C7

SUSPECTS

-These skirts are a little short, don't you think? -I say to Flavia as I look at myself in the mirror. It was Monday and classes were starting today. The uniform was a bit strange. The skirts were blue and short.

-They look fine to me," she replies. Of course, anything provocative is fine with her.

-Do they dislike the uniforms? -asks Karla coming out of the bathroom.

-Not at all," I answer. Karla seemed a bit strange to me, I mean, sometimes I felt her to be sincere and other times I felt her to be a bit hypocritical, so I wouldn't relate much to her. The last thing I want is to find more fake people in my life.

My cell phone rings, I notice it's my dad so I answer it:

-salut papa.

-Amara, comment vas-tu? tout va bien? -he asks me.

-Everything is fine, I'm getting ready to go to class. Tu me manques.

-Tu me manques aussi. Je vous vous appelais juste pour vous souhaiter une bonne journée et prendre bien soin de vous. J'ai une réunion importante en ce moment. -It was always the same, important meetings or calls. From the time he had come here until today he had called me.

-D'accord, papa, passe une bonne journée aussi. Appelez-moi quand vous êtes libre.

-Je t'aime," he says to me, which means I love you.

-Je t'aime aussi -and I hung up.

When I turn around I see Flavia and Karla looking at me expectantly. I frown at them without understanding.

-What's wrong with them? -I grab my bag being ready.

-We don't understand anything you said," Flavia answers me in Portuguese.

-I don't understand you," I told her.

-Anyway, I'm ready," Flavia takes her bag and holds out her hand to me. I take her hand a little unsure because the truth is a little strange. But in order not to make a fool of her I do it. When we are about to leave, Karla looks at us and gives me a strange eyebrow dance. A gesture that I didn't understand of course.

-I'll catch up with you in a few minutes," she shouts.

-Do you think you can be with us? -Flavia asks me. We were walking through the corridors looking for the section. But she doesn't let go of my hand.

Okay, this is looking a little strange to me. The other time at Elder's party he was making out with a girl, I don't know if she is Lesbian or Bisexual, or maybe her behavior with me is just like a nice friendship growing between both of them. I just hope she is not getting confused.

Students were starting to leave their rooms to find their sections etc. In the distance I notice Elder William, chatting with the red-haired girl whose name I still don't know. The girl was leaning against the wall and Elder was facing her, as if flirting. I don't know. Elder as if sniffing me, turns and sees me, makes a half smile and winks at me.

Who does he think he is?

When we pass next to each other Flavia asks me:

-Did you notice that?

-I did, and I don't know why she did it.

The boys' uniform consisted of black pants and white T-shirt. The women's was the blue skirt, white T-shirt and black boots.

-Maybe he wants to with you," he says to me.

-Elder William? Not at all. He hates me and I hate him.

-Why do you say he hates you?

-Well, I don't know, I'm not at his mercy like most people here.

-Maybe that's what gets his attention.

And also that I remembered that this little group is hiding something, something I swore to myself that I would find out. So I would have to start getting involved with them.

When we get to the classroom, Flavia still won't let go of my hand and some people are starting to look at us funny. I decide to sit in the third row from the entrance, in the second to last seat.

I let go.

Flavia gets behind me.

The students were starting to come in, all of them, because the teacher was also coming in. And then the bell rang. Elder walks in, followed by his red-haired lover and sits in the fourth row, right in the second to last seat. So I had him right next to me.

Great.

-Good morning," greets the teacher, "I hope you had a good vacation and got enough rest because this year will be harder for us. I see there are a lot of newcomers, please stand up.

About five kids stand up (three girls and two boys). This is awkward. I noticed that Karla was sitting in the front seat and Mell was sitting behind her.

-Welcome," she says, "and I hope you come very prepared because I'm not going to explain topics we've already seen. You can sit down.

We sat down.

It was literature class, I take my notebook out of my backpack and pencils, but a pen falls on the floor, near Elder's place. I bend down and reach out my hand to pick it up, but Elder beats me to it and does it himself. I rejoin my place, stretching out my hand for him to give it to me, however, he does not. He stays with it.

-Give it to me," I say in a whisper so the teacher won't hear me.

He just shakes his head and starts writing with MY pencil.

-Are you so poor that you can't afford a pencil? -I tell him quietly.

He smiles without looking at me.

-Silence," says the teacher from the blackboard. She's writing down today's topic.

I didn't understand Elder, the day I met him he was macho and tough and now he was annoying me. Was he bipolar or what? I rubbed my temple while using another pencil.

-French," he calls after me softly, "Your pencil doesn't paint," he stretches out his hand to give it to me. I rolled my eyes and took it, but he wouldn't let go of my hand. I'll confess something, I felt something strange when his hand touched mine. Besides that Elder caressed it, he caressed it! I gave him a dirty look as I snatched the pencil from him.

I didn't understand.

What was Elder William's game with me?

-

When we go out to lunch, Flavia immediately approaches me.

-What was that with Elder?

-I have no idea. The boy is out of his mind.

-Well, I looked at him very sane. Amara, he was flirting with you. You realize that, girl. -he tells me. We look for a table near the pool, the same one where we had breakfast yesterday to be exact.

-He was just teasing me. -I looked at the menu to choose what I would have for lunch.

-Hmm if you say so.

-Hi, girls! Can I sit with you? -asks Karla, sitting down.

-You already did," I muttered under my breath.

-What will you order for lunch? -she asks.

I gave Flavia a quick glance because we didn't really understand this girl's reaction. She shows up uninvited. But I'm not going to be rude and run her off.

-We don't know yet, that's what we're seeing," Flavia answers before me.

-Amara, they asked me about you," Karla says.

I looked up and looked at her.

-Who?

-His name is Louis. See that blond boy over there? -She points to the other side of the pool. There were four boys at the table, among them a blond boy. -He's with us, I don't think you haven't seen him.

The boy was really handsome, he was, but I didn't trust men anymore.

-What did he ask you? -I took my hair and tied it in a high bun. It was really hot.

-He asked me what your name was, if you were my roommate. I saw him very interested in you.

I looked at the boy again, he was looking at me, but then he got up and started walking. Don't tell me he's coming here?

-He's coming this way," Karla mumbles.

-Hi," the boy says to me when he arrives, sitting down next to me.

-Flavia, what do you say we go order lunch? -says Karla to Flavia to leave me alone here with him.

-Okay," they both get up and leave. I give them a withering look and then turn to the boy.

-Hello," I replied.

-I'm Louis," he introduces himself.

-Amara," I smiled, but I kept looking at the menu.

-Have you decided what you're having for lunch? -he asks me later, noticing that I'm looking at the menu a lot.

I closed the book and looked at it.

-I was just getting to it.

In the distance I noticed Elder William, he was coming with two other guys, looking for a table. I cursed under my breath as I saw him heading for the table next to us.

Great.

-So you're from France," Louis commented, trying to make conversation.

-That's right.

-I'm from Scotland.

-Why are you here? So far away," I looked at him a little more interested.

He grimaces as if to play it down.

-My parents and their jobs.

I nodded in understanding.

Elder sits up and looks at me as if challenging me, but at that he raises his hand and kisses it. I remembered that was the hand we had brushed before. And it seemed a little strange to me. But what I found most strange and weird in me, was that when he made that gesture, I felt things in my belly.

Omg, I'm sick.