did too much."

"Don't be silly," he depreciated.

As Marina pulled back the quilt and the sheet, Joshua went to the wardrobe to get a cushion. He then made a sign for her to lie down and she obeyed. He covered her with the sheet and gave her a kiss on her cheek by way of farewell. He left and pulled the bedroom door closed behind him. Marina sank into the pillow. Oh, good! It smelled like Joshua. With that familiar fragrance so close, she should be able to rest. She quickly drifted into sleep.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Marina's dream started off being quite pleasant, but soon total collapse occurred and it returned to the horrific event of that afternoon. At the very moment she was dreaming that she was being pushed into the water by Joana, she let out a scream and woke up. She sat up in bed, panting. The bedroom door opened and Joshua entered; it seemed that he had run there. He settled beside her and put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her. He kissed her forehead, while telling her that it had just been a nightmare. But it wasn't just a nightmare - it was real and had happened very recently. Despite that, he was right; it had already passed.

Obeying his gentle touch, Marina lay down again. Joshua lay down beside her, on top of the sheet. He supported his face in one hand, sticking his elbow on the mattress and, with the other, he stroked her hair in a smooth, continuous movement. She said nothing and just enjoyed the tranquility the gesture conveyed.

They were like that for some time, when Marina murmured with shyness, "Thank you for what you did."

"You're welcome," replied Joshua while stroking.

In an even lower tone, Marina asked, "Does this mean that you're no longer upset and that we can go back to being friends again?"

Joshua stopped moving his hand and Marina felt as if he had slammed an imaginary door in her face. For him, the reason that led him to be angry with her was very valid. What had happened to her that afternoon didn't erase everything, nor corrected things.

He stirred uncomfortably on the bed, to next relax again and resume what he was doing. "Don't think about that now," he replied.

It wasn't a clear 'yes', but it also wasn't a resounding 'no'. Marina pushed herself further back to lean into his body and murmured, "I hope we can go back to being friends soon. Do you believe that I miss you?"

Joshua didn't respond. He deposited a tender kiss on her cheek and cuddled up next to her, ending with both falling asleep with the boy holding her in his arms.

Unlike what happened before, this time she was awaken by Joshua, who had got up meantime and was now closing the blinds of the window. Marina rubbed her eyes and noticed that the light was fading outside. What time was it? She tried to focus on the clock on the bedside table and took a leap when noted that it was 6.45p.m.

"What?" Joshua asked, concerned.

"The time," Marina said a little alarmed. "It's late. I have to go home or my mom will get worried."

Joshua sat beside her, bit his lower lip and prepared to tell her something he wasn't quite sure he should have done. With a low tone of voice, he announced, "While you were sleeping, I searched for the number of your mother on your phone and I called her. I told her what had..."

"What?!" interrupted Marina. "Why did you do that? She must have freaked out. I'm so doomed! I'll hear a king size sermon."

"Why would you be lectured at when the guilt of what happened was not yours?"

The fault wasn't hers, but she was used to taking the blame without having any responsibility. She was sure that her mother would tell her that she should have taken the negative grade instead of putting up with that, that she should have tried to impose herself to the teacher's orders, and blah-blah-blah...

Joshua cut short her mental chatter. "As I was saying, I told her everything, and of course she got worried. However, I calmed her. I told her that you were fine and that you were asleep. We agreed that she'd pass by here at 7 to get you."

Marina turned in bed, in order to be front to him. She looked into his eyes. He was being so kind to her, though he was still upset with her. If he didn't exist, that boy had to be invented. She kneeled and gave him a meaningful hug.

"It's almost time for my mom to arrive. I'd better go get dressed. If she sees me like this, she'll have a heart attack," she joked while getting up.

Leaving Joshua alone in his room, she went to the WC to change clothes. She did it easily and fast, which proved she was back in shape. Ready, she picked up her sports bag and brought it with her when to the room. Joshua was arranging the bed when she entered. She approached him and handed him the t-shirt. "Thanks for the t-shirt," she said.

"Wanna keep it? My brother wouldn't mind that."

"No, but thanks for the offer."

Joshua moved toward the wardrobe while he said, "In that case, I'll keep it in my stuff. You never know when it may be useful again."

"I hope that's never," Marina hastened to exclaim.

The response was somewhat abrupt, which saddened Joshua. He lowered his face and stared at the shirt in his hands as something precious.

Possessed by guilt, Marina felt that she had to correct things. She took the t-shirt, grabbed his hands and made him sit on bed beside her. She took a good look in the deep of his green eyes, so that he could see that she was telling the truth, and declared, "Joshua, what I meant was that it would be nice not having to wear the t-shirt again for the same reasons as today, although I wouldn't mind putting it on for other occasions."

'Other occasions'? That also wasn't quite what she meant and, said like that, it even seemed that she was suggesting something intimate. She was burying herself deeper and deeper.

The doorbell interrupted them and Joshua rushed to get up from the mattress. He went to the closet and kept the t-shirt that would be hers whenever she wanted to wear it. Then, he turned to her and noted, "I believe it was your mother. Let's go then?"

Marina wanted to say no, since there was still much more to talk about. She knew, however, that her mom would be concerned and thought it was best not to keep her waiting. In response to Joshua's question, she picked up the sports bag and followed him in silence into the kitchen.

She didn't remember having gone through there when they entered, but this was normal as she was in such a deplorable state then. Her appreciation of the kitchen was fast and short, since she was surprised by a panoply of people she didn't think to be at home: Joshua's parents and his brother. The boy was just like Joshua. Intrigued, she approached to have a better look at him, but soon she changed her mind, when he became aware of her presence and showed himself a little bothered. Feeling that she had to apologize, she stammered, "Um, sorry. It's just that you look so much like..."

"Yes, everyone asks us if we're twins," stated the boy between a bored sigh. "Hi, I'm Dennis. And you must be Marina."

Marina blinked in amazement. "Yes, I am. How do you know my name?" She soon regretted asking this. What a dumb question. Of course Joshua had explained everything to his parents and brother.

Dennis rolled his eyes in a censure way for her missing something that was quite obvious and grumbled, "Everyone in this house knows who the famous Marina is for ages. Joshua doesn't talk about anything else."

Marina and Joshua blushed severely, while he hastened to order his brother to shut up. That guy had to learn to keep his mouth shut. Embarrassed, Joshua tried to divert the issue, explaining that perhaps the similarities between them were due to the fact that they had such a little difference in age. To end the conversation, he told her that his brother also attended the same school as they, but he was in 10th grade.

"Really? I've never seen you there," she said to Dennis. "I mean, I may have seen you, but most likely I got you confused with your brother. Sorry about that."

"Never mind," replied Dennis, as he turned back toward the television, since he had already lost too much of his favorite series.

The mothers were talking animatedly when Marina approached them. Luísa received her with a hug and her first question was, "Are you sure you're really okay? Don't you want to go to hospital?"

Marina felt like rolling her eyes, but she didn't do it. Luísa was her mother, so it was normal that she was worried. Instead of the cold response she had planned, Marina merely assured, "I'm fine. Seriously, it was nothing compared with the fall off the bridge. It was just... a dive. A bad, horrible, disgusting, terrible dive."

"Tomorrow I'm going to talk to the Headmaster. I will allow them to submit you to something like that again. Those canoeing classes will end for sure!"

Mom spoke with such conviction and anger that Marina even felt pity on the Headmaster. On second thought, she could obliterate him, the idiot psychologist, the Physical Education dictator, and the smug Joana. She was torn from her thoughts by her mother who, after looking at her watch, exclaimed how late it was, therefore it was better to go home. They both thanked the hospitality of the family, and Joshua and his mother escorted them to the exit.

Luísa had left the work van right at the building's gate, so they didn't have to walk far. They got in the vehicle and headed home. The trip to the old building was short as well: in less than three minutes they were home. They were practically neighbors who lived in different extremities of the same avenue.

While her mother went to the kitchen to take care of dinner, Marina went to her bedroom. As she undressed, she was graced by a delicious aroma: her skin smelled like Joshua's perfume. She sighed. He had been an amazing friend; she was grateful and felt that she had to tell him that. She hastened to put on the pajamas, sat on the bed and pulled the phone to text, 'Thanks for everything you did today. I have no words to describe how amazing you were'. She sent the message to Joshua right away. The answer didn't take long. It said, 'You don't need thank me. I would do this and much more for you. I know you would do the same for me.' 'I would do much more' was a suggestive expression, but she knew it was true. Even when he was upset at her, he was a friend she could rely on. Would he still be upset with her? Maybe a little bored, but he seemed willing to give her another chance if she asked him, so why not try? She sent him another text, saying 'Do you want to try the journey from my home to school tomorrow?' The answer came almost instantly, 'OK. I'll pass by your house at 9. See you tomorrow, beautiful.'

It was a deal! Happy, she left her room and went to the kitchen.

The thrust of Joana dominated the supper, overloading Marina in emotional terms. Finally, mom seemed to realize that she was already sick of that issue and mentioned a final comment by way of an upshot, "Luckily Joshua was there to get you out of the water."

With no further delay, Marina corrected, "It was Lucas who saved me."

"Who?" asked mom, a bit puzzled.

Marina blinked her eyes, assimilating what she had just said, She repeated the correction, this time completing the sentence to avoid confusions. "Who took me out of the water was Lucas, and later Joshua took me to his house."

"Lucas? And who is this?" inquired mom as she lifted one eyebrow in suspicion.

"Just a guy from my class. He was my partner in canoeing."

Her mother frowned. She had never heard her daughter talking of boys and now, from one minute to another, she spoke of two. It was suspicious. What did they mean to her? Since this was a conversation she wasn't ready for, she changed the theme and talked about was on the news.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Marina said goodbye to her mother with a good-night kiss and walked into her chambers. She prepared the rucksack and chose the clothes for the following day: some gray pants and a pink belted shirt. With everything ready, she got into bed and turned on the TV.

Alone in the room, she felt the remnants of the sensuality spell of Joshua broke entirely. Free from his influence, she became conscious that she was worried about Lucas. The last time she saw him, he was going to try to get rid of the dark man. Would he be alright? Could the man have hurt him? She sought the answer in her heart. He was fine; if there was anything wrong with him, she would feel it.

Reviewing the events in a second, she concluded that the one to blame was Joana, not the weird guy. She could guess that had would be sentenced with an insignificant punishment, after all she was the school's pretty pet girl. For Marina, Joana wasn't getting away with it; she was willing to take justice into her own hands. She forced herself to shake off the negative feelings. She had to be sympathetic, pure and... come on! If Joana messed up with her once again, she would give her a mighty beating and that was it. That hex had no right to play with other people's lives. Tired of thinking about the episode and everyone involved, she decided to put a stone over the subject and to focus on the show that was on.

TV soon lost interest and Marina fell asleep. That night, she had a strange dream, in which she was back to the hot dry land she had walked before in another fantasy, and Lucas was there, again sitting on black hot rocks. His provocative smile was reduced to a grimace of hate and he seemed shrouded in shadows. Although she trusted him, she feared that he would hurt her, so she moved away in the opposite direction. Some rays of sun began to emerge then in front of her, and from them Joshua burst through, overflowing with happiness and peace. That was the right way to go, she knew that she should run into his arms. However, and against all logic, she stopped and turned toward the demonic Lucas. She was attracted to him with such intensity! He was shrouded in darkness, but what if she could set him free from the clutches of evil? Seeing that she wasn't moving, not picking any of them, both guys decided to resolve the decision for her. They launched themselves into a terrifying fight, in which the clash of their bodies sounded like thunder rumbling. To prevent them from hurting each other, Marina interposed between them and suffered the blows, falling down to rise no more. She woke up all sweaty and panting. Would that dream be trying to warn her that she would buy a war if she kept insisting on having two friends so different from one another? She hoped not. Reluctant, she turned in bed, curled up in the sheets and counted sheep to fall asleep again.

The music she had chosen as the phone alarm, one of her favorite, woke her up in the morning. Animated, she got dressed and went to the kitchen to have breakfast. She was enjoying her bowl of cereals when, at 9a.m sharp, someone knocked at the door. She figured it was probably Joshua. She ran into the bedroom to fetch the rucksack and rushed to the door. When she opened it, she saw no one. A scarlet shine on the doorstep made her look down: it was a red rose. She took it and noticed that it had no card or any kind of identification that would allow her to know who had offered it. Two names came to her mind, but she chose not to create false expectations. She went back inside, filled a glass with water, took it to her room and put the rose inside.

Again someone knocked on the door. Marina rushed to see who it was and this time she found Joshua, who greeted her with a very cheerful tone, "Hello, good-morning! How are you today?"

"I'm fine," she replied.

"Are you ready to go to school?"

Marina assented, while figuring that she could try to find out if Joshua had been the one offering her the rose with a simple question. She decided to put it to him as she locked the door behind her. "Were you waiting for long?"

"No, I just got here now. I fell behind a bit, so I had to run here. I was afraid that you were already gone."

Possibility number one discarded. Joshua claimed that he had just arrived, so it couldn't have been him offering the rose. Or he was lying. They had been upset; he might not want to show weakness and, therefore, had left the rose on the step to not have to face her. It was possible. She would think about that later.

The path they followed was much easier and quicker than the one of the other day, so they got to school twenty minutes later. Joshua was impressed.

"It takes a lot less time to get to school if we take this way. In my case, I have to travel a greater distance, but it's easy and the result is a considerable saving on time."

"Yep," agreed Marina. "You have to live here many years to know the secret nooks and corners of the city."

Taking the lead, Joshua suggested, "I hope to learn them soon. Maybe you can give me a more complete tour one of these days."

Marina wasn't sure of what to say. If she answered yes, it was like setting a new date with him and she was not ready for such a thing. What if he wanted to schedule a day right away, and later he saw her talking to Lucas and snapped? They would be mad one more time. She chose just to raise her shoulders by way of a 'maybe'.

When they were approaching the school's door, Ana came running towards them. When she got near to Marina, she asked her, "Hey, baby. How are you today?"

Marina smiled and calmed her, "I'm great. You know how I am: It hurts to fall, but I eventually get up with just a graze on my knee. You said it yourself, remember?"

Ana bit her lip and muttered, "Ouch! You hurt your knee?"

Marina gave a small pat on her shoulder and criticized, "Ana, don't be such a Blonde. It was a metaphor,"

Ana rolled her eyes and Joshua had a good laugh. Ana didn't correspond to the blonde cliché associated to dumbness, but that time she had failed to escape from it. Angry, Ana turned to Joshua and put the hands on her hips, so that he would see that she was furious and didn't think that chuckle very funny.

Joshua rushed to shut up and put his hands in the air to surrender. Still trying to control his laughter, he said, "Okay, girls, see you in class. I'll look for my brother to give him a notebook he forgot at home. See you soon," and entered the school lobby, leaving the girls alone.

With that information, Ana had put the question, "So, the pretty boy has a brother who goes here too, huh?"

"Yep, and you cannot imagine. I met him yesterday and he looks like Joshua's twin."

"Twins? Yum-Yum! Double dessert. That way, you can have this one and I'm taking the other," stated Ana, rubbing her hands as she conceived a lot of conquering plans.

On the trip to the lockers, Marina told everything she knew to her friend, who promised to be more attentive, to see if she could find him. She couldn't lose sight of gorgeous guy number two or she could risk him being 'fished' before she got to him.

The first class of the day was Portuguese. They got into the room and sat down, while the classmates did the same. Joshua went in last, looked at the empty table behind Ana and Marina and bit his lip. Although no one was sitting there, he knew who usually occupied the place and that made him tense.

"Oh, boy... He's staring at the table behind us. He must be losing his mind and thinking about not talking to me again."

"You think so? He doesn't seem that kind of guy," alleged Ana in his defense.

Marina wasn't willing to put her hands in fire for that, as she didn't know what was going on in his brain. Ana also shouldn't do it for him: she had put hers in the flames for him the other day and quickly got burned when he acted like a child. Joshua stared at Marina, smiled at her kindly, waved his hand and took the place next to his friend. The gesture meant that they were not angry... yet.

The teacher told them to be quiet and drew everyone's attention to what was scheduled for that lesson. "I know we've been studying the language evolution, nevertheless I need to evaluate your writing skills, so over the next hour I want you to write something, such as a tale, a story... a legend of your home town. Go, get to work."

On hearing the words 'legend of your home town' several voices echoed, murmuring the name of Almira, the enchanted Moorish of the city, whose voice was still heard in the castle on Augusts' warm nights calling for the knight D. Gonçalo, her beloved. Marina wouldn't write about that; there were already too many classmates thinking about doing the essay on her. Moreover, she had read the book 'Almira, the Enchanted Moorish' and that would certainly influence her. As she was very fond of stories related to magic elements, such as 'The Mists of Avalon' or even the story of Merlin she had watched in a movie, she decided to tell some sort of a tale involving magic, gods and curses. And romance. Eugh! It was best not to bet on novels, since they could extend forever. How about telling a story within another? For example, she could imagine two riders in the woods in search of a mare that ran away; when they sat down to rest, one could tell the other about the curse of that part of the woods. It seemed a good idea.

She opened her notebook on a blank sheet and began to write. She bit the pen cap while she allowed the ideas to flow into her thoughts. She found herself staring at Ana. Her friend appeared to be anxious and out of ideas on what to write. It was one of her problems: Ana took too long to decide on things and often needed help to do so.

Seeing that no one looked at them, Marina asked, "What's wrong?"

Annoyed, Ana confessed, "I don't know what to write about..."

Marina thought for a split second and returned, "You can write about many things. Look, imagine a date with Dennis and tell what you would do."

Ana's cheeks went red and she rejected the idea, "That would have too many details that could not be included."

"So tell what happened yesterday at the pier. It makes a good drama," proposed Marina.

Ana looked at her with a piercing gaze and noted, "That's a little egocentric, don't you think so?"

"Sheesh, you don't settle yourself for nothing!" groaned Marina. "Tell about the happiest day of your life, or the saddest. It's up to you. I'll start writing now. We'll talk later."

Marina turned forward and stared at the blank page, while mentally recovering the ideas she had had. She took the pen and began to scribble.

'Vendior awoke Alexis quite early that morning. They had to hurry, because a mare had fled the barn and they had to go look for it. Alexis jumped out of bed and dressed at a glance. In less than a minute, he was at the gate waiting for Vendior.

"Where do you think it has gone?" he asked to Vendior.

"To the woods and that's what worries me. It's a very treacherous place this time of the year."

"You'll see that we'll find it soon and that everything will be well," rested Alexis.

The sun didn't even have time to say 'good-morning' to the plants and already Alexis and Vendior had left; the quest would take a while.

It was near lunch time when Vendior finally found the track of the animal. They followed it carefully, until Vendior stopped and dismounted. Alexis did the same.

" _I'll have to come back here tomorrow alone," said the old man._

Not understanding why he said that, Alexis questioned, "Why?"

" _We've reached a section of forest that is quite unstable. Trees fall inexplicably, and out of nowhere, we find shifting sands. Some say that this place is haunted."_

Alexis' eyes glowed with curiosity, "Really? Haunted?"

"Yes. Let's sit down a bit there. If you want, I can tell you why they say it is haunted."

The boy didn't take long to reply, "I'd like that very much."

Both sat in the shade of a tree and Vendior began the short narrative. According to what he had heard, that part of the woods had been a bid from Lirium, the goddess of flowers and trees. All mortals could go for long walks in it without any danger. In return, the goddess asked mortals only not to enter a certain part of the forest - which corresponded to the one where Vendior and Alexis were about to enter - and not to gather the beautiful lilies that grew there in her honor.

One day, an innocent young couple decided to take a stroll through the woods, but they lost track of where they were and entered the banned site. As if it wasn't enough, seeing them as beautiful as his lover, the boy couldn't resist picking a huge bouquet of lilies for his girlfriend. Angry with such an offence, the goddess decided to punish them by taking the boy's life. The sky darkened, flowers were all replaced by thorns. Instead of short grass, there were now high weeds that interfered with visibility and orientation. All the birds left and never again dared to sing near the spot. The trees became old, dry and lifeless, and their leaves, once green backs, withered and fell.

The young girl wept over the corpse of her love three days and three nights, until her body and soul couldn't resist any more, and with grief, she died.

Some people said that the lilies still bloomed in that place in the woods, but who dared to try to reach them, would suffer the wrath of the goddess: who got in, never came out. As for the lovers, it was said that the ghost of the girl lived in the forest. It cried every Winter over the death of her beloved and apologized to the goddess for their outrage and boldness. She cried so hard, that the woods now resembled a bog with a treacherous mire.

That said, Vendior got up and remounted the horse.

"It's due to all this that I'll be back tomorrow."

"But it's just a story. I don't mind going into the woods to look for the mare," argued Alexis.

Vendior refused, "No, forget about it."

Alexis shrugged, also mounted his horse and returned home. Legend or real, the story of the curse was interesting and he would not forget it.'

It wasn't a long story, but if she started to develop the romance of two inconsequential lovers, she would never get out of there. When she began to write, it was difficult to stop, because her imagination swarmed. It was better to stop there or that hour would be insufficient to write what she wanted.

The bell rang ten minutes later. Marina asked Ana for her sheet to deliver both to the teacher and found that she had written only half a page. Ana shrugged and said that she wasn't inspired. Marina delivered the pages to the teacher and then returned to her place to pack up her stuff. They rushed to the bar, for Ana to eat something and Marina to buy the meal ticket for the next day.

Within minutes before being called to Geography lesson by the bell (damned when it rang for entry, but blessed when announcing the exit), they began to head to the room. At the door of the Executive Board, the girls found Marina's mother. They knew quite well what she was doing there.

"Are you going in now, mom?" questioned Marina.

"Yes. I think this will take a while, because I do not intend to pity them when they didn't have pity on you. Probably, when you get out of the next class I will be here with news."

"Okay. When I get out, I'll pass by here to ask how it went."

Marina and Ana went to Geography class. Marina knew that her mom would attack the Headmaster as a beast, and it was well-done for him. Who told him to follow the advice of an ex-traumatized teacher, who seemed to have a screw missing, and to listen to a psychologist who understood zero of Psychology?

Geography class seemed to take forever. Marina knew that someone was trying to pass ideas of agriculture, but she didn't memorize anything. She copied the notes from the blackboard and reinforced them with an indication on the book pages she should consult later.

As soon as she heard the bell, Marina threw everything into the backpack and ran to the Headmaster's office. She was anxious to hear about what had happened, and, particularly, what consequences would fall on her. Her mother hadn't left the room yet and the door of the office remained closed. She still had to wait. Trying to control her nerves, she took a few steps from one side to another.

Shortly after, the door opened and her mother came out with an exhausted air. Impatient, Marina shot, "What happened in there?"

"An authentic battlefield with many casualties along the way, but everything is solved," sighed mom.

"And what did they decided?" inquired Marina, squeezing her own hands in a nervous gesture.

"Briefly, all of them apologized, but I required more than that. Thus, the Executive Board decided to put an immediate end to the canoeing lessons. You have a ten in that sport's evaluation and an investigation into the teacher's actions will be opened."

"Really? The coach will be mad when he finds out about that..." said Marina, as she shook her fingers as if she had got burned.

"As for the boys who helped you," continued mom, "they'll have an extra point in their evaluation. Joana's punishment will be decided by the end of the day at a teachers meeting."

It was too much data at once to process; Marina had to digest it little by little. She was happy with the fact of not having to do canoeing any more, and it was great that the boys were rewarded. Having a ten in that sport was excellent. As for the opening of an investigation on the professor's behavior, it was a common procedure and, in most cases, it ended up in nothing. She only hoped that the teacher wouldn't start to pick up on her to avenge himself. As for Joana, she would have to wait to find out which punishment would be decided for her, though she had no hope that it would be harsh.

"Before I forget, the Physical Education teacher must apologize to you in the next class. I really must go now, I'm way behind. Oh, and you, too. It's already ringing," noted mom.

Marina had spent most recess standing in front of the Executive Board office, waiting for news, and the time had flown. With no choice, she said goodbye to her mom and headed to the locker to exchange books. From there, she headed to the classroom, where Joshua and Ana were waiting to know the outcome of the meeting. Before the teacher came, Marina told them everything quite briefly.

"Cool, Joshua, you'll have one extra point in your evaluation," congratulated Ana, as she applied a mighty pat on his back that made him cough.

Recovered from the effects of Ana's gesture, he replied, "Yes, that's good, but I didn't do it expecting something in return. I did it to help Marina."

"We know that, but if you're rewarded, all the better," asserted Ana as she tried to repeat the slap, but this time without success, because the boy managed to escape out of her reach.

The History teacher went into the room and the students followed him.

Instead of relieved with the decisions made by the Headmaster, Marina felt apprehensive. She feared reprisals, in particular from the Physical Education teacher. As for Joana, she could take her - she was insignificant. She tried to focus on the lesson. The professor had launched into a report of historical data that could be considered a major annoyance, if it wasn't for the fact that he explained to them in such an enthusiastic and engaging way. Marina observed him: he was a curious figure, a little over his 50's. He was short, had a protruding belly, and from his nose hung a pair of glasses that he removed occasionally during his explanations. He was going bald on top of his head, but the bottom had abundant wavy hair. He dressed in a traditional way; somehow, he reminded her of a grandpa. However, his look of beloved grandfather deceived: for him, everything had its time and place. When it was time to tell jokes, they did it; but if it was time to work and the class didn't let him, he got angry, shouted out loud for them to be quiet, and they had to do what he said or they were in dire straits. That was the mythical teacher Adelino.

Five minutes before the end of class, the teacher made an announcement. "As you know, I quite appreciate the local history. Therefore, the next class we're going to visit the archaeological crypt in the castle. Be there 10 minutes before the regular beginning of class, to count down those minutes at the end for getting back to school. Do not forget this. I'll call your names to find out who is missing."

A buzz invaded the classroom. Marina had already heard of the crypt, but she hadn't visited it. For someone of her age, with no ambition to be a historian or an archaeologist, visiting the crypt wasn't exactly the first option in her list of activities.

With the lesson officially complete, students ran for the exit almost in a stampede. In the hallway, Joshua informed Marina and Ana that he was going home for lunch.

"How couldn't you be in such great shape? You walk the way to school twice," said Ana, as she winked her eye by way of approval. He could do that journey as many times as he wanted; she didn't complain of the beautiful result, she even supported him.

Joshua admitted that it was tiring to do such climb and laughed at Ana's comment, that was also a compliment. If he was in good shape, it meant that he didn't look that bad and, by consequence, would have a good chance of success among females. More important, perhaps this feature would impress a certain someone... but for that, she would have to be a girl like the others, and she was not, without a doubt.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

They ate quickly. After giving the trays to the canteen employee, the friends ran to the stone bench in the school yard where they usually sat, so that they could enjoy the warm shining sun. Luckily, it was empty. Ana took the opportunity to stretch out. Since it was long, it still had plenty of space left over to allow more people to sit there with them.

It was nice to be chatting while appreciating the gifts of the sun. Ana was about to fall asleep, when she remembered that they hadn't yet talked about what had happened the previous afternoon. In fact, Marina had disappeared with Joshua and she didn't hear from her until that morning.

Out of the blue, Ana began, "Yep, I gotta confess that yesterday your marginal buddy impressed me. He did well. He was the only one able to calm you down and to convince you to go in a canoe and even row. I saw you paddling and my jaw just dropped! I even thought that he could have magical powers indeed, after all he led you to do what you most feared."

Marina was reticent about what to answer. In fact, it must have seemed ridiculous that she begged so hard not to get into a canoe, and then changed her mind with the arrival of Lucas. But she didn't go back on her decision with a single breath of wind in her ear. It was true that Lucas was behind her resolution, but it was because he transmitted the security she needed.

Hiding her face in her hands, ashamed, she asked, "You saw me? I was rowing terribly wrong. Better say I was randomly beating the paddle in the water. Not to mention the fright mask I was wearing. Î hope I wasn't seen by many people."

"Compared with the bundle of nerves you were before that instant, you didn't do that bad. You did what you had to, there's no reason to be ashamed."

She had done it to ensure she would pass at that modality. However, if Lucas hadn't showed up to support her, maybe she wouldn't have left her safe place despite the insistence of the teacher. Lucas was truly responsible for the magic that occurred within her.

Marina's thoughts were interrupted by Ana, who proceeded with her remarks. "I was astonished when he jumped into the water as soon as he saw you falling. I never imagined he would react with such immediacy to anyone, since I thought he was too egocentric. And the resuscitation maneuver? Cough-cough... Not sexy at all! It was better than a rescue on the series 'Baywatch'. Very caliente, ma'am."

Marina blushed with that news. Well, news to her, since the class would already know that. It never crossed her mind that Lucas had given her CPR, but how could she know if she was unconscious?

Before Marina could try to mend the situation, presenting arguments like 'I passed out' or 'I don't even remember it', Ana underlined, "It would have been a very hot scene if it wasn't for the drama surrounding the situation. You know, I was so affected by the behavior of Lucas that, at night, I remembered him. As I couldn't sleep, I ended up devising a new theory about his nature."

Fabulous! At least Ana would stop speaking about that embarrassing moment that she didn't even remember about. Still, it was curious to know that Lucas lips had been pressed against hers and that it had been that touch to bring her back. It was best to forget about it before she turned as red as a ruby, denouncing the libidinous contours of her thoughts.

Back to the fantastic theories, Marina recalled, "We know that he's not a vampire, as he walks in sunlight and has no fangs. How am I sure? I was fool enough to ask him to open his mouth to check it. When he inquired what I was doing, I slipped and I told him I was trying to see if he was one more Cullen. Of course, he laughed at me."

"I would taunt you too if you told me to open my mouth to see if I had red snappers. You could have disguised it," Ana criticized as she entwined her hands behind her head.

It was obvious that Marina wished she had invented a plausible excuse for what she was doing, but the confrontation was so unexpected that she had answered with the truth. Despite the mocking, it had been pleasant to hear him laugh with pleasure. His laughter was a rare and precious thing.

Ana returned to her reasoning line, "Last night, I cogitated until my neurons almost burst, and note that I treasure them a lot, since I haven't many left working properly. This time, my theory points in another direction."

Other direction? What mythical proposal would follow? Elves, fairies, werewolves, ghosts or aliens? Maybe government secret projects in the style of an American conspiracy? Ana was very creative, so it was best to prepare for what was coming. She settled on the bench and put on a serious face.

Ana savored every moment as if she was creating more suspense around a supposed bombshell revelation. She turned and sat face to face with Marina, until their noses almost touched. Bearing an expression of austerity, she exploded, "Lucas is... a fallen angel."

Huh, what? Marina remembered having heard of that concept before, but she couldn't recall what it involved. Unsure of what it was, she couldn't refute her theory. Noting her disorientation, Ana exclaimed a "Duh!" as if what she had affirmed was easy to understand. What did she expect? Marina didn't walk around with a book of definitions of fantastic figures under her arm.

With deliberate slow speech, Ana inquired, "Have you forgotten about the book you lent me on Monday? You must be getting amnesia... Anyway, it talks about fallen angels and the notion got my attention."

So it was from that saga she remembered the concept. Although she was a big girl already, hers mother insisted on continuing to offer her presents on Children's Day. That year, the gift was Becca Fitzpatrick's book, 'Hush, Hush'. Marina had loved it so much, that she had bought the second volume. That week, she had loaned it to her friend so that she could read it. Although she had just read the book, with the long list of setbacks in the last days, she had forgotten about the narrative. Still, there was something she remembered: she herself had placed the hypothesis of Lucas being a fallen or a guardian angel, but refused both options.

Frustrated, she protested, "That doesn't count! You can't just dump everything and hope that I'm able to bounce your arguments in a flash. To be honest, things have been so bad lately that I don't remember the story very well. I must first ascertain what these angels are and only then I'll say if you're right or not."

"There's not much to check. From what I understood, they are angels who decided not to be angels, because they want to live like humans. I guess... but you go ahead and confirm. My intuition assures me that I'll win. Let's make a bet?" proposed Ana with enthusiasm.

Marina wasn't sure of what to answer, so she stammered, "I-I don't think that's a good idea, because you're at an advantage."

Ana broadened her smile and said, "Maybe. But after you verify what you want, you'll see that I'm right and you'll have to admit it."

"Or you'll have to swallow this theory, like the one about him being a vampire," refuted Marina.

Ana shook her hair, confident, and lay on the bench again. Marina shut her eyelids and turned her head upward to absorb all the possible solar energy. Her friend's theory throbbed in her head, whereby she rubbed her temples for a few seconds with light circular movements. She needed to discover more things before giving Ana the final answer. If they had Informatics in the afternoon, she would take the chance to research on the Internet. Unfortunately, they had French and English – it would have to wait till later.

Joshua's voice sounded very remote when it reached their ears in the form of a harmonious melody. Both opened their eyes lazily, surrendering to his charms. Sighting a resplendent Joshua, with the sun focusing on him creating a magical aura around him, was an authentic breathtaking vision. His skin glistened, his hair seemed to merge with the rays of light, and he transpired perfection as if he was a masterpiece carved by the best artist of all time.

Ana clung to that terrific image. Marveled, she whispered, "Wow! You look like a Greek God! I just died, went to the Heaven of cute guys and I met the best of all of them..."

Joshua released an astonishing laugh that echoed through the school yard. Ana had already made it very clear that she considered him desirable and this made him shy. That's the way Ana was - direct. She said what she thought and didn't beat around the bush.

"Thank you Ana, but that's too much. I'm going inside. Are you coming, girls?" asked Joshua.

The friends stood up. The lunch hour was over and it was time to go to the lockers to get the material for French class. Joshua went with them into the lobby, but he preferred to sit there on the benches to rest, while they went to get their books.

While rummaging in her locker, Ana commented, "Someone is in a good mood today, huh?"

Marina knew what she meant and agreed, "Yes, and I'm happy about it. However, I know that he's only that joyful, because Lucas didn't come to school. When he returns to sit behind us, you'll see what happens. There will be more explosions fireworks on the 4th of July."

Ana nodded her head. Most likely, Marina was right, since boys were very possessive. Once they felt the presence of another male around the same piece, they would put their claws out. The thing was, who would have to put up with the consequences, it would be the so called 'piece of meat'.

Ana took the chance to tease her friend. "I believe you. And after that delightful kiss yesterday with Lucas... You cannot imagine how exasperated Joshua was! Of course the concern with your state was bigger, but when Lucas held your hand when you were lying on the pier, Gosh! He seemed like he wanted to jump over him and begin the fight of the century."

Marina repressed Ana's comment with a blue pencil of censorship. She had been unconscious at the time, had not kissed anyone, and Lucas had done that only to help her breathe. It was no smooch, it was CPR.

With the rucksacks on their backs, the girls joined Joshua in the lobby and slid over the tiles of the hall to the classroom.

The sunny afternoon went well. In French, they made revisions of tenses in Imparfait and begun to learn the Subjonctif, which earned them plenty of homework exercises. The English class proved to be more discrepant than what they were used to. In the previous years they studied grammar and analyzed texts on generic issues to learn new words related to them. Now they were studying matters related to historical aspects. That afternoon they had begun to read about the policies of Margaret Thatcher, the famous 'Iron Lady'. Fortunately, the English teacher didn't ask them to solve exercises at home, much in part thanks to Joshua, who distracted her in the final minutes of the lesson.

At the bell, Marina and Ana ran to the gate. Joshua caught them moments later. He approached Marina in a retracted way and, after greeting her, asked in a low voice, "Do you remember the boxes I still have in my bedroom to unpack? You may find it a big insolence, but do you want help me? I could use a female opinion."

Marina blinked. She remembered them perfectly; she had been next to them the night before.

Before she responded to his not innocent proposal, Joshua hurried to complete, to prevent Ana from destroying him with her sharp gaze. "Sure you can come too, Ana. Then, I'll have two female opinions at once."

At last! Ana was thinking that he would forget about her. Woe him if he did that! Nevertheless, the more she wanted to join them, she could not, since she hadn't told her mother that she would be late.

"My brother should also be home, he may even give us a hand to be quicker," added the sublime Adonis.

The utterly gorgeous number two would be there? In that case, Ana could not miss the great opportunity to 'check the waters'... and maybe a bit more. In a flash, she took her phone and called her mother, telling her that she would be late. As justification, she stated that she would pass by the house of a colleague who had just moved; he had missed the first classes, so he was a bit clueless. She and Marina would go and help him.

They hurried to get to Joshua's home. Ana didn't have much time, and when she had to leave, Marina would go with her to avoid her from meeting her mother alone.

The house looked different to Marina. She had to admit that the day before she hadn't noticed anything, as she was too confused for that.

The front door gave access to a small hall that had nothing separating it from the division that followed - the living room/ kitchen. The kitchen and the living room were practically the same place and only the couch separated them. The living room was dominated by a huge piece of antique furniture with glass doors. Its shelves were populated with books and decorative elements. The TV occupied a central place in the cabinet. Behind the couch was the kitchen, with a long bench that had everything incorporated: sink, stove, oven, washing machine and dishwasher. The microwave was installed above the black marble stone that covered the bench. On top of that, there was a cabinet with various doors where they stored food, condiments and utensils. A few feet away from the bench was the table, that resembled a surfboard, surrounded by swivel seats bolted to the ground.

Joshua made them pass the kitchen door and they arrived in a hallway that Marina recognized. To the right, the door in the back would belong to his parent's room. Still on the right was the bathroom, where she had bathed the previous day. To the left were, on opposite walls, Joshua and Dennis' bedrooms.

A true gentleman, Joshua opened the door of his chambers and invited them in. Ana peered in sneakily, entered and snaked through the place, evaluating everything she saw. She was preparing to share her first impression of the space, when she was startled by the sound of the bedroom door opening. Ana froze, hypnotized, when she saw Dennis crossing the jamb. She could only cry out a resounding "wow." Dennis was wearing shorts, flip-flops, and he was shirtless, showing his abdominals even more prominent than his brother's. If Ana thought Joshua worthy of the maximum note in the scale of perfection, his brother was not behind him at all. She had given up on Joshua when she noticed that his preference relied on Marina, but she had no reason to decline that celestial offer called Dennis. Marina could stay with Joshua, but that sample of Paradise was hers.

Dennis turned to Marina and quizzed, "How are you feeling today?"

"Hello, Dennis! I'm fine, as if nothing had happened."

Ana cleared her throat loud, while she stared at Marina in a sharp way to remember that she had to do something important, like introducing her to the guy who put the statue of David in a forgotten corner.

Realizing what her friend wanted, Marina stood between them and said "Have you met my friend Ana? Ana, this is Dennis, the brother of Joshua I told you about."

"H-hello. Nice to meet you," stammered Ana, unable to reason.

Dennis and Ana greeted each other with two kisses on the cheek and Marina could have sworn that she had seen sparks jumping. If she noticed it, Joshua did also, so he hastened to say, "My brother has a nice collection of t-shirts. Do you want to see them, Ana? Go ahead Dennis! Show her."

Dennis was a little fussy with that almost imposition, nonetheless he didn't mind having a pretty blonde parading in his room. He made a bow at his bedroom's door and invited her to come in. Ana smiled at him and amused him.

Joshua placed a box on the bed and took things from inside, separating them by type. Soon there were three stacks of books, CD's and DVD's that threatened to topple and fall on the quilt. Marina let her backpack slip to the floor and approached the books. She checked and found the one translated of the series True Blood.

"No way," Marina exclaimed as she sat and began to revolve the remaining volumes.

He had every book of the series that had been put on sale in Portugal. Sure she could buy them in English, nevertheless she felt that her language skills were too poor to unravel the meaning of every word, so she preferred to wait for the translation. She opened the first page and started reading.

Joshua settled beside her. Their heads nearly crashed when he tried to peek at what she was reading. Clearing his throat and stepping away, he picked up the stack of CD's and started to evaluate them. Some were pretty old; if he put them on the stereo, most of them wouldn't play. It was best to try them.

While Joshua was heading to the stereo to test the first CD, Marina looked at the book cover: it had a red rose in prominence, which made her remember the one she had found on the doorstep that morning. Although Joshua said he had just arrived, that cover asserted itself as a possible inspiration for the gesture. Would he have been the one who put it there?

Justin Timberlake, with 'What Goes Around, Comes Around' made her return to the present in an instant. He liked that kind of music? Joshua sat down next to her with the stereo remote in hands. She gazed at him, stunned.

"What?" he asked noticing her intricate expression.

"Nothing. I just didn't know that you liked Justin Timberlake," she replied, trying not to giggle

Joshua stared at the floor and explained, "These lyrics and the one of 'Cry Me a River' are fantastic. They were the soundtrack at the time I discovered that my ex-girlfriend was cheating on me."

The sudden confession hit Marina like a painful blow in the chest. How to respond to that information that had caught her unaware? Of course he had had girlfriends, but to approach that issue wasn't part of Marina's plan, nor had it crossed her mind. And yet, there he was, revealing to her that he had been betrayed.

Joshua was looking at the CD cover, that he grabbed with both hands, and his facial expression was impenetrable. Marina wanted to tell him something nice, like 'she was a loser' or 'never mind, she was a jerk', however she feared his reaction. She was someone he had loved and, although they weren't together any more, he could still nurture special feelings for her. Marina had never been in love, but she had listened to her colleagues certifying that a true love would never be forgotten. Would this be that case? Unsure on how to proceed, she reopened the book she was holding and pretended to be reading it.

It took several minutes for Joshua to be aware of her discomfort. He smiled, embarrassed, and muttered, "I forgot that girls don't feel comfortable when guys tell them about their ex-girlfriends."

What chutzpah! Marina thought to herself. "Maybe we feel as comfortable as you when we talk about our ex-boyfriends."

Marina was right. Only by hearing the word 'ex-boyfriends' Joshua turned pale and fidgeted busy in place, seeming not to find a suitable position. An annoying bug was gnawing inside him and it went by the name of 'jealousy'. Both decided, in a silent mutual agreement, that it was fair that the theme was vetoed, at least for now.

Joshua leaned back and folded his hands behind his head, exhaling a long sigh. "Sorry," he said. "The words just came out, but the truth is that I can't help but to be reminded of that when I hear the songs I mentioned."

Trying to remain neutral, Marina asked, "If you're aware of that, why did you play the music?"

"Because that was the CD on top of the stack and the first one I grabbed. It was she who made the mix of the songs and offered it to me. I think that's why I kept it, as a reminder of a good period."

Marina frowned in suspicion. It was easy to get attached to what brought us good memories. However, that was a poisoned gift that outstood thanks to its bad side. "If it is a recall of a good time, why did your mood change instantly when you set the CD playing? I don't think you got very happy about it."

"Everything has a good and a bad side. Do you want to know the irony related to these songs that I mentioned?"

She didn't seem to have much of a choice. He wanted to tell her what had happened and he wouldn't give up, even if she answered no. Would he be that blind not to notice that she hadn't the slightest interest in the story of his traitorous ex-girlfriend? As for his pain, he would have to overcome it himself. People said that time healed everything.

Joshua stared into emptiness and went on calmly. "The irony is that she cheated on me with my best friend. I found them kissing in the living room of my own house. To her misfortune, he was a womanizer and betrayed her with another chick that same night. 'What Goes Around Comes Around.' After that, she spent three weeks chasing me and reiterating how sorry she was. For her, the only words I had were 'Cry Me a River'. There was no turning back. The confidence had been shattered like a mirror thrown to the floor."

Irony: she had cheated on him and was betrayed too. Karma was a bitch. Marina also understood his inflexibility on the broken trust. If the same happened to her, she wouldn't forgive the person either. For her there were links that, when broken, could not be reattached.

However, she needed to clarify a very important question that throbbed in her head. She moistened her lips, and almost, in a whisper, questioned, "That happened a long time ago?"

"It happened about two months before my parents announced we were coming to Portugal."

Marina was petrified. Those cruel marks were recent. Without explanation, a spark of mutiny began to take over Marina. Would he think that she was a plaster that would heal him? She would not gather the pieces of his heart; she had her own to look after. She never thought that this could irritate her so much.

The atmosphere between them froze more than a winter day at the North Pole when Marina realized that, despite everything, he didn't stop the music.

Annoyed, she stood up, but Joshua held her by the elbow before she could escape. She stared at him with austerity, showing her displeasure. In a dry tone, she stated, "I think you need to be alone to solve a few unfinished business."

"No. Don't go. Stay here with me." His bright eyes begged her to seat again, so she acquiesced, even though contradicted.

The silence between them was embarrassing for Marina, who snorted.

Joshua turned to her, held her chin gently and made her look at him. Hurt, he tried to justify, "Please don't misunderstand me, Marina. I just wanted you to know that I suffered a lot recently. I don't know if I'll to be able to take a new disappointment so soon..."

'New disappointment?' Would he be referring to her? How, if they were just friends? She liked his company, and considered him an admirable person, attractive in every way, but would that be it? She had to be sincere: the thing was she hadn't asked her heart if she was being honest with herself.

Marina wanted to get out of there. The atmosphere in the room was cutting like a knife. She thought of calling Ana, but she would be too happy with her Greek God II, so it was better not to bother her. She had to get free by herself.

With slow movements, Marina tried to rise. Joshua rolled over and knelt on his knees in front of her, almost gluing his face to hers. With his voice threatening to fail him, he questioned, "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

He took her hand and led it to his chest in an intimate gesture.

Marina felt the bewildered beat of his heart as if it had unlearned the correct rate. Startled, she studied him. She found a pair of gentle and anxious eyes, and an appetizing mouth ajar, hiding his fast breathing. Having that piece of Heaven in front of her, almost begging her to kiss him was the dream of every girl. She was tempted to take the next step, but for giving in to temptation, Eve had received a free pass out of Eden. She inspired slowly, trying to control herself.

Always regarding his feelings, she pushed him away in a tender way. In the first moment, Joshua withstood in the hope that she would change her mind, but noting her insistence, he let himself go in the direction she was pushing.

Marina knelt like him and their eyes got to the same level. She exhaled and tried to explain herself, "Love at first sight is an idyllic concept. I don't believe in it. I do believe that, in a first instant, a kind of chemical reaction between people might be triggered and that leads them to approach each other. Love is something that grows gradually. First comes the chemistry, next you work on a solid friendship and then it evolves into love."

Would he have understood? She was trying to make clear that it was impossible that he 'loved' her. At most, he could feel attracted to her, perhaps because she resisted his charms, which made her the forbidden and the most appetizing fruit. Boys liked challenges.

Joshua's pride was wounded. He had exposed himself to her, opened his heart, and now he felt like he had taken a monumental blow, though he had asked her not to reopen his love wound.

It was then that he ruined everything. Raising his voice in a sarcastic tone, he alleged, "You don't believe it, but that's what happened with my ex-girlfriend. It was love at first sight."

"Oh, yeah? How lovely. And just look how it ended!"

Soft words wouldn't solve the problem. Joshua was annoyed, but if he attacked her, she would fight back. That way, the next day he wouldn't speak to her... again. Would this be his routine? To talk to her on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and being angry on the remaining days of the week? She felt that she was about to lose a friend she'd like to keep. The only way to avoid it was to give up somehow. Marina groaned and stood up. She grabbed Joshua's hands and pulled him up too. When the two were standing, Marina hugged him tightly as if saying goodbye. She had no idea what the next day reserved, so she held him like there was no tomorrow.

With tears looming to his lash line, Joshua replied in a harsh tone, "I don't need your pity."

"But I need you," replied Marina, surprising him with a long, slow kiss on his chin, almost skimming his lips. She parted from him and went to get her rucksack. One last time, she faced Joshua, looking decided. In a secure intonation, she announced, "I'll wait for you tomorrow at 10a.m at my place and you better be there on time. And Joshua, just reflect on the words I said and you'll understand that you haven't heard me asking you to stay away. If you do so, the choice was yours, not mine."

In a continuous act, Marina shut the door and went to Dennis's bedroom. She knocked on the door and seconds later Ana came out, all smiles. She figured that she would be in seventh heaven while she had sailed through turbulent seas. Marina pointed to the imaginary clock on her wrist, and Ana slammed a palm on her forehead. She was so engrossed in conversation with Dennis that she had lost track of time. Her mother must be going nuts! Ana took her things, said farewell to Dennis and joined Marina in the hallway to leave.

They got to the settled place at the same time as Ana's mother. Ana got into the Jeep and waved a cheerful goodbye. Marina returned the gesture in a less energetic way and was left alone. It was time to go home.

She climbed the arcade stairs, entered the house and found it deserted. That meant two things: first, her mother was still working; second, it was up to her to cook dinner. She threw the backpack onto the bed and went to the kitchen. She had no great ideas for cooking and was still stunned by what had happened. She didn't expect Joshua to almost make a love declaration. Love... how could he talk about that? As most, it was an infatuation or a mere attraction. How could she keep him around as a friend without hurting him?

With the supper ready, she went to her bedroom, put on her pajamas and did homework. She was in the middle of her duties when her mother got home and saluted, "Hello, dear. How are you?"

"Fine," responded Marina. "I'm just finishing the exercises and I'll meet you soon in the kitchen for dinner."

Her mother assented and went to her own bedroom to change clothes, while Marina finished conjugating verbs. In less than fifteen minutes they were both seated at the table, enjoying dinner and watching the news.

"How were classes today?" asked her mother as she put a fork full of mash to her mouth.

"They went well. After school, I went to Joshua's place with Ana, and we helped him to finish unpacking a few things that he still had in boxes." She swallowed hard after having verbalized the last sentence.

"Really? It was very thoughtful of you. And did you get all the work done?"

"No. He has many music CDs and wants to listen to them all, because if they aren't working, it's not worth keeping them. Whatever..."

Mom coughed and took a more serious expression.. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and spoke, "I got a phone call from school moments ago."

Marina trembled. Why had the called? She hadn't misbehaved nor did anything that merited reprisal. In a split second, she recalled the consequences announced that morning. There was only one issue left to be solved - Joana. It seemed that the teachers had already decided her punishment. She prepared for what her mother had to tell her, as she could deduce from her tone that Joana would get away with what she had done. "What did they decide?"

Putting the fork down, her mother answered, "I proposed her suspension, but teachers thought it could prejudice her. They decided instead that, over the next three months, she will help with cleaning the school."

That wasn't a big penalty, but at least Joana didn't escape unpunished. Analyzing it at best, if Joana had been suspended, she would go home one week 'on vacation'. Having to clean the school would be a greater reprimand, as she would be at the same level as the employees that she seemed to despise. However, to be a real chastisement, students had to witness it, otherwise she would deny the facts. Honestly. Marina preferred to ignore it - she was sick of that chick. She focused on finishing her meal and uplifted the shoulders to her mother in a gesture of helplessness. The decision had never been in her hands.

After cleaning the kitchen, mother and daughter went to their bedrooms. Marina watching of one of her favorite series when her phone rang, indicating that she had a message from Joshua. She opened it and read, 'Hi! Don't wait for me tomorrow. My mother is going to take me and my brother to school. See you in class.' Would that mean that the next day he wouldn't speak to her again? The last time he was upset he didn't bother to say anything. Maybe that text was a good sign... She placed the device on the bedside table, programmed the TV to shut down automatically and lay down. Sleep came soon after.

There was another Friday, her favorite day for preceding two of rest. She would get in 10.30, but, as at 9.20 she was awake and sleepless, she chose to get up. She got dressed, sorted the room and went to the kitchen to have breakfast. Around 10a.m, she snagged the backpack and opened the door to leave. Suddenly recalling that the day before she had found a surprise there, Marina checked the step at a glance before going out. She was glad she did it, otherwise she would have stepped on a rose. Another one? she commented to herself. She bent down, grabbed the flower and put it to her nose to smell its scent. She went back in the house, to place the flower in the glass where she had put the other. Heavens! If her mother saw the flowers, she would want to know the whole story behind them and she wouldn't know what to say. It was better to keep mom away from her chambers.

On her way to school, her thinking split between the possible ownership of those presents, the absence of Lucas and the possible disagreement with Joshua. There was no room for doubt - boys were trouble. Since those two had pierced her cosmos, she was in a whirlwind that kept her too busy and sidetracked. She found Ana sitting in the school lobby at the usual table, and joined her. "Good-morning", she greeted. "So, where does all this joy come from? Is it because of a certain beautiful boy that makes poetry seem insufficient to describe him?"

Ana outlined a smile from ear to ear and her cheeks changed to red. Was it that obvious? She had to work harder at her skills to disguise her feelings.

"Someone is impressed with Dennis. Someone is impressed with Dennis," sang Marina childishly in order to goad her.

Ana put both hands to her face to hide the blush and, in a whisper, admitted, "Yes, it's because of him that I'm happy. Now shut up; other people don't need to know this. What do you want me to tell you? He's cute and has interesting conversations. I think he's worth taking the risk."

Marina joked, "Ah, the hunting season has started!"

Ana raised her shoulders in a slow gesture and lowered them again. She could weave several panegyrics to Dennis, but her feelings were private and she didn't want to share them with anyone, not even with her best friend.

Marina recoiled in the chair. Speaking of Dennis led her to recall the embarrassing scene of the previous day with Joshua. She released a sigh and mourned, "At least your Greek God speaks to you. As for Joshua, I'm waiting for him to find out if he's upset with me or not."

"Again? What happened now?" asked Ana, incredulous. Those two wasted all their time in tiffs. Wouldn't they have more to do than that?

Marina didn't want to tell her what had happened in the bedroom, and didn't even know if she should, since the 'ex-girlfriend' topic was a subject of Joshua's private forum. In a visible effort to find the right words, she debited, "Yesterday, when we were setting things up, he asked me if I believed in love at first sight. I replied that I thought that first there was attraction, then friendship, next passion and love was the last stage. Do you understand? I wanted to tell him that I don't believe that a person falls in love just by looking at another, that it's something that emerges slowly."

"And he got sulky," certified Ana as she grimaced.

"Yes. What did he want me to tell him? He has to learn to restrain himself a bit. I'm not like jelly that just has to go to the fridge and 'wham!', it's at the perfect point. We must go softly and see what happens."

"God, why do you give a sweet to someone who has diabetes?" dramatized Ana, as she shook her head by way of disapproval. If it was her, she wouldn't have thought twice. She was no slut, but having someone beautiful to die for offering himself as a gift to her... come on! How could she think about declining the offer?

At the bell, the friends went to the locker to the classroom and hurried to take their seats. On the opposite side of the room, Marina found Josh seated, with the English teacher melting over him. Get real! she thought regarding to the professor's behavior. Marina made her eyes roll in their sockets, took the notebook and opened it. Shortly after, the professor returned to her desk and began to write the summary on the blackboard. Marina didn't dare look at Joshua.

The lesson was over fast, with another dose of Margaret Thatcher. It wasn't an issue that particularly pleased the girl, but that's what was in the manual, so it was what they had to deal with. Before the bell, the teacher marked homework: they had to read the text on page 32 and to answer the interpretation questions. Nice. History even at dinner time...

The friends took their things and left, taking the opportunity to settle right away at the door of room number two. The next class was Philosophy and they knew that with Manelito they had to hasten. As they didn't need to go to the bar or to the bathroom, they decided to wait there. Marina thought that Joshua would join them, but he came out chatting with another guy and didn't even look at her. Yep, it seemed that everything was going back to the 'dark period'. His inconsistency was becoming a constant bother.

She forgot about him for an instant and focused on the other man in her life: Lucas was absent once again. Why would he miss school that much? What scared her most in this absence was the knowledge that he dealt with negative forces of great power. Could something bad have happened to him? The Professor of Philosophy awakened her from her reflection when he simulated clearing his throat, making a noise that sounded like a croak. Seeing him, the friends moved away, allowing him to open the door. After crossing the jamb, they sat down in place. Classmates didn't take long to join them and soon the teacher was writing the summary on the board.

Marina stared at the empty seat beside her. She couldn't wait to see Lucas again to ask him how she could contact him. She didn't want to go through all that trouble when there were so many ways in the modern era to prevent it.

Her inner monologue was suspended by a persistent clatter, which she took a while to identify as the voice of Manelito. "Marina, didn't you hear me? It's your turn. What is a dogma, in your opinion?" he questioned.

She was alarmed. The teacher was talking to her? And it seemed that it wasn't the first time he had put the same question. Damn, she had to be more careful. She tried to think fast. She pondered a bit and finally stated, "I think that a dogma is an unquestionable truth. For example, religion is quite related to that concept."

"Well done, religion is a good example."

The teacher spoke up from there, to her relief. He'd better not interpolate her again, since she knew nothing about that. She only gave that definition because she remembered that the Philosophy teacher of the previous year had raised that issue in a superficial way, though it wasn't part of the program. Despite having ordered herself to pay more attention to avoid unpleasant surprises, such as sporadic sudden inquiries, Marina's brain decided not to accept the command and ignored everything till the end of class.

As soon as the bell was heard, Ana rushed to pack her things and left, barely giving time for Marina to collect her things and follow her. Where would she go in such a hurry? Marina walked at an accelerated pace and found Ana in the locker area.

"Why are you in such a hurry? We have two hours to have lunch. Sheesh, you even made me come running after you!" complained Marina.

"Yeah, about that... Sorry, but I got a text from Dennis inviting me to go with him to Kira Kafé and he's waiting for me at the gate. Do you mind having lunch alone?"

Marina made a gesture that it was okay. What could she do? Ana was going to have lunch with Dennis, her source of inspiration, and she would eat unaccompanied. She didn't mind, as it was for a good reason: the happiness of her friend. The girls said goodbye and Ana left running, nervous. Marina could be mistaken, but it seemed that there would be news when Ana returned.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN

When Marina left the cafeteria, she took a deep breath and massaged the base of her neck to release some of the tension accumulated. More relaxed, she stretched. Thoughts seemed to be flowing better in her mind. It was then that she felt thrilled by an unexpected idea. She grabbed her rucksack and walked to the back of the canteen. When she arrived there, she ripped the backpack zipper and pulled out a pen and a notebook, which she opened on a blank sheet. Thought for a second and scrawled, 'Purepecha, I'm worried about you. Meet me'. She tore the piece off the sheet, folded it and put it near to the wall, covered with a stone so it wouldn't fly away. Leaving a note under a stone was archaic, nonetheless it was the only choice left. If he stopped by there, he would see her message. She hadn't signed it, but it wasn't necessary - just the two of them knew what Purepecha meant. She left, but she still turned back twice to check if the paper hadn't broken loose to dance in the wind. Nevertheless, there it was, right on the same site. It'd better stay there; she was putting all her hopes in it.

The rest of the lunch time was spent chatting to the air, at the usual stone bench in the school yard. The weather was much like the previous day, with the sun peeking out shyly. Marina felt like a lizard sunbathing. She stared at the bracelet on her wrist for a second and thought, At least it worked fine yesterday and today. It's progress.

When it was about time for class, she made her way to the locker, to get her things for Computing and Translation. While making the exchanges, she commented to herself that more likely she wouldn't see Ana the rest of the afternoon, since they had different classes. Her friend's love news would have to wait. She presumed what could have happened; though, it would be good to have confirmation. She would be happy for her.

She headed to the Informatics room, settled at her work station, turned the computer on and got the notebook and the pencil ready. While the rest of her colleagues came in and sat, Marina found herself remembering Ana's latest theory on Lucas, that he was a fallen angel. To Marina, he had nothing in common with angels. Okay, now she was being unfair - he had helped her. Deep down, he was good, although the mask of a ruffian he insisted on wearing stank. Still, Marina had to admit that the danger he exhaled from his pores enticed her - all of him was a promise of daring and deadly adventures taken to extreme. Playing with fire could be good, if she didn't get burnt; the problem was that, with Lucas, she could already be burning and not realizing it until too late.

Marina joined Google and inserted the words 'fallen angel'. Chose a page and read:

"Fallen Angel is an angel who gives his powers up for coveting a higher power, surrendering to the darkness. The fallen angels are part of Catholic theology, the best known being Lucifer, also referred to as Satan, who ambitioned the power of his Holy Father. Lucifer thought himself superior to God, so which he incited a revolt against Him. However, the insurgency was discovered and Lucifer and his allies were expelled from Paradise and exiled to Hell (hence the term fall) by the Archangel Michael, being forced to deal with the souls not accepted in Heaven."

She opened another results, but the definition that appeared was always similar to the first, so she stuck to that one. She reread it with attention. If a fallen angel was an entity that had been ambitious and expelled from Paradise, then it couldn't be a good thing.

Marina ran a new search, this time on the supposed appearance and characteristics that would allow identifying that kind of being. The references she found mentioned only that they looked like men, and they could have black wings, bat wings with black feathers or only one wing, among other images that resembled a typical fiction movie. That description looked nothing like Lucas. She had already seen his back and he didn't have wings of any kind. Vampires were easier to identify: they had fangs, were as white as a ghost, were cold and they didn't get along with the sun. What about fallen angels? Marina was frustrated; she had no arguments to refute Ana's' speculation. Score - one for Ana and zero for me, she thought.

As much as she tried to be attentive to Informatics class, Marina was much more occupied with the research on fallen angels, thus she didn't even notice the time passing by. The Translation lesson also seemed to fly and it didn't take long to be over. Once more, the teacher liquefied with Joshua as ice melting in the sun, and only he was asked to answer questions. That day, that was a good thing, as she was too busy thinking on how to prove to Ana that her fantastic conception was wrong. She also wondered if Lucas would have seen her message, although she had serious doubts about that.

When the bell rang, it was like the end of the pressure of raging waters rushing against the railing of a dam: goodbye school, hello weekend! She had no big plans, but not to have classes was very good. 'Not to have classes was very good?' Marina scolded herself. Since when had she become that kind of person? She had always liked to study and now she was happy because lessons were over. She had to organize herself and review her list of priorities, which seemed a bit fuzzy.

Marina left her things in the locker and walked to the school gate promptly. She was anxious to get home, throw herself onto the bed and savor the beginning of two days of pure relaxation. After passing the gate, she was surprised by Ana, who was waiting for her. She looked at her suspiciously and noticed that, a little further ahead, were Dennis and Joshua. It smelled like a trap. She thought about turning back, to escape through the back gate; however, she would be being rude to Ana, her best friend, so she just stifled a grunt.

She approached her with reluctant steps and demanded, "Spit it out at once. What's the ambush you prepared for me?"

Ana turned red. Gee, she was really losing qualities! Now she was busted only by being looked at. Maybe she had been discovered, because she knew her too well. Ignoring that, she put her arm around Marina's shoulders and invited her to walk up to the boys. Ana started, "Me and the guys were thinking..."

Marina cut her out right away. "Ouch! Just hearing that already makes me fear what you're about to say. I bet I won't like it one bit."

Ana gave her a piercing look and contested, "Don't be such a pain. As I was saying, we decided to go out tonight. It's nothing special, we're just going to Kupido's Bar for a coffee and we'll stay there for a while, chilling. Will you join us?"

Marina curved her eyebrows. They were going out that night and they wanted her to go with them. Joshua too? He hadn't spoken to her the entire day... She concluded that they were trying to reconcile them by force. She didn't know why, but it seemed to her a freaky double date. She bit her lip, getting ready to decline the invitation. She didn't like alcohol and didn't appreciate coffee. Going to a bar didn't make much sense to her, only if it was to socialize. The ambience, however, promised not to be a happy one: Joshua probably wouldn't talk to her, while Ana and Dennis wouldn't leave each other alone for one minute. What would she do all night? Look at the clock and count the seconds passing by? She'd rather stay at home.

Marina faked a smile, pulled Ana by one arm closer to her and muttered between her teeth, "What are you doing? You know I don't go out at night."

Ana pulled loose and was keen to carry on the conversation in a loud voice, so that the boys could listen to it. "You didn't use to go out at night. Tonight we'll go out. I'll stop by your house at 9.30. Don't worry, I'll phone your mother to take care of everything."

Marina let out a sardonic laugh and retorted, "With all the annoyances, if it depended on my mom, I would be locked in my house. Forget it! Besides, I have an appointment with my bed. So, have fun and good weekend to all of you". She stressed out the word 'all' as a criticism to Joshua and his mutism.

She began to move away while the other three remained in the same place. When she was about seven feet away, Ana shouted at her, "Make sure you're ready on time. I don't want any delays!"

Marina snorted. Why did she keep on insisting? She wouldn't be ready on time, because she simply didn't intend to go out. If by chance Ana appeared there, she would find her tucked in bed. She was annoyed – she hated when someone tried to force her to do what she didn't want.

When she got home, Marina locked the door as if to barricade herself inside the building. Playing it safe, she put on her pajamas. She was acting like a stubborn child, but she couldn't stop feeling threatened and Ana was stretching her thin rope of patience to the limit. Next, and wanting to take advantage of the daylight coming through the living room window, she sat on the sofa doing her English homework. It took her about forty minutes to finish it.

When mom arrived, Marina was placing the dishes on the table. Luísa greeted her and went to her room to leave her bag and work uniform; then she helped her to finish arranging the table. Her mother's expression transpired trepidation. Marina wasn't sure she should ask what was happening; she didn't feel like knowing about more problems to solve – she already had plenty swamping her.

Luísa sighed loudly three times, leading her to cross her arms and demand to know, "What's bothering you, mom? Since you got home, you've been huffing and puffing. Tell me what's up."

Her mother tried to circumvent the issue, but ended up revealing, "I received a phone call from Ana."

Marina murmured a less proper word. That foolish girl had dared to call her mom. When she met her, she was going to scold her. That was worth a big fight between them.

"If Ana called you because she wants us to go out tonight, I told her I didn't want to. I'd rather remain here, as an old lady knitting while watching soap operas."

"Yeah, she told me all that, but she also presented me some interesting viewpoints. For example, she made me note that you have an anti-social character and, with everything that had happened, now you have the tendency to repel those who love you and to hide yourself at home."

Heck, that chick was good! She should seriously consider the possibility of going into politics or something else more at hand, like a debate club. Marina shook her head at her mother in disagreement, but it was no good: she had been convinced by Ana.

"Joshua's father is coming to get you at 9.30," completed her mother.

"Come on, mommy! Do your wicked mother role and tell them that you won't' let me go. Just say that I'm grounded or that I went to Mars and you don't know when I'll return. Please, please, please," Marina begged in a childish attitude.

Although her mom felt tempted to give in, she thought that she shouldn't do it, so she shook her head in a sign that she would not do what she was begging. They sat at the table, but Marina was too upset. She had lost her appetite with that imposition, so she took almost an hour to finish eating.

After cleaning up the kitchen, her mother told her to go and put on something more appropriate. She had no choice and really had to go out with them. It will be super fun, she grumbled in her mind. She opened her closet and stared at the clothes hanging in the ranks. What would she wear? She had no special outfits for that, like Ana. She chose a pair of elastic skinny jeans, and grabbed a huge grey shirt, dropped off one of the shoulders. Next, she took a belted leather jacket, got a large scarf to put around her neck, and snagged a pair of high heels, all in black. As for accessories, she chose hoop earrings and a large watch in shades of white and gray. The make-up summed up of highlighting her eyes by applying some black pencil. Her hair was worn loose, with a hank held in the center with a hook to prevent it from falling in her eyes. When she was ready, she put on some perfume.

Minutes later, the honk of a car was heard. Luísa went to the door and returned next, announcing that it was her friends. Marina grabbed her purse and put inside it the phone, the house keys and her wallet.

When she passed the door, she found a bright red car, clearly a sportive luxury vehicle. She had no idea what brand it was, nor how much it would have cost, although she could bet that it had been a good amount. Could Joshua be rich? She had no idea, although the car pointed to a fat bank account.

Joshua, who looked like a soap opera hunk that combined sexy with the upright, came out from the passenger side. Seeing her, his eyes travelled her from top to bottom, evaluating every inch. Nodding in approval, he pulled the front bench and invited her in. The car's engine roared powerfully, and they went away so quickly that Marina's mom was left open-mouthed and reticent on whether she had done the right thing.

Joshua's father left the four of them on the doorstep of Kupido's and disappeared soon after. Although there were some free tables outside, they decided to go in. With the icy wind blowing, they could guess that the night would get pretty cold; inside the bar, they would be sheltered. Inside the bar, hot air blew their faces like a powerful heat wave, making their cheeks pink. Ana chose a table and the friends followed her. Upon arriving at the table, Marina took off her coat, which led Joshua to admire her with a dumbfounded air, leaving her embarrassed. Ana and Dennis sat along the wall on a sort of couch, and she and Joshua held two seats on both sides of the table. The barman asked them what they would have. All, except for Marina, said they wanted a coffee; she asked for a soda water with a twist of lemon. She could swear that the dinner was jumping around in her stomach as if on a trampoline.

"Three coffees and a lemon Frize," said the barman while putting drinks on the table by way of confirmation to their request.

A laugh from Ana caught Marina's attention and she observed her friends: Joshua stirred his coffee lost amongst his thoughts, and Ana and Dennis flirted with the utmost impudence, exchanging secrets followed by laughter, sometimes too loud. Uninterested, she looked around. She got curious when saw two boys assembling a television on a stand. The microphone in the hand of one of them made her consider the chances of what would happen next.

She fund a small pamphlet on the table and read: 'Karaoke tonight with DJ Vidigal and Gonçalo Oliveira in Kupido's Bar, at 10p.m! Come and have fun!' Despite the karaoke being set at 10, the music was already playing, indicating that the entertainers were in the testing stage. The noise came to her as a relief, given that she wasn't in the mood for conversation. Moreover, Ana and Dennis were now kissing like there was no tomorrow and she couldn't turn around and talk to Joshua, because he was in the phase of 'not speaking to you today'.

Marina had no idea how much time had passed. The pseudo-artists had already begun to sing and their tuneless chords echoed through the air, generating a few sniggers of derision. In response to this phenomenon of revelation of non-talented stars, the bar filled with people and it was bursting, increasing the heat inside. Marina grouched. She put on her coat, took her drink and left for the outside area without saying a word to her friends. There was only one table vacant. She sat at it, leaned back in the chair and tilted her head back slowly to enjoy the moment. Then she settled on the seat and began sipping her water. As she did so, she saw her friends walking up to her. Ana had happiness emblazoned on her face, forcing Marina to welcome her with a smile that looked like a Frankenstein grin.

"Hi there, runaway chick! People inside were just staring at us, so we're going for a walk. We'll come back soon, ok?" announced Ana.

What could Marina say? It wasn't recommended to walk alone at night on the street, but they were big enough to make their decisions. She nodded to Ana, while the lovely couple withdrew. Only then she became aware of the implications of that departure: she had to stay with Joshua, who was now standing beside her, looking into the bar through the glass door. Occasionally he stared at the TV, where a soccer match was on.

Joshua spent ten minutes standing on the same spot, until Marina pulled him by the wrist and forced him to sit in a chair beside her. "I know you're too amused giving me the silent treatment, but you could at least sit next to me. I don't bite... much! And, by the way, is tomorrow one of those days we talk? With you, I'm always confused in what comes to the days we're fine and those you pout and say nothing," she shot.

Part of her admonished her, as she was being unpleasant. She had, however, to establish some boundaries. Friends didn't talk every other day as they pleased. Besides, she was getting tired of feeling simultaneously guilty and troubled by the silence of Joshua.

The boy stood up the very next second and entered the bar. Marina grumbled once again, this time louder, driving some people closer to look at her furtively. They could go to hell! Moments later, Joshua returned with a beer. He sat at her side, almost sinking in his chair, while he watched the game. Men and soccer, thought Marina as she cast her eyes over the screen.

Another twelve minutes passed and Joshua remained entertained with the match on the TV, ignoring her as if she was invisible. It was Marina's turn to get up and go to the bar, to return later with a Coke.

Seven minutes later, Joshua was still glued to the TV screen. What fascination could that soccer game have? Were the teams constituted by naked women? If not, she didn't see the appeal.

Irritated, she took the bottle of beer from his hands and drank it down, without stopping to breathe. Joshua looked a little puzzled, as intrigued. "What?" she retorted in a dry tone. "You're burning my patience. I needed something stronger to keep me going."

Joshua sighed and pulled her chair toward his, until their knees almost touched. Then he opened his hands with palms up while he shrugged. Marina waited patiently for some phrase to dare to escape from his throat, but nothing came out.

Thwarted, she complained, "Since we're both here alone, we could at least talk to pass the time."

Joshua didn't reply and stared at the tabletop, as if he had just found there something so fascinating that he could not unglue his eyes from it, forcing Marina to speak again. "What do you want from me, Joshua? Honestly, I don't know what more can I do or say. Do you want me to apologize to you? I don't know why I have to, but if that's what it takes to make things fine between us, I'll do it."

In response, Joshua got up and went back inside the bar, returning shortly after with a glass of vodka and melon juice, the barman's special of the night. Marina gazed at him with a curious look. Joshua sat down and answered back, "What? I needed something stronger as well."

Fair enough. However, she hoped he didn't go to get some more. It was his father who would pick them up later. Finding his son inebriated probably wasn't in his dream.

Joshua sipped two gulps of the drink and whispered: "I didn't say I wasn't talking to you. Simply, I have nothing to tell you. Besides, after yesterday, I feel a little embarrassed," he assumed, lowering his voice even further.

"Why are you ashamed?"

"For exposing myself the way I did. It is rather humiliating."

"Ah, it's always nice to hear that I'm humiliating people, even without wanting or knowing it..." commented Marina on the sly.

She wasn't sure why was he embarrassed. Before leaving, she had made it pretty clear that she wasn't blowing him out, but saying for him to slow down, since she didn't want to force things.

Joshua cut in, "Telling you what I did and hearing your response was degrading. But I also feel uncomfortable by how I reacted. After you left, I analyzed your words better and understood what you meant."

"Then why didn't you talk to me for the entire day?" she yelled, losing her patience.

Joshua had no desire to repeat what he had said before and to shoe his wounded pride. He preferred to remain silent and take another sip of his drink.

Marina tried to reinforce her point of view. "Joshua, tell me honestly: what do you think of your brother's relationship with Ana?"

Joshua didn't understand where she was trying to get with that question, nonetheless he responded with the due honesty. "I feel that it's something right and that they are very passionate."

Entwining her fingers in front of her, Marina agreed, "It sure looks like it. Try to remember what I explained to you and apply it to their case. They felt a great chemistry when they met and decided to move to the physical level. But what will happen when the attraction starts to wear off and they begin to learn more about each other? Will they have the same tastes? Or will they be two strangers with nothing in common?"

Joshua put on a serious look and replied, "Even if it doesn't last, at least they were happy while they could be."

"And what's wrong about wanting a relationship that extends beyond the attraction phase? Joshua, I want to meet someone, share ideas, laugh at his jokes, to empathize with and entrust him with my life. Only then I'll give in."

"You have a very romantic and idealistic vision of things that do not correspond to reality."

"Call me old fashioned, but this is just how I am," assured Marina, while thinking that, sometimes, she felt a young girl with the convictions and taboos of an old woman. Her mother testified once, in a wise tone, that it was due to having been forced to grow up too fast. Antiquated or not, she still had something to add, "I'm far from being perfect, but I'd like to be your friend. I don't make promises about the future, I offer only what you see. Will you accept it?"

It wasn't just friendship that he wanted and that made him impatient with her. Besides, Lucas was a real source of inflammation, since he suspected that she would nurture for him some affection closer to what she described. On the other hand, on two occasions she had assured that she wasn't rejecting him and that she wanted to see how they got along with each other. Maybe he should stop thinking about the immediate satisfaction of his desire and focus on things in the long term. He didn't have her now, but he hadn't been denied the chance to have her in the future, so why not accept her proposal?

Resigned, but expectant, Joshua affirmed, "Okay. I accept your friendship and I promise I'll try to change my attitude."

Marina took the chance and added, "Since we're in a promising mood, I need you to promise me that you'll never stop talking to me again. If you're upset and considering this option, tell me something like 'I'm mad at you, so today I'm not up for conversations'. Just don't walk away. That hurts! You make me feel like a disposable yo-yo."

He, hurt her? She was the one who constantly lacerated him, by rejecting him and for being so intimate with Lucas. Lucas! The image of him giving her CPR still left him exasperated, ready to jump at his throat! How dare he? Those lips were meant be his and not other's. With that recollection gnawing at his soul, Joshua clenched his fists with strength.

"Are you okay?" Marina asked when she noticed how tense he was.

Joshua snapped out of his trance and answered, "Yes, I'm fine. I think I can promise that, but I ask you in return to ask me nothing regarding my position."

Marina agreed, but remarked, "Fine, although I think that friends should talk openly about all aspects, including those that separate them."

Joshua was stubborn and didn't respond. After clearing her throat, Marina decided it was time to change the subject. "Speaking of attractions, it seems that you have a lot of fans."

Joshua raised his eyebrows. What would she be talking about? He had no idea, but it might be good. Perhaps she felt some jealousy, which meant that he wasn't completely indifferent to her. With a mischievous smirk, he inquired, "Yeah? And may I know who these fans are?"

Marina grimaced and affirmed, "The teachers of English and Translation."

Joshua laughed and replied, "They're just dazzled by my abilities. I guess they never had such a good student."

Hey! She had 19 at both subjects in a scale from zero to 20; she wasn't dumb. Eventual insults to her intelligence aside, they laughed at his observation.

She then pointed out, "Maybe, but we cannot forget the 'Joshuettes'. They follow you around in school. Don't tell me that you haven't noticed them? Your friend Joana is the club's president."

"I noticed nothing, but please don't talk about Joana. It brings me bad memories," asked Joshua as he put a hand to his stomach to calm it down. He couldn't help but think that if Joana hadn't pushed Marina into the water, Lucas would never have glued his lips to Marina's.

Nodding, Marina answered back, "I didn't think you thought that, given all the whispering and laughing of the other day."

Joshua's smile spread stealthily. There was a tinge of jealousy, even though she denied it. Delighted with that, he couldn't help but ask, "Did that bother you?"

Before she could reply, the target of their conversation appeared in the doorway of the bar. Joana was wearing a pony-tail with the front arranged like a superstar's. She had a very tight red top, that made it look like her breasts would jump from inside at any time, and her black leather miniskirt with zip in the front was extremely short. On her feet, she had black sandals with straps and really high heels. Her eyes seemed too prominent, with make-up of purple with golden reflections.

Joana looked around and spotted Marina, which surprised her. She blew her a kiss from her hand.

Marina groaned, "Now that we were getting somewhere, everything has to end..."

Joshua didn't understand what she meant by that, but he didn't stay in ignorance for too long. Joana went to him, covered his eyes and whispered in his ear with a sexy voice, "Guess who, darling."

It wasn't hard to discover, because a) Marina had got upset, and b) he didn't know any girl as flirtatious and cheeky as her. Joana uncovered his eyes and slid her hands across his chest in a provocative way. She pulled a chair and sat down in super spicy mode, leaving every boy and man at the esplanade salivating. Marina thought that they were worse than Pavlov's dog when the bell rang.

"I didn't expect to find you here, my dear. What a surprise! Did you come to hear me sing?" hissed Joana.

Marina rolled her eyes. If she was sick before, now she could throw up with such extravagance.

Joshua glanced at Joana without knowing what to do. If he talked to her, he would have to put up with Marina's irritation. Moreover, Joana wasn't exactly the best person in the world. And if she hadn't pushed Marina into the river, Lucas' lips would never have violated hers, which would remain chaste for him. That piercing thought again in his head...

Noticing that Joshua stared at Marina as if asking for approval, Joana turned to her and drew a cynical torn smile. "Oh, sorry, I hadn't seen you. In fact, are you trying to turn into a bat by acquiring nocturnal habits such as going out at night? You better be careful with the sun later, otherwise you'll end up in ashes."

Marina returned her the hypocrite smile. Wouldn't it be possible to get a restraining order that prevented Joana from being around her? Geez!

To prevent Joana from staying there for too long, she had to get rid of her with a mega fantastic comment. But which one? She remembered a good one. "So, how was your first day of cleaning the school? If possible, I'd like to find the toilets well-scrubbed on Monday when I arrive. Goodbye, honey."

Marina thought that comment would annoy her to death, but she seemed ready for it, since she chuckled.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Are you okay? Looks like you've swallowed a bone," she mocked.

Enough! cried a voice within Marina. She had to take drastic measures and try to solve it once for all. Ready to explode in rage, Marina pulled Joshua's glass and drank it at once. Then she turned to Joana and hissed, "You know, you're right. For some time I've had something stuck in my throat - you! Despite everything, I have shut up and borne your insults. However, you opened the hostilities when you pushed me in the dock. Get your skinny butt off that chair immediately and get away from me, or I swear you won't need make-up to have black eyes."

As she spoke, Marina began to rise darkly on the table, ready to fulfill her oath. She was usually nonviolent, but she had limits and those had long been crossed.

Sensing that the threat was real, Joana got up slowly and sensually. She approached Joshua, passed a hand over his face and gave him a lush kiss on his lips. She laughed and hurried away still smiling.

With Joana inside the bar, Marina drank a sip of Coke to clear the bitterness that the vodka had left in her mouth. She hated alcohol. Why did she drink that stuff? Definitely, she wasn't herself that night. She glanced at Joshua and groused, "You have red lipstick on your lips."

Joshua drew a question mark on his face. When he realized what she was referring to, he hastened to run his fingers over his mouth to clean it.

Marina blew a strong sigh. "Looks like you won the night..."

"You have no idea," exclaimed Joshua, very pleased.

That had been a major scene of jealous. Though she asked him for time and space, she had just given him the greatest proof of all that he wasn't indifferent to her at all. That had been a wild cat fight and it had given him tremendous pleasure being the disputed element. And Marina couldn't argue that she had reacted like that just because she was tired of Joana; he knew what he had seen. Did it make his night worth it? Totally.

Ana and Dennis arrived meantime, hugging and happy. They were all smiles and warm gestures that made some lonely hearts bite with resentment.

Dennis went to them and announced, "Ana has to go home. I already called dad and he says that he's almost here. It's better to wait for him outside."

Ana shrugged in an innocent gesture. Her mother had already called her twice, which was odd, because she usually wasn't so protective. Intrigued, Marina looked at her watch and was startled – 1.30a.m. Already? Time had passed fast.

Noticing a spark of friction in the air, Ana asked with casualness, "What did we miss?"

Marina replied dryly, "Nothing special, just Joshua being kissed by his number one fan. If you rush inside the bar, you may still hear her wonderful shrill siren song, because it seems that she's participating in karaoke."

The couple looked at each other confused, while Joshua laughed heartily. He was happy, so what? It was too great to know that she was possessed by what had happened.

If they had to leave, then they would go. To Marina, the night had already offered all that it could. She put on her coat, grabbed her purse and headed outside the bar, followed by her friends. Within a few moments Joshua's father arrived and they got into the car. First, they drove Ana home and then they headed to Marina's.

Leaving the car, Marina thanked Joshua's dad for the ride and wished them a good night. Joshua returned the farewell, wishing her sweet dreams. He had a smile on his lips that stubbornly refused to fade, making her want to erase it by force. She had too much anger left from the confrontation with Joana, that was it... she would cool down eventually. She put the key in the lock and the sportive car drove away, leaving her alone.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Marina removed the key from lock and sat on the doorstep. She didn't feel like entering the house. She just wanted sometime alone with the quiet of the night, to look at the sky and watch the stars, contemplate the moon... see something beyond her bedroom walls.

It had been quite an interesting night out. The part of Dennis and Ana always kissing had been too lame, but the time spent on the esplanade was productive, since Joshua was talking to her again. What had upset her most was the mess with Joana. And how happy Joshua was after the hag kissed him? He even dared to say he didn't like her. Yeah, right. Still, she had the impression that Joshua had been pleased by the kiss, but also by assuming that she practically shoved Joana just to be alone with him. If he thought that, he was wrong. She simply hated that idiot and that was it.

She noticed then where she was sitting: on the doorstep, where that morning she had found a red rose. Hmm, red roses, enjoying the moonlight and the stars... She was getting too mellifluous for her taste. It was the result of Ana's influence. Romanticism aside, it was late and she should get inside. She got up, picked the keys hanging from the butterfly-shaped key ring and looked for the right one. As she prepared to insert it in the lock, the hairs on her arms stood on end. It wasn't just a mere cold wave that made her react that way - she had a bad feeling. A familiar sensation went through her and she deep down that she was being watched. She feared the eyes entrusted of such a vigil. Through the practice gained in recent days, she had learned not to devalue the impressions that took over her, so she decided to hurry. She slid the key into the slot, but was surprised by the sound of someone going down the arcade stairs in a fast pace. She jumped in fright. Realizing that the footsteps were distancing, she felt grateful, since she assumed that she had been spared to what was reserved to her.

But was she really safe? And who would have spied on her? Marina wanted to slap herself for thinking on that, nonetheless she needed answers. She recovered the key, threw it into her purse and ran down the arcade stairs. At the end of the staircase, she paused and alternated her gaze between the right and the left. There was no one in sight. Listening to her intuition, she turned to the wall along the river and then she saw him: Lucas. It was him who had been in the arcade. Before he could escape her, Marina crossed the road in haste and without looking, and sprinted after him, catching him up quickly.

"Wait," she asked, with her voice almost failing her.

The boy didn't even slow down. Hadn't he listened to her? Or would he be ignoring her on purpose? Marina got closer and put a hand on his shoulder to coerce him to stop. However, at her touch, he let out an agonized scream and fell on his knee, at her feet. His shout left her in awe; she feared what could have happened to him to make go down so easily.

Lucas remained motionless and silent for what seemed like a thousand years. It was impossible that no one had heard that cry; they had to disappear swiftly, before people thought she was being attacked or something. She crouched beside Lucas, pulled his arm over her fragile shoulders and interlaced her fingers in his, to enable her to hold him better. Then, she forced him to follow her, staggering, back to the arcade. They climbed the stairs and ended sitting on the upper step. Lucas seemed to be making a great effort to control the pain he felt in his shoulder. He also looked paler than usual, though Marina figured that the street lights greatly contributed to this. She herself probably should have a ghostly air.

Ashamed, and at the same time worried about the origin of his pain, Marina approached him. In a slow movement, she made her fingers run over the collar of his jacket, and began to undress him. Lucas covered her hand with his right away, to prevent her from taking his jacket off. She looked him with an expression that requested him to trust her. Lucas, despite his reluctance, eventually gave in. Since he was wearing a sleeveless shirt, it was easy to find out the reason of his suffering. Marina stifled a shriek, horrified, to find that the jacket was hiding a cut that encompassed almost the entire length of his shoulder. The wound bled profusely and didn't look good. It seemed like someone had tried to cut his arm off with a single blow. She wanted to go home and get the first aid kit to help him, but soon put aside this hypothesis. She knew that, once she crossed the doorway, he would mysteriously disappear.

"God, Lucas, you need to go to the hospital. That has to be disinfected and sutured. And the amount of blood you've already lost? We have to handle it now, before there are any serious complications," she stammered, as she gestured agitatedly.

"No," he firmly replied.

"Why not? Stop playing the lion-heart. Don't tell me you're one of those crazy guys who have a sick desire of death."

Lucas laughed at that exaggerated assumption. He tried to calm by telling, "Don't worry about this, really. Believe me when I tell you that I heal quickly. You'll see: tomorrow I'll be just fine."

Marina closed her eyelids and pressed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. The migraine she could guess prevented her from thinking clearly. She ignored the pain prevision and focused in the memory of Lucas fighting with the Gothic guy. He had recovered well from it, yet it was nothing compared with that.

Almost begging, Marina whispered, "Let me help you. Let me go get oxygenated water to disinfect that at least. Please, don't be so obstinate."

Lucas shook his head in disagreement. What a mulish guy! Would that hard mask be so important to the point of not putting it down for a while just to allow him to receive the help he needed? What to do then? A flash of lucidity pierced through the ache installed behind her eyes. The very next second, Marina knelt, took the scarf from around her neck and tore it in half. She pressed one part gently onto the wound, until it soaked in blood. She grasped the other half of the fabric next and wrapped it around the wound, to try to stop the bleeding. When she finished binding the scarf with a tight knot, Lucas pulled his jacket up and the injury disappeared from her area of vision.

Marina placed her weight back on the step and sat down. The reddish hue of her bloody hands led her to stare at them with intensity. She hadn't realized yet, but she was trembling.

"I didn't know what it was like to be in pain for a long time," Lucas finally said, as he stirred uncomfortably, trying to prevent her from wandering through cloudy thoughts.

Nevertheless, her spirit cried to her that his blow could be related to the ominous man on the pier. There she was, freshly arrived from a night out, while he nearly killed himself... for her. Reluctant, she inquired, "Lucas, your wound was made by..." She swallowed hard and mumbled, "... by that thing we know?"

He merely nodded his head in agreement. He had no reason to deny it when she had long realized that something wrong was going on.

Marina exasperated. What were they dealing with? What did it want from her and why would it also pursue Lucas? Lucas... she didn't even want to imagine what had been done to him. Noting that the boy observed her as if waiting for a response, Marina let out a moan and confessed, "I was worried about you. You completely vanished."

"I saw your message in school, but I don't understand why you were at unease. I came here every day and left you a greeting on the doorstep to assure you."

The roses! It had been him who left them. The ownership question of the gesture was solved. As for its meaning, according to him, it was intended to tell her he was okay. Really? Suspicious, and in a critical tone, she replied, "Sorry, but you didn't even leave a card. I had no idea who had provided the roses nor what did they mean. Besides, in common sense, red roses mean something quite different..." and she blushed while remembering that they represented the passion fire. From that to a message that someone was in good health, was a great distance.

Lucas tugged the right corner of his mouth, although nothing transpired. "I thought the rose appropriate", he affirmed. "It reveals that, despite a thing being beautiful, it always conceals its thorns."

Marina snorted. A romantic gesture from Lucas was asking too much; he was more a war kind of guy. He reminded her of a warrior recently out of a battle, struggling with inner demons that prevented him from rejoining the community.

Lucas suddenly stood up and started down the stairs, leaving her stunned. So that was it, he was leaving just like that? Irritated, she threw herself behind him and caught him when he was crossing the street to walk along the river rail. Staying on the opposite side of the road, she begged, "Wait! What's your phone number? I... I need to know that you're fine and roses aren't enough to reassure me."

"I have no phone," replied Lucas while he turned his back to distance further.

Don't let him go like that, her inner voice cried out. Disturbed, Marina crossed the route up and only stopped when they were separated by a few inches.

"Please, Lucas," she insisted. "I'm begging you to tell me a way to contact you. Don't leave me without an answer."

Lucas turned his back at her and froze in place. For being what he was, he had no phone, no home, no life... he had nothing. That was all he could give her - a handful of nothing.

In a thoughtless act, Marina hugged him, showing that she cared about him. Slowly, Lucas broke free from her arms and took a step ahead. Marina thought that, once again, he would slip away and without telling her what she wanted to hear. However, she was surprised by his words, "If it's that important to you, I'll be at the skate park tomorrow for the entire afternoon. If you pass by there, you'll see me. In fact, whenever you need me, go there. Who knows if you'll find me there?"

With that, he resumed his walk and moved away in a flash, merging with the darkness of the night.

Marina remained by the rail, observing the direction Lucas had taken. Minutes later, she climbed the arcade's stairs, went into her house, threw her purse onto the desk and settled on her bed. Her view pinned to her hands: the blood on them was drying. Feeling a little sick at that sight, she slipped into the bathroom and washed her fingers repeatedly. While watching the water running over her hands, she couldn't help thinking that her hands had been stained with Lucas' blood, metaphoric and literally. He had fought for her in three crucial situations. What else could he have done for her of which she had no knowledge? Lucas was a bottomless pit and he hid more mysteries than a treasure map.

Marina put on her pajamas, and climbed into in bed. She was about to shut her eyes when the phone vibrated with a text from Joshua. 'Do you wanna do something with me tomorrow? Dennis and Ana can come too,' said the message. Sleepy, she typed, 'Tomorrow is no good for me. Can we leave it for Sunday?' Joshua's response came shortly after, saying, 'Okay. Tomorrow we'll set things. Have a nice weekend.' Moments later, her heavy eyelids won and she slept soundly.

The loud drone of the vacuum cleaner awoke her the next morning. Astonished, she snagged the phone to check the time. 12.20p.m. What? It was true that she had fallen asleep after 2.30, still she didn't expect to lie in until that time. Annoyed, she stretched out on the bed and stood up. Put on her slippers and went to the kitchen, where she found the table already set.

When her mother saw her, she got a frightened by her terrifying appearance. "Yikes!" mom shouted. "I was going to wish you good morning and ask you how your night went, but your look says it was chaotic, the very least."

Marina rubbed her eyes. Could she look that bad? She shrugged and retreated to the bathroom. When she looked into the mirror, she recoiled with fright. She really did look awful. Besides having her hair scruffy, she had forgotten to wash her eyes to get the make-up off, which had turned into two huge black spots. It was normal that she had forgotten to deal with that small thing, when she was so busy trying to get rid of Lucas' blood. She washed her face to look more presentable, combed her hair and tied it high on her head.

"I'm still waiting for you to tell me how your big night out was," shot mom as her view landed on her daughter.

Marina rolled her eyes until they stopped in her mother's figure. What balance could she make from last night? At first, it had been a major bummer; it improved when she reached an agreement with Joshua about their friendship, and it got worse again when the hideous Joana arrived. From zero to ten, that part of the night was a seven. After that, she felt happy to see that Lucas was fine, and felt flattered by the fact that he had been the one leaving her the red roses at the door. On the other hand, she was worried about the injury on his shoulder. Note? An eight. Okay, to be fair, the two moments were tied at a seven and that was it.

Her mother tapped her foot with impatience, forcing her to respond. Feeling pushed, Marina said, "It was... I don't know, different. What do you want me to tell you? I don't go out at night that much to have a frame for comparison."

"But did you at least have fun?"

Starting to get frustrated with that conversation, the girl replied, "Fine. I had fun and it was nice. Is this what you want to hear?"

Mom frowned and, with a serious expression, affirmed, "I see that you didn't find it much fun. Would you mind having lunch now? I have to work this afternoon, so I have to leave home at 1.30."

Lunch passed in a hurry. In less than an hour, Marina was already cleaning her room, as her mother went out to work. With her mom on service, this meant that she had the afternoon to herself. Great! She could go on her date with Lucas in peace. Unlike what had happened when she attributed such word to classify the walk with Joshua, this time the term came to her naturally and nothing inside ordered her to sweep it away.

After tuning the radio to her favorite station, she changed her bed sheets, wiped the dust and vacuumed everything. Before washing the floor, she grabbed a pair of gym pants, as well as a half sleeved sweater. Since she was going to meet Lucas, she should make a bigger effort to look good, but she would find him at the skate park, a place focused on sports. What would they do there? It was better to choose a casual look. Would he be there already? If he had a phone, it would be easy to ask him, as he would always be contactable. A crazy idea crossed her mind: what if she offered Lucas a phone? She remembered having seen very cheap phones in the store where she had bought hers. It was obvious they hadn't all the features that hers had, but they served for the main purpose: to send texts and to call.

She looked at the clock on the bedside table and noticed that it was 2.40p.m. She had taken ages to clean her room, but she still had enough time to get ready and put herself on the way to shop. She got dressed, put on her trainers, placed her hoop earrings in her ears and put on the watch she had worn the night before. She penciled her eyes to highlight its outline and put on a little bit of perfume. Shortly afterwards, she left home.

The afternoon was sunny and it felt good walking in the sun. Although Autumn had arrived a short time ago, that seemed one more day of farewell to the Summer: the heat was higher than usual for that time of the year and the birds chirped and sang. In less than ten minutes, she arrived at the store and found the clerk opening the door. Upon seeing her, the woman smiled warmly and greeted her. The employee entered and Marina followed her. While the clerk installed herself behind the counter and put on her most professional look, Marina decided to inspect the showcases. Suddenly, she stopped. There it was a cheap one. It didn't matter that it was an old model; the important thing was to fulfill the goal of allowing two people to communicate.

Marina approached the employee, who had been entertained staring at her while combing the corners of her memory, trying to figure out from where she knew her. When she finally recognized her, the woman said, "Good-afternoon. How can I help you? Don't tell me the phone you bought is not working properly."

"It's working wonderfully. I came to buy another. I want the one that's in that showcase, please," said the girl, pointing to the product in question.

The clerk smiled, snagged the showcase's key and went to the show window, to get the phone Marina indicated. As she took it to the counter, she asked her, "Would you like me to insert the card that comes with the phone to make sure it's working properly?"

Marina assented with her head. She hated dealing with electronic devices, so it was better to let the nice lady do it.

After everything was checked and functional, Marina paid and left the store with her latest acquisition. She thought it was money well spent, as it would spare her a few nights of insomnia; she would feel more relaxed knowing that Lucas was fine.

Further ahead, a pertinent question came to her mind: the skate park was on the south bank, meaning she had to move to the other side of river. The pedestrian bridge was at the other extremity of the main avenue, so she would have to walk a long way there. Marina stared then at the road bridge right ahead of her. It had been remodeled a few years ago and the gangway had been extended, allowing the crossing of pedestrians and cyclists. She decided to cross there, though it combined the two things that were related to her accidents: water and cars. She put her hand on the railing and took a deep breath to muster the necessary courage. A bit anxious and agitated, she hurried to go through it. In less than a minute she was on the south bank, to her relief.

Marina continued her journey, walking along the river. If on the other side she dreaded it, there her fear was reinforced for there was no wall separating her from the water. Between the side-walk and the river was only a piece of land with grass, as if she was on a grassy beach. She thought it best to hurry up.

A minute later, Marina arrived at her destination. She turned to the half pipe and found Lucas on a skateboard, travelling the platform. Instead of gliding, Lucas seemed to fly, as if he was in his natural element. Fascinated, she sat on the stone bench nearby to watch him. When he ascended to the platform, he looked down and saw her at last. Lucas gave her a short nod and smiled at her with his typical expression of maleficent. A delicious sensation of seductive danger travelled through her as if he had just promised something fiery... and how she would like him to fulfill it! Marina rebuked herself for having such inappropriate thoughts, as she felt her face burning.

After passing the skateboard to a kid next to him, Lucas walked off the platform and joined her. Upon seeing him come to her, Marina politely got up. He, however, wasn't with half measures and sat at the edge of the seat, to lay down next, supporting his back on the seat and extending his arms at full length behind his head line. He was panting, so he shut his eyes and tried to catch his breath. Marina relished those moments, during which she could freely contemplate his pleasant muscles under the white sleeveless shirt. The guy had a fantastic body.

Absorbed in her contemplation, Marina's eyes slid from his face to his shoulder. Barely believing what she was seeing, she dropped herself on the floor, sitting cross-legged and leaned sideways to the bench. She dropped the bag she was holding and focused on what was in front of her. Her trembling fingers moved in a nervous gesture and touched the pink surface. It was impossible! She was sure that the previous night that wound was bleeding and it looked very ugly. Now, it was only a thick scar line between pink and red.

Feeling her touch, though it was gentle, Lucas winced and complained, "Ouch! I know that the wound is barely visible, but it ain't fully healed. It hurts when you touch it."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," retracted Marina, a little bit confused.

She was dazzled by the scar and couldn't stop herself from touching it, as if she wanted to be sure that she wasn't imagining things. She wanted to ask him how it was possible, but something in her heart assured her that he wouldn't answer.

Moments later, she relaxed and chuckled, as if she had remembered some joke she had heard at another time.

"What are you laughing about?" inquired Lucas, curious.

Marina thought it was better not to share what had crossed her mind. Nevertheless, after staring at his once-opaque eyes but now harmless, she let herself go with the moment. After a short giggle, she admitted, "I was thinking of the theories we've been weaving about you. When I fell off the bridge and saw you, I found it all very strange, so I talked to Ana. Of course she considered me crazy, but then she lined up this kind of a joke, in which we try to guess what you are for fact."

Putting his hands under his head to support it, he said, "I'm not sure of what to say about that. So, to what conclusions did you come?"

Marina sighed and reported, "None. Yet! The first theory held that you were a vampire."

Lucas burst out laughing. They had thought he was a vampire? Cold, very cold and far from the truth. On the other hand, and given that vampires were in fashion, he could even consider it a compliment. Shaking his head from side to side, he assured, "I'm not a vampire. Oh, so that's why in Philosophy class you said you were trying to see if I had fangs."

"I know, ridiculous behavior, unfortunately. No fangs and you walk in the sun; this theory doesn't check. By the way, I'm 'Team Jacob', so... are you a werewolf?"

There was a new and even noisier laugh from him. Marina loved to hear those chuckles that were so neat and clear, that made the air swing in a sweet vibration. Definitely, he should laugh more often.

The boy shook his head and denied, "The last time I checked, I wasn't a werewolf."

Marina pulled a face of thoughtfulness. With a hand on her chin, she said, "OK. What about Superman? Hum, if you were Superman, you wouldn't have got injured, unless the evil shadow used kryptonite. Logic still led me to wonder whether you were involved in the magical rites of the tribe you descend from, but as you told me that you don't know much of them, I also put this hypothesis aside."

So many far-fetched theories and she seemed no closer to the truth. Elf, fairy or a warlock? A piece of a bad way, that's what you are, she thought. She felt like a feather taken by the wind when she was near him. She only hoped that wind would remain a breeze and didn't turn into a destructive hurricane.

There was one more conjecture to expose, so she let it out, "I just couldn't refute the latest speculation presented by Ana, in part because my research on the Internet didn't reveal much of what characterizes these mythical beings."

"Hey! You're even looking this up on the Web? So much work just because of me? You just got me curious. Go on, tell me what's the hypothesis that's close to be irrefutable."

With doubt dancing in her eyes, Marina confessed, "Ana said that maybe you're a fallen angel."

Lucas' smile instantly faded out when he heard those words. He turned his face in the opposite direction, so that Marina wouldn't see the expression that haunted him. It was as if a dark cloud had blocked the bright shiny sun and threatened to bring down a deluge that would take the joy of that day.

Lucas didn't utter a word for a long time. Feeling forced to return to the present, he groaned. He stared back at Marina and shook his head, saying, "No. I'm no fallen angel."

He was no fallen angel, but the concept had stirred him, which shocked Marina. She had never assumed that he would react that way to a foolish guess. She knew that Lucas was related to the supernatural world, nonetheless, inwardly, she had kept a secret hope that he would present a rational reason for his extraordinary talents. His attitude, however, indicated the opposite direction. Lucas sat on the bench and joined hands, interlacing his fingers. He tensed his jaw and held his gaze to the floor.

Although she was still stunned, his movement made her jump up. After a minute of silence, Marina quizzed, "Will you tell me what you really are some day?"

Lucas shrugged, without taking his eyes off the ground, and rubbed his hands nervously. He gulped and replied in a tone that almost sounded a warning, "Marina, there are doors that, once crossed, get closed and don't let you turn back. What you get to know doesn't disappear nor get better. Are you sure that you're willing to bear the burden of this unfortunate knowledge?"

Hesitant, the girl nodded. She was terrified of what could be hidden behind the mentioned door of single direction, but it was beyond it that resided the explanations she sought.

Lucas didn't seem very sure of himself. He ended up murmuring, "I can only say that I am... a Lost One."

Marina rose from the floor. She made him turn on the seat and sat beside him. She raised his right arm, placed it on her shoulders, and curled up in his chest. It felt nice being like that, leaning against him; it was as if she had just come home.

In her naivety, she replied, "You may have got lost, but if you want, I don't mind being the lighthouse that guides you through the dark night."

Hearing that pleased Lucas a lot. Having her there, whispering those words as a sincere oath without even knowing what risks she might face, fled all logic. It was like asking a lamb to willingly go to the slaughter. Despite that, he couldn't but rejoice with it. Yes, he was selfish.

He held her tighter and whispered in her ear, "I wish I had found you before. However, it's best for you to stay away from me. I'm not good and it's risky for you to have me around. Have you noticed all the bad things that have happened to you since you met me? It was all my fault..."

Marina felt Lucas squirm in place. He seemed even icier, which indicated that he felt in fact responsible for what had happened to her. How could that be? He had saved her when she had been in trouble. She couldn't let the guilt consume him. "I don't see it that way," she said. "In my perspective, you always showed up at the right time and I owe you my life. I hope that you let me help you too."

Lucas gave her an affectionate kiss on the head. It was nice to have someone like her, interested in his issues and willing to help.

They remained there, intertwined and forgotten in their particular cosmos for a good few minutes, until Marina jumped in place. "Oh, I brought you something," she exclaimed. Marina picked up the paper bag and handed it to Lucas with a smile.

"For me?" Lucas asked, surprised. The bag was opaque, so he couldn't guess its contents. He made it rattle, but Marina threw him a look of censorship, revealing that he could damage what was inside. Finally, Lucas opened it and took the device.

"A phone?" he said, astounded. He didn't expect her to bring him anything, much less a phone. In a second, he reviewed his behavior toward her; he had been more unpleasant than friendly. He didn't deserve her to be so generous. Saddened, he explained, "Thanks, but I cannot accept this. I can't allow you to waste your money on me."

Marina smiled and looked down as she contradicted, "Actually, I spent it on me. It was an egocentric decision. Hey, I'm just watching over my mind! Don't you know the pile of nerves I turn into when you disappear for days? I know you deal with things... uh, weird. Imagine that you get hurt and need help. How would I know? Ah, the red rose's thing doesn't work. I mean, I love then, but soon I'll have my mother demanding to know who's the secret admirer that sends me flowers..." she interrupted herself. Realizing what she had just said, Marina reddened and uttered, "... not that you're a secret admirer of mine, of course."

Lucas lowered his eyes, embarrassed, focusing on the phone instead. It was a small device, lightweight; it could be easily stored in his pants' pocket. He looked at her and questioned, "Is it really important for you to be able to contact me at any time?"

"Sure!" she responded promptly.

Maybe she shouldn't have answered so fast. What did that denote? That she was very interested in controlling him? It was nothing like that. She just wanted to know if he was okay, if he needed her help... or her.

"Okay then. I'll try to carry the phone always," he agreed at last.

Marina smiled in triumph: she had won. She just hoped that he fulfilled his share and actually walked around with the device. Thinking about it, in fact she was trying to control him, but it was for a good cause.

She took the phone from Lucas' hands, switched it on, and waited until it was operating. After that, she took hers out of her pocket and put it to call. Embarrassed, she mumbled, "I hope you don't mind, since the phone is yours, but I noticed that it could download songs, so I transferred you one. You may choose the ringtones you want, but when I call you, you'll know it's me right away as this is the music you'll hear."

Her phone beeped, calling, and music was heard on Lucas':

'I'm not giving up,

I'm not giving up on us.

I said I'm not giving up

I'm not giving up on love.'

Marina turned redder than a pepper with shame and she hastened to explain, "I know that the lyric is... but it's has a good rhythm. It's Armin Van Buuren with Sophie Ellis Bextor. I think it conveys good vibrations."

"It seems a nice song... and cheerful, like you," replied Lucas amiably.

Carrying on her explanation, Marina added, "My phone number is also recorded in the speed dial. Just press key number one for a while and it will call me automatically."

Lucas smiled at her, thankful, locked the keyboard and put the phone in his pocket. Then he pushed her away from him in a courteous gesture and stood up. Marina did the same. The boy stretched himself and calmly stepped to the side. Marina copied him once again. With a more provocative stance so typical of him, Lucas took another step and Marina did the same.

"Are you afraid that I'll run away?" he joked.

"You never know..." retorted Marina almost singing.

Lucas took two steps to the side, testing her. While doing it, he said, "Watch me, I'm going to run away. Careful, that I'll run. Look, here I go and, oops, I'm gone!"

Marina smiled and took the same number of paces, until Lucas started running across the grass. She followed him, always laughing, until she made him fall to the ground without effort. Both rolled on the grass, chuckling. Lucas lay with his belly up to air with his legs bent. Marina rested her head upon his chest and lay in the same position as him.

When he regained his breath, Lucas said, "It's been so long since I did this! I'd forgotten how it was..."

"What? Running on the grass? To escape from a lunatic who wants to control you with a mobile phone?" joked Marina.

"Putting things in those terms, you're scaring me. But what I mean is that I haven't spoken with anyone for a long time. It seems that centuries have passed since my last conversation."

Lucas seemed far away and his mood revealed bitterness. She couldn't allow him to surrender to sadness. He had to be happy and to enjoy the moment – 'carpe diem'.

Therefore, she rushed to answer back, "Now that we're beyond the stage when you just antagonized me and tried to entice me, we can talk whenever you want."

Lucas got up on his elbows and assumed a smirk full of lust, leaving her puzzled. In a tone overflowing sensuality, he murmured, "Who said it gave me no pleasure to torment you to delirium? And look, I saw you very close to..."

Do something reckless? Maybe. Only his rude behavior demoted her. Now that she had beaten his despicable mask and scrutinized his depths, she was happy. She never thought to find such good things inside him. But he was winning now! It was her turn to strike back before he would make her feel more ashamed.

"Since we're in a mood for talking about everything... you miss school a lot. Do you think you can leave supernatural things quiet for a few hours and attend classes?"

Lucas giggled for a long time. Hey, she wasn't a laughingstock! She knew nothing about his life, nor how the fight against Evil worked. Nevertheless, she thought that, if he had committed to the school, he should strive to attend classes.

When he was able to talk, he said, "You know, I don't control that. I promise I'll try to miss classes as less as possible, okay? But you know, sometimes it's like the poet Luís de Camões once said - other higher values arise."

Giving in a little, Marina proposed, "If you want, I can help you. We can study together for tests. That way you won't fall behind."

Lucas shook his head in a mixture of satisfaction and guilt. It was all so simple for her: she had the school and concerned only with that. She had no idea of how much was at stake and all he had to do for her. It was better that way. He wished she had a normal life.

Marina felt him shaking his head and commented, "I know, it's a stupidity of mine. Tiny details compared to what you have to deal with. In part, I understand you, but I'll never be fully able to do it if you don't let me enter your world. Someday... I know that one day you'll give me this honor."

Honor? There was no glory in entering his alternative universe - it was a horrible, endless nightmare from which he could not wake up. Hearing her words almost made him angry. However, irritation quickly faded as Marina rolled over and gave him a sweet kiss near his lips, catching him off guard.

She turned to nest in his chest, as she noted, "I think we need to cheer up. Enough of serious stuff. Do you want to hear a joke?"

That was something Lucas didn't expect, although he appreciated the tact with which she had changed subject. Marina had had the sensitivity to understand that things were taking a direction he didn't want to follow and had preferred to talk about silly stuff to perk him up.

The next hour were spent leaned against each other, telling jokes, some not funny at all, but still they laughed. After a while, they were both tired and their abdomens complained of so much laughter; the silence installed and they merely enjoyed the company of each other.

When two guys passed by them commenting the time, Marina stood up, stunned.

"What?" Lucas asked.

"I gotta go. My mom went to work, but she's almost returning and I don't want her to know that I was gone," Marina explained as she cleaned the grass from her clothes.

With an eyebrow raised, Lucas questioned, "Why?"

"Because there are things she doesn't have to know, since they belong only to me," she replied in a low tone, embarrassed. Certainly he wouldn't expect her to tell her mother that she had spent the afternoon with a guy, who she embraced, and that she had lain her head on his chest. If she only knew...! Marina couldn't even imagine it.

"Okay, I'll walk you home."

Lucas rose too and shook his clothes. He went to the half pipe to get his coat and returned close to her, making her a sign that they could get going.

When they arrived at the bridge, Marina instinctively grabbed Lucas' hand and laced her fingers in his. The boy said nothing, and just corresponded to her gesture. A wave of security pervaded her right away and she crossed the bridge without a hint of fear or anxiety.

Neither of them spoke on the way to the old building.

After reaching the place, Marina opened the door. She passed Lucas the bag with his cell phone accessories and apologized, "I'm sorry. I would invite you in to eat something, but my mom must be nearly here, so it's best not to tempt fate."

Lucas agreed. They were both sad, because the wonderful afternoon they had was about to end, and neither of them wanted that to happen. They wished they could suspend time.

"Looks like it's time to say goodbye. Don't forget to have your phone always turned on and with you, okay?" requested Marina.

Lucas smiled and nodded affirmatively, "Okay, boss. You can rest about that."

Their faces took on heavier expressions due to the weight that the emotion of goodbye entailed. Marina approached him, but for what? She was no easy girl. She was rational and wouldn't do anything she would regret later, right? Still, her heart was trying to overlap reason with urgency; it wanted Lucas to be bold and to kiss her. She almost felt her body begging him to do so. She wanted to control herself, yet she couldn't.

Their eyes clung to one another and Lucas gulped. Neither seemed willing to take the next step, until Lucas finally reacted. He pulled her to him and embraced her hard, as he whispered, "Thank you for caring about me. Thank you for this wonderful afternoon. Thank you for existing and thanks for being the way you are."

His words made her vibrate, stroking her soul. She wanted more, much more: she wanted the kiss she craved for, there, when he broke the hug, Marina didn't move away. She raised her hand and made it slip, slow and auspicious, over his face.

Lucas knew what she was asking for, but he felt he couldn't risk it. Forcing hard to control himself, he put a hand on the back of her neck with gentleness. He applied a long kiss on her temple. He leaned his forehead to her, and with his eyes closed, he whispered, "No. Not yet."

He walked away smiling and went downstairs almost at a leap. Marina remained in the same place, feeling every particle of her being pulsing disorderly. She was sure that, if she tried to move, her legs would not obey or they would do something weird. They hadn't kissed, but it had been a moment so intense. She stayed in the same spot until a car honked, as she was in its way, preventing it from passing. Startled, she came out of the dreamy trance. After waving to the driver by way of apology, she opened the old building's door and went inside.

As she went to her room, an impertinent question hammered in her head: why didn't he kiss her when he had hinted to her so many times? Could it be a façade? Would he be... a virgin? She turned red just to think of the word. She wasn't referring to the sexual area, but to the kiss - could he never have kissed a girl? She had serious doubts about this 'virginity', although he kept people away from him by taking shelter under that appearance of nasty dude. She wondered if he ever had given another girl the opportunity to really know him. It would be naive to think he hadn't. But what was that? She was experiencing a jealousy crisis about ex-girlfriends, when she didn't even know if they existed? Idiot, she criticized herself. Why would she engage in negative things, when she was so happy to have discovered that he also felt wobbly legs when she was with him? It was a reason to rejoice. She wanted to throw herself onto the bed and burst with happiness. She turned on the radio and heard the strains of 'Bad Romance' by Lady Gaga. An irresistible desire to dance took over her, so she rose up on the bed and started leaping, while shouting, "I don't care if it is a bad romance! For me, it's all good."

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Marina was exhausted when she took the final jump and fell on the bed with her arms wide open. It didn't matter, it was a weariness of joy. She was happy and wanted to share it with someone, but whom? She thought of Ana. Soon she changed her mind, after all Ana was dating Dennis and he could comment on something with Joshua. Sure if he knew that she had spent the afternoon with Lucas, he would cease to speak to her. She decided that she wouldn't tell anyone - it would be her secret.

The radio announced the time, bringing Marina back to the here and now; she had to hurry or her mother would suspect something. She ran into the kitchen to take care of dinner first. She grabbed the ingredients, threw them all into a pan and put it on the hob. She returned to her bedroom and hastened to take off her clothes, which were green from laying around on the grass, and put on her pajamas. Next, she went to the bathroom to grab the laundry basket and took it with her to the washing machine. Marina separated everything into two piles: one with white clothes and the other with darks. She put the first pile in the machine and set it to rinse, leaving the rest nearby to wash later. Only then she sat on the sofa and turned on the television to see what was on. If she was tired before, now she was exhausted. What a run!

Marina was lost in wonderful thoughts about that afternoon when her mother arrived. As she didn't hear her getting in, she let out a shriek when she noticed her standing before her. Mom laughed at her comic reaction and went into the bedroom to change clothes. While Luísa was changing, Marina went to arrange the table. Then she sat and waited for mom to join her, which happened within a few seconds.

"Did you start the washing machine now?" asked her mother, finding it strange.

Marina assented. Usually, they washed clothes in the morning so that they could dry throughout the day. Now, it was late and the clothes would be wet all night. Anyway, it was what had to be done so that her mother wouldn't figure out what state she had gotten home in. In fact, she didn't want her to imagine she had gone out, in order to avoid the inquisition questions.

While serving herself, the girl replied, "Yes, I put in a wash a while ago. The pile kept growing bigger and bigger. Don't worry, because as it stops I'll hang the washing."

"Okay, but don't forget it."

Given her mother's ability to notice little things, Marina gave up on the second part of her plan. Instead of doing it that night, she would put the remaining clothes \- which included her gym pants all dirty with grass - to wash the next morning, as soon as she jumped out of the bed.

It was still early to go to bed, therefore, after supper, Marina decided to sit on the bed with her personal computer on her lap. She would navigate the Internet for a while. She checked her email box and changed her status on a social network from 'depressed' to 'happy'. Lucas was responsible for that welcome transition. Things with him weren't as inflamed as with Joshua, but he still touched deep down within her. Joshua was beautiful and knew how to exert his charms, appealing to lust. Lucas wasn't like him. With Lucas, things flowed naturally, occurring when they had to happen. Their relationship evolved as time went on: they had started by not getting along at all, until they began talking to each other and he showed his true self, which was very promising. Despite this, a tinkle in a secret hideout in her soul continued to demand her to see what she had in front of her - there was something wrong with Lucas. It didn't matter one iota. She just wanted to be swallowed by the ecstasy, and if it implied her discernment to be overcast, then she didn't care.

It was midnight when she yawned sleepily. It was time to meet the dream world. Smiling, she picked up her phone and wrote her first message to Lucas: 'I'm going to sleep. Are you OK? See you tomorrow! Kisses.' She wanted to write something more thoughtful, but she feared that he would think that she was trying to become his owner or something, so she opted for a simple and direct text. The response took a while, which left her a little restless. When it came, she read it and reread it three times. It said, 'Sorry, I'm still getting used to writing on this. I'm fine. Again, thanks for the great afternoon. Sweet dreams, my light.' His light? She was going to melt. It was great to have a response from Lucas. Mobile phones were the best buy she had ever made. Happy, she let herself be lulled by sleep.

On Sunday, Marina woke up early. As she had nothing to do, she stood in bed. Suddenly, she sat. She had forgotten to start the machine to wash the rest of the clothes! She jumped out of bed swiftly, put on her slippers and went to the machine to turn it on. Luckily, her mother was still lying down, so she wouldn't ask her questions about that action.

After returning to her room, she went back to bed and turned on the television. She felt like having a day devoted to laziness, so why not have one? Curled up on the sheets and purred a little. The phone rang and pulled her out of the moment of drowsiness. Joshua had sent a message. 'Hi! We have cinema afternoon. Ana is coming. We're counting on you. Kisses,' it said.

"Interesting... He doesn't even ask me what I want to do, he simply imposes his plans on me. It seems that I no longer have the right to a free will," she claimed, pouting.

Besides visiting her grandmother, Marina had no other plans than to drag herself to the living room sofa. Maybe watching a DVD at Joshua's place wasn't such a bad idea. Still, thinking of Dennis and Ana so sticky, made her feel uneasy. Later she would see what to do about this issue when confronted with it. She rolled in bed and wrote to Joshua, 'OK. After visiting my grandma, I'll pass there, but only if the lovely couple behaves: too much honey makes me sick.' Joshua didn't take long to reply, 'Lol! It's impossible to control them! Don't leave me alone with them, please.' Marina felt bad for her when she realized that, if she skipped the program, Joshua would spend an embarrassing afternoon as chaperon. Fine, she would be there, although she could hear alarm bells buzzing through all her pores about that program. She answered, 'Don't worry, I won't leave you alone with the hot potato. See you soon'. Joshua responded with a smiley.

After helping her mother cleaning the kitchen after lunch, Marina put on some jeans, a pink t-shirt and a brown jacket. She put on her sneakers and straightened her hair into a pony-tail.

As mom needed to go shopping after visiting grandmother, they decided to make the journey by car. When they got to the nursing home, they took the elevator up to the first floor and they went directly to the grandmother's room. They found her in the usual state. Her condition was virtually always the same, although both in Autumn and Spring - the so-called middle seasons - she tended to worsen.

When they left the retirement home, it was almost 4p.m. They got into the car and drove the main avenue to Joshua's house.

As Marina was leaving the vehicle, her mother asked, "Do you need me to come get you later? The weather isn't very good, and soon may rain."

"Don't worry. If it's raining, I'll ask Ana's mother to drop me home. See you later!"

Marina watched the car moving. When it disappeared in the horizon, she rang the bell and Joshua's voice sounded through the intercom, asking her to come up. Marina climbed the stairs to the first floor and found the door open. When she entered, she saw Ana and Dennis sat on the carpet in the living room, laughing out loud, while Joshua was preparing a huge bowl of popcorn. Marina greeted everyone, but only Joshua returned the greeting, adding a hand signal that the cheerful couple was lost in Paradise. Nice, she grunted inside while settling on one of the benches around the table.

She joined her hands on the tabletop and commented, "So, movies... What are we going to watch?"

"The latest on the 'Saw' series. My brother loves Jigsaw. He's a major fan of horror stories that are simply disgusting."

Marina made a wry grin. She hated that movie saga, since the scenes were sickening. It was better to keep that to herself. At least it wasn't a romantic and lame film.

The microwave bell rang. Joshua took the popcorn from it and filled a huge bowl. He made her a sign to join them on the living room floor and so she did. Arriving near the couch, Marina faced the first trap: the brothers were sitting in the center, next to each another, which meant that the girls had to sit at the extremities. Obviously, Ana was already sitting next to Dennis, forcing her to stay next to Joshua. With no much of a choice, Marina settled close to Joshua, who was busy selecting the options for the subtitles. Moments later, the movie began.

The TV screen flickered while the movie scenes appeared. The first one started with a man cutting steaks from himself and a woman sawing her own arm. Argh! Marina shut one eye and then opened it. Next she closed the other one, repeating the gesture. Nope, not even that way did things seemed to improve. It's going to be a long hour, she thought.

The popcorn bowl was passed by Dennis to Marina, who was now responsible for holding it. Sometimes, when she took some popcorn, she felt Joshua's hand brushing hers; she chose to ignore the touches, classifying them as innocent, after all they were eating from the same container. There was silence in the film and, all of a sudden, a burly, creepy guy holding a chainsaw came on the scene, making Marina let out a little scream of apprehension. Joshua giggled and put an arm over her shoulder, in a protective gesture. If they were still at the beginning of the film, she would have pushed him away. However, it felt good to be able to hide her face in his chest when the scary stuff came up. Neither Dennis nor Ana noticed anything, for they were too busy flirting, which made Marina think why were they watching that movie, that was supposed to be Dennis' favorite, if he was too occupied doing other things? It was better to see something that was really worthy.

It was with relief that Marina saw the generic of the movie running. The nightmare was over at last. Joshua got up, removed the DVD from the player and put it back on its case. Marina also stood up and went to put the bowl of popcorn on the table.

Dennis asked them, "Sorry, but would you mind leaving us here alone for a while? Don't get us wrong, it's just that... you know."

Joshua responded in a dry tone, "Actually it doesn't sound good to me. If you want to flirt, you go to your bedroom. You'll have more privacy there."

Dennis smirked and pointed out, "If I go to my room with Ana and mom arrives, she will be suspicious about what's going on. On the other hand, you still didn't finish your shelves. You told mom that you would do it when Marina came here, so she won't lose her mind if she finds you there. Cappice?"

Marina had no desire to go to Joshua's room. And arrange the shelves? She wasn't in the mood to hear the CD's offered by his ex-girlfriend. Ana looked at her with lost puppy eyes, forcing her to surrender. Frustrated, Marina retorted, "Fine! You have 15 minutes and then I'm leaving. And Joshua, don't you dare play those CD's that we know of."

The boy shook his head, uncomfortable about that reference, while Ana and Dennis wondered what she could be talking about.

Resigned, Marina walked to the bedroom followed by Joshua. She opened the door and entered without ceremony. The shelves remained empty. After the misunderstanding the other day, Joshua hadn't finished the task, nor indeed had begun. Men... Always leaving the work they didn't like for others. Irritated, she turned the boxes on the bed and began to separate the items, while Joshua watched her, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. Did he really have the cheek? She would not do the job for him.

Marina placed her hands on her hips and, challenging, demanded, "Are you watching or helping?"

Joshua seemed to awaken from some wonderful dream he was having, took his hands from his pockets and stood beside her to choose the material. He grabbed three CD's and asked her, "Do you have a CD you want to hear?"

Marina wrinkled her nose. Those were his CD's. He had heard them at some point in life that had been marked by them. Listening to them was to evoke memories and she didn't feel like hearing speeches about ex-girlfriends and other achievements. Not that she was jealous or anything; she just didn't want to talk of such delicate matters. In answer to his question, she went to the stereo and tuned in to Cidade FM

"Radio?" commented Joshua by way of question.

"Yes, radio. Your CD's contain remnants of your past in superabundance. Maybe it's time for you to create new memories with a more updated soundtrack, don't you think so?"

Joshua absorbed the idea and agreed as she stared at the material spread on the blue bedspread.

She reflected a bit and quizzed, "What do you think of settling this by categories? For example, regarding books we start by novels, then fiction, next the police stories... Something like that, just to put a certain logical order on things."

"Fine by me. So, do we begin with the books?"

"No, books are too heavy. It's better to start with the CDs, which will be on the top shelf. Then we move on to DVDs and finally to books," elucidated Marina.

"Okay, boss," Joshua replied, smiling and greeting her with a two-finger salute like a boy scout.

A couple of days ago, she would have found that smile too tempting. However, if she ever thought he could be right when he said that their relationship could move in another direction, life had taken charge to show her that the correct choice was for them to be just friends. Joshua was... everything. Nice, intelligent, dead gorgeous, generous... the adjectives to describe him didn't run over. She found herself with her eyes pinned on him, and imagined what things would be like if he was right. Probably they would go to school together and would sit at the same desk. They would exchange hot kisses in the hallways at the recesses, and maybe he would have lunch in school just to spend more time together. When classes ended, some days they'd go to his place and on another he would escort her home. They would take an eternity in each other's arms to say goodbye, without wanting to let go. He would always be there for her, would keep her spirits high, and would do anything for her to be happy - within her, she had no doubt about that. Even without believing in the supposed love at first sight that Joshua had told her about, she couldn't deny that she felt a great affection from him. Her heart responded to her thoughts and accelerated, making her body temperature increase exponentially till her face blushed.

Noticing that Marina was still, Joshua stopped what he was doing and looked at her. The radio began to play a romantic melody. Carried by the slow rhythm, the boy stood up and pulled her to him. In an automatic gesture, Marina got up and they started dancing together. Enveloped by the harmony, it was as if they were no longer in the bedroom, but high above the clouds. The romantic lyric seemed to adapt to them in perfection, which reinforced the charm of the moment. She was mesmerized. For Joshua, it was as if a door had opened a little, giving him the chance to approach her and prove to her that, although she denied it, he was part of her heart. Perhaps her heart divided, but he would fight for it.

The music seemed to take forever. Marina, however, felt good, comforted by the warmth of Joshua's body, so she didn't care one bit.

When the melody was about to end, Joshua whispered in her ear, "You didn't give me the opportunity to explain myself. Yesterday, when I said I had won the night, I wasn't referring to Joana's kiss, but to your reaction. I liked that you stood up for what's yours." He held her chin, forcing her to face him. He stared at her with intensity and asked, "You know I'm yours, don't you?"

Goodness! How could she hear him say that and remain uninterested? She wanted to be, and moments ago she would have been. Heck! How did she let herself get involved to this point? Marina felt him approaching more and more, till his lips rubbed very close to hers. The doubt wavered in her spirit - would she like him to go the rest of the way? Probably, but she couldn't do it.

The ballad finished and a dance music rhythm replaced it, as a gong marking the end of an auspicious period. The change of pace broke the spell that held them together, but Marina didn't want everything to stop abruptly. Instead, she diverted her face from his and curled up in his chest, holding him in a strong hug. They remained like that until near the end of the song. At long last, she released him slowly and walked away, sitting once more on the bed, without facing him.

Making a big effort not to reveal the flickering of her voice, she said, "Let's get this shelf done? Soon your mother will start to wonder why it isn't ready yet."

Joshua still felt overwhelmed, nevertheless he managed to laugh. He settled beside her and replied, "You're right. Let's get to work!"

Marina covertly took a few deep breaths in an attempt to regain control of herself. What was happening to her? Was she becoming a slut or something? Well, she wasn't kissing every boy she found, but there were two who teased her. Hmm, what? Two? Marina surprised herself. It was the first time she acknowledged to herself that she wasn't indifferent to Joshua at all. And then there was Lucas... Remembering his smiley face the previous day made her heart hurt. She wouldn't think about that any more. She shook her head, refusing to confront the reason with her heart at that time; it would have to wait till later. In fact, she didn't have to decide right away to whom to surrender. She could see how things went and only much later decide herself. She only hoped to reach a conclusion before it was too late. Satisfied with the decision she had just taken, Marina focused on the task at hand. She separated everything into categories with Joshua's help, and put all the stuff on the respective shelves.

They were finishing getting the books on their shelf, when Joshua's mother knocked on the bedroom door and asked permission to enter. When she walked in, she nodded in approval to what they had done. "Well done! The shelf is very cool."

"It's all arranged in categories, Marina's suggestion," advanced Joshua.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm proud of your teamwork. However, and I'm sorry to interrupt you, but Ana's mother has arrived. She's asking if you want a ride home."

"Yes, I do," hastened Marina to reply. It was an excellent opportunity to get out of there and escape Joshua's influence. She put the last books on the shelf, while Joshua's mother went to communicate her response to Ana's mom.

Before Marina left the room, Joshua pulled her to him and hugged her again. "Thanks for coming by and for helping me to fix this."

"Sure. I really have to go now," she said as she walked away gracefully, with a shy smile on her face.

After the formal farewells, Ana's mother and the two girls went to the Jeep. A minute later, they stopped at Marina's door to leave her there. She thanked them for the ride and told her friend, "See you tomorrow." She waved as the Jeep pulled away, leaving her alone.

Marina didn't feel like entering home, since she feared that her mother would assault her with questions. And she was so confused! Feeling completely lost, she went down the arcade stairs, crossed the road and sat on the river's railing, staring at the skate park that looked like a black silhouette at dusk. She thought about Lucas. She knew he was very important to her, but she had to be fair and recognize that Joshua was trying to deserve her attention and was approaching her in a very effective way. She felt like crying. How had she been so stupid and had let herself be influenced by two guys? Her, who had well-defined plans that left no room for something so hard as infatuation or love. That was a real trap from Destiny that persisted on playing her. Cruel destiny... She passed a hand over her face to compose herself, took a deep breath and went home.

Her mother, who was in the kitchen, called her as soon as she heard her coming, leading Marina to conclude that she couldn't escape the interrogation. She addressed her a few less sympathetic thoughts.

Mom's eyebrows arched in surprise to see the expression Marina wore. Instinct told her that something had happened. However, and knowing her daughter as she knew, she knew that she would get upset if she asked her what happened. She had to do things with some tact to get where she wanted. "So, how was the movie afternoon?" she inquired.

Marina flopped down on the sofa, apparently fatigued. The truth was she felt such a heavy burden on her chest that she seemed to have difficulty moving around, and got tired easily. Noting that mom was still waiting for an answer, she said, "The movie was a disgrace! It was a saga I hate, in which people spent their time being killed in various disgusting ways. Argh! I still have my stomach churning with nausea."

By the way Marina spoke of the film, it seemed a hideous thing, which might explain in part her look. But there was something else, Luísa was sure. Maybe the right time had come to have 'that' conversation of mother and daughter.

With patience, mom added, "And the movie just ended now?"

Marina's tolerance was getting shorter, so she sighed and explained, "No. I still helped Joshua to get the rest of his stuff on the shelves, the ones we had started to fix the other day. We even separated the material by categories, can you believe it? Then Ana's mother came and she gave me a ride home."

"Really? I didn't heard the Jeep coming..."

Yep, the Jeep had been there, but about twenty minutes ago; therefore, the expected snore of the engine didn't echoed when she came in.

Her mother wiped her hands on a cloth and sat beside her on the couch. After scratching her forehead, she started, "Marina, I know I'm your mother and there are issues you prefer to talk about with another person, like your friend Ana. But I am here and I'm always available to listen to you."

Oh, no! Please, no, she begged in her mind. That was an issue of hers; she didn't want to tell her mother that she felt torn between a guy who dealt with evil forces, and another who was gorgeous and loved to make her dance. It was too much. She got up from the sofa in haste, leaving her mother a bit sad.

Seeing her mother distraught, Marina felt a little guilty, so she returned and shot without thinking twice, "Can you tell me how I decide between two boys?"

Her mother was stunned by those unexpected words, nonetheless she hurried to disguise it. It was what she feared - a conversation about boys. She motioned to Marina to sit and the girl obeyed. She straightened up on the couch, thought a little and cleared her throat. "It's a tricky question with no easy answer", she noted. "If you feel divided, you can weigh the pros and cons of the relationship with each one. If perchance you feel that the relationship with one could be the right one, but you still feel divided because of the other, you should rethink your decision. The most important thing is to give it time and not to rush".

"What if I take too long to make up my mind and they decide to continue their lives, leaving me behind?" asked Marina a little worried.

"If any of them really care about you, he will wait. If not, there's plenty of fish in the sea! Life doesn't end just because of that."

Marina thought that her mother had told her just what she needed to hear. In basic terms, she had reinforced her decision to be alone, think better, and see how things went and the path they took.

"OK. So what are we having for dinner?" Marina questioned all of a sudden.

The abrupt change of subject puzzled mom, who felt simultaneously relieved and jumbled. Teenagers... In a clumsy tone, she stammered, "To-today we have soup for dinner. I'll also put two garlic baguettes in the oven to eat later."

"Okay. While you're doing so, I'm going to put on my pajamas. I'll be back soon."

Marina went to the bathroom and a great shower. Next, she put on her pajamas and brushed her hair vigorously to undo all the knots. Almost an hour later, she dinned with her mother, at the same time she watched the news on TV.

The bath, enhanced with dinner, had done wonders for Marina. It was as if the curtain that gloomed her reasoning stopped being stirred by the emotional wind and allowed her to rest. More relaxed, she decided to prepare the rucksack for the next day. As she was about to do it, her phone vibrated with a text from Joshua. 'Wanna go to school together tomorrow?' he asked. Given the decision she had taken, she replied, 'Thanks, but no. Please don't get upset, okay? Sleep well.' Surely he would get grumpy, still that was her decision and she would remain loyal to it... for the moment.

With the rucksack packed up and the clothes for the next day chosen, she lay down and turned on the television. The phone vibrated once more, indicating that she had received a text that she quickly associated to Joshua. It was probably the answer to the one she had sent before and that made him step back. However, when she looked at the display, she was startled - it was Lucas. He said, 'The day is darker without you. I missed the light of your smile today... See you tomorrow. Sweet dreams'. If she had received this the day before, she would have been super happy, nevertheless guilt was the only feeling that harassed her. She felt that she had betrayed him for having once more danced in Joshua's arms. He, who was like a chest closed to the world, holding a treasure of unimaginable wealth, had opened just for her. And how did she pay him back? With doubts. Marina wanted to answer him, but she didn't quite know what to write, so opted to turn off the phone – she was not available to anyone. Unplugged the TV and wallowed in the darkness until she fell asleep.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The piercing noise of her alarm clock awoke her. Irritated toward such interruption of her sleep, she reached out her arm and pressed a button to shut it up. She stretched, rubbed her eyes and turned on the light. What a night! She would have dark circles the size of the world. She had slept pretty bad, assaulted often by her doubts that even in dreams pursued her. She shook herself to send pessimism and indecisions away.

After getting dressed, she had breakfast and headed to school. She focused on her dark thoughts. She felt bad about herself, especially after receiving Lucas' text. She had bought him a phone so that he could always be reached and, when he sent her a message, she didn't reply. Would he be worried? How stupid she was! If she was offered a one way plane ticket across the planet, she wouldn't hesitate; alas, she would already be there.

Before crossing the school gate, she sneaky peeked who was in the yard. There was no sign of Lucas, Joshua, Ana or Dennis, to her delight. Always looking over her shoulder, trying to envision someone she knew, Marina went to the locker to get the necessary books and leave the bag with the sports equipment there.

As the first class of the day was Philosophy, she walked to the room. She found the room with the door already opened and the teacher in there. With no other choice, she entered too. After the bell rang, the classmates joined her little by little. As she couldn't face either of the two boys who insisted on tearing her in half, she hastened to open her diary and book.

The scent of Lucas' perfume made her give a little hop in place; she became an ice cube from, inert from hair roots to tiptoe. She was being silly and stepping away, which was the opposite of what she had asked him to do, nonetheless she didn't have the courage to look at him. She couldn't help but to judge herself worse than the Wicked Witches from fairy tales, since she was about to destroy his dream. Lucas threw onto the table his notebook and his. He sat slightly turned to her, displaying a small grin that, faced with her misty expression, quickly faded away.

Luckily, the teacher had tons of data to debit and started talking. He explained that some classes would learn logical and they would focus on the fallacies part. Marina pretended to focus her attention on the teacher and tried to ignore her table mate.

Lucas was concerned, she could read it on his face when she stared at him furtively when she thought he wasn't looking at her. One of the times she was caught and his lips outlined the silent question "Are you okay?" She felt herself dying on the inside. She didn't deserve him... She cut a piece of paper and wrote, 'I'm fine, it's just one day that's less good. Sorry I didn't reply yesterday, I swear I didn't mean to hurt you.' She folded the note and made it slide in a discreet gesture over the table before him. Lucas read it, nodded and kept the paper. Till the end of class, they said nothing more.

Once the bell rang, Marina pushed the diary inside her book, put the pencil case on top of this 'sandwich' and, with her other hand, she grabbed the backpack. She went out as fast as a lightning, running to the locker. She hadn't the slightest desire to talk to anyone, so decided to hide. The place where Lucas was sometimes seemed to her the safest spot, nevertheless she didn't want to risk meeting with him there. The bathroom seemed suddenly attractive \- there she wouldn't be bothered. Gloomy, she walked to the toilet, where she remained till the bell.

On reaching the room for the next class, Marina found her classmates sitting down. Lucas was already at the desk behind her and Joshua was preparing to sit next to his friend, as usual. Noticing her in front of the class staring at him, Joshua looked at Lucas and assumed an unfriendly look. He closed his fist and clenched his jaw. Out of the blue, he picked up his things and went to sit right beside Lucas. Stupefied, Marina stuck to the floor, unable to decide whether to leave the room or to sit down.

The French teacher gave her a little push, "Sentez-vous, s'il vous plaît."

Marina made a gesture with her hand, apologizing to the professor. She approached her seat at a snail's pace while chewing her lip. Joshua and Lucas sitting side by side? That would not end in anything good.

Ana received her with a wry grimace. She waited until she sat and whispered to her, "Ms. Venus-Aphrodite, what have you been doing that you haven't told me about?"

Marina wanted to smile and tell her that she had done nothing, but couldn't express another reaction besides shrugging. Yes, she had done something. Too much actually...

As Marina wasn't answering her, Ana decided to take advantage of the fact that the teacher was talking. She elevated her voice, so that the boys in the back could hear her, and said, "Yep, it seems like the hunting season is really open. Run, Marina, because they're coming for you and you have a target painted right on your back."

On another day, Ana's comment would have made her laugh. She felt so blue, however, that she had more desire to cut her wrists than to be there.

The tension that ran every atom of her being was so great, that it wouldn't allow her to concentrate on the lesson. Marina had no idea what they had learnt; she would have to study at home what she had copied to her notebook. At five minutes for the bell, she put her things inside the backpack and put her hand in the air to draw the teacher's attention.

"Yes, Marina?" said the professor.

"Miss Josefina, I swear I've been holding on the whole lesson. I tried to wait for the bell, but I cannot hold any more. Would you mind if I leave early to go to the bathroom?"

As she was an applied student and didn't usually push in requests of that type, the teacher decided to let her out. Marina thanked her, grabbed the bag and rushed out of the room.

She passed by the locker to leave her stuff and only took her phone and the lunch ticket with her. Realizing that the bell was about to ring, she sprinted to the back of the canteen. She hoped that Lucas wouldn't appear there. As it was lunch time, probably he'd have lunch at home or in a café nearby, after all she had never seen him in the refectory.

When she arrived at her destination, she sank against the wall and let herself slip to the floor. She pulled her knees up, clung to them, lay her head and stood still. The tears came involuntary and rolled down her cheeks. What was that? Self-pity? She should have no self-pity. If both Lucas and Joshua had enough of her and sent her away, they would have good reason.

Sensing her weeping, the weather joined her at the ball of sadness and the precipitation began to fall. The sound of the rainwater muffled his footsteps, she didn't hear him coming. When she felt his arm encircling her shoulders, she got frightened and retreated with a leap. Lifting her face, she saw Lucas; her tears became thicker. He just pulled her closer to him and stood there, hugging her. They didn't say a single word the whole time, only enjoyed the company of each other. Eventually, Marina surrendered and fell asleep.

A gentle kiss on her cheek given by Lucas awoke her. She felt bewildered, not knowing where she was; bit by bit, she recalled what was happening. The knowledge was dilacerating. Lucas was beside her. How could he be there if she didn't deserve him? She wanted to cry, but felt that she had exhausted all her tears.

"It's better for you to eat something before classes," suggested the boy in a low voice, not to disturb her.

There were twenty minutes before next class and she didn't have lunch. She would pass by the bar to eat something. She rose and Lucas helped her.

"Are you really okay?" he asked with a twinge of apprehension.

"Lucas..."

Marina wanted to tell him that she was nothing but a silly girl, but she couldn't. Her voice was stuck and it ripped her throat with the painful claws of truth. And what would she say anyway? 'I like you, but Joshua makes me change my mind when he plays the right cards?' Selfish, egocentric... a thousand times dumb! She didn't want to wound him for anything in the world, he was way too important.

Sad, and unable to utter a more complex statement, she just said, "See you soon." She dropped his hand and walked to the bar, where she bought a sandwich and a juice. She sat at a table alone at the end of the bar and ate till the bell rang for class.

When she reached the classroom, Ana was already in her place, and behind her were Joshua and Lucas, sitting side by side. Marina scratched her head and swallowed hard. She had to do something about that without delay. Before the babble of other students stopped, she walked hastily down to the boy's desk. Placing her hands on the table top, she pinned her eyes on Joshua and then on Lucas. When she opened her mouth, the voice that came out was serious and didn't seem hers. "I'm no good. I deserve no one to like me. Be smart and back off. I'll only bring you pain."

Lucas grinned covertly upon hearing her, since he had told her something similar once. As for Joshua, he looked at her, both confused and intrigued. He couldn't fail to notice that, regardless of the rubbish she was saying to them, she was not well. Marina didn't wait for their reactions. She sat down and took the material out of the backpack.

Ana stared at her, trying to understand what was happening. It was all very strange: Marina's detachment during the lessons, Joshua sitting next to Lucas, her disappearance after classes. What could be happening? They should talk about it, but later, since now they had to focus on the lesson.

Before the end of class, the Portuguese teacher distributed the texts they had drafted the previous lesson. When the turn of the two girls came, the professor said, "Ana, this isn't good enough. You'll have to make an extra effort. Marina, well done. I quite liked the story. I just did some repairs that you'll find on the back of the sheet, but overall it's very good."

"Thank you, professor," replied Marina while she accepted the essay that the teacher passed her.

At the end of class, Marina ignored Ana's calls and went to get her things for Physical Education alone. Then, she walked to the locker room to change clothes. Ana joined her soon after.

"Didn't you hear me calling? Were you hit by an incredible deafness all of a sudden? Geez, you look like a zombie... and a stone-deaf one!" Ana complained.

Marina answered in a low note, "Honestly? I heard you, but I wanted to be alone."

"What's wrong with you anyway? You're so weird today."

Marina gave a fake smile and retorted, "That's a nice way of putting things, given that I'm nothing but a major bitch."

"How so?" questioned Ana, not having a clue what she was talking about.

Marina explained her drama in short words: on one hand she had a beautiful and fantastic guy, who was tired of telling her that he was hers and that he loved her. On the other, there was a guy who used to hide behind an antipathy mask and put himself in danger to save her. In fact, he was adorable, comforted her without asking any questions, he...

"Sorry, but there's nothing to think about," interrupted Ana. "The one you like is Lucas. Of course I'd prefer you to stay with Joshua instead, but things aren't like that. Have you heard yourself describing Lucas? You may not be aware of it, but you don't speak of them equally. What happens is that when Joshua is near you, you give in, because you're lonely and you know how good he would be for you."

"But I can't hurt Joshua. Anyway, I think I already hurt both of them..."

Ana snorted and giggled. When she was able to talk, she joked, "Just look at you. This is outrageous! You have become a real heart-breaker, Marina-Venus-Aphrodite."

"And you can't even imagine how heavy it is on my heart. I wish I could go back to what I was," murmured Marina.

Their classmate invaded the locker room and an authentic cacophony flooded the area. Since they were set, Marina and Ana decided to enter the gym to escape the noise. They found that the professor was already there. Upon seeing him, Marina felt tightness in her stomach again; she had forgotten that he was supposed to apologize to her in that class. She feared the reprisals that could come after that action.

When all the students entered the pavilion, the teacher ordered them to run ten turns around the gym, and they obeyed. After the laps, it was time for Patricia to command the warm-up. In the end, the professor approached Patricia and took his place in front of the class. Placing a bag with the basket balls on the floor, he said, "We'll continue the basketball lessons. We'll start by training the dribble and then we'll pass to the releases. Form four groups and distribute through the side basket posts along the field."

Students began moving from their places, but the educator wasn't finished yet. "Before we move on, I want to apologize to Marina for what happened. And for the record, I went through something similar. In the early days, I was also scared to death of water, but someone did to me the same I did to you and I overcame it."

Marina was amazed by this revelation. However, she couldn't fail to reprove, "I accept your apology, but not everyone is equal. Just because someone forced you to return to the water, you didn't have to do that to me. You should have respected my time, especially when I tried to explain it so many times... huh, Sir."

Oops! She didn't mean that. Okay, she wanted, although she shouldn't. Anyway, now it was all out and there was nothing she could do.

The teacher heard her with attention and made one last repair. "Yes, you're right. Not everyone deals with trauma the same way. By the way, Joana, don't you have something to say?"

The class turned to Joana, who was wearing pants super tight to her butt and a top that allowed a visual of her breasts. Provocative and cheap even in Physical Education.

"OK. I'm sorry," Joana said in an impersonal tone.

The apology wasn't meant and it was told as a mere obligation, just for everyone to hear it. Marina figured that asking for forgiveness wouldn't be part of Joana's skills. It didn't matter.

The teacher clapped his hands three times, a sign that indicated they should group to do what they had been asked. Ana and Marina chose one of the basket posts in the gym's extremities closer to the exit, and waited for anyone else to join them. Joshua and Lucas arrived soon after, leading Marina to gasp. She was beginning to have a horrible headache that seemed to be installed right behind her eyes. To make things worse, Joana and their fanatical followers joined Marina's group. The shrew had decided not to let Joshua go. Honestly, that wasn't what bothered her, but the hag's presence. Instead of getting angry, she resigned herself to it by telling herself that it was karma for being such a terrible person.

Ten minutes before the bell, the teacher let them leave. Marina used to have her shower in the locker room, but she was too anxious to leave that place, so she decided to do it at home. She said farewell to Ana and jogged to the school gate. To avoid unwanted encounters, she decided to return home by the route she took every morning.

Ana's words echoed in her head as she was walking. According to her, Marina felt lonely, so she let herself be carried by Joshua and his love advances. However Lucas was the one she liked and that was noticeable by the way she spoke of him. Ana was correct. Who was on the outside always had a better perspective of an issue. She felt a little better, so she took the phone and wrote a text to Ana, saying, 'Thanks for the wise analysis and dissection of my heart. I think you're right. We'll see about that.' She thought of putting the device away, but she changed her mind. She owed Lucas an explanation for how bad she had behaved that day. She decided to write a simple text, saying, 'Thank you for being by my side today without asking me any questions.' She hoped that he understood the hint of 'no questions' and followed it. She received no response, but it was okay; she hadn't responded to his message the day before. It wasn't always necessary to do so - there were things that exhausted itself.

Marina crossed the road near an elementary school, bounced down the staircase and moved down town. A sound similar to a branch breaking caught her attention. She turned back, but saw no one; she was alone. It was probably a twig that had broken on a tree by the stairs, nothing from another world. She was having a stressful day, it was natural for her to be nervous and imagine things. She decided to move on, ignoring the glacial chill on the back of her neck.

Moments later, the air stirred in an awkward way. Marina sensed that there was something wrong, still she couldn't determine what was leaving her so restless. It was then that she heard heavy footsteps behind her. Covertly, she looked over her shoulder and noticed a man dressed in black. Although his face looked familiar, he seemed kind of creepy. She didn't want to stay there to get acquainted. And where did he come from? He could only have come from the staircase, yet, when she turned back, she hadn't seen a soul. An alarming frantic tingling invaded her.

Worried, a little further ahead, she took the closest alley to get to the main street. The man in black followed her, which alerted her. Would he be following her? She found some consolation in the fact that, once in the main street, she would be safe. Who would dare to attack her in front of so many people? Only a madman, eager to be caught in the act. She walked over the cobblestones even faster, until she reached a stationary store, whose employees were at the door talking to a vendor. She stopped in front of the window and pretended to admire the articles, while she made an effort to catch her breath. Through the glass of the window, she saw the reflection of the man approaching her. He stopped in front of the showcase as well. She tried to avoid looking up from a notebook.

Unexpectedly, the man shrugged in slow motion and lamented, "Hmm, this isn't what I'm looking for. Can you tell me where I can find other stationery?"

Marina was startled. He was talking to her? Her throat dried. She was only able to stare at him in askance and to point him in which direction he should follow. The man thanked her and left. That face... where had she seen it before? Anyway, the guy was gone and she felt a little calmer. And silly! He was not following her after all. And why would he? She shook her head, admonishing herself. Her brains were liquefied; maybe that's why she was seeing things.

Continuing to look over her shoulder occasionally, Marina ran down to the old building. She opened the door, entered and closed it behind her with force, locking it right away. She threw the rucksack and the sports bag onto the bed and headed for the bathroom: she intended to have a nice bath, with scented oils and salts and everything she had the right to. She had had a dog day and, to finish it big, had got very frightened because of a dude who appeared from nowhere.

When her mother arrived, Marina was still in the bath. Her fingers were pretty shriveled, which proved that she was in the tub for too long. She got out, cleaned herself and put on her pajamas. After the troublesome task of brushing her hair, she went to the kitchen. "Hello, Mom," she greeted.

"Hi! So...? I was waiting for you to tell me something. Did the Gym teacher apologize to you?"

Marina wrinkled her nose. Yes, he had fulfilled his part of the punishment, but it was better to omit her comments. Not that he didn't deserve it, but she should have been more restrained when talking to the professor. After hesitating, Marina answered, "Yes, he apologized. And Joana too, though I doubt she regrets what she did. That hag is a fake."

Her mother agreed and went to her room to change clothes. Three minutes later, she returned to the kitchen and started to cook dinner. The soaked hair was annoying Marina, so she decided to go to the bedroom and settle the matter once and for all.

"Are you going to do your homework?" quizzed her mother when saw her getting up from the sofa.

"No, I'm going to dry my hair. Today I have no homework, I'm off duty," said the girl while she stretched.

"Okay, but before you go, lurk at the window and tell me if you see a red van parked near the taxi rank. It belongs to a work colleague of mine, and she asked me to tell her when the trailer comes to fetch it. It broke down there this morning."

Marina assented and walked to the window. She looked at the square in search of the red van, but didn't see it anywhere. Most likely it had been towed. It was there since morning, so it was normal that the Car Assistance had already fulfilled its role. She took the opportunity to travel the avenue with her eyes, focusing on the wall next to the river. Precisely at the place where Lucas sat at times was the mysterious man she had seen that afternoon. And he was watching her window. A sense of astonishment ran through her body and she let out a shriek. She backed off with an expression of terror stamped on her face.

"What?" asked her mother, worried.

'What was it?' What to answer? 'Nothing! It's just that, sitting on the wall, looking up here, is a sinister guy that I thought that had followed me this afternoon?' That should leave her mother rested... It was one of those times she would have to pretend to be a dumb girl with a little brain to get away.

Through a nervous laugh, Marina said, "How stupid! The van is no longer there and I thought straight away that it had been stolen. Then I remembered that you said it was going to be towed. I guess it has already been taken."

"Great! I'll call my colleague to let her know," replied mom, satisfied.

"OK! And I'm going to dry my hair. I'll be right back."

Marina rushed to withdraw to her room. It wasn't a figment of her mind after all: the man had been after her, otherwise what the hell was he doing in front of her building, staring intently at her window? He knew that she had seen him, but not even that shook him to leave, or at least to hide. Something wasn't right and Marina feared what might happen. Would that stranger have the guts to break in her home when she and her mother were sleeping to rob and harm them? She walked fretfully from one side to the other, while gnawing her fingernails. It was a bad habit that she thought she had lost a long ago, except it seemed to have just returned. She slapped her stubborn hands by way of reprimand and hid the clenched fists behind her back. As much as she wanted, there was nothing she could do, so Marina pulled the dryer out of the closet. When her hair was dry, and as she had plenty of time, she straightened it with the help of her ceramic plate that had been a present for her birthday.

The notion struck her with an unexpected vigor. She would celebrate her anniversary in two days. Neither had remembered it! She used to have no birthday party. Her mother just offered her one present and that was it - the day was over. Although she didn't give great importance to the subject, in a way, that would be a special date: she would turn 18. She would reach adulthood, could go into bars at will and could get her driving license. It was a whole new world of possibilities that opened before her. And she would become older than Ana. Her friend's birthday was also in October, but she would turn 17. That was the result of Marina entering school a year older than she was supposed to. If she knew Ana, she would try to convince her to have a party for sure. She had to start making up excuses to get away with it.

After supper, and with the kitchen clean and shining like a diamond, Marina decided to go to her bedroom. She wanted to enjoy the fact of not having homework to get some rest. She would just watch TV and try to empty her mind of all the inconveniences and annoyances. Before leaving the kitchen, she remembered peeking in the living room window again. If she checked that the man was no longer there, she would feel better.

The night had come. The streets were lightened by the scant luminosity of the street lights, which turned certain areas purple and others orange. The cars passed often down the road, but there was almost nobody on the street. She stared at the river's wall and, to her disappointment, there he was: the strange man was precisely at the same spot. Marina felt a tightness in her chest when she found that he continued to gawk at her window specifically. She could swear that she felt him hanging on her; his dark and piercing eyes made her tremble.

Without Marina noticing it, her mother approached her and looked out the window too. "Do you see something interesting?" she questioned.

Mom's sudden arrival made her almost jump with fright onto her lap. Maybe she should tell her mother about the guy on the rail and explain to her that she had seen him that day and feared he was going to try to rob their house while they slept. It was good if an adult was aware of the situation and willing to act.

With tact, Marina said, "I'm not seeing anything special. Have you noticed that weird dude sitting on the river's wall?"

Her mother approached the glass a little more and tried to look at the person pointed out by her daughter.

"But there's no one sitting on the wall..." she noted.

Shaken, Marina turned to look out the window. There he was, at the very same place, laughing like a nut case. Why couldn't her mother see him while she could? How bizarre! Beads of cold sweat flooded her face when she became aware that she was dealing with something that was far beyond her earthly understanding. Mom cleared her throat, demanding her attention, after all she had told her she had seen a strange man on the wall, but there was nobody there. Role of fool again, Marina trembled inside.

"You're right," she said while rolling her eyes. "Probably he went away while I moved for you to get a glimpse. Still, I'm sure I've seen him today when I came to look for your colleague's van. He was at the same spot. Do you think he may be a thief?"

"No idea. Maybe it was someone who was just sitting on the wall for a bit, nothing more."

It was proved that her mother was not the adult ready to act she was looking for, whereby she wished her a good night and headed for her chambers, feeling a little annoyed. As her bedroom was at the entrance lobby, she decided to push her desk behind the door to prevent anyone from opening it. Sitting on the bed, she thought about calling Lucas. He would know how to solve the situation, since it was something he did every day. Nonetheless, she recalled the wound to his shoulder, the consequence of the last time he had defended her. She didn't want him to get hurt again. That eerie man had a better physique than his, which meant he could hurt him a lot if they got in a fight... or even kill him. She shook her head immediately to rule out this possibility and knocked three times on wood to ward off the bad luck.

Without expecting it, het phone started to ring. Marina was so terrified that she threw the device in the air. Fortunately, it fell on the mattress, not suffering any damage. She pulled it to her and stared at the screen - an unknown number? What if it was the odd guy out on the rail? She considered this hypothesis for five seconds, until she thought she was being silly and answered the call.

On the other end, she heard a male voice from someone who seemed to have a severe flu. "Hello? Is this Marina?"

Hesitant, she replied, "Yes, this is me. Who is this?"

After a cough, the male voice said, "Hi. I'm your History teacher. Sorry to bother you, but as you are the class responsible, you're the one I had to call."

Marina didn't quite understand what the professor wanted, so went on, "Huh, how can I help you?"

The teacher coughed hard again and answered, "I have such a cold that I can barely move, so there's no lesson tomorrow. This means that the visit to the archaeological crypt is postponed. Please inform your schoolmates."

Blinking her eyes, while internalizing the information, Marina stammered, "S-sure, sir. Just get some rest. I'll spread the word." It was always like that: when a class that seemed a little better was scheduled, for involving a field trip or something more exciting, things went awry and did not materialize. Still, it wasn't the teacher's fault that he was sick. At least, if she didn't have that class, she could stay longer in bed.

"Can you do me another favor?" continued the professor.

"Yes, sir. Go ahead."

"Would you mind passing by the crypt and ask them to put a paper on the door of this? You probably don't have all your colleagues' contacts, so some of them might not be told and end up going there."

Marina pouted. So much for the opportunity to stay in bed till later. The slope of the castle that gave access to the crypt had a sharp incline and she would take some time to reach it, so she would have to leave at the same time.

A little bothered, she replied, "Al right, Professor. Get better soon. Goodbye."

"Thanks. See you tomorrow," thanked the teacher, finishing their conversation with a cough.

Good news: no class. Bad news: she would not visit the crypt and still had to make the trip there anyway. In any case, she had to tell her classmates what was happening. She started to write the message for her colleagues, but there was a small problem... what colleagues? She just had the numbers of Ana, Joshua and Lucas. On the other hand, Ana had the contacts of almost everyone in the class, so she would be the one forwarding the news to them. Marina wrote a text to her saying, 'The History teacher is sick and the visit has been postponed. Can you send a text warning the class? I don't have anyone else's phone numbers. Thanks! See you tomorrow.' Then she adapted the same text and sent it to Joshua and to Lucas.

Ana responded shortly after, saying she would try to warn as many people as possible. She was also keen to stress out that she was no call center and was extremely upset that the visit had been cancelled. Marina had serious doubts about that, since they both liked to stay in the comfort of the 'kingdom of sheets' till late.

Joshua also responded, by saying 'OK, thanks for warning me. By the way, do you want company to school tomorrow?' Marina thanked him for the offer and explained that would have to wait for a next time, because she still had to deal with other matters that the History teacher asked her. As for Lucas, he said nothing. Perhaps he was upset that she had ignored him throughout the day. Nothing that she didn't deserve, of course.

After setting the alarm clock on her phone, Marina tucked up in bed to watch what was on the TV. Hours later she fell asleep.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Although Marina had awakened several times throughout the night to make sure that everything was fine, she felt more relaxed. She got up, got dressed and went to the kitchen. A punctilious edginess invaded her when she saw the living-room window. Would the spooky man still be at the river's wall? Curious, she walked to the window with uncertain steps and peered in a shy peek. There was nobody on the rail. Man or ghost, he had left her alone, which was a relief.

She had breakfast and went back to the bedroom to get her stuff, including her umbrella. She was sure that it would rain, as indicated by the clouds that insisted on painting the sky in shades of gray and black. Marina just hoped that it wouldn't happen while she went to the crypt or after, on the way to school.

Once in her way, a question crossed her mind: should she take the same route, taking into account she had been chased out from there the previous day? The strange guy wasn't on the rail, but he could have hidden among the trees surrounding the staircase. Two younger girls crossed before her, taking the trail she had doubts about. Responding to her instinct, she stood behind them. She would follow the girls glued to them. That way, even if the man was hiding, he wouldn't dare to harm her. Stupid, she scolded herself. She should have accepted Joshua's offer; she wouldn't say no again. As things were, she shouldn't walk around alone, exposing herself to unimaginable risks.

Her plan worked just fine and she crossed the dreaded area with no problems. Nonetheless, the girls attended the School of Pedro Nunes and not her High School, which meant that, from there on, she would have a long path to walk on her own. Either way, she would march alone to the crypt, since it was a course seldom frequented and only taken by tourists and vendors. Marina started the ascent towards the castle.

At the top of the slope, she headed straight to the crypt to finish her mission. Although the archaeological crypt was located in a corner, she had no trouble finding it. Under a concrete arch, the gateway to the historic space invited to cross it. Marina knocked on the door politely and a lady came in response. Her hair was gray, mottled with white locks, falling straight along her neckline. She was quite thin and dressed in a somewhat formal way.

"Good-morning," saluted the lady.

Marina smiled and answered back, "Good-morning. My name is Marina and I'm here, because teacher Adelino sent me. He's very sick, so the visit to the crypt won't be going ahead."

"What a pity," the woman replied. "I've come early on purpose to be your guide."

"I'm sure he'll set things up for a new visit really soon. I wonder, would it be possible to transmit this information to my colleagues that may come here?"

Nodding, the woman assured, "Of course. There's no problem, I'll tell them."

"Thanks. I'll return to school now."

"Okay. Thanks for letting me know of this. I had no idea what was happening. You teacher must have tried to tell me, but my phone is dead, so he wasn't able. I guess I'll see you soon. Bye then."

Marina said farewell to the woman who went back inside the facilities and pulled the door closed behind her.

She took her phone from her pocket and gazed at the clock on the display. There was still half an hour for Portuguese class, so she could enjoy the landscape for a while. She sat on the stone wall, took a deep breath, held the air in her lungs for a while, and released it. Truth be told, she loved living in that city. She looked to her left and observed the urban part of town, where several houses rose on the north bank, following the river's meander to the old bridge. The south bank surrendered to vegetation and agriculture fields, being the only jarring point the skate park by the river, where she had spent so many happy moments with Lucas the last weekend. Aiming her sight to the front, she focused on the Town Hall. In front of it, was the Pedro Nunes square, and straight ahead, there it was - the fatidic pedestrian bridge. Its traces of white and blue were beautiful; Marina couldn't, however, forget the bad memories of what had happened there. She needed more time before liking that bridge as before. After a sigh, she focused on the area to her right. The houses on the northern bank ended shortly after in a huge chimney that belonged to a former factory.

An icy breeze caressed her back and made her shiver. It seemed like ice cubes had been thrown into her sweater. She adjusted her coat and began to rise: it was time to leave and seek shelter at school before it began to rain. Marina admired the view one last time as she took a deep breath, in an attempt to save that picture a little longer in her memory, and resumed walking toward her destination.

Suddenly, a black figure began to emerge through a mysterious fog behind the old watchtower, until it embodied in full. The air became heavier, almost unacceptable, and it caught Marina's attention. Her stomach began to twitch as if it had been invaded by a million moths, and her sixth sense required all others to be on high alert. She knew that if she turned back, she would devise something she didn't want to see. She tried to resist the urge to do so and made an effort to continue her walking. If she ignored it, maybe it would go away and she would be safe.

"Stop," ordered a cavernous and frightening voice.

"Keep walking. Keep walking. Keep walking," Marina repeated to herself, trying to censure the demanding sentence she had heard. What she didn't hear, didn't exist, therefore couldn't harm her, right?

"I command you to stop," was yelled with a more charged and threatening intonation

Marina didn't stop, although her feet were somewhat lingering to perform any movements. A gust of Arctic wind enveloped in black shadow passed by her and immobilized in front of her, materializing into a man with a dense and impenetrable expression. Watching that embodiment terrorized her to death. Her knees barely sustained her, and her pulse was so fast that she thought she was about to have a stroke. What could she do? How to fight something that she didn't understand and get out of there alive?

The evil man approached his face to hers, until they were separated only by a few inches. He waited for something that escaped Marina's knowledge. At last, the recognition took place: it was him! He was the guy who had chased her the day before and that she had seen sitting on the river's rail after. She didn't understand how she had failed to memorize his features, since she was very good with faces. It was like... No, that was impossible and ridiculous but... His face seemed to change each time she met him, hence the difficulty to remember from where she knew him.

The man let out a guttural sound that Marina learnt to be sinister laughter. By instinct, she put a hand to the bracelet on her wrist and grabbed it firmly in search of safety. The guy followed her gesture and shook his head as if he had just found something obvious, but that he had missed.

His cadaverous voice echoed, "Now I understand why you didn't obey me. You're under the stones' protection. But the thing is nothing can save you from what I've planned for you."

Marina started to back off with steps smaller than a baby's, without ever letting go of the bracelet. She remembered Lucas. If she could just get the phone and call him... He would know what to do and would come to her rescue. However, she had serious doubts that the man - if he was a man at all - would give her enough time to do whatever it was.

The guy snorted in derision. He increased the distance between them and, in clear mockery, stated, "Lucas? You dare to think of him? Better let you know that if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here. He just had to fulfill what he had been ordered, but no... He always has to do things his way."

The girl was startled by those words and felt a growing apprehension. In fear, she questioned, "What are you talking about? And how did you know I was thinking of Lucas?"

"My darling," he scorned, "my nature and capabilities are way beyond you, so it's not worth the effort for that useless human little mind of yours. Besides, what do you see in that miserable? He's nothing but a LOST ONE!"

The man was keen to stress all syllables of the last two words, while perilously moving closer to her in a predatory way. Marina did what the sense of self-preservation dictated her, and continued to back off with short paces. With an expression of disdain, he gazed at her from top to bottom in a displeased assessment. He closed the black coat, so it would stop fluttering at the whim of the stirring wind, and faced her.

"You know, I'm not much of a talker, I simply act. But today I just came here for you to pass a message to your sweetheart: tell him that the time is running out and if he fails to fulfill his mission, I'll do it myself. Missions aside, it would be a pleasure to send you away," and the right corner of his mouth rose, showing how much that would satisfy him. "Ah! Next, I intend to settle accounts with him."

In a theatrical pause, the man walked away, holding his chin with a finger as if thinking of something very important. Turning back to her, he affirmed, "Hmm, if I kill you first, he'll be devastated and will beg me to kill him too. That won't be fun, because I'd be giving him exactly what he wanted. However, if I torture and kill him first, it will be funnier, because he'll be desperate to save you, since he knows that you'll be next on my list. And guess what? You're not going to get rid of me," he shouted and burst out with intimidating laughter that made the air particles retract.

The time for small controlled steps was over. Marina had to get out of there. While the man chuckled, she broke into a fearless and unstoppable run. Her feet seemed to not even touch the ground such was the urgency she had to escape. The man didn't follow her, but Marina could hear his voice crystal clear echoing in her brain, commanding 'Deliver him my message.' Marina was running so fast that she didn't see the cyclist who was climbing the castle hill. She clashed directly with him, in a collision of metal and flesh dragging through the pitch. She sprawled on her butt, while the velocipede was projected from his bike and rolled on the ground. Stunned, she moved in a slow and uncomfortable rhythm. As soon as she remembered what she had just left behind, she stood up in a leap. She wanted to check if everything was fine with the cyclist, but there was no time to waste. She mumbled a scatterbrained apology and resumed her supersonic march.

When she arrived at school, she looked a major wreck: she was all sweaty, her jeans were dirty on one leg and her hair slipped from the pony-tail in misaligned sections. It didn't matter: she had to find Lucas without delay and warn him of the danger. That eerie guy wanted to kill him! The rain began to fall all of a sudden with perseverance. The wind was unrelenting and brought hail with it. Volley? How weird... she thought as she kept running towards the back of the canteen. She had hope of finding Lucas there. However, her expectations fell into the void when she got there and found no one. Where would he be?

She took her phone to call him, when a bright flash ripped the skies. The lightning glow suspended her from the present and made her go back in time. She recalled Lucas there, a few days ago: he was with a man dressed in black and they were arguing. Her mind advanced in the time-line to the narrow staircase on the main street, and she concluded that the guy with whom they had struggled was the same. A new chronological jump was taken to the day Joana pushed her into the river: the figure there was the same man. Probably he would also be the black silhouette she noticed the day she had almost been run over. That was it! How had she been so blind? It even seemed that her reasoning ability had been sent in a rocket into outer space so she would remain in ignorance. She knew now that the supposed friend of Lucas, the doubtful shadow that appeared before an incident, and the man who chased her were the same. His face seemed to change without explanation every time they collided, but she was sure it was always him. That's why she felt that she knew him.

Overwhelmed, Marina pressed the key for speed dial. From the other side responded a woman's voice that said the device was off. An involuntary shudder took over Marina's body, forcing her to sink against the wall. Would the man already have found Lucas and accomplished what he had mentioned? Gulping, she slid to the floor and stayed there until the bell rang. Even so, she didn't want to leave that spot, because Lucas could come over and they would fail to meet one another. She tried to phone him one last time, but it was still off. She rubbed her hands over her face in a botched attempt to pull herself together and went out into the rain.

When she reached the classroom, the late bell was sounding. She opened the door, and found her classmates taking their seats. She cast a furtive glance toward the back of the room and, to her relief, there was Lucas in the seat next to Joshua.

The eyes of both boys widened in astonishment and uneasiness when they saw her. None of them had time to say whatever it was, because the teacher shouted from her desk, "Jesus Christ! What happened to you?"

Marina fell into reality and made a brief self-analysis. She was filthy and dripping water everywhere.

"And your arm... Have you noticed that it's bleeding?" continued the professor.

Following the teacher's indication, Marina's gaze slid down her right arm. It had a trail from where the blood came out, leaking to her palm. The professor continued to stare at her sternly and her colleagues started to whisper among themselves. Embarrassed, Marina said, "Sorry. On the way to school, a cyclist knocked me down. As I was late, I came straight to the classroom instead of taking care of myself."

Across the room, she heard Joana giggling after commenting, "I told you, you are invisible!"

The crowd cackled with her, but the teacher quickly told them to shut up or they would be punished, as she would not tolerate lacks of respect. Turning her attention back to Marina, the pedagogue said, "Just go take care of yourself, okay?"

Ana hastened to ask, "Can I help her so that she hurries faster, ma'am?"

"Sure. Go now and don't take too long, otherwise you'll miss part of the lesson."

Ana walked to Marina and both rushed to leave the room. Marina just wanted to go to the bathroom to arrange herself, but Ana dragged her to the locker to pick up the hygiene material used in Gym classes. Then Ana took her to the girl's locker room for a quick shower. While Marina was hurrying to wash herself, her friend tried to rub the stains from her pants. The sweater was too dirty, so Ana ran to her locker and grabbed a sweater that she used to keep in reserve there. You never knew what could happen in those corridors. When she returned, Marina had already cleaned and dressed herself up and was waiting for the sweater. While she put it on, Ana rubbed a towel on her coat to dry it. As for the trainers, there was nothing to do; they were soaked and Marina would have to wear them like that.

"So, aren't you going to tell me? Were you really hit by a bike?" Ana asked as she concluded her task.

Marina nodded and pulled up the right leg of her jeans to show a bruise forming, with the pattern of a bike's wheel.

"Damn! How did that happen?"

Marina rolled the jeans back down and replied, "I was coming down the castle road and he was going up, and we bumped into each other. It was no big deal. Just let me finish my hair and let's go to the room before the teacher flips out."

After taking care of her hair, both ran to Marina's locker to leave the dirty clothes there. Next, they adopted a hasty step towards the classroom, knocked on the door discreetly and went in. The teacher didn't interrupt the lesson, nonetheless Marina could feel curious gazes resting on her. Joshua and Lucas were two of them. Ana threw herself into the seat and Marina took the place at her side. While she was putting her backpack on the chair, Joshua asked her in a low voice how she was doing, to which she replied by sticking her thumb up and smiling, although it was a fake one. She had to talk to Lucas, but, to her dismay, that was a two-hour class, therefore she would have to wait until lunchtime. She looked at the bracelet on her wrist. It didn't work very well, still it had helped her, as the Goth himself had admitted. She withdrew it from her wrist and closed it tightly in her hand so it would continue to protect her.

Before the bell, the professor indicated them the homework. The students took note, put their things in their backpacks and left the room.

Ana turned to her friend and inquired, "Do you want me to have lunch with you? I don't have a ticket, but I can go with you to the canteen just to keep you company, and then I'll have something to eat in the bar."

Joshua, who meanwhile had settled in front of their table, also offered himself to keep her company. "Ana can meet Dennis as agreed. I don't mind staying here with you."

Marina sighed. They were very good friends and she knew that they cared for her, but the only person she wanted to talk to was Lucas and he had already left. That didn't worry her, since she knew that he would wait in the usual spot.

"That's lovely, but there's no need for that," she said. She turned to Ana and assured, "You can have lunch with Dennis, and Joshua, you can go home. I know that when I arrived I wasn't quite presentable, but that's the result from falling on the dirty wet floor. Seriously, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" asked Ana, arching an eyebrow. She knew she was stubborn.

"Positive," guaranteed Marina. "Besides, if I know you well, you have a lot of plans to think about for tomorrow, so you don't want me around at lunchtime."

Ana giggled about the comment. She thought that Marina didn't remember her own birthday, nonetheless it was clear that she recalled the date and even expected her to set something up. In response to Marina's little provocation, she retorted, "Okay, we'll go then, but under the condition that you have to what we want tomorrow."

"What happens tomorrow anyway?" quizzed Joshua, since he didn't understand the conversation.

"It's Marina's birthday," informed Ana. She explained then that it was kind of a tradition to prepare something that never took place, because Marina never agreed with anything.

"In that case, you and Dennis will have a chaperon, because I want to participate in that plan too. Although I'm still reticent about leaving her here alone," said Joshua.

Marina reassured them that she would be fine alone. In fact, she even needed a bit of silence and peace. She also told them that, after lunch, she would go to the usual table at the lobby, to do homework. When they got there, they would find her at the table. Still reluctant, Joshua and Ana ended up joining Dennis, who was waiting at the gate. Watching them leaving, left Marina a bit concerned: three minds occupied with her birthday... she feared what would result from there. Anyway, that was the only way she had found to be alone and would have to submit to what they'd decide. It could even be good; who knew?

Marina left her stuff in the locker and advanced at a fast pace to the back of the canteen. This time, Lucas was there. His first reaction upon seeing her was to come near her, pull her arm abruptly and push up the sleeve of her jacket to observe her wound. It was just a superficial cut, although it had bled more than expected. Maybe it had been an optical illusion due to the rain: the dried blood had dissolved and mixed with the water, so it seemed to be much more than it was. Marina hurried to pull her arm back and pulled down the sleeve. Despite the wound being just a scratch, now that she wasn't dominated by the adrenaline, she was beginning to have some pain, not only in that arm, but also in the leg and along her right hip.

"Was it really a cyclist who did this to you?" inquired the boy in a neutral tone.

Marina nodded and signaled him to sit down. Though he was suspicious, Lucas obeyed. Marina knelt then in front of him and supported her elbows on his bent knees. She stared at the floor, so that she wouldn't have to face him, and asked, "How well do you know the man I saw you here with once, and with whom you fought later?"

Lucas shuddered upon hearing the question and opened his mouth in amazement, to shut it soon after. His countenance became heavier and took an unreadable expression. He swallowed hard and measured the words before speaking. "He... is not a man. He's very dangerous, so stay away from him."

Marina chuckled tensely. "That's what I wanted, but the problem is he won't stop following me since yesterday."

"What?" Lucas shouted as he stood up in haste, making Marina almost crash on the ground.

When she straightened up and composed herself, she continued, "He's been stalking me since yesterday, even though he has been haunting me for quite a while before that. What matters is that this morning we had a... grotesque conversation."

Lucas was even more agitated. What could they have been talking about? Would he have told her the truth about him and why he was there? He bit his tongue and covered his mouth with one hand to avoid saying something incriminatory.

Marina pushed her fingers onto his shoulders and made him lean against the wall sluggishly, preparing him for the next words. "He gave me a message. He asked me to tell you that time is ending. If you don't complete your mission, he'll do it. And he said that he wants... to get rid of me."

Lucas took her hands off his shoulders and began to saunter furiously back and forth. He complained through incomprehensible phrases, too angry to stay still. "Son of a...! He can't do this," was the only phrase Marina was able to understand. Capturing the image in the corner of his eye, Lucas became conscious that she was holding tight her bracelet. He understood her gesture: she wanted to cling to something that would protect her. It was supposed to be him to protect her, nonetheless he had failed. That monster had come close to her and even dared to send him a message.

But the message wasn't over yet. Tired of seeing him moving from one place to another like a dizzy cockroach, Marina stood in front of him and held his face, forcing him to endure her gaze. With her voice cracking, she told him, "Killing you after me wouldn't be so funny, so he wants to kill you first so that you can't help me later."

It was as if Lucas had been hit by an imaginary bullet that ripped him apart. The tension increased exponentially within him and the fury reserve he kept inside threatened to simmer to the final explosion. So that was his plan: to get rid of him first and then do what he wanted with her.

Marina was still holding his visage, but she was unable to continue facing him. She lowered her eyes in defeat and let go of his face.

Lucas pulled her closer to him and hugged her, trying to comfort her. He whispered in her ear, "Don't worry. He can't harm me more than he already has. It will be okay, you'll see. I will solve everything."

Marina tightened the embrace more. She wanted to believe in him, but she had no idea of what he could do to fix things. That man... that thing that was following her was supernatural and had powers that could kill her, and she only had a bracelet to protect herself. And Lucas, her spirit recalled her. He was her real weapon. If he died, she was at the mercy of her enemy. But what enemy was that?

Before Marina could verbalize any questions, Lucas pulled away from her in a slow and gentle movement and noted, "Yesterday you didn't have lunch. It cannot happen again today."

That said, he took her hand and led her to the canteen entrance. Marina was waiting for him to go in too, but he didn't. "I have no lunch ticket," he justified. "Don't worry. Go in and eat. I'll be on the other side of the window looking out for you, I promise. Once you finish, you can come to me."

Marina had no more strength to argue. Why oppose him? Her fingers loosened up to break free of his and she went into the canteen. She delivered the ticked to an employee, took a tray and began to collect the food. _Lunch was mashed potatoes with braised pork cheeks. Besides not being a dish appreciated, the lack of appetite pushed her towards the outside instead of the tables. Even so, she sat by the nearest window and ate unhurriedly._

Minutes later, she left the refectory and met Lucas soon. He was smiling, waiting for her. They held hands and he guided her back to the rear of the canteen to what was becoming 'their place'. Lucas leaned back on the wall and Marina sat between his legs, supporting her head on his chest. They said nothing for a long while. Although Marina had a million questions, she just played with his hand while lost in a realm of infinite possibilities.

As noting an unquestionable truth, she blurted out, "Lucas, you know that the siege is tightening and soon you'll have to tell me all about you, don't you?"

Lucas moaned through a painful sigh. "Yes, I know. I wish I didn't have to. I'd give anything just to be myself, with nothing else involved, and to simply be with you without the sky threatening to fall on Earth..."

Lucas sounded quite disconsolate, which made her hesitate. She wanted to know everything about him, but whenever she surfaced the subject, Lucas recoiled. She knew he'd be bitter; as she didn't want to sadden him more, she postponed the conversation, kissed his hand and curled up in him.

They stayed that way until five minutes before the bell for exit. Marina got up then and explained to Lucas that she had agreed to meet Ana and Joshua in the lobby, so she had to go. He let her rise, but remained on the same site seeming to have no intention of following her.

"Are you coming to classes?" queried Marina, curving her eyebrows.

Lucas's face was stern and he appeared to question himself as what he should do next. In the end, he acquiesced and added, "I have to stick around to protect you. I've had more than enough proof that I must stay close to you."

Marina bent down, kissed him in the face and blushed. She soon admonished herself: how could she think of relationships and kissing when her life and Lucas' were at risk? It was no time to think of anything else. She shook her head and went on her way.

She arrived at the lobby at the moment Ana, Joshua and Dennis were entering. She joined them and they sat at the entrance benches. Once settled, Ana presented Marina with a thousand ideas on what they could do for her birthday. None deserve her sympathy, since she considered many of them crazy. Joshua kept himself apart, while raising his arms in a surrendering way, claiming he had nothing to do with that. One minute before the bell, the possibility number nineteen won - they would watch a DVD and have dinner. But where? Marina's house was small and Ana lived in the suburbs.

Joshua coughed and said, "It can be at our place. We leave school at 5.30, go home and order some pizza. We watch the DVD, have dinner, sing you 'happy birthday' and then each one goes back to his life since we have classes the next day. What do you think?"

Marina thought about it. She had to recognize that the idea wasn't bad at all. It was something intimate, simple, and wouldn't end late. Still, she had a condition, "Okay, but only if the film is not the same sort as the one we watched on Sunday. Sorry, Dennis, but that isn't my style."

Dennis shrugged. It was her birthday, thus she could pick the movie. If it was too soppy, he could always entertain himself with Ana, who had some very interesting games.

Out of the blue, Lucas showed up behind Marina, and said loud and clear, "Movie and dinner? Hmm, sounds good. Save me a place at your side, honey." He gave her a resounding kiss on the cheek and left, laughing without a taint of shame. Marina was mortified and redder than the sweater she was wearing.

Ana was the first to break the awkward silence by commenting that she had never seen Lucas in the lobby. Joshua remained silent. In Marina's opinion, he was irritated, as he had clenched his fists behind his back. She dared not look at him, on pain of being rammed by his pressing anger. Lucas hadn't acted correctly; he knew Joshua had feelings for her and intended to hurt him on purpose. Joshua was too important; she didn't want to see him down. Ignoring the fear of his rage, she approached him and put his left arm over her shoulders, which made him goggle his eyes in surprise.

They started to walk toward the classroom. Pretending to be upset, Marina complained, "Honestly, Joshua, I'm disappointed at you. So you went to have lunch with Ana and you didn't take those silly ideas out of her head? Do you know how long she's been trying to make me buy one of those ridiculous options?"

Joshua's irritation faded somewhat, although he remained troubled.

They entered the classroom. Finding Lucas already sat in place, Joshua showed a triumphant smile that erased the one he boasted. He only pulled his arm back only when they arrived at her table.

After sitting at the desk behind hers, Joshua commented in a wry way, "Pizza for four tomorrow, right Marina?"

The girl quivered with indignation. Lucas had acted wrong and Joshua was retaliating by paying him in the same kind. Who the hell did they think she was: a prize to be won using any and all means necessary? They better not dare think about it. Annoyed, she turned back and applied a mighty pinch on Joshua's arm. He complained of the pain, while Lucas turned his face in another direction so she couldn't see his smirk.

Marina then replied to Joshua, with a somewhat cynical tone, "Yes, Joshua. The pizza is ONLY for four, namely me, you, your brother and Ana - nobody else."

Ana arrived meanwhile and found Joshua scratching his arm. Whispering, she asked Marina what was happening. The girl groaned loud and clear, "I hate power displays. Geez!"

No explanations were necessary. After Lucas stunt, Ana figured that Joshua had done the same to prove him that, if he thought that he had conquered Marina for good, he was wrong. However, she knew who would win such dispute.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Marina grumbled while walking to the room where she would have the workshop. Gosh, she hated drawing! Neither had been able to sketch a simple rubber as the teacher had asked her last lesson... When she reached the room, she found Joshua at next door, waiting for the teacher and much more excited than her. It was normal; he was in the workshop he had signed up for. As for her... With bright eyes, Joshua approached her and asked her what movie she would like to watch at her birthday party. Marina thought for a moment, but had no idea.

"Simplifying things, what kind of movies do you like?"

That was the simple question? She liked various kinds of films, from comedy and romance, to action and terror. 'The Color Purple' was one of her favorites and she didn't even know in which genre it fitted in. She decided to enumerate her favorite movies, "I like 'The Color Purple,' 'The Matrix,' 'Twilight' and 'The Grudge.' I can't be more specific than this, because I actually enjoy a bit of everything."

Joshua reflected a little. Basically, what mattered to her was the plot and story told, not the genre. Thus, there was only one thing left to do: he would provide her a list of all the DVDs he had at home, so that she would choose one. If she wanted to, they could pick one the four of them liked, to meet everyone's tastes.

The teachers of Painting and Design got to the classrooms at the same time, followed by Lucas. Joshua could see him, but Marina couldn't, since she had her back turned to him.

Knowing that the rival could hear them, Joshua asked her, "So, we go down town together afterwards?"

"Yeah, it sounds good."

Lucas heard everything as Joshua assumed, nevertheless he didn't even look at them and entered in the classroom right away.

"We meet at the gate after the workshop," proposed Joshua.

"Whoever comes out first, wait for the other," the girl wrapped. With that, she went into the room and took her place.

After checking who was absent, the professor asked the students to go pick their projects to continue working on them. Lucas went to get his. He crossed with Marina in the way, but avoided any eye contact, which surprised and irritated her at the same time. She had prevented Joshua from being angry at her and now Lucas was grumpy. Great. Somebody give me some little bags filled with patience, urgent, please, she grunted inside.

Back in her seat, she stared at her paper and put out her tongue. That was a very odd drawing that didn't look anything like the object it was supposed to represent. Marina took the rubber and deleted some lines. Then she put the rubber in front of her eyes and tried to redraw the extinguished lines. At least they seemed straighter after her new trying. Later, she got up to get the crayons and painted the sketch. The rubber was white, so there wasn't much to color there. On the other hand, the paper that involved it had a very sophisticated logo, hence she lingered a little longer to paint it. With everything painted, she put the crayons back in place.

While returning to her seat, she observed Lucas: seated on a bench, he held a palette firmly in one hand. In the other, he had a brush that slid across the canvas with sturdiness. Marina was curious to see how his painting had advanced since last class, so she approached him. She stared at the canvas: it didn't seem to have many things added, but they hadn't been there for long and he had been mixing the paint, while she had just gone for the ill-fated drawing that stubbornly refused to look like the pictured item. Some light strokes suggested that next he would draw a face on a large scale. For the moment, he seemed to be focused on the base of the frame, which he was painting in shades of red-earth. Marina pulled a seat and sat right beside him. Lucas lost concentration for an instant, but quickly sought to focus back on his painting.

She sighed when she noted he wasn't speaking to her and decided to ask, "Are you mad at me?"

Lucas frowned. He gave a few more strokes and he replied with another question, "Were you upset that I kissed you in front of your friends?"

Marina bit her lip. It hadn't exactly been a romantic kiss. He had just applied a peck on her cheek, it was no big deal. The crucial factor relied on who was one of those friends and the real intention of Lucas with that act.

After some brief consideration, she explained, "Upset? No. Sad? Yes. You know perfectly well that Joshua has feelings for me, and you didn't hesitate in being mischievous and making him suffer."

"Never mind. It seems that I even helped him. When he entered the room after that, he was in a very good mood and didn't bother to hide it," retorted Lucas amidst a smirk.

"And you saw the reward he got," completed the girl.

Lucas thought for a while. Assessing things well, he had had luckier than Joshua, because while his opponent had taken a pinch, he had taken no physical punishment as a reprimand for his actions. Still, he wondered about why she gave such corrective. After some minutes in silence, he ventured to quiz, "Why did you pinch him?"

"Because he's not allowed to harm you either. I won't be a weapon in the middle of a war in which I don't want to participate. I'll always do what I can to prevent one from hurting another."

Lucas' countenance got heavier. What she had just said meant she cared enough about the feelings of both of them. Maybe she was divided between them.

Marina sighed and cut his thoughts by saying, "Lucas, I don't wanna cause grief. Just want you to be happy."

"But you know that, eventually, you'll end up hurting one of us...".

Marina closed her eyes and massaged her temples. She didn't feel like returning to the mood of the day before, when she felt guilty to the bone by having two guys interested in her and not knowing which one to choose. Although she had stronger feelings for one of them, she wasn't willing to hurt the other. She'd do whatever necessary to prevent anyone from feeling miserable.

In an attempt to change subject, she opened her eyelids and approached the painting to try to decipher what it would become. Lucas studied her carefully. She seemed quite interested in the future of his art work. In an impulse, and taking advantage of the fact that her bench had wheels, Lucas backed his and made Marina's slide to his front, adjusting it between his legs. He put a palette in her hand and the brush in the other. Then, with his hand on hers, he passed the brush through the red tones of the paint glowing on the palette, and led her across the canvas. Marina approached her face to the painting to see better what Lucas wanted her to paint and she analyzed the appearance it took after her inaccurate strokes.

"See how easy it is? You just have to let the romance between the brush and the canvas happen."

Marina listened to him with attention. She couldn't help but thinking that the metaphor might apply to them: he was the brush and she was the canvas – they just had to let things flow between them.

It was nice to be led by him and she felt her interest in painting awakening as she gave the finishing touches. It was then that the teacher got close to them and cleared her throat until both looked up and noticed her. "Marina, return to your place," she ordered. "You might be enjoying painting, but the pose you're in is too... suggestive. Let's go now. Show me what you did so far."

Marina felt her face burning as if she was in front of a very hot bonfire, while Lucas giggled and hid his face amid her hair. She returned to her desk, picked up her drawing and showed it to the teacher, who put on a look of aversion when she saw it. What's new? She had already told her she couldn't draw.

"It's better than the one you delivered last class, no doubt. Go get another sheet and try to draw your pencil case now."

Obedient, Marina went to get a new piece of paper as requested. A student called the professor and she hurried to go to him, to the girl's relief. She looked at Lucas and he winked his eye, while he showed a mischievous and insinuating smile, full of sensual compromises not vain at all. She hid her face in between her hands. The shame! The teacher had hinted that they were sitting in a pose too lewd. That had not occurred to her. She was just painting under Lucas' instructions; there were no ulterior hidden motives. She took her seat and focused on her task.

After the bell, the teacher collected the sheets and the canvas. While Marina stuffed her material in the backpack, Lucas approached her. "You're going down town with Joshua," he noted.

"Yes," confirmed Marina, "Since he offered to keep me company, I thought it was better to accept it to prevent me from having encounters of the third kind as we know. But we go together only to the City Hall, then we follow opposite paths"

"You're right. See you after the City Hall."

"Really?" Marina questioned with a sincere smile dancing on her lips.

Lucas returned her the smile, nodded and left the room.

He would escort her home? That was very unusual, even because, when classes ended, he disappeared to nowhere. That availability could only mean that he was taking serious concern to the injunction that had been made. Should she rejoice for his commitment or fear the seriousness of that threat? Joshua peeked at the door and called her. Marina came down to Earth and signaled him to wait a little while she grabbed the rucksack.

After crossing the school gate, the conversation returned to the movie they would watch the next day and the kind of pizza they preferred. Marina liked bacon and creams, while Joshua liked pizzas involving more exotic blends, like peeled shrimp, pineapple and crab sticks. Argh! She hated pineapple in the food.

As they approached the point at which each their ways would part, Joshua queried her a little embarrassed, "Would you like to invite Lucas to the party?"

Marina was petrified by the proposition. She hurried to say, "God, no! You two, together in the same place? I have enough torture in class. I appreciate your kindness, but no. Let's stick to the four of us. I mean, the house is yours. You can invite other people if you want."

Joshua shook his head indicating that he wouldn't invite anyone else.

Marina wondered what kind of question was that. Would he be testing her feelings for Lucas? If he thought that she would say yes, he was wrong. It was her birthday. She wanted to have fun and not to spend the night refereeing peacocks' battles. Before bidding farewell to Joshua, she inquired, "Do we go to school tomorrow together?"

"Sure! I'll stop by your home, right?"

Marina assented. The truth was she had learnt her lesson: she wouldn't walk alone in the near future, unless the bloody ghost went away for good. She said goodbye to Joshua and went home.

After passing City Hall, Lucas jumped behind the building and shouted at her "Boo!"

Marina let out a shriek and took a step back defensively. Lucas chuckled. Annoyed, she gave him a little punch in the shoulder by way of displeasure, but he hastened to embrace her and applied a kiss on her forehead among a thousand smiles. The gesture calmed her and she even laughed a little. Nevertheless, the nervousness didn't take long to return as soon as Lucas held her hand. What if someone saw her and would tell her mother? She didn't want to have more conversations with her about boys. She shook her head from side to side; it didn't matter. He was keeping her company on the way home for the first time, and she was going to seize the moment without worrying about anything else.

They walked down the main street in silence and with no hurry. As she didn't live too far, in less than ten minutes they were outside her door. Lucas let go of her hand, while Marina, impatient, passed her fingers by a lock of hair that escaped her pony-tail.

She bit her lower lip and asked him in an insecure intonation, "Do you want to come in?"

Lucas smiled with mischievousness. It was good to see him smiling. When she first knew him, he was a scowling guy, always angry. Lately, however, whenever they were together, he allowed himself to throw off his camouflage and smile. What touched her most was the fact that she felt he enjoyed doing so, as if it was something he didn't do long ago and had just rediscovered. Seeing him joyful made her happy.

In response to her question, Lucas replied, "Thanks, but I have a mission to accomplish. In fact, if you go in now and check out the window, you'll see me. I'm on guard, sat on the wall in front of your house. If you need anything, just give me a sign and I'll come in no time."

Marina nodded and started to unlock the entrance, while Lucas stepped away at the rhythm of her gestures. Marina put one foot on the step and Lucas began to disappear into the arcade. Both ran unleashed. When Marina got to the living room window, Lucas was already on the rail. How could he have done that? The distance he had to go was bigger than hers. He could have run very fast... or it was something related to his extraordinary abilities beyond the normal. She wondered who he could actually be and what other things could he do. She knew that he healed quite fast, ran hard and could be invisible to other people in crucial moments. Would he be able to turn into the same kind of black fog like the Gothic guy? Hmm, that seemed too much. Lucas... what truth did he hide?

Her mother arrived moments later. Without even greeting her, she flopped down on the couch with an arm over her eyes and moaned. Marina was intrigued about what could be going on with her to not pronounce a mere 'hello'.

"Mom, is everything okay?"

"I have a terrible migraine. Can you go to the first aid kit and bring me a pill, one of those I usually take when I'm like this?"

Marina hastened to get her a pill and a glass of water. Her mother was not well. She knew that, sometimes, she had terrible headaches that could last for days, and they caused her a pain quite intense. Those days, mom came home, took a pill or two and stayed in bed, hoping that sleeping would keep the pain away.

Before going into the bedroom, mom told her that she wouldn't have dinner, as she just was ready to go to bed. Marina was worried, but the only thing she could do was to walk on tiptoe and avoid making noise. When mom shut the bedroom door, Marina retreated to the living room window and peered out. There was Lucas on the same spot, watching over her. She waved to him and walked slow and very carefully to her room, not to disturb her mother.

Picking up her rucksack, Marina sat at the desk to do her homework. She started with Geography and next she moved to the Portuguese ones. There were only three questions to be answered, still she lingered on this work, since the excerpt from the 'Sermon of Saint Anthony to Fishes' was too long.

When she was putting the diaries and books back in the rucksack, she recalled Lucas. Would he still be on the wall? She tiptoed out of her chambers and went to the living room window. It was dusk and the wind was blowing stronger. The sky, pitch dark, showed that the rain that had fallen during the day was nothing compared to what was yet to come. Marina feared for Lucas and secretly wished that, once it began to rain, he would abandon his post and take refuge at home. However, there he was, on the same site as promised. Another thought occurred to her: if he was there, he wouldn't have time to do his homework. He could not be harmed at school because of her. In wool feet, she returned to her desk, tore a sheet from a notebook and copied her answers.

Staring at the clock on the bedside table, Marina was amazed at how long she had taken to do everything. It was dinner time, so she walked into the kitchen, pulled a package of meat pie from the refrigerator, poured it in a dish and put it in the microwave to heat it. She heard her mother moaning and in vain to the microwave to hurry up.

The pie was tasty and she felt good eating it, since she was very hungry. A few moments later, she was done and ready to get back to her room. Before doing so, she passed by the window and made sure that Lucas was at the same place. Sensing her presence, he lifted his eyes up from the floor and looked at her with a smile, indicating that everything was fine. She was concerned. There he was, in the same spot for several hours and hadn't even left to go eat something. Besides being cold, he should be starving. Marina thought about going to him, but decided not to. Maybe he would have enough and would go home, for his own sake. She ran the curtain and left. As she had nothing else to do, she tucked up in bed and began to check the TV channels in search of something that pleased her. She ended up watching another episode of 'The Simpsons'.

Hours later, a dripping sound caught her attention. She lowered the TV sound, listened with more attention and realized that it was raining. Maybe now Lucas would go home. She liked having him around, but his well-being was the main priority. The sound intensified; it seemed that was a great downpour. Marina got up from her bed and began walking from one side to another. The rumble of thunders contributed greatly to her increasing concern. Finally, she returned to the living room. Ran the curtains and looked outside. To her astonishment, Lucas hadn't moved a single inch from his place. Would he be nuts? The strange man said that he would come after him first. Would that be a scheme to squelch his plans, kind of, if he got sick and died, he wouldn't suffer at the hands of the monster? It made no sense. Suddenly, she made up her mind: she was going to deal with him with no further ado.

To avoid making too much noise, Marina filled the electric kettle and switched it on to heat water for a chamomile tea. Next, she put two slices of bread in the toaster. Pulled out a tray from the closet and covered it with two mugs, spoons, packages of sugar and napkins. When the tea was ready, she poured it into the cups. Then covered the toasts with butter and put them on the board. With everything ready, she returned to her bedroom and put the tray on the desk. After opening the closet, she pulled out a heater: it was cold and Lucas, in the rain, would be freezing. She turned it on to start heating up the place and went to the bathroom to fetch a towel for him to dry himself. With her hands on her hips, she took a last look in the bedroom to check if the place was presentable and ready to receive visitors. She concluded that it was.

Back in the living room, Marina leaned over the window ledge. It was raining cats and dogs, a real storm, with the sky often pierced by scary lightning that lit up the dark night. She waited for Lucas to look in her direction. When he did it, she waved to him to come to her. However, he soon understood nothing was happening and she was only concerned about him. To assure her, he picked up his phone, wrote a text and signaled her to read it. Marina read, 'Don't worry, I'm fine'. That was impossible! How could he think that she wouldn't be troubled? She bit her lip in frustration. How stubborn! She had to take some drastic measures. Fast as a gazelle, Marina ran to her chambers, put on her blue flip-flops, went to the front door and went out. If Mohammed doesn't come to the mountain, the mountain goes to Mohammed, she thought.

The precipitation soaked her right away. She took refuge under the arcade, wiped her face with the back of her hand and stepped down. Next, she ran to the road. Once he saw her, Lucas jumped from the wall, dancing energetically on the plants of his feet, and sprinted towards her.

"What are you doing out here?" he demanded brusquely.

Marina answered back in the same tone, "I came for you. You're much more stubborn than a mule!"

"But I'm fine. Go back inside. You're getting soaked."

"No," she refused. "I go back only if you come with me. If you stay, I'll stay. It's quite simple."

Lucas rolled his eyes to the drama. That wasn't a scene like the one from the 'Titanic'. He gasped, grabbed her wrist and dragged her by force under the arcade. Marina protested, but eventually let herself go when she noticed they would climb the stairs towards her building. Lucas led her to the entrance and signaled her to get in. However, she shook her head, refusing to do so.

"I already told you no! I'll only go in if you do too," reaffirmed Marina.

Raising his voice a little bit, the boy said, "Are you crazy? You'll end up getting a cold."

"So what? If I have a flu, we both do, since we're both out here."

Almost losing patience, Lucas clutched her elbows and pulled her to him to scold her and make her understand that she was wrong. He looked into her eyes with a fierce expression. In that gesture, he betrayed himself: it was no longer the storm outside that roared, but the one looming within him. He could hear every single drop of water sliding her skin with such intensity that he could almost feel them on his. He followed closely the drop's route, down her body, in a wet caress. The wind was like a cold kiss on her epidermis, making her shiver, while it played with her hair. Her white pajama was so wet that they became transparent and Lucas could see her lingerie. The desire that invaded him was growing faster than the storm itself and made him lose his breath.

Marina didn't remain indifferent. She was very close to Lucas, so close that she could feel his panting breath crossing his mouth. Her body trembled, but not of cold: it was as if a force impelled her to come even nearer him and to claim what was hers. The atmosphere between them seemed populated by electrifying sparks. The hours, minutes and seconds seemed to be suspended at that unreal moment, so that nothing could intrude between them.

Her lips approached his dangerously. Lucas dropped her elbows all of a sudden and receded a step, breaking eye contact. Marina didn't understand what was happening, but didn't have time to think about it since he rushed into the house and signaled her to come in too. At least she had won that battle.

When Marina crossed the entry, she took the situation's reins. She dragged Lucas into her bedroom and locked the door to stop her mother from entering her chambers and catching them together. What would she say if she knew that a boy was in her room? Yikes! Surely she would have to hear the same sermon for a whole month. A blast of hot air gave them a warm welcome without delay. Great, the heater was working.

"I have to go, Marina," almost begged Lucas.

Before he could add something more, Marina took off his coat, catching him by surprise. She dried it with a towel and put it in the back of the desk chair so it would finish drying by itself. She put the towel on the bed and rolled over herself to get closer to Lucas. Her gaze met his. She gulped while trying to tame her uncontrolled breathing. With trembling fingers, she took his shirt and stripped it off with a slow deliberated gesture. Part of him wanted to resist, but he relented and let himself go with the moment.

The vision of his abdomen made her shudder... with horror. Over his well-worked abdominals were several reddish and brown lines that proved that he had been much mistreated. Upset, Marina bit the inside of her cheek and moved around him, sliding her fingers kindly from his belly to his back, which also exhibited severe marks of violence against that temple. Who could have done that? Why had he been hurt so bad? Marina returned to the starting point, but could not face him.

Lucas sighed of nervousness and hesitation, and ended expressing with sorrow, "I deserved all of them."

How could he say that he deserved to have been so mistreated? Only a callous monster could have done that to him. Marina shook her head rejecting his claim. She made her fingers cross the abdomen scars, going up his chest until they reached the boy's neck, to which they clung. Marina took his right hand and placed it on the small of her back, uniting their bodies. She took her other arm to his neck as well and intertwined her hands around it; she would not let him hesitate again. She approached him little by little, until her lips touched his lightly. Lucas vacillated, but she didn't allow him to pull out an inch. In an impetus, she slid her lips on his and kissed him. First, it was just a small pressure, but then it turned into a deep kiss, in which she could have sworn that their souls had touched each other. It was as if her body was a sheet of paper and his was a vivid flame. Marina felt burning in an unrestrained fire. As if printed with hot iron inside of her, she knew that she would not give up on him: she had just handed over her heart and soul of free will to him.

Lucas slithered his free arm to her back, completely subjugated. They stayed there, kissing, as if nothing else mattered. The world could to be falling apart outside, yet it was a pittance compared with that fantastic moment. They were wrapped in an impenetrable magic glass case that isolated them from all trivial things.

At last their mouths parted, but they didn't move away from each other. Lucas gave her a tender peck on her forehead and hugged her tightly. Marina responded by doing the same.

The clock on the night stand emitted a little 'beep' that made Marina move. She fended a little from him and said, "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked, furring his brows.

"For the best birthday gift of my entire life."

Lucas looked at the watch and realized it was midnight. It was officially October 1st, her birthday. Lucas smiled, grabbed her chin and repeated the kiss. This time, he didn't hesitate nor turn away at the last second. He had surrendered to her after a long wait and didn't intend to go back.

The amazing sensation of before travelled Marina's body once more, certifying the infallibility that she was doing what she was meant to do.

After one last kiss, Lucas pulled the towel that was on the bed and placed it over her shoulders. Marina returned it to him and complained through a laugh, "Hey, this one is for you! For me, I have another solution."

That said, she went to the dresser and pulled out a sleeveless summer nightgown, very low-necked and almost transparent. It was a dared bet, but it portrayed accurately what was going on within her. With her back turned to him, she began to undress with no hint of rush, giving him the opportunity to observe carefully the clothes sliding along her body. He wished that touch was applied by his hands instead. It was his turn to nibble his lower lip to restrain himself.

Wearing only lingerie, Marina turned to Lucas and walked at a snail's pace toward him. She stopped only when their bodies touched, allowing her to feel his skin on hers like iced velvet. She was tempted to kiss him again. She snagged the towel he was holding and threw it on the floor. Leaned her head to his chest, walked her fingers over his body in a warm gesture and brought them down to the belt holding his pants.

"No", Lucas instantly told, moving his hands to the accessory to prevent her from taking it away.

"Really? For someone so cheeky and full of promises, I must say that you seem a little intimidated," joked Marina while she dampened her lips with her tongue.

Wavering, Lucas whispered, "Marina, do not tease me. Otherwise you take the risk of making me prove to you how serious I was every time I said less proper things. Please, let me go easy on you."

"Do you trust me?"

Lucas looked at her with doubt grazing his mind. He didn't want things to go any further, but if she continued to act like that... he wasn't made of steel! He didn't know how far could he go or if he would be able to control himself. She requested him with her eyes to let her continue. Reticent, he nodded and pulled his hand away from the buckle.

Skillfully, Marina unfastened his belt and moved to the buttons. As soon as she got them loose, she slid the jeans down his legs to the ground. Lucas was wearing some black Lycra boxers, very tight, and they fitted perfectly to the contours of his body. She avoided thinking about that.

After taking off his sneakers and socks, Marina bent down to pick up the towel. She opened it and slid it over his body, till there were no traces of water. Next she passed the towel on her body too and put on the nightgown, which made Lucas sigh with relief. She threw the towel aside and asked Lucas to sit on the bed.

"Are you sure? Your mother may come in here and she'll get upset."

Marina nodded with such safety that he ended up sitting next to a pillow. As he leaned back, the girl grabbed his t-shirt and pants and placed them on the desk so they would receive some warmth from the heater and dry. Then she took the tray that she had prepared and placed it in the bed between them.

"What is this?" Lucas asked, curious.

"Did you think I wasn't going to take care of you? You spent the whole time outside in the cold and didn't even slip away for a few minutes to eat. The toast will kill your hunger. And since the tea is hot, it will help you to warm up."

Lucas examined the tray. There was no problem in eating, but he hadn't done it for a long time, although Marina didn't even imagine that. Still, she was taking care of him and that felt good - it was nice to have someone who cared about his comfort. He took a piece of toast and took a bite. To encourage him to continue, she did the same and soon they finished the night snack.

After leaving the board on the desk, Marina turned off the heater, since the room was warm enough and his clothes would dry for sure. To Lucas amazement and distress, she slipped into bed and covered them up to the waist with a sheet and a blanket.

"Lie down," requested Marina.

"But... What about your mother?" insisted Lucas.

"My mom is sleeping, and when she leaves in the morning, she never comes to my bedroom. Don't worry. Furthermore, and if this rests you more, I locked the door. Tonight you stay with me."

Lucas shook his head by way of protestation. "No, this is unwise. I cannot stay here. I have to protect you."

"And what better way to protect me than to stay beside me?"

She was right about that and he himself had uttered that statement before. She stared at her long enough to make sure that this was what she wanted, and reclined in a horizontal position. With the boy lying down, Marina extended lengthwise on bed. She leaned on her right elbow and made her fingers drum around the scars on his chest once again. Lucas winced, but she was keen to put him at ease.

"Don't worry about these details. You're simply and wonderfully perfect."

Lucas seemed a little aghast upon hearing those words, which didn't go unnoticed by her. Yet, he hadn't much time for sorrow, because Marina soon approached and kissed him effusively. Next, she snuggled into his chest with a big smile on her face and prepared to spend the night like that, clinging to him. She didn't turn off the light, because she wanted to see him whenever she woke up.

The boy accommodated to the idea that he would have to stay there and settled better. In an unconscious act, he put a hand on her back precisely on the spot he had touched her when he pushed her away from the car. His touch, although cold, still almost burned her. The unexpected happened: Marina's eyes widened and, without expecting it, memories of when she had fallen into the river and of when she was almost run over paraded before her. It was as if she had left her own body and was now a mere spectator of those dramatic scenes. She could clearly see everything that was happening from a privileged position. Lucas was there, as she always had affirmed. If there was any doubt, it had just blurred. He was her knight, who did everything to defend her, and there was the proof of that.

Becoming aware of her shudder to his touch, Lucas withdrew his hand right away. However, Marina pulled it, kissed it and deposited it again at her back, reassuring him. She curled up on him even more and commented, "I always knew you had been there for me."

Lucas' countenance got a little heavier when he realized what had happened. He didn't understand how it was possible for that to occur. As Marina glimpsed the fateful episodes, he also had recalled fragments of both. They had already touched so many times and that had never taken place... Could it be due to the fact that he had pressed the point where his palm had been printed in almost a burn? Maybe. There were still many things he didn't understand about himself. What amazed him most was her reaction: he had thought that, when she got that confirmation, she would stress that she had always been right, but no. She had just told him a single statement that summed it all up and it even brushed a compliment.

Marina kissed his naked chest covered with marks and shut her eyes. Something assured her that she would sleep very well. The day was just beginning and it was already the best birthday ever.

Lucas crossed his left arm under his head and closed his eyes too, lowering his guard temporarily. She trusted him, he didn't want to fail or disappoint her. What threatened them probably would return only after her anniversary, when the time ran out to fulfill the mission he had been assigned. It didn't matter what happened to him. He had to ensure in every way that Marina would be fine \- she was above everything, including himself. It felt so good to be with her! He sighed and felt the restlessness multiplying within him. What would she do when she found out the truth about him and the reasons that had brought him there? How could he explain that everything had changed when they met? More important, how would he make her believe in him and the veracity of his feelings? It was approaching the day when all the revelations would be made and he had to prepare himself for it. It didn't matter. At least at that moment she was his, and he had her in his arms. He wouldn't dare to ask for anything more.Ouvir

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Marina woke up to the sound of her phone's alarm clock. The light on the bedside table was still on, which forced her to blink several times to adapt to luminosity. She reached her phone and pressed a random key to silence it. She started turning in bed, but stopped all of a sudden, hit by the memory that Lucas had spent the night with her. She widened her eyes, turned in bed and found out that she was alone. On his pillow was a red rose, and this time it had a card. She picked it up and read, 'Thanks for the best night ever. Oh! And Happy Birthday, my sweet light.' She smelled the rose and rolled in happiness on the mattress. It hadn't been a dream; he had in truth spent the night there. It was strange that he had managed to leave without waking her up, but she didn't want to know how he had done that.

Marina jumped from 'warmness valley' with energy and tuned the radio to her favorite station. At the fast pace of the melody that was on, she dressed a long sweater similar to a dress, around which she would wear a big belt. Her black leather jacket, some black leggings and black boots completed the set. She also put on some long ethnic earrings, and held her hair in a braid falling sideways over her shoulder. Then she worked hard on make-up and put on a bit of perfume. After placing the rose with the others, she went to the kitchen for breakfast.

As she ate, she remembered that she hadn't told her mother that she wouldn't dine at home. She jumped off from the chair, took a notepad from the closet and wrote a note: "Mom, don't worry about dinner. I'll eat at Joshua's place. He, his brother and Ana are going to throw me a birthday party. Get well! Kisses.' When her mother went home for lunch, she would see the message. Even if she got upset and told her that she couldn't go, it was fine – she had already won the day with Lucas' gift.

She grabbed her things, rushed to the entrance and opened the door at the precise second Joshua was about to ring the bell. Seeing her, the boy backed up and his mouth formed a silent 'wow' that he hoped she wouldn't notice. Joshua was so impressed with her looks that he even forgot to greet her.

"Good-morning to you too, Joshua," she said playfully.

The boy shook his head to force his voice to return, apologized and added, "Congratulations! This is so your day: you look... dazzling. I'm speechless!"

Marina staged a parade and spun herself while laughing, allowing herself to feel a little vain. She was in a very good mood and would do her best to keep it that way. Who knew if that was going to be the best birthday ever?

"You're re very happy today," noted Joshua when they started heading to school.

"Let's just say that I had a well spent night. And I won't make any further comments."

Joshua found that statement a little strange, but decided to ignore it with wisdom. Maybe she had some pleasant dream last night. He hoped that it included him.

On their way to school, Joshua enumerated the DVDs he had at home. At the end of the conversation, there were only four options to consider: two comedies and two horror movies. If by the end of the day she was still happy, she would bet on a comedy. However, if things didn't go as she wanted, she would rather watch a horror film – it always had a great cathartic effect.

When they got to school, Marina was received with whistles and shouts from Ana. Luckily, there wasn't a lot of people in the lobby, otherwise she would be extremely embarrassed by her friend's exaggerated compliments.

"Uh-la-la, baby! Today you're ready to seduce," said Ana through a cheeky wink.

"Ana, a little less, please..." demanded Marina, so that she would slow down.

Ana smirked and retorted, "Less? No way! Besides, and before I forget, happy birthday!"

"Thanks. Uh, I don't want to seem ungrateful or displeased, but isn't this the day that your French Translation teacher is not coming? Don't you get in at 9.30?" asked Marina, finding it odd to see Ana there at that time. In fact, both Ana and Joshua got in at 9.30. How stupid! She had asked the boy to meet her in the morning and he had said yes, but was forced to get up earlier on purpose for that. She had to remember the time difference inside the classroom next time.

Answering her questions, Ana enlightened, "Yes, she's missing, but the Informatics teacher asked us to do research in pairs on the Pascal program, and we're going to do it now. I can't concentrate at Joshua's home, because Dennis spends all his time misleading me. We better do it here."

Bearing in mind that they were always glued to each other, Marina believed that.

She escorted her friends to the computer room of free access to students, called "Nónio", and headed to her locker. She changed the backpack's contents, threw the sports bag into the cramped compartment, and left for the Informatics room. She found the door already opened and her peers inside. The few guys in class got lost in her looks for a few moments, but only until she sat down, because the teacher soon started talking and everyone directed their attention to her. She asked students to join in pairs and search for data on the Internet on the Pascal program. At the end of the class, they had to deliver her two pages on it.

Lucas arrived when the teacher was explaining the task. Marina was startled. Her heart started beating so fast that that if she passed by a police speed control, she would be accused speeding. And the heat sensation that took possession of her? It was better not to mention it. How should she react? Should they continue to behave the same way, keeping away from each other, or were they... a couple? Oh, come on! They had only kissed; that was just a flirt, not a relationship. Unless they were both interested in that. Would he want that? He was such an independent guy that she suspected that he didn't want ties of that kind.

Lucas expressed a shameless grin that made her blush and wandered up near her. This time, he didn't take the seat next to the colleague, but pulled up the empty chair beside Marina instead.

"We must work in pairs, right?" he said in a mocking statement.

Marina tried to suppress a smile, while his regular partner looked at her, incredulous, wondering why Lucas hadn't chosen her as usual in those classes. Ignoring the girl's ramblings, Marina turned the computer on, opened her diary and wrote what they had to do. While she was writing, Lucas went online to begin the search right away.

"Open a document in Word to paste the information we deem most appropriate. Then we just have to work the text in at the end, so that things make sense," she suggested.

Lucas assented. Marina approached her chair to his then and to the computer's monitor. Unexpectedly, his hand took hers sweetly under the table. The gesture surprised her, but she didn't withdraw. None of them looked at each other, although they smiled inside. It was as if they were doing something forbidden, yet the adrenaline of the act was such that they couldn't help it.

When the class was about to end, they reviewed the final text and saved the document in the folder designated by the teacher. Marina put her stuff in her backpack. At the bell, the student's babble returned and everyone rushed to recess.

Before leaving the room, Lucas whispered in her ear in a sensual tone, "Do you know you're extraordinarily beautiful today?"

Marina giggled. She put her mouth close to his ear and muttered, "You know, I had an excellent night. I guess that influenced my beauty today." And she give him a quick kiss on his cheek, which lead him to adopt his typical insinuating smile that often made her lose herself in him.

They left the classroom and each went separate ways. Marina wanted to go with him, but the doubt about their future remained: together or separated?

She met her friends in the lobby. She went to them and said, "You're not going to believe this! We've been doing the same work as you."

"Really? We were supposed to have done this last class, but the teacher took too long to explain things, so she sent us the task as homework," explained Ana.

"If you want, we can compare notes."

Animated, the friends grabbed a notebook and showed her the fruits of their research. They spent the entire break checking data until the bell called them for French class. They walked into the room, talking about Pascal. The conversation lasted until the teacher ordered them to be quiet, because it was time to study the 'Subjonctif'. 'Que je sois; que tu sois; qu'il soit; que nous soyons; que vous soyez; qu'ils soyent'. This was the 'music' the French teacher wanted them to memorize at any cost. Marina was so tired of it that it was a relief to hear the bell. Ana and Joshua went outside instantly, while Marina stayed behind to go out at the same time as Lucas, allowing their hands to skim.

She went with her friends to the bar to eat something. They sat at a quite table, next to the box office where they bought their lunch tickets, and stood there chattering and eating. After a few minutes, Marina stood up and excused herself to her friends, since she had to go to the bathroom before next lesson. And it was better to hurry before the bell or the Philosophy professor wouldn't let her in. She snagged her rucksack and headed to the toilet.

Relieved, Marina left the WC stall and went to the sink to wash her hands. She opened the tap, but the water didn't flow. The plumbing roared loudly, allowing her to follow with her eyes the supposed journey of the liquid inside the pipes. Suddenly, the valve shuddered and began gushing a red fluid very similar to blood. Marina felt disgusted and covered her mouth to stop herself from vomiting. Although she was tempted to get out of there right away, she decided, in her naivety, to approach to observe better and try to understand what that liquid was. The reddish solution purled in the sink. To her horror, it began to assume the contours of a familiar face. It was the man/haunter that was chasing her. She wanted to run, but before she took one step toward the exit, his sepulchral voice was heard in her brain, Remind Lucas that his deadline ends tonight. What deadline, what was he talking about? And what did he want from them anyway? Enervated, Marina screamed in a demanding tone, "I'm sick of you! Leave us alone!"

The visage broke up and the red liquid turned into normal water that flowed down the drain.

Two girls entered the wash-room and found Marina still yelling. They stopped and gazed at her, stunned and confused. Feeling that she had to give them an explanation so that they wouldn't think she was crazy, Marina said, "Cockroaches... Beware that school appears to be infested today. Even in here you find them!"

The girls stared at the ground with repugnance, searching for some filthy cockroach, but none was visible. In fear, they went in the WC stalls and shut the doors behind them with expressions of mistrust.

Marina took a deep breath to ward off the jitters and went straight to the classroom. The bell was ringing, which meant she had little time to get there or Manelito would close the door. Since the room wasn't far from the WC, she got there in ten seconds. She threw herself into the chair and, soon after, Lucas settled down beside her.

Noticing that her happiness look was gone, Lucas tightened up and assumed a cautious expression. Concerned, he asked in a low voice, "What is it?"

"We'll talk at lunch time," she postponed, given that the teacher was looking at them at that precise moment with arched eyebrows. Concerns aside, she was in a Philosophy class, so she tried to focus and learn everything the professor explained. They were going to talk about syllogisms and fallacies.

"Every man is mortal.

Socrates is a man,

Therefore, Socrates is mortal. "

Based on this syllogism, the teacher taught them to distinguish the terms to find out which ones would be carried over to the last premise. From there, they created several, and Marina even found funny the foolish things said by some colleagues that made no sense at all. She had gotten away with homework in the previous classes, but the Philosophy professor was keen to write on the blackboard several syllogisms for them to copy and fix at home.

With the bell came lunch time. Ana left to have lunch outside the campus with Dennis, while Joshua went to eat at home, as always. Marina settled at the usual table in the lobby and took the chance to do the Philosophy exercises before the canteen opened. She knew that she had to talk to Lucas about what had happened, nevertheless preferred to do homework first and only later deal with that. It was her day, for God's sake! The haunting could wait.

When she finished, she left the rucksack in the locker and headed to the back of the canteen to meet up with Lucas. She wanted to reclaim the joy she had felt the night before. She deserved it! She quickened her pace, as a smile began to emerge on her lips.

She found him serious and restless, which saddened her. No, the haunt will not ruin my day, she scolded to herself, determined to stop that from happening. She drew near Lucas, grabbed his wrists and pulled him up, forcing him to rise from the pavement. The boy tried to avoid cheering up, but her charm was stronger than his good sense. Marina slid his arms to her waist, and wrapped his neck with hers.

She swung a bit and put on a sullen air. Then, she protested, "You know, there's a present I really wanted today and, at least in the daylight, I haven't received it yet..."

Lucas pretended to have no idea what she was talking about. Demanding, Marina closed the distance between them and gave him a gentle kiss. Her lips felt a slight tingling when they found his and the sensation spread to her body, which was conquered by instantaneous and pleasant warmth. What importance had the threats of the stupid ghost? She was there with him and that was all she cared about.

When their mouths parted at last, Lucas whispered, "Happy birthday."

Marina wanted to stay with him all the time, but Lucas shook his head from side to side. First, she had to have lunch, and she should do it soon since they would have Physical Education later and it was better to have her digestion completed before that class. With steady steps, he led her to the canteen.

This time, Marina ate faster just to return quickly to him. In less than fifteen minutes, she was ready. After handing the tray to the employee, she left in a hectic rush and caught him when he was still getting up from the floor. On an impulse, she jumped into his lap. Surprised, Lucas retreated back and thanked God for his good physique, otherwise he might have had some trouble to hold her. Marina greeted him with a new hot kiss, which was welcomed. It would be so good if things could be like that forever.

Lucas made her slide over him until her feet hit the ground. They sat a little further ahead under the roof's protection, since the storm could come back. The sky was a dark compact mass that didn't promise anything good. Marina settled between Lucas' legs, rested her head on his torso and played vaguely with his fingers.

They didn't dare say a thing for a while, until Lucas asked, "You had another encounter out of the ordinary today, didn't you?"

Marina sighed. She wanted to ignore that event, so she put her best playful air on and commented, "I didn't know I was so transparent! I mean, the best date of my life was last night, but I cannot complain of Joshua picking me up at home today. Yes, it was a little unusual, given that on Wednesdays we don't start classes at the same time. Still, I can only thank him for the kindness."

He looked at her with a severe expression. "Marina..." he warned.

The girl gasped. She was wasting too much time talking about what she didn't want to. She hoped he would forget and leave the paranormal stuff aside for a few blessed hours, nonetheless it was impossible. It was better to get over that fast, to go back to her perfect moment.

After a sigh, Marina said, "As you wish... Yeah, I had a spectacular meeting at the bathroom sink and it even made two girls think that I was a maniac. The annoying bugaboo asked me to remind you that your deadline ends today. I sent him for a walk and he went."

Lucas looked at her perplexed and, almost stuttering, inquired, "Y-you did that?"

"Kind of," she admitted, dragging her voice. Those weren't her exact words, but that was their meaning. "I told him I wanted him to leave us alone, and he took off before I told him good. Anyway, nothing that I want to remember, especially today." And she kissed his hand. Why keep dwelling on an unusual message sent by someone weird and right on this day? She wouldn't do that.

Lucas remained quiet for some time without moving a single muscle, very thoughtful. Moments later, he swallowed hard. Not daring to face her, he assumed in a low voice, "Barbatos. That's his name."

Marina waited a few seconds just to be sure that Lucas had in fact spoken. She turned in his direction to study him. So that man/ thing had a name, Barbatos. And he knew it. How? She scowled a question mark, but quickly shook her head to ward off that information to the most remote corner of her memory. Barbatos was a forbidden subject, at least until that evening.

Lucas continued with his view nailed to the ground, not daring to look at her. There was so much important data he was hiding from her... He'd like to tell her certain things. He knew, however, that it would only separate them. He had to be honest with himself and admit he liked her a lot. He didn't want to stay away from her. How could he tell the truth without losing her? It was impossible.

Visibly shaken, and in a barely audible whisper, he put the pressing question, "What would you do if you knew I'm no good... that I have evilness deep down within me?"

Marina reflected a bit, focusing on Lucas' attitudes from the moment they met. He had been an idiot sometimes, but she could never believe that he was evil. In response, she said, "I don't think you're mean. At least you never were to me. It's almost inconceivable to think of that."

Lucas decided to rephrase the statement, suggesting a hypothesis that she found very peculiar. "Imagine then that I'm as wicked as a super evil demon. Even knowing this, were you willing to be with me?"

Marina pondered the comparison. It was difficult for her to imagine him as treacherous as a fiend. It was true that when she had met him he wasn't exactly the nicest person in the world, nonetheless she had seen a radical change of his attitude and she knew that he had much to offer if he was given a chance.

The girl heaved a sigh. She held his face between her hands, looked deep into his eyes to show him she was being honest, and replied, "When I met you ages ago, you were nasty and almost despicable. Today, you're the opposite, which proves that you aren't, nor could you ever be evil like a demon. You said that you were a lost one, but I think you have found yourself in the last weeks. You're a wonderful and amazing person and woe who says otherwise!"

"So, you think I can be saved?" he muttered, lowering his eyes.

"Yes and you're totally worth it!" she assured, completing her answer with a kiss that silenced him for the rest of lunchtime.

At five minutes to the bell, Marina stood up and invited Lucas to do the same, since they had to get ready for Physical Education class. Holding hands, they went to the descent that separated the old part of school from the one more recent. If they didn't want to be seen together, it was better to separate there. Marina prepared to drop his hand, but he didn't do it. Intrigued, she stared at him with doubt mirrored in her irises.

Lucas shrugged and claimed, "Today is your day, so we'll do things your way. Do you want me to let go of your hand?"

Marina shook her head, showing that wasn't what she wanted. There was no harm in being seen together. It was even good that people get accustomed to that, so the whispering stage about them didn't last long.

They went down the access ramp to the school yard together. Marina was in Heaven: it was indescribable the sensation of having him there with her, clasping hands in front of everyone. Maybe he wouldn't mind being her boyfriend. She would ask him some day, if she had the guts.

They headed to Marina's locker for her to get her Gym bag. As she was pulling it out, her phone rang.

"It's my mom," announced Marina. "This may take a while, but don't be late because of me. We'll meet at the gym. Oh! And take this sheet. It's yesterday's homework since you didn't do it, because... you were busy."

Lucas glanced at her with malice and wove a little suggestive grimace while she passed him the sheet. Then he went to the male changing room, while Marina picked up the call. "Hello, Mom?"

"Happy birthday, my dear!" greeted Luísa from the other end.

Marina smiled to the phone and replied, "Thanks! And how are you today?"

"The same," complained her mother. "I'm glad your friends decided to throw you a party. I'm afraid I'm not the best company today."

The conversation lasted for a while, by which Marina was forced to leave for the locker room and equip herself as they spoke, in order not to be late. When she hung up, Ana was near her, all smiles. It seemed that her lunch had gone well.

They entered the sports pavilion together and found Lucas already there, practicing a few scores with a basket ball. Upon seeing Marina, his face lit up and he tried to repress a shameless grin. Ana noticed this detail and coughed a suggestive "hmm-hmm".

Marina rolled her eyes, but Ana hastened to shake her index in front of her friend's nose while saying, "Don't you think you can fool me, I have plenty of experience in this field. Your response only confirmed that the rumors I heard when I got to school are true."

Marina gasped. Damn, news ran fast! And the only thing she had done was hold hands with Lucas. There were a lot of nosy people at the campus who should stick to their own affairs instead of dedicating to gossip. Without choice, Marina mumbled, "Fine. What did you hear?"

"I knew it!" Ana shrieked. Calming down a little bit, she proceeded, "I was just told that you were seen holding hands with Lucas. I confess I had my doubts, but your reaction... you confirmed everything. I wish I had seen it. You still have to tell me a few details."

"Hell, no!" protested Marina. "As you said, it was no big deal. Come on, let's approach the teacher to hear what he's saying."

"What's he saying? The usual: ten laps around the field. You're trying to escape, but that smiley face of yours doesn't trick me. Indeed, it mirrors that you already went far beyond holding hands. Or do you want to teach this grandma how to suck eggs?"

"So what?" teased Marina, as she began to run like mad with Ana on her tail. She felt like poking Ana until curiosity consumed her. However. the teacher hastened to recall her that she was in a classroom, so she should stop joking. Marina apologized and regained her composure, swallowing her joy and arresting it in an imaginary cage.

After the laps around the field, followed the warm-up leaded by Joshua. It was hard not to notice his gloomy expression and his lack of concentration. What was wrong with him? Marina made a nod to Ana in Joshua's direction and she replied with another nod in Lucas' direction. There was the answer: the same rumors her friend had heard had also reached Joshua's ears. Crap! Why didn't people stick to their lives? She had to sort out the situation somehow or else she would have a strange birthday dinner with a grouchy friend.

The teacher asked them to join in pairs to practice the passes. Marina began by approaching Lucas, who was smiling at her with a look so seductive that made her heart throb. However, with a tinge of guilt in her eyes, she turned away from him, after telling him softly, "Sorry, but I can't sit still when a friend of mine is sad." That said, she headed to Joshua. She confronted him with a warm grin and asked, "Would you mind being my partner in this exercise?"

Joshua was hurt, thus he felt tempted to refuse and to depart from her. Could she be kidding him? Would she think that she could use both of them as she pleased? Still, he recalled the promise he had made and responded in a controlled tone, "According to the promise you obliged me to make, I tell you now that you can be my partner, but I'm not in a talking mood."

Marina assented - it was fair and he was in his right. She herself had established his right to silence, since forewarned. He had warned her, now she just had to respect his space.

After training the passes, the coach asked them to divide in two groups so that they could play a basketball match, and so they did. The game went well and the team of Ana and Marina won the challenge, in part thanks to Joshua, who was the best player without a doubt.

When the lesson ended, students headed to the changing room. Before entering the locker room, and noticing Joshua further ahead, Marina decided to mess around with him up. She put her hands on his shoulders for a higher jump and, after landing, she pouted. "If you don't cheer up, tonight you'll be forced to watch a romantic movie."

Joshua stuck his tongue out. He had no patience for lame movies. He was more into horror films, with a lot of blood, and in which the characters ripped their opponents' heads off.

Marina hurried showering and went to her locker to exchange the sports bag for the rucksack with the material for last class. She still wanted to be with Lucas that day, but when the Translation class ended, she would follow with her friends to Joshua's house and wouldn't see him. She decided to wait for him by the male changing room. While she was waiting for Lucas, two guys came out of the dressing room and left the door ajar. That made her feel a little bit embarrassed, because it gave the impression she was spying on them. All of a sudden, she heard Joshua's angry voice calling for Lucas. With her heart in abeyance, she froze and tried to listen. Nothing... As there was no response, Joshua insisted on an even more heated tone. Another silence followed that call.

Lucas went to the door, but before opening it, Joshua shouted, "You may have her today, but you know pretty well that she'll be mine in the end. And don't you think I'll give up!"

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over her. She didn't know how to react. She knew that Joshua was upset and wanted to fix this, but she was forced to admit that Lucas was right when he had said that, eventually, she would hurt one of them. A chill rippled through her. What if Lucas engaged a fight with Joshua? She felt tempted to go in to curb the moods. However, and by luck, Lucas crossed the door jamb and almost bumped into her. Marina jumped in place with the fright and goggled her eyes, to relax the very next second. Responding by instinct, she grabbed Lucas' hand and dragged him in a mad rush to the room where they would have the last class.

She pushed Lucas against the wall and, steadying her hands on his chest, she laughed. "See? How can you ask me if you're a badass demon? If you were, you would have disrespected what I asked you about Joshua. But you didn't. Thanks for that."

Before he could answer, she kissed him passionately and didn't care about whoever might be watching. To hell with appearances! She wanted to thank him for being so respectful and enjoy the last moments of the day with him.

When the bell rang, she moved a little away from him and said, somewhat laconic, "I suppose that today we'll no longer see each other. Yesterday you didn't go home. Your parents must be very concerned."

Lucas remained motionless in the same place, as if something troubled him. He stared at emptiness and muttered, "I have no parents any longer."

Hearing that, saddened her. She wanted to know more about the subject and to comfort him, but the classmates were piling up nearby, so she confined herself to entwine her fingers in his as if saying that she was there for him.

The teacher didn't take long and soon they were all in their seats. The sound of chalk on the blackboard made them look at what the teacher was writing: they were going to translate in pairs a text entitled 'Living in America'. It was a text thinking of Joshua, and the teacher was keen to assure this when she directed a smile to him after completing the summary. Marina was divided: with whom would she do the translation? On one hand, she wanted to stay with Lucas, but on the other, she wanted to cheer up Joshua even because of the 'party' they would have next. What would the convivial atmosphere be like if he insisted on continuing to act that way?

"I'm feeling a little sick, miss. Can I do the translation alone? I don't want to prejudice any of my peers," Marina made up.

"You can stay with Joshua. I'm sure he won't be late because you're not at your best," suggested the professor in a cheery tone.

Marina opened her mouth wide and ignored the painful lurch in her stomach. If she had any doubts about whom to choose, the teacher had just put an end to them.

Joana rushed to protest, "It's not fair, miss! Joshua and I had already agreed to stay together, because I have some difficulties and he promised to help me."

The pout of the most beautiful girl in class didn't go unnoticed, and the teacher hurried to unsay what she had stated, although she kept that Marina had to choose a partner to work with. Students rose and joined whom they wanted. Joshua took his things and headed to the other end of the room, sitting next to Joana. Marina also picked up her stuff and jumped in the seat next to Lucas, and that Joshua had left vacant. She didn't mind working with Lucas a single bit, she even preferred it. They opened their books and began translating the text.

Lucas was an excellent translator and he didn't even open the dictionary to look up a single word. Marina had never thought that he was that good. It was a pleasant surprise. Thanks to his extraordinary capabilities combined with hers, they finished the translation before the end of the class. However, they pretended to be still working, while their hands touched under the tabletop.

When the bell rang, Marina asked Lucas to wait in the school garden. She waited for Joshua at the hallway and asked, "I know you're giving me the silent treatment, but do me a favor, will you? Ana said she was waiting for us next to the lockers, but I have to go to the bathroom first. I'll meet you there, okay?"

Joshua nodded without looking at her and kept walking, while she ran to the door that gave access to the school garden. Sue found Lucas leaning against the building wall, waiting for her. She approached him with an expression of sadness, made a finger slide over his chest and sighed. "It seems that the day has come to an end for us. I gotta go. Ana, Joshua and Dennis are waiting for me. Will you send me a text later to let me know you're well?"

Lucas agreed. He pulled her to him with urgency and, without prior notice, gave her a kiss so eager that it gave the impression he wanted to merge with her. Marina was swept away. Her entire body pulsated to the rhythm of her fast breathing, and her chest seemed like wanting to explode with so much desire. She had to admit it: she loved his kisses and longed for them. When their mouths parted, Lucas didn't let her move away and continued hugging her. Marina corresponded to the tight linkage and allowed her shape to frame his until not knowing where one ended and another began.

In a moan, Lucas muttered, "If you knew how much I feared the arrival of this moment..."

"Why?" Marina questioned, not understanding what he meant.

"Because I'm afraid that things may change overnight. I don't wanna lose you, you're way too important. I know we haven't known each other long and the words may even sound ridiculous, but I don't say them lightly. I could almost say that I..."

Love you? Would those be the words he was looking for? The incessant agitation returned to Marina's belly. She understood him perfectly, as she felt the same way.

Given his reluctance to complete his reasoning line, she smiled and declared in a shy voice, "I know what you mean, because I feel the same. Don't be silly. Why would you lose me? If you're scared about the party at Joshua's, calm down, because I believe in monogamy. And speaking of him, I really must go now."

She gave him another kiss, but a less time consuming one, otherwise she risked losing courage to depart. That was him - irresistible. Controlling the impulse that impelled her to go back and fall into his arms, Marina went in the school building and ran to the locker hallway, where her friends had been waiting for a good while.

"At last, madam!" grumbled Ana when she saw her.

"Sorry for the delay, but I'm here. I'll just leave some things in my locker and we can go."

"Really? Better check if you have to go back to the toilet, because, by the delay, it seems like a virus to me. Although I'd bet more on evil eye..." accused Ana in a cloudy tone, while nodding her head in Joshua's direction.

Joshua was still pissed off like a tied donkey. If things between her and Lucas continued as they were that day, he'd have to get a good amount of rope to hang that wild animal inside of him. She threw the backpack into the locker, retrieved the sports bag and she was ready to go.

The four of them passed the school gate two minutes later. Marina looked askance at the entrance over her shoulder and she noticed Lucas coming out too, looking chagrin and sad. It was so hard to leave him like that she even considered going back. He had almost told her that he loved her - it was a big and important step. Who knew if they wouldn't really assume themselves as a couple? Marina laughed at that. How ironic! She never looked for love, and now she had someone who liked her and who she liked, and things between them could become serious. Life gave many turns indeed. In a last attempt to cheer Lucas up so that he wasn't so glum, Marina took her phone and wrote, 'Do you know that I adore you?' The answer didn't take long and made her leap with joy, while her friends looked at her perplexed, as if her good sense had eclipsed. Lucas had replied, 'And you, do you know how much I love you?'

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The effusive joy of Marina didn't go unnoticed. When Ana asked her what was happening, Marina lied and said that she was excited, because she had just received a message from... huh, her mother, saying that she had a gift at home that she had requested a long time ago. Ana wasn't convinced. Marina was hiding certain things from her in the romantic forum and that made her get suspicious. But who was she to judge her? She knew how it was to be in love with someone. Thinking of Dennis, she shortened the distance that separated them and tuck her arm around his.

Finding it odd not to see Joshua around, Marina turned around to look for him. She found him behind them, walking slowly and with a downcast expression that reminded her of someone whose puppy had been hit by a car. Seeing him that way made her sad. It wasn't fair that she was so happy when he felt miserable.

She slowed down, to wait for him. She wanted to tell him something, but didn't know what. After some thought, there was light in her mind. She cleaned her throat, impressed some joy to her voice, and asked, "What did you think of the text we translated? Does it portray the American way of life for real? I mean, I've never been to America, but you lived there for a few years, so you have an insider's view on the subject."

Joshua didn't answer. He just shrugged, as if not even a little interested in what the text said.

Marina didn't give up and persisted, "Hmm, I don't know if you realized, but that text was chosen especially for you by 'Joshuette' senior fan number two. I supposed that's, kind of... a compliment, right?"

The boy released a deep breath and continued without verbalizing anything. Marina shut her mouth and did the same for a short period. Maybe it was best to go home and forget the party. What was the advantage of having a party if they were angry and not exchanging a single word? There was no atmosphere for fun, so she made a decision: she would make a final attempt to try to dispel the dark cloud that hung over Joshua and, if it didn't work, she would go home.

Fulfilling her plan, Marina began throwing words into the air, "Chuckle-head, silly, selfish, insane, unconscious... When I approach the word that best characterizes me let me know, because my thesaurus is limited."

Joshua knew that Marina would keep trying to engage him in conversation. He muttered something aside. At that moment, all terms she spoke seemed to describe her, since he was revolted, because she had chosen Lucas. How could she prefer that guy over him, an outcast who had nothing to offer and would only hurt her? He was the opposite. He would give her the world if she wanted – she just had to ask for it.

He exhaled loudly, stopped and faced her, "Why don't you knock it off? You're making yourself ridiculous."

Marina shrugged and quizzed, "Why should I stop? I don't like to see you sad."

"I have no reason to be happy. And why does that even matter to you?"

Offended, Marina shot, "Because it does! Who told you that I want to see you hurt? I swear I've done everything to avoid it."

Joshua snorted in derision. Obviously she wasn't doing everything, otherwise she would be with him and not with Lucas. Moreover, it was hard to stick to the 'good friend' role, although he knew that, if he continued to be her friend, he could prove by his actions that she had made the wrong choice, and persuade her to go back. He himself had said to Lucas that he wouldn't give up. Still, the latest news had left him possessed. He needed time to placate the anger that grew inside him.

Seeing him increasingly exasperated, Marina said in a low voice with dismay, "Maybe it's better to go home. I don't think you want me around you."

"No way," he responded. "I've already ordered the pizzas. We won't go back now."

"And how do we do it then?"

Joshua took a deep breath; he had to calm down. It was her birthday and he was ruining it with his attitude. He didn't want her, one day, to tell him that he was the one to blame for a bad birthday. In fact, if he wanted to persuade her to go back on her decision, that was a good opportunity. He extended a hand to her by way of a truce and she accepted it. Nevertheless, he didn't return it to her. He entwined his fingers in hers instead and began the march back home.

They took only a few steps that way, as Marina didn't feel comfortable walking hand in hand with him, when she was with Lucas. She pulled her fingers back gently, not to offend him, and asked with an enigmatic grin on her lips, "Joshua, have you already installed the PlayStation in your room?"

Hesitating a little, the boy answered, "Yes, I did it early in the week."

"And have you got any fighting games?"

Joshua assented with his head and furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't understanding why she asked that. What did she want? The answer didn't take long.

"Good. I think you'd feel better if you beat me, although I think that you'll go down first!"

The comment had the desired effect and Joshua outlined a draft of a smile, although he soon returned to his sullen self. Despite that, Marina no longer fell silent: she chattered over the silliest issues that came to her mind to distract him. At long last, Joshua decided it was time to stop being grumpy and started paying attention to her fiddle-faddle. She was struggling for them to get along, and, if he was smart, he would do the same. How could he try to win her if he pushed her away? Lucas wasn't there; it was his turn to shine and dazzle her.

Once at home, Dennis found a note from his parents, saying that they decided to go out for dinner, to spend some quality time alone. The friends applauded their decision, since they preferred to have no adult supervision. The brothers went to put their things in their bedrooms, while Ana and Marina left theirs in the lobby. Joshua returned shortly afterwards with the DVD that Marina had chosen: a comedy. Who knew if it wouldn't help him to be more cheerful?

Dennis and Ana sat on the ground pretty close to each other, while Marina and Joshua stood on the couch, seated at either end. To the Marina's relief, this time there was no popcorn bowl circulating, so there was no danger of hands touching each other, even under a mantle of innocence. She focused on the movie that broached the adventures of a young woman who wanted to dazzle her prince. To fulfill her purpose, she tried everything, from cosmetic surgery with strange instruments, to attending pick-up classes with a man who was terrible at it. The intended effect emerged in the middle of the story: Joshua laughed at the comic scenes and he seemed more relaxed.

When the movie ended, someone rang the doorbell. Joshua went to the door - it was the pizza delivery guy. Realizing who was at the entry, Marina ran to pay the order. With the bill cleared, the delivery guy withdrew and Joshua closed the door behind him, looking annoyed.

"There was no need for you to pay for the pizzas. Dinner was your birthday gift," gasped Joshua, showing his frustration.

"But that's not the present I want you to give me," said Marina playfully, as she winked an eye.

He had no idea what she meant, but he was careful enough not to add any ulterior motives. It was better not to have false hopes.

Upon seeing that Joshua wasn't moving, Marina snagged the pizzas he was holding and took them to the table. Dennis rubbed his hands as he licked his lips, ready to attack his share. With all four seated at the table, Marina distributed the boxes according to the specifications in the purchase order. However, no one served themselves; it was as if they were waiting for her to start. Marina felt observed, although she didn't understand why. Only when she opened the lid of her pizza box she understood everything: the cook had arranged the bacon strips to form the word 'congrats'. Ana got up with a leap and ran up to her bag to get two candles, that she stuck on Marina's pizza, lighting them with a lighter.

Marina was quick to ask, "Please, don't sing me happy birthday! It embarrasses me a lot every time I hear it. Come on, don't be childish!"

Her request was ignored. While she was speaking, Ana was already singing very fast so that she couldn't stop her from completing the song. Dennis joined his girlfriend singing the lyrics from the beginning, which resulted in an authentic jumbled-up creation. Joshua just laughed at the cacophony. When the singers finished their versions of the birthday melody, Marina blew out the candles and pulled them out of the pizza.

"Bite the candles and make a wish," Ana suggested.

Marina didn't believe in such thing, but it was best not to let her friend down. She took both candles at once and touched her front teeth slightly on them as she requested, "I want to be with Lucas forever." It was egocentric, but that was her wish.

The next few moments were spent devouring the slices of pizza while listening to music from the MTV channel. From time to time Ana sang, but her vocal talents left much to be desired. When everyone finished, they cleaned the kitchen.

Marina winked at Joshua, while she imitated a weak boxing gesture in a defiant posture. That reminded him that she wanted to challenge him to a video game. He rolled his eyes and gave her a hand gesture to follow him. Not wanting that his parents found out that his relationship with Ana was a very colorful friendship, Dennis led her after them.

Joshua turned on the TV and the PlayStation, while Dennis and Ana lay down across the bed, leaving enough room for him and Marina to sit at the bottom and do whatever they wanted. Joshua put the game running and passed a second control pad to Marina, who received it and pretended to look very scared.

With a trembling voice, she begged, "Please, don't hit me too hard. It hurts, okay?"

Joshua laughed. He had to admit that he had a strong desire to grab her by her shoulders and shake her until she changed her mind. Besides, it wasn't her who he wanted to beat, but his competitor. Lucas would not lose for the delay – he would slaughter him.

Joshua chose as avatar a guy who looked like a mountain of muscles, which contrasted with the lanky athletic girl chosen by Marina. "Fight!" indicated a voice in the game and the battle began. Joshua was more used to playing, nonetheless he lost the first round.

Marina put out her tongue in clear disapproval and protested, "Hey, no holding back! Take the chance to unload everything in the virtual world. Soon I'll get you seriously scratched up and you'll see stars. Do not hold back, because I won't."

Joshua figured that, if that was what she wanted, he wouldn't detract. As a result, the following two matches were won by him. He wore a triumphant grin, happy with his virtual vengeance.

"Are you feeling better?" Marina inquired. Joshua nodded and she laughed, adding in a threatening tone, "Good, because now I'll drum you up! Prepare those muscles of yours for the shock. Here I come."

A new fight began, and this time, Marina won. Her success was repeated for a few more games, which amazed Joshua. She learned very fast, or she had played that game before and was deceiving him.

Ana called their attention to the advanced hour, "My lovely people, it's already nine. My mom is coming to get me. Do you want a ride home, Marina?"

Marina agreed that it was getting late, she should go home too. However, she was having a blast and Joshua seemed to be getting closer to his usual humor, thus she didn't want to stop. Ana still had Philosophy homework to do, but she already had everything handled. Maybe Joshua also wanted to get his duties done. The best thing was to ask him. "I'm enjoying playing and I'd like to stay for a bit longer, but maybe you want to do your work on Philosophy, Joshua?".

The boy shook his head with vehemence. They would only have a new lesson of that subject on Friday, so he could do his homework the next day. He too was enjoying playing, especially now that Marina had proved to be a worthy opponent.

Joshua had made the decision for her: she would stay another hour and then would go home. A premonitory little voice of warning, coming from a recondite place in her soul, tried in vain to reach her insight with clarity and to alert her that it was better to leave with Ana, to arrive in safety. Nevertheless, it got lost amid the complex labyrinth of her mind, withered and extinguished.

Marina ended up saying, "I'll stay for a little longer. See you tomorrow then, Ana."

"Be good, kids. No playing house or doctors in my absence," joked Ana as she got up from the bed.

"Don't worry, mama. And the same applies to you. No shameful action by the door, OK?" answered Marina back, as she rolled her eyes.

The couple left the room while Marina and Joshua faced each other virtually. Dennis returned soon after, informing them that Ana's mother was already down stairs when they got there, so they didn't have the chance to say goodbye. To boost his morale, Marina questioned, "Do you want to play too? We can play the 'send-off'. Whoever loses stays out and gives turn to another person."

Both boys agreed; that way they could all enjoy the game.

Marina continued to be lucky and she won the next battles; Joshua was the first to go out to give his turn to his brother. New virtual clash: "fight!" Occupying the place erstwhile held by Dennis, Joshua took the opportunity to study Marina: she was focused on the game and seemed to like it. Her joy was contagious and it was impossible for him not to feel better. His confidence had also gone up and he felt that he could conquer her if he put an effort into it. She was with Lucas, but she hadn't closed the door on him entirely. There was a narrow crack to get to her heart and he would have to squeeze himself through. It was worth trying.

Dennis was also defeated, which was a surprise as that was his favorite game and he was a real ace at it. Joshua regained his place, but not for long, because Marina received a text from her mother asking if she would be long. She stared at her watch and got startled when she noticed that it was already 10.15p.m. She replied to her mother, saying that she was leaving Joshua's building and would arrive soon.

"Well, boys, it was very good, but I gotta go, since my mom is losing her mind due to my delay. Anyway, thank you both for the best birthday party ever."

And she hugged them both, under Dennis' protest that he didn't want to be embraced along with another man. Marina got up and stretched; her body was sore from sitting so long in the same place. She left the room followed by Joshua, who escorted her to the door.

With a sparkle of concern looming in his sight, Joshua quizzed, "It's quite late. Don't you want me to accompany you? I don't like the idea of you walking around alone at night. You never know who you might find."

Joshua's remark made her shudder. He had a point and she could say so! Just thinking about the possibility of having another strange encounter, she felt frightened. Anyway, she couldn't ask him to take her home when she had had the chance of being taken by car and had opted to stay. It had been her choice, thus she would have to handle what came in the sequence of that.

She took her sports bag, turned to Joshua and said, "Don't worry. I'll follow along the river's rail. There's good lighting there and cars are always passing by. Tomorrow you'll meet me to go to school together?"

"Sure, no problem."

Marina smiled. "See you tomorrow and thank you for having me in your house when it was the last thing you wanted."

"Don't say that. It was super fun."

"And the most fun part was the beating you took! What a shame... defeated by a girl. You need some more practice," she joked.

Continuous act, Marina grimaced, put the sports bag on her back and left chin up, an immodest winner. Why wouldn't she feel proud about her victories? She had beaten two guys in a game they played often and that was the first time she had touched a PlayStation control pad.

When she reached the gate, she was surprised by the cold. The streets were abnormally mute, and the weak lights from the street lamps casted hideous shadows. Something moved, hidden in the penumbra. A stray animal maybe? Marina had the sensation that she was in a ghost town, just like those from wretched spirit stories. She felt a chill. A hazy presentiment took over her; she shook her body to repel it. She closed her jacket up to the top to protect herself from the cold, put her hands in the pockets to keep them warm and began her march.

Marina travelled at a fast pace, until she was forced to slow down towards what was happening. She stared with strangeness at the meteorological phenomenon that she had observed so many times before, but that that presented itself before her in a suspect and bizarre way. Near the river predominated a dense fog that closed around her as she approached the rail. The doubt ran through her: wouldn't it be better to walk down the main street and not by the railing? She vacillated, feeling afraid. At the last minute, she decided to carry out the initial plan. She followed by the side-walk close to the river wall, pushing through the white blanket that enveloped her like cotton. Curious, she looked at the south bank. Not even the contours of the skate park could be distinguished such was the compact density of the thick mist.

Closer to her home, the fog narrowed and condensed into a cool brume that nearly froze her bones. The air seemed too heavy, and occasionally, she heard some noises that reminded her of branches breaking. Suddenly, she stopped and listened with attention, as if on red alert, the maximum on the scale of danger. She held her breath and closed her eyes to concentrate. The sound she was able to distinguish was more like fire creeping, and she could swear that, behind that, she heard what seemed like moans. Marina unveiled her eyelids and ordered her laboring heart to decelerate; she felt it throbbing in her ears with small clicks. She turned around herself, scrutinizing the locks of fog in search of the reason for that state of siege within her.

The lights of the closest street lamps twinkled, as if a result of a power failure, and those near to her went off. A sinister laughter echoed through the night, making her retreat with small hesitant steps, while she removed the protective bracelet from her wrist and held it with firmness in her hand. Out of the blue, she struck something with her back. Shocked, she turned around swiftly. With his black coat fluttering in the wind, the baleful figure stood before her once again.

"Barbatos!" Marina exclaimed, stupefied.

Not again! She had already seen him that morning. What did he want from her? She had to run away.

To her astonishment, and before she could tack any escape plan, Barbatos began applauding her. In a happy tone, he said, "Well done, you know my name. Finally! But do you know who and what I am? I bet not. I doubt he would give you that much information."

Marina remained rooted to the spot, while Barbatos moved in a predatory way around her at a short distance. She had all her senses awakened and felt ready to react to the slightest sign of danger.

Barbatos receded two steps and decided to lie down along the marble surface of the river wall, lodging his hands over his chest. Marina peered at him from the corner of her eye and was puzzled to note that his abdomen was going up and down in the sequence of the breathing. She could only conclude a terrifying fact - he did not breath.

His voice assumed a tone close to stress-free, but without losing the intimidating harbinger. "Relax, girl, I'm not here to hurt you or your darling. For now. In fact, I brought you a birthday present, and don't say I'm not generous. Well, I'm not, but anyway..."

"I don't want anything from you, thanks," shot Marina.

'Thanks'? How stupid! Why would she be thanking him: for not stopping in pursuing her, or for constantly making promises of nothing good about her future and Lucas'?

"You have nothing to thank me for, my dear," replied Barbatos. "You know, I have to admit that I'm disappointed with you. You're so clever and still you understand nothing. I expected more from you." Barbatos gesticulated while he articulated the words and did theatrical exaggerated snoots, as if he was very dissatisfied with her.

Marina was confused. What was he talking about? Couldn't he put the charades away and go straight to the point?

The man forged a sigh and noted, "Sweetie, your darling is a mere LOST ONE. He's worthless and he'll have to pay if he doesn't fulfill the mission he was assigned till the end of the day."

"Stay away from Lucas!" Marina screamed in a hurry.

Barbatos chuckled with conviction. "You really think he deserves your concern?"

"He deserves everything!" asserted Marina with great certainty.

Barbatos wove a devilish smirk. He brought his face close to hers, until she felt his nauseating rotting smell, and asked in a low voice "He deserves everything, even... that you give your life for him?"

Marina was pain-struck. The haunting had stated before that he intended to kill her and Lucas, so there was nothing new. Dying was a hypothesis that frightened her enough; still, her sacrifice wouldn't be in vain if it was for someone she loved. Marina gulped and assented in a slow gesture, "Sure. If I had to give my life over his, I would do it."

"Splendid. Then I don't understand his hesitation. Anyway, I already gave you your present. Now be a good girl of the twenty-first century and use the technology. Inform yourself about me and your sweetheart. I'd still like you to suffer a lot till you beg me... to be KILLED!" And Barbatos dissolved in a black damp that merged with the persistent night fog.

As soon as he disappeared, Marina crossed the road and ran home. She took a while to find the right key, and her hands trembled so much that she took forever to put it in the lock. She slammed the door behind her, locked it, and leaned against it to barricade it. She shut her eyes and pressed her chest; her heart distressingly arrhythmic after the appearance of Barbatos.

"Marina!"

Her mother calling her startled her so much, that she felt that her throat was closing and blocking the oxygen entrance. She supported her knees on the floor and undertook a superhuman effort to pull herself together. Breathe in, breathe out, she ordered herself in an attempt to recover. The excitement was barely noticeable in her voice when she answered to her mom, saying that she would be right there with her.

More controlled, she stood up and walked to her mom's room. Luísa was lying down and had large dark circles beneath her eyes, which showed that the migraine hadn't yet left. Marina accommodated herself beside her on the quilt and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Happy birthday," greeted her mom. "I was thinking that I wouldn't hear you coming in to congratulate you in person."

"It didn't matter. You had already said it by phone."

"But it's not the same thing. What about the party, how was it?" questioned her mother.

"It was good. We watched a comedy, had pizza for dinner, played a fighting game on the PlayStation and I kicked their asses. That's why I got distracted and arrived late."

"No problem. The important thing is that you had fun. You have your birthday present upon your bed. Tomorrow tell me what you think of it," said mom.

"Okay. See you tomorrow, mommy. Get well soon," wished Marina as she left her mother's chambers.

As she had been told, upon her bed Marina found a package with a large red ribbon wrapping tied around it. Nonetheless, she preferred to put on her pajamas before opening it; that way she had time to settle down a little more. The fact that she had been forced to recover so fast to go talk to her mother had forced her to get into a state similar to numbness, to avoid looking nervous. Only now could she actually liberate the accumulated tension. Despite that 'releasing' moment, she was still tense about Barbatos' words. He had called her dumb for not understanding what was happening. She would find out, but all in time.

After putting on her pajamas, Marina opened the festive package: it was a new brown leather jacket. Her mother had offered her the black one last year, but she also had requested the brown too, because she liked to match the jackets colors with the sweaters'. This converted to true the lie that she had said to her friends that afternoon when questioned about a text she had received, and that everyone thought it was from her mother when it was, in fact, from Lucas.

As if guessing she was thinking of him, her phone rang with a message from him. Marina stared at the display and read 'Are you okay? Was the party good? I miss you a lot...' The girl let out a moan. She was tired... Overall, it had been a good birthday with nice moments. However, that bloody ghost had visited her twice with enigmas that caused her fastidious headaches. Before responding to Lucas, she put her new coat in the closet, grabbed her laptop and turned it on. After getting a notebook and a pencil, she crawled under the sheets. It was good to finally get to bed. She had no desire to do any research, but she had to find out who Barbatos was and what he wanted from her. He had already mocked her for not using her wits; she wouldn't allow him to underestimate her. She picked up the phone and replied to Lucas, 'The party was good. Barbatos sent greetings and recalled that your deadline is expiring. I'm exhausted, I'll go to sleep. I miss you too. See you tomorrow. Kisses.' For a moment she feared that he would send her another text due to her reference to Barbatos; she didn't feel like talking about it.

She pulled the laptop to her knees and accessed the Internet, where she checked her e-mail and read the birthday wishes on her Facebook page. She was postponing... She distrusted with apprehension the step she had to take next, and a rough sense of premonition emphasized her reticence.

After a deep breath, she entered a search engine. It was time to know with whom she was dealing. Marina wrote 'Barbatos' in the space for the search criteria and pressed the Enter button. A list of several pages appeared. The terms highlighted in all of them pointed to 'Duke of Hell' and 'demon' - this was not a good sign. She gulped to appease her throat that ached as if she had devoured nails, clenched her eyelids and entered one of the links randomly. When she turned to open her eyes, she read:

"The name Barbatos derives from the Latin ("barbatus"), and it can mean bearded, old man or philosopher. In demonology, this character is taken as the Duke of Hell, who has under his command thirty legions of demons, being assisted by four kings. Among its powers are the understanding of the animals' voices, he's able to see the past and the future, allies friends and rulers, and can lead men to hidden treasures using the spells of mages. Barbatos is one of three assistants of Astaroth, joining Aamon and Pruslas."

Her body chilled from top to bottom and her eyes widened as she read the text. She felt like she had aged more than ten years due that information. And she was right; it was too much for her.

The first sentence made her doubt that the data referred to the haunt that had appeared to her, because he wasn't old or bearded. She recalled, however, that each time she saw his face, it seemed to change and the age was one of the aspects that suffered variations. At times he looked older and others he seemed younger. The text stated that one of his powers was to see the past. Perhaps he could transform himself based on the image of who he was in the past, and his face reflected some of those phases. It was just a theory, but since it seemed valid, she filed it in the mental department of picky topics about that issue. The information she found after the first sentence was the one she considered most important: Barbatos was the Duke of Hell. That meant that he was a demon, not a haunting as she used to call him. Nonetheless, one detail mystified her: if he had thirty legions led by four kings at his disposal, why would he pursue her himself instead of sending one of his minions?

Marina grabbed her notebook, and began to write a summary list with the main topics. The first impressions she registered said:

"Barbatos (Duke of Hell)

\- Demon.

\- Commands thirty legions and he's helped by four kings.

\- Understands the animals, is able to see the past and future.

\- He's one of Astaroth three assistants, along with Aamon and Pruslas".

It called her attention that, besides being a Duke, Barbatos was also a vassal. Along with two other demons, he was an assistant to someone (or something?) called 'Astaroth'. That was the next clue to follow up. She shouldn't discard the possibility of him being sent by his so-called hierarchical superior in the scale of demonology. The 'why' escaped her like sand through her fingers in the middle of a desert. She turned to focus on the laptop screen. Got back to the home page and typed in 'Astaroth'. Again, Marina obtained several links, but ended up by clicking the first one right away.

"According to some demonology authors, Astaroth is a Grand Duke of Hell, whose emperor is Satan. He's regarded by some as a demon of first hierarchy. He's the prince of accusers, who seduces through beauty and vanity. He has a rational way of seeing the world, thus he is an inspiration to mathematicians, artists, painters, and other liberals artists. He can give the gift of invisibility to men, and lead them to hidden treasures by spells of mages. It contests all the questions and his adversary is St. Bartholomew."

After reading the text, Marina was naive enough to wonder if he would be that bad, since he viewed the world in a rational way, inspiring liberal artists and mathematicians. That made her go back to History lessons and recall the controversial replacement of the geocentric theory by the heliocentric. The 'scientists' at the time had been misunderstood and even accused of witchcraft and pacts with the devil, when they only limited to resort to logic and reasoning. Astaroth was rational - would that make him a vile demon? No, she couldn't think like that. Evil was Evil, it was not good. Marina picked up the notebook again and registered:

"ASTAROTH (Grand Duke of Hell)

\- Responds to Satan.

\- Demon of first hierarchy.

\- He's the chief of Barbatos

\- Connected to rationalism, he contests everything.

\- Direct Opponent: St. Bartholomew."

So far, she hadn't seen Astaroth or heard of him, but it could be good to buy a medal with the image of St. Bartholomew to add to her bracelet. The next day she would pass by the store to check if they had the piece she wanted. And Barbatos, would he have a direct opponent as his boss? Perhaps she could get a medal of that too. Marina carried out a new search, but found no reference to that. Following the deduction method, if St. Bartholomew was the direct opponent of Astaroth, to whom Barbatos answered directly, then he might be his enemy too, right? By exclusion of parts, that was the conclusion she reached.

She glanced at the clock over the night stand, which marked 11.33. She was depleted. She wanted to give herself the luxury of shutting down the computer and falling asleep, but she still had one final search to do. And she was so reluctant to do it! What if what she found turned her away from Lucas? She was so in love with him, she didn't want to lose him. But what if he was...? No, she didn't want to think it. With a heavy conscience, she started to register in her notebook all the clues that had been given in conversations she had had with Lucas and those she had with Barbatos. She had to analyze everything she knew, regardless how hard it was for her. She scrawled:

"LUCAS

DATA OBTAINED FROM LUCAS HIMSELF

- He said he didn't know how it was to be in pain for a long time.

- Heals quickly.

- Appears and disappears without explanation.

- He trembled when I asked him if he was a fallen angel.

- Said he was a lost one.

\- He warned me that I should stay away from him, claiming that he's no good.

\- Referred that everything bad that had happened to me was his fault.

\- His body is covered with scars and he said that he deserved them all.

\- He asked me what I would do if I knew that he was as evil as a demon.

\- Asked me if I would stay with him even if I knew he was bad.

\- He asked me if I thought he was worth saving.

STRANGE DATA REFERRED BY BARBATOS

\- He called him a lost one.

\- He said that he hadn't fulfilled his mission, whose deadline was ending."

Her head was pounding and the impertinent pain that had settled right behind her orbits wasn't helping her concentration. She was about to approach the true nature of Lucas and doubt persisted: would she really want to know?

She read with attention what she had written down and jumped to her conclusion that, both Barbatos and Lucas, had described him as a 'lost one'. She appealed to her brain to ignore the crippling ache that nearly fragmented her skull, and put the gears to work correctly to solve the puzzle. She reflected for a bit: if he wasn't a vampire, werewolf, ghost or anything similar, 'lost one' could be a definition. She carried out a new search on her laptop, this time about 'lost ones'. Several results loomed, but...

Marina pouted, infuriated, and threw the laptop to the side. She was nervous and her hands trembled so much that she barely managed to type the words in the search engine. She felt the tears threatening to erupt, and had no idea if she could cease them afterwards. She felt... she knew that the data she'd find would drive them away from each other sooner or later.

She opened and closed her hands several times, in order to recover her domain. When they obeyed her better, she pulled the computer back onto her lap, inspired deeply and glued her gaze to the screen. She initiated the reading of the results, but found no relevant information. The pages that came up had to do with lost objects, lost friends... she even ended up in a lost things section. She moved on to other results and the same happened. She felt almost relieved, until she found a link that might be closer to what she was looking for. She sobbed when she saw it - there was the major reason for her fears. A drop of cold sweat went down her back. Her finger danced clumsily on the key that would open the page, until it came down violently and pressed it. Marina concentrated on the text:

"Lost Ones are ex-mortals transformed by Perdition, i.e., the one who goes to Hell gradually loses humanity and what remains good in him, eventually becoming a demon: a Lost One. Lost Ones return some times (or they just stay around), and they resemble normal humans, given that they retain the form they had before, although their skin can sometimes have a strange color or even be flaky. They don't have the ability to reproduce; however, many of them study on how they can turn other mortals and treat them like their children. They may have various powers, but the initial one is usually defined by those held when they were still a mortal. The most common is the gift of Vision."

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Dumb, silly, moron, idiot... STUPID, STUPID, STUPID! The reprimand echoed in Marina's brain with so much intensity that she had to rub her temples with circular movements to calm down the pain that stroke her. She felt heartbroken and, above all, deceived. She has been so naïve that, not even hearing the truth from two different mouths, she had deciphered it. He had told her that he was a lost one, Barbatos had called him a lost one twice; even she had repeated the words. How didn't she realize it sooner? It couldn't be any more obvious. The only thing missing was Lucas wearing a label on his forehead saying 'Lost One'. Tears welled in her eyes as naturally as water in a fountain, preventing her from thinking clearly.

"Stay rational," Marina ordered to herself as she shook her head to restore order. She dried the tears with the back of her hand in a brusque gesture, devoid of delicacy.

She wanted to cross the information of her list with the data from the Internet, since she kept a secret hope that she might be wrong. Starting with the beginning, it was said that Lost Ones were people who went to Hell and gradually lost their humanity until they became demons. Opposing facts, Lucas had asked her what she would do if she knew that he was as evil as a demon. It fitted... And the scars on Lucas' chest were now easy to explain: if he came from Hell, most likely he had been severely tortured to take away the goodness within him and to part him from his humanity. But why did he end up in Hell?

Continuing the text, the Lost Ones returned under the form they had before, though their skin might look strange. Lucas had a normal appearance and his skin had nothing abnormal; she knew it, because she had seen him quite undressed. However, whenever she touched him, she noticed that he was cold. The torrent of exactitude hit her hard as a painful blow to the stomach. It was obvious that he was cold: he was dead. Otherwise, how could he have gone to Hell? A sense of strangeness took over her. The boy who she loved was nothing more than a... corpse? She tried to lighten that conclusion with a crazy comparison: if she had discovered that he was a vampire as the Cullen's in the Stephanie Meyers' story, would she have minded about it that much? Edward had also said to Bella that he wasn't one of the good guys, but he had shown that, within the supernatural sphere, he was benign. Would Lucas be like that? She could not forget that he had saved her twice, and she felt that he had been sincere when he told her that he loved her. To her misfortune, she responded entirely.

Thinking about her accidents drew her to other points on the list. Lucas had told her that all the bad things that had happened to her were his fault. Why would he think that? Would he guess that, for being a demon, he attracted bad luck to her? Or would he know beforehand that some evil force wanted to attack her and felt guilty for not being able to protect her? She had no idea... Her head was spinning at super speed: there were too many things happening at the same time and she didn't feel able to assimilate everything properly. On top of that, the tears kept falling, causing her eyes to burn. When she realized it, she was sobbing nonstop and her back shuddered in panting spasms, as if she had just received news of the death of someone close to her. In a way, she had just lost someone - her beloved one. She was lacerated inside.

The memory that she wasn't alone in the house made her swallow all her sorrow and force herself to be quiet. Marina shut down the laptop and devoted herself to choose her clothes for the next day, in an attempt to distract herself; however, her mind didn't slow down. With her eyes still burning, she lay down in bed, pulled the blanket to her shin and remained very still, listening to the night noises. The precipitation had returned to fall, which was unusual, taking into account how closed the fog was when she had returned home. It was as if the night was shedding the tears that she could no longer weep. Although she was exhausted, her heavy eyelids refused to close so as not to miss one bit of her personal living nightmare.

Several hours later, she heard her mother leaving to go to work. She had been unable to sleep a wink all night and felt worn out. Even so, she decided to get up at once and to prepare for school. She put on the clothes she had picked at random the night before and tied her hair in the usual pony-tail. Although she knew that she should look awful and that she had dark circles so profound that it seemed she had been punched in both eyes, she didn't apply any makeup. Who doesn't want to see it, have better not look, she grunted inside.

Marina headed to the kitchen, where, over a long period, she swung the spoon over the bowl of cereal, dipping it occasionally in the milk while holding her head with the other hand. She had passed the entire night trying to put her ideas in order. She had made two decisions: the first one was to confront Lucas with what she had unraveled; the second was to get away from him. He had warned her that it was unsafe to have him around, and she simply hadn't paid attention. Now that she was aware of the harsh reality, she knew it was the best thing to do, no matter how this weighed on her heart. Part of her wasn't interested in the nature of Lucas: what did it matter when she was certain that his love for her was sincere? Being happy wasn't the most important thing? For her, it was. Still, she felt betrayed, since she had given him several opportunities to confess, but he had never revealed much about himself. Things didn't have to get to that point.

The sound of someone knocking at the door made her jump; it would be Joshua to go to school together. She threw the rest of the cereals into the trash and to her room to get her things. The diary on the blanket caught her attention: it was in it that she had taken note of all the conclusions she arrived at. She hesitated, but ended up snagging it and walking out the door.

After crossing the doorway, Marina greeted Joshua. He was startled with her looks and made a grimace. Concerned, he asked, "Are you ok?"

In a low tone, she replied, "Kinda. Last night was a nightmare. I didn't sleep a single hour."

"And may I ask you why?"

He could ask, but she didn't intend to answer with frankness. She didn't want to mention Lucas, since she didn't feel like hearing the annoying 'I told you so.' Joshua had indeed warned her, but just because he wanted her for himself and not for thinking his opponent was a demon. By way of justification, Marina whispered, "I didn't sleep, because I was sick and I still am."

It wasn't false. The nervousness and the disappointment had combined together so violently, that her stomach became a tangle of knots.

Joshua frowned to her explanation and commented, "It must have been indigestion. The pizza made you ill?"

It must have been the crow I had to swallow after getting home, thought Marina to herself, but she didn't say it to avoid more questions. She shrugged, as if she didn't know what had left her like that.

Upon seeing her so downcast, Joshua dared to ask her in a playful tone, "In that case, do you mind if today I'm the one trying to cheer you up?"

Marina drafted a grin close to a smile. He had every reason in the world to be upset with her, yet there he was, joining her to go to school, as she had requested, and trying to make her smile. He was undoubtedly the right kind of guy for her. She should have decided to be with him: it was the most correct and it would have prevented much suffering to both. She went to him and gave him a short and sensitive hug, while saying, "Thanks for everything. And of course you can try to cheer me up."

The embrace eventually cheered him up more than her.

All the way to school, Joshua narrated the rest of his night after Marina's departure. The girl, however, heard almost nothing since she was so distracted.

When they arrived at the school, Marina gulped and tried to control the tremor in her legs. At any moment she could bump into Lucas. How to react when she met him? She had no strength to face right in the morning. Seeking for a temporary refuge, she coughed and asked, "Joshua, I still don't feel very well. Would you mind if I lean a little more on you?"

"Sure, no problem."

He raised his right arm and placed it on her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. Marina thought it was very good to feel his warm body next to hers – he was the perfect support.

They entered the school lobby and found Ana waiting for them along with Dennis. Seeing them coming in together, Ana put on an expression of fun and asked them, kidding, "What did I miss last night? What's the news?"

Joshua giggled at the effrontery of his 'sister-in-law'. Reluctantly, he ended up explaining that Marina was sick, hence she was debilitated and in need of his help. Ana nodded. She believed Joshua, after all she only had to take a look at Marina to see that she wasn't feeling well. The dinner's pizza hadn't harmed her, but Marina could have a sensitive stomach. Anyway, Ana wished the news was about something else instead, related to Marina and Joshua.

While the friends were talking, Lucas showed up, coming from the bar. Marina's heart accelerated so much amid its splinters that she had to divert her sight and put a hand on her chest to order it to return to normal. The boy's countenance got serious at the glimpse of Joshua's arm around her shoulders. Maybe he had been hurt... Ashamed, Marina sank more into Joshua's chest, hiding from Lucas.

When Lucas entered the hallway, Marina freed herself from the protection of Joshua's arm, and said, "Guys, gotta go to the locker. Are you going to the classroom or are you going to wait here?"

"We'll wait here. Do you need me to go with you?" offered Joshua.

"No, thank you. I'll be right back."

As she walked away, Marina released a sigh of relief. She hated to hide stuff from her friends, and trying to disguise what she had felt when she saw Lucas hadn't been easy either. She had to remain as rational as possible, since the worst was still to come.

She opened the locker and removed the rucksack with the material for the morning subjects. She returned to her friends to go to the classroom; they found the teacher opening the door. Joshua was the first of the group to go in, followed by Marina and Ana. Lucas, who was already at his desk, stared at Marina with a harsh and severe air. Marina clenched her jaw and tried not to look at him.

The reaction of the two of them didn't escape Ana. When she leaned back in her seat, she asked Marina, "But didn't you and Lucas reach an understanding? I don't get it."

"What do you want me tell you? Things came to an end faster than they started," replied Marina while making a Herculean effort to stay under control. She couldn't dare lose the domain of herself in a classroom.

The next minute, volunteer students started to read the part of the 'St. Anthony's Sermon to the Fishes' that was their homework. Such reading made Marina's eyelids grow heavy; the more she tried to concentrate, the more tired she became. She had spent the night in bed for nothing and now she was sleepy? How frustrating.

To hear the bell ringing was an amazing balm. The next lesson was in the same room, but Marina was so distraught that she took the backpack with her when she left. She and Ana went to the bar so that Ana could eat something; as for her, she still had no appetite and her stomach was so tight, that she thought it was best not to venture into what was lost from the start. Marina settled at a table and waited for her friend who, five minutes later, was sitting next to her enjoying a cake stuffed with egg jelly.

Noticing that she was still pale-faced, besides seeming that she was dying to sleep, Ana questioned, "Don't you want a soda? It is good for your digestion. Or a cup of coffee, maybe. You look like you'll fall asleep at any time. It works wonders for me! If you want, I can get you one."

"Honestly, I think that whatever goes in my stomach will get out in no time. But you're right, I'm about to fall asleep. I'm going to the toilet to wet my face to wake up. See you in class, okay?"

Ana acquiesced while she took a bite of the cake.

Marina dragged herself down the corridor, her legs two heavy trunks. She was so tired that she would fall asleep for sure if she leaned against a wall. Finally she reached the girls' bathroom. She headed to the sink, opened the tap and washed her face. The water was cold, but it wasn't enough to wake her up. It was hopeless; she needed to rest. She locked herself in one of the toilet stalls, lowered the toilet lid and sat down. There were still a few minutes before the bell, so she could close her eyes, just a little bit, to shoo the sleep away. She supported her arms on her knees and laid her head on her arms. Less than thirty seconds later, she was sleeping deeply.

The school bell rang six times, but not even that made her move from her spot. Only the insistent sound of banging on the door caught her attention at long last.

"Come on, Marina, I know you're in there," complained Ana. "I already peeked under the door and I recognized your boots. Come out of there!"

Marina stirred in an uncomfortable movement, sore from being in that position for so long. She unlocked the door, left the cubicle and walked to the sink to splash her face with water once more. She found Ana with her arms crossed, her foot tapped continuously on the scratched tiles on the floor, as she showed a severe air.

Marina rolled her eyes and mumbled, "OK, mommy, don't stress! We're going to class right away to put up with the Geography teacher and characterize cereal systems. It will be exciting. Yay!"

Ana made a sharp grimace of unpleasantness and pointed at her imagery wristwatch in a furious gesture.

Marina took the phone from her pocket to see the time and was startled. "Already?! I cannot believe I slept so long! I thought I had just shut my eyes for five minutes."

"Yeah, but you missed Geography and History classes", shouted Ana. "The teachers asked for you and I didn't know what to tell them, after all we'd just been together. Do you have any idea of the scare you just gave me? Joshua and I searched the whole school for you."

Stammering, Marina replied, "S-sorry, I didn't do it on purpose. I was super tired, so I closed my eyes for a brief moment and ended up falling asleep."

Ana shook her head from side to side. She snorted once again and left the bathroom followed by her friend, who was still rubbing her eyes. When they reached the lobby, they stopped next to Joshua, who also seemed quite worried. Seeing Marina, he took a deep breath of relief and welcomed her with open arms. He gave her a mighty hug, printing his body on hers until it hurt.

With the air running short after that squeeze, Marina said, "Whoa! Down, boy. I'm fine. In fact, I apologize to you both. I didn't do it on purpose."

"Where did you find her?" he asked to Ana.

"In the ladies-room, where she had told me she was going two hours ago. Can you believe that she was having a nap there?" Ana proclaimed, as if the idea was the last to cross her mind.

Hey! I'm right here, Marina grumbled inside. What did they expect? Her eyelids hadn't shut all night, and hearing the sermon in the Portuguese lesson made her even sleepier. However, and by contrast, she felt really awake now, as the crucial moment of the day was approaching.

The crystalline sound of Joshua laughing made her come back to reality. She paid a little more attention and heard him saying, "I mean, we were both so worried about you and, after all, you were in the toilet snoozing?"

Marina shrugged. If a few days ago someone had told her that she would have a siesta in the school bathroom, she would have called that person crazy. In fact, if someone had told her that a colleague had done it, she would have said that that person should have stayed at home. Nevertheless, that wasn't an option: there were things to do and she couldn't afford to postpone them.

Thrusting her thumbs into her trouser pockets, Marina said, "You know what? That little nap worked like magic. I'm not sleepy now, nor feel my stomach spinning. I'm even hungry, so I'll have lunch. And you, Ana, are you going to meet Dennis?"

Both Ana and Joshua wrinkled their noses. They were happy that she was feeling better, but they thought that she shouldn't be alone. What if she became sick again, who would help her?

Ana shook her head and affirmed, "No, ma'am. I'm staying here with you."

"No, you won't. You don't even have a ticket for lunch. Go eat in peace, and I promise that when you come back, I'll be sitting out there, on our bench. Seriously, sleeping was the best thing I did. It cured all ills."

Not all actually, but one of them had faded. She wished that sleeping was the best remedy for everything... It would be excellent if the bad things that she had found out were nothing but a nightmare from which she could wake up.

Joshua decided to intervene and to establish a meeting point for the interests of them all. "How about this: Ana has lunch with my brother. And you, Marina, go to the canteen. I'll have lunch at home, but I'll come back earlier and we'll meet at the bench outside. Everyone's happy that way, right?"

Ana pretended to be annoyed, though the proposal was tempting. She could have lunch with her boyfriend with no stress, once she knew that Joshua would fulfill his promise and wouldn't take long at home. As for Joshua's hypothesis of coming back sooner, it didn't please Marina. She had no idea how long her conversation would take with Lucas, which meant that, as soon as both her friends left the campus, she had to rush.

"Okay. It's fine with me," Ana said at last.

"It's a deal then," announced Joshua, smiling. "See you later, Marina?"

Although a little grumpy, Marina made an effort to behave and answered, "Yeah. Go now, because I want to go eat too."

Joshua withdrew his arm from her waist and headed to the exit with Ana. Once alone, Marina went to her locker, where she gathered her lunch ticket and her cell phone. Despite being hesitant about doing it, she ended up picking up the notebook with her last night theories and took it with her.

The path to the back of the canteen revealed itself too painful, especially when the day before it had been the trail to her happiness. She had spent the whole night thinking her speech, but still she didn't know what to tell Lucas. Perhaps her notes could help her.

When she got to her destination, she saw him. Lucas walked nervously from side to side. Would he be worried about her disappearing or would he be uneasy by knowing that she had discovered who he was? Gosh! She wanted so bad to go to him, hug him, tell him that she didn't mind that he's a demon, and that they could still stay together. However, she couldn't do it: he had deliberately deceived her and even when she had given him the opportunity to talk about himself, he had preferred to hide everything. She stepped into his shoes for a split second: if it was her, probably she wouldn't tell him anything either, in fear of his reaction. Stop making excuses. You have to get away from him now, she scolded to herself.

As if sensing her presence, Lucas turned in her direction and relaxed temporarily. Marina halted in place and saw him draw a warm smile as he began to run towards her. Resolute, she signaled him to stop where he was. He obeyed and assumed a tougher stance, not understanding what was happening.

Trying to control the shaking that wanted to seize her voice, she asked him, "Stay where you are. I'll come to you."

Lucas gulped and began to recede little by little to the last pole of the roof that covered the back of the building.

Marina shut her eyes for an instant, seeking to reunite the last shreds of courage within her. When she turned to open them, she went up to him with no rush. She stopped by the first pole, as she feared that, if she got any closer, she would feel too tempted to go back on her decision.

Both remained silent for a while, till Lucas questioned, "Are you okay? You vanished, just like that. I was worried about you."

Marina got irritated. What did it matter that she had fallen asleep in the WC, when there was so much at stake to discuss? She breathed deeply to assume a cold posture and tighten her grip on the notebook in her hand. In a low voice, she responded, "I'm fine. I just had a little nap and ended up missing classes. It's just, you know, yesterday I couldn't sleep after receiving the upsetting birthday gift that Barbatos gave me."

Lucas frowned. He remembered her mentioning in her text that the demon had visited her. He had inferred that everything was well, and she herself had confirmed so. In a serious tone, he said, "According to what you wrote, he only bugged you with the usual talk about missions, deadlines and having to pay for it."

Unexpectedly, Marina laughed, while she looked to the sky, incredulous. Could it be possible that he didn't understand what was going on? Nervous, she retorted, "Yes, basically that's what happened. But the most interesting, and what really annoyed me, was the fact that he called me dumb with the utmost audacity."

"You are not dumb," assured Lucas.

"I also don't think I'm stupid. I was just blinded by passion, which is understandable."

Marina shook when pronouncing those words. 'Blinded by passion?' She was admitting that she loved him. She could not do it when her goal was precisely the opposite. She had to speak with her mind and not her heart, since both diverged and walked in opposite directions.

The girl inspired with impatience, exhaled slowly. She flipped open her diary and focused on it. "After sending you the text, I decided to prove Barbatos that I'm not stupid. I did some research on the Internet and guess what: I know he's a Duke of Hell, who has thirty legions led by four kings. Along with two other demons, he's one of the 'thugs' of the big boss Astaroth, who responds directly to Lucifer himself. Wow, huh? He's no haunting, but a demon, and one quite powerful."

Lucas stiffened when he heard that. A flash of constriction mirrored in his eyes. If, on one hand, he was proud of what she had done, even because he'd like her to know what they were dealing with, on the other, he'd prefer her to stay in ignorance and continue with her simple life. However, he was fully aware that she could never have a normal life if he stuck around.

He merely muttered, "I never said that he was a haunting."

The fury Marina had endeavored to try to slumber began to simmer within, prompting her to walk from one side to another, as she spoke as if she was wandering. "Yeah, I said it myself in my ignorance. But you know what made me feel a major sucker? Not seeing what was before my eyes and to completely ignore the words I was told."

"I don't understand..." whispered Lucas.

"No? Let's put two and two together then. When I asked you what you were, you answered me with exactly the same words with which Barbatos classified you twice." Marina pinned her accusing eyes on the page where she had transcribed the definition copied from the Internet, swallowed hard and read, "Lost Ones: ex-mortals transformed by Perdition, i.e., the one who goes to Hell gradually loses humanity and what remains of good in him, eventually becoming a demon."

While listening to her, Lucas sank violently against the wall and slipped down along it until reaching the cement floor. His eyes were bulging and his mouth opened in amazement.

Marina ignored him and moved to him as she increased the intensity of her reading. When she finished, she laughed. She decided not to disarm and expose everything at once, "This was the Internet definition, but I decided to check it out, and just listen to what conclusions I came to. Point one: you told me that you were as malevolent as a demon, when you're a Lost One, meaning a fiend. Point two: you faltered when I asked if you were a fallen angel, after all you must know quite well the most famous of all, taking into account that you come from Hell, huh? Also, coming from Hell explains your scars. Another point is related to the fact that you're always cold. How could you be warm if you're dead? Should I continue? It's better to stop here, since it's more than proved that the enunciation is correct."

The last part of the speech made her wince. If he was dead, she had lost him at the very beginning. The death symbolized the end of life; what future could she have with someone who already didn't have one? She tore the sheets that contained her theories - they weren't necessary any longer; she had discovered who Lucas was.

Marina went closer to Lucas and knelt beside him. She wasn't afraid. He was a fiend, but she had no doubt that he would never hurt her at a physical level; psychologically, the damage was irreversible and therefore it didn't count – he couldn't hurt her more than he already did. Lucas kept his head down, hiding his face. Marina wondered if he would be ashamed of being who he was, or if he didn't want to face her after she had discovered all that. She put her hand to his chin and lifted his face to stare into his eyes. To her surprise, Lucas was crying. Did a demon cry? It made no sense... She hastened to remove her hand and to focus instead on the sheets that she had plucked. She couldn't stand to see him like that. Her heart seemed to fragment even more for feeling that she was hurting him, but there was no turning back.

Defeated, Lucas murmured, "I told you I was a Lost One."

Marina stood up suddenly, as if she had been piqued with that sentence, and exploded, "Yes, Lucas, you told me. And when you saw that I missed the words due meaning, you didn't correct me. Indeed, how could you expect me to know what a Lost One was? There's virtually no information about it and I'm not an encyclopedia. Don't you get it, Lucas?" She pinched the bridge of her nose, fatigued. She let out a sharp sigh, crouched beside him again and explained, "It wasn't the notion of who you are that pushed us apart, but the fact that you have hidden it intentionally. I feel deceived and, mainly, disappointed."

Lucas leaned with his head to his knees, while he entwined his fingers around his head, in a sign of desperation. He simply adored her and didn't want to lose her. Still, he knew that he had already lost her. Maybe it would be better that way. Who knew if, they stayed away from each other, Barbatos would give up the fateful plans he had for her? No. He was at his service for too long to know that his master would never back down in his decision. She might want him away from her, but he couldn't do it, because she needed his protection. The bracelet she wore was nothing to Barbatos. It could protect her from an inferior demon with clear intention of harming her physically, but never from him - his powers were much stronger than that.

In a whisper, he said, "Okay, we can do things as you wish. I'll distance myself from you, but Barbatos..."

Lucas hadn't the time to finish the sentence. Marina got up hasty and angrily. He wanted to talk about Barbatos? They were talking about them, which meant much more to her. Couldn't he understand it? Marina flattened the sheets that she had torn and said in an ironic stab, "Barbatos? Let him and his legions come! It doesn't matter. If what he wants is to kill me, he doesn't need to bother, because you have already done it. You pulled out my heart from my chest, while it beat for you, Lucas. You...? You killed me." She threw him the squashed sheets and walked out of there, before she began to cry too.

The accusation had the desired effect: Lucas remained in the same place, unable to move, trapped in an invisible cage. Why follow her when she had said so explicitly that she didn't want him around? They were done... things between them had come to an end.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Marina ran to the stairs in front of the canteen door. She wanted to sit there and allow tears to fall freely, but she thought it better not to, otherwise she took the risk of not being able to the end them. In a bold stance, she went inside the canteen, grabbed a tray and served herself. She sat at a table and tried to focus only in what she was doing. She repeated within her the steps she had to follow: 'bring the spoon to the soup bowl, fill it with soup, bring the spoon to my mouth, pour the soup in my mouth, close my mouth, swallow'. It was ridiculous, but it occupied her thoughts and prevented her from thinking about Lucas. If she did so, she'd want to go back and unsay what was said. For Christ's sake, she grumbled inside. He had only been hers for a single day, it wasn't supposed to be that hard to be without him. Still, it hurt like Hell.

Half an hour later, she finished the meal. She followed in 'autopilot mode' to the most recent part of the school. It seemed that, somehow, life had nothing else to offer her – existence had lost its appeal. She stared at the sky: the extensive mass of gray clouds threatened to give way to a flood as soon as the wind ceased. She lowered her eyes and noticed that Ana was waiting at the usual cement bench. Marina looked at her phone display and discovered that the first lunch hour wasn't over. How awkward... Ana hadn't had the time to go out with her boyfriend and to return so soon. What was she doing there? Without explanation, seeing her long-time friend made her even sadder, maybe for not being able to tell her what was going on. She didn't want Barbatos to chase Ana just for knowing about his existence; it was better to keep her in ignorance. To Ana, that would be just another case of a broken heart. Thinking about what she had just lost made the tears come back. Ana noticed that she was weeping and welcomed her with open arms.

In between sobs, Marina questioned, "D-didn't you go to have lunch with Dennis?"

Ana shook her head and replied, "Of course not. Who better than me to recognize a broken heart, huh? I'd never have lunch outside knowing that my friend was so down."

"But I told you I was okay, that you could go."

"Yeah, but I also know that when we're like that, we want to look strong when everything within us is collapsing."

Marina wiped away the tears with a tissue, blew her nose, and lay down on Ana's lap. After swallowing a moan, she quizzed, "Do I look that bad?"

Ana pretended to be thoughtful. Hello! She just had to look at herself; she practically had a card hanging from her neck saying 'bad due to love issues'. She guessed she hadn't looked herself in the mirror that day... "Do you really want me to reply?" asked Ana. "I can tell by miles that you're not yourself today. First of all, you never got sick because of the food. Second, you missed two classes, which is a violation of your sacred principles. Third, you cry like hell; and fourth, your dark circles are the size of the world. Actually, you should have a cup of coffee before next class. Or two!"

Marina nodded. Drinking a coffee was a good idea, even because she didn't want to miss classes again for being sleepy. A bar of chocolate appeared in her peripheral vision, making her jump up in place.

"Go ahead, take a bit," offered Ana. "It's my personal remedy for heart problems. It cheers me up right away. And don't say I don't teach you anything!"

Marina thought about explaining that chocolate had properties that actually caused the cheerful feeling, nevertheless she chose to let Ana take credit for the theory. She grabbed the bar, broke two squares and put one in her mouth. She tried to return the rest to her friend, but she told her to keep it, since she needed it more than her.

"You're not going to tell me what happened, are you? I know it is related to the big bad wolf that wanted to devour you. And he ate your heart, didn't he?"

Marina breathed out a sigh. Ana was there for her, she had excused the boyfriend for this purpose, and had even brought her favorite balm for the soul. She didn't want to seem ungrateful, but she couldn't tell her everything. She swallowed the last square of chocolate and tried to synthesize what had happened, "Yes, it's related to him. We got closer and I found out that he's quite different than he appears to be. We got along, there was chemistry between us. Things progressed and, for a short time, I was happy."

"I believe you," stated Ana as she waved her head. "I remember you yesterday looking like you were at 'The Happiness Farm'. That even made some people jealous. You reminded me of one of those cartoons that have an annoying smile glued to its face all the time."

"Don't exaggerate," protested Marina. "The important thing is, I discovered that he had lied to me about a major point, and it shook the confidence I had in him."

Ana remained in silence, thinking for a few moments. She ended up saying, "It must have been a very serious lie, to make you give up on him... I plead guilty - I didn't give a penny for him. But after having seen him helping you in the canoeing class, and seeing you yesterday as if you had won the lottery, I changed my mind. I only regret that he disappointed you so much in so little time."

Marina shrugged in defeat, stared at the heavy firmament and shut up.

Ana respected her decision and didn't ask her any other questions. She knew what it was to lose trust in someone she liked. She'd had a boyfriend who cheated on her. Maybe Lucas was a womanizer like that scoundrel. If so, it was better not to talk about that issue, because being betrayed was horrible.

All of a sudden, Ana's eyes locked in the fence surrounding the school and the people passing by; Joshua was among them. In a hurry, she said to Marina, "The issue related to that evil guy is over. Joshua is coming and we won't talk about this, okay? If Lucas hurt you, let it go, because it would also hurt Joshua. You know he likes you a lot, don't you? Look, who knows whether the best remedy for a broken heart is a new love?"

Marina wanted to protest, to say that feelings didn't disappear from one moment to another; nevertheless, she gave up when she noticed that Joshua was near them. He seemed to be in good spirits and it was better not blow it.

"Hello! I'm here, so you can swap places with me, Ana. Dennis is waiting for you in the lobby, for you to get something to eat," Joshua announced.

Marina straightened on the bench so that Ana would get up and Joshua took her place. Once seated, he motioned for Marina to lie on his lap. It felt very good to spread out there, so she did what he proposed. Ana winked her eye and turned away to go to Dennis.

When Ana distanced herself, Joshua inquired, "How are you?"

"Better," assured Marina. "I'm not sleepy and my stomach seems to have settled down. Soon I'll go and have some coffee as Ana has suggested."

Joshua agreed. She should have drunk a cup of coffee after the first class, that way she wouldn't have been absent. If she ever spoke to him of insomnia again, he'd give her two or three coffees to avoid her from being sleepy during the day.

He began to fondle her hair. It was good, thus Marina decided to allow herself to relax. She closed her eyes and let go, while her soul eased and tried to paste all the pieces in which it had been broken. She knew, however, that it was impossible to do that, because Lucas had taken a huge part of her. What would become of her now that she had experienced the sweet taste of passion and lost it? She could foresee a complex labyrinth ahead.

The mellow and serene voice of Joshua in her ear made her unseal her eyelids. Marina found him laughing. She blinked and rubbed her eyes to get used to the afternoon clarity. She sat on the bench and stretched.

"So, you weren't sleepy, huh? It seems that the Sandman paid you an extra visit," joked Joshua.

Not understanding exactly what he meant by that, Marina took her phone and gazed at the display. It was almost time for the bell, which meant that she had fallen asleep. At least, it hadn't happened during a lesson. She scratched her forehead, ashamed, and whispered, "I was so relaxed that I entered into a lethargic state and look... it happened! I better go drink that coffee now, don't you think so?"

"Sure, let's go."

There were only three people in front of her in the queue, thus Marina didn't take long to be served. They sat at an empty table and she drank her coffee with ease. She felt much better. Although she continued to be bitter about what had happened with Lucas, she thought that the worst was over. It would be very hard to see him every day and knowing that, although she wanted him, she couldn't have him. Still, she had a plan: she'd return to her original goal of fighting for good grades, to get somewhere in the future.

Ana and Dennis arrived shortly after and Marina took the opportunity to observe them closely: they seemed happy and there was no evidence that the relationship's end was imminent. Maybe it would last. Perhaps Joshua was right when he had told her that she should have given him an opportunity. She could be with Joshua at that time and be as joyful as her friend. Life was about choices and she had made hers; now she had to withstand the consequences.

The bell protested loudly and called students back into classrooms. The four rose from the table, upset with the call. While the couple stood behind to pay a more private farewell, Marina and Joshua went to her locker and headed to the classroom. They didn't have to wait long, since the French teacher hadn't a habit of showing up late. Marina sat in place, her eyes on the door – she was expecting Lucas. It skimmed masochism, but she wanted to see how he was reacting to everything. Would he be as bad as she, or would he have pulled himself together at a glance, passing a certificate of lie to what happened between them? The resonance of the late bell dictated the end of her hope. Lucas didn't appear and he certainly wouldn't come to other classes that day. Maybe it was better that way.

The teacher insisted once more on the 'Subjonctif' tense, given that the written test was the following week. Marina went open-mouthed when the professor mentioned it. She was so unfocused that she had forgotten about any tests. Just in case, she asked Ana if they had any tests the next day, but she answered that she didn't remember. What did Marina expect? Usually, she was the one who reminded her when she had to study and not the other way around. At the recess, Joshua reminded them that the tests scheduled for next week were of French and Geography. Marina wrote down the dates in a notebook, while Ana remitted that information to the mental department entitled 'Marina-Will-Remind-Me-Of-This-Later'.

When they left school at the end of the day, Ana found her mother waiting for her; she said farewell and got into the Jeep. So much for the company to go to the store to buy a St. Bartholomew medal... The truth was that neither had spoken to her about it, so the blame was not hers. Maybe Joshua would go with her.

When they were approaching the stairs they would go down towards their homes, Marina told him, "I'm not going that way. I have to pass by a shop a little further ahead to buy something. I won't take long. You can come with me if you want, but if you don't feel like it, I understand."

"It's okay, I'll go with you," volunteered the boy. "I have nothing else to do either."

They walked in silence to the shop. When they got there, they got in. While Joshua got lost viewing the various products for sale with curiosity, Marina walked to the small counter. Once again she was received by the woman who had made her the bracelet. Seeing her, the clerk nodded her head in recognition. She rested her elbows on the counter, locking her fingers in front of her, and said, "Good-afternoon, miss. Back, huh? Come to look for something stronger?"

"Maybe. I wanted a small medal of St. Bartholomew to add to my bracelet."

The woman acquiesced and disappeared into the tiny box room. When she returned, she brought along a box in shades of orange. She placed it carefully on the glass surface of the counter, opened the lid, and devoted herself to search for the medal she wanted. Joshua withdrew to the outside meanwhile, since the fact of the building being so petite made him feel a little claustrophobic.

An "aha!" indicated to Marina that the employee had found the right medal. The woman made a sign for her to take off the bracelet and hand it to her. She inspected the object carefully, studying where the new accessory could be incorporated, but ended up shaking her head. "You can't add the medal, except on the bracelet lock. Let's try it. Bring your wrist closer."

Marina stretched her arm and the woman put the bracelet around her wrist. Before closing the clasp, she put the ring of the medal through it and released the lock. The girl pulled her arm back and observed the combination of the two objects to make sure that she wouldn't lose the image easily. It didn't seem like it would fall just like that; she just had to take extra care when removing the bracelet.

The employee sighed, drawing her attention. Embarrassed for having ignored her for a while, Marina asked, "How much is it?"

The clerk indicated the price and Marina took a note from her wallet to pay.

Before saying goodbye, the clerk commented, "It seems that you're involved with very serious stuff. I wish you only good luck and that everything goes well for you."

"Thank you," appreciated Marina while heading to the street.

She found Joshua perched on the wall in front of the store, waiting for her. Watching her cross the jamb, he jumped the bulwarks and went to her. "Are you ready?" he quizzed with his legendary smile printed on his face.

"Yes, we can go."

"And aren't you going to tell me what you bought?"

Marina lifted the bracelet up to his eyes and showed him the medal. She waited for him to ask the meaning of it, but he only commented that it was cute and matched the wrist-let.

It was time to go home, but Joshua's plans were different from Marina's. Shyly, he folded his arms behind his head and, in a restrained and cautious tone, said, "I was thinking... I know you probably want to be alone, but I believe that my company would do you some good, so I have a suggestion for you."

Marina signaled him to continue. He was right, she wanted to be alone, yet he was even more right when he said that his company would be an asset. She shouldn't get isolated, that would only depress her more.

"What do you think of us going to my house, making some pancakes and then do homework? I mean, I'll do the Philosophy's while you copy Ana's notes. If you want, I can even explain things better to you. After that, we can study for next week's tests. How does that sound to you?"

Excellent! She needed a program closer to normal as possible, and spending the afternoon studying was once usual for her. That year, she was having some difficulty getting into the work rhythm, but everything had happened to her, from accidents to finding love, not to mention the persecution of Barbatos. By chance, he still hadn't visited her that day. She hoped that it would continue like that – she would rather swallow glass than see him.

Noting that Joshua was still awaiting a response, Marina affirmed, "It seems very good to me. I've been too distracted and I need to recover. A good study session is just what I need."

Joshua chuckled. He would rather go for a walk or eat out with her. Study wasn't the best program and he definitely was no nerd. He only studied for tests the day before and it was enough, after all he had excellent grades. Anyway, if the program was ideal for her, it would also be for him.

"We can go down by this road here," suggested Marina.

"Really? I haven't walked through this area yet and it's your fault, because you still haven't given me the second tour," he alleged, kidding.

"I know, but don't worry. Soon we'll work that out. Let's go then?"

To his OK, they turned right at the next intersection and went down. A little further ahead it was familiar ground, so Joshua led the rest of the way.

They didn't take long to get to his house. They opened the door and found Dennis lying on the couch watching television, wearing only shorts and a t-shirt. Seeing him like that sent a chill up Marina's spine, as she thought that it was too cold to be dressed like that. A twinge of sadness ran through her when she recalled that, just a few days ago, she had slept with a short nightgown, typical for summer... with Lucas at her side.

Dennis only learnt that he wasn't alone when his brother threw his backpack at him, making him protest vehemently. "Hey, man! Knock it off!"

"You wished! We're going to make pancakes. Do you want some too?"

Dennis promptly jumped from the couch, showing that he didn't mind having some.

Joshua asked, "Sit down, Marina. Today, the men of the house are going to cook."

His younger brother tried to disagree with the information, but was surprised by the cookbook that Joshua shot at him. It would have hit him on his forehead if he hadn't such good reflexes.

Marina sat at the table. That should be interesting, though having two men in the kitchen didn't inspire her much trust.

Dennis made her jump when he let the cookbook drop down with a bang in front of her. "Come on, do something! Read the recipe," he ordered.

She looked at the book. She read it first to herself and felt reticent. Maybe she should do that and not them. Had they cooked anything before in their lives? Reluctant, she asked, "Uh, guys... are you sure you want to do this? I can cook."

"No way," rejected Dennis. "Besides, Joshua is a great cook. You should try his Italian pasta. Very tasty! And don't forget that he has the best assistant of all time - me!"

Marina would never have suspected of such culinary gifts, but the idea pleased her. Joshua, in the words of his brother, was an awesome chef. It wasn't the most impartial review, but what mattered was that the kitchen wasn't unknown territory to him.

Responding to the challenge launched by Dennis, Marina read the recipe aloud, "150gr flour, a teaspoon of baking powder, 50gr of margarine, 50gr of sugar, 200ml milk, two eggs and half teaspoon of salt."

The reading obeyed to several pauses, giving the boys time to make the respective measurements and weights.

While Dennis mixed everything, Joshua crouched to rummage in one of the cupboards. When he turned to stand up, he carried a small black-painted machine. Upon seeing her curious air, he explained, "It's the machine my mom uses to make waffles, but the pancakes can have the same shape, right?"

Marina smiled and lifted her shoulders up and down. The shape of the pancakes didn't seem important.

Dennis was in charge of pouring the mixture from the bowl to the pancake machine, while Joshua assumed command of the stove to melt the chocolate. Marina couldn't help but to marvel as she saw him putting a pot on the ceramic hob. Maybe Dennis was right... she just had to wait for the outcome.

The prepared mix yielded six pancakes, two to each. Joshua took three dishes out of the closet and shared the pancakes out for them, pouring over them a generous layer of chocolate. After placing the cutlery on the table, he sat down.

"You're the first one to taste them," said Joshua turning to Marina.

She blinked. They had done all the work and still wanted her to give her approval before they ate theirs. She frowned as if asking them if they were sure, whereby Dennis added, "Yep, you taste it. If it's no good, I won't eat it. It seems that you got the bad part of the Christmas cake."

Cleaver boy! If that was the idea, they were taking advantage of her. Anyway, and after all their work, it was the least she could do. Marina cut a piece of pancake, and put it in her mouth. She felt uncomfortably observed while chewing, but she did it with no rush, like a true food taster. At last, she nodded her head and said, "Okay, if you don't want yours, I'll eat them, because they are very good!"

The brothers burst out laughing and attacked theirs. Marina had told the truth: the pancakes were quite good and soon they disappeared into their bellies.

After clearing the kitchen, Dennis returned to his post on the sofa, while Joshua invited Marina to his bedroom. A problem emerged when they crossed the door: there was a single chair at the desk. Besides, the table was too small for the two of them to work on. Joshua solved the matter quickly, making her a sign to sit at the desk as he took his shoes off and installed on the bed.

Not even a minute had passed since they were there, when the boy remembered, "Damn, I'm such an idiot! The Philosophy notebook is there, in the midst of the others."

He got up with a jump and went to the desk to search for the diary. As he did it, he was so close to the girl that she could smell the delicious aroma of his perfume. I wish this was the scent I desire, Marina lamented. She couldn't deny that he had made her falter, and that he was a remarkable candidate to the title of 'best boyfriend in the universe'. She also had no doubts of what he felt for her, given the evidence he had already provided her. Now that she wasn't with Lucas, who knew if her heart would follow Ana's advice and reconstruct itself with another love? Maybe, but, at the moment, she wasn't prepared for that - her whole being still belonged entirely to Lucas. To abstract herself from inopportune thoughts, she took her phone and sent a text to her mother, saying that she was studying at her friend's house and would get home by dinner time.

Joshua finally found the notebook and returned to the bed. He lay down on his side, supported on one elbow, and began flipping the pages. Marina stared at him from the corner of her eye and smiled: he was very sexy and attractive, period. Feeling observed, Joshua looked up to her. Marina didn't bother to hide what she was doing. This pleased him greatly, since it nourished his hope that, one day, she would forget Lucas and would be his.

Decided to focus on studying, Marina rolled on the chair and pulled the material out of the bag to start copying the notes. Ana hadn't taken great notes from classes. Basically, she had copied the summary and written down the pages of the book in which were the matters that had been studied. That way, Marina would need the books, which was a problem, since she had left hers at school.

With no other choice, she asked, "Josh, can you lend me your History book? I have Geography's, but I didn't bring History's, because I had no idea I would need it."

The boy's face lit up, making him blaze. Marina found his reaction odd and questioned him about what was happening. Was there something special about asking him if he had his History book at home to lend her? He laughed and explained, "You called me Josh."

So what? Wasn't that the diminutive of his name? He had been the one who told her to call him that. Confused, she stammered, "Y-yes, I called you Josh. That's what you said your friends called you. What? Did I do something wrong?"

"No. I'm just glad that you've finally decided that we both belong to the same circle of friends," Joshua said, extending his grin.

She considered him a friend for a long time, it wasn't something that she had just decided as he seemed to insinuate. Simply the word had escaped her; it wasn't intentional or something thought. However, she was too accustomed to call him 'Joshua', therefore she warned, "I'm glad you're happy, but hold the fireworks, because I'm used to calling you Joshua, and that's how it will continue to be. It just came out this time. Please, don't be upset if I call you Joshua, okay?"

"You can call me whatever you want. By the way, the History book is there, in the corner of the desk."

Marina searched for the manual and found it at the indicated place. She thanked him and turned to front, to check the pages indicated by Ana. She hoped they matched, since her colleague was so distracted.

When Marina finished the resumes, Joshua was long listening to music on his MP3. Curious, she waved at him till he looked at her and pulled out one earphone. When he did so, she questioned, "What are you listening to?"

"Wretch 32, 'Traktor'."

Marina grimaced and queried, "Really? I had no idea you liked that kind of music."

"I have a very varied taste. Plus, you can make a great choreography out of this music. Do you want me to show you?"

Marina agreed and Joshua climbed vigorously off the bed to connect the MP3 to a pair of columns from an old computer. The music sounded too high, making Marina's brain shake with the trepidation. The boy jumped to the part of the room in front of the window, which was more stripped of furniture, perhaps on purpose for him to dance whenever he wanted. And he was quite good at that! He moved like a pro from those videos from MTV.

When he finished, Marina cheered him with a standing ovation. "Yes, sir. You're a terrific dancer."

"Thanks, but merit isn't just mine. In America, I attended a different school. I'm not sure how it is called here. School of performing arts?"

Marina's mouth popped open. "Shut up! Seriously? Cool! That explains a lot. It's a shame that here, at school, you can't develop your talent. But wait a second. Why didn't you choose the dance workshop instead?"

Joshua put a hand to his chest and put on a mask of panic, while claiming, "And risk me being eaten by those girls all hungry for a partner? Do you have any idea on how many guys attend that workshop? Two! They look like lionesses struggling for them. Do you think I'd get away with such punishment? Besides, I dance because I like it, and not for wanting to be a dancer, which I don't."

Joshua unplugged the MP3 from the speakers and sat on his bed. Marina began to put her things in the backpack. Watching what she was doing, the boy inquired, "You're leaving? We didn't even study for tests."

"I know, but it's getting late and my mom has been sick. I better get going and cook dinner while she rests. Besides, I've studied a little when I was making the summaries. Sorry, but I think I better leave now."

Joshua gasped and whispered something imperceptible. He turned to rise, this time to escort her to the exit. He asked her if she wanted him to take her home, but she rejected the offer, claiming that she preferred him to go to school with her the next morning. They said farewell and she left.

The sun had just set; soon the temperature would come down a pike. Most likely, it was going to be another night of cold and thick fog. The clouds seemed stable, therefore Marina doubted that it would rain. Based on this assumption, she should get home dry.

When she firmed her feet on the side walk after the gate, Marina evoked to her memory the episode of the night before. Would Barbatos be waiting for her again? She scanned the area in a glance and appealed to her sixth sense. The demon shouldn't be around, as she heard no bells rebating inside, nor had goose bumps. The street itself hadn't the fearsome aspect that it had assumed before: the cars passed by often, dazzling her with headlights of doubtful tones, and, once or twice, she sighted someone moving to an uncertain fate. She could move on in free from strife. Since she had somehow come to terms with the river railing, she moved towards it. She passed by the pedestrian bridge and didn't feel scared, to her delight - she was at peace with herself. A hurricane had devastated her world recently, but she was getting ready for the reconstruction phase.

Marina walked with steady paces for a while, until she stopped in front of the skate park, a place from where she had such good memories. Before Lucas, she had never given it much attention, since she wasn't a fan of skateboarding. Lucas... She didn't hate Lucas and would never be able to abhor him. She refused to deny the happy moments they had spent together. Why would she? They had been great, period. On impulse, she sat on the rail, while she observed the half-pipe illuminated by several powerful spotlights. She recalled the day spent with Lucas on the bench nearby, and the jokes they had told while lying on the grass. For a demon, he had a good repertoire, a lot better than hers. Truth be told, she was no good at making others laugh... except when she did ridiculous figures, albeit unintentionally.

The sound of skateboard wheels rolling over the surface of the half-pipe caught her attention. She leaned against the wall lamp and stood there, watching the boy who slid and made moves as gracefully as a true professional.

"Um, he's almost as good as Lucas," Marina thought aloud.

As if hearing his name, he jumped off the skateboard, stopped and turned to her. Marina thought that attitude was strange, so she arose from the railing and tried to focus better the face of the boy who was on the other side. The distance that separated them, the darkness of the night and the unusual shine that the park spotlights granted him, all concealed his identity to a distracted passer-by, but she needed to be told nothing. The guy on the other side was Lucas, she had no doubts. After speaking with him that afternoon, she thought that they might not meet again so soon. Nonetheless, there he was.

Lucas moved to the grass area in slow steps and stopped near the water. Marina noticed him making a gesture, but she didn't understand what it was. Moments later, her phone rang; she had received a message from him. She opened it and read, 'I will love you for all eternity.' A sneaking tear escaped down her face. She ended up smiling just to contradict it, after all the content was a motive for happiness in other circumstances. She stared at the device for a few seconds, till she wrote the answer, 'So will I, Lucas'. She saw him shortly after grabbing the phone to read what she had replied. As he did so, Marina repeated the same words in a low voice, "So will I, Lucas. So will I..."

She had spoken too low, but even so he heard her, as the wind had carried her words to his super sensitive ears, one more gift that she didn't know about.

Marina waved him a shy goodbye. She allowed herself to release a small and painful moan, and retraced her steps back home. When she looked to the other side, Lucas had disappeared. That's how things ended between them – with no yelling or promises of revenge, only resignation and a goodbye.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The clock showed 9.40a.m when it rang. Marina protested and turned it off abruptly. She didn't want to get out of bed. Although she had slept well and felt rejuvenated, she was cranky. It was the first day of the 'post-Lucas' era. She suspected that she wouldn't find him at school and tried to convince herself that it might be for the best. He was no regular student and his interests weren't in studying, while the opposite applied to her. Finally, she left the valley of sheets, got dressed, and went to the kitchen for breakfast.

Before returning to the bedroom, Marina felt compelled to peek through the living room window. She stared across the visible extension of the river's wall. There was no sign of Lucas. More likely, he would not return there any time soon. Marina shook her head, renouncing all ideas and thoughts about Lucas, and went to the bedroom to get her rucksack. She heard someone knocking at the door; it would be Joshua. When she opened the door, her nose almost collided with a red rose that he held out to her, smiling triumphantly.

Surprised, Marina stammered, "W-what is this?"

Joshua gazed at the rose, shrugged and replied with irony, "According to the easily observable parameters, I'd say it's a rose, correct?"

Marina blinked her eyes to be sure of what she was seeing. Joshua was offering her a red rose? Everything indicated yes, except there was something that didn't fit right. She believed that he was a very romantic guy, capable of such gestures, however, and given how things went between them, offering roses was out of the equation. Her memory was didn't take long to recall similar episodes related to that flower. She rolled her eyes, took the alleged offer off Joshua, and put it in the glass with the others in her room. The rose was from Lucas.

When she went out and locked the door, she said to Joshua, "Thanks, but I know it wasn't you who brought the rose. You found it on the doorstep."

Playing around, Joshua pretended to be offended, "My dear, do you think I'd offer you a rose? I would give you a whole bunch of them!"

Marina tried to ease her grumpiness and endeavored to accept the situation in a playful way too. She winked an eye and said, "Did you think you would get away with it, huh?"

"No," the boy replied. "Besides, I never said it was from me. And, by the way, how did you know where I had found it?"

That sentence left Marina embarrassed and her cheeks turned red. Then she answered, "Simple. It's not the first one. It is from... huh, a secret admirer."

Joshua frowned, displeased. He had just gotten rid of Lucas and already another guy was hanging around his beloved? He had to get close to her quickly. He thought that he had plenty of time, but maybe he was wrong. He decided to clear the doubts hammering in his head and quizzed, "You have a secret admirer?"

Marina swallowed hard. There was no secret admirer. She knew who had left the rose there, but she would not reveal it to him. It was something that only concerned her, so she decided to lie, "I'm not the one who has a secret admirer, is my mom's."

"And how do you know that?" asked Joshua, feeling suspicious.

"Because the first rose came with a card, duh!"

Joshua wasn't convinced, yet the story had slipped out of her mouth so naturally that he considered that maybe - just maybe - it could be a true explanation. He thought to himself that he should find out what her favorite flower was to offer her a bunch of them and, most importantly, face to face, as he wanted her to see who they were from.

The way to school they talked about cooking. Marina praised the pancakes he and his brother made, and Joshua was keen to tell her how, when and where he learned to cook. On another day, she would have found the topic interesting; still, she became bored. Behave yourself, Marina, she scolded herself. She was being pretty unpleasant despite Joshua's efforts to keep her in good spirits. It seemed that the roles were constantly reversing between them, with one always trying to cheer the other.

At the school lobby, they found Ana sitting on Dennis' lap, while a janitor scolded them to have more respect. Ana snorted and sat next to her boyfriend, while rolling her eyes. Marina and Joshua approached them, trying not to laugh.

"You don't need to pretend that you have no desire to laugh. Don't worry. When it happens to you, I'll burst out laughing too! I can't even sit on my boyfriend's lap and give him some kisses," retorted Ana, feeling annoyed.

Marina shuddered. She never had been caught with Lucas... except at the workshop, and there she was just sitting on the bench before him, and painting, not fondling. It had been embarrassing; she didn't want to repeat the scene. Anyway, there was no reason to worry about that, after all Lucas was officially out of her life.

Marina reflected better on what Ana had said and realized that she was talking about her and Joshua as a couple. She decided to ignore it, but was caught by surprise by Joshua who, out of the blue, wrapped her in a hug and questioned, "What do you think, honey? Are we going to be caught by the employee?"

Marina's eyes widened and she hurried to get away from him, even because the janitor was already taking a step towards them. Laughing like crazy, the four friends ran to the corridor of classrooms, before the employee could follow them. Marina wasn't in the habit of messing with who was working there, but that lady exaggerated. At least the situation had helped her to be less grumpy.

As the bell rang, the English teacher arrived and showed a charming smile to Joshua. Grinning, Marina whispered 'Joshuette' in jest.

Unlike usual, the boy didn't laugh. Instead, he turned to Ana and asked her, "Can I borrow Marina today?"

Ana agreed and winked her eye in response. Marina didn't understand what was going on. 'Borrow'? How could Ana lend her to the boy? And what for? Ana entered the room and, instead of sitting beside her, she switched places with Joshua.

"Hey!" protested Marina, even more confused.

Joshua made her a sign to shut up and whispered, "I've been thinking and I guess it's time for me to become just another student in English class. Help me out."

An exchange of places – that was the so called 'loan' he had asked of Ana. Marina knew that he had mapped out some plan, but was unaware of its intricacies. She suspected it might not please her. Even so, she agreed to Joshua's request; that's what friends were for.

The teacher asked students to open their books on page 49, since they would read the text and answer some questions. Joshua put his manual between them, took Marina's hand and dragged it under the desk. Marina wanted to protest, but Joshua nodded for her to trust him, and she decided not to discuss it. As expected, the professor went to the desk where Joshua was and asked him to begin reading aloud. The boy smiled amiably in response. With no hurry, he made his hand emerge from under the table, entwined in Marina's. He gave her a gentle kiss near the wrist, as he looked marveled at her, and began reading while he curled both hands tight on his chest. The teacher seemed to be horrified at the scene and, as soon as he read the first paragraph, she asked another student at the other end of the room to continue.

Marina pulled her hand back hastily, but Joshua asked her, "Hide it under the table and I'll do the same. I want her to think we're still holding hands."

Marina sighed, infuriated, but relented. She knew that she was doing the best for the teacher and her friend. However, she feared that she had just won a new enemy and that it would reflect on her grades of the subject by the end of the period.

During the rest of the class, the educator didn't ask whatever it was to Joshua, ignoring him in fact. For the class, now that Joshua had fallen from the altar of the teacher's favorites, things were back to normal. When the lesson ended, the pedagogue was the first to leave the room, asking the last one out to shut the door.

As they were having Philosophy next, they decided to camp at the classroom door. Settling beside Marina, Joshua gazed at her with an uncertain expression and questioned, "Everything is alright between us? You're not upset about what I did, are you? Sorry. It had to be this way or it would never end."

"No, I'm not upset, though you could have explained your plan beforehand. My only fear is that she will revenge me for supposedly having broken your charm."

Joshua giggled. It was good to know that someone thought he was charming, but he'd rather it not be a teacher. It was hard enough to be the 'new boy' in class; he didn't need his classmates to turn on him for having a couple of professors amazed by him.

Out of the blue, Ana released an exclamation. "Ouch! I forgot to do the homework. I left Dennis' house so distracted the other night that I never remembered this detail. Manelito will slay me, literally."

Marina thought of suggesting that she copied the answers from her notebook, but she didn't have the time, since the teacher arrived. They rose from the tiles and stepped away so that Manelito could open the door. Ignoring them as if they were a plague of mosquitoes, Manelito passed the doorway into the interior space followed by them. As they sat, the classmates began to arrive

The teacher wrote the summary on the blackboard, starting with the topic that made Ana Shudder: correction of the homework.

"The dog barks.

The cat is not a dog,

Therefore, the cat doesn't bark."

Manelito pointed his finger at the third student of the second row, and asked her if the syllogism was correct, why, and if it was wrong, how she would fix it. The student gulped and admitted in a low voice that she hadn't done the homework. The teacher promptly got cantankerous, and launched himself into a sermon about the importance of doing their duties. His irritation tone rose as his face became redder. He ended up verifying all the students' diaries to determine who had done what he had requested.

After he passed her row, Marina felt a strange vibration on her right leg. She remembered that she had her phone in her pocket on silent and vibrating mode. With discretion, she put her hand to the pocket and pulled out the device. She looked at the display and found it awkward - it was her mother who was calling her. Would something have happened? Maybe she wasn't feeling well, because of her migraine, and was calling her to say she was going to the hospital. Marina hung up the call and wrote a text at the speed of light asking her mom to call later, or the teacher would send her out. To her amazement, her mother tried to phone her once again. She knew it was Philosophy lesson time; something really serious should be going on for her to keep pushing it. She raised her hand in the air and waited for the teacher to give her the word.

"Yes, Marina? Do you know the answer to the homework question?"

"Hmm, yes, I do," she replied, a little ashamed. "But what I really wanted was to ask to go outside. My mother has been very sick and she doesn't stop calling me. And I know she wouldn't call me in class time unless it was something very important."

"What?!" the teacher squealed. "No way! What the hell? You know that those devices are prohibited at school. Either you put it away, or else I'll have to confiscate it. And no point in nagging for it back, because I won't return it."

The phone kept vibrating with extreme emergency, which made her make a decision. She stood up and walked to the door.

The teacher was shocked. He opened his mouth in astonishment, and cried out, "If you dare to go out, I'll mark you as absent."

Marina shrugged and left. She was starting the year with a nice collection of absences, so what harm would another one make? Perhaps she could talk with the class director later about what had happened.

As soon as she walked out of the room, she answered the call. "Hello, Mom? This better be very important, because I've just been marked as absent in Philosophy to come outside and pick up the phone."

Her mother's voice sounded nervous at the other end. It was really serious what she wanted to tell her. The first sentence surprised her right away.

"I'm here at the school gate. Forget about the damn absence, it doesn't matter. Your sister has had an accident. She was taken to the hospital and I'm going to Lisbon right now to see her. You wanna come too?"

"Of course. Look, I'll pass the phone to my teacher. Explain him why I have to leave, please" she asked.

The news caught her off guard. Marina was worried about her sister, but she was also concerned about her mother driving for so long while suffering from a terrible migraine that could interfere with her skills. She returned to the classroom thundering and began throwing things into her backpack.

The professor, astounded and purple with rage, fired in all directions, "Young girl, I will write an incident report to the Executive Board and your absence will be marked in red. What bad manners! You're a brat. And, moreover, you don't respect your classmates. Who do you think you are?"

Marina tried to swallow everything without a grumble. However, the pressure increased inside her until reaching boiling point. Eventually, she exploded, "Lack of education is a student asking to answer the phone knowing that it's indeed an emergency, and the teacher doesn't let her request, even knowing that in other circumstances she would not ask it."

"But you shouldn't even have a phone. Hand it over to me to confiscate it."

The girl threw him the device, which flew through the air into his hands. "By the way, my mother is on the phone waiting to talk to you, to explain why I must leave. When you finish talking to her, please return the phone to my colleague Ana, and she will return it to me. Bye-bye." And she left the room, leaving her colleagues behind applauding her rebellion. For a moment she pitied them, because they would have to handle the moodiness and anger of Manelito. Sadly, he had given her no choice.

Marina sprinted to the gate, where her mother was waiting in the car. She didn't take thirty seconds to get there, but apparently the conversation with the teacher had been even less time consuming, because she was no longer on the phone.

When she entered the vehicle, her mother took off so fast that the tires screeched and skated. Marina threw the rucksack onto the back seat and put on the seat belt. Her mom was driving like crazy, therefore it was better not to forget to buckle up.

Only when they entered the highway did Marina dare to ask her, "Do you know what's happening with my sister?"

"Not really. Your mindless father was still on his way to the hospital, and all he could tell me was that someone from school called him to report that she had fallen in the swimming lesson and had hurt her head."

"So you don't know if it's serious," assessed Marina in a low voice.

Almost offended, her mother shot, "Serious or not, I have to be with her. Plus, your father can't handle any of this. It's better to go there right away."

The conversation was over and Marina didn't dwell on the issue. Her mom was so abuzz that her anxiety could turn to anger and be directed at her. The prolonged blast of a horn intimidated Marina and made her sink in the seat. Her mother had just had a close shave overtaking, deviating at the last minute. She wanted to ask her to calm down or they would end up in hospital too, nevertheless she feared that if she opened her mouth, she would make her mom more nervous, leading her to make more mistakes.

Despite being almost 11.30, the traffic queues for Lisbon weren't any shorter. Marina never expected them to catch so much traffic, when the 'rush hour' had already passed. The chaos worsened when they entered the city itself; the cars were stopped and they took a long time before moving forward.

It was nearly 12.30 when they reached the vicinity of the hospital. Her mother chose to park outside the facility perimeter to lose no more time, and they followed the rest of the way on foot.

The entrance to the ER reminded Marina of a center of loading and unloading. There were three ambulances parked at the door and fire fighters were taking out stretchers with patients. Her mother's first instinct was to look inside the emergency vehicles to find her daughter. Marina shook her head in reprove, since Sofia would have gotten there at least two hours ago.

The hospital reception was jammed with people who seemed like bewildered dizzy cockroaches, not knowing where they should go. Mom asked her to wait by the wall, while she went to ask where her sister was. She only went to the counter when she noticed that Marina was actually by the wall as ordered. Marina gasped and obeyed. She observed the space around her: straight ahead, in front of the entrance was the reception desk, where patients had to fill out the registration form to be attended by a doctor. A little further to the left was a small waiting room with six rows of plastic chairs next to each other. The room was filled with people who didn't look good: some were coughing; others were clinging to their bellies, while other ones had their heads down for unknown reasons. Some people made her wonder about what could be their complaint, since they seemed to be fine, carrying only a serious expression. Looking to the right, she found a smaller room that gave access to a corridor, leading to the inner zone of the hospital. This room had several doors that corresponded to medical offices and in each was affixed a plaque with the name of the doctor on duty inside. One of the names made her laugh – 'Dr. Boxer'. He should have a nice way to solve patients' problems – boxing. It was better to send away that comical thought before she started laughing. It didn't seem appropriated to express amusement in a place where people were suffering.

She sought out her mother with her eyes and found her at the same place, since the reception lady wasn't very willing to answer her questions. If she knew how annoying mom could be when she wanted something, she would change her mind in an instant. Poor woman, she would have such a bad time.

She wondered if her sister would be okay. Her mom didn't tell her much, but it was normal, as her dad wasn't the best person to explain things. Thinking about her father gave her an idea. Marina went to Luísa, who soon began to scold her for leaving where she had told her to stay. I'm not a small child, I'm eighteen, her ego shouted from a hidden place. Irritated, she took the bag from her mom's shoulder and returned to the entrance wall while her mother escorted her with her eyes. She just wanted someone to tell her how her youngest daughter was.

Marina took the phone from the purse, searched for the father's number and called him. The phone called for a few seconds, until her father replied in haste, "I can't talk here. I gotta go."

"Wait, dad. We're at the reception, and mom is freaking out because no one tells her anything."

"OK, I'll meet you there."

Without further conversation, dad hung up. Smooth, she criticized in her mind. It was okay, anyway. When he got to them, everything would be fine: he would tell them what had happened, would say how Sofia was, and he would take them to her. It was a much faster way to solve things than to shout with the receptionist.

The image of her father stood out among the crowd. He was a tall man, in great shape. He had blue eyes, like Sofia, and wore his hair short. He didn't like beards, so his face was shaven, which gave him a younger air. He wore light-blue jeans, a white shirt with thin vertical blue stripes, and black shoes.

Marina waved at him so that he could see her and, when he did it, he went in her direction. Before dad neared her, she went to the front desk to get her mother. Luísa was so busy vociferating with the receptionist that neither paid her any attention. Forced to take an extreme measure, Marina pinched her mom hard on her arm, making her turn in a leap while screaming in pain. As soon as her mother turned to her, Marina hastened to say aloud, "Dad's here."

Those magic words made her mother forget almost instantly the pinch; she ran towards her ex-husband. Marina, followed her at a normal pace, because the security guard had already made her a sign to move at a snail's pace. When she reached her parents, Marina didn't receive a greeting kiss from her father or anything alike - it was as if she wasn't there. Never mind, the most important is Sofia, she thought to herself. Then she paid attention to what her father was saying.

"I know nothing either. I was told that she was in swimming class, slipped, hit her head, and fell into water. The colleagues who were in the water helped her to get out immediately, but they had some difficulty waking her up, so they decided to call an ambulance. The doctor says he will run some tests to see if she has head trauma, cerebral hemorrhage or vertebrae-medulla trauma."

Marina had no idea what those names meant, still they didn't sound good, since they all involved the brain, spinal cord and vertebrae. Who knew if, after the examinations, they came to the conclusion that she had nothing serious and was fine? Anyway, they had to wait, which was an unknown concept for mom, who kept insisting on entering the restricted area.

Without her mother realizing it, Marina walked up to an assistant and called her, "Excuse me, miss. I don't want to bother you, but do you think you could get some soothing pills for my mother? My sister is having some tests run, because she got hurt, but my mom is very disturbed."

The woman, who was a friendly and approachable person, smiled and replied, "I'll talk to someone and see what we can do."

"Thank you."

She too was worried about her sister, yet it was useless to suffer in advance. She returned to her parents and leaned back in a chair. Her stomach growled. It was 1.15 and she was starving. It didn't seem that they would leave the hospital soon, so it was better to find the cafeteria. As her father was calmer than her mother, she asked him, "Dad, do you know where the bar is? I'm hungry."

Her father put a hand to his stomach and admitted, "I could use something to eat too. I think the bar is outside, next door."

Marina got up from her seat and asked, "Do you want to go eat something too, mom?"

"Of course not! I'm not leaving without any news of your sister," she almost yelled.

"Don't worry, I'll go with you," offered Marina's dad.

Father and daughter walked out of the ER to find the bar. Ten minutes later, they still hadn't found anything that resembled what they were seeking, so they opted to return to the ER, where they found mom in the same place. Her father took his place beside her mother, and both remained there, waiting for news.

Marina wanted to do the same and behave herself, but she was really hungry. Why not ask someone who knows the place best? She wondered. She went to the security man at the entrance and said, "Excuse-me sir, can you tell me where the bar is? I really need to eat something."

The security guard looked her up and down, with a suspicious air. When he concluded that she was no threat, he responded with a grave and monotone intonation, "If you're that hungry, in the hallway after the offices there are two vending machines, one with drinks and another with things to eat."

Marina thanked him and went to the indicated place. Arriving at the machines, she sighed in frustration: they had taken so many turns around the hospital, when there was a vending machine right next to them. She took two sandwiches, two small packets of chips and two Cokes. She returned to her parents and passed half the things to her father. Noticing that the security guard was staring at her and shaking his head in disapproval, she murmured to her dad that they should eat outside. Her father nodded and the two of them walked to the building's exterior.

The sandwich wasn't very tasty, but at least her belly wasn't protesting that much. Maybe she could have a decent meal for dinner.

She was questioning herself about when they would leave, when her father inquired, "So, how's school?"

Was he for real? They hadn't seen each other for nearly two years and he wanted to know was how she was doing at school? Whatever... It was better to keep her expectations about him as low as possible.

Giving a kick to a little stone, Marina replied, "School is bad. After the accidents, I've had some difficulty concentrating; the English teacher has become my enemy, because I pretended to be the girlfriend of her favorite student to stop her harassment; and I was marked absent today at Philosophy, because the teacher wouldn't let me answer the phone and leave class to come to the hospital. Anyway, nothing special to report."

Her father blinked twice while rubbing one ear to make sure of what he was hearing. As a reply, he drank a sip of Coke and shrugged. Yep, what could he say? It was a situation that only she could rectify. It wasn't going to be easy, but she was going to try.

When both finished everything, they returned to her mother, who was now more peaceful after taking a sedative brought by a helper in answer to Marina's request. God bless that helper!

They waited another half hour until a doctor came to them. He was a tall man, sturdy, and his hair was shiny from using too much gel. His identification was tipping from the pocket of his white coat, which he seemed to wear with a lot of proud, and he held a folder in his left hand. He shook hands with her parents and glanced at her, without paying her much attention.

"Sofia has been taking several tests," he informed. "We continue to suspect a vertebrae-medulla trauma. We'll keep her here for two or three days, since she has to receive medication intravenously. Let's see how things go and on Sunday we'll make a decision."

"Can we see her?" questioned Luísa.

"I'll let you see her now, but please enter in turns and not altogether. Then, and so that she can have some rest, you must leave. "

Mom promptly exploded, "But she's fifteen years old, we can't leave her alone. Shouldn't she be in pediatrics? There we can stay with our children, they have special timing arrangements."

Used to that kind of reaction, the doctor retorted in a neutral manner, "She could be there, but the beds are too small for her size and it's better to keep her in a more adequate and reserved place. Now please, follow me."

They went up two floors in the elevator, went through three hallways and finally arrived at two revolving doors that gave access to another corridor with several doors to patient rooms. Luísa was the first to follow the doctor, while dad sank in a chair and waited for his turn. Marina imitated him; it wasn't worth standing when she was the last one to enter.

Her mother returned a few minutes later, very tearful. When she neared Marina, she asked for a tissue. Marina hastened to look inside the purse and passed one to her. It was father's turn to disappear through the revolving doors, leaving them alone.

Marina wanted to ask mom how her sister was, but she dropped the idea for two reasons: first, mothers always worsened the scenario; and second, soon she would enter and assess the situation herself. She wrapped her arms around herself and waited. She wasn't as hungry as before, still her stomach was complaining, demanding a decent meal. However, and by contrast, the smell of ether and other chemicals that she couldn't identify made her a little queasy. Argh, she hated hospitals!

Ten minutes later, dad came out of the room - it was finally her turn to see her sister. She went to the revolving doors and crossed them. The nurse at the desk in the middle of the hall looked at her intently, as if inspecting her. Next, she made a strange gesture with her neck for her to keep walking, because the room she wanted to visit was further ahead. Marina continued until she got to the room pointed out to her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Marina stopped at the room's door. She hadn't seen her sister in a long time and didn't know what to say. 'How are you?' or 'How are you feeling?' seemed too banal. Besides, most likely she had already heard that from mom and dad. She had to take a new approach. What would she say? She thought for a moment, but nothing occurred to her. The nurse cleared her throat with an audible snorting and coughed something that Marina supposed was due to the fact that she hadn't yet entered the room, so she pushed the door and got in.

A breath of warm air greeted her with impetuosity, denouncing the presence of an air conditioner working at the maximum temperature. The space was so hot that she felt her face going red.

The tiny room had a bed, two bedside tables, a chair for guests, and a single door cabinet. From the wall in front of the bed, hung a very old TV. Marina skirted the bed and sat in the chair for visitors, facing her sister. Sofia didn't seem very different from the last time she had seen her. She continued to wear her straight black hair to her shoulders with a fringe, as in vogue. In terms of features, her face seemed longer, but there was nothing else to point out. Perhaps she was also taller, but it was impossible to tell with her extended lengthwise.

Sofia looked at Marina, and rolled her eyes while puffing, "You too? Geez, you guys can't leave me alone."

What a lovely reception, so typical of her sweet little sister. One day, Marina would buy her a ribbon saying 'Miss Congeniality' – it described her perfectly. Marina crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair. If she could cuss her, then she wasn't in such bad shape and deserved a matching response. In a mocking tone, Marina said, "So, you decided to join the club of the wounded? It must be fashionable, since you follow all that's trendy."

"How funny," grumbled Sofia.

"As much as you are, brat."

Marina thought that, not even when she was sick, Sofia could she be nice. That annoying adolescence phase better pass in a hurry, because her sister was so annoying that people walked away from her. Who would want to be around a troublesome teen that groaned constantly and put others down?

She remained silent in the same place, until her sister asked her an unusual question, "Marina, when you fell from the bridge... Did something weird happen while you were unconscious?"

Marina was surprised by the question. She wasn't sure where Sofia wanted to go with it. She needed her to spell it all out, so she said, "How so?"

Sofia shut up. She seemed embarrassed and reluctant to continue with that subject, as if she was afraid of being judged. She shrugged, looked at an invisible point on the ceiling, and tried to explain herself better, "I don't know. Weird things like... dreaming."

Marina had dreamed before waking up in hospital, so it didn't seem strange that the same had happened to her sister. She nodded and replied, "Yes, I dreamed and I remember everything."

After smirking, Sofia said, "My doctor claims that it's impossible that I dreamed while I was unconscious and almost called me crazy. A while ago, when I asked this to mom, she looked so worried that it seemed like I had said something from another world. Dad didn't even pay attention."

The emblematic behavior of their parents: mom, startled by everything and anything, and their father devaluing all completely. Marina wasn't surprised – their parents had always been like that. But Marina was curious to know about her sister's dream. She must have thought it important, or else she wouldn't have mentioned it.

Marina stirred in the chair, taking a more serious stance, and began to narrate what she had dreamed. "I remember everything. It was a bizarre fantasy that I didn't quite understand."

"I also didn't understand what mine meant. What happened in yours?"

"I was in a place I didn't know. It was very hot and around me there was only a very red barren land. There were also black rocks and sat on them was..." The words got stuck in her throat, scratching as sharp blades. What had happened with her sister distracted her and she hadn't thought of him anymore. Nonetheless, evoking her dream had brought him back to her present, and it hurt as if she put a finger on a severe wound. Marina gasped for words to out pour and carried on. "As I was saying, there were dark rocks and sat on them was a guy. The strangest thing was, when he looked at me, I felt I couldn't breathe. I wanted to ask him for help, but he just told me 'you have no idea what they do to you here'."

Remembering that made new light come over her. Knowing what she knew about Lucas now, she finally understood what he meant by that. If the reverie had some real background, most likely the barren land was Hell, and Lucas' sentence referred to the torment he had been through. Would that have been a hallucination induced by Lucas, or would she have really wandered by the boundaries of Hell when she was unconscious? And why had she dreamed that? She had many questions, but she could only clear them up with Lucas, and, at the moment, they weren't speaking to each other.

The silence in the room went on for a few moments, until Sofia ventured to tell, "I also had a weird dream. I was in the school pool floating on water, like a dead body, and I couldn't move. Suddenly, a man I've never seen before appeared. He was a weird dude, you know?"

Marina assented, encouraging her to go on.

"Now that I think about it, I can't remember his face. But I recall that he was dressed all in black, like one of those Gothic guys, you know? I mean pants, shirt, shoes, a long coat, all black. Pretty much Matrix."

The description made Marina stir uncomfortably in her seat. She had a sinister figure very similar in her life for four weeks, and it had been quite upsetting the past few days. Besides the black clothing, another factor in common was his face: she couldn't remember his visage either, even though she had just seen him.

"The man crouched by the pool," Sofia went on, "and began laughing. Then, he looked at me with those dull and scary eyes, and hissed 'Tell her I won't stop'. As soon as he said this, my body started to sink in the water. I was really distressed, because I couldn't move a muscle to come to the surface to breathe."

Sofia stirred in bed, very anxious. Marina said nothing, as she remembered that distress and shortness of breath, combined with a feeling of powerlessness to do anything to save herself.

"I didn't get it," admitted Sofia. "He won't stop what? And 'tell her'? To whom? Moreover, when I woke up I had this word stuck in my head, banging insistently till it almost blew my brains out. I can't let it go. It was Barbas, Barbos... Barbatos!"

The weight of that name fell on Marina like a sharp object, capable of hewing her in two at the sound of it being pronounced. She felt tempted to rise from the chair with the shock, but luckily she managed to remain cool enough to resist her impulse, otherwise she'd make her sister panic. She didn't know what to say to her, even because she didn't want her to know who Barbatos was. She had to make up an excuse.

Marina stood up and devaluated, "You must have read the word somewhere. For example, it can be the brand of something you saw when you were falling and you memorized it. Forget it, it's not important. Look, I have something for you." She took the bracelet with caution and put on her sister's wrist. Maybe she could buy another one when she returned to Alcácer. At that instant, what mattered was to provide her sister some protection.

Sofia pulled her arm back and turned it around, while staring at the stones and the medal. Curious, she inquired, "What is it?"

"It's a personalized protective bracelet that was made at a shop purposely for me after my accidents. They said that it protects you. You'll see, that that nightmare won't occur again."

Sofia slid her eyes across the stones in detail, admiring them. The bracelet that was a bit large on her; Marina hoped that she wouldn't lose it or else she would be vulnerable again. Anyway, she was already weaving a plan to get Barbatos away from her sister for good.

A knock on the door warned her that it was time to leave, so that Sofia would get some rest. Probably it was the bored nurse from the hallway. "It seems that I have to go. I think I'll be back tomorrow. Get better quickly to get out of here. I hate hospitals!" She put the chair near the closet and headed to the door.

Nevertheless, she stopped when her sister called her, "Hey, don't tell anyone about my dream, okay?"

"Fine, and you don't tell mine. You were the only person I told it to, except for my best friend. I don't feel like being looked at as insane. It's already enough to be known as 'the accident's chick'."

Sofia chuckled and Marina left, shutting the door behind her. The hallway was very cold compared to the room, thus the immediate complaint of her body was a sneeze.

Marina found her parents sat at the seats, waiting for her. Her mother was quieter and she seemed to have wiped away the tears. She went to them with both hands in her pockets and kicking an imaginary tin. As none of them moved, she asked directly to her mother, "Are you going home now?"

Her mother reacted as if she had said the biggest atrocity of all. She blinked her eyes and said with severity, "I'm not going anywhere. I will leave only when Sofia gets out, and I return to Alcácer only when I'm sure that she's fine."

What? When she had been the victim, mom hadn't made such a big scene. She could pretty well behave as the adult she was. The doctor wasn't allowing more visits that day. What was the logic in staying there?

"You don't need to stay at the hospital. You may come to my house," suggested dad.

"No," refused mom right away. "I have to be here. What if something happens during the night?"

"If anything happens, the doctors will call. She's a minor and parents must give their consent to treatments."

Marina glanced at her mother, who didn't seem very convinced, but she had already made a decision: when her father went home, she would go with him. If she was allowed to be with her sister, she would stay and keep her company; however, in those conditions, staying wouldn't do much good.

Her father took the car keys from his pocket and began walking. Marina followed him without hesitation and, soon after, her mother followed them too. When the elevator was going down, the girl wrinkled her nose; she feared that, with her parents stuck in the same house, they would go back to their usual discussions. There was something that she didn't need... As she sighed, they left the ER and walked to her father's Jeep.

"It's better to leave your car there, otherwise you may get lost when following me. When you want to return home, I'll leave you here, and you can go anywhere from this point," proposed her father to her mother.

Maybe for being concerned about Sofia, mom entered the Jeep without any major complaints. Marina sat in the back seat while her mother took the front by her father's side. It was weird seeing them like that, side by side. She loved them both, but definitive and unarguably they shouldn't even try to be a couple. They didn't agree on anything, and they even seemed to have pleasure in tormenting one another. They were better separated.

The trip to dad's home took fifteen minutes. They parked outside a building painted in yellow and green, and they left the Jeep. Marina stood behind her father and when he opened the door of the building, she went in right after him. They entered the elevator and dad pressed the button to the third floor. The lift gave a sob and started to climb, ending the trip with a new lament. Marina hated those little jumps, as they made her stomach feel funny. Her father was the first one to get out. He opened the apartment door and went in. Marina followed him, nevertheless she was surprised by a woman, who instantly came to her father and gave him a big kiss on the mouth. She heard her mother behind her letting out a shocked exclamation.

"Ooops!", Marina murmured.

Mom ran back to the elevator as fast as bullet, and it began to descend. Her father shouted a curse, entered the second lift and dropped behind her, leaving Marina alone with the unknown female. She thought that the woman before her was sophisticated: she had hair and nails done, and she didn't wear exaggerated make up or too many accessories. The only things spoiling the image were her slippers with bunny heads, and the apron she had over her dress. Marina examined her closely and concluded that she reminded her of an 'Executive Barbie' dedicated to housekeeping.

In the first instant, the woman seemed a little alarmed upon seeing them; nonetheless, after Marina's mother left, any sign of concern vanished.

She wiped her hands on the cloth she was holding and smiled. "You must be Marina. I'm Paula. From your reaction, I deduce your father hasn't spoken about me yet."

No, he hadn't mentioned that he had a girlfriend, even because their conversations were limited to more mundane matters. It was natural that her father would rebuild his life. However, and as her mother hadn't met another person, it hadn't crossed her mind that dad had already done it.

Noting that the woman was awaiting a response, Marina postponed her thoughts and introduced herself. "Yes, I'm Marina. Nice to meet you. I imagine you are..."

"...your father's girlfriend," completed Paula. "We've been living together for a year and a half."

Marina widened her eyes in surprise. She was even more outdated than she thought. Still, she would not blame herself over that - she was not a psychic. Her father didn't tell her anything about his life and her sister ignored her deliberately. She had no way of knowing what was going on.

Seeing her expression, Paula noted, "Yep... Your father has told you nothing."

Marina shook her head and replied, "No. We don't talk much on the phone..."

"I know that, and I already scolded him many times. Come in and close the door," she invited. "They shouldn't take long."

Paula went to the kitchen and Marina followed her. The woman sat at the table, eating yoghurt, and asked her if she wanted one. Marina felt some hunger, but she wasn't a big fan of yoghurt, so she rejected the offer. Besides, she didn't know if she would stay there, or if her mother would call her soon to go home or to return to the hospital. She settled into a chair, placing the backpack on the floor.

The front door opened shortly after, and her parents entered. Luísa looked quite upset. It was better not to ask her anything or she would take it out on her.

Once in the kitchen, dad made the introductions, "Paula, this is Luísa, the mother of Marina and Sofia."

Paula cordially extended her hand to Marina's mother, who replied with a teasing "nice to meet you" that revealed that it wasn't nice at all. Luísa didn't stay quiet for long and asked Marina's father, "You still didn't clarify how the sleeping arrangements will work."

"Sofia's bedroom is vacant and she has a double bed, so the two of you can sleep there."

Marina cringed, guessing her mother's explosion.

"Doubled bed? Why does she need a double bed? Does she already have a boyfriend? And the boyfriend, does he sleep here? What kind of education is this?!"

Paula threw the yoghurt cup into the recycling bin, put the spoon in the sink and left the room. Coward! She was leaving her there alone in the midst of her parents' discussion. And she had to stay there and hear them? No way. Marina jumped up and followed Paula to the living room. The idea of having to sleep with her mother didn't please her either. What her sister had told her was very serious and she wanted to consider what she had to do. If mom slept in the same room as her, she would spend all the time complaining about being there, about Marina's father having a girlfriend, about them living together for over a year, that she hadn't moved on with her life, blah-blah-blah... With so much talk, she wouldn't be able to concentrate.

Her father entered the living room and confirmed that she would sleep in Sofia's bed with her mother. Marina tried to keep her frustration to herself, while dad told her that, if she wished, she could go to the bedroom and leave her rucksack there. Annoyed, she did so.

Sofia's room wasn't very big, or so it seemed given that it was full of things, from furniture to teddy bears. Her favorite corner was the one with the dressing table that had a large mirror with a white frame. In front of the mirror were several makeup cases and two jewelry boxes, fake copies of course, but they were still beautiful. In front was the bed and, on the other side, was the wardrobe. At the end of the bed was a chair with clothes that her sister could have tried that morning and had left there. A little further along, was a desk with books and scattered notebooks. What pleased her most was the color of the furniture, combined with the predominant pigmentation: white, light pink, baby blue and lettuce green. Here and there were splashes of yellow too. Marina put her backpack beside the chair and looked at the bed from the corner of her eye. Her mother had lain down and didn't seem to be in a great mood for conversations, so it was best not to upset her.

She returned to the living room, where her father was watching TV. She knew that he wouldn't try some chit-chat, so she sat on the other couch. She needed to get her ideas straight. She recalled Sofia's nightmare and concern wrinkles gathered in her forehead. What would he want with Sofia? The phrase he had said to Sofia was a message for her, to warn her that, although she had got away from Lucas, Barbatos didn't intend to go back on his threats. But if he wanted to kill her, why go after Sofia? She sighed. She missed Lucas. What good did it do to stay away from him and the alleged danger he represented, if Barbatos didn't recede anyway? Maybe she should talk to Lucas when she returned. Maybe they could be friends; maybe they should wait to see how they things went; maybe... There were a lot of 'maybes'. The most urgent thing was to get Barbatos away from her sister.

She moved uncomfortably on the couch and thought about what could be done to keep Sofia safe and sound, even because the bracelet wouldn't do much. The only solution was talking directly to Barbatos, though she didn't know where to find him. If she had her mobile phone, she could call Lucas and ask him, but it was Ana who had the device. She could use her mother's, except she didn't know Lucas' number by memory. Thus, the only thing she had to do was wait. When she got to Alcácer, she would seek Barbatos and demand him to leave her sister alone. What worried her was his answer, particularly what he would ask for in return.

Time seemed to run. After dinner, Marina put one her sister's pajamas, after all she had left in a hurry and had brought nothing with her beside her rucksack. She went to the living room and sat on the couch, opposite to her father and his girlfriend.

"It's a cold night. Cover yourself with this blanket," said Paula, as she threw her a warm blanket.

The rest of the night was somewhat confused, perhaps because Marina felt drained. She remembered sitting watching TV one minute, and the next, nothing – she had fallen asleep. Her father added a quilt to the blanket she had over her and she didn't get off the couch to go to bed.

Saturday dawned with sunshine peeking with shyness. The weak rays crossing the window came to Marina's eyes with little intensity, still they were enough to wake her up. She fixed her eyes on the clock of the DVD player and was startled – 12.45p.m. Really? She yawned, stretched and got up. She dragged herself through the house, numb with sleepiness, and found out that nobody was home. Where had they gone? Had something happened? If so, they would have awakened her for sure. She put on her clothes and headed to the bathroom to make herself more presentable. Meantime, the front door opened; it was her parents and Paula... all together. Ouch! Confusion guaranteed, she figures.

"So, mom, where did you go?" questioned Marina.

"We went to the hospital, but we can only see your sister at the 4p.m visit."

That said, her mother returned to the bedroom, while Paula passed by the girl with something in her hand with a delicious smell. Marina entered the kitchen and saw dad's girlfriend opening two boxes with roast chicken, fries and rice.

"Will you help me to set the table?" asked the woman.

Marina agreed. Following the given indications, she had no trouble finding the tablecloth, plates, cups, cutlery and napkins to settle the table.

When the visit time approached, the four entered dad's Jeep and followed to the hospital. The trip was quick. This time, they went to Sofia's by a different wing. Since it was visitation time, the four of them were allowed to enter at the same time in the cubicle where Sofia was stuck for two days. Marina figured that she would be hating it, since she detested to feel imprisoned. With so many people there all at once, the space proved to be small and cramped. Sofia was in good spirits and seemed to enjoy very much the presence of Paula. She appeared to be very fond of the woman, and most likely she got along better with her than with her own mother.

The doctor who had brought them to her sister the previous afternoon entered the room, distributing short greetings. He took the chart placed at the end of the bed and read it carefully, displaying a neutral expression. He stroked his short beard and explained, "From what I'm reading in the chart, I'll keep what I said yesterday. Sofia will stay here for another day or two, because it's too early for her to go home and I want to continue to monitor her clinical status. Tomorrow I'll have more information and I'll take the decision about her discharge."

Without providing any other details, the doctor put the chart back in its place and went out to the hallway. But if the he thought he would get away from the parental concern easily, he'd better think twice, because as soon as he turned his back, Marina's mother quickly followed on his heels to ask him more questions.

Time flew and a buzzer sounded several minutes later, announcing the end of the visits. When Marina was about to leave, Sofia whistled for her to go back. She looked a little ashamed, but finally quizzed, "Did you tell anyone about my dream?"

"No, of course not. And you?"

"No. To whom could I tell? To those frightening nurses?" Sofia retorted, sticking her tongue out. "Anyway, back at home, how did it go?"

Marina rolled her eyes and put two fingers to her mouth as if she was going to vomit. Wasn't it obvious? During the time Paula was next to Sofia, her mother didn't even approach her – that said it all. Marina summarized how things went in the apartment, and said goodbye in haste when the nurse came to kick out the visitors that persisted among the patients.

She went down the elevator and found her parents and Paula outside, waiting. As she guessed, her mother would stay there until the next visit, and then she would go to her father's house in her own car. Dad explained to her that he and his girlfriend had a commitment, so they couldn't come back that day, which was a relief to Luísa. Marina was undecided about what to do. As she was in Lisbon, she'd like to visit her sister at the next opportunity, but she didn't like the idea of having to wait at the hospital. She abhorred hospitals! Maybe she could return the next day. She decided to go home with her dad and his girlfriend. She was unhappy about leaving her mother there, alone, but she cheered herself up at the thought that mom was going to spend some time alone with Sofia.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Marina's mother didn't show up for dinner. Dad and Paula had left after the meal leaving Marina like an island in the confines of the world - isolated. Upon hearing the doorbell, she opened the door and let her mother in. Before she rushed into the bedroom, Marina hastened to explain that she was alone. Even so, she went to Sofia's chambers. That sucked! She wasn't only the mother of Sofia, she was also hers. Sulking, Marina turned her back and returned to the living room - better alone than in bad company. She settled on the couch. As Paula hadn't moved the blanket and the quilt, she decided to sleep there again.

The unexpected presence of her mother in the living room scared her; she wasn't expecting her to appear there. Luísa sat at her feet and stared at the flickering screen of the 'box of dreams'. It was on a soap opera, something that neither of them appreciated. Marina observed her mother and concluded that she have aged considerably in the last few days. As if Sofia's problem wasn't enough, she had discovered, without previous preparation, that her ex-husband had a girlfriend and he was living with her for a year and a half. It had been quite a shock and she wasn't dealing with the situation very well. Marina didn't know how she could help her.

Finally, her mother spoke in a serene and decided way, "I spoke to the doctor again, and he said that Sofia should be out on Monday. I'll stay here to bring her home and see how she's adapting to the neck collar. Since Monday is a school day, tomorrow morning your father will take you to the boat, for you to cross the river to the train station. There, you can catch one for Alcácer. When you get to town, there will be the bus waiting for passengers; you catch it and go home. This way you'll have time to rest and prepare everything for school. I'll come back on Monday night, okay?"

Marina wanted to protest, since she wanted to see Sofia one more time before returning home. However, she recalled that on Sundays there were only a few trains circulating, so that would be the most suitable schedule. Besides, being alone at home wasn't a bad idea, since she had a very important issue to resolve - Barbatos.

Her mother got up, wished her a good night and disappeared, merging with the shadows that danced in the dimly lit room. Only then Marina remembered that mom hadn't told her what time she had to wake up. It was okay - when it was time to get up, surely someone would wake her up. She turned to the other side on the couch, settling in better, allowed her eyelids to gradually shut and didn't take long to fall into a deep sleep.

It was Paula who woke her up the next morning. Marina rubbed her eyes several times before being able to focus. With one eye open and one closed, she tried to see the hour on the DVD player: it was 10.20. Paula told her that they had to leave in fifteen minutes, whereby she should get ready. The girl asked for her mother, and dad's girlfriend explained that she had left shortly before to go to the hospital. Marina made an annoyed face. Visits were only allowed in the afternoon. Was it that hard to wait for her to wake up to say goodbye to her? Geez, it would be a great sacrifice. Ignore, Marina. For your sake, ignore it, she commanded herself.

When she returned to the lobby, dressed and combed, her father and his girlfriend were already waiting for her. Paula held a bag in her hand, with two sandwiches, a juice and a liquid yoghurt bottle, in case of her being hungry during the trip. It was probable that that would happen, even because she hadn't eaten breakfast. The three went down the elevator to the ground-floor, hit the street and entered her father's Jeep.

The pier wasn't exactly close, but they enjoyed the luck that there was no traffic, which allowed them to get to there in less than half an hour. Her father left the car badly parked, so he turned on the hazard lights, and ran to the ticket office to buy her a pass. Marina and Paula followed behind him at a slower pace.

"The ferry won't take long to leave; it's at 11.20. The train will take a little longer, since it's only at 12.30. But if you caught the following ferry, you would get to the other shore at the last minute. This way you have more maneuver time," explained Paula.

Marina assented. Not only she hated being late, if she was late in that particular case, the consequences would be unpleasant and would result in long hours waiting for a new train.

Her father arrived meantime and passed her a ticket. He bade her farewell with a simple kiss on the cheek and a "see you next time". He returned to the Jeep almost running, before police showed up and threatened to run him a ticket. Paula had the sensitivity not to go away except when people were allowed to go on board-

"It was nice to meet you, although the circumstances were not the best. I hope you return soon: the doors of our house are always open for you."

"Thanks," appreciated Marina. "Make sure my sister sends me some news from time to time."

"I'll try, but I promise nothing. This rebellious phase is very complicated," admitted Paula. "Go now before you miss the boat."

Marina grabbed the rucksack and headed for the ferry to join the people who were climbing aboard. She waved Paula goodbye and went inside. Inside, she whined: it wasn't Paula who should be there, but her father. The short time they had spent together on had provided the confirmation that he hadn't changed, and was still as distant and detached as ever. Putting any thoughts aside, she chose one of the chairs on the last level, next to the window to be able to see the route. A minute later, the ferry moved away and divided the waters, moving stately among the small waves. Marina peered through the window and observed the waters of the river Tejo: they were of a green so dark that it left nothing to anticipate. Nevertheless, she could swear that sometimes she saw something rise to the surface that seemed like jellyfish. Could that be possible?

The crossing took about twenty minutes. As soon as she disembarked, she followed the people to the ticket office at the train station. The queue was starting to grow, but she was lucky to have only seven people in front of her; if she had taken more time to get off the boat, she would have to wait much longer.

The queue moved with sluggishness. When her turn came, she asked for a ticket to Alcácer do Sal. While the box office man handed her the ticket, he explained that the train shouldn't take long, although it only departed at noon-thirty. The trip would take almost two hours, given the stops along the route that it had to respect. Marina was delighted with the explanation: the man, who was quite chubby, had an excellent diction and spoke better than her Portuguese teacher. His advanced age gave him a touch of class, which made her think that maybe he had been someone important somewhere in life, or he had attended elite circles until some time ago. Who knew? It was possible. Marina kept the ticket in her wallet and sat on a bench, waiting.

As the box officer had told her, the train didn't take long to arrive. It was only 12.10p.m, but since people started to get into the coaches as soon as the passengers got out, she decided to do the same. She chose a seat near the door and close to the window. Whenever she travelled, she liked to sit by the glass: enjoying the landscape might seem a trivial thing, but she loved to observe where she passed by and uncover the marking characteristics of those places.

On the bench beside hers, a passionate couple settled down. He packed his girlfriend's suitcase and let her take the seat by the window, her favorite place. When they seated, she cuddled up against his chest and they held hands. The scene made Marina a little jealous, which surprised her; she had never reacted with jealousy to couples that went by her, probably because she had never been in love before. But such envy had a cause - she missed Lucas. Her sister's problem, the exaggerated reaction of her mother, and the discovery that her father had a girlfriend had distracted her enough and prevented her of thinking of him too much. However, witnessing that scene made her miss him and wish he was there. She wished that they were those lovers, leaving together on a voyage around the world. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily. It was better not to dream too much of it, nor about the company. Lucas might not forgive her for stepping away, or he might simply not want her back – those were hypotheses for which she had to prepare herself.

The train began to move slowly, gaining speed few by few. Marina leaned her head against the window, mad at herself. She had spent two whole days without Lucas and already didn't care about anything but to find him. Quite consistent, huh? It was time to be honest: she hadn't distanced herself from Lucas because he was a demon, but because he had deliberately concealed his true nature from her, building their relationship upon a lie. That had shaken her confidence in him. Or not? The other reason that led her to depart from him was related to her safety. Lucas had told her it wasn't safe to be near him, but after they were separated, the danger continued to pursue her and her family - the fault wasn't his. If there was anyone to be blamed, that would be Barbatos, that monster who had dared to approach her sister. Marina was a simple mortal, but she would do whatever it took to find a way to stop him. As for Lucas, she would try to regain his friendship and then she'd wait; she didn't want to have too many hopes. She would have to make great penance to apologize to him.

When the locomotive reached the station of Alcácer, she already had a sore butt from being sat for so long. She grabbed her rucksack, got out of the train, and left the station. As expected, the minibus was waiting for the arrival of passengers. Marina went to the vehicle, paid the driver and sat right on the first bench. When the train left, the bus did the same. The trip home wasn't long, as the minibus had to stop only once before stopping in front of her house.

She took the key from her backpack and entered the old building. Her first reaction was to go to her room and throw herself onto the bed; it was good it was to be back to her beloved bed. Free from the rucksack, Marina went to the living room and called her father for him to tell her mother that she had arrived and that everything had gone well. The conversation lasted no more than a minute and a half, since her father literally got rid of her and didn't even give her the opportunity to ask how her sister was. Always attentive, she thought with sarcasm. She glanced at the clock and noted that it was almost visiting time, so there wouldn't be much news at the moment. Maybe mom would call her at night; then, she would have an update on her sister's status.

The obligation of reporting her arrival fulfilled, Marina walked to the wash-room to have a bath for an hour. Besides not having had a shower at her father's place, it would feel good to relax before the herculean task of facing Barbatos. She opened the taps, turned on the radio, undressed and got in the tub

Bath salts, oils and foam fulfilled their role and allowed her to forget about the world for a while. Moments like that approached perfection and made her believe that everything would be fine. Her insight came out of the wonder state and she finally returned to reality; she had to think better about what to do. Where could she find Barbatos? And what would she say? She felt like calling him a few unsympathetic names, but had to focus on the most important. A red light turned on in her mind, pointing to that she would go to him as cannon fodder. She needed something that prevented him from hurting her, but what? She hadn't found any data on the Internet and she also wasn't an expert in any matters of the supernatural world, nor knew anyone who to ask for some tips. Except for Lucas. He was a demon and he knew Barbatos, so maybe he could help her. That was it - she would talk to Lucas first. The notion that she hadn't her mobile phone with her saddened her. That way she couldn't contact him. How to get around this issue? Marina brained on the subject until her skull began to throb. Out of the blue, she remembered - the skate park. Lucas had told her once that, if she needed him, it was there that she could find him. Maybe he'd be there. She had to risk it and go there.

When the skin of her fingers began to shrivel up, she wrapped in a towel and tidied the bathroom. She went to the living room window and glanced at the river's wall where she had seen Lucas sat slouched for several times. However, there was no sign of him. She heaved a sigh of disappointment and went to her chambers. What to wear? A sportive cloth would fit wonderfully. She got dressed, put on her favorite sneakers, undid the knots of her hair and let it fall loose to dry freely.

Before leaving home, a fearful thought occurred to her: what if Barbatos found her before she could talk to Lucas? She would be absolutely unprotected and without anything that guaranteed her safety. She needed to find something to make him think twice before threatening her. She recalled the films of exorcisms that she had watched; they always involved prayers. Would there be any prayer to St. Bartholomew? Perhaps if she threatened to invoke his protection, Barbatos would retreat. Still, St. Bartholomew was the direct opponent of his boss and not him. Would he fear him too? Feeling the need to cling to something more solid, she settled on the bed with the laptop on her knees. She turned it on and searched the words 'St. Bartholomew'. Before searching orisons, she wanted to know more about whom he was and how he was related to Astaroth. With no time to lose, she went right into the first page. The text said that Bartholomew would probably have been the bridegroom at the wedding in Cana, in which Christ performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. She continued reading, till the most important part jumped to her view:

"It was in Armenia that the Devil had an oracle who responded to questions from his followers by the voice of the wizard Astaroth. However, just as St. Bartholomew crossed the doors of the temple, the devil's voice was silenced. The Saint commanded the Devil to announce the name of Christ as the true God and to destroy the pagan idols of the temple, which had happened."

The remaining information was related to the saint's death and what had happened to his remains. As that data was outside her range of interest, she relegated them to second place. So it was in a temple, in Armenia, that Astaroth and Saint Bartholomew had met each other. The episode seemed no big deal. Pretty much, St. Bartholomew had come into the temple to silence the demon forever and had accomplished it. That wouldn't scare Barbatos. Plus, it was a story that he probably had heard about before.

It was time to move into a new direction. Marina returned to the search engine and wrote 'Pray to Saint Bartholomew'. She opened the second page suggested and, after reading it with reinforced attention, she copied the prayer to a notebook:

"Glorious St. Bartholomew, model of virtue and graces of the Lord, protect this servant who humbly kneels before you, and begs you to have the benevolence to intercede for me before the throne of the Lord. I invoke your powerful intercession, hoping you hear my prayers and I get this special grace I ask: (indicate the desired grace), and still the grace of salvation of my soul. Amen."

It seemed a good prayer. She could indicate the desired grace in concrete and this could be something like 'set me free from the evils of the demon Barbatos', or 'get Barbatos and his malevolent intentions away of me'. She would say it that same night; it wouldn't harm.

She bit her lip, hesitating. She didn't know if the prayer would intimidate Barbatos, after all they were nothing more than words. Still, they were her safety net and everything she had at the moment. It would have to be enough. She turned off the computer, folded the sheet with the prayer and put it in her coat pocket. She made sure she left everything in order at home and locked the door behind her.

The day didn't look good: there were a lot of clouds covering the sun and the wind was unpleasant. Marina feared that, when the wind stopped, it would give way to the rain. She went across the road, to the side walk by the river's rail. Lucas wasn't there, but he could be at the skate park. The hope of the re-encounter made her vibrate, but also tremble with nervousness, since she feared his reaction. And how would she begin the conversation? It was better to start by apologizing, admit how silly she had been, and then she'd talk about Barbatos. The question of their relationship would remain pending.

Marina followed to the pedestrian bridge. Idiot, she admonished herself when she got there. Why had she walked so far, when she could have just gone through the old road bridge, which was much closer to her home? She couldn't explain it; it was as if she had been unconsciously drawn to that site, which made her feel a little agitated. Anyway, since she was already there, so she wasn't going back.

After moving from side to side on the platform, she went up the bridge at a swift and decisive pace. It was with no surprise that she reached the center of the course in quick time. Feeling satisfied, Marina even dared to stop briefly near the railing from where she had been thrown into the river. She stared at the water beneath, but she distanced herself from the rail right away after feeling a shiver. Her sense of self-preservation rose in a savage way, driving her to get out of there the sooner the possible.

"It's a hell of a fall, huh?" asked a deep voice.

Marina gave thanks for no longer being near the railing, because if she was, the fright she got could have ended badly. An influx of apprehension washed over her in an overwhelming way. In an automatic gesture, she put a hand into her pocket and held the sheet of prayer with vigor. She wished she had the protective bracelet there too, but she hadn't and it didn't matter: she would find deep inside the needed courage and strength to defend herself. I'm a well of endless energy and no one can defeat me, she repeated within, encouraging herself to maintain a steady posture.

With short steps, she went up to the closest post of the bridge, seeking for something solid to hold on to. She stared at Barbatos and studied his face; he seemed to have adopted a more mature look than the last time she had seen him. How could she memorize a face that constantly grew old or rejuvenated? At least the Gothic style persisted, which helped with his identification: he continued to wear pants, blouse, jacket and boots, all in black. Wouldn't there be another range of colors available in Hell's boutique? Despite the tension in the air, the joke made her laugh inside, allowing her to achieve a greater self-confidence.

As if he could read her thoughts, the demon observed himself for a second and shrugged his shoulders, grimacing at the same time. He approached her and said, "I heard you were looking for me. So here I am, my dear. How can I help you?"

He could help her by doing nothing. She didn't want to make any pacts with the Devil nor wanted any favors that later would be charged at a high price; she just wanted him to leave forever and to take his threats with him. She thought of her sister and felt anger swelling within her. It was a powerful weapon that gave her a large injection of extra bravery; she hoped that it was stronger than the fear inspired by Barbatos.

"Did you attack my sister?" inquired Marina in an accusing tone.

Barbatos let out a black chuckle and he made a theatrical gesture, like an innocent culprit who didn't understand of what he was being unjustly accused. "Je? Moi? Me, myself and I? Ich?!" he joked. "I am completely innocent and free of blame. Have you asked her friends who were there in the pool with her? I'm sure they can attest that I wasn't there."

Marina snorted with irony. It was obvious that nobody would say that he was there: he was a demon with the ability to become invisible to human eyes. How could they have seen him, if he was hidden by the cloak of invisibility conferred by his powers? The proof was her sister.

"Sofia saw you. Are you going to deny it?" she threw.

Barbatos sank against the bridge railing and pretended to think about that possibility. He shook his head and replied, "I don't deny it nor want to do so, even because I want you to be sure that I was there. You can rest, it wasn't me who caused the accident, but you know, when I'm around I tend to attract negative energies. Not to mention that I also have several unruly demons in my legions, whose actions sometimes escape my control. And their sense of fun, well... it's not funny for whoever stands in their way."

Marina frowned as she reasoned fast. So that was it: he had put one of his demons to do the dirty work while he had fun, watching. It was time to take over the reins of the conversation. In a secure intonation, she said, "Really? You left credits in other's hands? So that's why you felt the need to send a message later in a dream. What was it? Ah! Tell her I won't stop."

Barbatos seemed offended by the comment, whereby he closed the gap between them in an intimidating movement, forcing her to squeeze out against the pole. He put his hands on the white surface on the line above the girl's shoulders, pinned his eyes on hers and murmured, "You can bet that will not stop it. You'll beg me to kill you."

If he sought fear mirrored in her eyes, he would find it for sure, but also shreds of burning hope too. Marina gathered her energies, raised a hand to his chest and pushed him away vigorously. She laughed at his threats, "You want to kill me? Then you'll have to try harder, because I do not intend to make this any easier."

Barbatos was delighted with her hollow courage. He loved when a human decided to play hero, when she already should have realized that she hadn't the slightest chance against his immense power. He was a demon and humans were insignificant insects.

"My dear, killing you is the easiest thing to do," he affirmed. "What I really want is to make you suffer. I want you to feel the despair and the anguish consuming you. I want the agony to corrode your guts and make you feel so lost and miserable, as if you were about to pop. Then, you shall give me your soul and you'll beg me to end your suffering. And believe me, that time I'll do it for real. I'll play with you until the last moment as a mean kid, and I'll ruin your life till its debris evaporates to the line of oblivion."

Marina shuddered. She wanted to direct the conversation, nevertheless the opposite was happening. And Barbatos had just made it quite explicit that she had become his new favorite voodoo doll, which he wouldn't leave alone until it was wholly crushed and ready to throw into the trash. She had to act quickly.

She put a hand in her pocket, pulled out the prayer sheet and unfolded it little by little at Barbatos' eye level, to allow him to follow her movements. She pretended to be curious about the sheet she was holding. She stared at Barbatos by the corner of her eye and said, "You know, I was very upset when you called me dumb the other day, so I decided to be smarter before coming here."

"Yeah? I don't see how," answered back the fiend.

"Simple! I did what you said: I used the technology available, and do you know what I found out? A lot of interesting things about -" Marina dragged her sentence to create more suspense, "- Saint Bartholomew."

The name made Barbatos reel backwards two steps instantly. Good! That should mean that somehow he also feared him. Perhaps the prayer could be useful for real.

To her chagrin, Barbatos burst out laughing the very next moment. He turned to her, shook his hands pretending to tremble, and cried out, "Uh! I'm so scared! Didn't you also read that little Bartholomew only likes to play with the Grand Duke? He doesn't give a damn about us, the wicked assistants. To our joy, he underestimates us."

Marina gulped, but insisted, "Maybe yes, or maybe you're bluffing. I have the key on this sheet. Believe me when I say that I'll read this prayer every day and more than once. Who knows if St. Bartholomew hears me and goes after your boss? If you get unemployed, maybe you'll stop bugging me."

Barbatos clapped as if he was a happy child, which irritated her. He was ridiculing her attacks. She felt like tearing him into a thousand pieces or kicking his ass away to a place far away from there.

The demon locked his attention back on her and announced, "I'd thank you so much if he ended with Astaroth. Guess who would succeed him? I give you a clue. The successor's name starts with a 'B' and ends with 'atos'."

"You wish! There are two other assistants in the spotlight. Do you think they would not fight you? What guarantees do you have that you would win?" shot Marina, showing that he was undervaluing her knowledge.

For the first time Barbatos went silent for a long while, which gave her time to counter-attack. She took two steps towards him and said in a quite safe voice, "I want you to get away from me and my family once and for all, or I swear I will do everything so that St. Bartholomew punishes you."

Barbatos recovered and resumed a posture of menace, while he showed his teeth, reminding her of a vampire, one of those who weren't particularly nice.

"Do what you have to do, but be certain of one thing: I do not forget who stands up to me, which means that I'll never leave you in peace." The fiend's voice grew thicker as he stated, "I have all eternity to hurt you, and I have no hurry at all. On the other hand, you're becoming too impertinent. I should kill you right here."

With this, Barbatos launched himself at hallucinating speed in her direction. His hand landed straight on the girl's throat and he lifted her into the air with no effort. Marina felt her trachea being crushed. Besides the agonizing pain, the air was unable to get through, leading her lungs to struggle to overcome the distressing blockade. She put her hands to her neck, to try to get rid of Barbatos, and tried to wrestle as much as possible so that it would become difficult for him to hold her and he'd end up by dropping her. Barbatos, however, was determined to end it all right there, and Marina was losing her strength. Two tears rolled from her eyes. She tried to talk, to call for Lucas, but she couldn't - the syllables died even before she was able to articulate them. In a last act of desperation, she began kicking the demon. If she was going to die, then she would die fighting - she would not surrendered. She was about to faint, still she thrashed as a fish pulled out of the water.

Unexpectedly, Barbatos dropped her, making her sprawl out across the bridge. Marina put both hands to her throat and tried to suck in as much air as possible at once, but it insisted on passing only bit by bit.

Barbatos chuckled as if he had just watched a scene so comical, that he just felt like rolling on the floor laughing. When he noticed that Marina had recovered a bit, he crouched down beside her and said, "While you were there, skating in the air, I was thinking. You're an opponent too funny to waste just like that, so I have a game for you. From what I can see, you and the Lost One developed some sort of connection, and he's important to you. How about me taking him to Hell and inflict him with 30 years of painful torture?"

Her heart seemed to stop beating in her chest. Marina opened her eyes wide. How did he dare? He could not hurt Lucas; he couldn't even approach him. She wanted to demand him to stay away from Lucas, but her throat ached so hard that she failed to express a single word.

Barbatos interlaced his fingers behind his back, turned around and proceeded, "Here's my final offer: tell the Lost One to go back to the legion and I'll leave your family alone."

From torture, the demon's proposal moved to his private army. Marina drew a question mark with her face. What would the return of Lucas to that legion imply? And would the fiend be telling the truth, would he really leave her family alone?

Seeing doubt patent in her eyes, Barbatos puffed, "Don't worry about your precious sweetheart. I promise that I won't dismiss him; he will be of great use. As for your family, I have no interest in them. I only used them to get to you."

Marina continued to breathe slowly, as the tears kept falling into a translucent curtain that didn't allow her to discern the sinister figure of Barbatos accurately. She had to do some thinking before giving a response to the demon, but she couldn't do it at that moment: the air seemed to not reach her brain, making it impossible for her to formulate any reasoning.

Barbatos drummed his fingers on the railing, exasperated by the response that she couldn't give him. He snorted, rolled his eyes and declared, "Okay, I already noticed that you have a bad throat. Tell you what: if the Lost One doesn't come to me by tomorrow night, I'll get back to your family. The next one on my list is your mother, and believe me, she's a very easy target since she's sick and weakened. It won't give me any pleasure to attack a prey so easy, but be sure that I will."

Having said these words, he dissolved in a black mist. Now that he was gone, Marina felt that she could cry at will and so she did. She hid her face in her hands and opened the gates of the internal dam that begged to overflow.

Her eyes were swollen when the last tear dared to roll down her cheeks, in the final stage of the catharsis. As she felt capable of reasoning with minimal clarity, she hastened to get up and to finish crossing the bridge before anyone went to her to check if everything was fine. Still trembling, she staggered to the end of the walkway. As soon as she stepped on the southern shore, she ran to the nearest bench and threw herself into the seat abruptly, burying her head in her knees. She wanted to continue and go to the skate park to search for Lucas, nevertheless she was much too shaken.

Twenty minutes later, she got up and advanced faltering steps to the half-pipe. She sought the image of Lucas with urgency and despair, but he was not there. Where could he be?

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Verifying that Lucas wasn't at the only place where she knew she could find him, Marina decided to return home. The few sun rays that dared to escape through the persistent clouds had long disappeared, and the night announced its arrival soon.

With steps a little more consistent, the girl went to the old bridge, crossed it and tried to run home. Her legs, however, didn't respond well to her commands, for she seemed like a disjointed doll moving in an awkward way. She failed the entrance lock four times until, at the fifth attempt, she succeeded. Marina rushed into the room, threw herself onto the bed, and wept more than a mourner, given the helplessness she felt. Tiredness eventually won, and moments later, she fell asleep. In the short time she slept, she didn't get any real rest. She dreamed about what had just happened and the consequences of the choice she had to make. She spent the whole time curled up in the duvet and felt even more tired than when she had lain down.

The strident noise of the home phone woke her up violently, making her jump in bed. Sleepy, she stood up and staggered hurriedly into the living room. Marina picked up the telephone and tried to talk, but only a hoarse voice came out. Across the line came a quite worried voice, "Hello, Marina? Is everything okay?"

What to answer? 'No, mom, it's not OK. There's a demon harassing me and he keeps insisting on hurting everyone around me. Oh, and he wants to kill me. Help me. I can't stand it any longer?' It didn't sound like an option. She couldn't tell her that Barbatos had grabbed her by her neck, so she came up with a simpler explanation - an ordinary sore throat.

"I'm fine, but I woke up from a nap with a sore throat and I can barely utter a word."

"Don't talk any more then. When you hang up the phone, go to the bathroom cabinet and take some pills for sore throats. Listen, I'm just calling to say that Sofia is better and she comes out tomorrow at the visit time. Since your father and... Paula are working, I'll get her from the hospital and take her home. After they arrive, I'll come back to Alcácer. I'll arrive late evening. Be good, okay? Get well soon!"

Marina did what her mom suggested and went to the bathroom to fetch the pills. The pain that she suffered from hadn't a pathological cause, but maybe the pills could help her to recover and mitigate the suffering. Before leaving the bathroom, Marina looked at herself in the mirror and was stunned: around her neck, purplish marks were starting to form, outlining clearly the fingers of Barbatos. If she showed up at school like that, questions would be asked - that would not be good. She had to think of a way to hide the marks.

The severe growling of her stomach made her remember that dinner time had passed long ago, although she hadn't noticed it since she was asleep. She returned to the kitchen and heated a glass of milk. She also intended to make some toast, however, when she had the first sip of the warm liquid, the pain in her throat intensified so much that she quickly dropped the idea. She couldn't even drink, let alone chewing and swallowing something solid. Still, she couldn't afford to become weaker - that would be handing points to Barbatos. She poured milk in a bowl and started to break small pieces of cookies inside, which turned into a kind of soft porridge. She believed that she could swallow it if she took extra care.

The meal took almost an hour. Marina hoped to be much better the next day or she would have serious problems at lunchtime in school. After eating, she headed to her chambers, put on her pajamas, arranged the sports bag for the following day and chose the clothes that she would wear. As she was opening a dresser drawer, there was light in her mind: she would wear a scarf to hide her purple neck. The main problem was related to Physical Education, because the teacher wouldn't allow her to do the exercises with a scarf: Turtle-neck sweaters were also forbidden. She remembered then of an old coat off a training-suit; she could rip the zip up, hiding the marks. Hopeful, she went to the closet, grabbed the coat and slipped it into the sports bag.

Marina let out a sigh. Never before had she given so much value to her miserable existence; now, she just wanted to return to anonymity, so that no one noticed her. She wanted to feel like a normal person for a while, so she went to bed and turned on the TV. It was on an episode of a series that she liked, so she decided to watch it. One hour later, she fell into a deep sleep that allowed her to rest as if she hadn't for years.

The relentless alarm clock made her wake up distressed in the morning. She hastened to turn it off and turned to the other side for two minutes more. At last she snorted, threw back the sheet and the blanket and got up. She got dressed and spent a good bit of time at the mirror fixing the scarf to hide the marks on her neck, which had accentuated during the night.

Someone knocked at the door; she assumed it was Joshua. They hadn't settled anything, but going to school together was a routine that both had eventually adopted and no prior confirmation was needed. Marina went to the bedroom to fetch her stuff, and opened the exit door. The cold air that invaded the house made her suspect that no one would criticize her for wearing a scarf that day - it was freezing cold. She dropped her things by the door, even before greeting Joshua, and ran to her closet to get a warmer coat. It seemed that Autumn was trying to transform into Winter. While dressing the new coat, she returned to the entrance. She was preparing to snag the backpack, when Joshua gave her a red rose. Tired of the repetitive loop the beginning of the day, she returned to the room to put the flower next to the others. Lucas had left her another rose... she felt bad about it. How could he continue to offer her flowers when she was about to condemn him? It was best not to think about it, under the penalty of going into a severe depression. She went out at last, and greeted Joshua with a visible effort.

The boy found her voice very weird and couldn't help but ask, "Are you okay? Your voice is sounding a bit... strange."

It was a nice way of putting things, rather than simply saying that she seemed to have a frog in her throat. At cost, she explained, "I have a sore throat and I'm practically voiceless." And shrugged her shoulders, as if saying that's how life was. That kind of gesture, that required moving her neck, caused her enough suffering. Still, she'd had to do it to prevent anyone from become suspicious about what the scarf covered up.

They began walking to school. Along the way, Joshua told her that he had received visitors from America - his uncles and a cousin of his age – and they would stay with him all the week. He had spent the entire weekend playing PlayStation with his cousin and had shown him the sights. At night, they had gone to a bar and his cousin had found some girls who seemed very interested in knowing him better. Marina didn't know his cousin, nonetheless she knew that Joshua was gorgeous. It was possible that the interest fell upon him and not his relative as he thought, which made her laugh. As punishment, she got a monumental pain in her throat.

Almost at the school entrance, Dennis joined them. The three of them entered the lobby and found Ana sitting in one of the first benches. Dennis ran to her and, while they greeted with a loud and non-discreet kiss, Marina and Joshua deliberately slowed their pace to stay out of the scene.

After the kissing, Ana paid a little more attention to Marina. She got up from the bench and went to her, handing her the phone. "Good-morning, cute one," she welcomed. "Here's your phone. Will you confess that you missed it this weekend?"

Marina nodded her head while raising her eyebrows in confirmation.

Ana thought it strange that she didn't answer, but went on. "What about your sister, how is she doing?"

"Oh, I forgot to ask you that," said Joshua while hitting a hand on his forehead. "Damn... I'm sorry. Seriously, I swear I didn't mean to..."

Marina gulped with great effort. She wanted to talk as little as possible, but she knew that it was hard to avoid speaking.

She pulled Ana closer to her, in order not to have to raise her voice, and whispered, "Sofia is doing better. She gets out of the hospital today and has to wear a neck brace for a while."

"Happily, it's not anything more serious. She was very lucky. Falling and hitting your head on the ground is concerning. You never know what can result from that," commented Ana.

Marina agreed that Sofia had been very lucky. The true hazard was in whom had caused the accident. Maybe from that day on Sofia would be safe, just like the rest of her family. At least, Marina would do what she could, even if she had to pay a mountain-high price.

After making a sign that she was going to the locker, Marina left her friends. She opened the locker's door, made the desired changes, and turned her mobile phone on. She took a deep breath and wrote a message saying, 'Meet me at the usual place at lunch time, please'. She sent it to Lucas. She closed her eyes tightly and leaned her head against the locker for two seconds. I must do this, she thought, trying to convince herself that she was acting in the most correct way.

The ringing of the bell called her back to the present and to a new terror - Philosophy class. She hastened to go to her friends and they ran to the classroom, arriving there at the precise moment that the teacher was opening the door. Before crossing the door frame, Joshua put a hand on Marina's back and whispered in her ear "Courage!" She was going to need it, since things didn't go well in the last class. Knowing Manelito's fame, she could wait for his revenge.

During the entire lesson, Marina paid close attention to what was said, trying to understand the link between the contents she had lost and those from that lesson. To her joy, things didn't sound complicated. To her astonishment, the teacher didn't speak to her the whole class, except when it ended. When students began to leave, the professor asked her to stay. Marina swallowed painfully. A huge lecture was on its way and all she could do was to raise her imaginary shield to protect herself from the verbal bullets.

When they were alone, the professor put his hands on the table and interlaced his fingers, making them click. He cleared his throat and said in a tone of reprisal, "You will never again disrespect me as you did in the last lesson, my lady. Am I clear?"

"I apologize. I admit that I was insolent to you, sir. I promise I will not repeat it."

Surprisingly, the teacher said nothing else. He stood up, placed the folder under his arm and left. Marina became suspicious and grimaced. Just that? It couldn't be that simple. He must be saving something big for later, like a major negative in the test, for example. It was better to be ready for anything. She left the room as well and walked down into the lobby, where she found her friends.

"And you, Marina? Are you coming with us?" questioned Dennis when she got near them.

"Huh, where?"

Dennis explained that they and his cousin were going to have lunch at 'Kira Café'. He repeated then the question, underlining every word, to prevent them from getting lost between the emissary and the receiver. "Do you want to have lunch with us?"

"Thanks, but not today," answered Marina, kind of ashamed. "I already bought a ticket for the canteen and my mother would kill me if she knew that, with the ticket bought, I had slipped away to eat out. I appreciate the invitation, but I'll stick around here."

Actually, she had no ticket for that day and, most likely, would eat something later in the bar. The most important thing was that she had plans for lunch time. Explosive ones! Before they started complaining that she never went out to eat with them, Marina broke in and said that she hadn't yet bought the ticket for the next day and, if they wanted, she wouldn't acquire it and would have lunch with them. Her friends rejected the idea early on, insisting on the urge of her going with them that day. The friends rejected the idea, insisting on her to join them that day. Given her intransigence, they finally dropped it.

After the bell, they walked to the classroom. They got in and Joshua sat in the desk behind Marina's. The girl stared in a disguised way at the empty seat beside him - Lucas was missing again. After hearing what she had to say later, maybe he would never return.

The French lesson passed very quickly, perhaps because it was very busy due to the revisions for the test. As soon as the bell rang, students rushed out of the room before the teacher could pass them more exercises to solve. As there was still half an hour for the canteen to open, the three friends decided to sit in the lobby. Marina took that moment to copy her friend's notes, while they talked about the family that was visiting Joshua. Ana seemed excited to meet his cousin, but Joshua was hesitant.

"What's all that reluctance about, Gorgeous? Are you afraid that I might exchange your brother for your cousin?" quizzed Ana, teasingly.

If they were talking about the old Ana, Joshua's fears would have a ground base. However, Marina had to admit that it was the first time that her friend appeared to be really committed to making a relationship work. The problem was that passions didn't last long with Ana and the enchantment would eventually fade away. She hoped that this time it would last longer.

At the bell at 12.20, Dennis ended his classes. When he got near them, his girlfriend and brother got up from the table and said goodbye to Marina.

"We shouldn't take long, sweetie," said Ana.

"Linger as long as you need. I'll be right here when you return."

"OK. So we meet here, in the lobby?"

"Yes, that's fine with me. Put on your coats. It's unimaginably cold out there."

Her friends waved in way of agreement. In fact, the day was too cold to spend much time on the street. Marina was glad that she had her scarf and that she had changed her coat before going to school.

The three departed then, leaving her alone. Marina remained sat for a few more minutes, until she could not postpone any longer what she had to do. She stood up reluctantly. There was still a hypothesis that she hadn't considered: Lucas might not appear and everything would precipitate - it would be the unequivocal condemnation of her family. She took the phone from her pocket to check if it had any call or texts, but there was nothing. Would he have received her text? With doubt weighting on her spirit, she began to march.

Like the last time she had taken that way, the path to the back of the canteen proved to be turbulent and hard to bear. She wanted so much to control her life! She wanted to be Superwoman, with the most fantastic and phenomenal powers of the universe, to kick Barbatos' ass and send him to the fifth dimension, so that he could never mess with her again. She wished Lucas would forgive her and that they would stay together. She wished... that everything was different.

She lowered her eyelids for a few seconds before taking the final steps to where she should find Lucas, convincing herself once again that she was doing the best for everyone. If it was really the best for everyone, why did she feel so bad? Believing that she couldn't gather any more courage than the little she had, she breathed out deeply and walked the final paces. To her surprise, Lucas wasn't at the back of the canteen. A spark of desperation mixed with concern stamped up in her eyes. Flustered, she took the phone from her pocket and pressed the speed dial. The answer came back in a recorded voice, 'The number you have just dialed is not connected'. It was off. Maybe he didn't even receive her message. She tried to call him again, as she felt panic beginning to grow inside her. What if she couldn't talk to him? She assessed all the options left swiftly. What if she called Barbatos and asked him to extend the deadline for a day or two? He would not do it for sure; he had an inordinate enjoyment to play with her, since he was evil.

Tormented, she slipped down to the ground. What would she do? She could go to the skate park, but she had already been there the day before and he wasn't there. Would he have gone to another dimension to get away from her? It was a possibility and she couldn't blame him when she was the one who asked him to stay away from her. A voice deep inside assured her he wasn't gone: he had left her a rose on her doorstep that morning. And he could still show up - she had to keep hope.

After almost three hours waiting, there was still no sign of Lucas. About to go on a rampage, Marina grabbed her phone for the umpteenth time and tried to call him, receiving the very same answer as before. Without vigor, she sat on the edge of the sandbox where the students practiced the long jump in the old days. Maybe it was her who was without reception. Although she was somehow relieved for not having had yet such a conversation with Lucas, the heaviness of the effects weighed too much and her conscience squirmed with grief. She crossed her legs and began to rock back and forth, giving reins to the nervousness.

She picked up her phone again; this time, the call was addressed to another person.

"Hello?"

"Hi, mom, it's me. How are things there?"

"Everything's fine," replied her mother. "In a while, I'm going to the hospital to get your sister. Is your throat is any better? It seems that it's still hard for you to speak."

"Yes, I'm a little better," Marina lied.

"Do you want anything?" asked her mother, as she considered her call a little weird.

After sighing in silence, the girl said, "No. Just tell Sofia I wish her to get better soon. And watch out when you do the trip back here."

"I'll pass her the message. And don't worry, I'll be careful. I don't know what time I'll arrive, so don't wait up for me."

"Okay, mom. Bye. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie. Bye."

Marina feared what could happen to her mother on the trip back to Alcácer. She hoped that she would return before midnight. Barbatos said that he would wait until the end of the day, so she wouldn't martyr herself before that. She tried to imagine what would happen if something terrible occurred to her mother. Probably she would have to leave school, the city and her few friends, and go live with her father. What then? Barbatos would pursue her dad and Sofia next? Paula would be the last to be plagued, since she represented her ultimate support. No, she couldn't think like that; nothing would happen to her mother - she wouldn't allow it. The key was on the one who stubbornly refused to appear. Where could Lucas be? Hope began to fade as a sand castle crushed by the wind, and she.

In an outburst, Marina got up and shouted as loud as her sore throat allowed her, "Lucas!"

She didn't care that someone would hear her, as long as the targeted person would understand that she needed him. She waited two minutes and repeated her cry, which came out weaker this time. She was ruining her vocal chords, but it was a small price to pay. She remained in the same place in silence, waiting for an answer, but nothing: no voices, no steps, no air agitating - only emptiness. Defeated, she dropped to her knees in the sandbox, while biting her lip to hold back tears. It was her fault. She had sent him away and now he didn't respond to her plea. Reason was on his side; however, she couldn't condemn her family to the torments of a crazy demon. She felt so lost.

"I could really use a lighthouse to get me out of this darkness..." she murmured.

"Good luck with that. I once believed that I had found my light in the middle of the shadows, but she abandoned me and I lost myself again," said a familiar voice, scaring her.

Lucas sat on the edge of the box, buried his bare feet in the sand and supported his elbows on his knees as he stared at the emptiness. Marina studied him: he was downcast and he was wearing only a pair of jeans. Seeing him shirtless made her shudder, not only because it was freezing cold, but also because that semi-naked body seemed to play with her, as if rubbing in her face what she had lost when she ordered him to stay away from her. Her first impulse was to take off her coat and go to him quickly, to put it around his shoulders. She crouched in front of him then to straighten the coat, so it would cover as much skin as possible. However, and since Lucas had his elbows on his knees, part of his chest was still quite exposed. Unaware of her own actions, Marina took her scarf and put it around his neck, letting its tips hang over his chest.

She stayed crouched, until Lucas finally dared to raise his eyes from the ground, meeting hers. He was there as requested. She had so many things that she wanted to tell him, but where should she start? As she was trying to make up her mind, she took her fingers to the tips of the scarf and pressed them against his chest to warm him up.

Recovering what he had said before, she whispered, "I know what you believed in. I believed in something similar, until the carpet was pulled from under my feet. Only God knows how much I'd like to get it back."

"Why should you, when you had just what you asked for and you didn't even measure your words to achieve it?" Lucas growled with bitterness.

It was true, she couldn't refute it. Lucas was the light in her monotonous life, her first and only love, and she had told him that he had broken her heart and killed her. She remembered his rammed and hurt expression when she fired out those words; at that instant, she had broken his heart too. What had she done? She had promised him love, light and salvation, and then withdrew it all. And what was she doing now? She was preparing to take everything else away from him. She couldn't do that.

Lucas turned to rest his view on the granulated ground, avoiding confronting Marina, who fought back tears. She didn't want to be a crying-baby, she wanted to be strong, even because being there with Lucas had made her realize that she had only one way out - her decision was made. Allowing a certain peace to settle on her spirit, she took the place beside him and leaned her head on his shoulder. Lucas didn't complain or move, so she stayed that way for a while.

A few minutes later, Marina hugged him and whispered to him, "I'm sorry if I hurt you. I was a fool, I know. Don't worry, I'll solve everything. If I'm successful, I'll join you soon."

The enigma contained in the last sentence made Lucas turn to her and stare at her with an expression of distrust.

Marina made a move to take her jacket from his shoulders, since she was getting pretty cold, nonetheless she gave up her intent. "Keep it. I won't need it where I'm going." That said, she smiled to Lucas and began marching back to the most recent school facilities. She knew what she had to do and would do it: it was the only way to be able to live (or die) with a clean conscience.

The air swung around her suddenly; Lucas had moved like Barbatos did and he was now barring her way. With a serious look, he demanded her to explain, "What do you mean by that?"

Marina shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, saying it was nothing special. The gesture, however, caught her with a sharp twinge in the neck; she couldn't help letting out a moan. In an innocent act, she put a hand to her throat in an attempt to assuage the pain. Lucas followed her movement and watched for the first time the marks involving her slender neck. He assumed an expression of concern right away.

Holding her with firmness by her shoulders, he questioned, "What's going on? Don't lie to me."

Marina didn't want to lie. She wanted to tell him everything and ask for his help, but she felt that she hadn't such right. He had given her much, she had taken him everything and she still thought of crucifying him for the sake of her family. She would be the one to put an end to that, not him.

Seeing that she didn't answer, Lucas assumed a different stance. He made his fingers slide gently by her sore neck, as she tried to hide a grin of pain. He hadn't even noticed that her voice didn't sound normal, so blind he was by his anger and sadness. He took off her coat and put it on her, doing the same with the scarf.

"No," protested Marina. You have no coat, you'll freeze to death."

Soon she rolled her eyes in their sockets against the evidence. 'You'll freeze to death?' Would there be a dumber thing to say? He was already dead, cold could not be blamed for that. Or was it to be blamed? She never asked him what had happened, nor had given him an opportunity to explain himself.

Lucas, however, didn't laugh at the phrase. He shook his head and muttered, "I was forged in the fires of Hell. The cold is a relief to me, don't worry."

How could she not worry about him if she loved him? And there was so much at stake! Marina retreated two steps to regain her path, but he turned to bar her passage. This time, Lucas resorted to weapons that he knew she would have difficulty to resist. He closed the gap between them and began kissing her neck. The coldness of his lips felt good; it eased the pain, although it made her burn inside. I can't waver, she repeated to herself. He couldn't know what was happening.

"Please, stop," she pleaded.

Lucas turned a deaf ear to her request and continued engaging in his task, to her despair. She tried to fight it with all her strength until, unable to dominate herself, she ended up breaking into sobs. She dropped her knees on the pavement and Lucas imitated her so that she would not be left without support. She threw her arms around him and held him close to her with all her energy. Lucas corresponded and embraced her equally with vigor. It was as if they wanted to mold into one. They were one: the feelings of one were the other's.

Pressing his lips to her ear, he demanded in a whisper, "Tell me everything."

Marina wanted to keep everything to herself, to spare him, nonetheless he was capable of tearing down any barriers she put up. Without breaking the hug, she propped her lips to his ear and mumbled, "Barbatos hurt my sister and he said that he'll pursue my family, unless I do what he asked..." She wasn't able to continue. She shut up and held him harder.

Lucas waited patiently, until he gently pushed her away and helped her to get up. He wiped her tears with the back of his hand, and asked in a voice as calm as the waters of a lake, "Tell me what Barbatos wants you to do."

Marina shook her head with vehemence and diverted her eyes from him. Lucas didn't give her much leeway: he held her wrists to keep her in the same place, and he grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. Gosh, I can't do this, she thought, desperate. It hurt her to say what she had to say, even more staring at him directly. In an act of desperation, she tried to free herself, but Lucas was stronger.

"Tell me everything once and for all," he ordered.

"I can't! Don't you get it, Lucas? I cannot do what he asks me. I didn't lie when I said you deserved to be saved."

Lucas gave her a slight shove for her to control herself. Then she pulled her so close that their lips were almost touching.

Marina clenched her fists and confessed, "Barbatos wants me to tell you to rejoin his legion. In return, he promises not to hurt you, because he says you'll be useful. If by the end of the day you don't return, he will hurt my family, starting by my mother. My sister leaves the hospital today, in Lisbon, and my mother will make the journey back here by car at night, alone..."

Marina swallowed the rest of the words, while Lucas gradually loosened his grip of her. She didn't want to imagine what Barbatos could do that night \- the possibilities were endless and too terrifying. She dared to face Lucas, who had an expression as hard as stone. Would he think that she would ask him that? She was not asking him to.

She hastened to draw near to him and hold his hands, while saying, "Don't worry, you don't have to go back to the legion." As he didn't pay her much attention, the girl demanded firmly, "Look at me, Lucas!" Lucas unglued his sight from the floor and glanced at her as she requested. Marina passed her fingers with affection over his face, transmitting security and confidence. "I'll fix everything soon. Just promise me you'll look after my family."

Lucas furrowed his eyebrows, suspicion robbing him again. What did she mean by that? What could she do to fix things? Nothing. Barbatos was too powerful. Unless... His eyes widened in shock. No, she would not go that far. Gasping, he yelled at her, "What are you going to do, Marina? What are you going to do?!"

His eyes begged her to tell him her plan, but Marina feared that if she told him, he would try to stop her. She was determined to do it and there was nothing else to ponder. In an attempt to shut him up, she shortened the distance separating them, took her lips to his and kissed him with urgency. Lucas tried to resist, nonetheless he couldn't deny his feelings and he ended up letting go. It was as if their mouths hadn't been away for days, nor ever had stopped kissing. It was a feeling like being at home, in their little corner of happiness. Taking into account what she intended to do, Marina felt that she deserved it.

When their lips parted, Lucas didn't need her to tell him anymore, he had been able to read her soul. He held her in his arms and rejected her idea, "No, Marina. I'm not gonna let you do that."

"It's the only way," she guaranteed. "Even if you turn in, nothing assures you that he will stop harassing me or my family. If I die, there's no point for him to mess with my parents and my sister or to chase you. He himself assured me that his only interest is to see me suffer, till I beg him to kill me. I'm not going to give him that pleasure. I'm going to die when I want and on my own terms."

Lucas locked her harder and Marina realized that he was crying too. They remained embraced in silence. Occasionally, he gave her little kisses on her forehead as if protecting and comforting her simultaneously. When he pulled away a little, Marina's eyes fell by instinct on the scars that covered his chest. She ran her flickering fingers by them as she pressed her lips to avoid crying. He had already suffered so much! She had to save him.

The distant noise of the bell, announcing the end of classes, made them hit the reality. Lucas gave her a soft kiss on her cheek and began moving back, as he said through a smile, "You saved me long ago. Please, be happy. You deserve it. I'll give you the greatest love proof that I can give you."

Understanding what was going on, Marina ran towards him, but Lucas dissipated through a black mist before she could reach him. Marina wanted to scream, to beg him not to go and to stay there with her, but it was too late: he had disappeared and would sacrifice himself for her. She staggered to the nearest wall and leaned there, while her back arched in a hard sob.

The relentless bell for entrance was heard, calling her to the next class. Marina wanted to move, but she couldn't. She had just recovered an important part of her life, to lose it forever. Despite everything she had done and told him, he was willing to suffer the biggest of the torments for her. A voice inside her that resembled Lucas' shouted "move!" and she obeyed. She started by taking undecided steps, that quickly became the race of her life. She arrived at her locker, got the material from inside it, and ran to the bathroom to wash her face. She turned to sprint toward the classroom and got there right on the late bell. The teacher allowed her to enter and Marina hastened to throw herself into the seat next to Ana, who looked at her with a puzzled air. Marina adjusted the scarf on her neck and opened the notebook at the right page. She felt her heart literally pounding in her throat. She wanted to prevent Lucas from turning himself in, but she didn't know how. He had vanished; he could already have gone to Barbatos. She had lost him... She had lost him!

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

If someone asked her what they were learning at the Portuguese class, Marina would have no idea of what to say. She hadn't heard a single word since she had sat down; she just remained there, motionless as a statue. Sporadically, she scribbled in her diary what the teacher said, an acquired reflex.

She didn't want to be there, she wanted to go look for Lucas and to beg him not to surrender. What would Barbatos do to him, what plans did he have? She couldn't stand the idea of her beloved being tortured. She remembered how sad Lucas looked when he appeared to her in a dream and told her that she had no idea of the harm done in the underworld. For some reason that name was unmistakable - Purgatory. However, and despite being quite alive, she was going through a veritable hell on Earth. If she sacrificed herself, Barbatos would claim her soul and maybe she could stay with Lucas. Or maybe the fiend would spend the whole time making her false promises and they were forbidden to meet. Maybe, maybe, maybe... She was tired of possibilities, she wanted certainties. She decided that, when school ended, she would try to find Barbatos to plead with him not to hurt Lucas; it was the least she could do for him. She could skip classes to do it, but she felt that she owed it to Lucas to stay there. Though her thoughts were immersed in a whirlwind of disorder, something assured her that he wanted her to live and to succeed – she didn't want to disappoint him, it was her obligation to survive to pay for his oblation.

At the end of the Physical Education lesson, Marina decided that she would shower at home. She couldn't uncover her neck in front of her schoolmates, otherwise they would see the bruises in the shape of fingers around her throat. She took the sports bag, said goodbye to Ana, went to the locker to get her backpack and left the school grounds.

Shortly after crossing the gate, Joshua ran to catch her. Noting that she was still wearing the clothes of Gym class, he questioned, "Why didn't you have a shower? I thought you used to do it in school."

"I'm getting the flu, so I thought it was better not to walk outside with wet hair with this cold. When I get home, I'll spend hours in the tub," responded Marina with some effort.

In an attempt to tease her, Joshua winked his eye and provoked, "Do you need someone to wash your back?"

They both smiled at that indecent offer. Marina shook her head, certifying that she didn't need his help. She remembered perfectly the bath at his place; it had been good, because, in addition of having her back rubbed, he had also given her a spectacular massage. It would feel pretty good a massage like that; it would help to untangle the knots of tension accumulated on top of her shoulders.

"If I wasn't this bad, I'd ask you for a massage. But I'll have to pass," she said.

"Whenever you want it, Princess," joked Joshua, who, after that, put an arm over her shoulders.

They continued the path back home. His arm touched on her neck with insistence, which hurt her a lot. However, and as she couldn't let her disguise be discovered, she swallowed the moans that were fighting to escape from her sore throat, and she locked the pain in a fantasy chest.

When they were almost at the point from which they would follow different paths, Joshua inquired, "Don't you want to come to my house? You've got your bag with your stuff; you could have a bath there, and then we could study for tests. You would also meet my cousin. Come on! You're even going to be home alone until late..."

The proposition was bold, but not tempting; not that day. She wanted to talk to Barbatos and then to be left alone, as she wanted to mourn her loss and wait anxiously for the arrival of her mother. She would only be fully rested when she saw her walking through the door in one piece.

"Thanks for the offer," she replied. "You're a sweetheart, but what I need is soup and rest. Besides, tomorrow I'll get to know your cousin at lunch, right? Will you meet me tomorrow morning?"

"Always. Unless a meteor falls on my head, I'll be there every day, waiting for you."

Marina laughed at that hypothetical, highly unlikely scenario. Joshua withdrew his arm from her shoulders gently and she sighed. It was a relief to get that weight from around her poor neck; the journey to there had been painful enough. They said goodbye parted and each went a different way.

The first part of Marina's plan consisted of trying to talk with Barbatos. Maybe she would find him at the pedestrian bridge, like the day before. She headed there in fast strides. A flash of anguish pierced her soul: what if Lucas had already turned himself in and Barbatos didn't take long in punishing him? She hoped he hadn't hurt him.

She climbed the stairs of the dais and stopped; she didn't feel like walking the rest of the path. What if the wily demon wanted to choke her and throw her into the river? She had already given Lucas to him. Most likely, she was of no more use to him, so he might want to get rid of her for good. She sat on the bench on the bridge platform and contemplated the city, the river and the south bank. She prepared her psyche to the pernicious clash that would follow. When she felt ready, she murmured, "I'm here, Barbatos. I'm waiting for you."

Marina was wearing only a t-shirt and the training-suit coat, which wasn't much to face the day's low temperatures. She ripped the zip of the sports bag, and exchanged the training-suit coat for the warm coat she had worn that morning and the scarf. She wanted to go home have a shower, but she had to solve that issue first. She crossed her legs and arms to remain warm and waited.

The sun began to go down on the horizon and the cold increased. It looked like the fiend wouldn't answer her call. He already had what he wanted, so why would he trouble himself to listen to her? Feeling that her bones were starting to freeze as time passed by, she decided that it was time to go home. She tried to rise, but she couldn't get up. Marina attributed the probable blame for lack of control to the Gym class. She tried once again and nothing – she didn't move a single inch. The blood stuck in her veins and uproar invaded her. Hearing a noise beside her, she turned her head and got frightened: Barbatos was sat beside her and imitated her, observing the landscape. He looked at her and unfolded his arms, as if he was surprised to find her there.

"Look! The girl who was looking for me!" he exclaimed. "I didn't expect to find you here, but it seems that... oh, you're already leaving? Don't go. We can still have a little chat before nightfall."

Marina struggled in place, but her body disobeyed her orders. It was as if she had turned into a quadriplegic all of a sudden, and was only able to swing her head from side to side.

Barbatos put the indicator in the front of her nose and shook it vigorously, saying at the same time, "No! If I don't want you to get away from here, you won't. Besides, you're not wearing the bracelet today, meaning, you have to obey me. But let's cut to the chase. What brought you here?"

"Lucas," stammered the girl.

She had requested the demon's presence and there he was. He was dominating her completely, but she couldn't pass up the opportunity to convey the message that had brought her to that prophetic place.

Barbatos pretended not to know what she was talking about and simulated digging his memories in search of the name she had mentioned. Finally, he stretched his indicator in the air and spun it around. A black mist began to appear. When it turned into a compact ball of dark haze, the demon made roll onto the floor. The contact with the platform made the darkness expand until it began to take shape: in front of Barbatos appeared Lucas, with one knee resting on the floor and head down, in a sign of respect for his master. Like early in the afternoon, he was wearing only a pair of jeans, he was barefoot and had his chest was exposed. Seeing him, Marina struggled harder, but it seemed that she was stuck at the same place by tons of Super Glue. All her muscles of her body were suspended.

"Was this the Lucas you were talking about? You have to excuse me, but to me he's just another Lost One. They are so many that I stopped memorizing their old names. It's easier to call Lost One to them all," said Barbatos with disdain.

"Yes, this is the Lucas I referred to," replied Marina dryly, with pressing anger simmering in her voice.

Amused, the demon asked, "Very well. And what do you want to say about him?"

With humbleness, Marina said in a low voice, "I want to request... to beg you not to hurt him. He's at your service again, so I supplicate you to not harm him, nor torture him."

"Me? Torture? You mean I can't do anything like... this?" Barbatos slid his finger along Lucas' shoulder, opening a cut that bled abundantly.

Marina was perplexed, but she was powerless – she couldn't help him. The scarlet liquid soaking his skin made her remember the wound that Lucas had on his other shoulder when he had visited the night she had gone to the bar. At the time, he had been involved in a fight with Barbatos to defend her after he appeared on the dock during canoeing class. However, the next day Lucas had recovered almost completely. Could he recover that fast in Hell too?

Barbatos contemplated the horizontal incision he had made and, considering that his masterpiece wasn't complete yet, he did another one, but in the vertical. Lucas cringed in the same spot, making a huge effort not to scream.

Marina felt multiplying within her a colossal outrage that could only culminate in an imperious explosion. Under the influence of anger, she ordered with strength for her body to break loose. Spasms went through her muscles, encouraging them to break free from the spell. Barbatos raised his finger to tear Lucas' flesh once more. Marina let the tame-less cholera climb inside her, an extreme frenzy.

"No!" she yelled.

Marina's body was run by an electric discharge that provided her the strength that she thought that she had lost. She freed herself from the invisible shackles and jump at Barbatos, making him fall on his back on the bench. She held his wrists to prevent him from moving his hands. Then she spoke, sounding authoritative and solid, "You will never ever touch him again. Never!"

After the initial surprise, the demon regained his mocking posture and chuckled at her. So fast that it was impossible to stop it, Barbatos' hand slid up to Marina's neck. He didn't need to exert great pressure, since her throat was sore and only a light touch caused her great suffering. Marina moaned a single time, but it was enough to make Lucas try to react. However, he seemed cemented in place, as she had been before, and he failed to release from his masters' subjection.

Barbatos turned to him abruptly and ordered, "Quiet, Lost One, or she suffers the consequences."

Without a choice, Lucas remained motionless.

To Barbatos' astonishment, Marina censored all pain and took both hands to his throat. She squeezed it as hard as she could. She knew he wouldn't choke since he was beyond dead, but he had to stop. With her sight blurry, she shut her eyelids for seconds and recalled all the happy moments spent with Lucas: the closeness that they had experienced the night he had appeared to her injured; the day they had passed in the skate park; the painting in the drawing workshop; him watching over her from the wall in the rain; their first kiss; the roses he left at her door... He had done so much for her and she did so little for him. She remembered helping him one single time, when she found him on the stairs of an alley, fighting with Barbatos. Back then, she had thrown a rock at the fiend for him to leave Lucas alone. A spark of cognition hit her and she quickly came to a conclusion: Barbatos could be injured. She had hit him and she remembered seeing blood dripping from his forehead. She couldn't get him to suffocate, but she could hurt him.

Impelled to act, Marina recovered one hand and made it slither down his face, scratching him. The devil stopped fooling around and disappeared beneath her, materializing two feet away while rubbing his face frantically. When he stopped doing so, Marina verified that he had three marks similar to burns in his cheek.

Barbatos turned toward her, furious and amazed at the same time. Between his teeth, he hissed, "I misjudged you and you gave me a new war scar."

"I'll make it much worse if you dare to touch Lucas again," she shouted. "He gave in, so don't push it or I swear on my soul that I'll spend the eternity chasing you, to punish you. I'll be your personal devil, and believe that the fear that Astaroth has about St. Bartholomew's is nothing compared with the fear that you'll have of me. You will shudder just from hearing my name!"

Her threat made him hesitate for two seconds, which led her to conclude that her oath was possible to affirm. She got off the bench, crouched beside Lucas, removed her scarf and pressed it with care onto the wounds inflicted on him by Barbatos.

Taking advantage of the fact that his master had lowered his energy level for moments after her attack, Lucas was murmured, "Run."

"Never! You'll never be his and I'll figure out how to save you. I won't let you down."

Barbatos threw himself onto the bench and forgot for an instant what the girl had done to his face. His expression was now serious and he assumed the posture of a businessman. He shook the sleeves of his jacket and straightened it. He pretended to clear his throat and declared, "This was fun, but enough is enough: let's finish it. The Lost One surrendered, as agreed, so I'll do my part \- I'll leave your family alone. As for him, I better let you know that he will be turned into a mangy fiend again very soon. And maybe I'll send him back to fulfill his original mission. Do you know what assignment had been given to him?" Barbatos echoed triumphant, as if he was about to make the greatest revelation of the century.

Marina trembled. She long suspected what the incumbency was, but she always refused to consider it. Barbatos imitated the frill of a drum, beating on the bench at which he was sat. Marina held Lucas harder and prepared for what was about to come.

"So, your precious Lucas was sent straight from Hell to... Let's just say that his great mission was... to kill you!" Barbatos was keen to accentuate and highlight his very last words.

There was the confirmation of what she feared...

The fiend proceeded with his speech of supposed novelty. "Everything was going swimmingly, but the crazy Lost One had a breakdown, and from there on, it was a total collapse. If he had fulfilled his mission and allowed you to die, I wouldn't have come here personally to bore you."

Marina remained crouched next to Lucas, holding him. She didn't move and didn't intend to leave him. Knowing something sinister inside of her and hearing it from the mouth of another was different. She was hurt by the idea that Lucas wanted to see her dead before they met, but quickly shook the thought away, to remove any bitterness. It hadn't been his decision; those were orders he had been given and he hadn't followed them.

"You say nothing?" asked Barbatos, in an intonation marked by disillusionment.

The answer came from Lucas, who managed to whisper "I'm sorry."

Without any of the supernatural beings expecting it, Marina kissed Lucas' forehead and continued to hold him by his shoulders, not moving away for even a second.

"Hey, chick, are you a masochist or what? You kiss your killer?" questioned Barbatos, amazed.

Marina caught his gaze and retorted, "He was sent to kill me, but as you see, I'm alive. And do you know why? Because he saved me. Besides, what we have now is more important than some stupid orders he received in the past."

Furious for not having the desired impact, Barbatos snapped his fingers. Lucas disappeared the same way he had appeared, making Marina fall to the side for having lost the support to which she was leaned against. She rose clumsily, while the demon uttered the rest of the decree, "Like I said, your family is free and I'll turn Lucas into a mean devil again. As for you, we'll take a vacation from each other for a while, but never forget: I'll come back and when I do, there's no negotiation. I'll take your life and your soul with me."

The last words were still rumbling in the air when Barbatos evaporated, mingling in the dark cloak of the night that had arrived meantime.

If someone looked at the wooden dais of the bridge, they would see her standing there alone, staring into the void. She wanted to scream or to break something, but in private, without being judged and accused of craziness, so she caught her backpack, took the sports bag, and ran until reaching the shelter of her house. She was tired when she arrived at the old building. Her fingers trembled in such a way that she couldn't insert the key in the lock. When she finally unlocked the door, she hastened to get in and rushed to the living room window. She stared at the river's rail, hoping to find Lucas there. Who knew if he had managed to escape? The confrontation with his absence made her sad: he hadn't run away nor wanted to, because he knew what would happen to her family if he did. She wanted to let herself fall to the tiles and cry out the frustration she felt, nevertheless she knew that if she did so, it would be difficult to rise again.

Taking advantage of the adrenaline still pulsing within her, Marina went to the bathroom, opened the taps and got inside the tub. Seated, she formed a shell with her hands and filled them with water that she threw to her face. She repeated the gesture several times, allowing her tears to merge with the crystal liquid that slid down her face.

Back in her room, Marina settled on the bed and pulled out her stuff of French and Geography to study for both tests. She opened her French notebook to review the exercises they had done in class. Her brain, however, wasn't prepared for anything of that kind yet and led her into a different direction. In basic terms, Barbatos had given her a false choice: the security of her family or Lucas' freedom. Lucas had spared her the decision, since he knew who she would choose. She sighed; she owed him so much! She really wanted him to be free from Hell, but what could she do? Nothing... yet. Reason told her that she should stay on the sidelines in the near future. Barbatos had assured her that he would return and then she would die and he would take her soul with him. Until then, she would keep researching on how she could defend herself and how she could release Lucas. She would take her life with the greatest normality and would take the nights to research about the supernatural world and its creatures. Still, there was one thing that she could do for the moment. She turned on her laptop and entered the Word Document of the prayer she had found. Her throat hurt her a lot, especially after Barbatos turned to squeeze it, nonetheless she had to read that. Marina gulped and began:

"Glorious St. Bartholomew's, model of virtue and graces of the Lord, protect this servant who humbly kneels before you and begs you to have the benevolence to intercede for her before the throne of the Lord. I invoke your powerful intercession, hoping you hear my prayers and get this special grace I ask: protect my family from any dark forces that wants to harm them, keep them safe. Also illuminate the way for Lucas, so that he can find the light in the darkness; allow his soul to be saved and let him feel no longer lost. I also ask the grace of salvation for my soul. Amen."

Marina intended to repeat this prayer every night before going to sleep. Maybe St. Bartholomew would answer her prayers - she had to keep hope alive that one day everything would be right.

Feeling that she couldn't do anything else, she turned off the computer and put it back in its place. Her stomach complained loudly, although she didn't feel that hungry. By discharge of conscience, she went to the kitchen and prepared a bowl of porridge Maizena. At least it was soft, therefore easy to swallow. Despite her throat being soar, swallowing was easier than expected and she soon finished her meal.

In bed, she pulled back the school manuals. The plan was to lead a life as normal as possible, so she would study. She started with French and when she got tired of that, she moved on to Geography and studied the primary sector.

It was nearly ten o'clock in the night when Marina gave up her study session. Tired, she packed her school supplies in the rucksack and turned on the TV.

Although she had tried not to fall asleep while her mother wasn't home, she wasn't able to stay awake. It had been another day of true exhaustion. It was nearly four in the morning when Marina felt movement in her bedroom and woke up, startled. The flickering light of the TV screen made her recognize a figure, which was still on, helped her to see a figure.

Before she got more frightened, her mother calmed her, "Don't be afraid. It's just me. I arrived now."

"Why are you so late?" asked Marina, dragging the words.

Her mother sat on the bed, at her feet, crossed her arms to wrap in her comfortable warm coat, and replied, "Ouch, that little hoarse voice of yours! You have to take better care of your throat. Anyway, I left your father's house late, but it took me even longer to get here, because of a nasty accident involving several cars. I had to wait for the police to clear the road. As I was on the freeway, I couldn't escape to some other way."

The word 'accident' made her let out a groan. Marina had always thought that, if Barbatos attacked her mother, he would do it using an automobile crash. The incident had indeed happened, but mom was well. Changing the subject, she asked, "How were things with Sofia?"

"Dear Lord, she complains of the neck collar like hell! But there's no escape: she has to wear it for a while. Well, it's late. I'm going to sleep a. Tomorrow I start work at 8.30a.m. See you soon."

"Bye, mom. Sleep well."

Her mother turned off the TV and left the room. Marina turned to the other side and snuggled the bed clothes up to her neck. Now that mom had arrived safely, she felt more rested. With her eyelashes weighing more and more, she ended up closing them and went back to sleep. The rest of the night revealed itself quiet, except for the last two hours, which were spent dreaming about Lucas being plagued by the insane and Machiavellian Barbatos. Marina wanted to scream and ran towards the boy to help him, but a red curtain suddenly fell from the sky and separated them forever. Barbatos' voice echoed then, saying that the play was over.

Marina felt a little jolt in her shoulder and heard a familiar voice far away - it was her mother telling her that she was leaving for work. The girl stammered something too complex to decode and turned to the other side. All of a sudden, she opened her eyes wide to the maximum with a crazy idea. She jumped out of bed, put on her slippers and rushed to the front door. She opened it with anticipation. The glint in her eyes quickly dwindled: there were no roses waiting at the entrance step. She expelled all darkest judgments from her brain with an ostracism order and told herself that it was still early; the rose could appear there until time to go school. If he had put it there before, her mother would have caught it instead of her. There was still time.

Deciding that it wasn't worth lying down again, Marina made her bed, got dressed and combed her hair. Next, she went to the kitchen. Although she still had a purple neck, her voice sounded better and it wasn't so hard to ingest food now, thus she had toast and a cup of tea. Joshua was supposed to arrive within five minutes, hence she still had some time for herself. She walked to the living room window and stared at the river's rail. Lucas wasn't there. Would she ever see him sitting in that same place again? She doubted that Barbatos would ever free him, yet she kept the secret and profound hope that one day they would meet again.

Someone knocked on the door, waking her up from the chimera of the reunion. She ran to get her backpack and rushed to the front door. When she opened it, she stepped back in an automatic gesture of astonishment: Joshua was holding a beautiful bouquet of red roses and displayed a disconcerting smile that broke her into a thousand pieces.

He shrugged and, while he passed her the bouquet, he explained, "I was thinking about the roses that the secret admirer left here for your mother. I guess it's fair that the other woman of the house receives them as well."

Marina took the bouquet really moved.

Seeing tears looming in her eyes, Joshua hastened to utter, "Come on, don't cry. I just wanted to be nice. Don't tell me that you're so happy that you even want to cry? Women! They are so complicated that they leave men clueless."

Not knowing what to answer, the girl decided it was best to leave things as they were. She nodded her head in a sign of agreement, while Joshua commented that he didn't know that she was so sensitive regarding acts like that.

Marina went back inside and went to the kitchen to look for a jar. She filled it with water put the bouquet inside, left the roses in the living room and ran to the toilet to wash her face. She didn't want Joshua to see her in that sorry state. He was trying to be kind to her, nevertheless she couldn't be happy with his gesture: it wasn't a bouquet that she wanted, but a single rose and from Lucas. She expected to receive it back some day; it would be a good sign.

Marina joined Joshua in the street, tied her coat and arranged the scarf to protect herself from the freezing cold. On the way to school, they talked about the tests. Joshua shared that he too was concerned about the English lesson, since it was the first since they had pretended to be dating. Marina also feared the arrival of that subject; she wondered whether the teacher would have some reprisals saved for her as revenge for her allegedly having 'stolen' her the pretty boy.

At the school lobby, they came across Ana and Dennis seated on one of the benches. Joshua rolled his eyes and explained to Marina that now they came to school earlier every day just to be together before classes began.

Ana called her, but Marina motioned to her friend that she would be back soon, because she had to go to the locker. In part, she didn't lie, because that was the first thing she did when she left them. Next, and taking advantage of the fact that there were still five minutes for the bell, Marina ran to the back of the canteen. When she reached her destination, she was panting. She took her phone and tried to call Lucas. His device was still shut down. She already expected it... She waited, in vain, that he would appear there from nowhere, as he did so many times before. She called his name softly on several occasions, until the bell rang and set the limit. She would return at lunchtime, but her expectations were low. From there on, that place was inhabited only by memories, dreams and promises, nothing more.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Marina listened attentively to the Informatics teacher's explanations about the wonders of Power Point. She thought that it was funny making presentations. This was the matter she liked the most on the subject so far, but not even that cheered her up. She sighed and stared at the vacated place at her side. She was already accustomed to seeing it like that, but the empty chair always made her feel hollow. The last time she had seen Lucas was nine weeks ago and, since then, heard nothing from him. In the first weeks, she had passed by the back of the canteen every day at lunchtime, and had also visited the skate park. Other times, she passed by the alley where she had helped him, but there was no sign of him. Since he hadn't really talked to anyone else in school, it was as if Lucas didn't exist and had never been there. He remained alive only in her memory, while, for others, he was a ghost lost among the webs of forgetfulness.

To prevent her from going crazy, Marina had numbed her feelings for Lucas. Notwithstanding, she continued to follow the plan she had drawn, and persisted with the research on how she could release him from Barbatos' domain. The Internet allowed access to a wide range of information, but the texts she found on Lost One's were just a repetition of what she had read before. She had reached a crossroads and she didn't know which direction to take.

Barbatos had accomplished what he had said about her relatives, and the attacks against her eased as well. Sofia had recovered well and they even got along better: now, whenever Marina sent a text message, Sofia answered quickly and she even sent texts on her own initiative. As for the relationship with her father, it was the same: he remained locked in his own little world and didn't seem to care about her. In what came to her mother, Luísa had changed. Noting that the ex-husband had continued with his life, she decided it was time to move on: she adopted a new hairstyle, more modern, and she renewed a good part of her wardrobe. She was now open to relationships, and a week ago, she had ventured out on a date, the first since she got divorced.

The loud noise of the bell announcing that they could leave, woke her to reality. Marina shut down the computer and left the Informatics room, heading to the locker. She exchanged books and headed to the classroom. As she was waiting for the teacher, Joshua arrived. Lately, he had been a good friend, always trying to cheer her up and, sometimes, he was successful. He often insisted that she should have more fun, so he kept inviting her repeatedly to go out, but she rejected. However, his effort was commendable and his friendship was precious, thus, that night, the four friends were going to a film session in the Municipal Auditorium. There were no big expectations, they would just hang out.

The Translation teacher came to the room at the bell. They went in and, as Ana didn't attend that subject, Marina and Joshua sat side by side at the same desk.

After putting his stuff on the table, Joshua turned to her and inquired, "Will you go down town with me?"

Marina assented. She would go with him to the usual spot and then she would go off alone. She intended to walk by the river wall, since she could see the skate park from there. Who knew if that was her lucky day and she would find Lucas there?

The professor wrote the summary in the blackboard, and asked them to open their books on page 143 and to translate the text in pairs. Marina snorted - in pairs... Joshua was an expert in English; it wasn't fun to translate with him, because he knew everything. What the teacher had said meant that Marina would do the translation alone, just like Joshua, and later she would show him the final product so that he could fix it and explain what she had done wrong.

The text was huge and it was written in tiny letters, therefore they took almost the whole hour to translate it. They were about to correct the result when the bell rang for end of lesson. Shouts of joy echoed through the corridors, indicating that the weekend had officially begun. As Marina didn't have to go to the locker, she and Joshua rushed to leave school.

The weather in recent days reported low temperatures accompanied by lots of precipitation. At the moment, it was cold and drizzling, so they had to take their umbrellas out from their backpacks. They walked as close to each other as their umbrellas allowed, just in case if one slipped, the other could help promptly.

When they reached the point where they should separate, Joshua quizzed, "Do you want to come to my place? We can do homework and you can have dinner there. After that, we could go straight to the cinema. What do you think?"

The girl appreciated everything he did for her, but she would have to decline that invitation. She shook her head and answered "Thanks, Josh, but I have some things to do. Besides, we'll meet shortly after."

"Okay. I'll stop by your place at nine, don't forget."

"Of course," assured the girl.

Joshua gave her a farewell kiss on her forehead and each followed their own path. At first, Marina had found the kiss on her temple not funny at all, nonetheless she had got used to it. It was just a gentle way of saying goodbye, a gesture of protection and comfort at times. She had learned to accept it willingly.

To her dismay, when she passed by the rail in front of the skate park, she found out that Joshua was still absent. In a way, she already expected it, but hope was the last thing to die. As the drizzle intensified, Marina accelerated her pace. She didn't take long to get to the plaza in front of her house. She crossed the street, climbed the arcade stairs, and took the keys out of her rucksack. As she slid them into the lock, she analyzed all the chances left: the next thing to do was to find websites, blogs and forums for fans of the occult and to ask them directly if they knew how she could get rid of a powerful demon. It was better to deal with this issue before going to the movies, otherwise she could return too late in the late to do that.

Marina went straight to her bedroom. She put the backpack beside her at the desk, picked up the books and did homework. Next, she grabbed the laptop and devoted to what she had thought about doing. Her mother arrived meantime, passed by her chambers to greet her, and disappeared down the corridor toward the kitchen.

The search wasn't going well, which exasperated her. She found several blogs and forums, but they all seemed exaggerated and morbid. She couldn't distinguish a thread of truth in such madness. It would be a long quest, mined by filtration of coherent information.

With the dinner ready, her mother called her. Marina turned off the laptop and went to meet her. It wasn't worth leaving her computer on; when she finished tidying up the kitchen, it should be time for Joshua to pick her up.

Her predictions didn't fail. After cleaning the kitchen, she had just enough time to brush her hair, dab a bit of perfume and dress in a coat. The sound of a car at her door with the engine running announced Joshua even before he knocked at the door. Marina yelled to her mother that she was leaving, crossed the doorjamb and went out. Her eyes couldn't help but shine of satisfaction when she found the boy waiting for her. Joshua looked wonderful and was the mirror of perfection: he seemed to have come straight out of the bath, and his hair shone in the few moonlight rays escaping through the clouds. His clothes fitted him very well, and he was wearing a new perfume that smelled really good. Joshua received her with the customary kiss on the forehead and opened the door of his father's sports car, so that she could join Dennis and Ana.

The route from Marina's home to the Municipal Auditorium was rather short, so they didn't take more than two minutes to get there. Before saying farewell to his father, Dennis told him that he would phone when it was time for him to pick them up, since he didn't know if, after the film, they would pass by 'Kupido's Bar'. Marina wrinkled her nose to the comment, but decided not be a spoilsport: if her friends wanted to go to the bar, she'd go with them.

The four entered the auditorium to buy the tickets and found a queue a little longer than usual. The film should be appealing, so it called to more people. Dennis and Joshua got in line to purchase the tickets, while the girls went to the bathroom. Ana didn't need to go to the bathroom, she just wanted to talk to Marina about Dennis. She washed her hands and dried them while trying to decide on how to approach the issue.

"Marina," she started, "I know that the 'boyfriend' topic is forbidden between us, but you're my best friend and I need to talk to you."

Marina wanted to cut the conversation right there, since she didn't feel like discussing matters of the heart when she had put hers asleep. However, Ana was right: she was her best friend, and her role was to listen and advise her. That was what she would do, even against her will. Marina leaned against the tiled wall and made her a sign to carry on.

"Dennis and I've been dating for two months. At first, everything was going just fine, but - I don't know if you noticed - in recent times, he has been more distant. The truth is that he's like that, because..." Ana hesitated, "...I put the brake on him."

Marina scowled and said, "How so? I don't understand."

Ana seemed ashamed and her face went as red as a chili pepper. She began to gesticulate in exaggeration, as she explained, "What I mean is that he wanted to do 'that'."

Marina expressed an interrogation. 'That' what? And how would it interfere in their relationship, cooling it down? She shook her head as if she didn't get anything of what her friend had told her, so that she would have to give her more details.

Ana rolled her eyes and showed her tongue. Would Marina be playing dumb or what? It was impossible that she didn't know what she was referring to. On second thoughts, it was Marina whom she was talking to, a girl so Puritan that the only guy who she had ever kissed was Lucas, and it had happened very recently. Ana let out a moan and tried to speak as open as possible to avoid any doubts, "Dennis wanted to go to the next level, meaning, he wanted to have sex with me."

"Ouch! Too much information. And sex? We're going to talk about sex?", screeched Marina.

It was too personal. Even if she had already tried it, she'd rather keep it to herself instead of sharing it with Ana. Marina hesitated about what to do. She decided that, if Ana was exposing herself in such a way, the least she could do was to listen to her and answer sincerely. After swallowing hard, Marina ventured, "Given what you mentioned, I can guess that you told him you wouldn't do it."

"Exactly. I mean, I like him and everything, but I have some doubts about if I should do it with him."

"And what questions do you have? Maybe I can help you to come to a conclusion."

Ana took a few steps from one side to another, as if she was trying to sort the ideas to pass them into speech. After some thinking, she girl tried to justify, "First of all, I'd like my first time to be with someone I really love. Second, I want it to be special; and third, I want to be sure that, with whom I do it, he isn't with me just for that reason and that he really likes me."

Marina grimaced at that verbal chaos exposed in such an abrupt way. What a jumbled-up! She would have to make an effort to unravel that one. After that, maybe she should consider becoming a psychologist, since she still hadn't thought about her future career. She would add psychology to her list of probabilities.

She tried to study her friend's phrases point by point. She understood that she wanted her first time to be special, she wanted the same; still, she thought that Ana was questioning more about the stability of her relationship, the trust she had in Dennis and their future. Maybe she could help if she put some questions to her and she answered each one individually, instead of mixing everything into a terrible mess in her mind.

After a deep breath to focus, Marina fired, "Okay, going by the same points you have presented, I'm forced to ask if you really like Dennis."

Ana didn't reply right away and thought about it for a while. Besides being the most enduring relationship she ever had, there was no doubt that Dennis was an amazing guy. She loved being with him, and she'd like to have him around for a long, long time.

Ana nodded, so Marina insisted, "But do you love him so much to the point of wishing your first time was with him?"

A new break for meditation. Ana had already had other boyfriends, but she had never gone beyond kisses and hugs. The predecessors of her current beloved weren't worth the experience, so she had saved herself for someone special. Yes, she liked Dennis, but as for him being her first... "Yes, I'd like him to be my first," she ended up admitting. "I like him very much and I think he will respect me."

"So, what's the doubt? Do you think that he doesn't like you? Don't you trust him?"

The first step for that relationship to move forward had been given by Dennis. He had always done everything she had requested, and was always available when she needed. In Marina's opinion, he liked her for real.

Ana turned to agree with her head and affirmed, "I believe that he likes me, after all he already gave me enough proof. The problem is that I'm afraid that things will change between us after doing 'that'."

"And have you talked to him about your fears?"

"Yeah..." Ana hesitated. Marina gave her a serious look and she confessed, "Kind of. He was upset with what I said, because he thought that I didn't trust him. I do, but there are things we don't control, we just feel them."

Marina didn't know what to say. She wasn't going to state 'Yeah, go ahead and have sex' or 'No, you're losing your mind. Quit playing dangerous games'. It was a personal matter and only Ana could decide what to do. Besides, what was the rush? After sighing, Marina verbalized, "Honestly, only you can decide if you want to advance to the next level with Dennis or not. I cannot decide for you."

"I know..." mumbled Ana.

"About being special, you can control the environment, using candles, rose petals, romantic music... I don't know, I never thought of that! I think that, when it has to happen, it does. Do you want my honest opinion? Talk to him first about your fears and then let things roll. If your first time is destined to be with him, it will be."

What else could she add? It was what she would do if it was her case. She had never thought on the subject of virginity. Plus, her love life was temporarily frozen and stopped in time, so it wouldn't be necessary dwelling on it.

Ana was brooding, shaking her head once in a while, as if having a conversation with herself. It was possible that she was, after all she had a lot to consider.

Since they were in the bathroom, Marina took the opportunity to use it, to avoid having to leave the film halfway. When she left the cubicle, she went to the sink to rinse her hands. While was drying them, Ana got up from the floor and went up to her with a cautious air, which made her arch her brows in suspicion. What would come out of her this time?

"There is something else we have to talk about," she announced solemnly.

"Something else? Holy Mother! What is it this time?" shot Marina, getting tired of 'conversations'.

Ana leaned her back against the tiles on the side opposite to where Marina was. She didn't drop her mask of seriousness for a single second, which made Marina hesitate. Would she like to hear what she had to say? She went straight to the point, "You know that Joshua likes you, right?" Marina wanted to stop her right away, but Ana didn't let her and carried on, "I heard him talking with Dennis, and he was telling his brother that, at the film, he wanted to risk a little more and to hold your hand. I know it doesn't seem anything special, but it sounded an important thing for him."

Marina put on a poker face while deciphering the code of those phrases. It wasn't the first time he held her hand, in fact, he did it many times, for example when they walked down the street or when they were at home studying. For her, it was something to which she got used to, just like the kiss on her forehead when they said farewell. If he wanted to hold her hand in the movies, he could do it at will. Where was the news?

Seeing that the Marina shrugged to what she had said, Ana persisted, "Be aware: for him, this is something very valuable. If you don't want to give him false hope about you two, you better keep your hands hidden throughout the night."

Marina still saw no harm in him holding her hand while watching the movie. Still, she would take into account Ana's recommendation.

A whistling sound made them jump up: it was the first call for the movie. They ran out of the bathroom and found the boys waiting for them next to the entrance to the auditorium.

Dennis received them with an ugly face, as he joked, "I wish I knew what women do in the WC that's so special for them to go in pairs and to linger so long inside..."

And you can't even imagine we were talking about you, thought Marina to herself. They had also talked about Joshua, but the main issue was the next step between Dennis and Ana. What would he do if he knew? He could get upset and yell at his girlfriend, telling her that she couldn't talk about their intimate things. Hmm, it was better to keep her mouth shut about their 'little chat'.

They prepared to get into the room. The queue was enormous and they were among the last people, which made it harder for them to find four places in a row to stay together. The movie should be really good. Thinking of it, made her feel stupid; she hadn't asked what they would see. She turned to Ana and questioned in a low voice, so that the boys didn't hear her, "What are we going to watch anyway?"

"It's the third movie of that vampires and werewolves saga. Basically, it's romantic, although they say that this one has more action than the movies before"

Marina gulped. Romance? Maybe that was why it was so important for Joshua to hold her hand: symbolism allied to a romantic charge. In an unconscious impulse, Marina crossed her arms. Ana noticed it and winked her eye by way of agreement.

"What did you think of the previous films?" asked Joshua.

Ana thought a little, given that she didn't remember the details of the previous ones. She half raised her shoulders and said, "Huh, I think I liked them. What girl doesn't like a good love story?"

"And you, Marina, what did you think about them?" insisted Joshua.

"I also liked the others, but, quite honestly, I prefer the books. The scenes in the films don't quite correspond to what is described in the volumes and that disappointed me a little. I think I ended up separating things: books are books and have their own history, while the movies are a parallel story that has value by itself. Do you know what I mean?"

Joshua brought a hand to his chin, making her remember the statue of a very thoughtful David. Then he said, "Yes. I've also read books, and when I watched the movies, I found them very strange, because the scenes didn't match."

Marina nodded and added, "That's why I don't watch the movie if I've read the book before. Only if it is a book that really pleased me very much, I dare to watch the cinematic production, and just by curiosity."

Ana rolled her eyes in her sockets with irony. So much intellectuality just to say if she liked the previous versions released in the cinema or not. Geez, her friend had to learn to loosen up and to drop such deep thoughts.

Their delivered the tickets and went into the auditorium. They peered into the room, looking for four empty seats, but only found two in a row: a pair near the front row on the left side, and another pair over the middle. Dennis and Ana occupied the first seats, while Joshua and Marina took the others. There was a new tone and, five seconds later, the lights began to dim gradually, fading away, while the red curtains of the stage opened and the film began.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

The film began with a narration about the day a boy was turned into a vampire, then moved on to the usual love triangle story. The romance of the main characters saddened Marina, given that it made her remember her of own story: in the movie, the girl wanted to stay with a mythical being (a vampire), but there was another (a werewolf) who loved her and wanted her to stay with him. In Marina's real life, she was that girl: she wanted to stay with Lucas (a Lost One), and Joshua completed the triangle, being the other boy who wanted her for himself. What supernatural figure would Joshua be? Maybe a frustrated Cupid capable of making all women fall in love with him, except the one he loved. It would make a fine plot for a book, wouldn't it? Nonetheless, Joshua was just a boy, she was someone who lived one day at a time, and Lucas was gone. There was no triangle, except in her heart.

Marina remained still, with her arms folded and hands hidden, which didn't go unnoticed by Joshua. "Are you cold?" he whispered in her ear.

The girl didn't understand the question. Only when he pointed with his chin her arms crossed, she understood what he meant by that. She gestured with her head that she was cold; it was a good excuse to be in that position, and it allowed her to keep her hands protected from his intentions. However, Marina didn't expect what happened next: Joshua took off his jacket, pulled her closer to him, and wrapped her in his arms. Then, he put his jacket over both of them as if it was a small blanket. The gesture left her terrified and helpless. She clenched her fists to keep their fingers from touching, which was ridiculous, as he was much closer to her now than if he had just held her hand. It would have been better to give him her hand right away; at least they would be distanced.

A moan escaped her. She really wished that Joshua's happiness didn't depend so much on her. In a certain way, it was flattering that he cared about her, nonetheless she always had to measure her words and actions to prevent hurting him. What right did she have to cause him pain when he was so good to her? And he had put up with so many tantrums from her. She owed him a lot, thus she would stay quiet.

She stared at the screen. She had lost a good bit of the story while she was lost in her thoughts, therefore she had to make an effort to understand what was happening. Apparently, the vampire would go into the mountains to feed, and the girl would fall under the protection of the rival werewolf. Would that be a pretext for him to try to gain an advantage over the vampire? Possibly. If he liked her that much, it was normal that he kept trying to conquer her. It was what Joshua was doing now that Lucas wasn't around.

She tried to shoo away the voice of her conscience to a place far away so it would stop tormenting her, and tried to focus only on the movie. For ten minutes, she was successful. However, she felt Joshua pulling her closer and closer to him. Responding to her instinct, Marina freed herself from his arms and pulled his coat off her, claiming that she was getting hot. When she thought that she was safe, Joshua returned the charge and put his hand on her right knee. She said nothing, but she was beginning to be sick of that. She had to do something, nonetheless she couldn't think of anything except getting out of there. It was still ages to the break, but she couldn't hold on for that long.

Marina approached her lips to Joshua's ear and muttered, "I'll be right back. I'm going to the bathroom."

"Again?!" he exclaimed, given that she had just been there.

To distract him, Marina shrugged and lied, "What do you expect? It's that time of month..."

As he had no arguments, Joshua shut up and nodded.

Marina zigzagged through the chairs to the door. When she crossed it, she was received by a strong current of cold air, which made her cross her arms to keep in the body heat that eluded her. She wished that Ana hadn't told her anything: they would have entwined their fingers as he wanted and things would have stayed at that. Instead, he had embraced her and now she was acting paranoid, seeing ulterior motives in everything he did or said.

What would she do now, where would she go? She thought of going to the wash-room and staying there a while, but she didn't feel like going back in that place. The only option left was to linger in the lobby. Marina stayed there, while she consulted the fixed posters regarding the upcoming films that would be displayed. The next one was an action story that didn't tell her much; she wouldn't watch it for sure.

The sound of voices in the distance caught her attention. Maybe there was someone talking outside. However, the heated tone suggested a fight instead of a mere conversation. Curious, she passed by the glass door and went out into the street. She sought with her sight who the voices belonged to, but didn't find anyone. She waited in silence. The voices made themselves heard again and higher than before. Without glimpsing anyone around, she decided to climb the stairs on the left side of the auditorium that gave access to a street in a residential area. On the side-walk was a couple arguing in quite an angry way. She was a pretty woman, who would be around 19 or 20 years old. She was tall, blonde and dressed sophisticatedly. The man seemed a little older. He wore his hair short and spiky, and he wore a long dark jacket and black jeans.

Not wanting to intrude, Marina stood by the steps. She turned her back in the opposite direction to the couple to give them some privacy and tried not to dwell on them. The louder their voices sounded, she couldn't understand a single word. Whatever the reason they were discussing, it fled her knowledge. Not that she wanted to know, after all she didn't know them. However, her presence there could indicate the opposite, so she thought it was best to return to the Auditorium.

As she prepared to descend the stairs, a third and painful familiar voice came to her ears, making her stop. For instants, she was stuck to the ground, unable to move. Her breathing became irregular and a sting of sorrow ran through her body. The stupefaction and the stinging numbness, like barbed wire around her heart, lasted less than a minute. Once her muscles returned to obey her, Marina climbed the top step and stared at the couple: they continued arguing and throwing verbal darts at one another, but sometimes there was a voice in the background. Marina glanced around; something stood up behind a small tree, next to parked cars. With halting steps, she headed to the tree to uncover who was there.

As she slowly approached, the shadow, hidden behind the tree trunk, started to take the form of a person. He was bent forward, and spoke as if secreting to each one of the couple the atrocities they should say to hurt each other. It was as if they were his puppets.

On tiptoes, Marina rounded the tree. She stood behind the shadow and listened, "Tell her that she's nothing but a shameless bitch. Accuse her of sleeping with your best friend."

Soon after, the man accused his girlfriend of sleeping with his best friend and called her a shameless bitch.

"Defend yourself!" ordered the voice to the woman. "Say that you only did it after finding out about his betrayal, and you did it for revenge. You don't regret it, because his friend is much better than him in bed."

The woman repeated with exactitude what she had been told. It was like watching a marionette show in which real people were led by invisible dark wires, moving their tongues according to the script dictated by the director.

A dark laugh made her get rid of her lethargy state. Upon hearing the next sentence that he wanted the boyfriend to utter, Marina could only mutter, "Stop it!"

The shadow turned around right away, with a postured that showed surprise. He straightened gradually, revealing his proud bearing, and approached. As he approached her, the features of his face became more distinct until everything was revealed. Assailed by the discovery of his identity, Marina took two steps back, while she covered her mouth to keep herself from screaming. It was as if her world was a giant crystal ball that had just shattered into many small pieces, disappearing in an infinity of shards.

He brought his face so close to hers that their noses almost touched. With a harsh and severe expression, he questioned, "You can see me?"

If she could see him? Heck, she had looked so hard for him and there he was, in front of her! Without being able to think straight, Marina took a shimmering hand to his chest. When he felt her warm touch, he growled and turned away so fast that it took him less than half a second to get distanced by a few feet. With her view more suited to the darkness, Marina analyzed him. In physical terms, he seemed to be equal to the last time she had seen him: he was still barefoot and bare-chested, wearing only a pair of jeans. His hair looked more disheveled than usual and his eyes... His eyes were weird: instead of the irises in honey tone, these were quite opaque and blurred, as if they had been swallowed by the murk. He also seemed to have some fresh scars unhealed. Barbatos hadn't fulfilled his promise and had tortured him.

Marina wanted to tell him so many things, but the words seemed to melt into powder before passing her throat. It was a miracle to find him again. The only thing that came out of her mouth was, "Are you okay, Lucas?"

The demon reacted with strangeness, moving in an animalistic way. He laid his head to the side by way of questioning what she had said and repeated, "Lucas?"

Oh, no! He doesn't know who he is, Marina deduced, taken by fear. Would he remember her? Would he recall their love, what they had been through together? She took three steps toward him and, taking a hand to her own chest, she queried, "Do you remember me?"

The demon's response consisted in swinging his head to the contrary side, as he crouched in a feline attack position.

Her fears were confirmed: Lucas didn't know who he was, he didn't remember her, and had forgotten the feeling that united them. His eyes completely darkened and his bizarre behavior asserted that Barbatos had turned him into a true fiend. That wasn't her Lucas; he was simply a Lost One.

The silence of the couple that was arguing before led Lucas to examine what was happening and to forget about her for a while. The couple had just apologized to each other and they were preparing to go home; all the work he had done was useless. Angry, he turned toward her with a menacing air. Marina faltered and stepped back slowly, while she put her hands in front of her as if to ask him to be calm. The demon, however, gave vent to the growing fury and almost seemed to froth from his mouth. Although the girl didn't want to believe in that possibility, he ended by jumping on her, making her fall flat on her back. Holding her with his legs along with her trunk, he held her arms by the wrists close to her head. He approached his face to hers fearfully and hissed.

Marina was panting. Her body was dominated by two icy hands and she couldn't set herself free. She wanted to yell for someone to rescue her, but it wasn't worth it, as there was nobody on the street. There was no possible escape: if he wanted to hurt her, he could do it then - better him than Barbatos. She had been the one to put him in that position, therefore it was fair that he avenged.

Resigned, she shut her eyelids and said through a sigh, "Go ahead, Lucas. Everything's fine."

She awaited the cruel blow to be struck, but... nothing. She felt Lucas' body very still upon her, so, in fear, she opened her eyes and fixed them on Lucas: he trembled slightly and remained in the same place, as if caught in an inner struggle, trying to decide what to do. As his hands weren't pressing her wrists with so much strength as before, Marina freed them with ease. She dug her elbows on the tarmac for support, and managed to sit up as Lucas retreated over her movements.

Still holding her legs, Lucas shook his head to try to liberate himself from the deadlock he was in. He resumed an expression of anger and raised his arm to strike her. However, upon hearing the girl's words, his arm remained motionless in the air without moving an inch.

"I know that you'd never hurt me on purpose, Lucas. But if it's for your own sake... I can take it."

Lucas stared intently at her, as if searching for something that she didn't know what it was. His arm came down gradually until it rested on her leg. Marina wanted to risk more and to contour his face with her fingers, in an attempt to rekindle something inside him, nonetheless a familiar voice amputated that moment like a sharp blade.

"Marina, where are you?"

It was Joshua who came looking for her. Indeed, she was out of the movie for too long; it was normal that he got worried and had come looking for her, to check if everything was alright.

Upon hearing the boy's voice, Lucas retreated instantly with a jump and turned to assume the attack position typical of an animal, while showing a grimace of hatred.

To avoid Joshua from seeing Lucas in that state and to prevent the situation from derailing completely, Marina got up from the ground in a hurry, shook her clothes frantically and shouted, "Coming. Just a second."

She ran her hands through her hair and found it tangled. She removed the rubber band from her wrist, slid her fingers over her hair in a hurry, trying to comb it, and tied it in a pony-tail to fix the situation. Before meeting Joshua, she turned to Lucas and murmured, "Try to remember about us. Meet me later. I'll wait for you by the river's wall." Still shaking her clothes, she went to Joshua.

The two of them entered the Auditorium lobby and found it crowded; Marina supposed that it would be the break in the film. She searched for Dennis and Ana with her sight, but she didn't see them anywhere. Would they have stayed in place?

"Is everything okay? You disappeared all of a sudden," inquired Joshua.

Marina tried to smile and shrugged as she put a hand on her stomach by way of apology. "I was cramping a lot, so I decided to go for a walk, and stretch my legs. I was just here, on the street of the Auditorium. And your brother and Ana, where are they?" she asked, trying to change the course of the conversation.

"They went to the bathroom."

"Yeah? I'll meet Ana there. I'll be right back."

Joshua was preparing to protest and underline that she had gone there just minutes ago, nonetheless he gave up. Without understanding what was happening, he took both hands to his face and made them slip from his hair line to his chin. He needed to find within himself a good amount of patience to bare such volatility.

Ana was in the WC drying her hands. Unwilling to say whatever it was, Marina rushed to lock herself in a cubicle, where she remained for a minute. When she came out of there, Ana was waiting.

"Joshua is about to get very angry at you, haven't you noticed?" she pointed out in a harsh warning tone.

"Who cares?", exploded Marina. "If we get angry, we do. Stop giving me tips, seriously; you just make me more paranoid. I appreciate your concern, but let me sort things out my way."

If Ana hadn't told her of the alleged importance to Joshua to hold her hand during the movie, she would have let him hold it, wouldn't have acted like a lunatic, and... she wouldn't have gone out into the street before the break and wouldn't have met the evil version of Lucas. Fine, she had to thank Ana for the last part, but her 'instructions' were conditioning even more the way she related to Joshua. She believed that he was getting mad due to that –he had every right.

The tone announcing that the movie would restart was heard. Marina looked at herself in the mirror, redid the pony-tail and washed her face, eliminating any traces of dirt from falling down on the street. The two girls left the wash-room and each took their places. Joshua was already seated and remained quiet while Marina sat down. The room was in darkness for two seconds and the film restarted.

Marina was cold from the little time she had been outside, so she rubbed her hands together with force to warm them up; Joshua noticed it. Sweet and tender as always, he approached her and whispered, "Are you cold?"

"Yes. It was cold outside."

"But are you feeling better now?"

Marina raised a brow, uncomfortable since she had lied about her belly pains, and muttered, "I guess so. The cramps stopped for now."

"Do you want to move closer to me so that I can warm you?" proposed Joshua.

Marina acquiesced. She raised the arm of the chair that separated them and cuddled up next to his body, as he put his coat over them. Joshua was extremely hot; that heat felt good. She ignored Ana's comments, and when he placed his hand on hers, she said nothing nor dismissed him. Her cold hands thanked the gesture and even rejoiced with it. If something so simple and harmless was important to him, then she'd allow him to be happy with the little she could give him.

The movie seemed to last for an eternity, perhaps because she hadn't paid the slightest attention to it. The fearful re-encounter with Lucas wouldn't get out of her brain. That wasn't her Lucas; it was a demonic shadow of him. He had been punished so hard that he had lost his humanity and had been transformed into a cruel being. To make matters worse, he didn't remember her or what they had lived. Even so, she thought that things weren't so linear: he had tried to attack her, yet he hadn't been able to hurt her, because something inside prevented him from doing so. That was good; it meant that the memories were just dormant within him and she just had to revive them for them to come back. The question was how to rekindle those reminiscences. She still had several hours until they met again, maybe she could come up with something.

The room's lights lit up and Marina became aware that the movie was over. She got up from her place and stretched, as her body was numb from being in the same position for a long time. Joshua put his hand on her back, and, with the other, he showed her which way to take to get out of there.

The chilly air of the lobby received them provocatively and made them shiver of cold. To protect herself from the icy atmosphere, Marina got closer to Joshua. When Ana found them like that, she exhibited a frown of disapproval, although she was clutching Dennis: if she clung to a boy for passion, Marina could do it for being cold - there was no crime in that.

"Are we going to 'Kupido's'?" asked Dennis.

Joshua half raised his shoulders, while Ana jumped in the same place and squealed, "Let's go!"

Marina had no desire to go to the bar, but she had promised herself that she would do whatever they wanted. Since she was so boring recently, she wanted to compensate them. However, going to the bar also meant getting home later and she was eager to get there: she wanted to see Lucas, talk to him, help him to regain his memory, and to know what he had done recently. Something snapped inside her and warned her that she should forget about the last part, after all, the sample she had moments ago was more than enough. For the more anxious she was to see Lucas, going home later could be a good thing, since there would be fewer people on the street and nobody would see them. If her friends were going to the bar, she was going too.

On their way to the bar, Ana narrated and retold her favorite scenes of the movie. By her critiques, Marina thought that it should have been quite romantic, although she couldn't confirm or deny it, as she had only watched the beginning. She would have to find a way to watch the movie at home, otherwise she wouldn't know how to comment on what her friend said about it.

The bar was packed. Most people were on the part of the esplanade, which was protected by fake plastic walls. Marina cringed at seeing so many people there. Weren't they freezing? It was impossible not to feel the draft of polar air that came in from the street. She ignored such thoughts and followed her friends as they penetrated the interior of the bar. Luckily, there were four people standing up from a table; they headed straight there before it was occupied by others. They sat down and, shortly after, a smiling girl came up, asking what they would have. Their requests split between coffee and cappuccino. Marina asked for a hot chocolate - it was a way to keep herself warm.

While they were waiting, the unfortunate question came from Ana, which led Marina to send her some unsympathetic thoughts, "What did you think of the movie, Marina?"

She thought nothing, because she hadn't watched it. She didn't feel like lying or inventing excuses. Maybe she could say something evasive and not entirely false. But why bother so much about it? It was just a movie, for God's sake! In the end, she shot, "Honestly, I have no opinion. I think I need to watch it again."

"When you do it, let me know. I don't mind watching it again. I loved it!" said Ana amid smiles.

Marina replied with a nod.

The barmaid brought their requests. Their conversation languished for some time, but not by much, since Ana was a real loud mouth. "And plans for Christmas holidays? We're about to enter the final week of classes and then, hello holidays!"

Marina had no plans. Her only concerns were studying and her research. With the resurgence of Lucas, most likely things would calm down. Or they would precipitate unavoidably, like a snowball caught in the middle of an avalanche.

"We're going to America to spend Christmas with our family," advanced Dennis.

Ana's sorrow regarding this announcement was evident. There was a week for the holidays and he still hadn't told her anything.

"When did he intend to tell her? When you were at the airport?", she said sarcastically.

Dennis didn't reply. Marina thought that maybe it would be good for them to be separated for some time. Ana had some doubts to solve and it might be easier to do so if there was some distance between them. Who knew if she could think clearer that way?

Forgetting his girlfriend's sardonic comment, Dennis spent the next hour describing with enthusiasm the plans for the holidays and just contented himself when he had told all the details of what he wanted to do in America. Joshua, however, didn't open his mouth.

Putting his coffee cup on the table, Dennis affirmed, "I'm going to call my dad to come get us. Or do you want to stay a bit longer?"

As they all agreed it was time to go, Dennis stood up to go outside to call his father, given that there was too much noise to hear him. Ana followed him; there were certain things that they had to discuss and it was quite evident.

Taking advantage of the fact that they were alone, Marina felt compelled to find out what was going on with Joshua and why he wasn't as excited about the trip as his brother. She moved her chair closer to his and questioned, "Why are you so quiet, Joshua? Your brother seems super excited about returning to America, but you don't seem very happy about it."

Joshua stirred in his chair uncomfortably and began playing with an empty bag of sugar. It seemed that he didn't feel like talking about that subject. Nevertheless, Marina insisted, "Come on, tell me what's going on, Josh. We're friends, you can count on me."

The boy shook his head, refusing to cooperate. Marina took his hand then and, staring at his eyes, asked again, "What is it?"

Joshua took a deep breath and looked away. He wasn't able to face her as he explained his fears. In a low voice, he confessed, "Two weeks is a long time. A lot can happen in two weeks. What if... you forget about me?"

Marina let out a crystalline laugh. That was what made him so restless? He was afraid that shat she would forget about him? It was obvious that she wouldn't set him aside, he was one of her best friends. She gave him a big hug to settle him. She laced her fingers in his and proposed, "Tell you what: the day you return, you can call me and I'll meet you right away. I can even help you unpacking. Don't think silly things. Just go and have fun with your family."

"And you, will you be alright?" he mumbled.

"Sure! Hey, I had a life before you showed up, you know? I can take care of myself," Marina defended herself with irony.

Joshua breathed out loudly and remarked, "That's what worries me. You were so emancipated when I met you, that I fear that you'll drift away from me."

"Never! You know that you're very important to me."

Soon she regretted uttering that phrase, that should have stayed in her imaginary drawer of 'Important-Things-To-Hide'. What if he interpreted it the wrong way? It was obvious that he was relevant to her. He had done much for her and was always at her side - she wanted him to be part of her life.

Before Joshua had time to think about anything, Marina cut in, "Besides, you can send me all the text messages you want or even call me. There's also the Internet. You just have to choose! These are the advantages of living in the technological era."

Joshua nodded in agreement. After sighing, he admitted, "I'll miss you."

"I know. I'll also miss you too."

To Marina's relief, Dennis entered the bar indicating that his father had arrived.

Both headed to the street, got into the car and went to Ana's home. After leaving Dennis' girlfriend at home, it was Marina's turn. She said goodbye to them and watched the vehicle moving away. She knew that the car still had to turn around, go through the traffic lights and pass directly in front of her house. If she went to the river's rail right away, they would see her. To avoid this from happening, Marina remained still for a few more moments at the door of her place.

An effulgent lightning scratched the sky, brightening the dark night, and it was followed by an almost deafening thunder.

"Great," she muttered.

Now that she would meet Lucas again, St. Peter gave her an unequivocal clue that rain was coming soon, and she should expect a historic deluge. Even if it rains picks... crossed her mind. She wanted to see Lucas and would do it. Unless he didn't come. She didn't know why, but that possibility was so remote for her, that it hadn't crossed her mind. It was no time to be insecure - he would show up. However, she couldn't forget that he wasn't the wonderful boy of her first kiss: he was a demon and, the most dangerous of all, a malevolent one. The more she tried to associate that he was a fiend, the adjective 'evil' didn't seem to fit the description. Demon yes, but he hadn't hurt her, thus he wasn't malicious. He was just... lost. She would help him to rediscover himself.

When she thought that enough time had passed, she descended the arcade stairs, went across the road and sat on the river's wall, waiting for him to show up. She was hoping that he would eventually turn up, nonetheless waiting over an hour made her disheartened. What if he didn't recall the specific site of the wall where they used to meet? It would be impossible for him to come to her. She had to do something, but what? Ah, that's it! She hadn't done that for some time, but had to try it. She took her phone and tried to call him. She hoped that the answer was different this time, still she heard the same recorded voice that told her that the phone was off. She sighed and turned to put the device in her pocket.

Marina decided to wait a bit longer; for him, it was worth waiting. She closed her eyes and concentrated on his image. The words echoed in her mind and she expected something spectacular to happen, like them reverberating through the night: I am here, Lucas. I'm here. She stayed that way for a while, focused on him and repeating the same words. When she opened her eyelids, she got so frightened that, if he didn't throw his arm to steady her, she would have fallen down there. After rescuing her, he hastened to remove his hand from her arm - it was like he couldn't bear to be touched. If she had been tortured, she might react like that as well. He took a step back, allowing Marina to observe him: he didn't display the same violent behavior, looking much calmer. As for the animalism 'tics', like throwing his head sharply to the side, they were still very present.

"Why can you see me?" Lucas questioned.

Marina had no idea what to answer. Was she not supposed to see him? She recalled that, at her accidents, she had seen, heard and felt him, without anyone else being able to. Maybe she shouldn't see him, but she didn't know how things were supposed to work. A single response occurred to her, "I think I see you because of our relationship. We have created a bond that cannot be destroyed, not even by your dehumanization."

Lucas didn't seem to understand what she was talking about. Maybe she should give him specific examples. It could facilitate the recovery of his memory.

"Try to remember," she pleaded. "It was on a rainy night like this that I came to get you here, I took you to my bedroom and... we had our first kiss. I know that it sounds absurd, but believe me when I say that we were happy then."

Lucas made a grimace of disgust on hearing the word 'happy' and Marina almost could have sworn that she had seen all the hairs on his arms standing on end. She wanted to get up from the rail, go to him, hug and kiss him, but he insisted on maintaining the separation. What if she told him what had happened? Lucas seemed to be ready to leave, so she had to hurry.

Marina jumped from the wall and took a step in his direction, till there was only one more left for their bodies to touch. "Please, make an effort. Barbatos sent you to kill me, but when we met, we fell in love. He began to persecute my family and you sacrificed yourself for us. You went back to the legion and he tortured you until you forgot everything and went back to being a demon."

"Liar!" he shouted in accusation.

She was no liar; she would never lie to him. Why would she do it? She just wanted him back and she knew that it wasn't with falsehoods that she could have him.

"You are a witch who wants me away from my Master," yelled Lucas. "Nobody will separate me from the Grand Master, not even a simple insignificant human who thinks it knows more than him." And he retreated, ready to disappear.

Marina couldn't allow it, she couldn't afford to lose him again. If he went away, when would she find him again? She could not risk it. Driven by instinct, she moved up lightly to him and grabbed his face, so that he couldn't bolt out. In response to her touch, Lucas suddenly froze on the spot, as if he had been converted into an ice statue. Before he could react, Marina put her lips to his and kissed him. In the first instant, he remained quiet and didn't respond; eventually, he let himself go and, for moments, the girl felt that she was with the old Lucas. When her lips parted, Marina saw the shock stamped on the face of her beloved. He seemed confused and bewildered.

"See? I didn't lie to you, I never did," she stated. "And despite you're a darkness being again, I still believe you're worth being saved."

The oppression in Lucas' eyes weakened and, for a few seconds, he seemed to be the same guy as always. The effect didn't last long. Barbatos had been effective in the treatment he had given him: his influence was greater than hers.

Lucas walked slowly toward the river's rail. For the first time since she had met him that night, his voice wavered, "I have no recollections of what you're talking about, human. And 'Lucas'? Why do you call me that? I'm just a Lost One, a son of the faithful legions of my master. I have no name."

"You do have name!" asserted Marina in a secure intonation. "Your name is Lucas, you're a wonderful person and you have a lot to give to the world. And to me. I need you."

Lucas turned his back with a glimmer of doubt in his eyes. He was torn; he trembled, oscillating between Marina's truth and the imposition of Barbatos.

Feeling that she could win that battle, the girl turned to insist, "I know that you didn't forget this. You just buried the memories within you. If you take a good look deep down inside you, you shall find me there. And do you know how I'm sure you'll find me? Because we love each other."

The fiend continued with his back turned on her and didn't answer. Marina noticed that he had his fists clenched and his nails dug in his skin, yet he didn't complain of the pain resulting from the gesture. That made her remember what he once said regarding a wound he had: "it has been a while since the last time I felt any pain". So that was it: the torments that had been inflicted on him made him forget himself and his feelings completely - the pain was among them.

Marina had no idea of how complicated the war that waged within him was. She could only speculate, although she hoped from the bottom of her heart that the remnants of his humanity would prevail. She walked up to him and leaned against the bulwarks, while liberating a nervous sigh. She still hoped that she could bring him back.

She stared at him out of the corner of her eye and realized that he was looking toward the skate park. Intrigued, she asked, "What is it?"

Lucas straightened up announced, "It's him. My Master is calling me. I must go to him." Without giving Marina any opportunity to argue, he disappeared into a black mist that dissipated into the night.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Marina could not allow Barbatos to drag Lucas with him into the depths of Hell once more. Willing to do anything, she sprinted through the old bridge. When she reached the skate park, she was tired. She crouched, put her hands on her knees, and bowed her head as she tried to catch her breath. Not wanting to waste any time, she scanned the area searching for Lucas. There was no sign of him or his Master anywhere. Maybe they had gone to the underworld together. A dreadful thunder made her shudder at, and rain began rushing down without any trace of contention. Marina scolded to herself for having left her umbrella on the entrance step. Colossal mistake. Before she would get as soaked as a drowned rat, she hid close to one of the half pipe's parts. She sat down, pulled her knees up to her and remained static, while waiting for the rain to stop for her to turn back. So much running for nothing...

If there was a way to get to Hell and get back, she was willing to go there and to save Lucas. However, and heroics aside, she was nothing more than an insignificant human. 'Human' - that was what Lucas had called her. If even he thought of her in such a depreciating way, what could she do to stand up to a superior powerful demon? She believed that if Barbatos hadn't called Lucas, she could have reached to his core and he could have recovered his memory. As much as he told her he didn't remember, his reaction showed that things were just hidden in a bolted hideout somewhere inside him; if they weren't, he would have attacked her without hesitation.

She started to think what Barbatos would have on him, in order to keep him that loyal. Would it be a question of torture and violence? Brainwashing maybe? One thing she knew: meeting at the Auditorium wasn't a coincidence. She was sure that he had appeared there because that's where she was; still, she wondered why. Would it be a test imposed by his boss? Barbatos might want to know if he really controlled Lucas, or if he would turn against him when he saw her. If this hypothesis checked, the fact of Lucas having met her on purpose by the rail was a problem for him, since Barbatos could consider that his 'work' wasn't effective and would punish him until he didn't think twice to attack her. She wished that she was wrong.

The precipitation continued to shoot down with intensity. It had trickled all day, promising something more serious - the result was visible. Noting that the rain didn't show any will to take a break, Marina decided that she would go home anyway. When she arrived there, she would get in the tub and have a bath of hot water. She got up and crossed her arms in a gesture of protection not only against the cold, but also to protect her from a possible attack. She studied the area around her once more in search of a sign, the littlest thing that indicated the presence of her beloved, nonetheless there was nothing. She sighed, gazed at the pitch-black sky and prepared to embark on a frantic race.

She had hardly begun the fast pace, when a latent din reached her ears. Marina stopped at once. Standing still, she paid more attention to the sounds of the night. She closed her eyes to concentrate and listened. She didn't have to wait long till hearing it again; someone was moaning. She unveiled her eyes and decided to circle the skate park. She knew that someone was out there. She went to the other part of the half pipe and saw a glimpse of a figure lying on the floor, with his belly down. Marina shuddered upon seeing him. She didn't need to see his face to be sure of who he was – Lucas. She ran top him. With trembling hands, she turned him. Horrified, she put her hands to her mouth to stifle a shriek. She was right; it had been a test. Lucas hadn't passed and had been punished for it with a wound, just above the heart, that seemed to be very deep and it bled profusely. She covered it, trying to stop the bleeding and gulped.

Lucas was motionless and he didn't open his eyes; she figured that he was unconscious. Nervous, Marina applied two light strokes on his face to awaken him, but she had no success.

"I have to get you out of here," she said to no one.

She had to take him home and treat him. Although he was an entity out of the ordinary, being stricken with such seriousness wasn't good for sure. She shook him once more, and again got no response. She couldn't carry him, since she wasn't strong enough, so all that there was left was to wait for him to wake up. Would he be the same as always when he awoke, or would he continue to be the demon that his Master wanted him to be? She prayed for the first option. Without another choice, Marina took off her jacket, her turtle-neck sweater and her blouse. She turned to put on the turtle-neck, while every inch of her skin crawled with cold, and she covered his body with her coat. Next, she folded her blouse several times and put it on the wound to staunch the bleeding. To protect his body from the bad weather, she leaned over him.

A strange vibration came from beneath her, leading her to conjecture about what was happening. The response came in the impact of a creepy sound: it was Lucas who was laughing in an ominous way. Confused, Marina leant on him, allowing him to stand on his elbows. She stopped pressing his wound when he ogled at the injury and snorted. That wasn't her Lucas; it was his dire version. Without expecting it, Lucas pushed her so hard that she flew in the air to the fence that surrounded the restaurant next to the skate park. Stunned, Marina tried to get up, but before she could do it, Lucas was already in front of her. He continued to exhibit a poisonous smirk, as if the situation amused him greatly. He crouched beside her and looked deep into her eyes, so that she could see that he was commanded by the darkness.

"Hello again, stranger," he said with a grin. "I heard that you're searching for me, and guess what? We were looking for you too!"

Without giving her time to assimilate what was going on, Lucas grasped her rubber band and untied her pony-tail. He tilted his head a bit to the right side, while pretending to comb her hair. Out of the blue, he grabbed a large lock of her hair and pulled it hard, forcing her to rise. Marina yelled in pain and took both hands to her head to try to free herself. Lucas forced her to go to the bench right in front of the skate park. Installed on the cement seat was Barbatos, who was very busy pulling at the fingers of his glove. Lucas continued to pull her hair and forced her to kneel before his Master. Barbatos didn't even look at her.

Though the rain had subsided a little, the firmament was often pierced by invading lightning strikes, followed by fearful crashing thunders. It all combined into a perfect symphony of terror.

The Master looked at the heavens and commented to no one in particular, "There's nothing like a good storm. It always has a devastating dramatic effect. It inspires both fear and respect. It's perfect."

Skillfully, and without letting go of her hair, Lucas stood behind the girl. The pain from the pulling, allied to the disillusionment of knowing that Barbatos was getting what he wanted, contributed to her defeat. She felt like crying. No! If I'm going to the bottom, then I'll go with dignity, she shouted to her conscience. She gave up trying to release from Lucas. She passed her palms over her eyes to wipe away the tears, and pressed her lips to control herself.

With satisfaction, Lucas announced, "You were right, Master. She came here of free will and without knowing that she was heading straight for your artful trap."

Barbatos laughed. As he stared at his nails without any show of modesty, he said, "I'm simply genius, therefore my plans are too. Furthermore, this human is so predictable." Turning to her, he said, "Hello, Marina. How are you since the last time we met?"

Barbatos was now looking directly at her. Marina thought that he seemed more proud than a peacock, delighted to be victorious: he had managed to turn Lucas into a demon, had erased all his memories and, more importantly, he was getting him to hurt her.

An atrocious recollection made her retrieve one of the things that Barbatos had told her: "Maybe I'll send him back to fulfill his original mission." She trembled under the hand of Lucas. Would this be the great plan of Barbatos? Would he want Lucas to complete his mission as proof that he was on his side? Not only was he sure that he controlled the Lost One, but he would also get rid of her. Would this be her fate, to die at the hands of her beloved? She didn't see how she could save herself. Not only she was kneeling in front of a powerful demon, but she also had another one, with unknown powers, arresting her. Stubborn, Marina didn't answer Barbatos' question. She diverted her view in another direction, and assumed an expression of aversion to him.

Seeming slightly offended, Barbatos stood up from the bench and ordered to Lucas, "Bind her to the pole. Let's give a more tragic look to the scene to make things more interesting."

Lucas assented and turned to pull on Marina's lock of hair, so that she would get up and walk down to the pole. When they got before it, he dropped her hair and threw her hard against the column. Marina made an effort to suppress a hacking moan that wanted to escape from her mouth. Hold on! Be strong, she ordered herself. The Lost One took her blouse stained with blood, which had previously been placed on his wound, tore it into two and headed to her. Marina tried to struggle, but Lucas was much stronger. He ended up holding her hands over her head and tied them to the pole; her feet were next. With his job completed, Lucas strayed a few feet so that the Grand Master could observe his work.

Barbatos stood in front of the girl and complained, "You know, you're much ruder than the last time we met. By the way, do you remember this?"

The demon pointed to three pink marks on his face. They hadn't disappeared, as it was supposed to happen with that kind of supernatural being that regenerated easily. Marina remembered those scars: they had been offered to him by her. If she was given the opportunity, she would do much worse. Impelled to act, she moved frantically, trying to undo the bonds. She felt like a fly caught in a spider web, waiting for the inevitable.

Barbatos showed his teeth in a menacing expression and stated, "That's right, my dear. I'm glad you remember it, because I think it's time to reciprocate the gesture."

That said, the demon approached Lucas and observed the scars on his trunk, that was painted in scarlet due to the wound opened over his heart. He bit his lip briefly in a way of weighting things up and said, "Since you care so much about your darling Lucas, I'll give you a souvenir - a few scars equal to his."

After dropping a sinister laugh accompanied by Lucas, Barbatos approached the girl and, with a single blow that consisted of sliding his finger down the front of her, her sweater was torn.

"Get rid of these rags," he ordered to Lucas.

Obedient, the Lost One pulled off what was left of her sweater. The wintry air made Marina try to shrink, but she wasn't successful, since the ties didn't allow her to move much.

With a smile full of tenebrous malignancy on his face, Barbatos studied her abdomen as an artist measuring the brush stroke to apply on the canvas. He leaned his forefinger to her skin and made it slide without any shadow of hurry. His touch was extremely hot, her skin burning like paper as his finger slipped through it. Marina felt as if she was being ripped by a scorching iron. She tried to be strong and not to cry, nonetheless the pain was so strong that a guttural sound eventually escaped her, ceasing only when Barbatos stopped. She could swear that her cries had echoed through the whole city; yet, no light was turned on, no one came to the door to peek, no one showed up to rescue her.

Barbatos showed his typical childish behavior and clapped with joy. Hurting her was a real pleasure for him and Marina knew that he didn't intend to stop there. The demon repositioned and turned to slide his incandescent finger, this time a little above her hip. The incision was bigger, thus Marina couldn't help but howl a moan of suffering, while tears fell in cascades down her cheeks. She avoided looking down. If she saw the blood, she would lose the last drop of energy she had left, and she feared that there was still much to stand until the coup de grace.

"Ask me to stop," Barbatos ordered to her.

"No! I'm not giving that pleasure," rejected Marina in a shout.

"Then you'll suffer a lot till you change your mind."

Barbatos raised his finger in the air and struck her with a cut similar to the one Lucas had over his heart, though less profound. Marina lost the strength in her legs and went down, remaining only in the vertical position, because her wrists were tied to the pole. She let her body sway to the rhythm of the wind that had turned to blow.

"And now, have you changed your mind?" insisted Barbatos.

"Never" said Marina, with her voice failing. She gave her best to utter, "I hope you burn in Hell and that Justice finds you and tears you into pieces. You're a monster!"

Huffy by her persistence, Barbatos attacked her again. A slash even bigger crossed her belly from the area below her right breast almost to her left hip. The pain was excruciating, nevertheless the scream died in her throat; she had no breath left to yell. She dropped her head down and observed the water drops falling from her hair.

Barbatos wiped his hand in a glove as he studied her. He released something that sounded like a sigh and commented, "This is so monotonous. You're a drag and I'm already bored of doing this. Hmm, what would make you beg me to kill you?"

The demon marched from side to side, while waiting for some idea to occur to him. The small break allowed Marina to recover a little, though the wounds were blazing hot. Suddenly Barbatos stopped in front of her and commanded, "Lost One, come here."

Marina half raised her head upon hearing that call. She knew perfectly what it meant.

Always loyal and obedient, Lucas did what his Master commanded him to. Once he approached him, Barbatos plunged a hand into his chest, to the fiend's surprise. The Lost One just groaned, while he held onto his boss in order not to fall down.

"No. Stop it! Please, stop," Marina cried out in horror.

Barbatos glanced at her in triumph. That was her weak point. He faced Marina and pressed Lucas' heart further, making him fall on his knees in front of him.

"Stop! Leave him alone, please," she turned to plead. "He already does everything you want, why torture him any further? I'm the one you want. Let him go, I beg you!"

"But that's not what I want to hear, my dear. I want you to beg for something else instead. You know what it is. Go on, tell me what I want," challenged Barbatos.

Marina gulped and tried to appease the tangle of emotions that huddled inside of her, but the scene she witnessed wouldn't let her calm down a single bit. She concentrated and, unable to control the tremor of her lower lip, babbled, "I beg you... I implore you to kill me, Barbatos."

"Yes!" shouted the demon, removing his hand from inside the chest of the Lost One.

Lucas' body crashed and collapsed to the front, while shaken by relentless spasms that ceased little by little. Marina looked at him, helpless. She couldn't do anything for him, but to sacrifice herself. Maybe. when she disappeared. Barbatos would forget about him, since his interest was in the game he played with her. When the fun was over, he would return to his routine, and Lucas would be just another one in his legion.

Unexpectedly, Lucas rose from the wet pavement in a movement out of sync. When he removed the hand that covered his wound, Marina stared at the injury that she had glimpsed before: Lucas had recovered at an amazing speed, and the hole that Barbatos' hand had opened was closed and the blow had returned to its initial appearance. It continued to bleed and to look bad, but at least it wasn't a huge hole; he had good chances of healing completely.

Patient, Barbatos waited for the rain water to wash Lucas' blood from his hand. He turned to Marina and stated, "I've been thinking about what I said before. Tell me, what do you think of Lucas completing his mission?"

It was what she always suspected: she would die at the hands of her beloved. Better to his than to Barbatos'. It was ironic, but correct. She had forced Lucas to return to Hell, so it was fair that he balanced the scales. She replied in a calm tone "I don't care one iota about it."

Barbatos giggled and turned to Lucas. He ordered him, "Get rid of her, my Lost One."

Lucas agreed and went over Marina. His eyes of hideous opacity, full of menace, attached to hers.

Although she knew what would happen next, Marina couldn't deny her feelings for Lucas: he would hurt or even kill her, but it was for him that her heart beat. If she couldn't stay with him, it was better for him to kill her once and for all. Without ever averting her gaze from his, she took a deep breath to prepare for the worst. Bathed in conformation and humility, she told him, "With all this, I think I already proved to you that I wasn't lying. Go ahead, kill me. It doesn't matter. The important thing is that you're okay. As you said before, 'I'm going to give you the greatest proof of love that I can give you'."

That said, Marina raised her head and tried to straighten up. She tensed her jaw, waiting with honor for the advertised fatal charge. A dagger appeared in the palm of Lucas' hand by magic. Continuing to look her straight in the eyes and fitted with a cunning smirk, Lucas raised his arm to finish it. Feeling that she no longer needed to keep appearances regarding the circumstances, Marina allowed the last tears to roll down her face. Although she was terrified and nervous before, she was invaded by a surprising serenity, for Lucas was the one to give her eternal peace. Soon everything would be over: there would be no more pain or worries, everything would stay behind. Lucas' arm, however, remained quiet in the air, suspended.

"What are you waiting for? Go ahead, kill her. Finish this!" ordered Barbatos, fearing the meaning of such hesitation.

Marina stared at Lucas. Surprisingly, she saw tears in his eyes. Those windows to a soul dominated by the shadows were weeping about what he had to do. Seeing him in that state made her feel a pressing need to comfort him. In an affected, but sweet voice, she whispered, "Don't cry. You'll be alright, I know. I'll be fine too."

Before Lucas had any time to reflect on her words, Barbatos reinforced with a shout, "Kill her now!"

Lucas' arm went up again and came down without hesitation. Marina turned her face away and shut her eyes tightly: it was now, her time had come. She felt the pole vibrating and her body followed the reverberation. Contrary to what she expected, she didn't feel any pain. So dying, even if by a violent death, didn't hurt? Marina dared to raise her eyelids: Lucas was taking the ropes from her feet and next he untied the ones on her wrists. As soon as he freed her hands, Marina swooped down forlorn over his body. The two ended up kneeling on the ground.

Barbatos began to move around them like a shark about to attack his victim, while saying, "Well, well, well. Now, what a surprise! Even after all my efforts, the Lost One fights back and rescues his protégé. The question is who will protect him from me?"

Lucas made an extraordinary effort to stand up, but the effects of his wounds were starting to weight on him. Marina tried to do the same, but since she couldn't stand, she dragged herself as far as possible. She wasn't going to leave Lucas there, nonetheless the battle that would follow was between them and she could do nothing against powers beyond the ordinary.

Barbatos continued moving around Lucas, preparing to attack him. He didn't lose his theatricality and kept insulting him, "So that's how it's going to be? You leave everything for a human that, one day, you'll watch die, while you'll continue walking on in the world? And what will you do after you lose her? Nothing. You'll still be a troubled soul, and you'll end up returning to what you were as rage and revolt grow inside you. I know what I'm talking about."

"No, you don't, nor have you the truth on your side," refuted Lucas.

The Master rolled up his sleeves, showing that he didn't intend to take the weak part. If Lucas wanted to fight him, he would find a powerful response.

When Barbatos fell silent, it was Lucas' turn to strike back. "You think I cannot beat you, Master? I tell you you're very mistaken."

Barbatos chuckled. Amused, he asked, "Do you believe so? Tell me: how could you, a mere Lost One, beat me in battle? Me, a powerful chief with thirty legions in my service?"

Pinning his feet to the ground, Lucas replied, "It's very simple. Do you remember Gadrel, who taught how angels could be wounded with swords? I do. And I thought that information so useful, that look what I got."

Lucas' hand slid vertically through the air. A bright light flashed over the line drawn and a majestic sword appeared in his hands.

"I can't believe it... It's not possible. Where did you get that?" inquired Barbatos in astonishment.

"What matters is, if this sword works with angels, it should also work with demons, since they are below them, right?" And Lucas wielded the sword, making it cut the air into slices by way of a threat.

Barbatos wove a grin and didn't take long to imitate Lucas: he also drew a vertical line in the air, from where appeared another sword through a black mist. "Are you sure you know how to use that, miserable Lost One?" he teased, never dropping his intimidating mask. "I have serious doubts, but if that's what you want, get ready to disappear forever."

"You are the one who's going to vanish," yelled Lucas, who rose his sword in the air and made it come down in a sweeping blow, which was quickly trimmed by Barbatos.

The Master circled the Lost One and attacked with a blow from below. Lucas swerved to the side, turning over himself, and struck back, making his blade slash Barbatos' arm, that began to bleed. The Master looked at his arm with surprise, but ended up laughing as he shook his head. Next, he took the sword with both hands, assumed an expression of rage, and attacked Lucas with several blows so strong that the Lost One could scarcely defended himself.

Lucas was forced to retreat. He barely had time to recover; Barbatos was again close to him and made his sword glide through the air so fast that it was hard discern his movements. Suddenly, Barbatos hurt Lucas on a leg. The Lost One stumbled and fell to the ground, while the Master discarded his sword with a kick. However, Lucas wasn't beaten yet: he didn't have the sword, but he would use his body as a weapon. He rose, in pain and with difficulty, and assumed an attack position, while Barbatos threw his sword into the ground.

"Really?!" spit the Master. "You think that you can beat me in a body fight? If you couldn't do it with a sword, do you think that's how you'll get there? Brainless idiot! I'll cut you back to non-existence."

Lucas tried to hit him with a punch, followed by a kick, but he failed; the adversary slipped all his attacks. Not wasting the opportunity, Barbatos moved at the speed of light and hit Lucas with a fist to his face and a kick in his chest that sent him flying next to Marina. Despite being exhausted, Lucas still he tried to get up. Before he could do so, Barbatos jumped on him and pressed the wound that he had inflicted before, making Lucas scream out in visible agony. Noting that the enemy wouldn't give much more of a fight, Barbatos let go of the wound and walked away.

Marina dragged herself to Lucas. She observed his body at full length: he was badly injured and wouldn't be able to continue to defend himself for much longer. She thought that it was time to face the inevitable - they would both die there.

In a superhuman effort, she managed to kneel next to Lucas. She put her arm over his shoulders, to comfort him, and whispered, "Don't worry, everything is fine. You gave it your best shot. I wouldn't ask for more than that. Thanks for trying."

As she spoke, Barbatos returned, holding the shining sword that Lucas had wielded before. He contemplated the object as he made it spin. He slid the blade by his hand and evaluated it. He nodded and commented, "It is truly an admirable object. And the damage it can cause? This sword is not for you, Lost One, and it was an outrage you daring to wield it. However, I have a surprise for you. Since you liked it so much, it's precisely with this that I'll finish you."

Horrified, Marina saw Barbatos moving toward Lucas, as he pulled back the sword. It wasn't hard to predict his goal. Marina did the only thing that occurred to her: she gathered her last energies, rotated over Lucas and stood in front of him. The sword pierced both in one strike. Marina didn't yell nor cry, just accepted the fatality as she pressed Lucas hard against her. The Lost One uttered a howl that was heard miles away, not due to pain, but for Marina. Although he too was on the verge of losing strength, he corresponded to her hug.

With her last breath, Marina murmured in a hasty way, "I regret nothing."

"Me neither. You're the best thing that happened to me," answered Lucas.

Barbatos put his hands on his waist, leaned his head to the side and watched them, pleased with his victory.

"Two birds with one stone," he commented, sardonically.

The demon remained still, expecting to see Lucas disintegrating as it happened when a Lost One was eradicated. Lucas, however, was still in one piece.

Suddenly, the sword that crossed the lovers began to shine with such intensity that almost blinded Barbatos. Its resplendent glow expanded and enveloped both Lucas and Marina's bodies in a protective aura. Surprisingly, the blade left the two bodies by itself and, floating in the air, turned toward Barbatos. Amazed, Lucas made an extra effort to understand what was happening. He learned then that the sword only responded to purity, and the link that united the couple was a pure one. The sword had its own will and it wanted to end the evil obstacle between them. Lucas just had to indicate the sword which direction to take, ordering it mentally to do its part. Obedient, it flew with at supersonic speed at Barbatos and struck him in his heart.

The Master moaned in pain and admiration. He retreated two steps and fell to his knees in a pool of water. He tried to pull the sword out and, at great cost, he did it. The blade fell on the wet and dirty floor and its light extinguished. As its weapon faded, Barbatos disintegrated and turned into ashes that soon were washed away by the rain.

The lovers were still embraced. Despite being painfully injured, Lucas remained conscious due to his paranormal nature. Without ever dropping Marina's body, he managed the unthinkable: he stood up and carried her in his arms to the side of the half pipe, which was better protected from the rain. He laid her gently on the ground and approached his ear to her chest to check if she was still breathing; however, he couldn't tell if she was just unconscious or if she had...

"No, you cannot be dead. Barbatos is gone, we can be together at last," Lucas whispered with a note of sadness.

He had to stop the bleeding and heal those wounds, but how? It would take a miracle. In a momentary flash of lucidity, he got up and staggered to the sacred sword that had just killed Barbatos. He picked it up and returned to Marina. The blade had lost its light, but maybe it could do one last thing for them.

Lucas raised the sword above his head and asked to Heaven, "Please, help me to save her. She's all I have left. Don't take her away from me. I beg you, help me!"

He waited a few seconds, but nothing happened. When the dismay was taking over him, the sword began to glow gradually, although not as bright as before: it was as if the strings of power that it still had left, had reunited only for him to save Marina.

"Thank you, a thousand times thank you," Lucas thanked with his voice trembling.

He approached the point of the blade of the wound caused by the trespass of steel and put it on it. When he raised the sharp metal surface, the cut wasn't bleeding anymore and it even looked as if it had been cauterized. He repeated the gesture on all the injuries that had been caused by Barbatos. When he finished the process, the sword broke in his hands, turning into bright gold dust: its mission was accomplished, so it could withdraw from this world.

Lucas stared at Marina and felt relieved to see that her chest went up and down slowly; she was breathing and would be fine. However, he had to take her to a safe place to treat her better. He waited for the weather to calm down and took the time to regain forces, since the task ahead wouldn't be easy for a hurt demon.

When the rain mitigated, he caught her in his arms, ran down the side walk along the river and crossed the bridge. Back on the north bank, he climbed the arcade steps, opened the door of her house with the key she had in her pocket, and went inside. He wanted to lay her on the bed, nevertheless she was soaked and frozen: he had to give her a warm bath first. Lucas took her to the bathroom, carefully put her into the bathtub and took of her sneakers, socks and jeans. Then he opened both taps and covered the bathtub to fill it.

The thermal shock between her inner temperature and the water's made Marina wake. She opened her eyes little by little, trying to get used to the clarity that flooded the room and that contrasted with the darkness of night that involved her before. The first thing she saw was Lucas' face. She outlined a small smile and managed to take a trembling hand to his face to caress him. Reality struck her with violence then: run by an exceptional influx of adrenaline, she sat down in the bathtub abruptly. Lucas rushed to hold her by her arms so that she wouldn't slip.

Before she could speak, Lucas whispered, "Easy, Marina. Calm down. It's okay. We did it, we won."

As the meaning of what Lucas had said sank in, Marina gradually became calmer; Lucas released her and turned to sit on the edge of the tub.

Marina took a deep breath, as her head was spinning. The last thing she remembered was being pierced by a sword. On impulse, her sight ran down to the area just above her navel, where she remembered having been wounded by the blade - she found only an ugly mark. That amazed her, but she quickly forgot about it when she learnt that she was wearing only underwear. She pulled her knees up and to cling to them, so that Lucas couldn't see her body. The gesture made everything hurt her, but not even then she retreated.

"D-did you undress me?" she stammered.

"with all that has happened, the first thing you ask me is if I undressed you? You're funny," pronounced Lucas, letting a smile to stamp on his face.

Noting that she was still waiting for an answer, he just nodded his head as he picked up the sponge and put some shower gel on it.

Before he began to rub the sponge on her body, Marina grabbed the object and said, "I'll do that myself."

Washing herself was a drawn out process, not only because she had pain in places she never thought that could hurt, but also because the scars of the cauterization burned harsh in contact with water. When finished, she rose from the tub with the help of Lucas, who handed her a towel. After receiving it, Marina wrapped it around her and blushed.

"What?" questioned Lucas.

"Can you turn around? I want... huh, to take off the rest of the wet clothes I still have on, to dry myself."

Although she had never imagined it would be possible, Lucas blushed equally when hearing Marina's words.

Before he could answer, the girl cut in, "Let's do something else. I'll be right back."

Marina left Lucas alone and returned seconds later with a pair of Lycra boxers in hand. While she passed the boxers to him, she explained, "This was supposed to be dad's birthday gift, but I think you need them the most. I'm going to my bedroom to get dressed. Meanwhile, you can have a bath too. When you're done, grab the laundry and leave everything in that basket."

Lucas shook his head in disagreement and argued, "I don't need a bath. I have no body temperature, so I don't need to try to raise it with hot water."

It was Marina's turn to chuckle for the first time since the fateful episode, although it was the shortest laugh of her life. "Yep, you don't have a body temperature to rise, but I don't want you in my bed all wet and spattered with blood."

"In your bed?" Lucas managed to ask after gulping.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Marina was finishing brushing her hair when Lucas knocked on the door of her room. She asked him come in, and so he did. As soon as he crossed the entrance, Marina went to the bedroom door and locked it. She put the brush on the desk, picked up a tube of ointment and applied a good layer of balm on her injuries. To avoid the mushy layer from pasting it to her pajamas, she covered it with some small pads with adhesive on it.

When she finished the process, she turned to Lucas, and questioned timidly, "Do you want some? I don't know what effect it has on you, since you're 'special', but I assure you that it works wonders on me."

"No, thanks," answered Lucas. "I heal naturally. You'll see that tomorrow I'll be much better and you'll barely notice the marks."

"I believe you. I've had the chance to see it before," she recalled.

She closed the tube and laid it next to the hair brush; she would put everything back in the bathroom the following morning. At that moment, she felt so tired that she just wanted to fall into bed and sleep. However, there was still an outstanding question: Lucas.

Marina sat up in bed beside him and inquired, "Now what, Lucas? Are you still a demon? What's going to happen?"

After shrugging his shoulders, Lucas said in a frank tone, "I don't know and, honestly, I can't think about that now. I need to regain strength first. I only know that I'd like to have a common life. I'm aware that's unattainable, but I'd like people to consider me a boy like many others. It would be good"

Marina acquiesced. She would also love that he had the opportunity to turn into a normal person. Henceforth, she would not call him a 'demon' again - for her, he was a boy, period. While she thought about what he had said, Lucas rose from bed. "What?" she asked.

"I have to go. It's late, you have to rest."

"So do you," hurried Marina to the point out. "There's no way I'm gonna let you leave!"

Lucas turned to settle on the quilt. He held her fingers with his left hand and, with the other, he removed a lock of hair from her forehead. "I'd love to stay, but we can't forget about your mother," he remarked.

"I haven't. She's at work tomorrow, so she will leave quite early. She never comes to my bedroom before leaving, and even if she comes, I have the door locked. Please, stay with me tonight."

Marina tightened her grip on his hand to make him understand that she wanted him there with her. Lucas hesitated, but when Marina leaned her head on his shoulder, he gave up. He sighed and said, "Okay, you win."

Not totally satisfied, Marina insisted, "You stay, but you must promise that you'll be here when I wake up in the morning. Don't make a fool of me! The last time you slept here, you slipped away before I woke up."

Lucas put on a compromised grin, confirming that she was right and, that night, he had left before dawn.

Marina smiled with happiness. She pulled back the sheets, throw Lucas' pillow close to the wall and signaled him to move to settle down. She would sleep next to the night stand to prevent him from fleeing.

After tucking herself in bed, Marina turned to Lucas. Resting on her elbow, with a hand holding her visage, she observed him. Lucas also turned to her, took a hand from under the blanket and made it contour her face in a gentle caress. Marina replied with a tender kiss and Lucas received it gladly.

"Can I sleep leaning against you?" she whispered.

"Sure. And be rested: I promise you that, tomorrow when you awake, I'll be here by your side. We will never be apart again."

Marina kissed him once more. Feeling at peace, she rested her head on his chest. The boy gave her a kiss on her forehead and, shortly after, they both fell in the deep sleep of the righteous.

The more agitated her night had been, the presence of Lucas next to her made Marina feel safe and it allowed her to rest well. On the other hand, Lucas seemed not to rest too much, waking up several times frightened, as if he was still facing Barbatos. When Marina opened her eyes in the morning, it was his turn to sleep deeply and relaxed at last. She decided to let him slumber while she stood quiet, watching him.

Things had crashed in an unexpected way the night before and she had the feeling that nothing would be the same as before. She didn't remember everything that had occurred. For example, what had happened after the sword pierced her? Recalling the blade made her shiver. She hoped to never have to go through anything like that ever again; it hurt like hell. In a thoughtless gesture, she passed a hand on the spot where the blade had spiked her. A daunting thought loomed her spirit - she should be dead. The blow was fatal, still there she was, alive. How she had survived was another question she wanted to put to Lucas. And him, how would things be for him from then on? When he woke up, they would have a long conversation.

It was a few minutes to noon when Lucas began to awaken. Marina placed a resounding kiss on his cheek, and said in a low voice, "Good-morning, my love."

Lucas smiled with his eyes still shut and put his arms around her, while saying in a sleepy way, "Good-morning to you too, my light."

Marina sat in bed and pulled the blanket up to protect herself from the cold; Lucas mimicked her. There were too many issues to approach, nonetheless it was almost lunch time and that should be the first thing to be taken care of. Curious, Marina asked, "When you were here the last time, you had a snack with me. Do the Lost Ones really feed or was it something you did just because of your disguise?"

Startled by the question, Lucas stopped rubbing his eyes. He turned to her and answered, "It's not something we have to do, but yes, we do eat. Why?"

"Because I'm going to prepare an excellent lunch for us. Do you have any special requests? What's your favorite food?"

Lucas reflected a little and replied "Lasagna."

"Perfect! I have one in the fridge. I'll cook it right away. Meet me in the kitchen in a few minutes. Ah! Check the bottom drawer of my dresser: I have some clothes there that were my father's. Maybe one of his training-suits will fit you. See you soon!"

She kissed him on the cheek and leaped up, to halt immediately while uttering a silenced "ouch". She had forgotten about her injuries. She shook her body in a short assessment of her state and all the muscles complained - it seemed that she had taken a major beating last night. And, indeed, she had. With extra care, she walked into the kitchen. She took the lasagna out of the fridge, cut it into two parts and stuck the first half in the microwave. Next, she arranged the table.

When she was about to finish everything, Lucas showed up in the kitchen, wearing only the pants of a training-suit. Marina couldn't avoid approaching him: he was a magnet and she was made of metal, thus there was no way to escape him.

She touched lightly on his scars. He had healed well enough, although the mark above his heart didn't look much better. The microwave bell rang, stealing her from her thoughts. Marina picked up the second plate and put it in the place beside hers, motioning for Lucas to sit there. She sat down beside him. Before starting to eat, she watched Lucas cutting a piece of lasagna and taking the fork to his mouth. His reaction was delightful: he shook his head a lot as he let out little "hums" of approval. It was fantastic! It seemed that he had regained his palate and he was loving to taste lasagna. Marina encouraged him to eat the rest and she also had her share.

Back in her bedroom, after cleaning the kitchen, Marina put on some tight jeans and high boots over the trousers. Next, she took off the top of her pajamas and began to remove the bandages on her injuries one by one. In general, the scars looked better. She cleaned them, applied a new dose of ointment and recovered them with new bandages. After grabbing a warm turtle neck sweater from the dresser, she pulled it on.

Lucas rose from the mattress to hold her in an embrace so tight that it almost choked her. Marina returned the gesture, although she didn't expect that reaction. Hesitant, she quizzed, "Is everything okay?"

Lucas stared at the floor, embarrassed and mad at the same time. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry for not having protected you as I should. Those injuries... you have them because of me, it's my fault."

Marina shook her head in disagreement. She held him with intensity and underlined, "Who gave me these wounds was Barbatos, not you. Forget it, I'll be fine. Can you pass me the brush to comb my hair?"

Lucas handed her the brush and Marina started combing her hair, closing the topic of blame. They would have to talk about what had happened, but not there.

The girl finished getting ready, while Lucas made the bed. It was funny to see him doing something as mundane as that. Maybe he could achieve his dream of having a life very close to normality.

With the bedroom tidy, Marina put on a coat, grabbed the umbrella and the house key. Turning to Lucas, she questioned, "Let's go?"

"Where do you want to go?" he inquired in return.

"To save myself from a huge lecture. Yesterday, when I found you, I covered you with a coat that I got recently. If my mother finds out that I don't have it with me, she will kill me. Believe me when I say that I don't feel like going back to that ill-fated place so soon, but I must do it. Will you come with me?"

Lucas also seemed to have no desire to return there. He hesitated, but ended up nodding. Marina handed him a T-shirt and the coat of the training-suit, as she clarified that she had put his pants in the washing and they should be ready in the evening.

They went out to the street hand in hand. The weather still looked unfriendly: the overflowing grey clouds occupied the sky, and they seemed to fight with each other for the best place. The wind wasn't blowing as strong as the previous day, but when it did, it showed its temper with a sharp frosty breeze. Marina gave thanks for wearing warm clothes. They crossed the bridge and walked to their destination.

Lucas froze near the cement bench in front of the half pipe. Dismayed, he dropped down on it with an expression of guilt and dread. Marina, however, and despite everything that had happened there, had coolness and discernment enough to collect the bloody rags she found and place them in the nearest dustbin. She returned to the lateral side of the half pipe and searched for her coat. Luckily it was still there, although it was soaked and filthy. When she got home, she would have put it in the washing machine right away before her mother saw it. She picked it up with three fingers to not get herself dirty and headed to Lucas.

She sat beside him and glanced at the skate park. As it was painful to look there, she rotated in order to be in front of her beloved. She clutched the boy's hands with firmness, and announced in a tranquil and affectionate voice, "It's now, Lucas. Now it's the time for you to tell me everything from the beginning."

Lucas vacillated. He turned on the seat, facing her, and fixed his gaze on their clasped hands, as if trying to remember something that happened so long ago that its contours had faded. He gulped, took a deep breath and launched himself into a monologue that Marina tried not to interrupt, so that she wouldn't miss a thing.

"I remember almost nothing before I died. I know that my name was Lucas, I was 19, and my parents were always trying to get me to join some group to honor our Purepecha ancestors. Everything else remains a question mark. If you ask me how I died, I have no idea what to answer you. I don't know what happened.

"I was very young and I wish I had the opportunity to continue to enjoy the pleasures of life. I had plans, many plans. That feeling always walks with me, although those plans were swept from my mind. Maybe it was the usual stuff that everyone wants: a career, a family, a happy life. Everything was left behind when I died.

"My soul was lost in limbo and wandered around there for a long time. I don't know how or why, but I eventually end up in Hell and then... that's when you forget about yourself: who you were, about your family, your ambitions. It's as if you were born at that time, everything else it's simply pulled out of your memory. When I say that things are pulled out, they literally are. I don't know how long I was in Hell under torture until I became a Lost One, though it seemed like centuries to me. It's indescribable the horror that happens down there. You can yell for help at will and no one will save you - this is the only certainty you have. At a certain point, we forget all feelings, including pain. It's when you forget the pain that you're officially a Lost One. From then on, we have so much frustration, sorrow and anger inside us, that we just want to share it with the world of the living, and believe me, that's not in the best sense of the word.

"When we die, time ceases to make sense, so I have no idea of how many years I passed away. However, I know that my time as a Lost One is less than a decade. What do the years matter when you're aware that you'll have an eternal miserable existence? I just stopped counting.

"I ended up in one of Barbatos' legions. The king who commanded my legion was assigned with a task, whose nature is unknown to me, and Barbatos himself took the command till the return of the regent. It was then that he instructed me with the mission to recruit souls to Hell, to be under his control. Basically, Barbatos chose the targets and I had to..."

Lucas' eyes filled with tears. Marina didn't want to interrupt him so that he wouldn't lose the courage to tell her everything, nevertheless she felt that he wasn't well. She wanted to hug him and tell him that he could carry on with his story, but Lucas seemed to have erected an invisible barrier between them, as if to stay away from her as much as possible or he wouldn't have the audacity to proceed. She just fondled his hand. Lucas didn't take his eyes off the floor. He sighed and continued.

"Barbatos chose the targets and I had to do whatever was necessary to raise those souls for him. By rule, he chose adolescents. He said something about how much more valuable the souls were before they turn 18 and officially become adults. I'm not sure what he was referring to, but I think it had something to do with their innocence and purity. I recruited many souls and I did... horrible things. I'm not proud of any of them, yet I had no choice. I owed him loyalty and I followed him without questioning him. And who would dare to? He was the Master of thirty legions; he hadn't got there by luck.

"As time passes by, some Lost Ones assume this identity forever. However, others simply... disappear. I'd like to know what happened to them, but this was never discussed. The important thing is, this question made me think for the first time since my transformation: if they didn't come back, wouldn't that mean that there was an alternative to this kind of existence? I found myself believing in it, but with whom could I talk about it? Lost Ones and demons aren't friends. Angels, saints and other divine entities also aren't interested in us. In fact, if they cared a single bit, I wouldn't have ended up in Hell when I spent so much time in Limbo, waiting for a way to be shown to me.

"It was then that Barbatos called me to his presence. He told me that he had a new assignment for me, and that this time I would have to hurry, because the target was about to turn 18 and then would no longer be so precious. The target he presented to me at that time... was you."

Lucas glanced at Marina for the first time since he had started to tell her his story. Marina shuddered, sure that she wouldn't like what would follow. However, she felt that she had to listen to him so that nothing could come between them- she wanted no more secrets. She pressed her lips in a nervous gesture and continued to caress his hand, encouraging him to advance. Lucas did so.

"Barbatos warned me that it might be a difficult task, so I had to integrate myself fully into your life, like a double agent, you know? Quite dubiously, my registration was done in school and I was put in your class. I hadn't seen you before, but when I passed by you and Ana running. It may have been only for a split second, but I picked up something shining brightly in you right away, and it seemed to call me. Let me tell you that I loved your presentation speech in Philosophy: while everyone talked about futilities, you did introspection and said that you wanted to get as far as possible. That caught my attention. You were nothing like the hare-brained teenagers I used to be assigned to in the usual missions. In part, I identified myself with you. Do you remember that I told you that I had many plans? I think that's what I recognized in you. At that instant, I found myself craving for... more. That's why, by the end of the day when you went up to the bridge, I followed you and observed you as you admired the landscape. You looked so strong and resolute, as if nothing in the world could stop you. I confess that I felt... caught up."

Lucas put a hand to his chest, while he looked at the bridge and recalled the scene. He had an expression of ecstasy, as if he had seen the most beautiful thing ever. It seemed to be a wonderful remembrance. However, the joy on his face was soon replaced by something resembling concern. He held her hand harder as he proceeded.

"I knew that I was recovering some remnants of my humanity - I could feel again. I didn't take long to realize the threat that it represented to my Master. I was sure that he wouldn't allow me to change and he would take measures accordingly. I just had to look at the opposite side of the bridge to see his negative influence extend to the two men that were coming towards you. Yes, it was the pernicious influence of my Master that brought them to you and caused you to be thrown into the water. I felt your distress in every particle of my being while you debated with the water. Something within me cried out, saying that I didn't want to lose you when I had just found you, so I jumped. I rebelled against Barbatos and did what I could to save you.

"When I returned to Hell, I expected Barbatos to punish me severely, except he faced it as a game, a new challenge. He ordered me to go on with my mission. I was supposed to make you fall in love with me and, when you did, I had to make you suffer a lot, in order for you to embrace your death willingly. I accepted it, but I knew I wouldn't fulfill those orders.

"When we had our first kiss... I know this sounds quite lame for a guy, but it was very important to me. Later, I felt completely destroyed when you said that everything was over between us. I knew that I should stay away, maybe Barbatos would forget about you, nonetheless I knew him too well...

"I came to the conclusion that I would only have a free choice about my existence if I got rid of him. I started to do multiple searches on the sly. I walked through the confines of the underworld, asked questions to the elders and oracles, until someone told me about Gadrel, a fallen angel who had taught that angels could be hurt with a sword. Getting such a sword wasn't easy and I had no opportunity to learn to handle it properly, because, by that time, Barbatos offered you a false choice: me or your family. It was obvious that your choice would fall on the second one. I don't judge you for that, in fact, it only makes me more proud of you. I thought I'd spare you that decision if I turned myself in and that's what I did.

"My 'deviation' was becoming an embarrassment to Barbatos and it was beginning to raise several questions among other Lost Ones. If I disappeared, those issues would increase, so he opted to 'reprogram' me: a new dose of flagella until I got back to being an irrational demon that followed him around and did everything he wanted. As you noticed, it worked. You didn't find me by chance near the Auditorium - my Master had sent me there to test me. When I realized that you knew me from somewhere, there was a switch within me that turned on, but the current was slow to shed light... Only at the very instant when I was ordered to kill you, did the memories begin to emerge. I truly regret to have hurt you. I didn't want to, and if I was myself, I wouldn't have done it. Forgive me, please..."

For the third time, Marina saw her beloved crying. She knew that it was Barbatos who controlled him back then and that his influence was so strong that it had taken an overwhelming feeling to shut him up once and for all. Everything that Lucas had done for her since the moment he recovered his memory confirmed how deep his feelings for her were, and it erased what had happened.

"Of course I forgive you," she murmured.

Marina wrapped her arms around him. He had hurt her, but he had saved her in the end. It was him who had finished Barbatos, a being more powerful than any of them. Speaking of him, how would he have died? She didn't remember much after the sword turned them into a 'human-demon skewer'. Intrigued, she questioned, "What happened to Barbatos?"

Lucas glanced in the direction where his Master had been reduced to ashes. He didn't talk, until he felt ready to tackle the issue. "I hadn't understood how the sword worked. I wanted to impose it physically, but only when everything was near the end for us, I learnt that the power resided in what linked us. It was the strength of the feeling that unites us that made the sword free us and kill Barbatos. I just had to indicate the obstacle that stood between us. He was disintegrated and his ashes were carried away by rainwater."

Marina tried to recollect what had happened, but her memory only recorded an empty spot. It was as if she had really died at that instant and, therefore, she had no memories of anything else. Perhaps it was better to keep those memories buried forever. Animated, she said, "Never mind, it was all worth it. And I still say you're worth being saved. Do you think that is possible?"

"Maybe," Lucas replied, a little insecure. Then he smiled, brushed a hand along her face and added, "Anyway, I believe that you have already saved me. I no longer feel that I'm a Lost One, but I'm not human. I'm still a lifeless being, yet I'm recovering some aspects of my humanity. This is all very new to me, I don't know what I will become. If I could find another Lost One that had gone through the same experience..."

Marina nodded. She understood that it could be a change too confusing for him. He needed someone who had passed through the same, to help him, but who? She had never heard of Lost Ones until she met him and the information about them wasn't abundant. Maybe Lucifer counted that his success, one day, was based on the ignorance of all creatures that he lodged in the crevices.

A drop of water fell right on Marina's nose, making her keep in mind that the weather was uncertain and it was best not to linger on the street. Getting back home wasn't the most attractive option, as her mother wouldn't take long to arrive. What then? She would send Lucas away? There were still many pending issues to be resolved... The most pressing one had to be approached right away. Marina rose from the bench, turned to him and, as she folded her filthy coat, she asked "Lucas, I know that, before, when you disappeared, you went to Hell. What about now? Do you have somewhere to go?"

He looked thoughtful, as if he still hadn't thought about it. Ina weak note, he admitted, "I lost some of my powers, but, as a lost soul, I might still able to get in and out of Hell when I want. However, I shouldn't do it the next times, since I just made one of Astaroth's assistants vanish..."

"But do you still have the power to make yourself invisible to humans?"

"I think so," he replied while cocking an eyebrow. "Why? What are you thinking?"

A smile danced on Marina's red lips as she informed, "I think you'll spend a good season in my house."

Lucas shook his head right away. "Don't worry about it. I still have other powers, such as persuasion. It won't be hard to convince someone to let me rent an apartment or a room here in town."

"Don't you want to stay with me?"

"Of course I do, but I don't want to overload you. I just want to be your boyfriend and that we have a regular relationship."

Boyfriend? The internal bell of Marina rang inside her. She had asked herself so many times if he wanted to be her boyfriend and had been martyred by this question... and what for? There he was, telling her that he wanted to be it. Would there be anything more phenomenal than such good news? Not for her.

She extended her hand for him to get up from the bench and so he did. She pulled him to her, until their bodies touched, and made her fingers go up his t-shirt to his chin, which she held delicately. With a perky and provocative expression, she teased, "So, you want to be my boyfriend... In that case, can we flirt for a while?"

Lucas showed a grin devoid of decency. He answered by closing the gap between them and giving her a kiss so intense that it left her breathless. Marina responded eagerly and her arms intertwined around his neck to hold him there. The light rain that was falling almost evaporated when it touched her skin, for being so hot - that kiss had increased her internal temperature to 1000F!.

She wanted more, nonetheless Lucas parted from her by a few inches. He gazed at her with a mischievous expression and commented, "For someone who almost died yesterday and is still sore, you're very energetic."

Marina giggled. It was true that she had experienced terrible pain before; however, and although only a few hours had passed since then, it seemed as distant as if it had happened in another lifetime. She opened her umbrella to protect them from the rain, and justified, "Happiness is stronger than any pain."

The drizzle threatened to become a downpour, so they hurried to go back home. They got in and headed to the living-room, where Lucas settled by the window. He leaned his shoulder against one of the walls that skirted the window, stuck his hands in the pockets of his pants and surrendered to his thoughts while Marina took care of her coat.

After putting the machine to work, she joined Lucas. She made him open his forearms slightly and wrapped him in a hug, letting her hands rest on his chest. She propped her chin on his shoulder and stared at the landscape he beheld. She took a deep breath and asked, "I know that you'll look for a house for you, but can you stay with me tonight again? Please...?"

Lucas picked up one of her hands and took it to his lips to kiss it. He smiled as he replied, "Sure. I think another night won't hurt, though I think you'll like that I have my own place. We'll be more comfortable for... dating."

The last term made her blush. Still, she would have to agree with him: at her home, she would always be worried about the arrival of her mother and her control. If he had his own place, they would be much more at ease and they wouldn't need to be that restrained nor would have to try to disguise a conversation when they wanted to talk about something related to the supernatural dimension. And they could spend time alone... Marina rushed to hide her face in his back so that he didn't see her blushing. She closed her eyes briefly and let herself stay like that, holding him in her arms. His scent was exhilarating. She had never thought that she could love someone that much.

After releasing a sigh, Marina turned to open her eyelids and inquired, "What about now? What will happen?"

Lucas shrugged, as he stared at the horizon that progressively clarified as the black clouds dissipated. With a secure and clear voice, he replied, "I don't know what the future holds for us, but I promise you this: I'll do everything for us to stay together. I already challenged Hell once for you, I will do it again if necessary."

And Lucas knew that he would have to do it. What they had done would never be forgotten or ignored. The consequences would find them one day and they would be a challenge almost impossible to overcome. He shook his head, to send away such dark thoughts. He turned to Marina and kissed her, while the dark clouds gradually disappeared, taking all of bad memories.

