CAROM-EL

I have nothing to do and I'll be waiting for you on our skate park in two hours. I let out a long and slow breath, tuck the cell phone into my pocket. My body surrenders to the comfort of the cold wall, my forehead sweats and my skin begs for a bath and my bed. A post-workout lunch nap is more than deserved.

Max didn't go easy on me. He controls the air, the earth and has a ridiculous ability where he just looks into another magician's eyes and then touches him to disable the target's abilities for a while.

Falling twice from a meter and a half high, because the wind stopped supporting my body, was not comfortable. It was shameful. Even the new ability to cut space with a few steps didn't help me. Even with Xavier, skilled in traveling, helping me before Max's spanking..

“C’mon, Elo” Max was enjoying my fails “You need to give me more than this.”

Rosa walked onto the field and kissed him, patted his stomach and he slapped her ass as she turned to go back to the bleachers. The audience laughed and I wanted to throw up. If my future boyfriend slapped my ass in public, I would slap him back in the face. Limits exist and must be respected.

When I got tired of being hit by Max limiting my signature moves, double punch, impulse, quick punch, I went back to the stands and let other mages take a beating from him. It was at some point during my rest that Arthur texted me, asking me to go to our skate park.

That's your problem, you know.

Oh, Blue. Why do you only show up when Arthur does the same?

Because you know I love him and not the other boys in the league that you want to kiss.

I don't want to kiss anyone.

Yes, and it's not just Arthur.

Arthur is Blue's mess, but Blue always chicken out when he's supposed to do the right thing about that shit. Two years ago, when I developed my post-first-kiss magic, Arthur stayed with me for a few months, until we started a new year in the high school and he started dating a girl.

That’s your falt too, you know.

I knew it. Blue and the curse of throwing everything in my face. Arthur wants a boyfriend to walk hand in hand with him and I don't have the heart for such a thing. Not with my grandfather despising me and my parents sometimes turning away from me just because I’m a Esperança too. I can't imagine what they can do when find out that my heart beats only for boys.

It took me the last two years with slaps in the face to learn the lesson that I would have to do it all myself. That taking the tightness out of my chest, because of Arthur going back to his yearly girlfriends and treating me like his best friend again, was entirely my job. That I would never learn magic in the family, because of my grandfather, and ha dto learn by myself, my job alone. Not alone, Max found me.

The hellish mess that all this caused in my heart until I got over it was almost unbearable most days, but it happened after several prayers, purification rituals according to the internet with aromatic candles and incense and other medicinal plants that I rubbed in my face crying in the garden begging for all the pain to pass.

In a moment I just stopped caring. That was the trick, not thinking about Arthur when he wasn't around. Not thinking about parents when training magic in the league. Turn on the headphones with motivational raps and jump from tree to tree with the air supporting your feet all the way, with only the moon to witness for all those nighttime screams and quick tears when your throat scratched and you decided it was time to calm down.

Now I am at peace and Arthur appears once again to fertilize that seed inside me. A seed that already wants to open up quickly to let things happen again in my chest.

I cannot allow this. Disappointment will be avoided if I'll be the son of a gun this time.

Arthur takes turns around the skate park at home. It didn't take me long to cross the space between the league and my shed behind the skate shop at home, cross the street at slower pushes with my skateboard, and move leisurely around the skate park when I arrived. Now, I stand on top of one of the ramps, just watching the shirt that sticks to his body, his wet hair reminds me of stickers on his forehead. He'll stay there, walking around, jumping on the handrail and missing the moment that his skateboard hits the metal, for a few more minutes.

That's his signal not to be all right, he'll walk around the place until get tired when he needs to forget something or is forced to process what he doesn't like at the moment.

I fear for him on the last lap, when the skateboard lands with the sandpaper facing the rail and his feet hit the wheels. He has the decency to be able to jump before his skate overturns and falls down the ramp.

He turns to me and our exchange of glances takes longer than should be allowed before Arthur picks up his skateboard and runs up the ramp I find myself on.

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“What's up.” He lets go of the skateboard and wraps me in a tight hug, smearing sweat on my skin.

I don't care because I walked straight out of magic training, my condition was no better than his as I wipe my sweaty hands on my shorts and we sit side by side at the top of the ramp.

I grab a bottle of water from the side of my skateboard and give it to him, who drinks in one gulp and sighs with pleasure when he finishes..

“Thanks.” He sets the bottle aside and takes the skateboard in his lap as he watches the movement on the ramps, on the street, and beyond. The skaters, the cars and people on sidewalks. His ritual before he got out what he need say “So, I'm liking a girl.”

What should I have done: turn to him and say “Serious?”

What do I do: I turn to him and agree, so he continues.

“She likes me and stuff.” He spins one of the wheels on his skateboard, probably getting lost in the girl's image, “But she acts like a bad girl to me, you know? She's mean, cold and hot. She hits me with some words like punches that I feel like cringing and crying. “

Look the boy you like, Blue.

Beautiful, isn’t? Help him, Carom.

Pathetic.

“And then I think...” With a deep sigh, he starts to turn another wheel “I'm going to act like a bad boy with her too. But then she comes and says I’m feel not good today and I get all melted down and worried and I say hi, my pretty, are we going to talk? You can talk to me, I will support you in everything. Then we back to square one, when she's okay and she's a bad girl to me again.”

This girl is definitely kidding on my poor best friend and does that to force him end that relationship because she doesn't have guts to do that.

“She could try to get better.” I turn to the sound of a skateboard hitting the ground hard and a boy cursing for having missed a trick in the game and then back to Arthur.

“I know.” Arthur stops turning the wheels and turns to me. “How do I change this?”

My fear of making him cry for being too insensitive runs over my skin with gentle goose bumps. Arthur dumped me for a girl and now I'm here, trying to advise him not to break out of a relationship that won't last so long.

“End this whole thing?”

“No, I like her, dude.”

“But she makes you suffer, idiot.”

He frowns.

“Okay” I sigh, he's on slow mode. “You're not an idiot. But she is.”

“I know and I want her, only I need to break this back and forth without hurting her. Like, I'm soft today.

“Fortunately.”

“I only thought about her seven hundred and seventy-four times.”

“Damn, Arthur.”

“She loves my kiss and then she gives me ice and then I don't know what else to do.”

His kiss is really sweet, you can't blame him.

Not now, Blue.

“Oh.” He brings his hands to his face. “I know. I’m a dumb. The TV actor makes love and doesn't fall in love. I get a message with a little heart and I'm already thinking about getting married.”

“Arthur.” I touch his shoulder. “For God's sake. You will fix this.”

“I feel like crap, man.” He slumps and I contain the urge to hug him and kiss him, just so I can comfort him and fulfill Blue's wishes.

“Shut up, dude.” Now is the time to tell some of Blue's truths so he can comfort himself and not change my mood with so much drama “You're wonderful and, like, a boner. Stop thinking like that, dude. She's an idiot for not paying attention to you.”

“You're right” the expression changes and a smile appears “Pray for me?”

"Sorry?”

“My grandmother always prays for me after I talk to her.”

I stare at him, he's serious. He really waits for my prayer to bless him and ask God to deliver him from the evil way and wicked girls.

“Close your eyes and hold out your hands” I ask and he does “Break it now, Lord” I remember the beginning, the times I saw other people praying, when my parents took me to church, the rest was a succession of anger and disbelief for innocence of Arthur that make me want to slap the girl he likes “Breaks all desire to make mistakes in that blessed body...” And in that tasty six pack “In the name of Jesus, let all desire to make a mess now leave Arthur. All desire to send cute emojis and say that you like these girls colder than the iceberg that screwed up with the Titanic. Do the work Lord. You got it.”

“I receive it.” He closes his hands.

“Amen.”

“Now to the center of the ramps.” He brings one of his hands to the back of my neck, before lifting his fingers and stroking my hair. “I want a game of skate.”

My cell phone vibrates as soon as he lets go of me and walks down the ramp, running towards the others there and yelling:

"Who wants a game?"

COME TO THE LEAGUE, DUDE. MAX HERE.

I know it's Max. His contact has been saved there for two years.

“The game will have to wait.”

I grab my skateboard and my bottle after putting away my cell phone. Arthur just watches as I wave goodbye and walk to the street.

“See you later, Elo.” Arthur screams.

“See you later, Arthur.”

***

Max presses a hand on my shoulder and then massages it.

“Congratulations, cadet.” He pushes me against a chair. “Your first assignment. Come closer, Edgar.”

Edgar approaches. One guy who works with Graciela, trying to find magicians who use skills for robbery. He's tall, his face resembles an egg upside down and he already has entries in his hair, suggesting that the black, wavy forest will disappear before his hair turns white.

“I was on a bank this afternoon” Edgar turns to me “When I had a vision that another bank on the street was going to be robbed and this is a profile of one of them” He holds up the papers so I can see the cutout designs of garments: a yellow and blue plaid shirt, jeans torn at the knees, and a yellow sneaker “It's going to happen soon."

“What does that mean?” I don't really understand those clothes “Where's the face?”

Graciela laughs and Edgar turns quickly to her, before turning back to me, still with an annoyed expression on his face.

“That's his skill.” Max chooses poor Edgar as the target of the new slaps. “He sees the thieves' clothes. Sensual, isn't it?”

Edgar averts his face as our leader smiles and approaches me. Strange skill he had, but when it comes to skills that help fight crime, magic and evil comrades, I can't judge.

“Get ready.” Max slaps me on the shoulder and then massages me and I don't know whether to punch him or thank him for the magic fingers.

“Super easy, dude.”

“I know. You have a chat. When he gets to where you are, the police will be on their way. Just ask him which option he wants: the good guys or a life behind bars. They always choose us.”

This sounds like a prank, but they're looking seriously. So serious they barely blink.

“But where is this bank?” I turn to Edgar

“Near the Mueller mall” Edgar returns to his chair and his computer “You should have an hour and a half or two to prepare.”

“Come on.” Max walks toward the door. “You need a shower.”

“Oh, one more thing.” Edgar holds up a finger. “I remember seeing him running near the Passeio Público. You better wait there.”