PART 5
The girls had gathered at the entrance of the hotel after a long day at the beach.
"I'm thirsty. I'm heading to the bar," Emily mentioned.
"They say the saunas around here are the best," Anna said as she adjusted the bag where she kept everything she needed for a night at the sauna. "I want to see if it's true."
"And you? Are you coming with me?" Emily asked Diana.
"No, I'd like to take a walk on the beach."
"Be careful," the redhead warned her, recalling how she had seen Diana earlier that afternoon on the balcony.
"Don't worry, I'm not going far."
"Alright. Be careful," Emily told them, saying goodbye. But halfway to the bar, she realized something important. "Wait… where's my wallet? I gave it to Anna to keep for me!"
The path to the saunas wasn't far from the hotel grounds. Following the signs through a small passage adorned with numerous flowers and blue benches, you would reach the destination. With her earphones in, Anna noticed a familiar figure from a distance.
"Mike?" Anna called out, pulling out her earphones as she approached him. "You're hurt!"
She shouted, alarmed, rushing over to him and brushing the hair from his face when she saw his lip was bleeding.
"Micaela?"
"Uh…"
"How is this possible? Are you gay, transgender, or something?"
"No, no, no. It’s just," Mike tried to explain, but he was too tired of having to clarify the situation. "It doesn’t matter anymore. Yes, I’m Micaela. I dressed as a girl to do Andrew a favor so he wouldn’t have to go to Emily’s birthday alone. But in the end, the favor went too far."
"I get it," Anna nodded, pulling her hand away from his face as she realized she was still holding it. "Sometimes Emily can be very bossy, and Andrew too proud. I’m sorry they dragged you into all their messes."
"That doesn’t matter to me anymore."
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"But besides that, are you okay?" Anna asked, noticing the confused look on his face. "Your face…"
"Don’t worry about it."
"Here," Anna said, pulling a hand towel out of her bag and handing it to him. "I know it’s not much, but you can use it to clean up."
"Thanks," he said, taking it and accidentally brushing his hand against hers, causing her to blush.
"Mike… I… I want to tell you that… I’ve liked you since we were kids!"
Emily, remembering that Anna had her wallet, had run after her. However, when she caught up, Anna was already with Mike. Hiding behind a tree, Emily watched, feeling proud that her friend had finally, after so many years, made her move.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/Lsx6vpFs/1.jpg]
“... I... thank you for your feelings... but I can’t return them,” Mike said as gently as he could.
“Why?”
“I... I like someone else.”
“Is it someone from our class?”
“Diana.”
“Diana?” Hearing that name, Anna’s insides twisted. “I’m so sorry, Mike.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I shouldn’t tell you this since Diana is my friend. But she doesn’t like you. Not you, nor effeminate men,” Anna told the surprised young man.
“I won’t know until she confesses, will I?” Mike responded, regaining his composure.
“I’m not telling you this because you rejected me. Diana has been with us since she moved to the city, and oddly enough, whenever she sees an effeminate guy, she insults them,” Anna continued, seeing Mike’s expression darken. “She even once told us that she met a guy with an androgynous face who made her sick just by looking at him.”
“An androgynous guy?”
“Yes. Who was dating her childhood friend or something like that.”
“I see.” With a soft, almost imperceptible whisper, Mike said as he got up from the bench, his eyes fixed on the ground and his bangs covering his face. “Thanks for the towel.”
Mike began to walk away without saying goodbye to Anna. With no particular direction, he followed the flower-lined path that led to the beach, while Anna watched him leave, head down, with a Machiavellian smile.
“Are you feeling good now that you’ve lied to him?!” Emily yelled as she emerged from her hiding place.
“Emily?” Anna looked up, startled.
“Surprised to see me? You have my wallet in your bag.”
“Right...” Anna muttered, embarrassed at being caught.
“Why did you lie to him? And don’t give me your innocent girl nonsense.”
“You know exactly why I lied to him. Because of that poor black girl who’s always begging around us.”
“Black? Are you talking about Diana?” Emily asked again, her face showing disgust.
“Who else? ‘I don’t have money for this, I don’t have money for that, it doesn’t seem fair...’”
“I knew you were envious of her, but not to this extent.”
“Envious? Me? Of that beggar?”
“She may be a beggar, but you’re dying to be like her.”
“Never!” Anna shouted, her face contorted with rage. “More than envy, I hate her. I don’t like her class, nor her race. From the beginning, she should never have been accepted into our university just because of some grades. Besides intelligence, the board should take into account her background.”
“You disgust me.”